Red Rose Ragtime Band

press release: The Madison Jazz Society continues the year-long celebration of its 35th anniversary with a concert on Sunday, March 31, presenting the band that performed at their first concert in 1984. It will be held from 1-4 p.m. at the Wyndham Garden Hotel, 2969 Cahill Main, Fitchburg.

MJS President Linda Marty Schmitz said, “On a very hot and humid August night in 1984, the Red Rose Ragtime Band performed at the very first Madison Jazz Society concert in a room with no air conditioning. After surviving that, they have returned to the MJS stage a number of times and it is a special thrill to have them return to perform at our March 31 concert, part of our year-long 35th anniversary celebration!!”

The band was formed in the early 1980s with the express purpose of playing a musical repertoire reflecting almost every aspect of early jazz music, including ragtime. Today, the Red Rose performs perhaps the widest variety of traditional jazz sounds of any band in America. Represented on the "menu" are compositions by Jelly Roll Morton, Tiny Parham, Benny Moten and King Oliver. Rags by Scott Joplin, James Scott, Joe Jordan, May Aufderheide and others highlight the ragtime era. Red Rose delves into early Dixieland with seldom-heard tunes by the pre-1920 Original Dixieland Jass Band – then continues into the "hot '20s" with the music generated by the legendary Bix Beiderbecke and others. The “West Coast Revival” period is represented by Lu Watters and Turk Murphy compositions.  No matter what the tune, Red Rose plays each in the style in which it was originally played or recorded.

Tickets for the concert are $20 for MJS members; $25 for non-members and those age 18 and younger will be admitted free. Doors open at noon. Details can be found at www.madisonjazz.com or by calling 608-850-5400.

Formed in 1984, the Madison Jazz Society is a non-profit, all volunteer organization formed to encourage the performance of and education about jazz. It annually sponsors six concerts that attract jazz fans from all over the Midwest. It has also has a school grant program that awards grants to Wisconsin schools to enhance their jazz education programs and a jazz school residency program.