Chicago Jazz Fest 2008

[sheldonm]

I just got this from my media contact at the Chicago Jazz Fest...

Mark~

City of Chicago announces The Chicago Jazz Partnership

Presenting Sponsor for the Chicago Jazz Festival

August 28-31, 2008

The City of Chicago, and new presenting sponsor The Chicago Jazz Partnership, a philanthropic initiative promoting Chicago jazz, are proud to announce the complete schedule for the 2008 Chicago Jazz Festival. This Labor Day weekend tradition begins with a free evening concert featuring Sonny Rollins at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion on August 28, moves to Grant Park for three full days of free music, August 29-31, and closes with Ornette Coleman (complete schedule below).

“This is the city of Chicago’s longest running lakefront music festival,” states Jennifer Johnson-Washington, jazz festival coordinator for the Mayor’s Office of Special Events. “We will continue doing all we can not only to make it last, but also to make it better.”

Rollins, a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, officially opens The Chicago Jazz Festival on August 28 at 6:30 p.m. at a new location, the world-renowned Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. Rollins is one of the last of the originals—a running mate of Miles Davis, Clifford Jordan and Max Roach, he was among the inventors of the language of Bebop. Rollins emerged from Chicago in the 50s with a signature sound that has astounded audiences and inspired countless musicians for more than 50 years.

The Chicago Jazz Festival then moves to Grant Park, August 29-31, for four stages of free music, activities and more from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily. This year’s Artist-in-Residence is Chicago-based composer, arranger, musician and educator, Edward Wilkerson, Jr. Other headliners include Dee Dee Bridgewater, Eddie Palmieri and The Gerald Wilson Orchestra.

Closing out the event on Sunday, August 31 at the Petrillo Music Shell is saxophonist/composer Ornette Coleman. Known as the creator of what has been called “free jazz,” Coleman’s contribution to the jazz idiom has been the theory and practice of “harmolodics” —an approach that has been internationally recognized as a founding principle of creative improvised music. And, after fifty years of being in the vanguard the rest of the world finally caught up to him as indicated by his receiving both a Grammy award for his acclaimed album Sound Grammar, and the 2007 Pulitzer Award.

The city of Chicago welcomes The Chicago Jazz Partnership, a philanthropic initiative promoting Chicago jazz, as the presenting sponsor of the 2008 Chicago Jazz Festival.

“We are thrilled to be part of the world-renowned Chicago Jazz Festival. By collaborating more closely with the City and Festival partners, we can help make jazz stronger in Chicago, leveraging the Partnership's efforts to support musicians, venues and institutions across the jazz community. We feel privileged to partner with the

City in support of the Chicago Jazz Festival and are eager to work with the jazz community to promote this

city's great jazz legacy and future."

-more-

Chicago Jazz Festival Schedule/ page 2 of three

The partnership is a philanthropic initiative promoting Chicago jazz and consists of twelve members, including The Boeing Company*, Chicago Community Trust*, City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, J.P. Morgan Chase and Company* (formerly Bank One), Kraft Foods*, Northern Trust Company, Union League Civic and Arts Foundation, United Airlines. (*Founding members.) Individually, the partners support jazz and the sector through work that aligns with the guidelines of individual partners.

In celebration of the 30th Annual event, Gerald Wilson, T.S. Galloway, Vijay Iyer and Dave Douglas have each been commissioned by the Chicago Jazz Festival to create a piece in honor of the milestone. In addition to this year’s incredible line-up of Chicago’s, and the world’s greatest jazz musicians, the Chicago Jazz Festival features an art fair located in the rose garden between Jackson Blvd. and Buckingham Fountain, Chicago’s world famous restaurants will offer delights, plus beer and soda vendors will have thirst quenchers on-site.

As always, the entire family can enjoy jazz at all of the stages and a new kid’s activity area will be making its debut this year. Designed for youth ages 12 and up. A Jazz and Hip Hop Collision Stage will be featured with jazz and hip-hop artists manning interactive stations. An onsite mobile recording studio will enable participants to mix and master their own CD. This is an extension of a new summer partnership between the Jazz Institute and the Chicago Park District. Other activities in celebration of the 30 year milestone include a photo exhibition offering a visual retrospective of the past 30 years at 76 E. Washington.

The four day festival is the centerpiece of seven days of jazz activities beginning with a concert on Monday in Millennium Park featuring Mike Reed’s People, Places and Things Octet, Tuesday’s Jazz Institute of Chicago’s 40th Birthday gala concert The Soul of Jazz: An African Tribute to James Brown featuring Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley, Roy Hargrove, Cheikh Lo and Vieux Farka Toure and Wednesday’s 25th Annual Jazz Club Tour.

Lauren Deutsch, Executive Director of the Jazz Institute of Chicago states, “ we have been honored to partner with the City for the past three decades in bringing world class musicians from around the world, across the country and from every corner of our city to Chicago’s front lawn.

The Chicago Jazz Festival is presented by the City of Chicago and The Chicago Jazz Partnership and programmed with the Jazz Institute of Chicago. It is sponsored in part by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, ABSOLUT, American Airlines, Best Buy, Chicago Jazz Magazine, Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Tribune, chicagotribune.com, CLTV-ChicagoLand’s Television, Comcast, Communications Direct, DownBeat Magazine, Essex Inn, Heineken, Hinckley Springs, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, JazzTimes Magazine, LaGrou Distribution System, Metromix, National City Corporation, Pearle Vision, Pepsi-Cola, WGN-Television, WNUA-95.5, WSSD-88.1 and WVON. For more information, visit www.chicagojazzfestival.us or call (312) 744-3315.

-more-

Chicago Jazz Festival Schedule/ page 3 of three

2008 Chicago Jazz Festival Schedule

Thursday, August 28

Millennium Park – Pritzker Pavilion

6:30 p.m. Sonny Rollins

Friday, August 29

Jazz on Jackson

12:00-12:55 Isotope 217

1:10-2:05 Jazz Guitar Summit featuring Curtis

Robinson, John Moulder, Jeff Parker, Buddy Fambro, Ernie Adams and Josh Abrams

2:20-3:15 Alison Ruble Quartet

3:30-4:30 “Jazz has the Blues” featuring George Freeman and Billy Branch, Ari Brown and Corey Wilkes

Jazz & Heritage Stage

12:30-1:30 Kenwood Academy Jazz Band - High School Big Band Composer Residency with Nicole Mitchell

2:00-3:00 Vijay Iyer: Composer Talk

3:30-4:30 “Jimmy’s Jam Session” featuring Curtis Black Quartet plus Ahmad Salaheldeen, Edward House and Zaid Krisberg

Petrillo

5:00-5:50 T.S. Galloway’s Tribute to Capt. Walter Dyett featuring Julian Priester, Mwata Bowden and Edwin Daugherty

6:00-6:55 AACM Tribute featuring Roscoe Mitchell, Wadada Leo Smith, Amina Claudine Myers, Michael Logan and Thurman Barker

7:10-8:10 Dee Dee Bridgewater Tribute to Betty Carter with Mulgrew Miller, Ira Coleman and Kenny Washington

8:30-9:30 Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band

Saturday, August 30

Jazz on Jackson

12:00-12:55 Jo Ann Daugherty Quartet

1:10-2:10 Chicago Bass Masters featuring Larry Gray, Harrison Bankhead, Ari Brown, Avreeayl Ra, Art Hoyle and Edward Wilkerson

2:20–3:15 John Wright Quartet

3:30-4:30 Kenny Burrell with Larry Gray, Willie Pickens and Joel Spencer

Jazz & Heritage Stage

12:30-1:30 James Sanders’ Conjunto

2:00-3:00 “Percussion Discussion” with Thurman Barker

3:30-4:30 Walter Dyett: Remembering a Jazz Warrior

Petrillo

4:30-4:45 Remembering Franz Jackson: Eric Schneider, Art Hoyle, Tom Hope, Dan Delorenzo and Robert Cousins

5:00-5:50 Pharez Whitted Sextet

6:00-6:55 Vijay Iyer Quintet

7:10-8:10 Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy

8:30-9:30 Gerald Wilson Orchestra w/ Special Guest Kenny Burrell

[ejp626]

I knew this was going to be a great year, but Holy Cow - Kenny Burrell, Gerald Wilson, Dave Douglas and Vijay Iyer in addition to Ornette Coleman and Sonny Rollins! I'd say the best line-up in at least 10 years. Anyway, it looks like the schedule got cut off for Sunday. Here are some more listings:

Sunday, August 31, 2008

12:30-1:30 - "History of Jazz" with Ron Perillo

2:00-3:00 - "Art of the Solo" featuring Julian Priester

3:30-4:30 - Karl Montzka Quartet

5:00-5:50 - Ron Dewar Quintet

6:00-6:55 - From the Netherlands: Instant Composers Pool

7:10-8:10 - Eight Bold Souls with Special Appearance by Dee Alexander

8:30-9:30 - Ornette Coleman

On a totally different subject, anyone local to Chicago might want to check out Orchestra Baobab on June 28. I think they are playing Millenium Park. Of course, this is during (but separate) from Taste of Chicago, so don't expect to be able to park.

[HolyStitt]

Tuesday’s Jazz Institute of Chicago’s 40th Birthday gala concert The Soul of Jazz: An African Tribute to James Brown featuring Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley, Roy Hargrove, Cheikh Lo and Vieux Farka Toure

I thought this was pretty interesting. I know the Dakota (in Minneapolis) booked the group for the Sunday before this appearance but they are billing it a little different:

Still Black Still Proud:PeeWee Ellis & Fred Wesley

I bought tickets after seeing Maceo because the guy that books the show said it would be an African drum ensemble with Wesley and Ellis playing the music of James Brown. If Hargrove will actually be there as well that could be quite an added bonus but for I don't think it is likely he will be playing uncredited.

[jimi089]

Tuesday’s Jazz Institute of Chicago’s 40th Birthday gala concert The Soul of Jazz: An African Tribute to James Brown featuring Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley, Roy Hargrove, Cheikh Lo and Vieux Farka Toure

I thought this was pretty interesting. I know the Dakota (in Minneapolis) booked the group for the Sunday before this appearance but they are billing it a little different:

Still Black Still Proud:PeeWee Ellis & Fred Wesley

I bought tickets after seeing Maceo because the guy that books the show said it would be an African drum ensemble with Wesley and Ellis playing the music of James Brown. If Hargrove will actually be there as well that could be quite an added bonus but for I don't think it is likely he will be playing uncredited.

Yeah, the Jazz Institute is bringing in Roy Hargrove for this show only - otherwise the same lineup as far as I know with a different billing.

[HolyStitt]

Tuesday’s Jazz Institute of Chicago’s 40th Birthday gala concert The Soul of Jazz: An African Tribute to James Brown featuring Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley, Roy Hargrove, Cheikh Lo and Vieux Farka Toure

I thought this was pretty interesting. I know the Dakota (in Minneapolis) booked the group for the Sunday before this appearance but they are billing it a little different:

Still Black Still Proud:PeeWee Ellis & Fred Wesley

I bought tickets after seeing Maceo because the guy that books the show said it would be an African drum ensemble with Wesley and Ellis playing the music of James Brown. If Hargrove will actually be there as well that could be quite an added bonus but for I don't think it is likely he will be playing uncredited.

Yeah, the Jazz Institute is bringing in Roy Hargrove for this show only - otherwise the same lineup as far as I know with a different billing.

Thanks for the clarification and I am still excited about the Minneapolis show.

[ejp626]

Tuesday’s Jazz Institute of Chicago’s 40th Birthday gala concert The Soul of Jazz: An African Tribute to James Brown featuring Pee Wee Ellis, Fred Wesley, Roy Hargrove, Cheikh Lo and Vieux Farka Toure

I thought this was pretty interesting.

I'll have to see if I can make it. It does look interesting, but I've already gotten a warning signal that I am planning to be out of the house too long during the festival. Anyway, I really dig Vieux Farka Toure, but wonder how well he would fit in this context.