Jazz great Willie Pickens "holds class"

Jazz piano great Willie Pickens

Legendary Chicago jazz pianist Willie Pickens will serve as teacher — and Ravinia CEO (and pianist) Welz Kauffman will be one of his students — joining an ensemble of outstanding high school jazz players from the Chicago Public Schools.

It’s open to the public and all takes place at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in Room L060 of the Chicago Performing Arts Building on the UIC campus, 1040 W. Harrison.

The ensemble will also include alumni of Ravinia’s Jazz Scholars program — with the always-entertaining Pickens publicly critiquing the ensemble and hone their performance as their work their way through a song.