Toni Jakovec, an important contributor to Madison’s jazz community, has Stage 3 endometrial cancer. She had surgery in late May and recently began a grueling course of chemotherapy that will continue into mid-October. These treatments, and their aftermath, are leaving her unable to work, most likely through early winter, and are resulting in a substantial loss of income.

Toni has agreed to go public with her situation so that friends can conduct a GoFundMe campaign that will hopefully enable her to remain financially solvent during her chemo treatments and recovery from them. The campaign is now live and people can visit this web page to donate.

Toni has been a force in our local jazz community for the past decade: editing the free monthly Greater Madison Jazz e-newsletter; writing successful grant proposals for Madison Music Collective; coordinating jazz education classes through UW-Madison Continuing Studies; and producing, since the onset of COVID, an annual outdoor concert series in her neighborhood that showcased many local jazz musicians (documented beautifully in the short film, “Mondale Courting“). In its early stages she also curated the Greater Madison Jazz Consortium’s online event calendar.

Now, in her time of need, we are turning to our local jazz community – fans, musicians, educators, and venues – to rally around Toni. Please consider contributing to her GoFundMe campaign and, if you are so inclined, help spread the word and the link.

Thanks much for anything you can do to help!

Howard Landsman
Founding Chairman and Board Member (2012-2020)
Greater Madison Jazz Consortium