The 19th Annual Festival will once again be held in architecturally unique venues across the Hyde Park, Kenwood, and Washington Park neighborhoods. The Festival lineup features 33 FREE performances on September 27th-28th, 2025. The program includes visiting national artists alongside some of Chicago’s brightest lights. Venues include: Smart Museum, Rockefeller Chapel, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, Hyde Park Bank, Hyde Park Union Church, The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center, Augustana Church, and the Midway Plaisance.

Special guest and visiting musician projects include: Trio Imagination featuring Reggie Workman (bass), Andrew Cyrille (drums), and David Virelles (piano); Carl Allen and The Messengers of Jazz: Tribute to Art Blakey featuring Donald Harrison (alto saxophone), Billy Pierce (tenor saxophone), Brian Lynch (trumpet), Geoffrey Keezer (piano), Alexander Claffy (double bass), and Carl Allen (drums); Fay Victor’s Herbie Nichols SUNG featuring Fay Victor (voice, lyrics, conception), Anthony Coleman (piano), Michael Attias (alto/baritone saxophone), Ratzo Harris (double bass), and Tom Rainey (drums); former Chicagoan Maurice “MoBetta” Brown will bring his home town energy; Dana Hall will present a new trio with guest Aaron Goldberg (piano) and long-time collaborator Clark Sommer (bass); Dee Alexander will bring her Evolution Ensemble for a renunion featuring Dee Alexander (vocals), Tomeka Reid (cello), Scott Hesse (guitar), Junius Paul (bass), Yusef Ernie Adams (drums); and emerging drummer and composer Lily Finnegan will present her quartet with Chicago stalwarts Edward Wilkerson Jr. (tenor saxophone), Fred Jackson Jr. (alto saxophone), and Nick Macri (bass). The 2025 Festival will close out with a celebratory set by the Occidental Brothers Dance Band International.

The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will celebrate several milestones and special projects in the program. This includes the 60th Anniversary of the Association of the Advancement of Creative Musicians; the 30th Anniversary of the Asian American Jazz Festival; and the 70th Birthday of drummer Hamid Drake. The Festival is also partnering with the Smart Museum to present performances in connection to the Theaster Gates exhibition Unto Thee. Additional details will be shared mid-summer.

The annual Rockefeller Chapel performance will be an hour earlier this year to close Saturday’s activities and will feature a very special solo performance by critically acclaimed pianist Jason Moran. Moran will perform his solo project, Jason Moran Presents Duke Ellington: My Heart Sings. The Rockefeller Chapel will be an exquisite setting for this not-to-be-missed performance.

Hyde Park Jazz Festival Schedule:

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Logan Center Performance Hall (915 E. 60th St.)

3:15pm-4:15pm Hamid Drake Quartet

5:00pm-6:00pm Fay Victor’s Herbie Nichols SUNG

7:30pm-8:30pm Trio Imagination (Cyrille, Virelles, Workman)

Logan Center Performance Penthouse (915 E. 60th St.)

1:00pm-1:45pm Nikutai Mondo Trio

2:15pm-3:00pm Nikutai Mondo Trio

4:00pm-5:00pm Dana Hall Trio feat. Aaron Goldberg and Clark Sommers

6:15pm-7:15pm Paul Giallorenzo Trio

Wagner Stage (Midway Plaisance/S. Woodlawn Ave.)

1:30pm-2:30pm Micah Collier and Proximity

3:30pm-4:30pm Quentin Coaxum Quintet

5:45pm-6:45pm Dee Alexander’s Evolution Ensemble Reunion

8:15pm-9:30pm Carl Allen & The Messengers of Jazz:Tribute to Art Blakey

West Stage (Midway Plaisance/S. Ellis Ave.)

2:30pm-3:30pm La Cantera featuring Richard Pena

4:30pm-5:45pm JuJu Exchange

7:00pm-8:15pm Maurice “MoBetta” Brown

Hyde Park Union Church (5600 S. Woodlawn Ave.)

2:00pm-3:00pm Ryan Cohan Two Quartets

4:00pm-5:00pm Lily Finnegan’s Heat On

Hyde Park Bank (1525 E. 53rd St.)

4:00pm-5:00pm Love Call (Bessen, Drobka, Philion)

6:00pm-7:00pm Alyssa Allgood Quintet

DuSable Black History Museum & Education Center (740 E. 56 Pl.)

2:00pm-3:00pm Fred Jackson Jr.’s “Where’s Charlie?”

4:00pm-5:00pm Julius Tucker Trio

Rockefeller Chapel (5850 S. Woodlawn Ave.)

10:00pm-11:00pm Jason Moran Presents Duke Ellington: My Heart Sings (solo)

Augustana Church (5500 S. Woodlawn Ave.)

3:00pm-4:00pm Maggie Brown Group

5:00pm-6:00pm TBA

Smart Museum (5550 S. Greenwood Ave)

1:00pm-2:00pm Isaiah Spencer Quartet

3:00pm-4:00pm Modern Black Music Ensemble

The Hyde Park Jazz Festival is FREE but we ask attendees to consider a $10 per person donation so we can continue to support Jazz on the South Side!