NEAR NORTH — Community members in the Near North neighborhood have turned to jazz to bring the diverse community together.
Movies in the park are a Chicago institution, but members of the Near North Unity Program decided music is what really unites people, not staring at the silver screen.
On Friday Chicago tenor saxophone master Ari Brown is set to take the stage in Seward Park, 365 W. Elm St., for the second-to-last installment of the Seward Park Jazz Fest this year.
The free nights in the park, which are sponsored by Ald. Walter Burnett (27th), kick off at 6:30 p.m.
The Chicago Park District supplies folding chairs, and guests are welcome to bring their picnic gear and blankets.
The Seward Park Jazz Fest started four years ago when a group of 20 different community leaders convened to understand the priorities of the neighborhood, which includes the former Cabrini-Green area as well as new developments.
"One of the things the community was lacking was an opportunity for everyone of every race, background, socioeconomic status, gender, age," said Jennifer Hockema, program manager of the Near North Unity Program. "There wasn’t really an opportunity for the community that was inviting to everyone."
The jazz fest has grown over the years from 1,200 attendees in the first year to 3,500 in 2013.
The festival, which includes five nights of performances over a 10-week stretch, is on track to have 4,500 to 5,000 this year, Hockema said.
"Jazz has a really nice history in Chicago, and it's a really peaceful thing," she said.
The event is hosted by the Near North Unity Program in partnership with the park district and jazz historian Al Carter-Bey.
Carter-Bey is tasked with finding the talent.
The last night of the jazz fest, Aug. 22, will include performances by Dianne Ellis and the Jazzy Ladies.
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