Madison Jazz Calendar

Your Guide to the Local Jazz Scene

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Welcome to the Madison Jazz Calendar, a complete, accurate, and up-to-date list of live jazz events in Madison, Wisconsin. Go directly to the calendar, or see below for notices and news about jazz in Madison. 

New format for Madison Jazz Jam

Madison Jazz Jam is trying a new format this fall. Dates, times, and location have all changed and the September jam has been canceled.

Starting in October, jams will run twice a month on Saturdays from 1-4pm at Café Coda.

The first Saturday of each month will feature a student band as the house band and the third Saturday of each month will feature a pro house band. This format is scheduled through December with the hope it will go well and continue after the first of the year.

The first session on October 1st features students from Sun Prairie High School.

Jazz is back at Sequoya Library

Prior to the pandemic Sequoya Library hosted free jazz concerts in its large meeting room every Sunday afternoon (except summer). In another sign that life is returning to normal the live performances have returned.

The new format moves the concerts to the third Saturday (2-4 pm) of each month from August-December 2022. The complete fall line-up can be viewed at https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/new/jazz-returns-sequoya-library. Each concert is also listed on the Madison Jazz Calendar.

Dimensions in Sounds seeks musicians

The Middleton community big band, Dimensions In Sound, is in need of additional brass and possibly saxes. Rehearsals are on Tuesdays from 7:30-9 pm at the Jefferson in Middleton, mid-September to mid-May. Performances are for community events (Honor Flights, senior centers, etc.) and most are on Tuesdays, same day as rehearsals.

Bruce Hering is the new director. Prior to retirement, he was a highly successful high school band/jazz band director in Eau Claire. His groups competed in the New York finals of the Essentially Ellington festival/competition multiple times.

According to Bruce,

It’s a low-key group of mostly people who played in high school and maybe college, the level is medium-easy, and the library is largely big band music, but I’m working on upgrading the library and developing improv. YOU could help, too! 🙂

For more information see their website and/or contact Bruce (through the website).

An Evening with Johnny

Madison’s Michael Corcoran and Al Rasho teamed up to create this moving portrait of a night listening to the legendary Johnny Griffin. Johnny Griffin was a Chicago native who moved to Paris in 1963 and lived abroad the rest of his life.

Al says …

Before moving to Madison I was a filmmaker in Chicago and Johnny Griffin would return home from Paris for the summer. I always went to see him at Jazz Showcase. So, I was very pleased to hear someone had written a poem about the great saxophonist.

Michael wrote and read the poem and Al recorded and set it to music and images.

[Read more…] about An Evening with Johnny

Madison Jazz Society Recruiting Jazz Residency Program Coordinator

A long-time behind-the-scenes stalwart on Madison’s jazz scene, Susan Fox retired as coordinator of the MJS’s School Residency Program in June.  Thank you, Susan, for your contributions over the years!

Consequently, the MJS is seeking a replacement for this part-time contracted position.  Interested parties may contact MJS board members Gretchen Patey (gretshops@sbcglobal.net) or Sharon Sigrist Wolter (sasw696@gmail.com).

2023 Jazz Artistic Development Program Request for Proposals

The Arts + Literature Laboratory Jazz Artistic Development Program is seeking applicants to create and present engaging new projects. This program encourages local jazz musicians and composers to stretch themselves as creative artists.

One project will be selected to receive a stipend of up to $5,000. (Other projects may be funded if additional funds are available.)

Applications for the 2023 program will be accepted starting September l, 2022.  Deadline for applications is October 15, 2022.  Further information and application form are available here.

Andy Narell Residency

Fans of the steel drum will be treated to a 5 day Madison residency by Andy Narell, Aug 12th through the 17th.

Andy Narell is a prolific composer and world-class instrumentalist who has spent the past several decades exploring the possibilities of Trinidad’s national instrument, the steel drum – a.k.a the steel pan, in contemporary music. His compositional and improvisational stylings marry the harmonic traditions of American jazz with the rhythms and aesthetics of Caribbean music, earning him high acclaim in both idioms. As a bandleader and soloist, he has performed for hundreds of concerts and jazz festivals throughout the globe, and has worked with renowned groups and musicians such as the Caribbean Jazz Project, Sakésho, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Marcus Miller, and Tito Puente.

During his residency in Wisconsin, Andy will perform in a variety of settings, across intimate seated concerts and main stage festival contexts, with Madison-based musicians as well as several Caribbean artists at the Sessions at McPike Park. Here is a complete list of Andy’s Madison appearances:

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Jazz at Five Lineup

This season’s free concerts highlight local and regional musicians.  Each concert is preceded at 4 pm by a local youth group performance. These concerts are listed on the Madison Jazz Calendar as well.
August 3, 2022 – McKee Park, Fitchburg
5:00 pm – 6:15 pm: Charlie Painter Trio
6:45 pm – 8:00 pm: Kal Bergendahl Project
August 10, 2022 – McKee Park Fitchburg
5:00 pm – 6:15 pm: Emma Dayhuff Trio
6:45 pm – 8:00 pm: Dennis Mitcheltree Quartet
August 17, 2022 – Top of State Street
5:00 pm – 6:15 pm: Chris Rottmayer Quartet
6:45 pm – 8:00 pm: Johannes Wallmann & Precarious Towers
August 24, 2022 – Top of State Street
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm: The Summit of the Big Band w/ DB Orchestra and Ladies Must Swing
August 31, 2022 – Top of State Street
UW Night featuring Chad McCullough
5:00 pm – 6:15 pm: UW Jazz All Stars
6:45 pm – 8:00 pm: Chad McCullough Quartet

Reviews: Jazz Fest, Precarious Towers

Reviews of shows or new CDS are uncommon in today’s reshaped media landscape, this site is no exception. That makes the reviews of award-winning and Pulitzer-nominated Kevin Lynch all the more valuable. Kevin is a former staff arts writer for The Capital Times and he blogs at Culture Currents (Vernaculars Speak). He recently posted a review of the Madison Jazz Festival, and a review of Johannes Wallmann’s latest CD, Precarious Towers. If you missed the Fest, or Johannes’ CD release at Cafe Coda you’ll want to check out what Kevin has to say.

Make Music Madison – Jazz

Make Music Madison is an annual event held on the summer solstice, June 21st, and part of Make Music Day celebrated in more than 1000 cities around the world. Madison will host 450 free performances, 30 categorized as jazz. To easily find these concerts go to makemusicmadison.com and filter by genre. Performing throughout the day are big bands, solo performers, combos, professionals and amateurs.