Smooth Ricky

Chicago Jazz Festival!

This weekend, the 29th Annual Chicago Jazz festival is being held downtown. If you really are a jazz aficionado, then this is the "it" event for you!

THURSDAY: The festival started up at 7:30 with An Evening with Herbie Hancock. For those of you not too familiar with Herbie Hancock, he's the keyboard player from the 1970s who made a name for himself with hits like Chameleon. I'm still humming that addictive bass line as I'm writing this. "Ba-bum-bum-bum, da-dum, ba-bum-bum-bum, da-dum..." I remember the first time I listened to that song. When I was a little kid (no more than five or six), my father played a Herbie Hancock record, and I got so lost into the songs I just danced. What better way to start a festival than with a local native! I enjoyed that show, and I look forward to hearing more from this talented man!

FRIDAY: Three stages (Jazz on Jackson, Jazz & Heritage Stage and Petrillo) opened up for the festival, meaning a variety of acts were on tap for the day. First I decided to check out the Chicago High School Jazz Band Competition at 12:30 on the Heritage Stage, then I went over to Jackson Park to see Tammy McCann at 2:20. Later, at 3:30 I returned to Heritage Stage to see Charlie Haden perform with the Jazz Institute of Chicago Jazz Links students. I wrapped up the day with the final shows at Petrillo: Robert Irving III performed the works of Thelonius Monk at 5:00; the Michele Rosewoman Septet went next at 6:00; the Latin All-Stars paid tribute to Hilton Ruiz at 7:10; and the 8:30 show followed with Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood. I had another well-spent day at the festival, and it was very nice to see some young minds being educated on jazz.

There are still two days left in the festival, and I'm planning to spend most of my weekend at all three stages. I will write about the last two days in my next blog entry. Right now, I must prepare a personal schedule to see what shows might interest me. I know there'll be a big band, a performance by the Chicago Horns (I wonder if they're the actual horn section of the group Chicago?), and something called Percussion Discussion. Hopefully, I'll come up with a definite plan in an hour or so. Well, I must close for now. See you at the festival!

2007-09-01 11:44:00 GMT

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		Chicago Jazz Festival! This weekend, the 29th Annual Chicago Jazz festival is being held downtown. If you really are a jazz aficionado, then this is the "it" event for you! THURSDAY: The festival started up at 7:30 with An Evening with Herbie Hancock. For those of you not too familiar with Herbie Hancock, he's the keyboard player from the 1970s who made a name for himself with hits like Chameleon. I'm still humming that addictive bass line as I'm writing this. "Ba-bum-bum-bum, da-dum, ba-bum-bum-bum, da-dum..." I remember the first time I listened to that song. When I was a little kid (no more than five or six), my father played a Herbie Hancock record, and I got so lost into the songs I just danced. What better way to start a festival than with a local native! I enjoyed that show, and I look forward to hearing more from this talented man! FRIDAY: Three stages (Jazz on Jackson, Jazz & Heritage Stage and Petrillo) opened up for the festival, meaning a variety of acts were on tap for the day. First I decided to check out the Chicago High School Jazz Band Competition at 12:30 on the Heritage Stage, then I went over to Jackson Park to see Tammy McCann at 2:20. Later, at 3:30 I returned to Heritage Stage to see Charlie Haden perform with the Jazz Institute of Chicago Jazz Links students. I wrapped up the day with the final shows at Petrillo: Robert Irving III performed the works of Thelonius Monk at 5:00; the Michele Rosewoman Septet went next at 6:00; the Latin All-Stars paid tribute to Hilton Ruiz at 7:10; and the 8:30 show followed with Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood. I had another well-spent day at the festival, and it was very nice to see some young minds being educated on jazz. There are still two days left in the festival, and I'm planning to spend most of my weekend at all three stages. I will write about the last two days in my next blog entry. Right now, I must prepare a personal schedule to see what shows might interest me. I know there'll be a big band, a performance by the Chicago Horns (I wonder if they're the actual horn section of the group Chicago?), and something called Percussion Discussion. Hopefully, I'll come up with a definite plan in an hour or so. Well, I must close for now. See you at the festival! 2007-09-01 11:44:00 GMT Site Home