Chicago. Jazz. Perfect.

Hyde Park Jazz Festival

Chicago’s rich musical history and love affair with jazz has been well-documented, so it’s hardly surprising that the city’s Hyde Park Music Festival has grown into the vibrant cultural spectacle and roaring success it is today in just six short years. A far cry from its humble 2007 beginnings, the 2012 festival is set to swing into Chicago on September 29 and 30, and bring with it a stellar program of more than 170 local and international jazz musicians performing across 17 stages.

The festival of 40 free concerts will once again be hosted in multiple venues across the city, with a second outdoor stage complete with dancefloor to be added on the Midway Plaisance. A special solo midnight performance by MacArthur ‘Genius’ grant winner Miguel Zenon, a series of ‘conversations’ with South Side jazz artists, and performances in the University of Chicago’s new Logan Centre are amongst the highly anticipated additions to the 2012 schedule.

Acclaimed trombonist Wycliffe Gordon will join the lineup fresh from his DownBeat Critics Poll win, and edgy vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz is expected to set the modern pace humming. Add to the mix a smattering of fabulous food, beverage and artisan vendors and you’ll have both your tastebuds and your toes tapping.