Jazz Showcase Though the names and places have changed, Jazz Showcase is the brainchild of one of Chicago’s constants, owner Joe Segal. A jazz lover who’s been booking his obsession for more than fifty years in various spots around the city, Segal’s most enduring place has been the Showcase, a smoke-free venue that rides Segal’s nationwide reputation to secure top-name jazz artists. Though Jazz Showcase stays away from the extremes (free and improvised jazz), it’s the place to go for titans like Jacky Terrasson and Milt Jackson, who come to the Showcase for five-day runs.
