Englewood Jazz Festival

Englewood Jazz Festival Live The Spirit Residency received its 501c(3) status in the State of Illinois in 2007 and continues to carry on the mission of the Festival as its producer.

The Englewood Jazz Festival has been hailed by critics as “The most provocative jazz performance of the year” and certainly one of the best free festivals in the City of Chicago. The Festival is our keynote event and offers Englewood and Chicago area residents a free day of music that provides an opportunity to introduce jazz lovers to local and national artists who write and perform their own mus

ic. Over the past fourteen years, these artists, and many others, have graced the Festival stage: Oliver Lake, Roscoe Mitchell, Jimmy Ellis, Houston Person, Von Freeman, George Freeman, Ari Brown, Tatsu Aioki, Willie Pickens, Delfeayo Marsalis, Dee Alexander, Muntu Dance Theater, Zim Ngqawana, and Maggie Brown. In 2000, Englewood resident, composer, bandleader, and internationally renowned artist, Ernest “Khabeer” Dawkins created Live the Spirit Residency and the Englewood Jazz Festival as part of a three-year “Meet the Composers Round VII New Residencies” grant to promote the creation of new work by emerging composers, provide music instruction and other activities for youth and residents, and to develop the Live the Spirit Big Band. His vision and determination to increase awareness and appreciation of jazz and jazz artists by developing programs — master classes, workshops, residencies, exchanges – that speak to this under-served community and that reflect its history and experiences, has kept the Festival alive and growing for over a decade.

09/20/2025
09/19/2025

Ernest Dawkins honors AACM founder Steve McCall with this piece from Great Black Music - Ancient to the Future.

09/19/2025

Ernest Dawkins premiered Great Black Music - Ancient to the Future - a suite of original works celebrating 60 years of the AACM and honoring its founders: Muhal Richard Abrams, Jodie Christian, Phil Cohran, and Steve McCall. This clip features his composition dedicated to Phil Cohran.

09/18/2025

Ben Lamar Gay Quartet

Roscoe Mitchell Trio
09/17/2025

Roscoe Mitchell Trio

Tonight we open this year’s Englewood Jazz Festival with two distinguished AACM members. 6:00 PM Edward Wilkerson Jr & E...
09/16/2025

Tonight we open this year’s Englewood Jazz Festival with two distinguished AACM members.

6:00 PM Edward Wilkerson Jr & Extraordinary Popular Delusions - A Chicago ensemble built on two decades of collaboration and adventurous improvisation.

7:00 PM Roscoe Mitchell - internationally acclaimed composer, multi-instrumentalist, and founding member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago.

Here’s the full schedule for this year’s festival ⬇️
09/16/2025

Here’s the full schedule for this year’s festival ⬇️

The 26th Annual Englewood Jazz Festival kicks off today! Yesterday’s WGN Midday performance gave Chicago a preview, and ...
09/16/2025

The 26th Annual Englewood Jazz Festival kicks off today! Yesterday’s WGN Midday performance gave Chicago a preview, and tonight the music continues at Hamilton Park Cultural Center.

Free and open to all. September 16 through 20.

09/14/2025

The Englewood Jazz Festival returns September 16-20! Join us for five days as we honor 60 years of the AACM with an incredible lineup of artists and performances you don’t want to miss.

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Chicago, IL
60621

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