Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
Flea Finds His Jazz Thing
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
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
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
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