CHICAGO JAZZ FESTIVAL
A Labor Day tradition, the free lakefront event brings together local, national & international performers August 29–September 1.
Summer in Chicago goes out with a bang — and some bebop, funk and skat as well — at the Labor Day weekend spectacular, the Chicago Jazz Festival.
The oldest of Chicago's free lakefront music festivals, the festival marks its 35th year in 2013, and will boasts incredibly diverse live sets across its carefully-curated four days August 29 to September 1.
A free admission, all-ages and multi-venue music event, the 2013 Chicago Jazz Festival moves to a new location this year, with downtown's beautiful Millennium Park hosting headliners on the Jay Pritzker Pavilion stage.
And on top of that, as if three additional outdoor stages in the park weren't enough, the amount of free jazz music being played gets even bigger with performances also inside the Chicago Cultural Center and extended festival hours over the weekend.
2013 CHICAGO JAZZ FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
Don't miss the opener on Thursday at Jay Pritzker Pavilion, which will once again coincide with the final evening of the six-week summer concert series, Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz.
Then on Friday, stages will come alive with entertainment throughout Millennium Park (the Pritzker Pavilion, Harris Theater rooftop, plus Chase Promenade North and South) as the festival begins that day at 2 p.m. and continues until 10 p.m.
The lineup of local, national and international performances continues Saturday and Sunday with hours from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Check back for the full schedule of acts, to be released soon.ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
As is the tradition of the festival, the 2013 Artist in Residence is Chicago drummer/percussionist Hamed Drake. Drake moved to the Chicago area with his parents in the early sixties, living on the same street as Fred Anderson who would mentor the pre-teen drummer. By the early seventies, Drake joined Anderson's band, playing with him on stage at the inaugural Chicago Jazz Festival in 1979.
As the worldwide demand for his talents regularly takes Drake away from Chicago, his Artist Residency is the perfect opportunity to hear him perform in his hometown. This appearance at the Chicago Jazz Festival — 34 years after he first played this event — encompasses the festival's entire history.
PLAN YOUR VISIT
From beneath the dazzling Tiffany dome of the Chicago Cultural Center, to the spectacular sounds and sight lines in Millennium Park, jazz fans will be filling the seats both inside and out.
For continued updates on the Chicago Jazz Festival lineup and for helpful tips to help plan your visit — including a list of frequently asked questions, details regarding the Art Fair and a history of the festival — visit chicagojazzfestival.us.
