October 6, 2025
You’d think I’d have learned by now not to underestimate the Hyde Park Jazz Festival. Despite the loss of that NEA money, the lineup for the 19th HPJF was more intriguing than the one in Monterey. I decided to stay in Chicago. And on a radiantly sunny weekend, the HPJF had by some metrics its best year ever. The crowd was huge—the festival can’t provide exact numbers because it’s free, partly outdoors, and unfenced, but this was possibly the biggest yet. Donations from the public totaled more than $40,000, increasing by roughly 30 percent over 2024 and hitting an all-time high. The people spoke—or rather, the people took action.