Fabulous and free jazz festival over Labor Day weekend in Chicago. Although it is not as big as other jazz festivals that I've been to like the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, French Quarter Festival (my personal favorite), or Montreal Jazz Festival, the Chicago Jazz Festival was perfect for a couple of hours to relax and enjoy some jazz. We walked to Millenium Park and then had a short wait to go through a limited security screen. Took a few photos of Jaume Plensa's Crown Fountain and Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate (aka The Bean) before heading to the pavilions to enjoy some cool jazz. Loved the Sharel Cassity Alliance. So nice to see an all female jazz group. The Charlie Johnson Quartet was also quite good. Plenty of seating was available, but you could bring lawn chairs or even snacks into the park. Will have to come back again when we can spend more time enjoying some cool jazz on a hot summer day. Great way to end the summer in Chicago. read more

See all

Jazz fest 2025 was fun. The fist band Ben Waltzer Quartet was amazing. But it went downhill from there. Abigail Richard's has a terrific voice but she had poor song selection and I think the sound was off a bit for her. The Beatles song was not good though people seemed to enjoy it. The Madison Electronique was not for me. And I don't think jazz fest liked the political commentary. We only saw one band on the main stage. They seemed mediocre. Overall a fun day for a few hours. We went to a great local jazz bar that night and the band was awesome. read more

What a beautiful was to end the summer! The Chicago Jazz festival is a a must. So many great artist performing. Everyone is so talented. It's such a vibe. I like that fact that's you aren't sitting on top of each other and you have space to sit and enjoy the show. You can bring chairs to sit in or bring a blanket to sit on. You can also s bring food, snacks, and drinks. A great date night, night out with friends, or something for the family. Kids are welcome. Be sure to check it out. Best part is that it's free!!! read more

See all

An unexpected treat during the visit to Chicago. I can't believe the free jazz in the park. That is amazing and great artistry with done awesome jazz musicians. read more

Chicago Jazz Festival - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Chicago Jazz Fest is one of the rare FREE fests in the city. You get to chill out with friends or your partner or family and relax while listening to some free music. The fest goes from Thursday-Sunday usually in late August/early September. It's best to arrive early to get a seat on the lawn. Bring your blankets, chairs, coolers and food then you'll be set up for a good night at Millennium Park chilling out. Not gonna lie, when we went, the first hour wasn't very good. Everyone in the audience was looking around wondering if this was a joke. I get jazz is subjective but this was...just no. It was so odd. Second hour was better. Third hour was money. We got sleepy after that because we're old and rolled out! If you don't bring drinks or snacks, they do sell some but just know you'll be paying a premium price for subpar items. No need for that when you can tote all your own goodness. Bathrooms are the usual Millennium Park ones, so they vary in cleanliness, convenience and wait times. No smoking allowed! Don't be rude peoples! Sadly, no animals allowed either. Overall, we had an awesome time at Jazz Fest relaxing for a few Sunday hours. I'd totally do it all over again! read more

See all

Jazz Fest 2022 was HORRIBLE! Absolutely Awful. Virtually all of it was this extreme avant-garde crap. Nerve-grating noise that sounded like cats being strangled. All day long, Saturday and Sunday. I thoroughly understand and appreciate jazz is a variable art form with different interpretations, presentations and audiences, but this stuff was extreme and never ending. And this is ALL there was. Not just a little sampling. Apparently this it the stuff we are supposed to like, according to the jazz intelligentsia. For me, jazz is Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Jimmy Smith, Joey DeFrancesco and the like. What they still play at the Green Mill. But not at Jazz Fest 2022. The only good part was the kids. Saturday afternoon. Jazz bands and combos from Chicago high schools. I didn't get to hear them all (serious regrets about that), but the ones I did were really, really good. And at least they (and their teachers) knew how to play the musical jazz that We The People actually like and enjoy. There may be hope yet. read more

There are the big name acts and smaller acts. I even got to hear my high schools jazz band perform a few numbers. The jazz festival is once a year but it's really special because it's 1. Outside and 2. In a central accessible place in the city that jazz lovers can enjoy in addition to tourists that are just wondering by in the area. It's tremendous that it's free as well because if you saw a third of the acts you'd normally have to go to a bunch of different venues. read more

See all

I think my previous review was stoked by the flames of the artists that I loved seeing play jazz fest year after year. (See below). This year I went Saturday and Sunday and it seemed more of a ghost town than a Festival. Sure, I caught some great up and comers in the Greg Ward Quartet, and some of the old guard AACM artists in Hamid Drake and William Parker (bassist extraordinaire). Even septuagenarian Archie Shepp blew us away on Sunday! But headliners are really for the Jazz Elite, and I would rather have seen Ahmad Jamal play Jazz Fest instead of him being at a Festival the same day on the southside. There are very few food tents and barely anything to choose if you're a vegetarian. Food and beer prices are super inflated as well, and I'm sick of having to buy tickets in increments that leave me with leftovers. People are friendly as heck, and that's one plus to a small festival. I was able to shoot the shit with vendor and Comic artist Charlie Krebs and get a personalized Muddy Waters drawing signed! It's a laid back Festival over Labor Day weekend and I enjoy it every year. But maybe the exclusivity of jazz itself and the dying off of the old guard is preventing new audiences from taking up the listening torch. read more

As someone who could really care less about jazz, the Chicago Jazz Fest turns you into a lover. The music was so soothing and impeccably performed. The atmosphere was a complete 180 to the Taste of Chicago. It's classy and open, there is no riff-raff or horrible stench. The fest was well organized and a perfect way to sort of end the summer. You are able to bring anything you want or need - blankets, chairs, drinks, food, tables, coolers, the list can go on. It is a perfect outing for families, an intimate date, friends or even coworkers. Will definitely be back next year. read more

Chicago Jazz Festival - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Jazz is many different sounds to people. So many that it's hard to define. But I guess if I were to pull some descriptives, I would include expansive, innovative, inclusive, exciting, and a music for the common people. While jazz may be all of these things, unfortunately Jazz Fest is almost none of them. Jazz Fest is not expansive. I know Chicago is a Blues town but there is a very big jazz scene here too. Jazz Fest should be, in theory, the second or third biggest Grant Park festival. But besides having music on the Petrillo Stage, it felt incredibly small. There were huge areas of Grant Park used for other festivals and their stages completely unused. Jazz Fest is not innovative. Well, I shouldn't say that entirely. The participants on the stages are some of Chicago's (and the world's) most forward thinking jazz musicians. Where the lack of creativity comes in is with the vendors. There are some absolutely amazing pieces of art in the artists row included in the festival (including many abstract paintings of jazz musicians). But besides those, every stall seemed to be either for a jazz publication or a radio station that has a jazz program. Jazz Fest is not inclusive. The jazz scene in Chicago is a pretty tight knit group, I realize. But both years I've gone to the festival, everyone there seemed to know each other. It must be said that the freak flag flies high here with a hodge-podge of Chicago's lunatic fringe (this festival may have more crazy homeless people than any other per capita). Still, in general, the lineup chosen is for jazz aficionados and they are who shows up. Jazz Fest is not exciting. When I went last year, also with Kyle H., I turned to him and said, "we're the youngest people here by 20 years." Jazz might be a dying art form judging by the age of the crowd. While I have nothing against old people (I hope to be one someday), they don't exactly bring the noise (though sometimes they do bring the funk). I swear that Jazz Fest might be the most relaxing festival in Chicago with everyone just sitting around listening dead still to the music. But mostly, Jazz Fest is not a festival for the people. While it's great that like every other festival, it brings big names to Chicago, the food prices at this particular fest are mind blowing. Jazz Fest uses the typical 12 tickets for $8 Grant Park system. But the smattering of restaurants present charge 10 or 12 tickets for a portion (including a 6 ounce glass of wine). The food is what one would expect (or hope for) for this sort of music - Robinson's Ribs and Manny's, for example - but at 10 tickets for a sandwich, it's not exactly cheap food (even for Grant Park). I got the world's smallest portion of Mac and Cheese for six tickets (the cheapest main there) and it wasn't even any good. The music's great (what there is of it, all but the Petrillo Stage shut by 4:30) but what should be one of Chicago's greatest festivals is instead one of Chicago's biggest letdowns. It's sad because jazz needs a new generation of fans. read more

Chicago Jazz Festival - One of the limitedly open side stages. - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Chicago Jazz Fest is one of the best things in the city! The music is fantastic and there is a great variety of acts. There are no food vendors, but you can buy wine and beer at one of the tents. The whole thing is very well organized. Bring some portable chairs and food for a truly amazing day or night in the city!! My only update is now the Jazz Fest has food trucks. It just gets better! read more

I was a little disappointed with this year's jazz festival. The bands were very mediocre, there was a LONG waiting period between sets, (which, between the tents, all started and ended at the same time), and there wasn't much in the way of food and beverages. It was quite hot outside and the tents had ceiling fans, which was nice, but they didn't seem like they did much. I won't necessarily bookmark this festival on my calendar for future years, but if I find myself downtown and having nothing to do, I wouldn't be terribly opposed to coming back. read more

I am not a huge Jazz fan in general but I try to appreciate all types of music. My major exposure to Jazz has been to live music in famous venues: it seems like a type of music you really need to see rather than hear on the radio, since the energy and interaction of the performers is as much of the performance as any part of it. Thankfully they have moved this as of 2013 to Millennium Park which is a much better sound; however, I did rather like the way that the crowd seemed bigger with a much more spread out stage system in previous festivals. Also you can't really see the stage as well here and you have to watch the annoying blow up screen which sort of defeats the purpose of the live performance. Mixed quality of music but the variety is key and the people watching is fun. read more

Chicago Jazz Festival - Visual riffs - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We spent our Saturday evening enjoying free music with the most beautiful backdrop you can imagine. We had our towel and cooler filled with booze in tow. Our picnic was complete with Chick Fil A take out. If you don't like Chick Fil A, no worries, there are tons of fast eateries on Michigan Ave to choose from. The music was beautiful and the crowds aplenty. Toilets were clean and the lines were minimal. Don't come hungry because you'll be disappointed. read more

Chicago Jazz Festival - Beautiful night! - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A quick glance at the small number of reviews on Yelp, and a visit to the festival confirms for me the theory that not too many young people, in this hugely musically-gifted and endowed city, are carrying the torch for Jazz music. Not a scientific study, mind you; but an anecdotal observation. From the Brown Line ride downtown, I could just about identify all the jazz fest goers on my train. First, by age, and then by the outfits. Mid-century modern types like myself, but with long white hair, or a pony-tail, or the ever-present Boomer festive shirts. Just kind of made me chuckle as I thought we could probably do a Field guide to Boomers, and catalog all the different types, with just one visit to the Jazz fest. In spite of the low Trixie/Chad turnout, the fest remains a major annual music event in the city, and deserves recognition and mention for that. And just one more BCF or Big Chicago Freebie. I tend to go for specific artists, like Madeleine Peyroux (prior year) or Cassandra Wilson. My own taste for jazz is along those lines. Love the 30's-40's stuff, not much on the fusion jazz or that generic lounge bar jazz. The new one for me this year was the big band on the Jackson stage. A little more interpretation of some non-jazz standards than the expected swing, it was a good show. As others have pointed out, not a huge crowd here, but that's just fine with me. Love a little space with my jazz. And yea, after all these years, I do love the jazz fest. read more

It wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst either. I went 2 years ago & had a very good time. Lots of great music, fun people, and good food. This year was pretty much the same besides the good music, ouch! I'm not sure if I just wasn't at the right stage or what, but Saturday was not hopping. It was filled out grandpa jazz. That's right, I said it. I even had a few beers hoping to enjoy the music more, but it didn't help. I couldn't help but be reminded of those 3 hour long dinners that used to feel like FOREVER that my grandparents hosted when I was younger. It just made me tense & tired, ha. The food was pretty good & it was a beautiful day so I loved being outside, but wished I could have enjoyed some more upbeat, young people jazz. Is that even a real genre? I hope so! read more

I heard about this year's Jazz Fest very last minute (20 minutes before opening), and decided to check it out. I'm not a huge jazz listener, mainly because I wasn't very exposed to the genre, but after attending that night, I think I am a new fan! I already had tentative plans with a girlfriend, but asked her if she would be interested in going here instead-she was so down. We grabbed some Cosi to go, sat on the grass, and listened to some lovely music from lovely musicians. It was such a great impromptu picnic because the weather, crowd, and scenery were all perfect-not to mention the live background music for our dinner conversations! Best of all, it's free. I'm sad I couldn't spend too much time at the Fest this year, but I had a lot of fun for my first time! Highly recommend if you are in the mood for some fun tunes and a nice night out in the park :) read more

Since this free festival was moved from Grant Park to Millennium Park, I've noticed many changes, all for the better. 1. You can bring in your own booze with zero hassle from the boys in blue! They previously would not allow it, and if they searched you, you'd have to try to sneak it in another way. Those days are gone my friends. Millennium Park is BYOB friendly. 2. The Jay Pritzker Pavilion vs Petrillo Bandshell - well, I'll be nice here and not offend Mr. Petrillo. I'm leaving it at that. 3. Since it moved, it seemed to attract many more visitors. Always love to see anyone get into music, the more the merrier. 4. It's FREE. Yes, totally and completely free. No more stupid tickets for drinks or food either, should you need to visit one of their tents, they're there for you. (Don't do it! Run to one of the many liquor stores close to the park... Walgreens, Toni's, Pastoral.) 5. If you want a festival T-shirt, I did since it was the 35th anniversary, wait till the last day. Prices are slashed in half. 6. It's curated by the Jazz Institute of Chicago. You're getting the real deal baby. This isn't your Grandpappy's jazz (OK, some of it is). They really do a great job showcasing all the different types of jazz out there. I got to see legendary drummer Jack DeJohnette perform an insane free jazz set, Fareed Haque and Tony Monaco do an outstanding organ trio, and I got turned on to Robert Glasper Experiment, with his hip-hop jazz was easily my new favorite. Lupe Fiasco graced the stage with them for a tune also. The Jimmy Heath quartet was fun to watch. The man, 86 years old, seemed to forget he was an octogenarian! Atomic, from Norway, also nailed down a great set in the Von Freeman tent. So there you have it. Now don't forget to go next year. Bring friends, drinks, sunscreen, and a picnic. Your ears will thank me. read more

I was really excited to come to this fest last night. Being a Chicago gal, I've had the pleasure & pain of experiencing some of the best & worst Chicago Summer Festivals. I have to say that this fest sucked. There wasn't a lot of vendors for choosing some of Chicago's best Southern comfort soul food. Bummer. Only three choices! When I finally decided to have a snack, it cost me 6 tickets! For a tiny portion of canned peach cobbler. What a waste. 9 tickets for a single beer?? That is more than other Chicago Festivals. I ended up spending $17 for not a whole lot. Plus---where was the Jazz music? We hardly heard anything! I was sad, hot, and ready to go home. read more

Byob chilling with your loved ones under the beautiful Chicago skyline listening to music...

A good time. It's mostly an observational, concert style festival. PERFORMANCES: The performers were very talented and extremely diverse in terms of the selections they chose to perform. There were some Latin songs, Middle Eastern songs, African American/ Harlem Renaissance inspired music. Really a great mix of jazz-- not just the stuff you here on your local jazz radio station. FESTIVAL: I expected there to be more vendors, to cultivate more of the culture around jazz. To me, jazz isn't just a musical style, but a life style, and I think more vendors could have done a good job of promoting the diversity in expression of jazz. read more

The Chicago Jazz Festival was pretty good Saturday. I always wanted to go but either forgotten or just was too lazy. The weather was terrific and the crowds were small. When I arrived, recorded music was coming out of the Bandshell. Mayor Daley probably thought no one would know the difference. I ended up listening to a few high school bands. One was from Wheeling and the other escapes me. These guys were terrific. None of the slow Miles Davis kind of sets were played, thank God. He's supposed to be the greatest but those agonizingly slow and depressing tunes make me want to open my wrists. These kids must have been hatched somewhere because I have never known teenagers, including myself, to like jazz. Food vendors were really few in number, with a rip/barbecue place as well as some Asian restaurant your only option. Alcohol was available but obscenely priced! Eight damn dollars for a Heineken?! Alcohol was not permitted to be brought into the park. I observed a few pissed seniors ready for war, cooler stuffed with wine, appetizers and an evening's worth of munchies, turned away at the gate. More moderately priced beverages and food selections, mainly desert, was available in a field house nearby Buckingham fountain. Terrific brownies, pastries, coffee and the like were available. For the smart shopper, this was the place to eat. There were some predominantly African-American vendors selling various jewelry and clothes. It looked okay but definitely overpriced. It was a great day read more

I had a phenomenal time here the Saturday afternoon I went. I got to the pavilion and was able to catch a great duo hitting all the right notes, the Chicago Underground Duo. Trumpet and drum set, it was reminiscent of 1960's Miles Davis, but about the festival. Tents blocked out the sun on the 90+ degree day thankfully, and there were plenty of booths to buy water/Gatorade/other beverages if so desired, and there were areas to sign up for a variety of things being offered in the community. The seat I had, it was great seeing both young and old enjoying the music and being entertained, these cats captivated the entire audience from start t finish. read more

I'm not a jazz music fan, but I can appreciate a free festival happening in Millennium Park just as much as anyone else! I have horrible taste in music; I like pop, so for me, the music was... okay. The less melodic and rhythmic it sounded, the more it sounded like they were warming up their instruments. I couldn't tell you the name of anyone I saw on stage. But perhaps I am the perfect person to write this review then, as the average Jane? But I don't care that I don't care for jazz; I'm just here to hang out with fellow Chicagoans on this beautiful sunny day, possibly one of the last to be enjoyed in our fair and winter-fearing city! I appreciated that there was ample seating in both tents. People were constantly getting up and going between seats, so you could just take someone else's seat after they left. Plenty of people brought their own lawn chairs--thanks to those for helping everyone else out by planning ahead better than the rest of us! It is easy to come and go about as you please, which I also appreciate. My only gripe is the high beverage prices, but such is to be expected at a festival of this scale and grandeur. And man, was the people watching awesome. I got to see all sorts of interesting people get their jazz groove on. read more

Is this more evidence of the decline of Jazz? The few music acts I heard were very good, unfortunately this is not a music you can enjoy from 200 feet. The venue needs to be shrunk down, the Petrillo band shell is a waste of anything that is not rock and roll, even most of the Blues acts at Blues fest were lost in its vastness. The Jazz fans who turned out were wise to avoid the North end of Grant park due to its complete covering of goose shit. Can anyone say salmonella? The great irony I found at this festival compared to others was the pure uptightness of many spectators. Now I understand that porto pottys are not the safest environ on the planet, but the festival was running at 10% capacity and the Johns were super clean, yet Women were seen peeking into them as if some creature was going to leap out, I also overheard one women telling her friend "go ahead it's OK," I later found out this woman had never ventured into a porto John in her life! All the while Yuppy parents are scrubbing their childrens hands as if anthrax had been spilled on them, these same people are later seen playing football and frisbee in a field of fowl feces. Please people pay better attention to your surroundings, if you enter a plastic piss pot, try not to touch anything, wash your hands, and move on , some people are seen coming out of the porto potty, wiping their faces, fixing their hair and then washing their hands. Am I somehow obsessed with this behavior? Possibly, but really I just get facinated with stupidity. There was an art fair, with some nice original artwork, most of it at gallery prices, but I have to say it was a nice distraction to the festival. As for the Jazz, it's too bad, I like my jazz up close and personal, but if you are the kind of folks who enjoy the comraderie of others and just walking around, this is a good time. read more

Not over crowded. Several stages to choose from including one in the shade! The weather is perfect. Come out!

One of the most enjoyable outdoor festival atmospheres in the nation. Kudos to city leaders for relocating from Grant Park to the beautiful and manicured Millennium Park. Local jazz artists combine with visiting headliners to provide ample opportunity to listen to great music. Free admission and the ability to pack your own picnic should get you motivated to come enjoy some culture. read more

Interpreters for the def did not interpret MUSIC which is why anyone even goes.....barely interpreted the artists before playing..

ARTICLE: Dianne Reeves Excels Sarah Vaughn's "Misty" at Chicago Jazz Festival 2012 by Elaine North, Published Author, Editor, Screenwriter, Lecturer - www.elainenorth.com It was quite a treat attending the Chicago Film Festival, Saturday, September 1, and experiencing Dianne Reeves performance. I had heard Reeves perform in New York 15 years ago, and since then her voice has improved considerably. Her performance at the Chicago Film Fest was different, for she began with two jazzy, mellifluous African songs, which she sang beautifully displaying her wide range and great vocal talent, with a number of beautiful high tone arias in the African songs. Reeves continued with "Stormy Weather", not one of my favorite jazz songs, and not sung as beautifully as Reeves' jazzy African tunes. As a matter of fact, she sang two songs I never heard, and not very talentedly, sounding more like her earlier singing, like what I heard in New York, quite flat, little harmony, and limited display of vocal talent. What made the night worthwhile, other than the beautiful jazzy African songs, was when Dianne Reeves sang "Misty", one of Sarah Vaughn's most famous tunes. Reeves brought tears to my eyes with "Misty" Saturday night, absolutely great singing, as good or better than Sarah herself, with a full range of fabulous diverse harmonious phrasing with the song. I wish Reeves had sang more great jazz songs, like her superb rendition of "One For My Baby," the theme song to the movie "Good Night, and Good Luck" with George Clooney. Reeves connected with the audience in grand fashion at the Chicago Film Festival 2012. She even sang a tune about how her plane flight to Chicago for the Festival was cancelled, but with persistence she made it to the Festival, which wowed the audience. She also announced that Chicago jazz great Von Freeman died, who was one of the best. Not missing a beat in her performance and sometimes singing out her words, she told us about her life, how she is from Denver, Colorado, where her uncle introduced her to jazz at a young age, and the singer that inspired her most was Sarah Vaughn. She also introduced her band in grand fashion, while singing in a very entertaining manner. Another great performance that I enjoyed Saturday evening at the Chicago Film Festival was Jerry Gonzalez Y El Commando De La Clave, a Latin group performing excellent jazz, and Jerry Gonzalez was talented with his saxophone, as well as playing drums and the piano. I hope to see them perform again someday. Thousands attended the Chicago Jazz Festival, and I was surprised that there were scores of exhibit booths, which I enjoyed. The Jazz Festival was put on by the Chicago Jazz Institute, with the help of sponsors that include: Pepsi, American Airlines, WGN TV Chicago, Downbeat magazine, Chicago Tribune, and Smucker's. Thank god, someone sponsored the Jazz Festival, for strangely jazz has been taken off the radio, WBEZ, in Chicago, other than a few stations that have a lot of static not coming in well. Therefore, I could not understand why the spokeswoman for the Festival said on stage that Chicago is the center of the universe for jazz. Apparently, it is not. I am a big jazz fan. As a published author, screenwriter and freelance editor, jazz is one of several art forms that inspires me, and I truly miss it on the radio. I find that Chicago does not welcome writers and artists, as it should--Let's speak to this. Elaine North is author of political, science, fiction, romance and detective books and screenplays, is available for interviews and welcomes book reviews. Elaine is also an editor and ghostwriter for books, scripts, dissertations, papers and grants. For more info, visit www.elainenorth.com PUBLISHED BOOKS AND SCREENPLAYS BY THIS AUTHOR are detectives, historical, science fiction, political, a cowboy, and romance: Please visit www.elainenorth.com EDITING, WRITING AND SECRETARIAL SERVICES BY ELAINE NORTH: Elaine North edits, proofreads and types books, screenplays, dissertations, papers, letters, charts, proposals, grants, media kit read more