Dee Alexander

To celebrate the Chicago Jazz Institute's 40th Birthday, they are presenting this is free event at the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 E. Washington in Chicago on the evening Friday, January 25th and continuing in the morning on Saturday, January 26th. This jazz fair will feature Jazz Sings the Blues with Billy Branch and Dee Alexander, the Edwin Sanchez Latin Jazz Project, the Chuck Hedges Swingtet, New Directions with Nicole Mitchell and Jim Baker, the Von Freeman Quintet, the Jazz Links Ensemble, an All Star Jam Session, jazz cinema and much more.

Jazz Sings the Blues with Billy Branch and Dee Alexander
The roots of the tree of jazz are the blues, and harpist Billy Branch has always had an ear tuned to both art forms. For this project he invited bassist Yosef Ben Israel, drummer Avreeayl Ra to accompany the embodiment of where the soulful part of jazz was born: Miss Dee Alexander.

Von Freeman © Anddrea Canter

Ed Peterson

Two Chicago tenor titans face off at the Green Mill for a battle of the saxes on Friday, December 28; 9pm-1am, Saturday, December 29; 8pm-1am, Monday, December 31, 8:30-12:30. Von Freeman, the jazz legend who never left Chicago, and the returing Ed Petersen, who left to teach Applied Saxophon and Jazz Improvisation at the University New Orleans, will meet with battle it out backed by ta solid trio featuring Willie Pickens on piano, Brian Sandstrom on bass, and Robert Shy on drums.

Von Freeman turned 85 this year. The iconic Chicago saxophonist created a unique and captivating tenor style in the 1940s and 50s but didn't lead his first recording in 1972 at the age of 49. When Freeman was in his 70s and playing better and stronger than ever, he began a series of albums that have made him a cover story in major jazz magazines, a much-demanded performer at festivals the world over, and the recipient of a mayoral proclamation (with a street named for him), as well as a doctorate from Northwestern University, at the age of 80.