Chicago Jazz Magazine

06/05/2026

2026 Chicago Blues Festival Friday June 05 at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion with CJ Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, , Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials, , and .ellis

06/05/2026

2026 Chicago Blues Festival Visit Mississippi Corssroads stage Friday June 5th with Mississippi Marshall , The Big Time Rhythm & Blues Band, Eden Brent and Ra'Shad The Blues Kid

06/05/2026

The 2026 Chicago Blues Festival Rosa's Louge stage in the north promenade featuring Nick Alexander Blues Band, , Band with Demetria Taylor , Tom Holland and the Shuffle Kings, and Blues Band.

06/04/2026

2026 Chicago Blues Festival kicks off at the Ramova Theatre with a Fireside Chat - 20 Years of the Mississippi Blues Trail at 6pm followed by a Double Bill with John Primer - Tribute to Theresa's Lounge at 7:15pm and Willie Clayton at 8:45pm

06/04/2026

2026 Chicago Blues Festival kicks off at The Ramova Theatre with a Fireside Chat - 20 Years of the Mississippi Blues Trail followed by a Double Bill with John Primer and Willie Clayton

06/04/2026

BLUES ON THE FOX 2026!
The COOLEST Blues Festival in the Midwest is back with an amazing line up, including headliner Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue! Watch for more artists to be added soon.

June 20th at Riveredge Park - Aurora IL!
3 p.m. Tommy Castro and the Painkillers
5 p.m. Ally Venable
7 p.m. Eric Gales
9 p.m. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Get tickets and info at https://bit.ly/4uLJOob

06/03/2026

Celebrating the Legacy of Rock Falls Native - Louie Bellson!
Saturday ~ June 6, 2026

Visit www.visitrockfalls.com/bellson-music-fest/

1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Josh Duffee and the Blackhawk Broadcasters will feature music composed and arranged by Louie Bellson, along with songs that were recorded by Bellson during his career in a small group setting.

3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – The Crooked Cactus Band brings the perfect mix of Latin & Classic Rock.

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. – John Resch & Do**in' Out is a 4-piece band playing original songs and covers of West Coast swing and Chicago electric blues.

7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Rare Element has a strong reputation for its high-intensity, live shows featuring funk music combining the elements of soul, jazz and R&B.

05/21/2026

Don’t miss this weekend at the Jazz Showcase!

Here! We! GO! The Joe Farnsworth Big Room Quartet is taking the stage tonight for four whole nights! Tickets are going FAST so get yours while you still can!
Emmet Cohen (Thurs & Fri) - piano
Richard Johnson (Sat & Sun) - piano
Sarah Hanahan - saxophone
Peter Washington - bass

05/21/2026

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
June 2 | 8:00
Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Timeless jazz, acclaimed ensemble America 250The legendary Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and its trailblazing leader Wynton Marsalis return to Symphony Center, their home in Chicago. “Technically precise and emotionally charged,” the ensemble displays its “versatility and deep understanding of jazz traditions” (The Wall Street Journal), while working hard to preserve the genre for the present day — performing everything from new arrangements to masterworks by artists like Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk.

Don’t miss this one night only performance on June 2 at Symphony Center. Limited tickets remain — get yours today at www.cso.org/jazz.

05/11/2026

Episode 106 of Chicago Music Revealed features a conversation with Chicago radio legend Richard Steele as he reflects on the history of jazz radio in Chicago, the legendary Daddy O’Daylie, and the voices that helped shape the city’s jazz culture.

Richard shares stories from his own remarkable broadcasting career, how he got his start in radio, and how he became one of the most recognizable voices on Chicago’s airwaves.

A great conversation about Chicago music history, jazz culture, and the power of radio in connecting communities through music.

Link to the full interview in the comments on ChicagoJazz.com