I read with great interest your Sept. 3 editorial “Why not a jazz festival all year?” and said, “Of course.” As a member of the board of directors of the Jazz Museum of Chicago, I thought I should respond to your enthusiastic call for a permanent home for America’s music, jazz.
Your jazz critic, Howard Reich, has written in the last few months about the planning of a major cultural institution in Chicago that will provide generous space and accommo-dation for the presentation of jazz in all its forms and diversity. This facility will additionally house jazz archives and offer educational opportunities for the public of all ages to explore the history of jazz, as well as hands-on instruction.
The Jazz Museum of Chicago developed from the vision of Geraldine de Haas and the organization she founded, Jazz Unites. As a longtime presenter of jazz in Chicago, Jazz Unites is known for its outstanding summer jazz festival at the South Shore Cultural Center and its jazz training programs for young people.
The planning of a major new cultural facility in Chicago is a big task, and there has been extensive research and development in the last year. There is obviously much to be done as we move to the next steps of identifying the final site for the museum and formulating the financing package that will make this project a reality.
But with the assistance of a stellar board of directors, a team of professional planners and the growing interest of the Chicago public, we expect that the new facility will break ground before the end of this decade. This effort will be realized only with the support and participation of a number of Chicago institutions that are dedicated to the presentation of jazz.
They include, of course, the Jazz Institute of Chicago, the Ravinia Festival and the Chicago Symphony Center, as well as many educational institutions that include jazz presentation and education among their programs.
Yes, I agree that jazz is thriving in Chicago at major venues and smaller haunts; however, the Jazz Museum of Chicago will offer Chicago something it hasn’t had yet–an active, permanent home for the music. Stay tuned!
