Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
In Memoriam: Cassandra Wilson, 1955–2026
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
The city of Chicago is proud to announce the lineup for this year’s Chicago Jazz Festival, taking place from Aug. 30-Sept. 2.
The festival begins with Herbie Hancock performing a ticketed concert at the Chicago Symphony Center and then moves to Grant Park for three days of free music. At 5 p.m. each day, music lights up the night at the Petrillo Music Shell for three evenings of jazz performances. Featured performers will be Medeski, Scofield, Martin and Wood on Aug. 31, Ernestine Anderson and Frank Wess on Sept. 1, and the Mingus Big Band on Sept. 2.
This year’s Artist in Residence is Charlie Haden. The bassist will play in Grant Park on multiple stages with the Jazz Institute of Chicago Jazz Links Students on Aug. 31, the Liberation Music Orchestra on Sept. 1 and “A Chicago Jam,” with local jazz veterans on Sept. 2.
Ticket prices for “An Evening With Herbie Hancock” range from $16-$46 and are available by calling the Chicago Symphony Center box office at (312) 294-3000, or at cso.org. For more information about the Chicago Jazz Festival, go here.
Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.
Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
“The love from the jazz and music community restored my faith in humanity,” Walia wrote in an online post upon his release from detention at an ICE facility.
Aug 18, 2026 2:15 PM
Indian jazz guitarist and composer Pritesh Walia has been released after being unexpectedly detained by ICE and taken…
Bertoncini was a specialist and advocate for the nylon-string acoustic guitar, turning down high-profile opportunities that were unsuited to the sound and techniques that he used with that instrument.
Sep 1, 2026 11:06 AM
Gene Bertoncini, an esteemed jazz guitarist, composer, arranger and educator, died Aug. 29 at the Lillian Booth Actors…
A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.
Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
“It was just that suddenly … I could hear it,” Ravi Coltrane said of an epiphany he experienced during his late teens regarding his father’s music. “And it was almost like a calling, like something saying, ‘Hey, man, come on. It’s time to get serious.’ And the first time you really tune in and dial in and focus like that, it can be very life-changing.”
Sep 22, 2026 1:39 PM
Editor’s Note: Tomorrow, Sept. 23, is the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth. In honor of the tenor and…
