Chicago hosts a vibrant and eclectic mix of concerts and performances to honor Black artistry. Check out these events to take part in the celebrations!
Celebrating Ella Jenkins’ Folk Songs
2/5: Chicago Public Library: South Shore Branch, free
Ella Jenkins, the “First Lady of Children’s Music,” died in November at age 100. The Chicago Public Library’s South Shore location hosts this kid-friendly listening party for the influential musician’s songs.

Ella Jenkins, cover photo for the album Come Dance By the Ocean (Photo: B. Richter via ellajenkins.com)
AGAVE with Reginald Mobley
2/7: Logan Center for the Arts, $43.00
Leading countertenor Reginald Mobley joins early music ensemble AGAVE for a celebration of music by Black and Brown composers in the UChicago Presents concert series.

Reginald Mobley (Photo: Liz Linder)
Black Futures Concert Series
2/7-2/11: Symphony Center, free
Chicago’s ambitious children’s chorus Uniting Voices reprises its annual Black History concert with a program celebrating Afrofuturism, hosting a “musical journey through time and space.”
Ellingtonia
2/8: Kehrein Center for the Arts, $1.00
Orbert Davis’s Chicago Jazz Philharmonic shares an original presentation paying tribute to the great Duke Ellington. To ensure access for all, the ensemble has set all tickets at $1.

Duke Ellington (Public domain)
Ballet 5:8: The Caged Bird Sings
Orland Park-based Ballet 5:8 is a respected female- and minority led dance troupe. The ensemble evokes Maya Angelou’s landmark autobiography with The Caged Bird Sings, a “sacred voyage, where poetry and movement intertwine.” At the meeting point of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, Ballet 5:8 reprises this program to anchor Struggle & Resilience, a new festival celebrating Latina and Black Women in the Arts.

Maya Angelou
Black Heritage Performing Arts Community Concert
2/11: Emmanuel Baptist Church, free
The Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras shares its third annual Black Heritage concert, with the CYSO Jazz orchestra as the focal point of the musical proceedings.
Jazz Showcase: Black History, Black Cinema, Black Love
2/13: Time Out Market Chicago, free
Chicago-based jazz group Park-N-Ride celebrates Black History, Black Cinema, and Black Love with music, including from the movie soundtrack Love Jones and Claudine. Attendees can sample Time Out Market’s eclectic mix of restaurant vendors while they take in the music.
Gerald Clayton: “White Cities”
2/14: Logan Center for the Arts, $43.00
Visionary jazz pianist and composer Gerald Clayton shares an evening-length musical tribute to the Black, Chicago-born and educated visual artist Charles White.

Gerald Clayton (Photo: Ogata)
Cécile McLorin Salvant
2/21: Symphony Center, from $39.00
Renowned French-American vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant is in town, offering a rare opportunity to hear her signature — and distinctive — musical blend: blues, jazz, folk, baroque, and more.

Cécile McLorin Salvant
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
2/23: Old Town School of Folk Music, from $46.00
The Old Town School welcomes Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African group dubbed by the late Nelson Mandela as the nation’s “cultural ambassadors to the world.”

Ladysmith Black Mambazo in concert at Ravinia (Photo: Stephen Neilson, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped, via Wikimedia Commons)
Margaret Murphy-Webb: The Legacy of Jazz Concert
2/23: Garfield Park Conservatory, free
Sublime sounds will fill the verdant halls of the Garfield Park Conservatory. To celebrate and cast light on the importance of jazz in culture and music, Chicago-based jazz vocalist Margaret Murphy-Webb shares a free (with registration) concert with the backing of the South Side Jazz Coalition.
Lisa Fischer
2/24: SPACE Evanston, from $27.00
Lisa Fischer’s career has had many chapters. The accomplished, powerhouse vocalist was profiled as part of the Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet From Stardom, which conveyed the artistic triumphs and plights of backup singer. She maintains a touring performance career, but now she is at center stage.
Kahil El’ Zabar: Ethnic Heritage Ensemble Heart & Soul Tour
2/27: The Promontory, from $20.00
Legendary Chicago composer and musician Kahil El’Zabar and his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble stops by Hyde Park’s Promontory on a nationwide tour.

Kahil El’Zabar performs with Fulcrum Point and his own Ethnic Heritage Ensemble in the second annual The Black Composer Speaks performance
Paper, Vinyl and Song: Chicago Blues
2/27: Chicago Public Library: Sulzer Branch, free
The February meeting of the Paper, Vinyl, and Song book club explores the rich history of the Chicago blues through listening, live performance, and book discussion (with a suggested reading list available through the library).