- courtesy of the Chicago Jazz Festival
- Muhal Richard Abrams
This morning the city announced the full lineup of the annual Chicago Jazz Festival in September. (Full disclosure: I serve on the volunteer committee that programs the event). The focus in 2015 is squarely on the 50th anniversary of Chicago’s deeply influential and paradigm-shifting Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), including a rare performance by the Experimental Band, led by pianist Muhal Richard Abrams, that concludes the festival—the group is widely considered the first AACM ensemble, a kind of workshop project for members to work out their radical ideas. The current iteration is packed with heavies, including reedists Henry Threadgill, Wallace McMillan, and Roscoe Mitchell; trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith; pianist Amina Claudine Myers; bassist Leonard Jones; trombonist George Lewis; and percussionists Thurman Barker and Reggie Nicholson. Other AACM sets include the Jeff Parker Trio, Douglas Ewart and Inventions, and Steve & Iqua Colson. Other highlights include performances by the Craig Taborn Trio, the Mark Turner Quartet, Jose James (performing the music of Billie Holiday), the Jason Roebke Octet, and Bobby Hutcherson. See the full schedule below.
Preston Bradley Hall, Chicago Cultural Center
Von Freeman Pavilion, Millennium Park
5-5:50 PM – Chico Freeman: Chicago Project featuring George Freeman6-6:55 PM – José James: Billie Holiday Tribute7:10-8:10 PM – Bobby Hutcherson Quintet8:30-9:30 PM – Billy Strayhorn Centennial Celebration with Chicago Jazz Orchestra playing Arrangements of Strayhorn Songs By Edward Wilkerson, John Hollenbeck, Steven Bernstein, and Gordon Goodwin
12:30-1:30 PM – Makaya McCraven Quartet2-3 PM – Juan Pastor’s Chinchano3:30-4:40 PM – Jason Roebke Octet
12-12:55 PM – Jordan Baskin Trio1:10-2:05 PM – Elaine Dame2:20-3:15 PM – Ryan Schultz 3:30-4:30 PM – Robert Irving III Generations
