Howard Reich wrote ;
Saalik Ziyad is best known in Chicago for his work with experimental artists, particularly those of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). Indeed, Ziyad improvised compellingly alongside his father, Taalib-Din Ziyad, and the AACM’s Great Black Music Ensemble at the Englewood Jazz Festival in 2013.
But Ziyad also can convey the essence of a romantic ballad quite well, as he proved during the Chicago Jazz Festival in 2012. Duetting with Chicago singer Sarah Marie Young in the venerable “Teach Me Tonight,” Ziyad’s plush lines persuaded Young to temporarily desist from the screaming that marked much of the rest of her set, no small feat.
Ziyad will sing a tribute to Johnny Hartman with saxophonist Juli Wood’s Chicago Calling band, featuring pianist Leandro Lopez Varady, bassist Harrison Bankhead and drummer Avreeayl Ra, 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Sunday in a session presented by the non-profit Hyde Park Jazz Society at Room 43, 1043 E. 43d St.; $10; hydeparkjazzsociety.com.