Jazz and Blues Lounge

The Chicago Jazz Festival - It’s Coming!

by balaspa on August 9th, 2007

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 Chicago every year.  This year, the Chicago Jazz Festival is also having shows at Jazz on Jackson, the Jazz & Heritage Stage and there is even one performance, by featured artist Herbie Hancock, at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra hall.

For now, I am going to focus on the performances at the Petrillo Bandshell.  This is probably the area that most people know and think of if they think of the Chicago Jazz Festival.  I will write subsequent articles about the other stages later this week and into next week.  So, first of all, check out the official Chicago Jazz Festival website and get your own copy of the schedule to carry with you.

Friday, August 31

5:00 - 5:50 pm   Robert Irving III: “The Works of Thelonius Monk”

6:00 - 6:55 pm   Michele Roswoman Septet

7:10 - 8:10 pm  The Lating All Stars:  “A Tribute to Hilton Ruiz”

8:30 - 9:30 pm   Medeski, Scofield, Martin and Wood

Saturday, September 1

5:00 - 5:50 pm  Dan Trudell’s B3 Bombers

6:00 - 6:55 pm  The Cookers

7:10 - 8:10 pm  Ernestine Anderson and Frank Wess

8:30 - 9:30 pm  Charlie Haden and the Liberation Music Orchestra

Sunday, September 2

5:00 - 5:50 pm  “Revisting the Apex Club” with Kim Cusack and John Otto

6:00 - 6:55 pm  Rob Mazurek’s Exploding Star Orchestra featuring Bill Dixon

7:10 - 8:10 pm  Horizon

8:30 - 9:30 pm  Mingus Big Band

Hope to see you out there!

Tags: Chicago, chicago_jazz_festival, downtown, jazz, performances, petrillo_bandshell, schedule

POSTED IN: Chicago, Festivals, jazz