Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Trumpeter, Educator Jim Rotondi Dies at 61
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
As part of the Chicago Jazz Festival, Grammy-winning singer Cécile McLorin Salvant will perform at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park on Aug. 31 at 7:45 p.m.
(Photo: Mark Fitton)A parade of stars will perform at this year’s Chicago Jazz Festival (scheduled for Aug. 23–Sept. 1), including singer Cécile McLorin Salvant, bassist Christian McBride, pianist Eddie Palmieri, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, drummer Antonio Sánchez, alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón and the Art Ensemble of Chicago, featuring multi-instrumentalist Roscoe Mitchell.
The free festival will present performances at Millennium Park, the Chicago Cultural Center and at other venues throughout the city.
Other artists scheduled for the 41st annual edition of the festival include saxophonists Melissa Aldana, Ben Wendel and Dave Rempis, vibraphonist Joel Ross, guitarist Camila Meza and pianists David Virelles and Ryan Cohan.
Freddy Cole will give a special tribute performance on Aug. 29 to celebrate the centennial of his older brother, Nat “King” Cole (1919–’65).
On Aug. 30, two Chicago veterans will share the stage: jazz guitarist George Freeman and blues singer and harmonica player Billy Branch.
The Latino–America Unida concert on Sept. 1 will feature an all-star band with Aldana, Sánchez, Virelles and Zenón.
The festival is produced by the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and it is programmed by the Jazz Institute of Chicago, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019. Among the goals of the Jazz Institute of Chicago are to deliver educational programs, support musicians, build audiences and foster a thriving jazz scene in Chicago through public programs.
On Aug. 29 at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, musicians will perform The City Was Yellow as a tribute to the Jazz Institute of Chicago. Among the performers will be drummer Mike Reed, cornetist Rob Mazurek, flutist Nicole Mitchell and guitarist Jeff Parker.
Additional lineup information will be announced in the coming weeks. For a detailed schedule of headline performances and other info, visit the festival’s website.
For info on the Jazz Institute of Chicago, visit its website. DB
Jim Rotondi was acclaimed for his wide, round trumpet tone, remarkable virtuosity and assured swing.
Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Charles Lloyd, seen here at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, makes DownBeat Poll history!
Jul 11, 2024 12:23 PM
The incomparable Charles Lloyd swept the 72nd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll, becoming the first artist ever to earn…
“Being president of Blue Note has been one of the coolest things that ever happened to me,” Was said. “It’s a gas to serve as one of the caretakers of that legacy.”
Jun 4, 2024 12:21 PM
Sitting with Don Was is a comfortable and unhurried exercise. He may seem slightly reserved at first, but ideas and…
“She reminds me of my childhood and makes we want to cry,” Cécile McLorin Salvant, pictured here with writer Ashley Kahn, said of Dianne Reeves.
Jun 11, 2024 12:31 PM
Italy’s Umbria Jazz Winter is one of those rare annual festivals that not only coincides with a major holiday —…
Maria Schneider said of Decades, her new compilation release: “I just wanted to create something, put it in a beautiful box and say, ‘Look at what we did.‘”
Jun 18, 2024 12:00 PM
Maria Schneider opened the sleek black box and placed it on a coffee table in her Manhattan apartment. Inside lay the…
