Thursday, August 30

Randolph Cafe, Chicago Cultural Center

Chris Madsen Bix Quartet Noon Last year saxophonist Chris Madsen, a music professor at Northwestern, released a trio album of music associated with legendary 1920s jazz trumpeter Bix Beiderbecke. Plays Bix Beiderbecke (JeruJazz) is a lovely and loving tribute, and it stands out among similar efforts in part because there’s not a note of trumpet on it—Madsen, who plays tenor, is joined only by bassist Joe Policastro and guitarist Dan Effland. The interpretations are hardly modern, but they do depart from the trad sound of the originals in favor of something close to swing; Beiderbecke’s most celebrated colleague, saxophonist Frankie Trumbauer, was a big influence on Lester Young, and you can hear a touch of Prez in Madsen’s elegant, silky lines. For this show, drummer Phil Gratteau makes the group a quartet. —PM

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Damon Short Quintet 12:15 PM If Damon Short were a barista, he’d be a master of pour-over coffee—he can keep things hot without letting them boil. As a drummer, bandleader, and composer, he takes full advantage of the resourcefulness of musicians who’ve worked with him for many years. On “Toll Free,” from the self-released CD Retrofit, his quintet segues seamlessly from swinging blues to quietly bristling free play. —BM

Preston Bradley Hall, Chicago Cultural Center

Stu Katz & Willie Pickens12:30 PM Little remains of Chicago’s vibrant 1960s south-side lounge scene, particularly after the loss of the New Apartment Lounge as a regular venue, but Stu Katz and Willie Pickens—both key figures on that scene, who played with all city’s greats back in the day—keep the tradition alive. Katz has worked for decades with two of Chicago’s finest, Ira Sullivan and Bunky Green, and Pickens made his name internationally as a member of the Elvin Jones Jazz Machine. The two of them played this festival as a piano duo in 1980, but for today’s set Katz, now 75, will play vibraphone; Pickens will bring his impeccable taste to the table at the 88s. —JC

Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park

Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble6:30 PM Around these parts, the Chicago Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble beats all comers on its turf—which extends into flamenco and South American regional musics. CALJE is led by local trumpeter Victor Garcia and pianist Darwin Noguera, a native of Nicaragua based in New York; tonight’s lineup also includes trumpeter Freddie Rodriguez, saxophonists Rocky Yera and Carlos Vega, trombonists Craig Sunken and John Mose, bassist Joshua Ramos, drummer Juan Pastor, and percussionists Juan Picorelli and Victor Gonzalez Jr. —PM

Our picks for:

  • •Saturday
  • •Sunday
  • •The aftershows

•The aftershows