Tona Williams
Been looking for the annual Isthmus Jazz Festival? This is its new incarnation, brought to you by Arts + Literature Laboratory and the Wisconsin Union Theater and featuring a mix of free and ticketed events. The fest kicks off Friday with a stellar evening of local performers at Strollin' Capitol East (6-11 p.m. at Brink Lounge, Robinia Courtyard, Salvatore's and The Sylvee) and a CD release by Bad Philosopher (tickets here; 8 p.m., Garver Feed Mill). We hope you made some room on your calendar over the next week-plus, because concerts during the fest also include Isaiah Collier & the Chosen Few; Marquis Hill; the quartet of Roscoe Mitchell, Douglas Ewart, Vincent Davis and Junius Paul; Rogue Parade; Nate Smith + Kinfolk; Donna Woodall; and many others. Find the full schedule of in-person and virtual events below, or at artlitlab.org.
media release: Monday, June 14, 2021
6:00-7:30PM, Warner Park [OUTDOOR], Circus + Jazz: Spend a family-friendly evening in the park with performers from Madison Circus Space in a mesmerizing display of strength and artistry in collaboration with live jazz by the John Christensen Trio. Price: FREE
More Jazz Festival:
Arts + Literature Laboratory and the Wisconsin Union Theater are proud to announce that the iconic Madison Jazz Festival (formerly the Isthmus Jazz Festival), is returning in 2021. From Friday, June 11 through Sunday, June 20, 2021, the Festival will include an exciting lineup of concerts featuring some of today’s finest jazz musicians, including Nate Smith, Marquis Hill, Greg Ward, Sarah M. Greer, Arun Luthra, and Isaiah Collier, the legendary Roscoe Mitchell, and local favorites including the Acoplados Latin Project, Mama Digdown’s Brass Band, Donna Woodall, Gerri DiMaggio, and many more. In addition to concerts, the Festival will feature a public virtual master class by renowned bassist and UW-Madison Jazz Studies Professor Peter Dominguez, a livestreamed presentation by Ricardo Gonzalez and Nick Moran on the Camaguey Jazz project, and more.
During the pandemic, the Madison Jazz Festival has worked to provide alternative ways to celebrate jazz music. Outdoor performances include many of the Strollin’ Capitol East sites on June 11; Nate Smith + KINFOLK at Breese Stevens Field on June 13; Circus + Jazz at Warner Park on June 14; New Breed Jazz Jam in the Robinia Courtyard on June 15; Mama Digdown’s Brass Band at Penn Park on June 16; and Donna Woodall at the Juneteenth Celebration in Penn Park and Marquis Hill at the Memorial Union Terrace on June 19. Virtual programs include the master class by Peter Dominguez on June 15, the Camaguey Jazz presentation on June 17; DIG JAZZ featuring Sarah M. Greer on June 18, and a livestream of the Memorial Union Terrace performances on June 19.
The Madison Jazz Festival is made possible with the support of The Cap Times, John and Carolyn Peterson Charitable Foundation, Dane Arts, Madison Arts Commission, Madison Music Collective, Madison Jazz Society, Carlson Black O'Callaghan & Battenberg LLP, Strang, Inc., Gebhardt Development, the UW-Madison Division of the Arts, WORT FM, Wisconsin Arts Board, and the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional funds from the Endres Manufacturing Company Foundation, the Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation.
Schedule - Please watch for updates at MadisonJazzFestivalWI.org and contact the venues for full details and tickets.
Friday, June 11, 2021
5:00-10:30PM, various locations along E. Washington and E. Main Streets [INDOOR/OUTDOOR], Strollin’ Capitol East: The Madison Jazz Festival kicks off with Strollin’ Capitol East. Now in its 8th year, the Strollin’ series presents five hours of continuous and stylistically diverse live jazz in multiple outdoor and indoor venues in the rapidly growing Capitol East neighborhood. This popular “jazz stroll” features staggered performances that make it easy for attendees to stroll from venue to venue and sample many different bands and musical styles. This will be the 17th Strollin’ event since the series was founded by the Greater Madison Jazz Consortium, which merged with Arts + Literature Laboratory last year. Ten bands with styles representing the many facets of jazz will appear throughout the night in five locations along E. Washington and E. Main Streets between the Brink Lounge and Bos Meadery. The detailed lineup will be announced soon at artlitlab.org. Price: FREE
8:00PM, Garver Feed Mill [INDOOR]: Bad Philosopher's Very Terribly Bad CD Release Show will focus on tunes from their debut album BADHALLA (and other surprises), featuring vocalist Elena Ross, percussionist Tom Ross, and Bad Philosopher's ensemble members Tony Barba, Josh Cohen, Chris Di Bernardo, and Jason Kutz. Full bar and food options available. Price: $20
Saturday, June 12, 2021, 7:00PM and 9:00PM, Cafe CODA, Isaiah Collier and the Chosen Few [INDOOR]
Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few fully explore moments of the past, present, and, yes, the future. The new album Cosmic Transitions is a Five-part suite that addresses interpersonal relationships during a Retrograde period. The recording of this project took place on September 23rd, 2020 at Rudy Van Gelder's legendary studio where greats like John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, and many other great musicians expressed what they felt in those moments.
Isaiah Collier, a brilliant talent from Chicago, leads the way on soprano and tenor saxophone, with the support of the other members: Jeremiah Hunt, Michael Shewoaga Ode, and Mike King. A release filled with a wide range of human emotions and musical possibility, Cosmic Transitions was crafted with the full intention to awaken those who hear it. Each part of the Suite weaves into the next. Not for the faint of heart, the album sets out to be a timestamp for before and after. Enjoy the journey. Price: $25 per show
Tickets: https://cafecoda.club/2021/05/
Sunday, June 13, 2021
6:00-9:00PM, Breese Stevens Field [OUTDOOR], Nate Smith + KINFOLK with Greg Ward’s Rogue Parade: The Madison Jazz Festival presents one of today's most influential and popular drummers: Nate Smith + KINFOLK, with an opening performance by Greg Ward's Rogue Parade. This special outdoor music event at Breese Stevens Field is hosted by Arts + Literature Laboratory and the Madison Music Collective. Tickets will be limited to allow social distancing.
For nearly two decades, Nate Smith has been a key piece in reinvigorating the international music scene with his visceral, instinctive, and deep-rooted style of drumming. He holds a diverse and ample résumé — which includes work with esteemed jazz leading lights such as Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, Chris Potter, José James, John Patitucci, Ravi Coltrane, and Somi among many others. His 2x GRAMMY-nominated debut album, KINFOLK: Postcards from Everywhere, sees Smith fusing his original modern jazz compositions with R&B, pop, and hip-hop. He’s also ventured into the pop/rock world with recent collaborations with Vulfpeck spinoff band The Fearless Flyers, Brittany Howard (of Alabama Shakes) and performances with songwriters Emily King and Van Hunt. His videos have been viewed millions of times and have inspired countless musicians and fans. In September of 2018, he released his first ever solo drumset album Pocket Change.
Considered one of the most versatile saxophonists of his generation, bandleader, composer and arranger Greg Ward launched his new group Rogue Parade with the release of the album Stomping Off From Greenwood. A quintet of heavyweight creative Chicago musicians, Rogue Parade features guitarists Matt Gold and Dave Miller, bassist Matt Ulery and drummer Quin Kirchner. Having earned wide acclaim as a sideman with artists like Prefuse 73, Lupe Fiasco, Tortoise, William Parker, Andrew D'Angelo, and Mike Reed, Greg Ward is now excited to introduce his wide-spanning audience to this new, innovative group. $30 general admission.
Tickets: https://mpv.tickets.com/?
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
5:00PM, Zoom (pre-register) (H)ear Play (In Major and Minor Keys): A Virtual Masterclass with Peter Dominguez:
Register today for a public virtual masterclass with renowned bassist Peter Dominguez. A limited number of free spaces will be available to participate in the masterclass via zoom. Pre-register online at artlitlab.org through June 14. Price: FREE
Peter Dominguez is professor of double bass and jazz studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Having pursued over 48 years of double bass performance practice in a variety of musical styles while appearing in venues throughout the Americas and Europe, he continues to play with an impressive array of classical, jazz, and Latin artists. The former principal bass with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra and the American Sinfonietta, Peter served as professor of jazz studies and double bass at Oberlin Conservatory of Music from 1996-2020 and directed the Oberlin Jazz Septet.
6:00-9:00PM, COPA Summer Arts Incubator Lab [INDOOR], Madison Jazz Jam: Madison Jazz Jam, an educational jam session for all ages and abilities, resumes with a session during the new Madison Jazz Festival at their 2021 summer home, the COPA Summer Arts Incubator Lab at 2841 Index Road, Madison. Open to vocalists, instrumentalists, and audience members. Learn more at madisonjazzjam.org. Price: FREE
9:00PM, Robinia Courtyard [OUTDOOR], New Breed Jazz Jam feat. Arun Luthra: Madison’s longest running jam session, The New Breed Jazz Jam features Paul Hastil (Fender Rhodes), Nick Moran (bass), and Michael Brenneis (drums) at Robinia Courtyard. This special Festival jazz session features NYC saxophonist Arun Lutha, who will be the UW Division of the Arts’ Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program (IARP) Artist-in-Residence this fall.
Arun Luthra is an American musician of Indian heritage who fuses modern post-bop jazz with elements of Indian classical music–especially konnakol (South Indian classical music vocal percussion)–and connects a wide range of modern and classic and Eastern and Western musical influences to create a vibrant new sound and style. In the fall of 2021, Luthra will teach “The Universal Language of Rhythm: Explorations Through Konnakol and Black American Music.” This course is an introduction to konnakol, the Carnatic (South Indian classical music) art form of vocalizing rhythms, and will explore its blending with other musical traditions. Luthra’s residency will be hosted by the Mead Witter School of Music with Professor Johannes Wallmann as lead faculty and support from the Center for South Asia, the Department of Anthropology, the Wisconsin Union Theater, and Arts + Literature Laboratory. Price: FREE
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
6:00PM, Penn Park [OUTDOOR], Mama Digdown’s Brass Band: The Madison Jazz Society is proud to present this free performance by Mama Digdown’s Brass Band at Penn Park during the Madison Jazz Festival. For over two decades, Mama Digdown's has traveled the world spreading the gospel of New Orleans brass band music. Mama Digdown's nods respectively to the craft and tradition of New Orleans jazz and the street beat they play has earned them the reputation as one of the hottest and hardest hitting brass bands on the scene today. Price: FREE
Thursday, June 17, 2021
5:00PM, ALL Facebook & YouTube, CAMAGÜEY JAZZ: Building Bridges of Friendship Through Music
Ricardo Gonzalez and Nick Moran share how local jazz musicians have been strengthening our ties with Madison Sister City Camaguey, Cuba through an innovative cultural exchange program. Watch this interactive presentation on Arts + Literature Laboratory’s Facebook and YouTube channels (facebook.com/artlitlab and YouTube.com/artlitlab). Price: FREE
8:00PM, Garver Feed Mill [INDOOR], Acoplados Latin Jazz Night: The Acoplados Latin Project explores the nuances of Latin American and Caribbean folk/popular music by using voices, the cajon, the guitar, and other instruments to explore melody, harmony and rhythm. Acoplados takes the listener to the llanos of Venezuela, the solares of Cuba, the callejones of Lima Peru, on a journey through Latin American music. Juancho Martinez - vocal & cajón; Richard Hildner - guitar; Nick Moran - bass; Aaron Gochberg - drums; Paddy Cassidy - percussion; Nat McIntosh - trombone; Tony Barba - sax; Yorel Lasley - tumbadora. Price: $30/$25/$20
Tickets: https://garverevents.com/
6:00pm, Tandem Press YouTube (youtube.com/channel/
Friday, June 18, 2021
7:00PM, ALL Facebook & YouTube, DIG JAZZ presents Sarah M. Greer: The DIG JAZZ concert series presenting new, original works by local and regional jazz artists is proud to feature the vocal artistry of Sarah M. Greer livestreamed from the Stoughton Opera House on Friday, June 18, 2021 at 7:00 PM. Watch online via Arts + Literature Laboratory’s Facebook and YouTube channels (facebook.com/artlitlab and YouTube.com/artlitlab).
Praised by other musicians for her sense of time and ability to swing, jazz vocalist and composer Sarah M. Greer delights and entertains audiences with her warm, expressive vocals, inventive scat singing and refined use of improvisation. She released her album of original jazz music "What the Music Says Do" in 2018. A busy singer, educator and presenter, Sarah created and has led Songtaneous, a monthly community singing project, since 2006 and is a facilitator and song leader for Circlesongs MN. When she is not instructing, Sarah performs regularly with a cappella ensemble the Give Get Sistet, numerous Twin Cities artists and musicians, and guests with a variety of players in other projects and collaborations throughout Minnesota and around the world. Sarah is passionate about every person’s right to sing and the power of singing to change the world. Price: FREE
Saturday, June 19, 2021
2:00PM, Penn Park, Donna Woodall at the Juneteenth Celebration [OUTDOOR]: Madison Jazz Festival and the Juneteenth Celebration present Milwaukee’s Donna Woodall at 2:00PM at Penn Park. The theme of the 32nd Annual Outdoor Celebration of Juneteenth is: “Black Resilience...Rising From the Ashes.” Jazz Festival participants are invited to experience the rich history of Black Americans entertainment, lectures, visual presentation, food, and other activities beginning June 13 and continuing through the June 19 parade and celebration at Penn Park. Woodall, who will open for Marquis Hill at the Memorial Union Terrace later that evening, will perform a special set as part of the day’s festivities. Price: FREE
7:00PM, Memorial Union Terrace [OUTDOOR + VIRTUAL], Donna Woodall Group (7:00PM); Marquis Hill (9:00PM): One of the finest trumpeters in jazz today, Marquis Hill is also a composer and bandleader whose comprehensive vision highlights the unity and continuity within the musical heritage of African-Americans. On acclaimed albums like his latest, Modern Flows Vol. II, and his 2016 breakout project, The Way We Play, Hill and his working band, the Blacktet, use their next-level musicianship and deeply interactive dynamic to break down the barriers separating bop, hip-hop, R&B and electronic music.
Born in Chicago in 1987 and raised on the city’s South Side, Hill absorbed the jazz tradition both formally—he holds a bachelor’s in music education as well as a master’s in jazz pedagogy—and informally, gaining knowledge from his elders on gigs and at jam sessions. By the time he won the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz competition in the fall of 2014, his reputation for fluid virtuosity was firmly established in the Midwest—as a member of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, an in-demand sideman and a leader with several buzz worthy self-released discs to his credit. Since that watershed victory, Hill has garnered glowing coverage in outlets like the New Yorker, the New York Times, JazzTimes, NPR Music and DownBeat, where he topped the “Rising Star–Trumpet” category in the 2016 Critics Poll. As he’s maintained a nonstop touring schedule with the Blacktet, he’s also supported and guested with a jazz who’s who that includes Marcus Miller, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Boney James, Kurt Elling, Joe Lovano and Hill’s trailblazing Chicago peer Makaya McCraven.
With her unique blend of jazz/blues and pop originals, Donna Woodall blurs musical genres and presents lush, intimate vocals with every performance. She has established herself as a skilled singer, bandleader, and songwriter in the Milwaukee music scene. Donna artfully blends the musical styles of artists such as Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, Esperanza Spaulding, and Norah Jones with elements of traditional jazz and blues. Audiences are delighted by her eclectic song selections, cool and creative renditions of classic hits, and her bold moves into different music genres. Donna also flexes her songwriting muscle, showcasing original material that ranges from “soulful folk" to fun "jazz-pop." Masterful delivery and a captivating stage performance set Donna apart from the rest. Price: FREE
Sunday, June 20, 2021
7:00 PM, Cafe CODA [INDOOR], Roscoe Mitchell, Douglas Ewart, Vincent Davis, and Junius Paul: Roscoe Mitchell is considered one of the key figures in avant-garde jazz, integrating influences from everywhere—world music, funk, rock, classical—to create music that is at once beautiful and complex. He has been involved with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), a Chicago-based nonprofit organization founded in the mid-1960s to advance new creative music. Mitchell has performed on more than 85 recordings and written in excess of 250 compositions in the jazz and classical realms. He continues to pass down his musical knowledge of composition and improvisation, both in educational and performance settings. Price: $40
Tickets: https://cafecoda.club/buy-
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