Wayne Shorter Jam Session with Chris Greene

Arts + Literature Laboratory and Wisconsin Union Theater have put together an outstanding series of events for the Madison Jazz Festival. A big draw is two full days of music at the fest’s traditional Memorial Union home on June 17-18, with music all day on the Terrace and ticketed evening shows by saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin & Phoenix and Lisa Fischer with Ranky Tanky. But don't sleep on the many events the prior week-plus, including an amazing twin bill of The Bad Plus and Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog (8 p.m., June 11, High Noon). It all kicks off with a pair of ensembles led by saxophonist-composers: the Dayna Stephens Quartet (7 p.m., June 8, Cafe Coda) and Mai Sugimoto Trio (7 p.m., June 9, ALL). June 10 celebrates the late Wayne Shorter, with a talk by Dave Stoler (10:30 a.m., Sequoya Library), a jam led by Chris Greene (1 p.m., Cafe Coda), and tribute concert (8 p.m., Cafe Coda). Find the full schedule below and tickets at madisonjazzfestivalwi.org.

media release: The Madison Jazz Jam presents a Wayne Shorter Jam Session with guest artist Chris Greene on Saturday, June 10, 2023 from 1:00 to 4:00pm at Cafe CODA. This event is free and open to the public.

Who is the jam for?

Instrumentalists and Vocalists: Jazz improvisers of all ages and talents are welcome at Madison Jazz Jam. We are a community gathering, and we want to hear from you!

Audience: Jazz appreciators who want to hear good music.

The jam session is part of an all-day celebration of the legendary jazz composer and saxophonist Wayne Shorter, who passed away on March 2, 2023. In the morning at 10:30am, keyboardist Dave Stoler will give a talk on the Musical Legacy of Wayne Shorter at Sequoya Library. And at 8:00pm, we will end the day with a Tribute to Wayne Shorter concert at Cafe CODA.

Saxophonist and composer Chris Greene was born in Evanston, IL. He spent his formative years in the award-winning Evanston High School Wind and Jazz Ensembles. As a teenager he began to play professionally with many local pop/rock and jazz bands. Greene eventually went to Bloomington, IN to attend the prestigious Indiana University Jazz Studies program and studied with renowned professor and cellist David Baker.  Greene returned to Chicago in 1994 and has since collaborated with some of the nation’s most creative and versatile musicians. As a performer, Greene can be seen with many different groups - in many different genres. He also leads his own critically-acclaimed group, the Chris Greene Quartet. He has also performed or recorded with the following artists: Common, The Temptations, Eric Roberson, Phonte, Ce Ce Peniston, Poi Dog Pondering, Ed Motta, Steve Coleman & Five Elements, Maysa Leak, Ten City, Sheena Easton, Steve Cole, Michael Manson, Andrew Bird, The J. Davis Trio, Chris Rob, Vic Lavender, Jesse De La Pena, Liquid Soul and The Mighty Blue Kings. Chris Greene was also featured in several episodes of the FOX-TV show, "Empire" and he also composed the score for the Chicago Childrens’ Theatre’s 2014 production of “Bud, Not Buddy.”

Find full schedule details at https://artlitlab.org/programs/greater-madison-jazz/madison-jazz-festival

June 8: Dayna Stephens Quartet at Cafe CODA, 7 pm

June 9: Mai Sugimoto Trio at Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7 pm

June 9: Michael Hackett Quintet at North Street Cabaret, 8 pm

June 10: "The Musical Legacy of Wayne Shorter" Talk by Dave Stoler at Sequoya Library, 10:30 am

June 10: Wayne Shorter Jam Session feat. Chris Greene at Cafe CODA, 1 pm

June 10: Wayne Shorter Tribute Concert at Cafe CODA, 8 pm

June 11: Janet Planet at Allen Centennial Garden, 5 pm

June 11: The Bad Plus + Marc Ribot at High Noon Saloon, 8 pm

June 12: Golpe Tierra at Warner Park, 6 pm

June 13: Miguel Zenon & Luis Perdomo in Conversation, St. Joseph Church (Good Shepherd Parish), 10:30 am

June 13: Miguel Zenon & Luis Perdomo: El Arte del Bolero at Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7 pm

June 14: DIG JAZZ: Rick Flowers and Amalgam X at Penn Park, 6 pm

June 15: Awake: Volume 2 - the Music of Don Cherry CD Release at Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7 pm

June 16: Marques Carroll Quintet at Cafe CODA, 8 pm

June 17: Jazz all day on the Memorial Union Terrace feat. Kassa Overall, 1-10:30 pm

June 17: A Conversation with Lakecia Benjamin, 3 pm

June 17: Lakecia Benjamin & Phoenix at Shannon Hall, 8 pm

June 18: Juneteenth Celebration of Black American Music on the Memorial Union Terrace, 2:30-9:30 pm

June 18: Ranky Tanky with Lisa Fischer at Shannon Hall, 8 pm