Student Rush: $15 Tickets for Sketches of Blue and River North Dance Chicago

I've been so excited for this week for months! We're finishing up our Miles Davis Festival this week and college students have the opportunity to celebrate this legendary trumpeter with us for only $15.

Sketches of Blue: An Orbert Davis Tribute to Miles
Thursday, April 14 at 7:30 pm

You won't want to miss one of Chicago's most treasured trumpeters, Orbert Davis, pay homage to Miles Davis. Act 1, entitled Kind of Blue features the Orbert Davis Sextet with Ari Brown and Ernest Dawkins. You'll hear a world premiere in Act 2 as the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble performs Sketches of Spain (Revisited) which is adapted and composed by Orbert Davis himself.

River North Dance Chicago
Saturday, April 16 at 8:00 pm

I experienced this dynamic dance company for the first time in college, and I hope you will too. Become a part of history with us this weekend as River North Dance Chicago performs the world-premiere, Simply Miles, Simply Us. Artistic Director (and former saxophone player) Frank Chaves choreographs the piece and takes inspiration from the music of the legendary trumpeter, Miles Davis.

You can get $15 Student Rush tickets one hour before show time at the Auditorium Box Office (located at 50 E. Congress Pkwy). Remember to bring your valid college ID; there's also a limit of two tickets per ID. Student Rush tickets and locations are subject to availability and cannot be reserved in advance.



Sign up for e-mail Student Rush Alerts and be among the first to know when Student Rush becomes available.

* Student Rush tickets are sold at the discretion of the presenter. Policies differ from show to show.

Bitches Brew 40th Anniversary Band Performance at Martyrs' Sold Out Tonight

Miles Davis Remembered Through Jazz Festival: MyFoxCHICAGO.com

In April 1970, Miles Davis released his first gold album Bitches Brew, which highlighted Davis’ continual experimentation with electronic music. While Bitches Brew received mixed reviews due to Davis’ unconventional style and rejection of traditional jazz rhythms, the album was beyond influential, selling more than half a million copies and ranking on the top of most “best albums” lists.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Bitches Brew as well as the 85th anniversary of Davis’ birth, the Bitches Brew 40th Anniversary Band will be performing at Martyrs’ tonight as part of the Auditorium Theatre’s Miles Davis Festival. Featuring an all-star lineup (Trumpet: Nicholas Payton, Sax: Gary Thomas, Bass: Darryl Jones, Guitar: Blackbyrd McKnight, Tabla: Badal Roy, Percussion: Mino Cinelu, Percussion: Munyungo Jackson, Keyboards: Robert Irving III, Keyboards: John Beasley, Drums: Vincent Wilburn Jr. and Turntables: DJ Logic), the show will allow attendees to judge for themselves what critics are still debating—is Bitches Brew “jazz tradition” or “jazz mutation?”

While today’s show is sold out, you can experience Davis’ Bitches Brew and the 40th Anniversary Band, both albums available at milesdavis.com. And make sure to let us know what you think!

River North Dance Chicago Warms Up the Weekend

Photo by William Frederking

Congratulations to our friends at River North Dance Chicago for wrapping up a successful Valentine's weekend engagement at the Harris Theatre for Music and Dance. With good reviews from Sid Smith for SeeChicagoDance.com and Zachary Whittenburg for TimeOut Chicago, we wait with bated breath for RNDC's performance during the Miles Davis Festival which will feature a world premiere Simply Miles, co-commissioned by the Auditorium Theatre.

The never-before-seen piece, choreographed by Artistic Director Frank Chaves, takes inspiration from Miles Davis' career, utilizing the vast and varied repertoire to highlight the breadth of Davis' development as a jazz artist.

Tickets are on sale now for River North Dance Chicago on Saturday, April 16 at 8pm. Purchase online via Ticketmaster, by calling 800.982.ARTS (2787) or at our box office (50 E. Congress Pkwy.). Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more by calling 312.431.2357.

Matt Lewis Infuses Chicago Loop Alliance's Pop-Up Art Loop Galleries with Miles Davis Music

As part of the Miles Davis Festival, produced by the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University, we've partnered with the Chicago Loop Alliance to bring live music to the CLA's Pop-Up Art Loop Galleries on February 16 and March 16, 2011. Admission is free.




One of the musicians slated to play is vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and arts educator Matt Lewis. A three-time jazz ambassador for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Lewis has crossed the globe bringing music awareness, arts education and goodwill on behalf of the Kennedy Center and the United States Department of State. When not on tour, Lewis is well known in the Chicago music scene as a talented headliner and collaborator. Since 2000, he has worked with Ravinia Festival's Music Discovery Program as a resident teaching artist enhancing music education in the classrooms of Chicago Public Schools.

On those two Wednesdays, listen to Matt Lewis and other instrumentalists play a selection of music by Miles Davis and explore unique art at the following Pop-Up Gallery locations from 5-8pm:

205 S. State St. | 220 S. Wabash Ave. | 310 S. Michigan Ave.


View Miles Davis Festival - Pop-Up Gallery Performances in a larger map.


For additional information, visit PopUpArtLoop.com.

Music for Miles and Miles

The city is alive with the sound of music! If you work downtown, you’ll get a special serenade this morning. From 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., trumpeters will be on several street corners playing Miles Davis tunes. Why, you might ask? To celebrate the announcement of the Auditorium Theatre’s Miles Davis Festival, of course. Take a picture of one of the trumpeters and post it to our Facebook page or tweet it to us @AuditoriumChgo and you’ll get a special discount off Festival programming.

Want to know where to find them? (You didn't think we'd make you go on a scavenger hunt in this weather, did you?!)

Courtesy of Frances Carnauba

-190 N. State Street
-435 N. Michigan Avenue
-600 N. Michigan Avenue
-Chicago Red Line CTA Station (800 N. State)
-Chicago Cultural Center, north entrance (78 E. Washington)
-Chicago Cultural Center, south entrance (78 E. Washington)
-DePaul Center Plaza (1 E. Jackson)
-Jackson Red Line CTA Stop (350 S. State)
-Jackson Blue Line CTA Stop (230 S. Dearborn)
-Ogilvie Transportation Center (504 W. Madison)

For more information about the Festival, read Brett’s blog post or visit MilesDavisFest.org. And don’t forget, send us those pictures for your discount offer!

Announcing the Miles Davis Festival

Post by Brett Batterson, Executive Director of the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University.

Miles Davis on the Auditorium Stage. August 14, 1981. Photo by Paul Natkin.

I am delighted and honored to announce that the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University is producing a four-month—yes, you read that correctly—a FOUR MONTH celebration honoring a legendary Illinois jazz artist some of you might be somewhat familiar with…a man by the name of Miles Davis.

This Miles Davis Festival will run from January through April 16, 2011—and in all my years as Executive Director of the Auditorium Theatre, I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited at the potential, or the possibilities, of a project as I am right at this moment.

I’d just like to elaborate for a moment on the genesis of this project and give you a few more details about all the incredible events that will be taking place. Miles Davis is one of Illinois' favorite sons. Born in Alton and raised in East St. Louis, Mr. Davis' impact on the social, musical, and cultural landscape of America simply cannot be denied.

Beginning today, and culminating on April 16, 2011, the Auditorium Theatre will co-produce a series of citywide events and concerts recognizing Miles Davis' substantial impact on American music and society.