Chicago Jazz Festival

The economic meltdown rippled through the jazz industry this year. Powerhouse player JVC backed out of its famed New York series, and the legendary Newport Jazz Festival almost collapsed as well, spared thanks to a hefty infusion from medical-technology company CareFusion—which has also stepped in to sponsor the 31st installment of Chicago’s annual blowout. At first glance, this year’s lineup might seem tame in comparison to last year’s star-power bookends—Sonny Rollins and Ornette Coleman—but closer inspection reveals a program just as strong as ever, tastefully criss-crossing the spectrum.

Friday 4
Young lioness and bassist-vocalist Esperanza Spalding (Jazz on Jackson Stage, 3:30pm) kicks off the national talent slate with upbeat, percolating swing. That jazz-pop direction is echoed by the weekend’s token crossover artist, Madeleine Peyroux (Petrillo Music Shell, 7:10pm), whose Billie Holiday croon sounds as sweet as ever on her latest, Bare Bones. Headlining day one is Havana native Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Petrillo, 8:30pm), leading a quintet through streamlined postbop in support of the elegant pianist’s latest for longtime label Blue Note, Avatar.

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Saturday 5
Saturday welcomes Netherlands-based pianist Amina Figarova (Petrillo, 6pm), whose smooth sextet occasionally ventures into funk and Latin. A tribute to Curtis Mayfield follows from bassist William Parker (Petrillo, 7:10pm), taking on tunes like “We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue” from the soul legend’s canon, flanked by poet Amiri Baraka and pianist Dave Burrell. Rounding out the evening is a big-band set from Dave Holland (Petrillo, 8:30pm). Though the native Brit’s best known for his electric bass work on Miles Davis’s game-changing jazz-funk masterpieces Bitches Brew and In a Silent Way, he’s expanded his palette considerably in the years since.

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Sunday 6
Avant-garde sax legend Archie Shepp (Petrillo, 5pm) leads a quartet, including local standby pianist Willie Pickens, in a set dedicated to Duke Ellington’s longtime sideman Ben Webster, known for his gruff tenor-sax growl. Octogenarian clarinetist Buddy DeFranco and Detroit neo-bop warrior Johnny O’Neal (Petrillo, 6pm) team up to salute stride piano innovator Art Tatum before the fest wraps up with the Arthur Hoyle Orchestra (Petrillo, 8:30pm), conducted by Chicago native and Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians founder Muhal Richard Abrams.

As this year’s artist in residence, Abrams unveils a newly commissioned work honoring President Obama, “Spiralview,” with solo sections featuring fellow AACM heavyweights George Lewis, Ari Brown, Harrison Bankhead and Roscoe Mitchell. In addition to closing the festival, Abrams joins former Chicagoans Lewis and Mitchell in a rare trio set Friday (Petrillo, 6pm). Considering the usual spread of after-parties at regular hangouts including Andy’s, Green Mill, Jazz Showcase and the Velvet Lounge, the jam-packed weekend promises to sate traditionalists and visionaries alike.

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