Fred Anderson Chicago Saxman / Velvet Lounge Founder Hospitalized

Years ago I was introduced to Fred Anderson and his way cool Velvet Lounge scene (currently located at 67 E. Cermak Road in Chicago, Illinois) by an area jazz vocalist. Fred founded his club in 1982 and has struggled ever since to keep the Chicago home of "experimental jazz" alive, having had to deal with finding continual financial support for his ongoing enterprise and even being required to relocate "The Velvet" as it is affectionately known by its fans...its sad to hear that on June 14th, 2010 Fred had a massive heart attack and is currently hospitalized...as Howard Reich points out in his Chicago tribune article of June 21, 2010 the fate of the club founder and the club itself hang in the balance. Fred has been quoted as saying "I got fascinated over this music, and I just wanted to make a contribution...". Whatever the future holds, Fred Anderson most assuredly has made his mark on the Chicago jazz scene and definitely jazz itself. Hang in there Man! Our prayers are with you.

(image of Fred Anderson circa 2005 by Seth Tisue)

(source: ChicagoTribune.com, Wikipedia.org, velvetlounge.net)

Fred Anderson jazz saxman and Velvet Lounge founder video from 2005:

Summer 2010 Promises Live Chicago Jazz

Summertime in Chicago this year holds much promise for some great jazz and a variety of world music. Here from an article entitled "Summer lineup: Jazz, world music at Millennium Park" by Arts Critic Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune is the list of jazz and other world music performers scheduled for the Millineum Park venue as follows...

March 30, 2010 - "Millennium Park will be alive this summer with jazz and world music. All concerts are free and unfold at the Pritzker Pavilion, near Randolph Drive and Michigan Avenue. The following are highlights; for further details, visit millenniumpark.org, or call 312-742-1168.

Made in Chicago: World Class Jazz

Tortoise 2.0, 6:30 p.m. July 29. The genre-defying Chicago band bulks up with players from Chicago's jazz avant-garde, including saxophonists Edward Wilkerson Jr. and Greg Ward, flutist Nicole Mitchell and cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm.

A Woman Beyond Time: Mary Lou Williams at 100 featuring Bethany Pickens and Amina Claudine Myers, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 5. Pianist Pickens will lead a band in Williams' works; pianist Myers will unveil a newly commissioned work.

Toumani Diabate and the Chicago Transilience Ensemble, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 12. The Malian kora virtuoso will perform with Chicago innovators including trombonist Jeb Bishop, cornetist Josh Berman, drummer Hamid Drake, bassist Josh Abrams, guitarist Jeff Parker, vibist Jason Adasiewicz, flutist Nicole Mitchell and saxophonist Nate Lepine.

Django: A Celebration featuring Alfosno Ponticelli and Swing Gitan with Special Guests, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 19. Guitarist Ponticelli's centennial tribute to Django Reinhardt will include Ensemble Zaiti, from France; Stephane Wrembel from New York; and Howard Levy and Juliano Milo from Chicago.

Latin Inferno: James Sanders' Conjunto with Special Guests Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, Papo Santiago and Fred Anderson, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 26. Chicago violinist Sanders and his Conjunto epitomize Afro-Cuban musical traditions, which will be extended by iconoclastic saxophonist Anderson.

Big Band Birthday Bash: Ahmad Jamal's 80th with the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 2. Jamal launched his international career in Chicago and celebrates his 80th birthday with Jeff Lindberg's CJO.

Other events

Chicago Gospel Music Festival, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. June 5 and 6. Headliners will include Ricky Dillard, the Hezekiah Walker and Love Fellowship Choir, Albertina Walker with the Caravans and Fred Hammond.

Chopin 200 — Grazyna Auguscik's World Sound, 6:30 p.m. July 25. Polish jazz singer Auguscik marks the Chopin bicentennial with the Andrzej Jagodzinski Trio, plus Howard Levy, Paulinho Garcia, Issa Boulos and others.

Viva Chicago Latin Music Festival, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sept. 17 and 18. The annual Latin music festival moves from Grant Park's sorry Petrillo Music Shell to Millennium Park's superb Pritzker Pavilion.

Music Without Borders

Balkan Beat Box with The Very Best, 6:30 p.m. June 3; "Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba," 6:30 p.m. June 10; "Dandana: A Celebration of Muslim Voices featuring Tinariwen with Monajat Yulchieva," 6:30 p.m. June 17; "Noche Mexicana: Doc Severinsen and El Ritmo de la Vida with Sones de Mexico Ensemble," 6:30 p.m. June 24; "Orchestre Septentrional d'Haiti with Batata y Las Alegres Ambulancias," 7:30 p.m. July 1; "Dobet Gnahore with Victor Deme," 6:30 p.m. July 8; "Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou with La 33," 6:30 p.m. July 15; "Renato Borghetti with Boris Malkovsky & The AGAM String Quartet," 6:30 p.m. July 22."

(Source: ChicagoTribune.com, MilleniumPark.org )