The 30th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival
Chicago's Festival Season Closes out with Jazz Music
Aug 26, 2008
The city of Chicago is legendary for two types of music: Jazz and Blues music. All of the greats from Miles Davis to Muddy Waters went through Chicago during their big recording days. The great jazz legends traveled up and down the Mississippi River from New Orleans, Memphis and St. Louis before heading to Chicago for their recording contracts.
The list of prominent record labels that featured in this music is legendary. Chess Records is one and the current Alligator Records continues the tradition when it comes to blues. Chicago is also home to the living legend of blues music Buddy Guy and contains one of the most-famous jazz clubs still in existence, the Velvet Lounge.
As such, Chicago likes to take every opportunity to celebrate these forms of music and they do so with two huge festivals every season. The first one, the Chicago Blues Festival, kicks things off and starts the entire music festival season in Chicago. Then comes a series of outdoor concerts at the new Pritzker Pavillion in Millennium Park right downtown. Lollapalooza has made Chicago a home and allows more modern music fans a chance to celebrate. Then, things end with class and power with the Chicago Jazz Festival.
The Chicago Jazz Festival started 30 years ago, and it started relatively small. These days, however, it has grown into one of the most pre-eminent jazz festivals in the world. This weekend is the 30th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. Like the other great music festivals in and around Chicago, this one is absolutely free and right downtown. The only thing worry about paying for is food and parking or transportation. A visitor's best bet is to take the EL or public transportation downtown.
Detailed information is available at City of Chicago's Festival Website. They have all kinds of details not only about this event, but all other festivals. The Chicago Jazz Festival kicks off this week on August 28, with a concert in Millennium Park and continues with all-day music on three stages through August 31.
The performances on the three stages are as follows,and a special thanks to the City of Chicago website for this information:
Millennium Park
Thursday, August 28, 2008 6:30 pm
- Sonny Rollins - two-time Grammy winner and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner.
Petrillo Music Shell in Grant Park
Friday, August 29, 2008
- 5:00-5:50 - T.S. Galloway's Tribute to Capt. Walter Dyett featuring Julian Priester, Ken Chaney, Mwata Bowden, Edwin Daugherty, Ari Brown and Von Freeman
- 6:00-6:55 - AACM Tribute featuring Roscoe Mitchell, Wadada Leo Smith, Amina Claudine Myers, Michael Logan and Thurman Barker
- 7:10-8:10 - Dee Dee Bridgewater's "Tribute to Betty Carter"
- 8:30-9:30 - Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band
- Saturday, August 30, 20084:30-4:45 - Remembering Franz Jackson
- 5:00-5:50 - Pharez Whitted Sextet
- 6:00-6:55 - Vijay Iyer Quintet
- 7:10-8:10 - Dave Douglas' Brass Ecstasy
- 8:30-9:30 - Gerald Wilson Orchestra with special guest Kenny Burrell
Sunday, August 31, 2008
- 5:00-5:50 - Ron Dewar Quintet
- 6:00-6:55 - From the Netherlands: Instant Composers Pool
- 7:10-8:10 - 8 Bold Souls with Special Guest Dee Alexander
- 8:30-9:30 - Ornette Coleman
Jazz on Jackson Stage
Friday, August 29, 2008
- 12:00-12:55 - Isotope 217
- 1:10-2:05 - Jazz Guitar Summit featuring Curtis Robinson, John Moulder, Jeff Parker, Buddy Fambro, Robert Shy, Ernie Adams and Josh Abrams
- 2:20-3:15 - Alison Ruble Sextet
- 3:30-4:30 - "Jazz has the Blues" featuring George Freeman, Ari Brown, Corey Wilkes and Billy Branch
Saturday, August 30, 2008
- 12:00-12:55 - Jo Ann Daugherty Quartet
- 1:10-2:10 - Larry Gary'S "Tribute To The Chicago Bass Masters"
- 2:20-3:15 - John Wright Quartet
- 3:30 - Willie Pickens Trio with special guest Brian Lynch
- Sunday, August 31, 2008
- 12:00-12:55 - Frank D'Rone Quartet
- 1:10-2:10 - "Chicago Keys" with - Bob Dogan and Jim Trompeter
- 2:20-3:15 - Josh Berman and His Gang
- 3:30-4:30 - Sean Jones Quintet
Jazz & Heritage Stage
Friday, August 29, 2008
- 12:30-1:30 - Kenwood Academy Jazz Band, Composer Residency with Nicole Mitchell
- 2:00-3:00 - "History of Jazz" with Ron Perillo
- 3:30-4:30 - "Jimmy's Jam Session" featuring Curtis Black Quartet plus Ahmad Salaheldeen, Edward House, Zaid Krisberg
Saturday, August 30, 2008
- 12:30-1:30 - James Sanders' Conjunto
- 2:00-3:00 - "Percussion Discussion" with Thurman Barker
- 3:30-4:30 - Walter Dyett: Remembering a Jazz Warrior
Sunday, August 31, 2008
- 12:30-1:30 Vijay Iyer: Composer Talk
- 2:00-3:00 "Art of the Solo" featuring Julian Priester
- 3:30-4:30 Karl Montzka Quartet
The concerts are free.
So, this weekend is the chance for every fan of the All-American music known as Jazz to celebrate in one of the greatest cities in the heart of America. Some of the world's best jazz musicians will be there to play all weekend long, and everything is free. The price isn't bad and the performances are world-class. Plus, with the celebration achieving it's 30th Anniversary, surprises are bound to be present all weekend long.
