Chicago summer concert guide: rock, jazz and classical

From bucolic sheds to sweating walls and people, from hard-blowing jazzmen to tuxedoed classical musicians, Chicago is the place to be for an amazing musical summer. Here is the Tribune critics' guide to shows that are not to be missed.


JAZZ
Free shows

Dee Dee Bridgewater

Her art is as big as all outdoors, so it's appropriate that the great jazz singer will perform under the heavens for Elmhurst College's 15th annual Summer Extravaganza. Bridgewater surely will sing music of Billie Holiday culled from her latest CD, "Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie with Love from Dee Dee." Nobody does it better. 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Elmhurst College Mall, 190 Prospect Ave., Elmhurst free; 630-617-3390 or elmhurst.edu

Noche Mexicana

The Music Without Border takes place Thursdays in Millennium Park, with the next installment featuring trumpeter Doc Severinsen and "El Ritmo de la Vida" ("The Rhythm of Life"), in a celebration of music of Mexico, Argentina, Spain and beyond. Chicago's Sones de Mexico opens the program. 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park; free; 312-742-1168 or millenniumpark.org

Jazz Fest Glen Ellyn

Contrary to conventional wisdom, jazz flourishes in suburbia, as in the fourth annual Jazz Fest Glen Ellyn. This year, the lineup will feature the Jo Ann Daugherty Trio, Andreas Kapsalis and Goran Ivanovic Guitar Duo, Ava Logan Quartet featuring Bruce Oscar, Darwin Noguera's Evolution Sextet and Richie Cole's Alto Madness, featuring Henry Johnson. 2 to 10 p.m. July 10 on Main Street (between Crescent Boulevard and Pennsylvania Avenue), Glen Ellyn free; 630-942-4000 or jazzfestglenellyn.org

Grazyna Auguscik

The Chicago-based Polish singer owns one of the more distinctive voices in jazz, and she'll put it to unusual use here: celebrating the bicentennial of Frederic Chopin's birth. Many jazz musicians have proved that Chopin's ineffably poetic music easily lends itself to jazz improvisation, and it will be intriguing to hear Auguscik's response to her countryman's enormous legacy. She'll be joined by accordionist Jarek Bester and the Andrzej Jagodzinski Trio, from Poland, plus Chicagoans Howard Levy on harmonica and piano and Paulinho Garcia on guitar. 6:30 p.m. July 25 at Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park; free; 312-742-1168 or millenniumpark.org

Mary Lou Williams at 100

The jazz world has been celebrating the centennial of groundbreaking pianist-composer-arranger Mary Lou Williams, and Chicago's tribute — staged as part of the "Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz" series — sounds promising. Chicago pianist Bethany Pickens (daughter of piano master Willie Pickens) will front the band, and pianist Amina Claudine Myers will unveil a composition commissioned for the occasion. 6:30 p.m. Aug. 5 at Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park; free; 312-742-1168 or millenniumpark.org

Ahmad Jamal

As part of a dramatically reconfigured Chicago Jazz Festival, several events will unfold at Millennium Park, including "Big Band Birthday Bash: Ahmad Jamal's 80th with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra." Jamal launched his international career in Chicago, which will make this an important homecoming. 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2 at Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park; free; 312-742-1168 or millenniumpark.org

Most artistically promising

Grace Kelly

The much buzzed-about teenage saxophonist-singer will be making her Chicago debut as bandleader. 8 and 10 p.m. Thursday through June 26; 4, 8 and 10 p.m. June 27 at the Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Court; $20; 312-360-0234 or jazzshowcase.com

Ramsey Lewis' 75th

The celebrated Chicago pianist marks his milestone birthday in a triple-bill concert featuring singer Nancy Wilson and the Dave Brubeck Quartet. These artists tend to bring out the best in each other, which augurs well for this evening. 7 p.m. Friday at the Ravinia Festival, Lake-Cook and Green Bay roads, Highland Park. $65 pavilion; $27 lawn; 847-266-5100 or raviniafestival.org

Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club

Most of the stars of the original Buena Vista Social Club have passed on, but this redux version at least features the legendary Cuban vocalist Omara Pourtuondo. She'll be making her Ravinia Festival debut. 7:30 p.m. June 26 at the Ravinia Festival, Lake-Cook and Green Bay roads, Highland Park; $55 pavilion; $22-$27 lawn; 847-266-5100 or raviniafestival.org

Joao Gilberto

Antonio Carlos Jobim long has epitomized Brazilian bossa nova around the world, but he's not the only figure who defined the idiom. Singer-guitarist Gilberto ranks among the last major bossa nova pioneers still performing, and his appearances in the United States in recent years have been rare. At 79, he connects listeners to the birth of a musical genre that has influenced jazz (and vice versa) since his first recording, "Chega de Saudade" ("No More Blues"), in 1959. Not to be missed. 8 p.m. June 29 at Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave.; $40-$65; 312-294-3000 or cso.org

Hidden gems

Pharez Whitted

A brilliant Chicago trumpeter who has yet to get his due, Whitted could raise his profile significantly with this engagement at the Green Mill. He'll be celebrating the release of his newest recording, "Transient Journey," which is built on original compositions and features such excellent Chicago musicians as guitarist Bobby Broom, pianist Ron Perrillo, bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer Greg Artry; Eddie Bayard plays tenor and soprano saxophones. 9 p.m. June 25 and 8 p.m. June 26 at the Green Mill Jazz Club, 4802 N. Broadway; $10-$15; 773-878-5552

"A Pride of Trumpets"

The name of the event may not ring a bell, but check out the lineup: Corey Wilkes, Orbert Davis, Marquis Hill, Bobby Lewis, Brad Goode, Pharez Whitted, Art Hoyle and Robert Griffin — all led by Jon Faddis. They'll join forces in the 8th annual Gala of the non-profit Jazz Institute of Chicago, which programs the Chicago Jazz Festival. Reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.; concert at 8 p.m. Aug. 31; Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, 610 S. Michigan Ave.; $125-$200; 312-427-1676, ext. 3, or jazzinchicago.org

— Howard Reich, hreich@tribune.com

GRANT PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL
Free shows

Michael Tippett's "A Child of Our Time"

This powerful and deeply moving oratorio is the British composer's response to the Nazis' infamous Kristallnacht pogrom against the Jews in 1938. Grant Park Chorus director Christopher Bell conducts. 6:30 p.m. July 23 and 7:30 p.m. July 24, Pritzker Pavilion.

Pulitzer-winning Americana

Kalmar directs an intriguing program of American music that includes Aaron Copland's popular "Appalachian Spring" Suite along with works by William Schuman and Chicago composer Leo Sowerby. 6:30 p.m. June 25 and 7:30 p.m. June 26, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph Drive; 312-742-7638 or grantparkmusicfestival.com

Most artistically promising

Beethoven's Mass in C major

This fine if seldom-performed piece, a kind of dry run for Beethoven's towering "Missa Solemnis," heralds a Grant Park Music Festival season full of big choral works sung by the sterling Grant Park Chorus. Carlos Kalmar marshals the troops. 6:30 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Pritzker Pavilion.

Dvorak's Requiem

If you associate Dvorak's music only with Bohemian folksiness, this seldom-performed (at least in the U.S.) masterpiece — gently mournful and anything but folksy — should prove an ear-opening surprise. Kalmar leads soloists, orchestra and chorus. 6:30 p.m. Aug. 13 and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 14, Pritzker Pavilion.

Mahler's Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection")

Conductor Carlos Kalmar and his Grant Park choristers and orchestra could hardly have chosen a more rousing way to bring down the festival curtain than Mahler's magnificent depiction of Judgment Day. 6:30 p.m. Aug 20 and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 21, Millennium Park; free; 312-742-7638 or grantparkmusicfestival.com

Hidden gem

"Memoria del Fuego"

("Memory of Fire")

Here's an intriguing program of spoken word and Latin music featuring Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano's masterpiece of that name, adapted for the stage by the Goodman Theatre's Henry Godinez. Launches the 2010 Chicago Latino Theater Festival. 6:30 p.m. July 7, Pritzker Pavilion.

"Planet Earth Live"

This concert version of the celebrated BBC nature documentary series could not be more timely, coming on the heels of the eco-disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. It features live musical accompaniment by the Grant Park Orchestra under composer George Fenton. 8:15 p.m. July 21, Pritzker Pavilion.

Millennium Park's Pritzker Pavilion is at 100 N. Michigan Ave. For more information about the Grant Park Music Festival, call 312-742-7638, or see grantparkmusicfestival.com

Ravinia Festival

Artistically promising

CSO plays Wagner

The world ends gloriously as music director James Conlon conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in excerpts from Wagner's final two "Ring" operas, "Siegfried" and "Goetterdaemmerung," with singers Christine Brewer and John Treleaven. 8 p.m. June 30; $25, $10 lawn

Mozart operas in concert

Conlon, the CSO and interesting vocal soloists offer back-to-back performances of the imperishable comedies "Cosi Fan Tutte" and "The Marriage of Figaro." If they measure up to the Mozart operas conductor and orchestra presented at Ravinia in 2008, perhaps folks won't balk at the stiff price tag. 7 p.m. Aug. 5 and 1 p.m. Aug, 7 ("Cosi"); 7 p.m. Aug. 6 and 1 p.m. Aug. 8 ("Figaro"); $80, $12 lawn

More Beethoven in bulk

The esteemed Chicago-based Mexican pianist Jorge Federico Osorio joins Conlon and the CSO for a complete cycle of the five Beethoven piano concertos. Should be a nice bookend to the CSO's ongoing Beethoven Festival. 8 p.m. July 15 and 16; $25-$50, $10-$12 lawn

Hidden gem

Take me to your lieder

Hear pianist Christoph Eschenbach as he joins German baritone Matthias Goerne, one of today's most compelling exponents of German lieder, for a recital of Schumann and Brahms songs. 8 p.m. July 22 in the Martin Theatre; $30-$50, $10 lawn

'Le Boeuf sur le Toit'

Darius Milhaud's and Jean Cocteau's wacky 1919 ballet-pantomime, "The Ox on the Roof," gets a rare local staging, courtesy of mime artist T. Daniel and his troupe. James Conlon hosts. 8 p.m. July 27 in the Martin Theatre; $30, $10 lawn

Ravinia Festival is located at Lake-Cook and Green Bay roads in Highland Park. For more information, call 847-266-5100 or visit ravinia.org

— John von Rhein, jvonrhein@tribune.com