25th Anniversary Englewood Jazz Festival to Take Place in September

Long an annual tradition, Live the Spirit Residency will present the free 25th Anniversary Englewood Jazz Festival on September 19, 20, and 21, 2024 at Hamilton Park and Cultural Center. The festival is FREE and takes place indoors on Sep 19-20 and outdoors on September 21 rain or shine, moving indoors in case of inclement weather. Some seating is provided, but attendees are advised to bring their own chairs, blankets, picnics, and an appetite for the kind of music that uplifts and transforms the human spirit! Further information is available at www.englewoodjazzfestival.org.

Founder Ernest Dawkins says "I am delighted to bring together talent from across the globe back to Chicago for the 25th Anniversary Englewood Jazz Festival! This event celebrates our commitment to nurturing young musicians and honoring jazz legends. Join us September 19-21, 2024 at Hamilton Park, Chicago, where music transcends boundaries and joy fills the air."

All the featured artists at the 25th-anniversary festival have longstanding relationships with Live the Spirit Residency. Corey Wilkes, Greg Ward, Nicole Mitchell, and Junius Paul have all previously performed in the Live the Spirit Big Band, while Jeremiah Collier performed with the Young Masters. The 25th Anniversary festival lineup is an opportunity to now showcase these musicians as leaders of their own ensembles. 

This year’s festival begins with a set by composer, bandleader, and acoustic and electric bassist Junius Paul, born and raised in Chicago. He is a graduate of St. Xavier University in Chicago, and is now an internationally established performer. 2023 Chicago Tribune’s Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz, and 2023 winner of the Herbie Hancock Institute international competition, pianist Jahari Stampley will also grace Thursday night’s lineup.

Friday night’s performers include Vic Firth Drum Set Artist Jeremiah Collier and American jazz flautist and composer Nicole Mitchell, former chairwoman of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM).

Moving outside on Saturday, The Young Masters under the direction of Ernest Dawkins, showcases rising talent. The 25th Anniversary celebration continues with sets by saxophonist Greg Ward, trumpeter Corey Wilkes, and an encore performance of Paul Robeson: Man of the People, a new jazz poetry opera by Lasana D. Kazembe and Ernest Dawkins chronicling the life, artistic legacy, and activism of one of the most important and iconic figures of the twentieth century. This work was present in May and June of 2024 in Indianapolis and Chicago to great popular and critical success. 

Additionally, as part of this event, to honor those whose work has helped shape and strengthen the foundation of jazz in Chicago, the annual Spirit of Jazz Awards will be presented to recipients to be announced. 

Live The Spirit Residency is a not-for-profit organization that produces the Englewood Jazz Festival. Ernest Dawkins is the Executive Director of the organization and the Festival.
Our organization has the full support of the Englewood community including State Senator Mattie Hunter, State Representative Sonya Harper,  The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and the City Arts program of the Department of Cultural Affairs. Our Englewood Jazz Festival is generally generously supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, SEIU, and Grow Greater Englewood.

Complete schedule: 25th Englewood Jazz Festival @ 513 W 72nd St
Thursday, September 19, 2024 (indoors - Fieldhouse)
6:00 pm: Junius Paul
7:00 pm: Jahari Stampley

Friday, September 20, 2024 (indoors - Fieldhouse)
6:00 pm: Jeremiah Collier
7:00 pm: Nicole Mitchell

Saturday, September 21, 2023 (outdoors)
12:00 to 1:00 pm: Panel Discussion: Black South Side Jazz Presenters 
1:00 to 2:00 pm: The Young Masters Under the direction of Ernest Dawkins
2:15 to 3:15 pm: Cory Wilkes
3:30 to 4:30 pm: Greg Ward 
4:30 pm: Spirit of Jazz Award 
4:45 to 6:00 pm: Encore of Paul Robeson: Man of the People

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