Berghoff Oktoberfest concludes today. more ›

The last time tabla player Zakir Hussain came to town, in March, we could barely keep our pants on while previewing his Masters of Percussion show at Symphony Center. That concert exceeded even our lofty expectations, and we'd already removed our belt before finding out that his June show with Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer was canceled, apparently due to low ticket sales. Our disappointment was slightly tempered by the enormity of the accompanying acts - playing adjacent to Chick Corea, Christian McBride, Kenny Garrett, and Roy Haynes, as well as the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, we were worried the trio would get short shrift. The venue was also a concern: the ideal setting would be as small a room as possible, not at a large outdoor amphitheater. more ›

The Chicago World Music Festival keeps rolling this week, with tons of concerts going on throughout the city through Thursday. If you didn't make it to any performances this past weekend, you're in luck. Not only are there still lots of good acts, apparently most of the venues got tired of taking money. Look at all the free concerts! more ›

In the last decade, the Chicago World Music Festival has gone from an nascent underfunded gathering of a few groups from around the world, to a huge, weeklong celebration of global sound featuring dozens of venues and group after group of performers and musicians...and though it's still underfunded, the city and sponsors have come together once again to put on a tour de force of world music. more ›