Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
Chick Corea’s Trilogy, which also includes bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade, are set to play the 2019/20 Symphony Center Presents Jazz series in Chicago on Nov. 1.
(Photo: Courtesy CSO)The 2019/2020 Symphony Center Presents Jazz series in Chicago is set to return Nov. 1.
During the past two-plus decades, the series has featured some of the jazz world’s most feted players, including performances last year by Joshua Redman and Zakir Hussain’s Crosscurrents, which featured bassist Dave Holland and saxophonist Chris Potter. This season’s planned events dip into local talent with an appearance of Chicago drummer and bandleader Makaya McCraven, while also marking the genre’s legacy with a celebration of saxophonist Charlie Parker, who was born in 1920.
All shows are planned for Chicago Symphony Orchestra at 220 S. Michigan Ave. in Chicago and are slated to begin at 8 p.m.
Nov. 1: Chick Corea Trilogy (with Christian McBride and Brian Blade)
Nov. 15: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Nov. 16: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis: South African Songbook
Jan. 31: Makaya McCraven In These Times (with Marquis Hill, Jeff Parker, Junius Paul, Greg Ward, Brandee Younger)
Feb. 14: The Piano Soul of Nat King Cole featuring Jeff Lindberg’s Chicago Jazz Orchestra (with Kenny Barron, Benny Green, Russell Malone)
Feb. 28: Abdullah Ibrahim & Ekaya
March 21: SFJAZZ Collective and special guest vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater mark the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way and Sly & the Family Stone’s Stand!
April 3: Fly Higher: Charlie Parker @ 100 (Rudresh Mahanthappa, Terri Lyne Carrington, Charenée Wade, Adam O’Farrill, Kris Davis, Larry Grenadier and DJ Kassa Overall) + Sean Jones Quartet
April 17: Artemis (Renee Rosnes, Anat Cohen, Melissa Aldana, Ingrid Jensen, Noriko Ueda and Allison Miller) + Jazzmeia Horn
May 1: Kurt Elling marks the 25th anniversary of Close Your Eyes
June 5: Dianne Reeves Beleza Brazil
For additional information about the series, visit the CSO website. DB
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
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