James Pankow may be known as a founding member and resident trombone player/arranger/songwriter in Chicago, but for a gaggle of grandkids living on the West Coast, he’s Papa. It’s a respite he recently enjoyed before bouncing back into his aforementioned musical role as Chicago returns for their 58th year as a unit.

Averaging between 80 to 100 shows a year, this Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 10-piece are out supporting the recently released Chicago at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington D.C. (9/16/71), a 4-LP/3-CD set encompassing that historic gig. And while that show occurred 54 years ago, it still resonates for Pankow.

“We were one of the first artists to perform there,” Pankow recalled. “This was in July 1971 and the Kennedy Center had just opened a few weeks pr

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