Brought to you by the Chicago Office of Tourism Department of Cultural Affairs

jazzFrom left to right: a microphone; a view of the Chicago skyline at sunset from the lakefront; a jazz musician plays the electric guitar; the Goodman Theater presents Ain't Misbehavin, an homage to jazz singer and bandleader Thomas Fats Waller.

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More Dining with jazz

A brass instrument rests on some sheet musicThe Pump Room

Walk in the footsteps of the celebrities whose pictures line the wall at the famed Ambassador East Hotel’s top-rated restaurant, The Pump Room. Singer-saxophonist Andrew Distell and his quartet play everything from smooth to classic jazz.

Katerina's

Sail through a world of music and other delights at Katerina’s. This classic supper club offers a rotating schedule of "live jazz, funk, blues, Latin, Greek, and classical music, plus movie nights and occasional photo and art exhibits," notes Metromix.

Green Dolphin Street

electric guitarOr jaunt over to Green Dolphin Street for swanky drinks, gourmet nouveau cuisine, and late-night sets of big band and Latin jazz music, all in a sophisticated, multi-room space over the Chicago river.

Joe's BeBop Cafe and Jazz Emporium

For a Southern-style meal and live jazz, spot the big Ferris wheel over the lake and head due east for Joe’s BeBop Café and Jazz Emporium on Navy Pier.

tuesdays on the terrace

The post-work crowd listens to some free jazz while enjoying cocktails at Tuesdays on the Terrance at the Museum of Contemporary ArtScale the Museum of Contemporary Art’s front steps to Tuesdays on the Terrace, and you will be in the presence of some of Chicago’s best jazz musicians, including Corey Wilkes (6/3, 8/5), Ari Brown (6/10), Bethany Pickens (8/12), and a World Music Festival Chicago Performance (9/23).

Sample tasty cocktails, select from the dinner buffet at Puck’s Café—which uses fresh bounty from the farmers market—or picnic on the lawn. Afterwards, wander through the contemporary art galleries. Visit the shop for real finds.

shopping

Dig through bins of records for rare jazz recordings at Jazz Record MartIf the phrase "digging through the crates" gets your heart pounding, you’ll definitely want to scour the rows upon rows of jazz and blues CDs at Jazz Record Mart. Special posters, photos, postcards, cassettes, and even 78s await your discovery.

bronzeville

Bronzeville was the destination of jazz greats like King Oliver and Louis Armstrong, who arrived with the influx of African-Americans during the early 20th-century Great Migration.

Jazz Barber Shop

What does jazz look like? Maybe you’ll catch a glimpse of it in the mirror while getting a shave and a haircut at the Jazz Barber Shop where a variety of live music, including jazz and a smidgen of rap, is the muse.

Self-Guided Tour

See the area’s history come alive with an array of sculptures along its central thoroughfare, King Drive, from McCormick Place (south 24th Street) to 35th Street.

Find these pieces as you go:

Mary Brogger, The Recognition Panels, Between 24th and 25th, and 35th Street

Ted Garner, Louis and Lil, 25th & King Drive

Oswald Martin, Jazz, 35th & King Drive.

blue paint being daubed on a canvas by a camel hair brushWhen you reach 35th and King Drive, visit Gallery Guichard to view works of art, some of them musically themed, while jazz music drifts in the background.

Cross the street to Meyers Ace Hardware. This family-owned hardware store was the site of the very popular Sunset Café where Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, and Earl "Fatha" Hines performed.

Tip: It is said that if you ask really nicely, you might be shown the concealed 1920s mural that graced the Sunset Café’s stage. And if not, at least you were there.

tours

street signsChicago Greeter

Continue your own area expedition or explore with a Chicago Greeter by foot and public transportation. Pre-register 7 to 10 business days in advance of your Chicago arrival for this FREE insider orientation.

Chicago Neighborhood Tours

If a bus tour is more your speed, register now for Chicago Neighborhood Tours’ September 6 half-day motorcoach tour of Historic Bronzeville. Visit one of the country’s most influential African-American communities of the 20th century to explore its history and modern-day renaissance. Travel through Bronzeville’s tree-adorned streets before a delightful guided tour at DuSable Museum of African American History.

Following a tour and discussion at Little Black Pearl Art and Design Center, visit Gallery Guichard, one of the neighborhood’s newest galleries. Light refreshments included.

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Hear Chicago saxaphonists play tributes to jazz greats during a Concert Series at one of Chicago's hot jazz clubs

Key Information

Tuesdays on the Terrace
Tuesdays, June 3– September 30, 5:30–8pm Museum of Contemporary Art
220 E. Chicago Avenue 312.397.4034
www.mcachicago.org
(dinner reservations recommended); FREE; Puck’s Café Buffet Dinner $16.50
wheelchair friendly

Jazz Record MartMondays–Saturdays 10 am–8 pm, Sundays
Noon–7 pm
27 E. Illinois Street 312.222.1467
www.jazzmart.com

Jazz Barber Shop
 Through August or September, live music 4th Friday each month 5– 6 pm; otherwise Tuesdays– Fridays 9 am–7 pm, Saturdays 8 am–6 pm
748 E. 43rd Street
773.643.8041
(appointments recommended)
free(live music with service)
wheelchair friendly

Chicago Neighborhood Tours: Historic Bronzeville
Saturday, September 6, 10 am–2 pm
Depart from the Chicago Cultural Center Visitor Center
77 E. Randolph Street 312.742.1190
www.chicagoneighborhood
tours.com
(advance booking recommended); adults $30; seniors 65+/students w/valid ID/children 8–18 $25
wheelchair friendly(Please notify when booking)

 

Other resources

BRONZEVILLE MUST SEES

Jazz Barber Shop
Gallery Guichard
DuSable Museum of African American History
Little Black Pearl Art and Design Center