Saxophonist Archie Shepp gained notoriety through his association with the "New Thing" in the 1960s and a string of blustery albums for the Impulse label.

An alumnus of the Count Basie and Earl Hines orchestras saxophonist/clarinetist Eric Schneider was born on the South Side and started the piano at the age of six before switching to his instruments of

JazzGram: Does Chicago fulfill your needs as a composer/musician?

By David Whiteis

Taken backstage at the Chicago Jazz Festival in 1984, we find Art Blakey, Johnny Griffin, Mayor Harold Washington, Randy Weston, and Dempsey Travis.