Music & Comedy
The 27th Anniversary Englewood Jazz Festival September 18, 2026
The 27th Anniversary Englewood Jazz Festival
free events to be held September 17-19, 2026
at Hamilton Park, Chicago
CELEBRATING YOUNG MUSICIANS OF THE NEXT GENERATION,
AS WELL AS CENTENNIAL TRIBUTES TO OSCAR BROWN JR., JOHN COLTRANE AND MILES DAVIS
Featuring a repeat performance of Fannie Lou Hamer: No One Could Contain Her commissioned by Live the Spirit Residency earlier in 2026 during the UNESCO International Jazz Day celebrations.
Festival showcases performances by Julius Tucker, Live the Spirit Residency Expanded Ensemble, with Dee Alexander, Jeremiah Hunt, Kevin King, the Young Masters, Ernest Dawkins New Horizons Ensemble Redux, Maggie Brown, Kevin King, Bobby Broom, Dakarai Barclay, Marquis Hill and more
Chicago, IL – July 2026 — The 27th Annual Englewood Jazz Festival, presented by Live the Spirit Residency, returns to Chicago’s historic Hamilton Park, 513 W. 72nd Street on September 17–19, 2026. This year’s festival celebrates the next generation of creative musicians while honoring the centennial legacies of Oscar Brown Jr., John Coltrane, and Miles Davis. All music performed will be original compositions by the featured artists.
Founded in 1999 by acclaimed saxophonist and composer Ernest Dawkins, the Englewood Jazz Festival has become one of Chicago’s premier cultural events, serving as a vital platform for creative expression, artistic excellence, community engagement, and cultural unity. Through free performances, educational activities, and intergenerational collaborations, the festival continues to showcase the rich tradition of (Jazz), Great Black Music while inspiring new generations of artists and audiences across Chicago.
“The Englewood Jazz Festival has always been about bringing people together through original music, honoring the masters who came before us while creating space for the next generation to find its own voice. As we celebrate 27 years, we’re excited to welcome our community for a weekend that reflects the creativity, resilience, and collective spirit that make Chicago one of the great jazz cities in the world.” – Ernest Dawkins, Festival Founder
The weekend will feature performances by both jazz legends and next-generation artists. Events take place indoors on Sep 17 and 18 and outdoors on September 19 rain or shine, moving indoors in case of inclement weather. Some seating is provided, but attendees are advised to bring their own chairs, blankets, picnics, and an appetite for the kind of music that uplifts and transforms the human spirit! Further information is available at englewoodjazzfestival.org or by calling (773) 789-4227.
This year’s festival begins on Thursday with sets by Julius Tucker and Live the Spirit Residency Expanded Ensemble.
Friday night features performances by Jeremiah Hunt and Kevin King.
Moving outside on Saturday, the Festival will celebrate its Young Masters; together with
sets by Ernest Dawkins’ New Horizons Redux, Maggie and Africa Brown, Dakarai Barclay, and New Continuum Ensemblefeaturing Braxton Cook.
Additionally, as part of this event, to honor those whose work has helped shape and strengthen the foundation of jazz in Chicago, the annual Spirit of Jazz Awards will be presented to recipients to be announced.
Complete schedule:
- Thursday, September 17 (indoors – Hamilton Park Fieldhouse)
5:30 pm: Julius Tucker Trio
6:30 pm: Live the Spirit Residency Expanded Ensemble, featuring Dee Alexander: Composer Ernest Dawkins debuted his major jazz work Fannie Lou Hamer: No One Could Contain Her during the UNESCO International Jazz Day celebrations. The piece fuses spirituals, jazz improvisation, and spoken word to recount her historic civil rights journey.
- Friday, September 18 (indoors – Hamilton Park Fieldhouse)
5:30 pm: Jeremiah Hunt Quartet
6:30 pm: Kevin King Quartet featuring Bobby Broom, John Tate and Frank Morrison
- Saturday, September 19 (outdoors Hamilton Park)
- 12:00 to 1:00 The Young Masters under the direction of Ernest Dawkins
- 1:10 to 2:10 Ernest Dawkins New Horizons Ensemble Redux
- 2:20 to 3:20 The two Brown Sisters – Maggie and Africa Brown tribute to their father Oscar Brown Jr.
- 3:20 to 3:30 Spirit of Jazz Awards
- 3:35 to 4:45 Dakarai Barclay Quartet – all original compositions celebrating the lives of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins.
- 5:00 to 6:00 New Continuum Ensembleled by Marquis Hill featuring Braxton Cook
Live The Spirit Residency is a not-for-profit organization that produces the Englewood Jazz Festival. Ernest Dawkins is the Executive Director of the organization and the Festival.
This 27 year old organization has the full support of the Englewood community including State Senator Mattie Hunter, State Representative Sonya Harper, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and the City Arts program of the Department of Cultural Affairs. Our Englewood Jazz Festival is generally generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, SEIU, and Grow Greater Englewood.
