Over the years the Chicago jazz scene has displayed amazing resilience, withstanding not just the defection of musicians to other cities but the loss of important venues. This time last year Joe Segal’s venerable JAZZ SHOWCASE was still in search of a new location, but late this spring he reopened in Dearborn Station, and the club will once again host its famous afterfest shows, which typically draw many of the festival’s best and most notable mainstream players. Multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan, whose engagement at the club began Tuesday, has returned to his native city from Florida to lead the nightly jam sessions. Among the expected guests: guitarist Kenny Burrell, trumpeter Brian Lynch, bassist Bob Cranshaw, trombonist Julian Priester, and plenty of locals, including trumpeter Art Hoyle and pianists Ron Perrillo and Stu Katz. Sullivan will also play at the Showcase with saxophonist Benny Golson on Wednesday, September 3, in a tribute to legendary Chicago tenor man Johnny Griffin, who recently died in France at the age of 80—the event will be catered and unreleased performance footage of the Little Giant will be screened.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
Up north at DANK HAUS, bassist Karl E.H. Seigfried hosts two very different nights of music with his Soul Power Trio, featuring saxophonist Aaron Getsug and drummer Chris Avgerin. On Friday they’ll go acoustic, welcoming guests from the “jazz, rockabilly, classical, and avant-garde scenes” (their words), and on Saturday they’ll plug in and invite players from the “hip-hop, metal, New Music, and modern jazz scenes.”
Heaven Gallery a 1550 N. Milwaukee (second floor), 773-342-4597, music at 10 PM Thursday through Sunday, donation requested A
