Steve Turre © Andrea Canter

One of the world’s great jazz innovators, Steve Turre, joins Jon Faddis and The Chicago Jazz Ensemble for The Rhythm Within, an evening of outstanding music featuring Turre on trombone and shells, on Friday, October 2, at 7:30 pm at the DuSable Museum of African American History. In addition to performing his own compositions, Turre will perform works by J. J. Johnson, recognized as one of the greatest jazz trombonists of all time. Celebrated by critics and audiences alike as one of the nation's foremost jazz bands, the CJE's 21-member professional ensemble comprises an elite group of Chicago jazz musicians, ranging from established stars with national reputations and acclaimed Columbia College Chicago faculty, to the city's brightest young talents. Collectively, the members have performed and collaborated with nearly every major talent in the jazz world of the last 30 years.

Dr. Barry Harris and Von Freeman

NEA Jazz Master, Dr. Barry Harris will appear with Chicago's own jazz master Von Freeman in a free concert on Friday, October 2nd at 7 PM at La Follette Park (1333 N. Laramie Ave in Chicago) as part of theJazzCity free concert series. Having them both onstage represents an unparalleled opportunity to hear two virtuoso voices of jazz on the same stage, so don't miss out. Harris is part of an exceptional crew of Detroit-bred jazz musicians, including Tommy Flanagan and Donald Byrd, who rose through the extraordinary arts education program in the public school system during the 1930s and 1940s. The iconic Chicago saxophonist Von Freeman, who turned 86 this year,  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.  Joining them for the evening will be Stewart Miller on bass, and Charles Heath on drums.

"Although Acuña did not come to the United Stated until she was in her early twenties, she has mastered the essential elements of jazz with startling effectiveness." - Don Heckman, LA Times

Claudia Acuña

Chilean singer/songwriter/arranger Claudia Acuña will appear with her quintet at teh Jazz Showcase at Dearborn Station in Chicago on Thursday, September 24th through Sunday, September 27th. A pure, compelling and original voice hailed by the LA Times as an "instrument of wonder", Claudia Acuña draws upon the culture of her homeland by fusing Latin rhythms with her instinctive jazz sensibilities. Singing mostly in her mother tongue, Acuña makes it clear that music crosses all barriers - particularly when sung with her distinctive brand of authentic emotion. Legend and inspiration, Abbey Lincoln says, "Claudia sings in the tradition of the great ones. Her sound is her own."

Marta Gomez

The 11th Annual World Music Festival: Chicago runs from Friday, September 18 through Thursday, September 24, 2009.The 2009 festival line-up features 55 events at 21 venues. Many events are family friendly, half are admission free and the remaining half are $15 or less. Events include 6 live radio broadcasts and a mix of free and ticketed concerts presented in museums, parks, cultural centers, plazas, theaters, clubs and other venues throughout Chicago.  The 2009 festival also features 57 artists representing 32 countries including Algeria, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Congo, Croatia, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Hungary, India, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Syria, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States.