Dates:
Sat, Dec 5, 2026, 2:00 PM–3:00 PM
Walter Henri Dyett, known as “Captain Dyett”, was a music educator, and instrumental figure in the development of jazz and black music in Chicago. As the band instructor of Bronzeville’s DuSable High School, Dyett built a powerhouse music program that produced iconic singers such as Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, Ella Jenkins, and Johnny Hartman. His program also produced many great instrumentalists including Richard Davis, Dorothy Donegan, Muhal Richard Abrams, Julian Priester, Joseph Jarman, and the Chicago tenor saxophonists Gene Ammons, Von Freeman, Johnny Griffin, Eddie Harris, Clifford Jordan and Ari Brown. Dyett's students took the Chicago jazz sound across the globe. This program is a live jazz quartet performance by the Charles Heath Quartet, celebrating Chicago hosting the 2026 International Jazz Day with the sounds of Dyett’s internationally renowned tenor saxophone students. A brief 15-minute history of Capt. Walter Dyett, followed by a 45-minute jazz quartet performance. Learn more in our archives! Presented as part of the Renaissance Project, this event invites participants to actively engage with the rich and often untold stories of Black history and heritage at Chicago Public Library. This program is made possible with support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to the Chicago Public Library Foundation. Accessibility Need sign language interpretation or other accessibility assistance for this event? Please call (312) 747-8184 or email access@chipublib.org to request accommodations. Requests must be made at least 14 business days before the event. Photo credit: Walter Henri Dyett Papers [Box 7, Folder 99], Vivian G. Harsh Research Coll...
Categories: Art, Music and Performances, Chicago 250
Source: Event information supplied by Source: City of Chicago, Chicago Public Library — subject to the City of Chicago Data Portal Terms of Use..