Blessed with extraordinary love and luck beyond his imagination, and gifted with an ability to get the room rockin', Chicago Mike has toured throughout Europe and the USA for the past six years. He released his first CD in 2002, and is currently putting the finishing touches on CD #2, which will feature the glorious voice of Nora O'Connor and members of IGBASHOBEB's Chicago chapter, Big Eyed Beans From Venus. His songs have been heard on radio stations throughout the USA, Japan, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Transylvania, Romania, Macedonia and Antartica.

http://www.chicagomike.com

Eric is a spectacular young guitar hero from Austin, Texas. A headliner at Montreal's prestigious Jazz Festival, and already a veteran touring artist at the tender age of 25, Eric will kick off his first European tour with three nights as lead guitarist for Chicago Mike and his Beans in Zermatt, Switzerland.

26, 27 & 28 February
Papperla Pub
Zermatt, Switzerland

http://www.erictessmerband.com

Multi-instrumentalist and guitarist extraordinaire. This will be Mitch's second stint with the Beans, having played several shows during last Spring's tour of Switzerland. Mitch's guitar playing exhibits intensity and grace.

1, 2 & 3 March
Papperla Pub
4 March
Schneewittchen
Zermatt, Switzerland

Bandleader and guitarist from Nederland's foremost Little Feat Tribute Band, Marshmellow Steamroller. Russell's love for vintage and boutique amps and choice guitars is only exceeded by his chops, tenacity and dedication to great music. Russ appeared with Mike on western Nederland's WOS Radio for their "Live Alive" broadcast in Spring 2006.

5 - 10 March
Papperla Pub
Zermatt, Switzerland

Rik's guitar prowess is legendary throughout Northern Europe. An incredible player, Rik is able to coax notes and licks out of his vintage Gibson Firebird and Marshall amp that'll send shivers up your spine. Co-writer and producer of Mike's "(If) The Soup Is Good", Rik has also recorded with Herman Brood, Alvin Lee, Tineke Wiggers and has shared stages with a veritable "Who's Who" of European music legends.

4 May
De Kleine Beurs
Franeker, Nederland

Now retired from active touring, Barry emerges from retirement to join Mike for a string of shows in the shadow of the Matterhorn and in the "Pearl of the Alps". With a nod to Jerry Garcia, infused with a healthy dose of Stones, and a new Anderson axe in tow, Barry will be debuting several original compositions during his stint with the Beans. Barry's influence on Mike's musical development can't be overstated --- Barry's collection of classic 70s albums shaped Mike's musical universe, and Barry taught Mike his first Skynyrd tune on guitar, stretching all the way back to 1978.

11 March
Schneewittchen

12 & 13 March
Papperla Pub
Zermatt, Switzerland

15 & 17 March
Old-Inn
Saas-Grund, Switzerland

Christof has earned a reputation as a top-notch player throughout Holland with a command of diverse styles on the guitar. He is an in-demand sesssion and live player for some of Nederland's most renowned artists.

2 - 7 & 9 April
Papperla Pub

8 April
Schneewittchen
Zermatt, Switzerland

http://www.les-enfants-terribles.nl
http://www.vanderlinde.info
http://www.ginasbandofblues.nl
http://www.erwindevries.nl
http://www.ralphdejongh.com

MC, rapper and bass-master, Wik fronts Chicago's emerging jam/hop groove unit "What Is Bill?" and infectious confectionary folk-hoppers The Real Spokes. A veteran of Mike's 2005 European tour, Wik also held down double-bass for the Chicago Beans in a previous era.

2 March - 13 March
Papperla Pub & Schneewittchen
Zermatt, Switzerland

15 & 17 March
Old-Inn
Saas-Grund, Switzerland

http://myspace.com/stevewikmusic

Jeremy Hughes' Beautiful Insanity is the name of Jeremy's musical project when he's not working his magic organ on Big Eyed Beans From FUFMO audiences, and the name perfectly captures his essence. A Bean onboard for Mike's very first band tour of Europe, as well as legendary shows during the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Jeremy is unforgettable -- He's the musician that invariably has the biggest impact on audiences wherever Mike plays throughout North America or Europe.

http://www.jeremy-hughes.com

Words can't convey the immense privilege Mike feels for this opportunity to perform with Boy Brostowski. Inspiration and co-writer for international radio favorite "(If) The Soup Is Good", Boy's musical career stretches back to the 1960s, playing with the Indo-rock bands that influenced the early Beatles in the proto-rock clubs of Hamburg's Reeperbahn. A member of several nationally prominent Dutch bands, including The Buffoons and Jan Akkerman, Boy has been slickering his drumkit for Big Eyed Beans From Fryslân since 2003.

29 & 31 March
Old-Inn
Saas-Grund, Switzerland

2 - 9 April
Papperla Pub & Schneewittchen
Zermatt, Switzerland

4 May
De Kleine Beurs
Franeker, Nederland

Gerrit Veen has been involved with some of The Netherlands most significant musical developments, including bass guitar work for Herman Brood's first recordings and earliest live shows. Gerrit has been holding down bass for Mike's Big Eyed Beans From Fryslân since the departure of Jan van Olffen in 2004.

29 & 31 March
Old-Inn
Saas-Grund, Switzerland

2 - 9 April
Papperla Pub & Schneewittchen
Zermatt, Switzerland

4 May
De Kleine Beurs
Franeker, Nederland

The giggingest drummer in the Benelux territories, Bas was a founding member of Marshmellow Steamroller, the seminal Fryslân-based Little Feat Tribute, and he performs regularly with no less than 17 bands throughout Northern Europe. Bas also performed on Mike's 2006 live on-air broadcast on WOS Radio, as well as previous performances in The Netherlands. These will be his first shows with Mike in Switzerland.

26 February - 13 March
Papperla Pub & Schneewittchen
Zermatt, Switzerland

15 & 17 March
Old-Inn
Saas-Grund, Switzerland

Young, talented and able to make wonderful sounds come out of just about anything he gets his hands on, Eibe has been performing professionally since before he was a teenager, and currently handles keys for Gelderland's brash Soul revue, Captain Heartbeat. A brilliant pianist, and highly capable bassist and sax-ist, Eibe will bring several textures and dimensions to the Guitar Summit ensemble. If he survives...

All shows
26 February - 9 April
Switzerland, Germany & France

http://www.eibemusic.com

Photo by Byron Graves

A devotee of 60s rock icons like Jimi Hendrix and The Doors, Claudio has been quietly honing his chops getting ready for his first European performances with Chicago Mike. A founding member of Italy's premiere Beans chapter, Big Eyed Beans From Verona, Mike and Claudio first performed together at Donelli's, the neighborhood hideout in Lake Bluff, Illinois USA that has hosted and spawned countless musical endeavors and currently serves as incubator for the Louie Zagoras Band, which features Greg Rzab on bass (Buddy Guy, Black Crowes, Gov't Mule).

14 April
Il Magazzino di Gilgamesh
Torino, Italy

Final performance schedule and artist lineup subject to change.