Dec 9, 2025 12:28 PM
In Memoriam: Gordon Goodwin, 1954–2025
Gordon Goodwin, an award-winning saxophonist, pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, died Dec. 8 in Los Angeles.…
Kamasi Washington will perform at the Pitchfork Music Fest in Chicago, which runs from July 15–17.
(Photo: Courtesy of the artist)Fans at this year’s Pitchfork Music Festival can look forward to a healthy dose of jazz and improvised music. In addition to its usual roster of new and noteworthy rock acts, the festival, which runs from July 15–17 in Chicago, boasts an impressively diverse lineup, including jazz artists Kamasi Washington and the Sun Ra Arkestra.
Chicago music enthusiasts will recognize familiar faces in Twin Peaks, one of the city’s most promising garage-rock bands, who will perform at the festival on July 15. Other performers slated for opening night include Beach House, Broken Social Scene, Carly Rae Jepsen, Girl Band, Julia Holter, Mick Jenkins, Moses Sumney, The Range, Shamir and Whitney.
July 16 will feature sets by ANDERSON .Paak and BJ The Chicago Kid, whose styles meld jazz, soul and hip-hop into novel configurations. Also performing will be rock veteran Brian Wilson, who will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beach Boys classic Pet Sounds by performing the album in its entirety.
Circuit des Yeux, Digable Planets, Holly Herndon, Jenny Hval, Kevin Morby, Martin Courtney, Oneman, Royal Headache, Savages, Sufjan Stevens, and Super Furry Animals round out the day’s schedule.
July 17 marks the festival’s most jazz-oriented day of programming, with performances by saxophone phenom Kamasi Washington and bassist Thundercat, who appeared together on Washington’s breakout disc, The Epic (Brianfeeder). The Sun Ra Arkestra, led by saxophonist Marshall Allen, is also scheduled to perform.
Among the other artists scheduled for July 17 are Empress Of, FKA twigs, Holy Ghost!, The Hotelier, Jeremih, Jlin, LUH., Miguel, NAO, Neon Indian, Oneohtrix Point Never, Porches, RP Boo and Woods.
Tickets for the 2016 Pitchfork Music Festival are on sale now. Three-day passes are available for $165 and single day passes are available for $65.
The festival will take place in Union Park, located at 1501 W. Randolph St. Among the items that fans are allowed to bring into the park are sealed bottles of water and medium-sized backpacks.
For more details and to purchase tickets, visit the festival’s website.
Goodwin was one of the most acclaimed, successful and influential jazz musicians of his generation.
Dec 9, 2025 12:28 PM
Gordon Goodwin, an award-winning saxophonist, pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, died Dec. 8 in Los Angeles.…
Belá Fleck during an interview with Fredrika Whitfield on CNN.
Jan 13, 2026 2:09 PM
The fallout from the renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to include President Donald…
Flea has returned to his first instrument — the trumpet — and assembled a dream band of jazz musicians to record a new album.
Dec 2, 2025 2:01 AM
After a nearly five-decade career as one of his generation’s defining rock bassists, Flea has returned to his first…
Dec 11, 2025 11:00 AM
DownBeat presents a complete list of the 4-, 4½- and 5-star albums from 2025 in one convenient package. It’s a great…
“It’s a pleasure and an honor to interpret the music of Oscar Peterson in his native city,” said Jim Doxas in regard to celebrating the Canadian legend. “He traveled the world, but never forgot Montreal.”
Nov 18, 2025 12:16 PM
In the pantheon of jazz luminaries, few shine as brightly, or swing as hard, as Oscar Peterson. A century ago, a…