Madison Jazz Calendar

Jazz camps seem to be sprouting in Madison. Park Street Piano has a spring and summer session planned, specific for piano players ages 8-12. Here is the info:

---

Relax and play at this camp, where young pianists imagine, create, and groove together! Students will dive into improvisation, swing, blues and more in a fun and creative environment. Class will be tailored to the experience level of the students.

M-F, March 23-27, 9:30AM – 12PM (spring break) Register

M-F, June 22-26, 9:30AM – 12PM Register

Instructor: Zach Studdiford (bio). $185*

*Please contact us if cost is prohibitive.

Park Street Piano / 1421 S. Park St., Madison, WI, 53715 www.parkstreetpiano.com / parkstpiano@gmail.com

Cliff was widely considered one of Madison’s greatest musicians and was beloved by many. I cannot locate an obituary, but many are posting on this Facebook page and this Facebook page to lament his passing last week.

If you aren’t familiar with Cliff, here is a documentary that starts with his upbringing in St Louis, beginnings in music, stories from the road, and how he ended up in Madison. The second part of the video, starting at 23:43, is Cliff playing solo guitar and singing, demonstrating his mastery in many genres.

(press release)

September 13 – iGnitE jAzz! Fall Kick-off 

Kick off the fall music season at our iGnitE jAzz kick off, open to all ages and ability levels. The schedule is as follows:

10am – 12pm, breakout workshop sessions:

Option 1: “How to be Successful on Stage at a Jazz Jam,” led by Laurie Lang. This session is appropriate for beginning to intermediate players.

Option 2: Exploring “Time, No Changes”, led by Adam Czerepinski. An interactive session focused on melodic and rhythmic improvisation without pre-defined chord changes.

12pm – 2pm, open jam session (BYO lunch) 

2pm – 3pm, presentation 
Peruvian Coastal Music Traditions Reimagined through Jazz Philosophy/Improvisation with Sebastian Roman and Friends

Witness the powerful impact that jazz theory and improvisation has had on the new generation of “criolla and afro-Peruvian” musicians Peru. In a discussion featuring La Quinta, a Lima-based band that seeks to reimagine what it means to play Peruvian musica criolla (“creole music”). Experience — through listening, seeing and discussing — the power that improvisation has had on our coastal music and the resulting impression on the newer generation of creole artists. We will discuss how Ruben Alonso, the drummer, approaches coastal rhythms such as the festejo, vals, and landos through the lens of a jazz drummer. Alexis Kagüe, the guitarist, will present how he has reimagined the sonority of the traditional Peruvian guitar so prominently featured in musica criolla. Arturo Valdez, the upright bassist, will discuss his inspiration that draws from the lineage of the jazz greats like Reggie Workman and Ben Street, and how that impacts his approach to playing Peruvian music. And finally, Sebastian Roman will explore how his duality of being raised in the US and returning to Peru as an adult has shaped his approach to the Peruvian saxophone, an instrument relatively underscored in Peruvian music but making a strong impact on its newly imagined sound.

---

October and beyond  https://www.madisonjazz.com/events/

The first Saturdays of each month will be hosted at Cafe Coda on Williamson Street https://cafecoda.club/

11:30am – 1pm “Cool School Session” Hanah Jon Taylor with the assistance of a UW jazz studies student will teach a class for middle school and high school students called “Cool School” where they will explore creative improvisation and the future of this music we have called jazz. 
11:30am – 1pm “Student Workshop Session” At the same time in a different room another local jazz educator musician with the assistance of a UW jazz studies student will lead the workshop class that teaches people the building blocks of jazz from past jazz repertoire and will practice how to apply these improvisation skills to that repertoire. 

1-3pm There will be a jam session on the stage at Cafe Coda. Each class will demonstrate some of what they worked on in each of those classes. The rest of the jam will be organized from a sign-up sheet for people to perform specific songs with a variety of people in a welcoming jazz jam session format. 

These Saturday sessions will prioritize those learning to improvise and those who have attended the classes. 

The second Wednesdays of each month will be hosted at this old warehouse space that is an arts incubator with a vision to be an arts campus on the south side of Madison called COPA Madison  https://copamadison.org/

6-7pm “MJS Workshop” is a jazz workshop where all levels of jazz musicians and jazz enthusiasts join to hear a presentation about an aspect of jazz improvisation. The workshop leaders will also have a component of this presentation that calls the musicians in the room to try out the concept presented. All can participate in this workshop.  

6-7:15pm “Vocal-track Workshop” in another room those that want to explore vocal improvisation and circle singing (note: Bobby McFerrin circle songs) will have a session that warms up the voice and gets people singing in a group and learning different aspects of jazz vocals. 

7-9PM Jazz Jam Session  Each class will demonstrate some of what they worked on in each of those classes somewhere during the jam session. The rest of the jam will be organized from a sign-up sheet for people to perform specific songs with a variety of people in the room. This is a welcoming and inclusive jazz jam session format.