Chicago Jazz Festival: Full Schedule Announced!

The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) has announced the full schedule for the 41st Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. The fest takes place August 23 to September 1, with free performances at legendary music clubs and performance venues across Chicago, as well as at Millennium Park and the Chicago Cultural Center.

WDCB will again serve as a media sponsor for the festival and will present a series of free “Jazz Fest Week” live broadcast events on August 26, 27 & 28 at the PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan Ave. in Chicago.

“The fantastic lineup of jazz artists and expanded ten-day festival will animate our city and neighborhoods with free performances,” said Mark Kelly, DCASE Commissioner. “Celebrating Chicago’s music legacy, we welcome artists from across the globe and spotlight the city’s many music institutions that present great performances all year.”

From August 29 to September 1, the festival’s headline performances at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion feature a tribute to Nat King Cole by his brother Freddy Cole, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Cécile McLorin Salvant and the Eddie Palmieri Sextet.  Other highlights include: Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet, Christian McBride, Latino-America Unida, Joel Ross, Ryan Cohan's Originations, Camila Meza, George Freeman and Billy Branch, Ben Wendel Seasons, the Dave Rempis Quartet and a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Jazz Institute of Chicago, the festival’s programming partner.

On Thursday, August 29, performances take place at the Chicago Cultural Center from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in collaboration with music organizations from across Chicago, and at Millennium Park from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The music continues in Millennium Park on Friday, August 30, through Sunday, September 1, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with headline performances stepping off each evening at 3:45pm with a Second-line Procession throughout the Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion.

The festival’s tradition of nurturing young artists continues with Rooftop Jazz presented by Allstate Insurance Company. On Saturday, August 31, the Rooftop will feature the Young Jazz Lions, with groups selected from a city-wide jazz band competition co-hosted by the Jazz Institute of Chicago. The Rooftop then hosts NextGenJazz on Sunday, September 1, focusing on up-and-coming Chicago musicians alongside notable regional and national touring artists.

The Chicago Jazz Festival is produced by DCASE and programmed by the Jazz Institute of Chicago. For more information, visit chicagojazzfestival.us.

41st Annual Chicago Jazz Festival Schedule of Performances
-Schedule subject to change-

FRIDAY, AUGUST 23
8:30 p.m. JD Allen Trio  
Constellation Studio B, 3111 N. Western Ave. 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 24
6–10 p.m.  Brown Derby Jazz Revue
Great Lakes Elks Lodge, 5110 S. Prairie 

8:30 p.m.  Marc Ribot Solo  
Constellation Studio B, 3111 N. Western Ave. 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 25
6–10 p.m.  Brown Derby Jazz Revue
Great Lakes Elks Lodge, 5110 S. Prairie 

9 p.m.  Cooper Moore
The Hungry Brain, 2319 W. Belmont Ave. 

MONDAY, AUGUST 26
5–7:30 p.m.  Pop Up Nu Jazz Festival featuring Thaddeus Tukes,?Sam Trump, the Young Masters under the direction? of Ernest Dawkins along with special guest Jamila Woods and Alexis Lombre, with the Englewood Soweto Exchange
Whole Foods Parking Lot, 832 W. 63rd St. 

6-7 p.m. WDCB Jazz Fest Week Live Broadcast Series at PianoForte - Judy Roberts & Greg Fishman
PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan Ave.

9 p.m.  Anagram Fest featuring The Oh Years and the Alejandro Urzagaste Trio
Elastic Arts, 3429 W. Diversey Ave., 2nd Floor 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 27
5:30 p.m.  Tuesdays on the Terrace: Isaiah Collier and the Chosen Few
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, 220 E. Chicago Ave. 

6-7 p.m. WDCB Jazz Fest Week Live Broadcast Series at PianoForte - Margaret Murphy-Webb Trio with Charlie Johnson & Chuck Webb
PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan Ave.

6–8 p.m.  Ancient to the Future featuring Art Turk Burton Congo Square Ensemble and Ernest Dawkins 
Jacob R. Caruthers Center, Northeastern Illinois University, 700 E. Oakwood Blvd. 

8 p.m. Preservation of Fire hosted by King Hippo featuring Vibes Trio + 1 and Isaiah Spencer Collective
Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219 S. Morgan St 

9 p.m.  Anagram Fest featuring Mobile Vanguard and the John Wojciechowski Trio
Elastic Arts, 3429 W. Diversey Ave., 2nd Floor 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28
6-7 p.m. WDCB Jazz Fest Week Live Broadcast Series at PianoForte - Miguel de la Cerna & Marlene Rosenberg
PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan Ave.

6–9 p.m. 100th Birthday of Nat “King” Cole with Bruce Henry, Henry Johnson and the Musical Arts Academy
Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 50th St.  

8 p.m. Preservation of Fire: QUARTETS hosted by Angel Bat Dawid & King Hippo featuring Eliel Sherman Storey Quartet and Angel bat Dawid & The Brothahood
Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219 S. Morgan St 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29
6 p.m. Nois and the Dave Rempis Quartet Honor Fred Anderson with a Nod to Charlie Parker's 99th Birthday!
Fred Anderson Park, 1611 S. Wabash Ave. 

Chicago Cultural Center and Millennium Park

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29
CHICAGO CULTURAL CENTER, 78 E. Washington St.

Claudia Cassidy Theater
11 a.m. - Noon   The Red Rose Jazz Band Septet–programmed in collaboration with the Illiana Jazz Club
12:15 - 1:15 p.m.   Anton Hatwich Trio–programmed in collaboration with the Elastic Arts
1:45 - 2:45 p.m.   Mai Sugimoto Quartet–programmed in collaboration with Asian Improv Arts Midwest
3:15 - 4:15 p.m.   John Wociechowski–programmed in collaboration with the Jazz Record Art Collective

Preston Bradley Hall
11 a.m. - Noon   What Is This Thing Called Jazz?
Conversation and “Play & Tell” about the Jazz trumpet – with Corey Wilkes, Pharez Whitted, Miguel de la Cerna and Micah Collier; Jeremiah Collier on drums–programmed in collaboration with the Jazz Education Committee of the Jazz Institute of Chicago
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.   Alexis Lombre Quintet–programmed in collaboration with the Hyde Park Jazz Society
2 - 3 p.m.   Tribute to Joseph Jarman, Alvin Fielder and Saalik-Ziyad–programmed in collaboration with AACM
3:30 - 4:30 p.m.   Curtis Robinson–programmed in collaboration with the South Side Jazz Coalition    

MILLENNIUM PARK
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
5:55 p.m.   Second-line Procession led by Mystick Krewe of Laff  (starts at the west side of the Great Lawn)
6:30 p.m. - 7:25 p.m.   Jazz Institute of Chicago’s 50th Anniversary featuring Nicole Mitchell, Rob Mazurek, Ari Brown, Jeff Parker and others.
7:45 - 9 p.m.   Freddy Cole, Tribute to Nat King Cole

FRIDAY, AUGUST 30
MILLENNIUM PARK

Von Freeman Pavilion (Chase Promenade South)
11:30 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.   Miguel de la Cerna Trio
12:40 - 1:35 p.m.   Metropolitan Jazz Octet with Dee Alexander
1:50 - 2:45 p.m.   Rocky Yera Band
3 - 4 p.m.   Rob Mazurek

Capital One Jazz & Heritage Pavilion
Hosted by WDCB!
Noon - 1 p.m.   After Dark Sextet
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.   Kitt Lyles Real Talk Collective Septet
3 - 4 p.m.   Nico Segal’s Juju Exchange

Jay Pritzker Pavilion
3:45 p.m.   Second-line Procession led by Mystick Krewe of Laff  (starts at the west side of the Great Lawn)
4:15 - 5 p.m.   George Freeman and Billy Branch
5:25 - 6:10 p.m.   Joel Ross
6:25 - 7:25 p.m.   Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet
7:45 - 9 p.m.   Art Ensemble of Chicago

SATURDAY, AUGUST 31
MILLENNIUM PARK

Rooftop Jazz: Young Lions Stage (Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace)
Presented by Allstate Insurance Company
11 - 11:30 a.m.   Saucedo Academy Latin Jazz Band
11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.   Thomas Kelly High School Jazz Combo
12:30 - 1 p.m.   ChiArts Honors Jazz Combo
1:15 - 1:55 p.m.   Dekalb High School Jazz Ensemble
2:10 - 2:50 p.m.   Kenwood Academy Jazz Band
3:05 - 3:45 p.m.   Whitney Young Magnet High School Jazz Band

Von Freeman Pavilion (Chase Promenade South)
11:30 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.   Carolyn Fitzhugh
12:40 - 1:35 p.m.   Andy Brown Quartet
1:50 - 2:45 p.m.   The Fat Babies
3 - 4 p.m.   Hinda Hoffman and the Soul Message Band

Capital One Jazz & Heritage Pavilion
Hosted by WDCB!
Noon - 1 p.m.   Chris Madsen Quartet
1:30 - 2:30 p.m.   Jeremy Cunningham
3 - 4 p.m.   Frank Catalano

Jay Pritzker Pavilion
3:45 p.m.   Second-line Procession led by Four Star Brass Band (starts at the west side of the Great Lawn)
4:15 - 5 p.m.   Ben Wendel Seasons
5:25 - 6:10 p.m.   Ryan Cohan's Originations
6:25 - 7:25 p.m.   Christian McBride
7:45 - 9 p.m.   Cécile McLorin Salvant

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
MILLENNIUM PARK

Rooftop Jazz: NextGenJazz (Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace)
Presented by Allstate Insurance Company
11:15 a.m. - Noon   Emerging Artist Big Band
12:15 - 1 p.m.   Zach Rosenstiehl Nacht Group
1:15 - 2 p.m.   Dakarai Barclay Sextet
2:15 - 3 p.m.   The Perrilles Project
3:15 - 4 p.m.   Alec Tet

Von Freeman Pavilion (Chase Promenade South)
11:30 a.m. - 12:25 p.m.   Joan Collaso Sextet
12:40 p.m. - 1:35 p.m.   Sharel Cassity Quartet
1:50 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.   Russ Johnson
3 - 4 p.m.   Ben Lamar Gay

Capital One Jazz & Heritage Pavilion
Hosted by WDCB!
Noon - 1 p.m.   Paulinho Garcia
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.   Juli Wood's Big Bari Band Quintet
3 - 4 p.m.   Ben Sidran     

Jay Pritzker Pavilion
3:45 p.m.   Second-line Procession led by Four Star Brass Band (starts at the west side of the Great Lawn)
4:15 - 5 p.m.   Rempis/Falten/Ra + Baker Quartet
5:25 - 6:10 p.m.   Camila Meza and the Nectar Orchestra
6:25 - 7:25 p.m.   Latino-America Unida
7:45 - 9 p.m.   Eddie Palmieri Sextet

The Chicago Jazz Festival is produced by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and programmed by the Jazz Institute of Chicago. It is sponsored in part by 90.9FM WDCB, Allstate Insurance Company, American Airlines, Capital One, Chicago Jazz Magazine, Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Tribune, CLTV-ChicagoLand’s Television, Downbeat Magazine, Stella Artois and WGN-Television.

For the Chicago Jazz Festival in Millennium Park, some important changes are coming to improve security and the visitor experience at the park. The City of Chicago will implement a security perimeter and bag check for all concerts and events that take place in the park. New this year, outside alcohol will be prohibited in the park during the Chicago Jazz Festival. Visitors will have additional food and beverage options at various price points available for purchase inside the venue. Subject to bag search at the security perimeter, guests will continue to be allowed to bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages to all events at Millennium Park.

For the latest information on the Chicago Jazz Festival, visit chicagojazzfestival.us, like us on Facebook at Chicago Jazz Festival and follow us on Twitter (@ChicagoDCASE, @ChiJazzFest, #ChicagoJazzFestival). For information on the Jazz Institute of Chicago, visit jazzinchicago.org.