UNESCO International Jazz Day puts the spotlight on Chicago music in April: Here’s what to see
On a single day later this month, jazz-lovers can hear a world premiere by Ernest Dawkins in Englewood, or a tribute to Randy Weston and Melba Liston in Hyde Park. On the West Side, they can enjoy a set by trumpeter Victor Garcia in Austin, or a retrospective of Chicago jazz at the Garfield Park Conservatory.
And that’s only a sample of shows on “Neighborhood Jazz Night,” which takes place April 28 as part of UNESCO International Jazz Day programming. Chicago is a first-time host for the celebration, which culminates in the All-Star Global Concert on April 30 at Lyric Opera House.
That performance will feature more than 40 artists, including Herbie Hancock, Kurt Elling, Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Terence Blanchard. And it will be live-streamed to hundreds of millions around the world.
But the large-scale show only captures some of Chicago's jazz scene. Happening all month, a wealth of events — many of them free — will explore the history of jazz in the city, honor homegrown talent and support local venues. Some highlights include a tribute to women in jazz at the Chicago History Museum, a celebration of the legacy of jazz radio in Chicago, and local hero Orbert Davis’ reinterpretation of “Sketches of Spain” by Miles Davis and Gil Evans. For a full schedule and ticket information, visit chicagojazzalliance.org.
“It's going to be such a thrill,” Kurt Elling said. “The whole city is really coming alive.”
Sending a message of unity and harmony
Elling, a Chicago native, is co-artistic director of the global concert alongside Herbie Hancock, another Chicagoan. Hancock is also a co-founder and chair of UNESCO International Jazz Day, which is observed in more than 190 countries. This year, the festivities coincide with America’s 250th anniversary and Illinois native Miles Davis’ 100th birthday.
“The message of International Jazz Day is cross-cultural unity and American harmony,” Elling said. “We deserve to have the entire city come together to manifest this message and send it out far and wide.”
From veterans like Ernest Dawkins to younger stars like Marquis Hill, Elling said he is advocating for as much Chicago talent as possible to hit the stage at the global concert.
“Everybody from the cats who regularly appear at the Green Mill to the cats who are exemplary players when it's time for the Hyde Park Jazz Festival to the stand-up singers here in town,” he said. “I will also get to sing eight or ten bars — maybe 16 or 32 bars — of something.”
If Elling has his way, Chicago’s musical contributions will be spelled out in the script for the program. Jazz giants were not only born in Chicago, but some, like Louis Armstrong, migrated to the city and made seminal records here, he said.
“I want Chicago to have its moment,” he said. “I am going to work as hard as I can to wedge in as much Chicago music history as I can and, thankfully, there’s an incredible abundance.”
Bronzeville to become a ‘living’ jazz museum
Enthusiasts will learn plenty of that history by attending “At the Forum - The Bronzeville Roots of Chicago Jazz,” on April 25. Built in 1897 on East 43rd Street, the historic venue was a cultural hub for jazz musicians, including Nat King Cole, bassist Milt Hinton and violinist and educator Walter Dyett.
During the free event, visitors will get a sneak peek at the space, which is currently being renovated. The community-focused day will include food and music in The Forum Cafe; a tour of The Forum Hall and a gallery curated by the Black Metropolis Research Consortium; and a community walk to the former homes of Cole and Louis Armstrong, who lived in the area with his wife, Lil Hardin.
Essentially, the neighborhood will feel like a “living museum of jazz history,” according to organizers.
“Bronzeville is really the cultural and commercial heart of Black Chicago,” said Bernard Loyd, who owns The Forum and is renovating the property under his development firm, Urban Juncture. “We'll be engaging in a discussion about how this great gathering of folks shaped the evolution of jazz and the world.”
Heather Ireland Robinson, executive director of the Jazz Institute of Chicago, hopes to see a diverse crowd at UNESCO International Jazz Day events. “Getting the narrative out there that these spaces are safe and you can come here and have a good time is important,” she said.
Alex Wroblewski/For the Sun-Times
A beloved jazz club bus tour returns
While The Forum Hall is still years away from re-opening, plenty of venues in the city are currently welcoming live performers every week. Audiences can support them by joining the Jazz Club Tour Experience on April 27.
Presented by the Jazz Institute of Chicago, the tour features two paths: The Miles Davis Route takes attendees to South Side clubs such as Parkway Social and Bronzeville Winery. The Melba Liston Route takes attendees to central-area clubs including Jazz Showcase and Winter’s Jazz Club. Performers along the tour include the Justin Dillard Organ Trio, Alysha Monique, Ernest Dawkins and alumni from the institute’s Jazz Links education program.
The event is a low-barrier way to get exposed to the jazz scene, said Heather Ireland Robinson, executive director of the Jazz Institute of Chicago, who helped organize the International Jazz Day programming.
Audience-building is crucial, as some clubs are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, she added. And some patrons have expressed fears about traveling Downtown.
“Getting the narrative out there that these spaces are safe and you can come here and have a good time is important,” Robinson said. “And making sure those audiences are diverse — that it's not just people from the North Side, but that everybody comes and sees themselves reflected in the music.”