[Air-l] Chicago IR 6.0 information

[Steve Jones]

Thanks to David Brake there is a wiki page at 
http://wiki.aoir.org/index.php?title=Chicago with local information for 
conference-goers.

Additionally, if you are coming to the conference, please know that 
there are still a few tickets available for the banquet and for the L 
tour. I particularly want to highlight the latter, as it is a unique 
chance to see Chicago's historical sites from the vantage point of a 
privately rented Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train (commonly known 
as the L). The tour will be led by Chicago transit expert Michael 
Shiffer, CTA vice president and University of Illinois at Chicago 
associate professor.  After boarding the four car train reserved for 
us, the tour will highlight the importance of mass transit in Chicago 
and significant Chicago neighborhoods along the several train lines 
including the oldest line, the brown line. The CTA operates the 
nation's second largest public transportation system and covers the 
City of Chicago and 40 surrounding suburbs.  On an average weekday, 
nearly 1.5 million rides are taken on the CTA.

Breakfast will be included in the approximately tour departing from 
downtown Chicago.  Riders must meet just outside the Rush Street doors 
by the lobby of the Marriott Hotel by 8:25 a.m. on Saturday, October 8 
to walk to the train boarding location. The tour will last about 3 - 4 
hours.

As for the banquet, in addition to a terrific menu (featuring a 
tenderloin carving station, pasta buffet - including vegetarian sauces 
- soup and salad bar, and coffee station with desserts) this year’s 
conference banquet will feature the Eric Hochberg Quartet, an ensemble 
consisting of some of Chicago’s best known and most respected jazz 
musicians. Eric Hochberg has been a mainstay of the Chicago music scene 
for more than twenty years, having lent his bass to a variety of 
projects, performing and/or recording with the likes of Pharoah 
Sanders, Bobby McFerrin, Pat Metheny, Cassandra Wilson, Von Freeman, 
Chico Freeman, Ken Nordine, Cannonball Adderly, David Bromberg, and 
many others. Mark Colby, tenor sax,, has performed with Gerry Mulligan, 
Jaco Pastorius, Frank Sinatra, Maynard Ferguson, Bob James, Charlie 
Haden and Mose Allison. He has been a jazz faculty member at DePaul 
University since 1983. Phil Gratton is ahighly sought after 
drummer with over 30 years experience, and has played all over the 
world with Dorothy Donnegan and Marian McPartland.  Pianist Dennis 
Luxion has played with Steve Allen, Chet Baker, Von Freeman, Curtis 
Fuller, Sheila Jordan, Lee Konitz, Archie Shepp, Woody Shaw, and Toots 
Thielemans, among others.

If you have already registered for the conference but want to add 
either or both of these options you can go to 
https://www.conted.vt.edu/ssl/aoir/index.lasso, fill out the personal 
information and check the boxes only for these options.

I'm looking forward to getting the conference under way and to seeing 
as many of you as are able to make it!

Best wishes,
Sj