2016 Chicago Jazz Festival

The 2016 Chicago Jazz Festival runs from Thursday, September 1, through Sunday, September 4, and admission is free. Performances begin at the Chicago Cultural Center at 12 noon on Thursday and then move to Millennium Park Thursday evening for the remainder of the festival.

Jazz groups from Chicago-area schools will be performing on Saturday. Be sure to stop by the Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace and support these young musicians.

The festival will close on Sunday with a performance celebrating percussionist and 2008 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Jazz Master Candido Camero's 95th birthday. If you would like to learn more about Candido Camero, please review the NEA biography and 2008 interview and DRUM! magazine's 2011 article, available online.

For the complete festival lineup, please see the schedule below. Enjoy your 2016 Chicago Jazz Festival!




Thursday, September 1






Chicago Cultural Center, 78 East Washington Street, Chicago


Claudia Cassidy Theater


12 noon | Dan Trudell Trio
1:30 p.m. | Eric Schneider and Pat Mallinger Quintet
3 p.m. | Charlie Haden: Rambling Boy (Film and Q&A)


Preston Bradley Hall


12:30 p.m. | Mwata Bowden's One Foot In, One Foot Out
2 p.m. | Cameron Pfiffner's Adolphe'S AX
3:30 p.m. | Louder Than a Bomb Presents: Bomb Squad



Millennium Park, 201 East Randolph Street, Chicago


Jay Pritzker Pavilion


6:30 p.m. | Brown in Bronzeville Effect With Maggie Brown and Africa Brown
8 p.m. | Orbert Davis's "Soul Migration"







Friday, September 2






Millennium Park, 201 East Randolph Street, Chicago


Von Freeman Pavilion (South Promenade)


12 noon | James Sanders' Proyecto Libre
1:10 p.m. | Magic Carpet
2:20 p.m. | Greg Rockingham Quartet
3:30 p.m. | Brian Carpenter's Ghost Train Orchestra


Jazz and Heritage Pavilion (North Promenade)


12:30 p.m. | John McLean's Guitar Madness
2 p.m. | Edwin Daugherty Sextet: Chicago Legends: The Music of
Gene Ammons, Johnny Griffin, and Eddie Harris
3:30 p.m. | Pharez Whitted Quintet


Jay Pritzker Pavilion


5 p.m. | Brian O'Hern and the Model Citizens Big Band
6 p.m. | Tarbaby With Special Guest Oliver Lake
7:10 p.m. | Benny Golson Quartet
8:30 p.m. | Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra,
Conducted by Carla Bley: For Charlie







Saturday, September 3






Millennium Park, 201 East Randolph Street, Chicago


The Chicago Community Trust Jazz on the Rooftop
(Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace)


11:30 a.m. | Lenart Elementary Regional Gifted Center Jazz Combo and
Harold Washington Elementary School Jazz Combo
12:15 p.m. | Jones College Prep Jazz Combo
1 p.m. | Whitney M. Young Magnet High School Jazz Combo
2 p.m. | Curie Metropolitan High School Jazz Ensemble
2:55 p.m. | Pritzker College Prep Jazz Ensemble
3:50 p.m. | Kenwood Academy High School Jazz Ensemble


Von Freeman Pavilion (South Promenade)


12 noon | Steve Schneck Quartet
1:10 p.m. | Alyssa Allgood Quintet
2:20 p.m. | Chris Greene Quartet
3:30 p.m. | Victor Garcia Organ Septet


Jazz and Heritage Pavilion (North Promenade)


12:30 p.m. | Luke Malewicz Heritage Quartet
2 p.m. | Nate Lepine Quartet
3:30 p.m. | JD Allen Trio


Jay Pritzker Pavilion


5 p.m. | Tatsu Aoki's Miyumi Project Featuring
Tsukasa Taiko, Jon Jang, and Francis Wong
6 p.m. | Eric Alexander and Harold Mabern Quartet
7:10 p.m. | Anat Cohen Quartet
8:30 p.m. | The Bad Plus Performs Ornette Coleman's Science Fiction
With Tim Berne, Ron Miles, and Sam Newsome







Sunday, September 4






Millennium Park, 201 East Randolph Street, Chicago


The Chicago Community Trust Jazz on the Rooftop
(Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace)


11:30 a.m. | Alexis Lombre Quartet
12:50 p.m. | Joel Ross's Good Vibes
2:10 p.m. | Hanging Hearts
3:30 p.m. | Foster Meets Brooks Big Band


Von Freeman Pavilion (South Promenade)


12 noon | Kendall Moore Octet
1:10 p.m. | Charles Rumback Sextet
2:20 p.m. | George Fludas Quartet
3:30 p.m. | Barry Altschul's 3Dom Factor


Jazz and Heritage Pavilion (North Promenade)


12:30 p.m. | Erwin Helfer Solo Piano
2 p.m. | Norman Simmons Trio
3:30 p.m. | Doreen's Jazz New Orleans


Jay Pritzker Pavilion


5 p.m. | Michael Zerang & The Blue Lights
6 p.m. | Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
7:10 p.m. | John Scofield and Joe Lovano Quartet
8:30 p.m. | Candido Camero's 95th Birthday Celebration
Featuring M.F. Production's Latin Jazz All Stars: Candido Camero, Steve Turre,
Nestor Torres, Sammy Figueroa, Frankie Figueroa, Elio Villafranca,
Yunior Terry, Diego Lopez, Jorge Castro, and Guido Gonzalez