Chicago Jazz Festival

One of the better jazz festivals in North America is the Chicago Jazz Festival. Although not as famous as its counterparts in Newport, Monterey, or Montreal, it has undergone a bit of a renaissance over the past few years, and it is still one of the few free fests around. Two years ago I caught living legend Ornette Coleman, one of the elder statesmen of jazz and a pioneer free jazz musician. His set on alto sax, trumpet, and violin was a flurry of creativity and passion--quite impressive given that he was 80 years old at the time. I also saw a band called 8 Bold Souls play a collection of swinging avant garde tunes that inspired me to seek out their recordings and learn more about them.

This year's jazz fest starts this week and will be featuring a DHS JB favorite, Nicole Mitchell, as artist-in-residence. She is a leader on the Chicago jazz scene, known as an outstanding flutist, composer, and bandleader. We played her tune "Cause and Effect" last year, and two of our members participated in a master class she presented. She will be appearing four times throughout the festival, in a duo and with larger groups like her Black Earth Ensemble. Other highlights of the festival include:

• Brad Mehldau, an internationally acclaimed pianist known for dense, polyphonic music and his interpretations of Radiohead and Beatles tunes
  
  
• The Either/Orchestra, an eclectic band out of Boston (DHS alum Danny Kaufman toured and recorded with them several years back)
  
  
• Kurt Elling, one of the top jazz vocalists in the world, and another local Chicagoan

I highly recommend that you check out the schedule and get downtown to see some of the shows. You won't be disappointed! I'm hoping to get down there on Sunday--see you there!