Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Saxophonist, Sonic Explorer Casey Benjamin Dies at 45
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
Samara Joy and Pasquale Grasso will close out the Sept. 24 program with a late-night performance in Rockefeller Chapel.
(Photo: HPJF)The Hyde Park Jazz Festival has announced that it will return to presenting in partnership with its long-time venue-partners across Chicago’s Hyde Park, Kenwood and Washington Park neighborhoods, featuring more than 34 free performances on Sept. 24–25. Venues include the Smart Museum, International House, Rockefeller Chapel, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, Hyde Park Bank, Hyde Park Union Church, Little Black Pearl, Augustana Church, Oriental Institute and the Midway Plaisance.
Special guest and visiting musician projects will include David Virelles (solo); Jeff Parker (solo); Charles McPherson Quintet; Etienne Charles and Creole Soul; Camille Thurman and the Darrell Green Quartet; Mankwe Ndosi and Body mEmOri; and Darren Johnston’s Life in Times. Samara Joy and Pasquale Grasso will close out Saturday with a late-night performance in Rockefeller Chapel.
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival also will present “Weaving Strands of Sound from Addis to Chicago,” a collaborative musical experience between the Ethiopian-based QWANQWA and U.S.-based Hear in Now. At the core of both ensembles are stringed instruments, with each group exploring tradition and experimentalism in their own unique way, pushing musical boundaries and expectations within their respective communities. Here in Now includes Tomeka Reid (cello), Mazz Swift (violin), Silvia Bolognesi (bass) with special guests Eddy Kwon (violin/viola) and Chad Taylor (drums). QWANQWA is Kaethe Hostetter (violin), Selamnesh Zemene Taye (vocals), Misale Legesse (percussion), Endris Hassen (masinqo) and Anteneh Teklemariam Barago (krar).
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival is free but it asks attendees to consider a $10 per person donation. Performances on Saturday, Sept. 24, run from 1 p.m to midnight in multiple venues. Performances on Sunday, Sept. 25, run from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the Midway Plaisance. DB
Benjamin possessed a fluid, round sound on the alto saxophone, and he was often most recognizable by the layers of electronic effects that he put onto the instrument.
Apr 2, 2024 12:59 PM
Casey Benjamin, the alto saxophonist, vocalist, keyboardist and producer who stamped his distinctive sounds on the…
“He’s constructing intelligent musical sentences that connect seamlessly, which is the most important part of linear playing,” Charles McPherson said of alto saxophonist Sonny Red.
Feb 27, 2024 1:40 PM
“I might not have felt this way 30 to 40 years ago, but I’ve reached a point where I can hear value in what people…
Albert “Tootie” Heath (1935–2024) followed in the tradition of drummer Kenny Clarke, his idol.
Apr 5, 2024 10:28 AM
Albert “Tootie” Heath, a drummer of impeccable taste and time who was the youngest of three jazz-legend brothers…
“Both of us are quite grounded in the craft, the tradition and the harmonic sense,” Rosenwinkel said of his experience playing with Allen. “Yet I felt we shared something mystical as well.”
Mar 12, 2024 11:42 AM
“There are a few musicians you hear where, as somebody once said, the molecules in the room change. Geri was one of…
Henry Threadgill performs with Zooid at Big Ears in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Apr 9, 2024 11:30 AM
Big Ears, the annual four-day music celebration that first took place in 2009 in Knoxville, Tennessee, could well be…
