![\"segal\"](\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/segal.jpg\")
<\/a>Joe Segal at the Jazz Showcase, in front of his hero Charlie Parker<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n
![\"dscf6470\"](\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/dscf6470-300x234.jpeg\")
<\/a>Dee Alexander at Joe Segal’s Jazz Showcase; photo by Marc PoKempner<\/p><\/div>\n
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- Tatsu Aoki<\/strong>, <\/a>avantbassist who unites\u00c2\u00a0Asian-American traditional music, Chicago AACM extrapolations and blues traditions, was honored on Sunday as a “Jazz Hero<\/a>” by the Jazz Journalists Association<\/a> (thanks to Neil Tesser for setting this up at Elastic Arts<\/a>, and getting a proclamation hailing Tatsu signed by Mayor Rahm Emmanuel). In celebration played a strong set with his daughter on taiko drums, tenor sax\u00c2\u00a0Ed Wilkerson, baritonist Mwata Bowden, drummer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"DSCF1752\"](\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/DSCF1752-300x200.jpg\")
<\/a>Tatsu Aoki with Jazz Hero Award and mayoral proclamation in his honor; Neil Tesser at left, HM further left; photo by Lauren Deutsch<\/p><\/div>\n
Avreeal Ra and percussionist Coco Elysses. Other Chicago Jazz Heroes in the house: Bowden, former pres of the Chicago AACM; Jazz Institute of Chicago exec director Lauren Deutsch (who took the photo at right), and jazz connector\/consultant Jim deJong. Aoki’s Miyumi Project performs tonight (Friday<\/a>)<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0at the Hilton Orrington Hotel in Evanston for free, thanks to a Northwestern University Asian-American Studies program.<\/p>\n
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- An AACM 50th anniversary weekend<\/strong> <\/a>began Wednesday at The Promontory in Hyde Park with Mike Reed<\/strong> playing cardboard box and steel tongue drum in duo with imaginative cellist Tomeka Reid<\/strong>, joined by dancer\u00c2\u00a0Ayako Kato.\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>I have a bias against interpretive jazz dance, but Ms. Kato was very compelling, moving with swift,\u00c2\u00a0taut detail, working within and from the music for an uninterrupted 40 minutes.<\/li>\n
- Second act at The Promontory<\/a>: robust singer Saalik Ziyad<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0led\u00c2\u00a0Epoch Zed,<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0a latest-generation sharp AACM-ish quintet (collaborators to watch: reedist Fred\u00c2\u00a0Jackson, vibes and electronics Preyas Roy, drummer Vincent Davis). Ziyad sheepishly offered the\u00c2\u00a0originality of his vocalese lyrics to Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee” as an apology for playing “old” jazz at an AACM event – there’s a proscription against that!<\/li>\n
- Third up<\/strong>: tenor-soprano-flute-electric wind instrumentalist Hanah Jon Taylor<\/a>,<\/strong> in from Madison WI, very bracingly\u00c2\u00a0blowing over\u00c2\u00a0bassist Yosef Ben Israel and drummer Dushun Mosely . . .<\/li>\n
- Also tonight,\u00c2\u00a0Friday, pianist Adegoke Steve Colson<\/strong> and his wife Iqua<\/strong><\/a>, a vocalist, \u00c2\u00a0celebrating their 40th year “in the moment” at International House, U of Chicago — longtime AACM stomping grounds — with trumpeter Rasul Saddik altoist Ernest Dawkins, bassist Darius Savage and drummer Mosely . . .<\/li>\n
- Saturday 4\/25: Solo pianist Marilyn Crispell<\/strong><\/a> performs in Chicago for the first time in nine years, at Constellation (Mike Reed’s place), but earlier in the day (11 am to 1 pm) members of Samana, the all-women ensemble<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0that formed in the 1990s to establish\u00c2\u00a0AACM feminism (historically, an oxymoron?)\u00c2\u00a0reunites\u00c2\u00a0for a performance\/master class at the Logan Center, U of Chicago . . .<\/li>\n
- Sunday: 50 at 50<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0is a cross-generational (not the usual, or easy thing) AACM mega-concert at Mandel (no relation) Hall<\/a> at U of C, 7 to 9 pm. So I’ll have to watch Game of Thrones<\/em> on HBO on Demand. In the afternoon, 1 to 3 pm, flutist Nicole Mitchell and violinist Renee Bake<\/strong>r conduct a Creative Music Summit at the Museum of Contemporary Art, discussing their upcoming commissions, among other issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Monday rolls around and Chicago blues pianist Erwin Helfer<\/a> <\/strong>with compatriots tenor man John Brumbach and singer Katherine Davis do their weekly gig at Township near Logan Square, and there’s a fantastic straightahead jam at the\u00c2\u00a0neighborhoody\u00c2\u00a0Serbian Village<\/a>, anchored\u00c2\u00a0by pianist Tommy Muellner’s trio<\/a> <\/strong>with bassist Kelly Sill and drummer Phil Gratteau . . .\u00c2\u00a0and the week stretches on. . .<\/p>\n
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\nFollow on Twitter <\/a><\/p>\n - Second act at The Promontory<\/a>: robust singer Saalik Ziyad<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0led\u00c2\u00a0Epoch Zed,<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0a latest-generation sharp AACM-ish quintet (collaborators to watch: reedist Fred\u00c2\u00a0Jackson, vibes and electronics Preyas Roy, drummer Vincent Davis). Ziyad sheepishly offered the\u00c2\u00a0originality of his vocalese lyrics to Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee” as an apology for playing “old” jazz at an AACM event – there’s a proscription against that!<\/li>\n
- An AACM 50th anniversary weekend<\/strong> <\/a>began Wednesday at The Promontory in Hyde Park with Mike Reed<\/strong> playing cardboard box and steel tongue drum in duo with imaginative cellist Tomeka Reid<\/strong>, joined by dancer\u00c2\u00a0Ayako Kato.\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>I have a bias against interpretive jazz dance, but Ms. Kato was very compelling, moving with swift,\u00c2\u00a0taut detail, working within and from the music for an uninterrupted 40 minutes.<\/li>\n