Chicago Jazzfest 2005

[Uli]

I know it's a bit early but so far I've heard the exciting news that Cecil will play.

Has not happened often in town.

[Frisco]

I know it's a bit early but so far I've heard the exciting news that Cecil will play.
Has not happened often in town.

Labor Day in Chicago! Time to celebrate life. Sweet Sounds of keys clashing in the breeze (assuming it's not 90 degrees and still) aside that big beautiful Lake of Michigan.

[Gary Sisco]

you know, I'm going to be owing myself a good break, come about Labor Day. Especially since I can't go to New York. I do have a friendly couch always available in Chi-town.

Hmmm. I'll talk to the boss over the summer and see if we can work anything out for a couple of days. I've never really had a chance to hang much, there. Once, for three days, back late 80s, is all. I've always wanted to check it again when I had time and bread for the music scene. The only other time I was there was on political business, though I did get to hit a couple of blues bars deep in the 'hood while at it. It was great fun, but I wasn't there long enough to spit.

[jaz4life]

when does the schedule come out? uli, please let us know if u hear anything else. i would love to go this year.

jaz4life

[Uli]

I think the detailed schedules usually come out in July, maybe. A bit disappoitingly, I've heard yesterday that Cecil mite not happen.

[Pete C]

I'll be there, Friday through Sunday. I just bought my plane ticket and booked my hotel through Priceline--I got the Club Quarters on W. Adams & LaSalle for $75 a night.

A few bookings are listed on Pollstar:

Friday: Gloria Lynne, Roy Haynes
Saturday: John Scofield
Sunday: Frank Morgan

Who's going?

[Pete C]

I just checked, and lo & behold, the schedule is out:

Chicago Jazz Festival
produced by the City of Chicago, Mayor's Office of Special Events
programmed by the Jazz Institute of Chicago


Thursday, September 1

SymphonyCenter

8 p.m. – A Down Beat 70th Anniversary Concert with John Medeski (solo piano), Louis Hayes and the Cannonball Adderley Tribute Band and The Zawinul Syndicate with Joe Zawinul
For information and tickets call (312) 294-3000 or visit www.cso.org



Friday, September 2

GRANT PARK

Jazz on Jackson

12:00 – 12:55 Tom Garling Sextet

1:10 – 2:05 Hanah Jon Taylor Artet

2:20 – 3:15 Larry Gray Trio

3:30 – 4:30 Slide Hampton Octet



Jazz & Heritage

12:30 – 1:30 Students of the Anniversary Celebration of the Advancement

of CreativeMusiciansSchool

2:00 – 3:00 “Art of the Solo” featuring Bradley Parker-Sparrow and

George Freeman

3:30 – 4:30 Radio Maqam: Middle Eastern improvisation



Petrillo Music Shell

5:00 – 5:50 Denny Zeitlin Trio with Buster Williams and Matt Wilson:

“Remembering Charlie Weeks”

6:00 – 6:55 Angel Meléndez & The Mambo 911 Orchestra

7:10 – 8:10 Gloria Lynne

8:30 – 9:30 Roy Haynes’ 80th Birthday Celebration



Saturday, September 3

GRANT PARK

Jazz on Jackson

12:00 –12:50 The Frontburners: “A Tribute to Vandy Harris”

featuring Ari Brown, Ken Chaney, Bob Griffin, Talik Zayid, Yosef Ben Israel, and Dushun Mosley

1:05 – 1:35 Earma Thompson and John Whitfield

1:40 – 2:10 Dan Trudell

2:25 – 3:20Chicago Overtones: Daniele D’Agaro, Jeb Bishop, Robert

Barry, and Kent Kessler

3:35 – 4:30 “A New Apartment Jam” with Von Freeman and John Young



Jazz & Heritage

12:30 – 1:30 Morikeba: Griot of Senegal

2:00 – 3:00 “Percussion Discussion” with Michael Zerang

3:30 – 4:30 Slide Hampton and the Jazz Links All-Stars



Petrillo Music Shell

5:00 – 5:50 “A Salute to Eddie Johnson” with Eric Schneider and friends

6:00 – 6:55 Ballin’ the Jack

7:10 – 8:10 “A 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Advancement of

Creative Musicians” featuring the Great Black Music Ensemble

8:30 – 9:30 Celebrating Tony Williams featuring Jack DeJohnette, John

Scofield and Larry Goldings



Sunday, September 4

GRANT PARK

Jazz on Jackson

12:00 – 12:50 Jerry Coleman’s Nineburners

1:05 – 2:00 Wendell Harrison Quartet

2:15 – 3:10 Bobbi Wilsyn and SHE

3:25 – 4:30 Charlie Johnson Trio


Jazz & Heritage
12:30 – 1:30 El Trio Tropical – Latin Rhythms

2:00 – 3:00 “A Personal History of Bebop” with Stu Katz

3:30 – 4:30 Gallery 37 Jazz Band



Petrillo Music Shell

5:00 – 5:55 “Homage to King Oliver” with Le Petit Jazzband from France

6:00 – 6:55 Joseph Jarman Sextet, featuring Leroy Jenkins and Myra Melford

7:10 – 8:10 Slide Hampton and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble

8:30 – 9:30 “Jammin’ for Bird: A Charlie Parker 85th Birthday Event”

featuring the Charles McPherson Quartet, plus special guests Frank

Morgan and Donald Harrison

[Rob C]

Thanks for posting that. Nobody I'm just dying to see. And no Cecil, who I AM dying to see.... But I'm curious about the AACM stuff at least (especially Jarman/Melford), so I'll probably be going to at least some of it.

[Pete C]

Rob, the Zeitlin trio is spectacular. It's not the best setting for them, but they're well worth catching.

I hope Jarman isn't planning to "sing."

[Rob C]

Rob, the Zeitlin trio is spectacular. It's not the best setting for them, but they're well worth catching.

I hope Jarman isn't planning to "sing."

Never heard of Zeitlin--but I'm a fan of Matt Wilson.

I'm not sure the jazzfest is the best setting for anybody.

[Pete C]

Never heard of Zeitlin--but I'm a fan of Matt Wilson.

I'm not sure the jazzfest is the best setting for anybody.

Zeitlin is a brilliant bay area pianist who is still, I believe, a full time practicing psychiatrist. He's the composer of "Quiet Now," which Bill Evans recorded. His reharmonizations of standards are compelling.

[jaz4life]

i'm out. i think i'll b checking out the jazz festivals in northern Cal. :) i'd like to find something in late sept or early october.

[Pete C]

The Swissotel, right near the park, has a $99 a night Labor Day weekend special.

So, who plans to be at the festival?

[Uli]

Me, Pete.

[Pete C]

I'd be happy to pass on Sunday night if anybody wants to show me a spectacular Chicago restaurant.

[hornplayer]

Well, once again I'm missing this one! Will be in Napa Valley at a Food Writers' Workshop. Very sad, too, when I saw this event 5:00 – 5:50 “A Salute to Eddie Johnson” with Eric Schneider and friends posted.... Eddie is my dear friend, and my all-time favorite tenor player. :( I hate not to be there! (Eric is no slouch, himself! :cool: )

[Pete C]

Will be in Napa Valley at a Food Writers' Workshop.

Have you ever been to Bistro Jeanty?

[hornplayer]

Have you ever been to Bistro Jeanty?sure have! and enjoyed every bite :) :D

[Fred K]

Chicago is a possibilty for me, but I might not make a decision until last minute.

The HotHouse website lists these shows on their website.

9/2 - Roscoe Mitchell Chicago Quartet w/Burton Greene
9/3 - 8 Bold Souls & Ravish Momin's Trio Tarana
9/4 - Leroy Jenkins/Myra Melford/Joseph Jarman & the Ernest Dawkins Quartet

[Pete C]

That's great. I'd love to see 8 bold souls.

[Pete C]

Ahmad Jamal is at the African Arts Festival on Sunday the 4th





Main Stage
8:30 pm
Ahmad Jamal
Critic Stanley Crouch cites AHMAD JAMAL's impact on the fresh form in jazz as an outstanding conceptionalist. Crouch consider's Mr. Jamal's distinctive style as having had an influence on the same level as "Jelly Roll Morton, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Count Basie, Theolonius Monk, Horace Silver and John Lewis, all thinkers whose wrestling with form and content influenced the shape and texture of the music, and whose ensembles were models of their music visions."

Main Stage
6:30 pm
Pete Escovedo featuring Sheila E
Pete Escovedo has been at the forefront of Latin jazz for three decades. Born in Pittsburg, California in 1935, he was raised in a musical family in Oakland. His first professional engagement was as the opening act for the Count Basie Orchestra at the Downbeat Club in San Francisco. He began playing saxophone in high school and soon switched to vibes. When his friend Ed Kelly, a legendary pianist of the Bay Area scene, needed a Latin percussionist for his group, Escovedo jumped at the opportunity. He started listening to Cuban and Latin jazz recordings, and when such artists as Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Armando Peraza, and Potato Valdez came to town, he studied their playing. Mr. Escovedo's love of Latin music carried over to his younger brother, the late Coke Escovedo, who also became a percussionist.

[Frisco]

The Velvet Lounge has now posted their Afterfest Sets (www.velvetlounge.net)

Friday Sept. 2:
Douglas Ewart and Inventions

Saturday Sept. 3:
Fred Anderson, Kidd Jordan, Alvin Fielder & Guests

Sunday Sept. 4:
Fred Anderson, Kidd Jordan, Alvin Fielder & Guests

On Wed. Aug. 31 there is the Jazz fest Pub Crawl w/Vincent David & Ed Wilkerson Jr. and Vincent & Ed play Thursday Sept. 1 as well.

Labor Day in Chicago is beginning to look more and more interesting .

[Pete C]

Here's the full music schedule for the coterminous African Arts Festival:

Main Stage Performance Schedule
Subject to change without notice
Friday, September 2
1:00 PM DJ Music/South Africa
4:30 PM SPIRITS
4:45 PM Apostolic Church of God Choir
5:30 PM Jean Paul Samputu
7:00 PM Brazil: Pimenta Malagueta & Samba1 Dance Group
8:30 PM Angelique Kidjo

Saturday, September 3
12:30 PM DJ Music/
African & Caribbean Reggae
12:30 PM Apostolic Faith Church Mass Choir
2:00 PM Wayna Wondowwessi/Ethiopia
3:30 PM Soweto Kinch with Abram Wilson
5:00 PM T-Vice
6:30 PM The Johnny Clegg Band featuring the music of Juluka and Savuka
8:30 PM Bass Player's Ball Tour


Sunday, September 4
10:00 AM DJ/World Music
11:15 AM Ravinia Jazz Mentors
12:30 PM Fashion Show
2:00 PM Antone (Barry White Review)
3:30 PM AACM (Douglas Ewart & Inventions)
5:00 PM Roland Brown
6:30 PM Ahmad Jamal (3 pc Orchestra)
8:30 PM Pete Escovedo featuring Sheila E


Monday, September 5
12:00 PM DJ Music
1:00 PM Trinity
2:30 PM Spam All Stars
4:00 PM Sanebella
5:30 PM Sherry Scott & High Rezulution
7:30 PM MUNTU
8:30 PM Roberta Flack

[Frisco]

[QUOTE=Pete C]

7:30 PM MUNTU

Not the Jemeel Moondoc group, is it?

[Pete C]

I suspect it isn't the Moondoc group.

The Ewart & Ahmad Jamal performances tip me toward the African Arts festival on Sunday, especially after having suffered through Jarman's travesties at the Vision Festival two years running.

The Hothouse schedule has changed slightly, making the Saturday show even more attractive:

09-02
Roscoe Mitchell's Chicago Quartet
with special guest
Burton Greene

09-03
8 Bold Souls, Ernest Dawkins' New Horizons Ensemble, and Ravish Momin's Trio Tarana

09-04
Leroy Jenkins/Myra Melford/Jospeph Jarman Trio and Trifactor: Kahil El'Zabar, Hamiett Blueitt, Billy Bang

[Rob C]

So who is going to some of this stuff? I'm not that excited about the fest proper, but I always like to see the Velvet aftershows--and I reckon these will be the last, at the current location, anyway--and that Hot House lineup sounds pretty killer. I will probably go to at least the 8 Bold Souls show, but all three nights sound like winners.

[Pete C]

I will probably go to at least the 8 Bold Souls show, but all three nights sound like winners.

Rob, I'm going to aim for that. We should try to hook up, though how I don't know. I do want to catch DeJohnette at the festival, but I hope to catch at least some of Dawkins and all of 8 Bold Souls.

I'll be at the festival Friday night, and Saturday afternoon & evening. I also plan to go to the Sunday jam at the Record Mart. Does anybody remember what time these things start? There's nothing on their website. I think i'll go to the African Arts festival for Ewart & Jamal on Sunday.

[Pete C]

I just spoke with somebody at the Record Mart. They will not be having a brunch/jam session this year due to their new, smaller quarters.

[Rob C]

I just spoke with somebody at the Record Mart. They will not be having a brunch/jam session this year due to their new, smaller quarters.

That's a disappointment! The couple of times I've been to that, the shows there have been among the highlights of the fest weekend.

[Pete C]

That's a disappointment! The couple of times I've been to that, the shows there have been among the highlights of the fest weekend.

Yeah, the last time there was an amazing set of the Anderson trio with Drake & Aoki plus Dawkins, Ari Brown and Malachi Thompson.

[Pete C]

I just checked the 5-day forecast. It looks like a perfect weekend in store.

[Pete C]

Earma Thompson is a new name to me, but obviously she's not "new":

Review by Ken Dryden

It's often true in jazz that many talented musicians are under the radar of the average fan because they choose not to travel much outside their home cities or record only sporadically, usually for locally based labels. Pianist Earma Thompson, who evidently belatedly made her debut (after performing for over half a century) with this 2004 release for The Sirens, has chops to spare throughout this rewarding CD, mostly duets with bassist John Whitfield. Her playfulness comes through in the swinging take of "Just in Time," while Thompson's spunky side comes through in the bop favorite "Billie's Bounce." She adds a bossa nova beat to her hip interpretation of "You Stepped Out of a Dream," then adds a dark undercurrent to a swinging take of "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise." It is also hard to ignore the gutsy, blues-drenched interpretation of "After Hours" and a driving, soulful take of "Back at the Chicken Shack." Tenor saxophonist John Brumbach is added for Miles Davis' "Vierd Blues" and Gene Ammons' "Ge-ru." Hopefully a follow-up CD is already in the works. Highly recommended.

[sheldonm]

Attended the entire festival and several of the afterfests at the Jazz Showcase and Velvet; beautiful weather, great music and great friends; what more could you ask for ????

Mark