Chicago doesnt do quiet when it comes to jazz. It never has. And this spring, the city leans all the way into that legacy with a performance that doesnt just honor the pastit stretches it.
On April 27, the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic will take the stage at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts for Sketches of Spain: Revisited, a bold reinterpretation of the landmark 1960 collaboration between Miles Davis and Gil Evans. But lets be clearthis isnt nostalgia. Its a rework with intent.
Under the direction of trumpeter and composer Orbert Davis, the production expands the original composition into something far more global. Where Miles and Evans drew heavily from Spanish classical traditions, this version pushes furtherlayering in African and Middle Eastern instrumentation to create something that feels less like a tribute and more like a conversation across cultures.
And that distinction matters.
Because Sketches of Spain was never meant to sit still. Even when it debuted, it challenged what jazz could bepulling from orchestral forms, rejecting strict structure, and leaning into mood and movement over technical showmanship. That spirit of experimentation is exactly what made Sketches of Spain so enduringand its exactly what this production is chasing.
"I hope that audiences will be able to identify with the passion and emotion expressed in this work", Davis said. There is a story behind the music, and audience members need to interpret that story for themselves.
That ideainterpretation over imitationis where this show finds its footing. Because trying to recreate Miles Davis is a losing game. The point isnt to match him. Its to move the music forward the way he would have.
And theres a real full-circle moment here. Davis connection to the piece goes back to the 1990s, when he performed the demanding trumpet role with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble. Even then, he made a deliberate choice not to mimic Miles phrasing, instead allowing space for his own voice to develop inside the music. What audiences will hear now is the result of that evolutionyears of rethinking, reshaping, and reimagining finally landing in one cohesive work.
The performance doesnt stop with the music. Following the program, Sketches of Miles: The Conversation Continuesbrings the discussion off the stage and into dialogue, featuring Orbert Davis alongside jazz journalist Mark Ruffin and drummer Vince Wilburn Jr., who also co-manages the Miles Davis Estate. The panel will be moderated by author and 2026 Library of Congress Jazz Scholar Karen Chilton, offering audiences a deeper look at Davis legacynot just as a musician, but as a cultural force.
The timing isnt лай. The event is part of International Jazz Day, co-founded by Chicago native Herbie Hancock, who has long spoken about the citys role in shaping his own artistic path.
Jazz opened doors to creativity, self-expression, and freedom, Hancock said. I hope that this Day will inspire young artists and audiences in the same way that I was inspired.
Thats really what this moment is aboutcontinuity.
Founded in 2004, the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic has built its identity on that exact idea: honoring tradition while refusing to be confined by it. Through performances and educational work, the organization has consistently pushed jazz into new territory without losing sight of its roots in Black cultural expression and community storytelling.
And if were being honest, thats the most Miles Davis thing about this entire production.
Because his legacy isnt just the music. Its the mindset. The refusal to repeat. The insistence on growth, even when it risks alienating the audience. Chicago has always understood that kind of artist. Its why his work resonated here in the first placeand why a project like Sketches of Spain: Revisited doesnt feel like a reach. It feels right on time.
Tickets and additional information are available at chijazzphil.org.