Harris Theater Announces Summer Jazz Concerts

The Harris Theater has launched a new jazz concert series, extending its diverse music offerings into the summer months and expanding opportunities for audiences to experience the performing arts in non-traditional formats at an accessible price point.

Building on the success of the popular Mix at Six series - 6 p.m. performances with an informal atmosphere, food trucks, and opportunities to connect directly with performers at just $10-15 per ticket - the summer concerts will feature artists with strong ties to Chicago's jazz and indie music scenes.

"The response to the Harris Theater's Mix at Six series has been incredible," said Patricia Barretto, John D. and Alexandra C. Nichols President and CEO of the Harris Theater, "The summer concert series will continue building audiences for music and dance by offering accessible, exciting ways to experience the arts, and presenting artists relevant to the communities where we live and work."

In its inaugural year, the summer concert series will include two performances, with plans to increase the number of performances in future years. The first, to be held on the rooftop of the Harris Theater overlooking Millennium Park, will be headlined by the "unpretentiously joyous" (NPR) Mike Reed's People Places & Things, with an after-party featuring local DJ Rae Chardonnay Taylor. The second will be a late-night set on the Harris Theater's Elizabeth Morse Genius Stage by genre-bending jazz drummer and "beat scientist" Makaya McCraven, in anticipation of a new album out in September.

"We are thrilled that the Harris Theater is bringing more jazz music to the Millennium Park campus during our expanded, citywide 40th Annual Chicago Jazz Festival," said Mark Kelly, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. "Since even before Millennium Park officially opened, Harris Theater has been connecting audiences with outstanding artists from across our city, the nation and the world."

Barretto continued, "As the Theater embarks on its 15th anniversary season, we are so proud to be part of the Millennium Park campus and grateful to this city for helping us create a downtown home for music and dance. What better way to celebrate than by adding to the arts and culture offerings that make summer in Chicago so special?"

These performances are made possible by support from the Irving Harris Foundation. Tickets for each event are on sale now online and through the Harris Theater box office at $10 each, general admission and open to all ages.

To purchase tickets or request a brochure, contact the box office at 312.334.7777 or visit in person at 205 E. Randolph. Hours are noon to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday and performance days.

Performance Details

Mike Reed's People Places & Things

HT Rooftop

Monday, August 27 | 6PM

After-party to feature Chicago DJ Rae Chardonnay Taylor

Makaya McCraven

Late Night on the HT Stage

Saturday, September 1 | 9:30PM

About the Artists

Mike Reed's People Places & Things

Lauded as "nimble, progressive, and hard-swinging" by the Chicago Reader and "unpretentiously joyous" by NPR, Mike Reed's People Places & Things has been recording, touring internationally, and racking up critical acclaim since 2007. Led by Mike Reed, a drummer and icon in Chicago's jazz and indie music scenes, People Places & Things doesn't "simply re-create; they create" (Bill Meyer, Downbeat), exploiting their carefully selected repertoire for dynamic ensemble interplay and virtuosic solo improvisations.

Performers:

Tim Haldeman - tenor sax

Mike Reed - drums

Jason Roebke - bass

Greg Ward - alto sax

Makaya McCraven
In a new era of genre-bending music, Makaya McCraven pushes the boundaries of sound and rhythm to create categories of his own. Called "a sound visionary" (jazzinchicago.org) who is "not your everyday jazz drummer" (thewordisbond.com), McCraven is a beat scientist. Makaya McCraven layers his extensive experience with hip hop bands, African dance bands, Hungarian folk music, and indie rock on top of a deep history of "straight ahead" jazz, improvisation, and the avantgarde with beats, sampling, and electronics as a form of unique self-expression.

Performers:

Matt Gold - guitar

Makaya McCraven - drums

Junius Paul - bass

Greg Ward - saxophone

Harris Theater for Music and Dance

The Harris Theater is Chicago's primary residence for music and dance, connecting diverse audiences with outstanding artists from across the city, the nation, and the world. The Theater's activities fall under three central strategies: support for local music and dance companies, presentation of national and International Artists, and community engagement and educational programs. Now in its fifteenth anniversary season, the Theater has earned national recognition as a distinctive model for collaboration, performance, and artistic advancement.

Today, the Harris Theater's original group of 12 resident companies has grown to include 30 diverse music and dance companies, and its Harris Theater Presents series has featured world-renowned artists and ensembles including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Batsheva Dance, Joshua Bell, Renée Fleming, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir, Hamburg Ballet, Angélique Kidjo, Paris Opéra Ballet, and Stephen Sondheim. The Harris Theater's community engagement initiatives build bridges between artists and community members, providing master classes, artist talks, and free tickets for more than 35 partner organizations throughout Chicago.

To learn more about the Harris Theater, Chicago's state-of-the-art 1,499-seat performance venue, visit HarrisTheaterChicago.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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