Jazz & Blues Lounge

Continuing our look at the upcoming Chicago Jazz Festival, I wanted to continue to show you the various stages. We have already covered the Pritzker Pavillion concert which will kick things off on August 28. We have also covered what is, essentially, the main stage which is the Petrillo Music Shell. We also ran down the lineup at the “Jazz on Jackson Stage” and you can find all of those if you just page down. There is one more stage to cover and that is the “Jazz & Heritage Stage.”
Jazz and Heritage Stage
Friday, August 29, 2008 …read more

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The Chicago Jazz Festival is coming and it’s coming up fast. This is a good thing, even if you are disappointed that it also means the end of summer is fast approaching. It’s a great thing if you happen to be a fan of jazz music. It’s an opportunity to see more jazz than you could even imagine. The entire city is a jazz metropolis during the weekend of the festival and the various jazz clubs go all-out for the people in fromt out of town.
So, continuing my breakdown of who is playing and at what …read more

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The month of August is nearly upon us. This means the summer, as far as schools and the cit of Chicago is concerned, is amost over. Chicago always has a festival season that starts with the Chicago Blues Festival and then it ends with the Chicago Jazz Festival. The Festival is nearly upon us, folks! As amazing as that seems, the fact remains, the dates are almost here and that means Fall will be shortly on its heels. So, you can start practicing your complaining about winter now, if you wish.
So, this week, I am …read more

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The Chicago Jazz Festival will be here before you know it and you should start making plans now. The Jazz Festival has grown steadily for years and while it is still the smaller and younger brother of the Chicago Blues Festival, it is starting to gain in popularity. It is starting to attract some of the biggest talent and the number of stages involved has grown as well. It closes out the festival season around here in Chicago and if you are a fan of jazz music, or just want an introduction to the scene, this is …read more

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Well, you couldn’t have asked for a more perfect weekend as far as the weather is concerned for the 29th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival.  It took place over Labor Day Weekend, really starting last Thursday and running through Sunday.  The area that also hosts the Taste of Chicago was the location and it had three stages filled with music all day long on all days.  This was combined with an art show and sale and lots of great food.
It certainly seems to have been a resounding success.  The initial estimates are that some 315,000 people attended the official stage performances …read more

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Well, it is finally here.  The 29th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival is officially here.  Techincally, it kicked off last night, but really, the festival doesn’t get swinging until tonight.  There is plenty of music in Grant Park tonight and you can find my articles about the festival and schedule throughout this blog.  You can also find more information here and here.  
One thing you need to keep in mind, however, is that there are other shows going on around town.  You may want to keep an eye on the Velvet Lounge, for example.  It seems to have some of the most …read more

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OK, I wanted to write at least one more article about the up-coming Chicago Jazz Festival.  Of course, as the time draws nearer, I will have more.  I also hope to go to the Festival this year and I am trying to work out how I am going to accomplish that.
My brother told me over the weekend that some of the most fun you can have during Jazz Fest is to visit some of the local bars and clubs.  There are, evidently, even bus tours you can take during the Festival that will take you to the various jazz clubs.  …read more

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OK, as promised, I have more information about the performances at this year’s Chicago Jazz Festival.  The Festival will run August 31 – September 2.  Here’s the problem…  The websites provided by the city about this festival are as confusing as all hell.  You can find some information at the official Chicago Festival website, but good luck making heads or tails out of it.
I think there are going to be three stages in Grant Park.  One of the main stages is the Petrillo Music Shell which I talked about yesterday.  However, there is also something called “Jazz on Jackson” that …read more

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Well, this is it and it is approaching fast.  The Chicago Jazz Festival starts at the end of this month and it appears to be bigger and better than ever.  The fun starts on August 31 and runs through Sunday September 2.
The thing is, this year, it is not just at the Petrillo Band shell in Grant Park.  For those of you who do not know, Grant Park is kind of like Central Park, I guess.  It’s right on the lake.  It is just south of the new Millenium Park and is also the place where they have Taste of …read more

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