The celebrated Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz series returns to Millennium Park featuring Chicago’s leading jazz artists and concerts that explore jazz connections to Africa, Latin America and the rhythm and roots of the South Side of Chicago. The 2011 series includes tribute concerts and retrospectives, along with opening night of the 33rd Annual Chicago Jazz Festival. Presented by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, and the Jazz Institute of Chicago, the free weekly series begins Thursday, July 28 and closes September 1, 2011.
All concerts begin at 6:30 p.m. with a short set by young, aspiring musicians from Chicago-area high schools as part of the Jazz Institute of Chicago’s Jazz Links Student Ensembles.
The 2011 series begins on Thursday, July 28 and closes September 1, 2011.
Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz is presented with major support from the Chicago Jazz Partnership: The Boeing Company, The Chicago Community Trust and The Joyce Foundation. United Airlines is the Official Airline, the Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park is the Official Hotel and WBEZ 91.5 FM is a media sponsor of Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz. For more information about Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz and all of the programming in Millennium Park, visit www.millenniumpark.org, call 312.742.1168, visit Millennium Park on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Thursday, July 28 at 6:30 PM
Truth Be Told: Celebrating the Legacy of Von Freeman
Some say you can hear all of Chicago in Von Freeman’s playing—from skyscrapers to el trains to the deep waters of Lake Michigan. Freeman is a true jazz master who mentored a generation of equally inquisitive players, including Steve Coleman and an all star line-up of special guests who have been invited to arrange and perform Freeman’s original music under the artistic direction of drummer Michael Raynor and guitarist Michael Allemana.
Thursday, August 4 at 6:30 PM
Otis Clay: The Gospel of Jazz and Soul
In Otis Clay’s 50 years of singing he has crossed musical paths with musicians from Sam Cooke to Curtis Mayfield to Duke Ellington. Partnering with arranger/drummer Tom Tom Washington, Clay will be joined by tenor player Gene "Daddy G" Barge, trumpet player Burgess Gardner, baritone sax player Willie Henderson and vocalists Sue Conway and Willie Rogers (of the Soul Stirrers) to present a musical salute for Mahalia Jackson's centennial and Sam Cooke 's 85th birthdays..
Thursday, August 11 at 6:30 PM
African Journeys featuring Ryan Cohan and Geof Bradfield
In 2008, pianist Ryan Cohan’s quartet was selected by the Rhythm Road program (co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and Jazz at Lincoln Center) to perform as cultural ambassadors in Africa. The experience profoundly affected all members of the band, and inspired Cohan and saxophonist Geof Bradfield to each compose music describing what they had experienced in their travels. Heard together for the first time on one stage, Cohan’s The River and Bradfield’s African Flowers share reflections on the universal joys and sadness of the human experience. Trombonist Vincent Gardner joins Bradfield's group as special gust along with band members Ryan Cohan, Victor Garcia, Jeff Parker, and Clark Sommers and George Fludas. Ryan Cohan's group includes Bradfield, John Wojciechowski, Tito Carrillo, Lorin Cohen, Kobie Watkins and special guest on percussion Samuel Torres.
Thursday August 18 at 6:30 PM
Latin Inspiration: Howard Levy with Chevere, Trio Globo and special guests
Composer and virtuoso pianist (and harmonica player) Howard Levy’s imagination is inspired by many muses including the Blues, but closest to his heart is the amalgam of the rhythms and harmonies of the Americas known as Latin Jazz. The evening will include the premiere of his new suite, Recuerdos de Nueva Yorque with his long-time comrades in Chévere, selections from Steering by the Stars, a new recording of Trio Globo (Howard, Eugene Friesen and Glen Velez), and feature several duets with the astounding guitarist Chris Siebold
Thursday, August 25 at 6:30 PM
Kindred Spirits of the Horn: Corey Wilkes Celebrates Miles Davis and Roy Eldridge
Known for igniting the spark that became Bebop, Roy Eldridge and Miles Davis’ influences also loom large in the multi-directional work of trumpeter Corey Wilkes. Past meets future in a centennial tribute to the men who set the standard for the modern jazz trumpet. Wilkes' Improvised Soul Projekt will premiere a new work in collaboration with electronics artist and DJ Osunlade and his Chicago cohorts Robert Irving III, De'Sean Jones, Fareed Haque, Junius Paul, Kahil El Zabar and Makaya McCraven.
Thursday, September 1 at 6:30 PM
OPENING NIGHT OF THE CHICAGO JAZZ FESTIVAL
Spiritual Source: Randy Weston and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble featuring the arrangements of Melba Liston
Randy Weston collaborated with trombonist/composer/arranger Melba Liston to create a new music that explores the cultures, connectedness, and musics of the African Diaspora. For this special occasion, Mr. Weston will partner with the Center for Black Music Research and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, both resident at Columbia College Chicago, to illuminate and perform works from his dynamic union with Ms. Liston, and premier new compositions inspired by their music collaborations.
The 33rd Annual Chicago Jazz Festival will once again be free admission, produced by the City of Chicago and programmed with the Chicago Jazz Institute. This year’s event will run from September 1-4 and will be held in three locations: Chicago Cultural Center, Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Grant Park.
Millennium Park
Millennium Park is located in the heart of downtown Chicago. It is bordered by Michigan Ave. to the west, Columbus Dr. to the east, Randolph St. to the north and Monroe St. to the south. Convenient parking is located in the Millennium Park Garage (entrance on Columbus at Monroe or Randolph) and at the Grant Park North and East Monroe Garages, all located within a short walking distance of Millennium Park.
Millennium Park, managed and programmed by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, is an award-winning center for art, music, architecture and landscape design. The result of a unique partnership between the City of Chicago and the philanthropic community, the 24.5-acre park features the work of world-renowned architects, planners, artists and designers. Among Millennium Park’s prominent features are the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the most sophisticated outdoor concert venue of its kind in the United States; the interactive Crown Fountain by Jaume Plensa; the contemporary Lurie Garden designed by the team of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel; and Anish Kapoor’s hugely popular Cloud Gate sculpture. Since its opening in July 2004, Millennium Park has welcomed more than 24 million people, making it one of the most popular destinations in Chicago.
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events
The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to promoting an ongoing celebration of the arts; supporting the people who create and sustain them; and marketing the city’s abundant cultural resources to a worldwide audience. DCASE, in partnership with the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, programs and promotes thousands of high-quality free festivals, exhibitions, performances and holiday celebrations presented each year at Millennium Park, Grant Park, the Chicago Cultural Center and other venues throughout the city.
Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture
The Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture (COTC) is dedicated to promoting Chicago as a premier cultural destination to domestic and international leisure travelers, providing innovative visitor programs and services, and presenting free world-class public programs. COTC supports local artists through grants and other resources and creates vital opportunities for artists of all levels. For more information please visit www.ExploreChicago.org.
The Jazz Institute of Chicago
The Jazz Institute of Chicago (JIC) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve and perpetuate jazz in all its forms. This is achieved through concert and education programs that nurture new talent, sustain active artists, commission new work and make jazz accessible to all. For more information visit www.jazzinchicago.org.
