Chicago Park District and Jazz Institute of Chicago Celebrate 10th Anniversary of JazzCity
2007 Season Features Free Concerts by Both Local Legends and Emerging Artists
Release Date: 01/30/07
The Chicago Park District and the Jazz Institute of Chicago proudly announce the 10th anniversary season for JazzCity, an admission-free concert series featuring world-class performers at various neighborhood parks throughout the city on select Fridays, Feb. 9 – Nov. 30, from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. JazzCity concerts are unique in their mission to connect people of all ethnicities and generations to the musical and spiritual legacy of jazz in Chicago.
“The Park District is pleased to continue this fruitful partnership with the Jazz Institute,” said Chicago Park District General Superintendent and CEO Timothy J. Mitchell. “The successful concerts have created a strong sense of community in our diverse neighborhoods.”
In celebration of the 10th year of JazzCity, guest artists from around the nation will appear with the local musicians, including homecoming concerts by artists formerly based in Chicago. The season includes Bebop Brass (Feb. 9); Tribute to Captain Walter Dyett (March 9); Tribute to Chicago Jazz Bass Masters (March 30); Big Band/Big Dance: Chicago Jazz Ensemble featuring Jon Faddis (April 27); Young Jazz Lions (May 11); Dee Alexander: Homage to Light Henry Huff (June 15); Latin Jazz Festival (July 13); Ken Chaney Xperience Reunion (October 5); Saxophone Summit (Nov. 2) with special guest Ira Sullivan; and Organ Blast (Nov. 30), a duel between Chicago’s Chris Foreman and Dr. Lonnie Smith.
Over the past ten years, the JazzCity series has surveyed the various forms of the genre from jazz masters to experimental groupings, including an improvisation with a young basketball team and a hip hop poet. Many emerging musicians made their public debut through this program and have gone on to national repute.
All programs are family friendly and admission free. Dates are subject to change. For more information on JazzCity, please call the Jazz Institute at 312/427-1676.
Following is the 2007 season lineup for JazzCity:
Bebop Brass
Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Austin Town Hall Park, 5610 W. Lake St.
773-287-7658
The season opener will feature the band that started it all: Bebop Brass. Created for the first JazzCity concert in 1997, this band has a rotating roster of top brass musicians that has yet to repeat itself. Pairing young musicians with veterans, the concert will feature trumpeters Maurice Brown, David Young, and Larry Bowen; trombonists Norman Palm and T.S. Galloway; and special guest Ray Anderson. Rounding out the rhythm section are Lorin Cohen on bass, Ernie Adams on drums and Ken Chaney on piano.
Tribute to Captain Walter Dyett
March 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Washington Park, 5531 S. Martin Luther King Drive
773-256-1248
Captain Walter Dyett was a teacher at DuSable High School where he instilled both a love for music and the discipline to play it to a long list of renowned musicians including Johnny Griffin, Eddie Harris, Joseph Jarman, and many more. The concert will feature distinguished Dyett alumni Von Freeman, Edwin Daugherty Earma Thompson, T.S. Galloway, Mwata Bowden, Jimmy Ellis, and others.
Tribute to Chicago Jazz Bass Masters
March 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Sherman Park, 1301 W. 52nd St.
312-747-6672
Chicago has always been a city of big bass players. This concert will pay tribute to the legacies of Wilbur Ware, Milt Hinton, Fred Hopkins and Malachi Favors, featuring bassists Larry Gray and Harrison Bankhead, with Ari Brown on piano, Avreeayl Ra on drums, Art Hoyle on trumpet, and Edward Wilkerson on reeds.
Big Band/Big Dance: Chicago Jazz Ensemble with Jon Faddis
April 27 at 7:30 p.m.
Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72nd St.
312-747-6174
Chicago’s newest adopted jazz master, renowned trumpeter Jon Faddis, leads the Chicago Jazz Ensemble in this rare opportunity to hear one of the city’s premiere jazz orchestras for free.
Young Jazz Lions
May 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Tuley Park, 501 E. 90th Place
312-747-6763
The new generation of Chicago musicians is accomplished and versatile as illustrated by this ensemble featuring saxophonist Kevin Nabors, pianist Miguel de la Cerna, bassist Junius Paul, trumpeter Marquis Hill and drummer Kobie Watkins.
Dee Alexander: Homage to Light Henry Huff
June 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Columbus Park Refectory, 5701 W. Jackson Blvd.
773-287-0856
Vocalist Dee Alexander is one of Chicago’s hidden treasures. Known as a “musician’s musician,” she’s capable of tuning her instrument in myriad ways. Her tribute to Huff is comprised of songs the Chicago saxophonist had written for her before he passed away several years ago. She is backed by Douglas Ewart on reeds, Harrison Bankhead on bass,Josefa on harp, and Avreeayl Ra on drums.
Latin Jazz Festival
July 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Humboldt Park Boathouse, 1359 N. Sacramento Ave.
312-742-7549
Performing in the heart of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community at the open-air boathouse in Humboldt Park, the three bands taking the stage include the Afro-Cuban sounds of Richie Pillot’s Havana; the traditional Latin Jazz of Conjunto; and Darwin Noguera’s Evolution Trio, a group that brings contemporary jazz into Latin forms.
Ken Chaney Xperience Reunion
Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Loyola Park, 1230 W. Greenleaf Ave.
773-262-8605
This concert brings together the original band members from the 1970s when veteran pianist Ken Chaney first made Chicago his home. Featuring the vocals of brother and sister Ben and Barbara Farnandis, and sisters Ann and Susan Ward, Chicago’s funky jazz is a family affair.
Saxophone Summit
Nov. 2 at 7 :30 p.m.
LaFollette Park, 1333 N. Laramie Ave.
773-287-0541
Local vets David Boykin, Gerard Harris and James Perkins with special guest Ira Sullivan perform as duos and trios. The set includes a commissioned work that brings it all home.
Organ Blast with Dr. Lonnie Smith and Chris Foreman
Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 South Shore Drive
773-256-0149
Although he’s blind, Chris Foreman knows his way around the Hammond B3 like he was born into it. On his behalf, the Jazz Institute has challenged Dr. Lonnie Smith to a duel with Foreman for an organ blow-out that could put out the lights on the south side of Chicago. Add to that the indescribable licks of guitarist Fareed Haque for an unforgettable close to JazzCity’s 10-year celebration.
For more information about the Chicago Park District’s more than 7,300 acres of parkland, 552 parks, 32 beaches, nine museums, two world-class conservatories, 16 historic lagoons, 10 bird and wildlife gardens, thousands of special events, sports and entertaining programs, please visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com or contact the Chicago Park District at 312/742.PLAY or 312/747.2001 (TTY). Want to share your talent? Volunteer in the parks by calling, 312/742.PLAY.
The Chicago Jazz and Heritage Program is a program of the Chicago Park District and the Jazz Institute of Chicago. The Jazz Institute is supported by The Alphawood Foundation, The Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; a CityArts grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, The Benjamin Rosenthal Foundation, The Polk Bros. Foundation, The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Kraft Foods, the Chicago Jazz Partnership, Arts Work Fund, the MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at the Richard Driehaus Foundation and the Chicago Community Trust.
- Contact Phone: 312 742 4786