Chicago Jazz Festival--Sunday

The Chicago Jazz Festival is a Labor Day weekend tradition that promotes all forms of jazz through free, high-quality music programming. The festival showcases Chicago's local talent alongside national and international artists to raise awareness and appreciation for one of the city’s most beloved art forms.

PROGRAM

Jay Pritzker Pavilion

3:15pm - 3:45pm - Windy City Ramblers

3:45pm - 4:00pm - Emcee Intro Remarks + National Anthem + Lift Every Voice

4:00pm - 4:45pm - Natalie Scharf Quintet featuring Paul Asaro

5:05pm - 6:05pm - G. Thomas Allen

6:25pm - 7:25pm - Ari Brown Quintet

7:45pm - 9:00pm - Eliades Ochoa

WDCB Jazz Lounge (South Promenade)

12:00pm - 1:45pm - Joel Paterson’s Green Mill All-Stars

2:15pm - 4:00pm - Neal Alger's Here and Now

4:30pm - 6:15pm - Kyle Swan Quartet

6:45pm - 7:45pm - Denise Thimes Quintet

Von Freeman Pavilion (North Promenade)

11:30am - 12:25pm - Ben Waltzer Quartet

12:40pm - 1:35pm - Abigail Riccards Trio

1:50pm - 2:45pm - Maison Électronique

3:00pm - 4:00pm - Thadeus Tukes Sextet

Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace - Next Generation of Jazz

11:00am - 12:00pm - Jack Nelson Ciavash

12:00pm - 12:45pm - Kevin King Regime

1:00pm - 1:45pm - Aaron Kaufman-Levine Quartet

2:00pm - 2:45pm - .VOM

3:00pm - 4:00pm - FM Trio

The Jay Pritzker Pavilion program opens with emcee remarks and moving renditions of the National Anthem and Lift Every Voice and Sing, setting the stage for an exciting evening of jazz.

The Natalie Scharf Quintet, featuring pianist Paul Asaro, kicks things off with a lively set that blends classic swing and modern sensibility. Next, rising vocal star G. Thomas Allen brings warmth and elegance to the stage with his expressive style and rich tone.

Saxophonist Ari Brown and his quintet follow, delivering a powerful performance rooted in Chicago’s deep jazz tradition, fusing spirituals, bebop, and avant-garde influences into a sound that’s uniquely his own.

The evening concludes with a special set by Eliades Ochoa, one of Cuba’s most celebrated musicians and a founding member of the Buena Vista Social Club. His performance adds a joyful Afro-Cuban energy to the festival’s final moments.

Come celebrate the rhythm, soul, and global reach of jazz in the heart of Chicago.

Organizer: Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events

Programmer: Jazz Institute of Chicago