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Chicago Jazz Festival | World Music Festival Chicago

 

CHICAGO—Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) announced today music lineups for two of the City of Chicago’s signature fall music festivals: Chicago Jazz Festival (Aug. 31–Sept. 3) and World Music Festival Chicago (Sept. 22 – Oct. 1). Following the successful return of three other iconic festivals earlier this summer—Chicago Gospel Music Festival, Chicago Blues Festival, and the Chicago House Music Festival and Conference, DCASE continues to showcase a diversity of musicians from Chicago and around the globe this fall with FREE concerts in Millennium Park and in venues across the city. Schedule highlights enclosed with full details and updates online.

• A Labor Day weekend tradition, the Chicago Jazz Festival (Aug. 31–Sept. 3) returns with performances celebrating all forms of jazz in Millennium Park, at the Chicago Cultural Center, and citywide. Produced by DCASE and programmed by the Jazz Institute of Chicago (JIC), schedule highlights include three-time GRAMMY winning jazz legend Ron Carter and Foursight; SuperBlue: Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter; prolific drummer and composer Makaya McCraven; and celebrated Cuban band Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars, among many others. DCASE continues the Citywide Jazz Community Funding Program this year, providing funds for local venues to present their own free jazz performances in the week leading up to the festival. Visit ChicagoJazzFestival.us for schedule updates. As in previous years, outside alcohol is not allowed at the Chicago Jazz Festival, but alcohol at various price points may be purchased inside the venue. Before visiting, please be advised of other Prohibited Items at MillenniumPark.org.

 

• World Music Festival Chicago (Sept. 22 – Oct. 1) brings 10 days of global grooves by award-winning artists from around the world to the citywide, multi-venue festival featuring more than 30 artists and ensembles representing 20 countries and regions of the world. The free festival also celebrates 11 years of Ragamala, the largest all-night presentation of live Indian classical music in the United States, hosted at the Chicago Cultural Center. The “Global Peace Picnic” returns Sept. 30 featuring international dance and music companies performing across two stages at the Humboldt Park Boathouse. Full schedule below. All concerts are free; reservations for music venues encouraged; WorldMusicFestivalChicago.org.

For more information about City-funded “Chicago Presents” community events and other City-permitted neighborhood festivals and special events, visit Chicago.gov/DCASE. For details about the current Millennium Park summer season, including Summer Workouts, supported by the McDonald's Active Lifestyles Endowment managed by the Millennium Park Foundation; Millennium Park Summer Film Series (through Aug. 29); and ongoing Millennium Park Summer Music Series (through Aug. 21) made possible by the Millennium Park Foundation, visit MillenniumPark.org. The Grant Park Music Festival season continues its 2023 season of classical music performed by a world-class orchestra through August 19; more at GPMF.org.

For Millennium Park safety and security information, visit the Plan Your Visit page of MillenniumPark.org.

 

Chicago Jazz Festival

Thursday, August 31 – Sunday, September 3, 2023
Millennium Park and Chicago Cultural Center
Neighborhood Concerts Citywide, August 24 - 31
ChicagoJazzFestival.us

The Chicago Jazz Festival is a Labor Day weekend tradition that promotes all forms of jazz through free, high-quality music programming. Programmed by the acclaimed Chicago Jazz Institute, the festival showcases Chicago's local talent alongside national and international artists to raise awareness and appreciation for one of the city’s most beloved art forms.

2023 highlights include Jay Pritzker Pavilion headliners Ron Carter and Foursight (Aug 31); SuperBlue: Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter (Sept. 1); Makaya McCraven (Sept 2); and Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All Stars (Sept. 3). At the Chicago Cultural Center, The Natalie Scharf Quartet, Bobbi Wilson and more perform under the famous Tiffany dome, and the newly renovated Claudia Cassidy Theater features an exciting lineup with Francis Wong's "Legends and Legacies" presented by Asian Improv, The Fred Jackson Quartet presented by The Elastic Arts Foundation, and more. The Harris Theater Rooftop brings two nights of performances, including top Chicago high school talent with the Young Lions Jazz Showcase (Sept. 2), followed by the hottest up-and-coming artists on the jazz scene with Next Gen Jazz (Sept. 3).

Locals and visitors can also enjoy free jazz concerts at local venues across the city the week prior to the Chicago Jazz Festival, made possible through the Citywide Jazz Community Funding Program. Funded by DCASE, select local venues and organizations will be presenting jazz performances free of charge, between Aug. 24 – 31, celebrating the City’s thriving jazz scene. Participating venues and concerts to be announced in the coming weeks at ChicagoJazzFestival.us.

Family programming at the Chicago Jazz Festival is supported by the Millennium Park Foundation with funding from the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation.

Thursday, August 31

Chicago Cultural Center
Claudia Cassidy Theater

• 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: Fred Jackson’s Erudition Project, Presented by The Elastic Arts Foundation
• 3:15-5:15pm: What is thing called Jazz? Presented by the Education Committee of the Jazz Institute of Chicago
  

Preston Bradley Hall

• 11am–12pm: Zubin Edalji’s Four Windows, 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
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

• 6:30-7:30pm: Chico Freeman-100 Von Freeman Centennial
• 8-9pm: Ron Carter and Foursight

 

Friday, September 1

Millennium Park
Von Freeman Pavilion (North Promenade)

• 11:30am-12:25pm: Eric Hochberg String Thing
• 12:40-1:35pm: Alexis Lombre Quartet
• 1:50-2:45pm: Anthony Bruno Quartet
• 3-4pm: Jeb Bishop Quartet

Jay Pritzker Pavilion

• 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: SuperBlue: Kurt Elling & Charlie Hunter

 

Saturday, September 2

Millennium Park
Harris Theater Rooftop: Young Lions Jazz

• 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

Millennium Park
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
Harris Theater Rooftop Jazz: Next Gen Jazz

• 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

Millennium Park
Von Freeman Pavilion (North Promenade)

• 11:30am-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 w/ 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 and DownBeat.

 

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World Music Festival Chicago

Friday, September 22 – Sunday, October 1, 2023
Chicago Cultural Center and Citywide
Free admission; Reservations are encouraged.
WorldMusicFestivalChicago.org

Featuring 10 consecutive days of live, global music, World Music Festival Chicago returns with 34 bands (including three DJs) representing 22 countries, including 10 local music groups. For its 23rd year of programming, the festival features performances in 11 indoor and outdoor venues across Chicago. Guests can experience the sounds of world music and its subgenres from diverse geographical regions including Brazil, South Korea, and Senegal.

Ragamala, the largest all-night presentation of live Indian classical music in the United States, returns for its 11th year as part of the festival. Visitors have the rare opportunity to hear the ragas (traditional scales or modes) during the early morning and late-night hours as they were meant to be played. The Ragamala celebration takes place at the Chicago Cultural Center from September 29 at 6pm through September 30 at 8am.

The Global Peace Picnic (Sept. 30) returns to Humboldt Park with two stages—the ¡Súbelo! Stage featuring six Latine dance companies, and the Global Stage presenting three bands headlined by Amayo. The citywide global celebration concludes with a double-bill program at The Hideout on October 1, featuring the Madalisto Band (Malawi) and Luciano Antonio's Funk no Samba (Brazil/Chicago). Full schedule below and online at WorldMusicFestivalChicago.org.

 

Friday, September 22
Baba Commandant and the Mandingo Band (Burkina Faso)
Magic Carpet (Chicago/USA)
DJ Onwa
Martyrs’
3855 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60613
9pm doors & DJ, 10pm show
21+

 

Saturday, September 23
Cheikh Ibra Fam (Senegal)
Gizzae (Dominica/USA)
DJ TopDonn (Chicago/USA)
Avondale Music Hall
3336 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60641
9pm doors and DJ, 10pm show
21+

 

Sunday, September 24
Ethiocolor (Ethiopia)
Wendy Clinard Dance (Chicago/USA)
Sleeping Village
3734 W. Belmont Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
2pm doors, 3pm show
21+
Ethiocolor is on tour as part of Center Stage, www.CenterStageUS.org

 

Monday, September 25
Bab L’Bluz (Morocco/France)
Así Así (México/USA)
Empty Bottle
1035 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60622
8pm doors, 9pm show
21+

 

Tuesday, September 26
San Salvador (France)
Silvia Manrique (Brazil/Chicago)
Constellation
3111 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60618
6pm doors, 7pm show
18+

 

Wednesday, September 27
Farah Siraj
Karim Nagi & Huzam Ensemble (Egypt/Chicago)
Old Town School of Folk Music, Mauer Hall
4544 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
7pm show
All ages

 

Thursday, September 28
La Perla (Colombia)
Kafolike School of Percussion (West Africa/Chicago)
The Promontory
5311 S. Lake Park Ave W
Chicago, IL 60615
6pm doors, 7pm show
21+

 

Friday, September 29 - Saturday, September 30, 2023
Ragamala: A Celebration of Indian Classical Music
Chicago Cultural Center, Preston Bradley Hall
78 E. Washington Street, 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60602
6pm-8am
All ages

Presented by DCASE in collaboration with People of Rhythm Productions, South Asia Institute and South Asian Classical Music Society.

6-7:15pm: (Carnatic)
Unfretted featuring Sruti Sarathy, violin; Vishaal Sapuram, chitravina; Akshay Anantapadmanabhan, mridangam

7:45-9pm: (Hindustani)
Gaurav Mazumdar, sitar; Amit Kavthekar, tabla

9:30-10:45pm: (Carnatic)
Ramakrishnan Murthy, vocal; Charu Mathi Raghuraman, violin; NC Bhadradwaj, mridangam

11:15pm-12:30am: (Hindustani)
Max ZT & Kunal Gunjal, santoor duet; Amit Kavthekar, table

1-2:15am: (Carnatic)
Akkarai Sisters: Akkarai S. Subhalakshmi, violin; Akkarai S. Sornalatha, violin; Sankaranarayanan, mridangam; Vijay Ganesh, mridangam

2:45-4am: (Hindustani)
Jai Sovani, vocal; Giri Aigalikar, tabla; Praneet Marathe, harmonium

4:30-6am: (Carnatic)
Saraswathi Ranganathan, veena; Raghavan Sai, mridangam

6:30-8am: (Hindustani)
Lyon Leifer, bansuri; Hindole Majumdar, tabla

 

Saturday, September 30
Global Peace Picnic
Humboldt Park Boathouse
1301 N. Sacramento Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
1-7:15pm
ALL AGES
2 stages, 6 bands

Presented in partnership with the Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks

Global Stage, 2-7:15pm

• 2-3pm: Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago (KPAC) (Chicago/South Korea)
• 4-5pm: House of Waters (New York City)
• 6-7:15pm: Amayo (New York City)

 

¡Súbelo! Stage, 1-6pm
In partnership with the Chicago Latino Dance Festival of the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago

• 1-1:25pm: Mexican Folkloric Dance Company of Chicago w/Mariachi Perla de Mexico
• 1:30-1:55pm: Samba 1 Brazilian Dance Group w/Chicago Samba
• 3-3:25pm: Center of Peruvian Arts w/SolAndino
• 3:30-3:55pm: Bomberxs D'Cora
• 5-5:25pm: Tamboula Ethnic Dance Company
• 5:30-5:55pm: Laruni Hati Garifuna Dance Group

 

Saturday, September 30 (evening)
QUITAPENAS (Los Angeles/USA)
Rudy de Anda (Chicago/USA)
DJ La Colocha (Chicago/USA)
Chop Shop + 1st Ward Events
2033 W. North Ave.
Chicago, IL 60647
9pm doors, 10pm show
21+

 

Sunday, October 1
Madalitso Band (Malawi)
Luciano Antonio's Funk no Samba (Brazil/Chicago)
The Hideout
1354 W Wabansia Ave
Chicago, IL 60642
7:30pm doors, 8pm show
21+

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Millennium Park
Discover a world-class collection of architecture, landscape design and art that provides the backdrop for hundreds of free cultural programs including concerts, exhibitions, interactive art and family activities. Enjoy a broad range of food and beverage options from Eleven North Hospitality, the new concessionaire of Millennium Park. Millennium Park is located on Michigan Avenue, bordered by Randolph St. to the north, Columbus Dr. to the east and Monroe St. to the south. The Park is open daily during the summer from 6am to 11pm. Plan your visit at MillenniumPark.org; follow on Facebook (@MillenniumParkChicago), Twitter and Instagram (@Millennium_Park); and join the conversation on social media using #MillenniumPark.

 

Chicago Cultural Center
Drawn by its beauty and the fabulous free public events, hundreds of thousands of visitors come to the Chicago Cultural Center every year, making it one of the most visited attractions in Chicago. The stunning landmark building is home to two magnificent stained-glass domes, as well as free music, dance and theater events, films, lectures, art exhibitions, and family events. In 1991, the building was established as the Chicago Cultural Center by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the nation's first and most comprehensive free municipal cultural venue. Every year, the Chicago Cultural Center presents hundreds of free international, national, regional, and local artists, musicians, and performers, providing a showcase where the public can enjoy and learn about the arts. ChicagoCulturalCenter.org.

 

Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) supports artists and cultural organizations, invests in the creative economy, and expands access and participation in the arts throughout Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods. As a collaborative cultural presenter, arts funder, and advocate for creative workers, our programs and events serve Chicagoans and visitors of all ages and backgrounds, downtown and in diverse communities across our city — to strengthen and celebrate Chicago. DCASE produces some of the city’s most iconic festivals, markets, events, and exhibitions at the Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park, and in communities across the city — serving a local and global audience of 25 million people. The Department offers cultural grants and resources, manages public art, supports TV and film production and other creative industries, and permits special events throughout Chicago. For details, visit Chicago.gov/DCASE and stay connected via our newsletters and social media.