Madison Jazz Jam with Lem Banks
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North Street Cabaret 610 North St., Madison, Wisconsin 53704
Lem Banks
Scheduling issues for the 31st annual festival required a change of dates, and organizers seized the opportunity to expand the former two-day event into a 10-day extravaganza with 27 different performances and events at various locations throughout Madison. This year’s focus will be on local and regional acts. There are a number of acts on the Memorial Union Terrace, a State Street “jazz stroll,” a concert highlighting jazz’s gospel roots, and another honoring women’s contributions to the genre. There’s also a world premiere from saxophonist Hanah Jon Taylor, Songs for the Emerging Man. Details: isthmusjazzfestival.com.
The Madison Jazz Jam celebrates the 2018 Isthmus Jazz Festival with a performance by guest vocalist Lem Banks. A shining star of the Milwaukee music scene, Banks specializes in everything from the Great American Songbook to Motown to contemporary R&B. During his 30-plus year career, Banks has performed with virtually all of the Cream City’s top jazz artists and opened for the likes of Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and Gladys Knight & the Pips. He’s a five-time nominee for the annual Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) “Best Male Vocalist” award, has an ongoing gig at Milwaukee’s Packing House Restaurant, and can be heard on several Paul Spencer “Jazz Explosion” live CDs.
He’ll be backed by a quartet of veteran players from Madison and the larger region: Ken Hoffman, tenor sax; Paul Muench, piano; Matt Rodgers, bass; and Rodrigo Villanueva, drums. The event begins with a set by Banks followed by an educational jam session in which jammers learn about repertoire and performance practices from the house band. Musicians of all ages and skill levels are welcome at each meeting of the Madison Jazz Jam, and we’re issuing a special call for vocalists to join us at this event! We look forward to celebrating jazz in Madison with Lem Banks on June 3 from 4-7 p.m. at the North Street Cabaret!
The first featured tune is "On Green Dolphin Street," from 1947, composed by Bronislaw Kaper with Ned Washington's lyrics for the film of the same name. According to Wikipedia, the song became a Standard after Miles Davis's 1958 recording. Here's a link to one of Tony Bennett's recordings of the song, with the rarely heard introductory verse and delightful piano accompaniment. The second featured number is "Tangerine," from 1941, composed by Victor Schertzinger with Johnny Mercer's wonderful poetry. In 1942, this song spent 6 weeks at #1. Vocalists are especially encouraged to come to this Jam, as these tunes have great lyrics. Sinatra's 1961 swingin' version of "Tangerine" can be found here.