Kenwood Academy Jazz Band

Sunday, September 28

TIME: 1:00pm-2:00pm

VENUE: West Stage. Midway plaisance at South Ellis Ave.

A photo of the Kenwood Academy Jazz Band seated playing on a stage wearing matching jackets, khaki pants, and red high-top converse shoes. The camera’s frame shows the band from the shoulders down.

Kenwood Academy jazz band

Kenwood Academy is a public high school serving the Kenwood and Hyde Park neighborhoods in Chicago, Illinois. Kenwood enrolls high school students living in its attendance area: Lake Michigan to Cottage Grove Avenue (east to west) and 47th Street to the Midway Plaisance (north to south). In addition to being a neighborhood high school, Kenwood Academy houses a selective enrollment program, the Kenwood Academic Center, for highly qualified 7th and 8th grade students. The University of Chicago Magnet Program also draws 9th through 12th-grade high-achieving high school students to Kenwood Academy. Located in the shadow of the University of Chicago, Kenwood Academy opened in 1970 and has built an enviable reputation in many areas of academic life – not least of which is the prized arts program.

The Kenwood Academy Jazz Band has been under the direction of Gerald D. Powell for the last 19 years.  Under his direction the students have received Superior and Excellent rating for their performances a both City and State Jazz Festivals.  In 2007 the ensemble made it's debut at the Chicago Jazz Festival.  The Jazz Institute of Chicago would continue to renew this invitation for next 17 years, because of the band's  outstanding performances at both the CPS and Essentially Ellington Jazz Festivals.  In 2014 the band made its debut at Chicago’s Symphony Center performing "Looks Of A Lot" with Jason Moran.  In 2017 Kenwood's Jazz Band would travel Washington D. C . and perform "Looks Of A Lot" at the Kennedy Center with Jason Moran.  The band has been very fortunate to have clinics with world renowned musicians such as Jon Batiste, Matthew Whitaker, Victor Goines, Wycliffe Gordon, and Vincent Gardner.

The Hyde Park Jazz Festival is thrilled to welcome the Kenwood Academy Jazz Band back to the Festival stage. The Kenwood Academy Jazz Band is under the direction of Gerald Powell.

The musicians:

TBA