Results tagged “jazz”

• Another teen was charged today in a string of armed robberies at South Side Metra stations.
• Investigators are taking another go-around at tips and evidence from the Lane Bryant shootings hoping to get a break in the case.
• WBEZ has an excellent story on Hands of Peace, a program in Glenview that brings together Israeli and Palestinian teens with local teens.

Success has come in a torrent for Rudresh Mahanthappa since he released "Kinsmen" almost a year ago. The album was declared one of the best of 2008 by folks from the New York Times, NPR, the Washington Post, Rolling Stone, the Village Voice, the Boston Globe...well, you get the idea.

Sure, you can watch Quentin Tarantino walk the red carpet at River East, but there are two other upcoming events that even cooler.

Almost sounds like the name of a law firm representing Blago, but no. The Chicago Film Archives is drawing from its impressive collection for a pair of upcoming screenings. The films involved are all rare and extremely worthwhile.

We're not objective when it comes to jazz: we believe Blue Note is still the best jazz label, and this year it's celebrating its 70th anniversary. Since 1939 they've pretty much recorded every major jazz figure (with notable exceptions, like Ken Vandermark). Not bad for a company founded by a pair of Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany. First recording in a series of rented studios, they later used engineer Rudy Van Gelder's genius to create the "Blue Note sound."

The all-star septet SFJAZZ Collective will play a show a week from today at Northwestern University for a mere $16.

In a back-and-forth thriller, the Chicago Bulls stunned the Jazz and the home Utah crowd as a Larry Hughes buzzer-beater gave the Bulls a much-needed 101-100 win Monday night. Derrick Rose continued his outstanding rookie campaign by scoring 25 and dishing nine assists. Drew Gooden added 18 and Hughes had 16, including his game-winner as time expired. The Bulls moved to 2-3 on their seven-game Circus Trip with a date in San Antonio on Wednesday before a few days off for the holiday. The Bulls remain in third place in their division.

Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St., 11/6, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m., Free

Last week we offered belated birthday greetings to Bob Newhart. Which meant that we missed out on looking back at the late Mel Tormé on his birthday.

Joe Segal's legendary Jazz Showcase has led a somewhat nomadic existence since he opened it in 1947, setting up shop in perhaps sixty different locations. The latest incarnation opened earlier this year in Printer's Row and this past weekend we used a gig by the legendary Benny Golson as an excuse to check out the new digs. Our conclusion: wow!

To make more room in their womb/space, Sonnenzimmer Art and Print Studio is holding a one-day "blowout" sale of older posters and misprints on Sunday, September 7. Prints are just $5 each. FIVE BUCKS!

Get lost in jazz master Sonny Rollins' sweet saxophonic stylings tonight at Millennium Park.

The world of jazz lost a titan today with the passing of Chicago-born saxophonist Johnny Griffin. A fireplug of a man, Mr. Griffin earned the nickname "The Little Giant" for his speed and control at bebop improvising. He a product of Captain Walter Dyett's legendary music program at DuSable High School, which also produced his contemporaries Von Freeman, Gene Ammons, Nat King Cole and Dinah Washington. With the rise of free jazz, Mr. Griffin moved to Holland in 1963, returning to Chicago periodically to play places like Green Mill and Jazz Showcase.

There is arguably no genre of music littered with more forgotten figures than jazz. When it comes to pop and rock, every neglected album is just a Pitchfork blurb away from reappraisal and appreciation. But in the world of jazz, for every undervalued legend like Jimmy Scott whose work is rediscovered, there are dozens still consigned to near invisibility. Such a singer is Jackie Paris. He toured with Charlie Parker, performed with Lionel Hampton and Charlie Mingus, and even opened for Lenny Bruce. But an erratic recording career and the proverbial string of bad personal choices have ensured his status as a little-known cult figure. 'Tis Autumn: The Search for Jackie Paris, a new documentary playing in a week-long run at the Siskel, traces the life of the troubled song stylist. Interviewees include Billy Taylor, George Wein, Mark Murphy, and Ruth Price. Incidentally, thanks to the magic of iTunes, several of his albums are now back in print. A casual listen brings to mind Johnny Mathis with a smidge of Jon Hendricks' tone.

Had he moved to New York to seek his fame and fortune, Oscar Brown, Jr. would have been a superstar. Instead, the wildly talented singer, songwriter, poet, playwright, and activist stayed in Bronzeville, married, raised a family, and charted his own course. Anyone who had the honor of speaking with the man, however brief, left with a renewed sense of hope.

Music: The Jazz Institute of Chicago is sponsoring a jazz guitar summit at Austin Town Hall this evening. Featured performers will be John Moulder, Buddy Fambro, Jeff Parker, and Curtis Robinson.

Tatsu Aoki might be best known for his steady bass playing alongside Fred Anderson and Yoko Noge's Jazz Me Blues. He's also an educator (he teaches film at the Art Institute), founder and artistic director of the Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival, record label head and producer, and a tireless musician exploring the limits of his instrument and himself. Aoki's endeavors earned him designation as a "Chicagoan of the Year" by the Tribune in 2001.

Of all the city-sponsored music festivals, few utilize as much of the city limits like the World Music Festival (check out the festival's Myspace page, also). In its nine years, World Music Fest has become a showcase event, even though it lacks the resources the city pours into Blues Fest, Jazz Fest, and Viva! Chicago. Its drawn visitors to the city from around the world, done a remarkable job in shining a much-needed spotlight on...

Take caution, Chicago. Summer is nearly over. We’re not entirely sure what happened to June, July or August, but with Labor Day just a few days away, we’re suddenly feeling a lot of pressure to cram a slew of summer activities into the holiday weekend. We’re planning a few days filled with an evening at the Jazz Fest, a party or two, and perhaps an impromptu trip to the lake. Although we’re a bit...

Jazz legend Herbie Hancock has been stretching the boundaries of modern music composition for the past 50+ years, but he’s not content to rest on his past accomplishments. He’s currently touring to support River: The Joni Letters, a collection of vocal and instrumental arrangements either composed or influential on the venerable Joni Mitchell. Guest vocalists on the album include most of the right-now voices in modern jazz-pop, like Corinne Bailey Rae, Leonard Cohen, Norah Jones, Luciana Souza, Tina Turner, and Mitchell herself. It’s an interesting project to tackle for the nearly 70-year-old Chicago native, who made his mark with jazzbos and casual consumers of free form music alike as a member of Miles Davis’ “second great quintet” in the 1960’s, but Hancock has never shied away from pushing the envelop of composed music.

Here’s what you missed while you were gawking at fallen trees and the troubled lives of Michael Vick and Owen Wilson: The first signs that fall’s on the way: cooler temps, fading leaves and university gallery art openings. Two shows open today at Columbia College’s Glass Curtain Gallery and C33, and a new exhibit of Carol Jackson’s ‘signatureless’ work opens at UIC’s Gallery 400 tomorrow. When Thursday’s storms cut power to Belmont Avenue businesses, Bailiwick...

Here are some other newsworthy items on the day the earth stole Heaven. A Southern Baptist Church in Romeoville had problems with their divorced pastor remarrying, but turned the other cheek when they allowed another preacher/convicted sex offender to become more involved in church business. Both resigned last week. A local plastic surgeon was reprimanded by North Carolina authorities for unprofessional conduct when a woman seeking laser hair removal died undergoing treatment at a...

Would Hollywood make a movie about a swingin' 70's housewife, complete with musical numbers? Or a documentary about New York City's Union Square in the days immediately following 9/11? Would Hollywood make a movie about Thax?

1. Porn stars playing Twister. And for a charitable donation, you can join in as well. 2. Gay cheerleaders of the Chicago Spirit Brigade soaring through the air. When you have a significant male presence on the squad, things people really get flying. 3. Shirtless muscle men. And an occasional shirtless woman. 4. Models wearing cutting-edge fashions, strutting their stuff. In an over-exagerated dance move, the rear seam in one model’s pants bursts open. 5....

Here’s what you missed while you were thinking about giant ketchup packets: August is supposed to be a slow month? The dance community didn't get that memo. Aside from the Jazz Dance World Festival, next month sees Dance for Life, a gala for AIDS-related charities; Mark Morris Dance Group presented by Ravinia at the Harris Theater; Chicago Dancing Festival at Millennium Park; and the conclusion of the Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s Summer Festival. The Berwyn...

Here’s what you missed while you were reading Harry Potter… and while Harry Potter got stinking rich: Grab your composition paper and get to work. The Chicago Chamber Musicians are searching for the next great chamber piece by a brilliant composer age 32 or younger. They’ll perform the winning entry at a CCM concert next June. Entries are due December 1, so check out the rules, then find your muse. Thirty years ago, the Sears...

File this under news that makes Chicagoist sad, the HotHouse at 31 E. Balbo will be no more. According to their press release, this is not good-bye, but a mere hiatus while they look for a permanent location. Yeah, we’ve heard that kind of thing before, but it usually involves a man, not our favorite world music club.

All across the Ist-A-Verse (or at least the American parts thereof), writers and editors are in the midst of enjoying their three-day weekend. But after the week we've all had, we feel like the break is not only needed, but deserved. Just look at everything we've been doing! Gothamist headed into the Memorial Day weekend with a number of tasks accomplished. They worried about Long Islanders giving New Yorkers a bad name. They tried...