About the Jazz Series
Since January 3, 1996, the Empty Bottle has featured jazz, improvised music, and related idioms every Wednesday night. Selected and programmed by reed-player / "genius" grant-receiver Ken Vandermark and writer / educator / lover John Corbett, the series emphasizes the most original, exciting new music the genres have to offer.

We bring established stars of the vanguard and emerging artists from Europe and other American locales to the Empty Bottle,  and feature groups and individuals drawn from the many parts of Chicago's own rich sonic amalgam. Though the series maintains a jazz core, it is open to many forms of creative music, including total improvisation, free jazz, experimental composition, swing-based post-bop, tone-color improvisation, texturalist minimalism, and out-rock.

About the Festival
As part of the series, John and Ken program a festival every spring, called, surprisingly enough, The Empty Bottle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music.  This critically acclaimed festival has brought in lauded performers from all over the United States and the world. Also, as well as being chock full of excellent music, it features absolutely stunning posters and T-Shirts designed by Dan Grzeca. (I think that is how you spell it)

2003 Festival Program
2002 Festival Program
2001 Festival Program
2000 Festival Program
1999 Festival Program
1998 Festival Program
1997 Festival Program