In the heart of Bronzeville, on Chicago's South Side, stands an imposing red-brick building known to locals as The Forum. Today, its stained glass windows are boarded up, and the entrance is closed to the public as careful restoration work proceeds. But in the early 1900s, this vast hall was the beating heart of Chicago's 'Black Metropolis'. Debates were held, weekly shopping took place, and people danced the Lindy Hop to rapturous live music.
This was where some of the most iconic jazz musicians of all time honed their craft—Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington among them, as well as Nat King Cole, who grew up nearby on South Vincennes Avenue and is commemorated with a dedicated mural in the neighbourhood. The 1920s saw Chicago awash with musicians. Along with clubs such as the Savoy Ballroom and the Regal Theatre, The Forum became a key stop on the circuit. New Orleans may be the 'birthplace' of jazz, but Chicago is where the genre truly came of age.
While Chicago has provided a spiritual home to many other musical forms—blues flourished during the early 20th century, and house music found its feet on dance floors—jazz still pulsates through the city today. During a warm spring week, celebrations are already underway for the annual UNESCO International Day of Jazz on April 30. At The Forum Café, which is open on one side of the main building, musician Angel Bat Dawid moves between her clarinet and microphone, improvising melodies to a captivated crowd. Academic Dr. Hareder McDowell, who grew up in the area, gives a brief talk on how jazz changed courtships in the early 20th century and beyond.
Afterwards, the group embarks on a jazz-inspired walking tour, with stops including the home of Louis and Lil Armstrong, as well as poet Gwendolyn Brooks' balconette apartment. Downtown, I visit the Chicago Art Institute for another dose of jazz. This time it comes in the form of Henri Matisse's 20 'Jazz' cut-outs, on display here for the first time in their entirety. Described by the artist as 'chromatic and rhythmic improvisations', it is a joy to see them in real life—vivid and colourful, they almost dance off the walls to an imagined soundtrack of blues notes and rhythms.
Chicago is a go-to destination for this musical form. Each September, over the Labor Day weekend, the city hosts a jazz festival in Millennium Park and along the lakefront, featuring performances ranging from contemporary to Chicago-style and New Orleans 'Dixieland' jazz. Better still, it is free for all to enjoy. Jazz is also part of everyday life here. On the Friday night of my visit, I head to the smart club-meets-restaurant Tortoise Supper Club in the downtown Loop. As the clock strikes 8pm, the stage curtain is drawn, and diners are treated to local-born Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis standards while enjoying delicious steaks with creamy mash. It is a sophisticated scene with waiters in waistcoats and dolled-up diners—and great music.
You do not need deep pockets to enjoy Chicagoan jazz. Over in Wicker Park on Milwaukee Avenue, the 'hipster' part of town, there are record stores and bars with live gigs aplenty. I opt for restaurant La Lunita for al pastor tacos (filled with spiced spit-grilled pork), stuffed burritos, and cucumber margaritas, as the resident weekend DJ spins vinyl jazz tracks. After plates of warmed chocolate and lightly spiced churros are cleared, the tables are whisked away and diners become dancers for the remainder of the evening.
Jazz has always been a music of rebellion and political resistance. It is palpable here in the US's 'Second City', where the streets are lined with anti-ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) rhetoric while declarations of Democratic pride sit alongside murals celebrating the South Side's musical heritage. Nina Simone once said of the genre: 'Jazz is not just a music, it's a way of life.' Spend a few days in the Windy City, and you will know what she meant.
Travel Facts
- Return flights from £618 (ba.com).
- Doubles from £266 at the hip Hoxton hotel, where live jazz is played (thehoxton.com).
- Adult CityPASSes from £80, covering admission to three attractions including the Chicago Art Institute (citypass.com).
- More information: choosechicago.com.
