The Chicago Jazz Festival will be Heard in China, The United Kingdom, Austria through the WFMT Radio
The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is pleased to announce that the Chicago Jazz Festival will be heard for the first time in China, the United Kingdom, Austria and other European countries, as well as across the United States through the WFMT Radio Network and a partnership with Choose Chicago. A favorite Labor Day weekend tradition, the free admission Chicago Jazz Festival is August 31–September 3, at Millennium Park and the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington St.) showcasing live performances by Chicago artists alongside some of the greatest names from around the world on multiple stages. The 39th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival is produced by DCASE and programmed by the Jazz Institute of Chicago (JIC).
“The world comes to Chicago each year to celebrate this city’s rich music legacy at events like the Chicago Jazz Festival,” said Mark Kelly, DCASE Commissioner. “Through our partnership with the WFMT Radio Network and Choose Chicago, we intend to expand the worldwide audience for the Jazz Festival and for Chicago as a music capital and a global cultural destination.”
Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2017, radio partner 90.9FM WDCB will present live broadcasts of various sets from the Jay Pritkzer Pavilion, including the George Freeman 90th Birthday Celebration on Thursday, August 31; the Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio on Friday, September 1; and Ellabration! 100 Years of Ella Fitzgerald featuring the Brad Williams Trio, Sheila Jordan, Dee Alexander, Frieda Lee, Spider Saloff and Paul Marinaro on Saturday, September 2. The local broadcasts will be co-hosted by WDCB host Dan Bindert and WFMT Radio Network announcers, including : jazz vocalist Dee Alexander, WFMT host Dave Schwan and Grammy® Award-winning jazz writer and former WBEZ host Neil Tesser. This will be the first time since 2001 that sets at the festival have been broadcast live to radio audiences in Chicago
WFMT Radio Network and its nationally-syndicated Jazz Network, in partnership with DCASE and Choose Chicago, will showcase select recordings of the Chicago Jazz Festival to a broader national audience, across more than 60 stations around the country in 2018. Selected recordings will also air internationally in China, the United Kingdom, Austria and other countries through the European Broadcasting Union, extending the reach of the festival to hundreds of thousands of listeners worldwide.
The free-admission Chicago Jazz Festival starts Thursday, August 31, noon–4:30 p.m. at the Chicago Cultural Center and 6:30 p.m.–9:30 p.m. in Millennium Park. On Friday, September 1, through Sunday, September 3, the festival takes place in Millennium Park, 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m. For the complete lineup, visit chicagojazzfestival.us