Jun 10, 2025 4:13 PM
Theo Croker’s Dream … Manifested!
Partway through his early set at Smoke Jazz Club, Theo Croker blinks the room back into focus. He leans over the piano.…
Dates for Chicago’s fourth annual summer jazz series at Millennium Park have been released. The series is sponsored by the Department of Cultural Affairs and will be held at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in the downtown park each Thursday from
July 24 to Aug. 21, with the final show on Monday, Aug. 25. Admission for
the shows is free.
The series will feature:
July 24: 50 years of Bossa Nova, featuring Paulinho Garcia’s Orquestra Brazzilli
July 31: Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble, featuring Steve Turre, Brian Lynch, and others
Aug. 7: Amir El Saffar’s Two Rivers Large Ensemble, featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa, Jeb Bishop, Dave Rempis, and others
Aug. 14: Kelan Phil Cohran and The Legacy of Sun Ra
Aug. 21: Celebrating Nat King Cole, featuring Freddy Cole
Aug. 25: Mike Reed’s People Places and Things Octet, featuring Ira Sullivan, Julian Priester and others
More info: millenniumpark.org
To record Dream Manifest (Dom Recs), Croker convened artists from his current and recent past ensembles, plus special guests.
Jun 10, 2025 4:13 PM
Partway through his early set at Smoke Jazz Club, Theo Croker blinks the room back into focus. He leans over the piano.…
“There’s nothing quite like it,” Springs says of working with an orchestra. “It’s 60 people working in harmony in the moment. Singing with them is kind of empowering but also humbling at the same time.”
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When it came time to pose for the cover of her new album, Lady In Satin — a tribute to Billie Holiday’s 1958…
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Chuck Mangione on the cover of the May 8, 1975, edition of DownBeat.
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