Exploring Chicago's Vibrant Jazz Scene: From Festivals to Local Clubs

Labor Day weekend in Chicago marks the start of the city's best month for jazz, with the Chicago Jazz Festival kicking off four days of free concerts at Millennium Park. The festival showcases both local talent and big-name touring artists, including veterans like Ron Carter and Dianne Reeves, experimentalists like Mike Reed and Makaya McCraven, and up-and-comers like Juan Pastor Chinchano and Brandee Younger. Other jazz events to look out for this month include jazz fests in Englewood and Hyde Park.