37th Chicago Jazz Festival Heavy on the AACM

No surprises, as the Chicago Jazz Festival honors 50 years of the AACM. Highlights of the fest include:

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015
AACM at 50: THE EXPERIMENTAL BAND (MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS, HENRY THREADGILL, WALLACE MCMILLAN, WADADA LEO SMITH, AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS, GEORGE LEWIS, LEONARD JONES, THURMAN BARKER, REGGIE NICHOLSON)

SEPTEMBER 4, 2015
BILLY STRAYHORN CENTENARY CELEBRATION: CHICAGO JAZZ ORCHESTRA Performs New Arrangements of Strayhorn’s Classic Repertoire; Guest Arrangers Include JOHN HOLLENBECK, TOM GARLING, EDWARD WILKERSON, STEVEN BERNSTEIN & More To Be Announced

One of the most important contributions the city of Chicago made to 20th century American music was the formation of an organization called the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), founded on principles of creativity, collective organization, unyielding creativity and not beholden to any one style of music. The year 2015 is the 50th anniversary of the AACM. Thus throughout the year, a number of celebrations of this milestone will go on in Chicago and beyond. During the 37th Chicago Jazz Festival and the months leading up to it, the AACM will be particularly highlighted.