I have wrote about this before pictures and to those that know me well it is no secret how much I enjoy Jazz. Jazz is ubiquitous in Chicago; there are several great places all around the city and if you lucky enough to spend a summer in this city you also get several chances to listen to great music in one of the best venues ever (seriously, Millennium Park in the Summer is incredible).
Having said that one of my favorite jazz spots in Chicago is the Jazz Showcase. As soon as you get into the place you realized that this place has been much more than a showcase for excellent music; it has been an active actor in the development of the music. Old style posters decorate the walls and show all the monsters that have been there since the place opened in 1947; round glass tables facing the stage and a slightly dark environment, with low light skewed towards red tones complement the perfect environment to sit back and enjoy good music.
This is not a mere venue for concerts; musicians come here to perform as well as to interact with a community, their community. Often impromptu guests outnumber the original line up; stars of the night sit back and leave young unknown musicians shine; talks in between the tunes seem like summer talks on the balcony…
Every time I look at this picture that is exactly what I feel; Benny Green (piano) was the one that named the trio performing at that rainy night of May. However he gently sits back and listen carefully to the amazing solo Kenny Washington delivers, just as impressed as we (the audience) was, just enjoying the music…
