RED LINE JAZZ FESTIVAL to Present Capstone Concert at Harris Theater
Performers include Luciano Antonio, Butter Chicken Brass Band, Windy City Ramblers, and members of the Chicago Immigrant Orchestra.
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Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, working with Artist-in-Residence and acclaimed jazz guitarist Fareed Haque, presents the Red Line Jazz Festival, an evening of music and dance on Friday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph, Chicago. This multifaceted performance serves as the capstone concert of the community-building Red Line Jazz Project, a five-month public arts initiative that has been activating public transit and community spaces with free live music and cultural programming.
Curated by Haque, who also is performing, the program includes Red Line Jazz Project artists Luciano Antonio, Butter Chicken Brass Band, Windy City Ramblers, and Chicago Immigrant Orchestra members Tzu-Tsen Wu, Tamir Hargana, Juan Pastor, and Ugochi, joined by the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. The program also features the Mandala Dance Ensemble, led by Mandala Associate Artistic Director Raji Venkat with choreography by Ensemble member Sigma Satabdhi. Blending jazz improvisation, global musical influences, and dance, the performance celebrates Chicago's rich cultural landscape and the communities connected by the Red Line corridor, highlighting the city's longstanding tradition of artistic innovation, cultural exchange, and community engagement.
“The Red Line Jazz Project has drawn a 'red line' in the sand against division and racism, bridging the historic divide between Chicago's North and South Sides,” Haque said. “In doing so, it brings together the disparate cultural and musical streams that have made Chicago a center of musical tradition and musical innovation. I am excited to join forces with the historic AACM and bring cross-cultural improvisation to life in real time, live onstage at the Harris. Chicago truly is a global village!”
From May through October, the Red Line Jazz Project is featuring local jazz musicians and ensembles presenting short live sets at or near Red Line L stations and creating spontaneous moments of connection for commuters and neighborhood residents. Events have taken place in Rogers Park, Chatham, Chinatown, Uptown, Bronzeville, Roseland, and more.
The project has aimed to:
- Activate public transit spaces with live music and cultural programming
- Celebrate Chicago's jazz legacy and the city's vibrant community of musicians
- Create accessible performance opportunities for artists in everyday public settings
- Spark moments of reflection, joy, and connection for commuters and passersby while amplifying community voices through stories about how culture shapes life in Chicago
- Transform routine travel into an immersive cultural experience where rhythm, improvisation, and community converge
The Red Line Jazz Project has been made possible by the generous support of Paul M. Angell Family Foundation and Elevated Chicago and the partnership of Bustling Spaces and the Chicago Transit Authority.
“The Red Line Jazz Project reflects Mandala's vision of using the arts to foster belonging, cultural exchange, and meaningful connection in everyday life by bringing live jazz performances into public spaces, transforming routine commutes into shared cultural experiences,” said Founding Artistic Director Pranita Nayar. “The project has used the concept of the mandala—a symbol of unity, rhythm, and interconnectedness—as a guiding metaphor for collaborative musical expression.”
The Red Line Jazz Festival, the capstone concert of the Red Line Jazz Project, takes place Friday, October 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph, Chicago. Tickets start at $20 and are available at harristheaterchicago.org/performance/red-line-jazz-festival. All programming is subject to change.
Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, founded by Artistic Director Pranita Nayar, has earned major support from the Joyce Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. From classical to contemporary, Mandala connects audiences and students with the vibrancy of the performing arts traditions of South Asia. Mandala offers powerful engagement with specialized artists and educators who represent diverse ethnic, geographical, linguistic, cultural, and gender identities. Mandala South Asian Performing Arts is supported by the Paul Angell Family Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation, Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, The Field Foundation of Illinois, Prince Charitable Trust, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, and the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
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