Dakota

Chris Botti
2026-10-22 21:00 - 23:00, 2026-10-23 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-10-23 21:00 - 23:00, 2026-10-24 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-10-24 21:00 - 23:00 (America/Chicago)
“A jazz-pop powerhouse” – The New York Times

With a solo career spanning two decades, Chris Botti is the highest-selling instrumental artist in the United States. His success has crossed over to audiences usually reserved for pop music. Additionally, his ongoing association with PBS has led to four Number One jazz albums, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum and Grammy Awards. He performs worldwide and sells millions of albums. Further, his form of creative expression is rooted in jazz and expands beyond the limits of any single genre.
He performs worldwide and sells millions of albums. Further, his form of creative expression is rooted in jazz and expands beyond the limits of any single genre. Over the past three decades, Botti has recorded and performed with the best in music. He’s worked with Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Josh Groban, Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Bublé and Paul Simon. Also, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli, Joshua Bell, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and even Frank Sinatra.
His live performances are inspiring and moving. However, his recorded output has firmly established him as a clarion voice in the American contemporary music scene. Moreover, his recordings highlight his uniquely expressive sound and soaring musical imagination. Botti also showcases his softer side, in a warm, intimate celebration of melodic balladry.
The Chris Botti experience can be felt on recordings, in concert with his band, or with a symphony orchestra. Botti has thoroughly established himself as one of the important, innovative figures of the contemporary music world.
Recommended for fans of Sting, David Sanborn, Kenny G, Michael Bublé and Boney James.

Afro-Cuban All Stars
2026-10-25 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-10-25 20:00 - 22:00
“hard to beat this kind of music – soulful, technically brilliant, sexy and uplifting.” – The ArtsDesk

Afro-Cuban All Stars is a unique orchestra that has always promoted the full range of Cuban music. This ensemble embraces several generations and all musical styles. Additionally, over the years many of the band’s musicians have become international stars. Brilliant performers like Ruben Gonzalez, Ibrahim Ferrer, Guillermo Rubalcaba, Amadito Valdes and Manuel “The Guajiro” Mirabal have been All Stars.
The genesis of the Afro-Cuban All Stars dates to the early 1990s. At this time the son ensemble Sierra Maestra, headed by Juan de Marcos, received a lot of international exposure. Consequently, de Marcos led a couple of very successful tours in Europe.
After several years of success, the All Stars are certainly one of the best-known and successful Cuban orchestras. Moreover, they have earned four Grammy nominations, starred in several documentaries and films, and received many other distinctions.
Further, Afro-Cuban All Stars has also opened the doors to a new generation by incorporating young musicians into the band. With his project, de Marcos has developed a concept: to stand up on the roots for creating the future. More so than simply creating a band, his approach has allowed him to expand its creative range by incorporating contemporary styles of Cuban music. To that end, he adopts a fluid approach to adjusting the orchestra’s line-up by changing or adding musicians. He tailors the ensemble to best reflect the different styles of music from the various periods that the band features.
The Afro-Cubans are the same orchestra that can be seen in those distinct performances captured in now-famous film. They are in the Oscar-nominated Buena Vista Social Club documentary by Wim Wenders and the Tony Knox documentary Salon of Dreams. They also shine on DVDs Live in Japan and Live in The Hague.
Recommended for fans of Buena Vista Social Club, Nachito Herrera, Tito Puente and Pedrito Martinez.

Judy Collins: Sweet Judy Blue Eyes - Farewell
2026-10-27 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-10-28 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-10-30 19:00 - 21:00
“One of the most beautiful and moving voices” – Rolling Stone

Judy Collins inspires audiences with her sublime vocals, boldly vulnerable songwriting, personal life triumphs, and unwavering commitment to social activism. In the 1960s, she evoked both the idealism and steely determination of a generation united against social and environmental injustices. Five decades later, her luminescent presence shines brightly. Here, new generations bask in the glow of her iconic fifty-five-album body of work. Also, they draw inspiration from her spiritual discipline to thrive in the music industry for half a century.
Fans and critics highly esteem the award-winning singer-songwriter for her imaginative interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk standards. Moreover, she also receives acclaim for her own poetically poignant original compositions. For instance, the Grammy Hall of Fame includes her stunning rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now”. Judy’s dreamy, intimate version of Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns,” won Song of the Year at the 1975 Grammys. Furthermore, she’s garnered several top-ten hits and gold- and platinum-selling albums.
The cultural treasure’s fifty-fifth release, 2022’s Spellbound, documents Judy’s artistic renaissance. Additionally, the album is a special entry in her oeuvre. It marks the first time ever she wrote all the songs on one of her albums. Here, Collins showcases twelve new recently-written modern folk songs, and a bonus track of her evergreen, “The Blizzard.” Thus, Spellbound is an introspective and impressionistic album.
“They say after the plague came the Renaissance,” Judy says with a good-natured laugh. “The truth is, I didn’t do an album like this sooner because I had other projects on my mind. Now felt like the perfect time to make this record because, after all that’s happened in the world, we need something beautiful and inspirational to lift us up.”
Recommended for fans of Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Nanci Griffith and Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Kenny Garrett
2026-11-01 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-11-01 20:00 - 22:00
“genre-blurring, spiritually deep sounds” – Glide

Kenny Garrett’s latest release, 2021’s Sounds from the Ancestors, is a multi-faceted album. The music, however, doesn’t lodge inside the tight confines of the jazz idiom. Here, this is not surprising: the alto saxophonist and composer acknowledges Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye as significant touchstones. Miles Davis’s seminal LP, On the Corner, subverted its main guiding lights – James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone. Then, Davis crafted his own unique, polyrhythmic, groove-laden, improv-heavy universe. Thus, Sounds from the Ancestors occupies its own space with intellectual clarity, sonic ingenuity and emotional heft.
“The concept initially was about trying to get some of the musical sounds that I remembered as a kid growing up. Sounds that lift your spirit, like John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”, Aretha Franklin’s “Amazing Grace”, Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”. And the spiritual side of the church,” Garrett explains. “When I started to think about them, I realized it was the spirit from my ancestors.”
Indeed, Sounds from the Ancestors reflects the rich jazz, R&B, and gospel history of his hometown of Detroit. More important though, it also reverberates with a modern cosmopolitan vibrancy. Notably the inclusion of music coming out of France, Cuba, Nigeria, and Guadeloupe.
Garrett is easily recognized as one of modern jazz’s brightest and most influential living masters. His illustrious career includes hallmark stints with Miles Davis, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, Donald Byrd, and Freddie Hubbard. Also, Woody Shaw, and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Moreover, he has enjoyed a heralded career as a solo artist that began more than thirty years ago. And with the marvelous Sounds from the Ancestors, the Grammy-winning Garrett shows no signs of resting on his laurels.
Recommended for fans of Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, Branford Marsalis and Miguel Zenón.
📸: Hollis King

Billy Prine Presents: Songs & Stories of John Prine
2026-11-04 19:00 - 21:00
“Billy sings and shines from the inside out. Unlike many things in this world, he keeps getting better” –American Songwriter

Telling stories and playing his brother’s music in a uniquely personal and entertaining tribute.
Billy Prine is a natural-born storyteller just like his late, great brother John Prine was a natural-born songwriter. John was a great communicator of the human experience whittled down to the best words. His big, little brother, owner of a rich, booming voice yet full of subtleness, is one of the finest orators you’ll ever hear – also choosing just the right turn of phrase.
During these concerts celebrating John’s life in song, Billy will tell stories about or surrounding some of John’s most beloved songs. Then, he will lead his band through his version of John’s timeless masterpieces. As an example, fans will get to hear the first time John played his classic song “Paradise” for their father as the family sits around the kitchen table.
Songs are stories, novellas if you will, and stories often become songs. Thus, it is only fitting that Billy relates the stories that surround the songs of his dear brother John. Each show becomes a vivid, intimate look into John’s life through the eyes of Billy.
Billy Prine formed and led his first bar band in Chicago at the tender age of twelve. Growing up in such a rich musical city allowed Billy to develop his unique style of American roots music. Billy absorbed a myriad of influences firsthand by seeing Buck Owens, The Rolling Stones, and Chicago’s innumerable blues legends. These included Howlin’ Wolf, Paul Butterfield, Muddy Waters, and Michael Bloomfield.
Recommended for fans of John Prine, John Hiatt, Drive-By Truckers and Doc Watson.

Lizzy & The Triggermen
2026-11-05 19:00 - 22:00
“one part Eartha Kitt, one part Ella Fitzgerald, one part Amy Winehouse” – NPR

LA-based big band Lizzy & the Triggermen make vintage music for modern times. Underneath the retro glamour is a captivatingly modern band who can sell out legendary venues like the Troubadour. Additionally, they can top the jazz charts alongside heavyweights like Miles Davis and Kamasi Washington.
Their shows joyously mix subversive vintage gems, showtunes, and swinging originals about everything from fast fashion to fascism. Like the Prohibition Era songs that inspire them, their music boldly tackles our troubles. Then, they create killer dance songs that fill the audience with joy the way only a wailing horn section can.
Lizzy leads the band: a charismatic siren with a searing wit and soaring voice. Her “powerhouse vocals” (Broadway World), forged singing opera, recall the great old divas while still sounding completely unique and new. Her songwriting, which Janis Ian likened to Leonard Cohen, is filled with the same biting humor she used to create TV comedies. There, she earned multiple Emmy nominations for shows on HBO, Amazon, Legendary, CBS, and the History Channel.
But the star power doesn’t stop with Lizzy; it emanates through her entire incredible band. Here, they are a multi-generational dream team of crushers who worked with Harry Connick Jr. and Benny Goodman. In fact, their arranger played lead trombone and arranged for Goodman’s last orchestra.
There is no doubt that Lizzy & the Triggermen are going audaciously against the grain. Moreover, they are clearly resonating across a broad range of audiences.
Recommended for fans of The Hot Sardines, Bria Skonberg, Harry Connick, Jr. and Davina and The Vagabonds.
📸: Spike Marble

Blind Boys of Alabama Present Songs In the Key of Life
2026-11-09 19:00 - 21:00
“always hunting for – and finding – the perfect note or harmony that lifts an old tune into the sublime” – Time

Six-Time Grammy Winners
Gospel Music Hall of Fame Inductees
The legendary Blind Boys of Alabama bring their transcendent harmonies and spiritual power. Here, they celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Stevie Wonder’s iconic album Songs in the Key of Life. This special presentation pairs many of Stevie Wonder’s classic songs with beloved selections from the Blind Boys’ own celebrated repertoire. Moreover, they blend gospel, soul, and Americana in a joyful performance that honors both musical legacies.
Now, the Blind Boys have lifted spirits and moved souls for over seventy-five years. Furthermore, they continue their mission of spreading light and love through the universal language of music. In 2003, the Blind Boys earned a Grammy Award for an album that included their acclaimed cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground.” Further, this version later featured in film and television, including FX’s Fargo. In 2007, Stevie Wonder presented Blind Boys singer Jimmy Carter with a Vision Award for Lifetime Achievement. Thus, this underscores their enduring impact on music and culture.
Here, this show features classics like: “Sir Duke,” “I Wish,” “As,” and more.
Recommended for fans of Mavis Staples, The Holmes Brothers, Stevie Wonder and Taj Mahal.
📸: Cole Weber

John Scofield's Electrospective
2026-11-11 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-11-11 21:00 - 23:00, 2026-11-12 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-11-12 21:00 - 23:00
“Scofield is one of the most prolific and admired jazz musicians of his generation” – NPR

Through his fifty-four-year career, three-time Grammy Award winner John Scofield has occasionally detoured from the traditions of straight-ahead jazz. There, he explores a blend of funk and jazz that has led to some of his most popular projects. In 2026, Scofield looks back at many of his now classic fusion groove compositions with Electrospective.
Not intending to replicate earlier fan favorites, he plans instead to revisit them with the seasoned perspective of several decades. Here, he culls tunes from his Blue Matter, Uberjam, and AGoGo bands, each responsible for a few recordings. Additionally, he will play new material in the same vein.
Moreover, Scofield looks forward to teaming up with a stellar band of colleagues. Electrospective will rely on interpretative input from Scofield alum and super funk drummer/producer Adam Deitch (Lettuce). Also, multidimensional Larry Goldings (Scary Goldings, James Taylor) on keyboards. Additionally, legendary bassist Oteil Burbridge (Dead & Co., Tedeschi Trucks, Allman Brothers). With this repertoire so frequently (and loudly) requested by audience members, Scofield is glad to have a band that will truly do the music justice.
Recommended for fans of Pat Metheny, Lettuce, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and Medeski, Martin & Wood.

An Evening with Lucinda Williams & Her Band: World's Gone Wrong Tour
2026-11-13 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-11-14 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-11-18 19:00 - 21:00
Acoustic Shows with Lucinda Williams & Her Band:
Blues, Ballads & More: A Quiet Night with Lucinda Williams & Her Band
NOV 16 • 7:00pm Performance
Blues, Ballads & More: A Quiet Night with Lucinda Williams & Her Band
NOV 17 • 7:00pm Performance

“perfect… clearly in a league of her own” – Chicago Reader

“My dad, as a poet, always told me to never censor myself – that’s one of his cardinal rules of creative writing,” says multiple-Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. “That became my motto which I’ve stuck by all these years.” Miller Williams’ advice clearly is borne out on Lucinda’s powerful eighteenth studio album, 2026’s provocative World’s Gone Wrong. “I felt a sense of urgency in making this record,” she adds.
Filled with gut-wrenching topical songs, the album’s ten tracks were written and recorded in a blast of collaborative creativity. There, Lucinda and her co-writers – primarily husband/manager/co-producer Tom Overby and guitarist Doug Pettibone – grappled with the events of spring 2025. Moreover, a whole other album had been in the works. However, the “urgency” to address our current cataclysmic situation motivated Lucinda and company to cut World’s Gone Wrong in direct response. “Music is a powerful weapon,” she points out. “I want this record to make people aware, wake them up. I like to push people’s buttons.”
And that’s what Lucinda fans have come to depend on over the past forty-five years. Her back catalog boasts remarkable albums, including 1998’s game-changing Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. Additionally, she’s earned three Grammy awards and countless accolades, including Time Magazine naming her America’s Best Songwriter in 2001. Here, Williams is one of our most revered artists, beloved for her singular vocals and extraordinary songs. And in these troubling times, we need the light she shines on World’s Gone Wrong more than ever before.
Recommended for fans of Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Steve Earle & Bob Dylan.
📸: Mark Seliger

Blues, Ballads & More: A Quiet Night with Lucinda Williams & Her Band
2026-11-16 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-11-17 19:00 - 21:00
Additional Shows with Lucinda Williams & Her Band:
An Evening with Lucinda Williams & Her Band: World’s Gone Wrong Tour
NOV 13 • 7:00pm Performance
An Evening with Lucinda Williams & Her Band: World’s Gone Wrong Tour
NOV 14 • 7:00pm Performance
An Evening with Lucinda Williams & Her Band: World’s Gone Wrong Tour
NOV 18 • 7:00pm Performance

“perfect… clearly in a league of her own” – Chicago Reader

“My dad, as a poet, always told me to never censor myself – that’s one of his cardinal rules of creative writing,” says multiple-Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. “That became my motto which I’ve stuck by all these years.” Miller Williams’ advice clearly is borne out on Lucinda’s powerful eighteenth studio album, 2026’s provocative World’s Gone Wrong. “I felt a sense of urgency in making this record,” she adds.
Filled with gut-wrenching topical songs, the album’s ten tracks were written and recorded in a blast of collaborative creativity. There, Lucinda and her co-writers – primarily husband/manager/co-producer Tom Overby and guitarist Doug Pettibone – grappled with the events of spring 2025. Moreover, a whole other album had been in the works. However, the “urgency” to address our current cataclysmic situation motivated Lucinda and company to cut World’s Gone Wrong in direct response. “Music is a powerful weapon,” she points out. “I want this record to make people aware, wake them up. I like to push people’s buttons.”
And that’s what Lucinda fans have come to depend on over the past forty-five years. Her back catalog boasts remarkable albums, including 1998’s game-changing Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. Additionally, she’s earned three Grammy awards and countless accolades, including Time Magazine naming her America’s Best Songwriter in 2001. Here, Williams is one of our most revered artists, beloved for her singular vocals and extraordinary songs. And in these troubling times, we need the light she shines on World’s Gone Wrong more than ever before.
Recommended for fans of Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Steve Earle & Bob Dylan.
📸: Mark Seliger

Brother Ali
2026-11-21 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-11-21 21:30 - 23:30
“clean, crisp modern soul… deeply thought-provoking work” – Pitchfork

Brother Ali is a respected hip hop artist, speaker, and community leader. His two-decade resume includes ten critically acclaimed albums and mentorships with iconic hip hop legends Chuck D and Rakim. Additionally, he has performed on late night shows with Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien.
His provocative and uplifting brand of hip hop has earned him coveted press features. Rolling Stone featured him in their fortieth anniversary edition and he was also in Source Magazine’s “Hip Hop Quotables”. Moreover, his outspoken social justice message has landed him on government watch lists. Also, he’s lectured at universities from Princeton to Stanford and delivered the keynote address at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum.
When he’s not rocking the mic at Coachella or being arrested for civil disobedience in support of marginalized communities, Brother Ali travels the world learning and teaching Islamic Spirituality under some of today’s most renowned teachers. In addition to leading worship services and classes, he co-founded The Gemali Project. There, this organization helps Muslim converts and spiritual seekers access the beauty of the Islamic tradition. Brother Ali recently launched The Travelers Podcast from his new home in Istanbul. From there, he explores life’s journey with cultural, spiritual, and thought leaders from across the globe.
Recommended for fans of Eyedea, Aesop Rock, Atmosphere and Sage Francis.

Rachael & Vilray
2026-11-30 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-11-30 21:00 - 23:00, 2026-12-01 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-12-01 21:00 - 23:00
“tunes that echo the feel of standards, without dipping into a single musical or lyrical cliché.” – Downbeat

Brooklyn-based duo Rachael & Vilray have achieved a certain timeless quality with their singular take on traditional pop. There, they have accomplished this since their 2015 formation. Rooted in the language of an earlier age, their songs transcend nostalgia with wit and a flair for the theatrical. On their third album, 2025’s West of Broadway, vocalist Rachael Price (also of Lake Street Dive) and guitarist/singer/songwriter Vilray evolve. Moreover, they shed their music’s previous dreaminess to achieve a refreshing angularity built on left-of-center instrumentation. For example, vibraphone and alto saxophone coast above the moody strains of baritone sax and trombone. Thus, West of Broadway unfolds in a series of sharply drawn vignettes inspired by a recent fascination with classic musicals. Here, they bring their luminous vocals to offbeat tales of love and heartache along city streets.
Furthermore, West of Broadway took shape with renowned musicians like saxophonist Steve Wilson (formerly of Chick Corea’s Origin sextet). Additionally, drummer John Riley (Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie). Over the course of ten lush and effervescent tracks, the album delivers standouts like “Love Comes Around”. Here, this joyously romantic piece set the direction for the LP’s West Coast jazz-inspired aesthetic. Also, “My Key to Gramercy Park”, a fantastically salty number narrated by a well-to-do character. They live in lonely suspicion of all those who covet their key to the notoriously exclusive private park. Further, “Off Broadway”, where golden-voiced comedian Stephen Colbert joins in for what the duo dubs an “oddly grumpy anti-Broadway screed”. The album comes to life in the colorful detail and extravagant personality of Rachael & Vilray’s storytelling. West of Broadway ultimately immerses the audience in an exquisitely out-of-time vision of their beloved New York City.
Recommended for fans of Madeleine Peyroux, Stella Cole, Cyrille Aimée and Lake Street Dive.
