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2024 CHICAGO JAZZ FESTIVAL

Story and Photos by Greg Turner


This year I was able to attend 3 days of the 4 day Chicago Jazz Festival

Labor Day Weekend. Here are some photos from the performances

that really stood out.



Playing music from her latest release “Phoenix Reimagined Live” alto

saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin and her group brought absolute fire to a

packed Von Freeman Pavilion Friday afternoon. Their performance was so

strong I could have gone home and been happy with what I saw that day.



Trumpeter Freddie Hendrix, a fiery soloist who is a great addition to any

group he plays with, performed with 81 year old saxophonist Billy Harper’s

Quintet at the Pritzker Friday evening.



Dezron Douglas, a big toned bassist who always provides a strong

foundation to any group he plays with, also performed with Harper’s

Quintet.



Vocalist Rene Marie and her Experiment In Truth was a rousing success

playing a mix of originals and old favorites Saturday evening at the Pritzker

Pavillion A highlight was a medley of the jazz standard ”Imagination” that

segued into the Temptations’ “Just My Imagination”, with a few bars on

John Lennon’s “Imagine” thrown in for good measure.



Alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett and his group Sounds From The Ancestors

closed Saturday night with an energetic performance that incorporated

Jazz, with funk and hip hop. He is hard to photograph because he never

stops moving, whether he’s playing, rapping, or talking.



Playing music from his recent release “Witness to History”, trumpeter Eddie

Henderson and his quintet played a mixture of standards and jazz classics

Sunday evening at the Pritzker Pavillion. At 83 Henderson showed that he

still has “it”.



Pianist Orrin Evans played mostly music from his 2023 release “The Red

Door” Sunday evening at the Pritzker Pavillion. The music was mostly a

continuous stream which sometimes ventured into abstract territory, but

was really enjoyable



Evans’ band mate Caleb Wheeler Curtis, played two instruments rarely

seen, a straight alto sax and a trumpet with a saxophone mouthpiece.

Sorry I didn’t get a better picture.


Special thanks to Chicago’s Department of Current Affairs and Special

Events and the Jazz Institute of Chicago for their efforts.

Greg Turner

9/22/24

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