Original Post: chicagotribune.com

Chuchito Valdes

On the South Side, Cuban pianist Chuchito Valdes, son of the magnificent Chucho Valdes and grandson of the revered Bebo Valdes, will launch the new Jazz Series at the University of Chicago’s Mandel Hall. And though jazz is nothing new for this room, which has presented the music for decades, a formalized jazz season seems as welcome as it is overdue.

The prospect of hearing the two-fisted Valdes at Mandel Hall is enticing, since he’s a larger-than-life figure who tends to dwarf most any performance space. The comparative intimacy of Mandel Hall should render his work all the more imposing.

Yet previous performances suggest that Valdes sometimes crosses a line separating power from bombast, creativity from grandiosity. At his best, he evokes the brilliance of Chucho Valdes without quite matching his father’s demonic virtuosity and encyclopedic repertoire (few pianists do). In other instances, Valdes can rely on glib keyboard cliches. He’ll be leading his quartet. Here’s hoping the venerable setting will inspire his better instincts.

University of Chicago’s Mandel Hall
1131 E. 57th St.
(773) 702-8068

Willie Pickens

On the North Side, at the Green Mill Jazz Club in Uptown, Chicago pianist Willie Pickens will celebrate the forthcoming release of “Live at the Green Mill, Vol. 1: Willie Pickens Quintet” (Green Mill Recordings). If all had gone according to plan, the CD on the club’s new label would have been ready to go. But in jazz, as in life, things unfold unpredictably, with Green Mill owner Dave Jemilo hoping the disc will be available for the Christmas shopping season.

Green Mill Jazz Club
4802 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL
(773) 878-5552
www.greenmilljazz.com

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What better way to begin the celebration of 30 years of jazz than with two-time GRAMMY Award winner and 2004 GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Sonny Rollins. Rollins officially opens The Chicago Jazz Festival on August 28 at 6:30 p.m. at a new location, the world-renowned Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. Rollins is one of the last of the originals-a running mate of Miles Davis, Clifford Jordan and Max Roach, he was among the inventors of the language of Bebop. Rollins emerged from shedding time in Chicago in the 50s with a signature sound that has astounded audiences and inspired countless musicians for over 50 years.

The Chicago Jazz Festival then moves to Grant Park, August 29-31, for three stages of free music, activities and more from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily. This year’s Artist-in-Residence is Chicago-based composer, arranger, musician and educator, Edward Wilkerson, Jr. As a composer, Wilkerson has been highly inspired by the music of Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus, as a reed player his sound takes flight from Coleman Hawkins. Like many Chicago reed players you can hear the whole history of jazz in his ideas. Known for founding the cutting edge 8 Bold Souls (with whom he performs on Sunday evening at the Petrillo Music Shell), Wilkerson kicks-off the music at 12 noon at the Jazz on Jackson Stage on Friday, August 29.

Closing out the event on Sunday, August 31 at the Petrillo Music Shell is saxophonist/composer Ornette Coleman. Known as the creator of what has been called “free jazz,” Coleman’s contribution to the jazz idiom has been the theory and practice of “harmolodics” -an approach that has been internationally recognized as a founding principle of creative improvised music. Over the course of five decades he has been recognized with awards including the MacArthur “Genius” Award, an induction into the American Academy of Arts and Letter. the NEA Jazz Masters and more. And after fifty years of being in the vanguard the rest of the world finally caught up to him as indicated by his receiving of both a Grammy award for his acclaimed album Sound Grammar, and the 2007 Pulitzer Award.

In celebration of the 30th Annual event, Gerald Wilson, T.S. Galloway, Vijay Iyer and Dave Douglas have each been commissioned by the Chicago Jazz Festival to create a piece in honor of the milestone anniversary. In addition to this year’s incredible line-up of Chicago’s and the world’s greatest jazz musicians, the Chicago Jazz Festival features an art fair located in the rose garden between Jackson Blvd. and Buckingham Fountain, Chicago’s world famous restaurants will offer delights and beer and soda vendors will have thirst quenchers onsite. As always, the entire family can enjoy jazz at all of the stages and a new kid’s activity area will be making its debut this year.

Other highlights include Gerald Wilson Orchestra, Dee Dee Bridgewater and more!

The four day festival is the centerpiece of seven days of jazz activities beginning with Monday’s Made in Chicago closing concert in Millennium Park, Tuesday’s Jazz Institute 40th Birthday gala concert and Wednesday’s Jazz Club Tour.

The Chicago Jazz Festival is produced by the Mayor’s Office of Special Events and programmed with the Jazz Institute of Chicago. Current sponsors include the Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Tribune, CLTV-Chicagoland’s Television, Comcast, Communications Direct, DownBeat Magazine, Hinckley Springs, Jazz Times Magazine, National City, Pepsi Cola, TAVA and WGN-Television.

The full schedule can be found at:
[www.jazzpolice.com]

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