Gerri DiMaggio Quintet, Hanah Jon Taylor Ensemble
to
The Forum 30 State St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703
Paul S. Howell
Hanah Jon Taylor
Event organizers have had to be both flexible and improvisatory to react to changing public health needs due to COVID-19. One example: Jazz at Five moved to Fitchburg to allow for more social distancing room. An improvisatory response followed by Jazz at Five co-founder and longtime director Cathy Sullivan, who quickly pulled together a new concert series for the downtown area: Jazz on State. The opening concert on Aug. 4 will feature music by the Gerri DiMaggio Quintet and Hanah Jon Taylor Ensemble. Attendees are encouraged to visit area restaurants, so there will be no on-site food or beverage sales. Concerts continue on the following two Wednesdays, with Tony Castañeda Latin Jazz Band on Aug. 11 and Leo Sidran and special guests on Aug. 18.
media release: Jazz on State is a new series that will begin its first season on August 4 with a stellar offering of diverse jazz genres at this free outdoor series. There will be no on-site food and beer sales, and instead we encourage attendees to patronize restaurants in the vicinity hard hit by the pandemic. People are encouraged to bring chairs, or snag some of the limited seating available in front of the stage for a $5 donation.
Concerts take place from 5:30-8pm at 30 on the Square/The Forum in the 100 block of State Street in downtown Madison, where it meets the Capital Square. Rain location: The Brink Lounge, 701 E. Washington Ave.
The 2021 series schedule is as follows:
August 4: First Set: Gerri DiMaggio Quintet featuring Gerri on vocals; Bob Pesselman on guitar; Paul Hastil on keyboard; John Mesoloras on bass; and Rich Larson on percussion. Her music is a mix of Brazilian melodies along with a fresh blend of jazz standards.
Second Set: Hanah Jon Taylor Ensemble featuring Hanah Jon Taylor-- Saxophones, Flutes and Wind Synthesizer; Jon Wade—Keyboard; Ari Smith—Bass and Kevin Carnes—Percussion.
August 11: First and second set: Tony Castañeda Latin Jazz Band featuring Dave Stoler on keys; Henry Boehm on bass; Louka Patenaude on guitar; Tommy Mattioli on vibes and percussion; Arno Gonzalez on timbales/percussion; Tony Castañeda on congas/bongos/percussion; Anders Svanoe on Baritone Sax and special guest Nic Cowles from New York City on flute. Tony’s band features music from the Golden Age of Latin Jazz.
August 18:
First and Second Set: Leo Sidran and Friends featuring Leo Sidran: guitar, voice; Dave Stoler: piano; John Christensen: bass; Chris Stromquist: drums; with special guest: Ben Sidran (piano, voice). Leo is American Grammy-nominated musician, composer, performer, and producer whose music reflects jazz and latin influences.