With the Chicago Jazz Festival celebrating its 15th anniversary this weekend, it’s worth noting that the Chicago premieres of major acts like the World Saxophone Quartet, the Henry Threadgill Sextet, and David Murray occurred not in Grant Park but in the ever-changing locations that have housed percussionist/composer Kahil El’Zabar’s ancillary event, Underground Fest. This year, after a three-year absence, the Underground Fest is back.
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Created in 1980 in conjunction with the Forum for the Evolution of Progressive Arts, Underground Fest was intended to revolve loosely around the axis of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, an organization El’Zabar chaired in the 70s. “Most of us”–the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Chico Freeman, Threadgill–“had been performing in Europe, and there was a very intensive focus on our work,” explains El’Zabar, a prolific performer who’s the spine of important combos like the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble and the Ritual Trio. “We had been playing major festivals, and it was ironic that there wasn’t the same kind of focus in our own hometown.” For the first two years the Underground Fest took place in downtown lofts, piggybacking off the influx of fans attracted by the Grant Park event. So successful was the venture that in its third year it moved up to July, and for the next five years it took place at Sauer’s Restaurant at 23rd and Indiana, where El’Zabar claims 1,500 to 2,000 fans crowded in each night. It also spun off an ongoing concert series called One Flight Up, which presented talents like Oliver Lake and Bennie Wallace in the back of the Jazz Record Mart.
El’Zabar’s approach to the arts is decidedly holistic: “The point is not to be reactive, but proactive . . . to create avenues so that artists realize that they have to support one another. Basic things like insurance, marketing, PR, media, and funding are all problems common to all the arts–dance, music, theater, whatever–so to disenfranchise anyone is really a disservice.” His philosophy toward building the cafe’s success is equally wholesome: “It’s not about the star names but the quality of work, be it an unknown or known person. We want to create an environment that’s consistent with presenting good work.”
