Chicago experimental jazz gets a downtown shrine you can touch

The Velvet Lounge, a cornerstone of Chicago’s experimental jazz scene since the 1980s, has found a new form of life at the Chicago Cultural Center. This revival emerges nearly 14 years after the passing of its founder, tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson, whose death in 2010 marked the closure of the beloved Near South Side venue. Known affectionately as “the Velvet,” the club was an essential platform for avant-garde jazz and a hub for members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM).

While drummer Mike Reed’s Constellation, opened in 2013, has helped fill the void left by the Velvet’s absence, the original club’s influence remains deeply felt among Chicago’s creative music community. Today, the Cultural Center hosts a detailed partial reconstruction of the Velvet Lounge, nestled within a larger exhibition entitled "Tangible Sound: Arrival to a Higher Ground." This tribute spans three galleries, each dedicated to honoring Chicago’s rich history of innovative jazz.

Visitors entering the north gallery encounter a faithful re-creation of the Velvet’s distinctive interior. Walls are adorned with the club’s iconic floral wallpaper, and original artifacts such as painted wine bottles crafted by artist and former Velvet bartender Donna Joy Wolfe are displayed alongside a table and one of Anderson’s tenor saxophones, generously loaned by bassist Tatsu Aoki, a close collaborator of Anderson. This space is further animated by an interactive digital installation titled Touching Sound, developed by artists Kristen Youngman and Mitch Stomner, which projects performances from Velvet alumni including Aoki and saxophonist Edward Wilkerson Jr. The installation also features newer musicians influenced by the Velvet’s legacy, such as the alto saxophonist Mai Sugimoto.

The exhibition’s center gallery, known as the Ancestral Forest, offers a contemplative homage to Chicago’s pioneering jazz figures. Created by Josue Esau with assistance from Jesse Cryderman, this installation features eight symbolic “trees” representing key musicians like Fred Anderson, Sun Ra, Muhal Richard Abrams, Malachi Favors, Ann E. Ward, Von Freeman, Oscar Brown Jr., and Willie Pickens. Behind these figures, a wall painted by graffiti artist Tyrue “Slang” Jones lists fifty additional names, with Louis Armstrong prominently highlighted as a foundational influence.

In the south gallery, visitors experience Lauren Deutsch’s signature photographic work, enhanced and animated by AACM member and filmmaker Jonathan Woods. Deutsch, a veteran of Chicago’s jazz scene and former executive director of the Jazz Institute of Chicago, employs long-exposure photography to visually interpret the spontaneity of free jazz through layered light streaks she calls “sound palettes.” Woods animates these images using video software traditionally associated with electronic dance music concerts, translating static portraits into dynamic visual performances synchronized to the musicians’ sounds.

The integration of live jazz performances further animates the exhibition. Since its opening in late April 2024, “Tangible Sound” has hosted an ongoing series featuring musicians connected to the exhibit’s honorees, including descendants and collaborators of the Ancestral Forest’s featured artists. Notable performers have included Oscar Brown Jr.’s daughters, Maggie and Africa Brown; Susan E. Ward, sister of Ann E. Ward; and pianist Bethany Pickens, daughter of Willie Pickens. Upcoming concerts include appearances by percussionist Michael Zerang, Arkestra hornist Vincent Chancey, and cornetist Ben LaMar Gay, culminating in a high-profile, yet undisclosed, final performance set for late September.

The project’s expansion to encompass three galleries was made possible by a $12,000 grant from the Illinois Arts Council, supplementing Deutsch’s initial commission from the Cultural Center. The grant enabled the continuation of live programming and enhanced interactivity, further solidifying the exhibition as a vibrant community resource.

“Tangible Sound” stands as a unique cultural landmark that bridges Chicago’s past and present experimental jazz scenes. It provides a multisensory experience that honors the legacy of Fred Anderson and his contemporaries while fostering engagement with new generations of musicians and audiences.

Running through September 27, 2024, the exhibit is open daily and free to all visitors, offering an accessible portal into the city’s avant-garde jazz heritage. Through immersive installations, archival artifacts, innovative photography, and live performances, it reanimates the spirit of the Velvet Lounge in a setting far removed from its gritty origins but no less vital to Chicago’s musical identity.

By recontextualizing the Velvet Lounge within a prestigious cultural institution, the exhibition not only preserves Anderson’s contributions but also invigorates ongoing dialogue about creativity, improvisation, and community in Chicago’s music scene. This initiative underscores the enduring significance of experimental jazz as a living art form that continues to inspire and evolve.