Music in the Park
One of the main reasons we returned to Chicago for the second summer in a row is the abundance of free concerts in Millennium Park. We love relaxing with a picnic on the lush lawn in front of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, enjoying live music with perfect acoustics, surrounded by skyscrapers and The Bean. We even bought new picnic gear - camping chairs, blanket, soft-sided cooler - because it was cheaper than shipping it all from Tampa. (We later gifted all those items to some local folks through Buy Nothing.) Kudos to the City of Chicago and to all the generous donors who make it possible to have free music for everyone.
Chicago Blues Festival
Blues music is a big deal in Chicago, and this festival has been a beloved annual event since 1984. We attended the first day, and the entire line-up was terrific. (Click the links to watch clips!) Local bandleader/guitarist/vocalist D.K. Harrell was exuberant and loose-limbed. Award-winning Canadian vocalist Dawn Tyler Watson had a smooth voice. The iconic guitarist John Primer performed with master harmonica player Steve Bell. The headliner was the phenomenal, star-studded B.B. King Centennial Tribute band, which delivered a string of sure-fire hits. There is nothing like Chicago blues!
Grant Park Music Festival
We had a wonderful time at the Grant Park Music Festival last year - I wrote about it here. This year, we were in Chicago a month earlier, so the concerts didn’t begin until halfway through our stay.
One day, we walked over the Gehry-designed BP Pedestrian Bridge to Millennium Park and encountered a Grant Park Orchestra rehearsal in progress. It was strange to hear the music and see an empty lawn. (We returned later that evening for the actual concert.)
This year, we attended three concerts:
Rhapsody in Blue - This was the season opener, and there was a huge crowd! Conductor Andrew Litton was the pianist for Gershwin’s classic, which we learned was written in just three weeks! The other two pieces in the program were fine, but forgettable.
Mahler Symphony No. 1 - We saw this one with our kids, thankfully before the heat wave arrived. I’m not normally interested in listening to Mahler, but I enjoyed “Titan” very much. The program was strong, with lively pieces by Brazilian and Mexican composers. A highlight was trumpeter Pacho Flores’ off-program encore, Lábios Vermelhos.
Mozart Paris Symphony - The heat wave had broken, but there was an eerie fog enveloping the towers behind the stage. The first piece had two string orchestras and a string quartet, creating an interesting wall of sound. The second piece was for woodwinds and horns, with each movement titled after a “Phenomenal Woman,” like Serena Williams and Katherine Johnson. I wasn’t impressed with Mozart’s symphony, but at least the conductor got the audience involved in voting for their favorite version of the middle movement.
