Hey Nonny announces lineup for third annual Women’s Jazz Festival
The country’s biggest Women’s Jazz Festival is set to return to Hey Nonny Jan. 7 through 11. It will be the third annual installment of the event at the Arlington Heights music venue and bistro.
Designating it as “The Year of the Singer,” Chip Brooks, co-owner of Hey Nonny said, “The performers lined up for the 2025 festival represent an amazing array of styles under the big ‘jazz’ tent. We’re excited to welcome some new faces to the festival for year three.”
Each day of the festival begins with a $10 Happy Hour show at 4 p.m., followed by an evening show with two acts each night at 7:30 p.m.
The festival kicks off on Jan. 7, with Chicago jazz singer Alyssa Allgood headlining the 4 p.m. show. Allgood was named a “Rising Star Female Vocalist” in the 2024 Downbeat Magazine Critics Poll and had several of the tunes from her latest album selected as finalists in the 2023 John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the 2023 International Songwriting Competition.
“Alyssa has always had more technical skill than almost anyone in Chicago,” said Brooks. “But in the past couple of years, she has turned that skill into some very adventurous performances and songwriting. It will be a roaring start to four days of great jazz.”
The evening show on Jan. 7 features groups led by two highly innovative Chicago artists, Katie Ernst and Brooklynn Skye. Bassist Ernst has fronted jazz, folk, and indie-rock groups and offers an appealing vocal presence. Hailing from the West Side of Chicago, Skye is a self-taught musician, producer, and artist who studied bass, jazz, and classical music and who interestingly draws inspiration from the anticipation that comes from a good horror film.
The Happy Hour show on Jan. 8 features Margaret Murphy Brown and her band, while the evening show will feature and honor longtime Chicago great Judy Roberts. She’ll be joined in the evening performance by headliner and international star singer, Bobbi Wilsyn.
“Judy Roberts is recognized as a worldwide jazz star,” Brooks said. “She is best known for her fun-loving approach, her hard-swinging piano playing, and the way she connects with audiences, which should play right to what makes our venue so appealing to performers and guests.”
Wilsyn is recognizable to Chicago jazz and blues fans for her work as vocalist for a number of top groups in the area.
Brooks indicates that Jan. 9 will be a highlight of the festival, beginning with a happy hour show led by the Jeannie Tanner Quartet. Tanner is well known for her singing, trumpet playing, and her compositions for TV and movies. The evening show will open with the dynamic duo of JoAnn Daughtery and Sarah Marie Young. Young is one of Chicago’s most talented young stars and Daughtery has played extensively with some of the biggest names in jazz in addition to leading the pit bands at the Lyric Opera and for the touring production of Six. The second act in the evening show will be Anisha Rush and The Encounter, an exciting ensemble that Brooks is sure will “sizzle.”
The weekend sessions begin on Jan. 10, with Elaine Dame and her band, featuring selections from her upcoming new album “Reminiscing,” a unique project that features jazz variations of music from the 1970s with an all-star lineup of Chicago-based jazz instrumentalists. The evening show will showcase two great bands, one led by Typhanie Monique, who has recently departed Chicago for a teaching gig at Arizona State, followed by Alysha Monique and the Family Divine.
“We might have some fun and call it the Battle of the Moniques, but the night will be a treat for our patrons,” said Brooks. “These are two of my favorite singers of all time. It’s gonna be great.”
Through an enchanting blend of storytelling and song, Alysha Monique honors the legacies of legends such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nina Simone, while shining a light on contemporary voices who continue to shape the genre.
The festival will close out on Jan. 11, with a happy hour group led by young Chicago singer Julia Danielle, and then an evening show headlining two bands, one led by bassist Marion Mallard and the other Chicago’s great jazz diva, Tammy McCann.
“Marion Mallard is a name to watch,” Brooks said. “She is a young performer whose career has really started to take off.”
McCann has performed at some of the nation’s premier jazz venues including Birdland, the Blue Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, and Chicago’s own Jazz Showcase.
“And now she’ll be on our stage. What a way to close out the festival!” said Brooks.
Tickets and Festival passes are on sale now at heynonny.com/2025-womens-jazz-festival.
Hey Nonny is a bistro and music venue located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights. The bistro, helmed by Chef Noe, serves an array of fresh seasonal Midwestern comfort-food-with-a-twist and a seasonally changing menu. The music venue is one of the best new “listening rooms” in the country, and hosts live music six days a week, featuring the best Chicago and touring acts playing jazz, blues, country, folk and rock.