Jazz at Marshall Fields

[chitownjazz]

I know I'm probably not alone in wanting to puke at what passes for background "music" in most large commercial establishments such as grocery stores, department stores, and so on. So it's pretty remarkable that here in downtown Chicago a venerable retail department store, Marshall Fields on State Street, has a pretty hip lineup of straightahead jazz recordings playing in their store. I can get there indoors via the "pedway" from my office, so when the weather is bad I'll stroll over and walk the escalators a few times for my lunchtime constitutional. Starting on the 7th floor and up the music is more R&B slanted - today I heard a version of "Tequila" - while the more mainstream jazz is played from the basement through the 6th floors. I think it's great that the store plays this stuff, because Chicago has such a rich jazz history as well as an active current scene, and it sure makes my lunchtime exercise more enjoyable. So if any of you find yourself being "volunteered" to go shopping with your spouse while visiting Chicago, you might want to suggest Fields on State to help while away the time

Glenn

[sal]

I know what you are talking about. I was contracting in the Loop for a few months, and the few times I went to Fields on my lunch, I'd hear jazz. I remember one time they played like four Monk tunes in a row!