WHO: The City of Chicago and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) celebrate the return of the iconic…
WHAT: The Chicago Jazz Festival (August 31–September 3), produced by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and programmed by the Jazz Institute of Chicago (JIC). Celebrating all forms of jazz, the festival showcases Chicago’s local talent alongside national and international artists to raise awareness and appreciation for one of the city’s most treasured art forms. Highlights include three-time GRAMMY-winning jazz legend Ron Carter and Foursight; prolific drummer and composer Makaya McCraven; and celebrated Cuban band Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars.
SCHEDULE UPDATE: SuperBlue: Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter will perform Friday, September 1 from 7:45 – 9pm on the Jay Pritzker Pavilion Stage. Dianne Reeves is no longer able to perform due to personal reasons.
Two-time GRAMMY Award-winning American jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, joins forces with versatile guitarist Charlie Hunter for a captivating night of original tracks, unexpected covers and thrilling reinterpretations from their new LP, SuperBlue: The Iridescent Spree.
New this year, the food and beverage options are expanding with a jazz-inspired restaurant pop-up, “Wally’s Creole Corner” offered during the Chicago Jazz Festival. Presented by Eleven North Hospitality, menu items include chicken gumbo, alligator sausage po’ boy, crawfish boil, New Orleans style beignets, and Double Clutch Jazz Kolsch Brew, an exclusive beer made for the Chicago Jazz Festival, in addition to the array of concessions on-site at Millennium Hall and Casa Bonita.
Full schedule at ChicagoJazzFestival.us
WHEN & WHERE: Chicago Cultural Center and Millennium Park
Thursday, August 31
Chicago Cultural Center
Claudia Cassidy Theater, 2nd Floor North
11am-12pm – The Live the Spirit Residency Young Masters – Presented by Live the Spirit
12:15-1:15pm – Asian Improv, Francis Wong’s “Legends and Legacies” – Presented by Asian Improv
2-3pm – The Fred Jackson Quartet – Presented by The Elastic Arts Foundation
3:15-5:15pm – What is this thing called Jazz? – Presented by the Education Committee of the Jazz Institute of Chicago
Preston Bradley Hall, 3rd Floor South
11am-12pm – Zubin Edalji Quintet – Presented by The Hyde Park Jazz Festival
12:30-1:30pm – Zack Markstet, Performing Horace Silvers’ 1966 release “The Jody Grind” – Presented by The Fulton Street Collective
2-3pm – The Natalie Scharf Quartet – Presented by Illiana Club
3:30-4:30pm – Bobbi Wilsyn – Presented by The South Side Jazz Coalition
Millennium Park
Event entrances off Randolph or Monroe only. Gates open at 5pm (Event area is closed from 4-5pm)
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
6:30-7:30pm – Chico Freeman – 100 Von Freeman Centennial
8-9pm – Ron Carter and Foursight
Friday, September 1
Millennium Park
Any entrance to the park is a direct entrance to the event.
Seating bowl and Great Lawn open at 2:45pm.
Von Freeman Pavilion (North Promenade)
11:30-12:25pm – Eric Hochberg String Thing
12:40-1:35pm – Alexis Lombre Quartet
1:50-2:45pm – Anthony Bruno Quartet
3pm-4pm – Jeb Bishop Quartet
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Security gates open 2 hours before the event start time. The concert perimeter (Pritzker Pavilion, Stage and Great Lawn) will be closed to the public for 1 hour before the gates open.
4:15-5:05pm – Juan Pastor Chinchano
5:25-6:10pm – Walter Smith III Quartet
6:25-7:25pm – Ari Brown Quintet
7:45-9pm – UPDATE: SuperBlue: Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter
Saturday, September 2
Millennium Park
Any entrance to the park is a direct entrance to the event.
Seating bowl and Great Lawn open at 2:45pm.
Harris Theater Rooftop – Young Lions Jazz (Enter on Randolph St.)
11am – Chicago High School for the Arts
11:50am – Midwest Young Artists Conservatory
12:40pm – Lane Tech College Prep High School
1:35pm- Whitney Young High School
2:25pm – New Trier High School
3:15pm – Kenwood Academy High School
Von Freeman Pavilion (North Promenade)
11:30am-12:25pm – Alvin Cobb Jr.
12:40-1:35pm – Devon Sandridge
1:50-2:45pm – Theodis Rodgers Organ Trio
3-4pm – Carmen Stokes
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
4:15-5:05pm – Tammy McCann
5:25-6:10pm – Brandee Younger
6:25-7:25pm – Nduduzo Makhathini
7:45-9pm – Makaya McCraven
Sunday, September 3
Millennium Park
Any entrance to the park is a direct entrance to the event.
Seating bowl and Great Lawn open at 2:45pm.
Harris Theater Rooftop – Jazz: Next Gen Jazz (Enter on Randolph St.)
11-11:40am – Saucedo Alumni Latin Jazz Collective
12-12:40pm – Urban Horizons
1-1:40pm – Charlie Reichert Powell & New River
2-2:40pm – Neon Wilderness
3-3:40pm – Mxmrys
Von Freeman Pavilion (North Promenade)
11:30-12:25pm – Herbsaint
12:40-1:35pm – Tim Fitzgerald Wes Montgomery Project
1:50-2:45pm – Christian Dillingham Quartet
3-4pm – Petra’s Recession Seven
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
4:15-5:05pm – The Pharez Whitted Quintet
5:25-6:10pm – Chicago Soul Jazz Collective with Dee Alexander
6:25-7:25pm – Billy Valentine
7:45-9pm – Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars
The Jazz Institute of Chicago celebrates its 54th year promoting and nurturing Chicago’s world class jazz community. Founded in 1969, this not-for-profit organization works tirelessly to provide education, develop and support musicians, build audiences, and foster a thriving jazz scene in Chicago through education and public programs.
As the programming partner for the Chicago Jazz Festival since 1979, Jazz Institute of Chicago works with DCASE to help ensure audiences experience the highest quality international, national, local, and young future jazz artists.
The Chicago Jazz Festival is sponsored by 90.9fm WDCB, Chicago Transit Authority, WGN TV, Millennium Garages, Chicago Jazz Publishing, DownBeat, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Tourism. Family programming at the Chicago Jazz Festival is supported by the Millennium Park Foundation with funding from the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation.
