New Breed Jam update

The last 2 weeks the Isthmus Newspaper has listed the New Breed Jam session at the Cabana Room as starting at 10pm.  Just to avoid any confusion, the time of the jam session hasn’t changed. The New Breed starts at 9pm, plays one set, and then jammers are invited up during the next set starting around 10:15.

Some of the jammers don’t arrive until just before the second set, but you’re really missing out if you don’t catch the New Breed’s first set.   The New Breed plays some of the best jazz in Madison, and since the Isthmus Jazz Festival the group has been on fire! They are more focused, concentrating on the music of a particular composer each week, and seem more inspired since they’ve begun regularly mixing in originals.

Unfortunately, sax man Patrick Breiner will be out east the next few weeks so there may be a bit of a letdown. The band seems to feed off his youthful energy and sag a bit when he’s gone. In the meantime, it’s always interesting to hear whoever might fill in, and the special guests that stop by.

Jazz on a Summer’s Evening: A Mini-Fest on Saturday, July 18th

by Howard Landsman

On Saturday, July 18th, the Madison Music Collective will present “Jazz on a Summer’s Evening,” a casual evening of mainstream jazz in the lovely rustic and arts-infused setting of Fitchburg’s Art in the Barn.  The line-up for this mini-fest includes:

6:00 PM:  Guitarist Cliff Frederiksen’s Trio

7:15 PM:  The guitar-piano duo of Louka Patenaude and Paul Hastil

8:30 PM:  The Dave Cooper Quintet, featuring Tom Gullion and Tim Whalen

As part of the Collective’s ongoing effort to bridge the gap between improvising musicians and their audience, each performance will be followed by a brief question-and-answer session.

Come early and enjoy the visual artists’ work.  Bring food and a blanket or chairs to enjoy a pre-concert picnic on the beautiful Art in the Barn picnic grounds, or purchase food from the Dardanelles Restaurant’s on-site food stand.  The grounds will be open from 4:30 PM on.

Tickets will be available at the door, and are priced at $15.00 general admission, with discounts for MMC members ($12.00), students ($10.00) and kids 14 and under (free). 

Art in the Barn is located at 5927 Adams Road in Fitchburg, 5 miles south of Madison’s West Beltline, 1 mile south of Lacy Road and 1 mile west of Fish Hatchery Road.  Due to summer construction on Fish Hatchery, the best route from points north and east is via Seminole Highway to Whalen Road, then west to Fitchburg Road and south to Adams Road, and finally east to the venue.

For more information, visit www.artinthebarnwi.org or call (608) 835-0454.

Pictures of Jeff Peronto Big Band

The Jeff Peronto Big Band, and the trombone quintet, Hot Cross Bones, warmed up the crowd before the Drums On Parade Drum & Bugle Corps show June 28th in Baraboo.  Here’s a link to pictures of the concert. It’s good to see Jeff Peronto appearing healthy.

Russell Thorne to make rare appearance

The Madison Music Collective and Unofficial Productions presents the legendary cellist and keyboardist Russell Thorne with JoAnne Pow!ers and Jennifer Pendur on Tuesday,  July 14th, 2009, as part of the Collective Escape Series.

A classically-trained multi-instrumentalist, Thorne was a much-in-demand performer in Chicago during the 1960s, performing regularly with such ensembles as the Joe Daley Trio (described by Down Beat as the city’s foremost “New Thing” group; see RCA’s groundbreaking “Live in Newport, 1963″, with Thorne on bass, Hal Russell (of NRG Ensemble fame) on Drums and Joe Daley on saxophones) and the All Arts Academy Jazz All Stars.  One of Chicago’s most prominent improvisors, he worked with a broad range of internationally known performers ranging from Louie Bellson to the AACM’s Joseph Jarman.  He was a founding member of Chicago’s Emergency Theatre, an improvisational ensemble beginning in the  late 70’s, and performed regularly as a member of the Giordanisti trio with Hal Rammel and Phil Kurz.  Thorne’s compositions are particularly influenced by his association with John Cage and eastern philosophy, and he is also known for his musique concrete experiments of the 1970s and 80s.

In the 1980’s Thorne relocated to Madison, Wisconsin, where he was a part of the Madison music scene in the late 80s , performing regularly with his jazz trio “Venus in Scorpio”, as well as operating/curating an experimental performing arts venue called “The Space” in the back of Madison’s Prisca Magia bookstore. Thorne left Madison to resume operating The Occult Bookstore in Chicago and concentrate on his composing, almost completely out of the public eye.  This July 14th will be Thorne’s first public appearance in Madison (and one of very few anywhere) in almost twenty years, and a unique slice of Madison music history.

Cabana Room cuts Jazz, Jam survives

The economy continues to take its toll on the Madison jazz scene. The Cabana Room has featured live jazz Wednesday through Saturday nights since January, but Scott Stenton tells me that as of July 1st all the jazz except the New Breed jam  has been discontinued.  Scott played there every Saturday night and says it’s been slow since the beginning of summer. The crowd for the jam was a little off last night but has otherwise been consistently strong.

It doesn’t sound like the jazz will be replaced by another kind of live music, and Scott has no idea if jazz will return when the students do in the fall.

Cafe Montmartre has closed

Story and many comments at the Cap Times.

I guess I’m not up enough on these kinds of things; it came as quite a shock. I haven’t been to Cafe Montmartre in a while but I’ll miss it. Kind of a funky arrangement for live music but I heard some good music there including Ben Sidran with Richie Cole, and Ben Sidran with Bob Rockwell. It’s tough to see another jazz playing venue close.

Carl Maguire’s Floriculture thrives

by Joan Wildman

The NY Times has a very positive review in this morning’s paper about Floriculture, a group led by former Madison pianist, Carl Maguire, relating to their Tuesday evening’s performance in Brooklyn. The group is celebrating their new CD, SIDED SILVER SOLID. The music on the CD has a decidedly avant guard flavor, but with Carl’s intelligently composed structures readily apparent throughout. It is very good! Let’s hope that Carl and his group can do a Madison performance soon!

Jazz at Five Performers

Jazz at Five is a Madison institution much like Concerts on the Square. Every Friday in August for the last 16 years the top of State Street at the Capitol Square is blocked off so crowds can gather to enjoy jazz. The concerts are free and feature  local and international performers you will not want to miss. This year’s performers are listed below, and the schedule is at the Jazz at Five website and listed at Special Events on this site.

2009 Performers

• The Francesca Johnson Quartet
• Mike Frost Project
• Tim Whalen Nonet
• Leo Sidran’s Bridge to Know Where
• Seven Steps To Havana
• Jan Wheaton Quintet
• Richie Cole

Madison Blues Society Picnic This Saturday

The Madison Blues Society is having it’s seventh annual picnic this Saturday, June 20th at Warner Park. This is a free all day event with a full line up of blues artists from 12 to 9 pm. Headlining the event at 7:30 are the Groove Hogs, a top notch 9 piece band with horns.

I’ve attended this event and highly recommend it. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and kick back to some great music. Also bring a cooler of food and drink, or support the vendors on site. Donations are appreciated and a hat may be passed round.

For the full lineup and much more information go to the Madison Blues Society Website.

Jazz Meets Visual Art on July 18th

by Howard Landsman

Jazz meets visual art on July 18, 2009 as Dave Cooper, arguably Madison’s finest jazz trumpeter, and his quintet headline “Jazz on a Summer’s Evening,” a program of mainstream jazz at Art in the Barn, a restored 1870’s barn on a hilltop overlooking the lovely rolling farmlands of  southern Fitchburg, just 5 miles south of the Beltline.  Nestled between Verona, Oregon and Paoli, this charming rustic venue has been hosting summertime concerts for years, and offers a natural, arts-infused setting that is a treat for people of all ages.

This mini-festival, sponsored by the Madison Music Collective (MMC). will begin at 6:00 PM with a set by guitarist Cliff Frederiksen’s trio, followed at 7:15 PM by the piano-guitar duo of Paul Hastil and Louka Patenaude, with the Cooper quintet’s set starting at 8:30 PM. As part of MMC’s ongoing effort to bridge the gap between improvising musicians and their audience, each performance will be followed by a question and answer session.

Nestled amongst the lovely rolling farmlands of southern Fitchburg, Art in the Barn provides a delightful spot for Madison Music Collective's "Jazz on a Summer's Evening" on July 18th

Come early for the art fair.  Bring food and a blanket or chairs to enjoy a pre-concert picnic on the beautiful picnic grounds, or purchase food from the Dardanelles Restaurant’s on-site food stand.  The artist booths and food stand will be set up and ready to go by 4:30 PM.

Tickets will be available at the door, and are priced at $15.00 general admission, with discounts for MMC members ($12.00), students ($10.00) and kids 14 and under (free).  Peanuts and ice will be provided at no cost.

Profile of the Performers

Cliff Fredericksen's trio kicks off the Madison Music Collective's "Jazz on a Summer's Evening" on July 18th

Cliff Frederiksen is one of the Madison area’s stellar guitar stylists, whose virtuoso playing is inspired by artists as diverse as Django Reinhardt, B.B. King, Joe Pass and George Benson. Cliff will lead a trio with bassist Guy Fiorenza, and drummer Jack Brand, both from Rockford, Illinois. They will perform a set of jazz standards from the Bop and pre-Bop era that will include Cliff’s mellifluous vocals, as well as his guitar playing.

Guitarist Louka Patenaude first came to the attention of Madison area audiences as a member of the New Breed Quintet. He rose quickly through the ranks to tour with jazz great Ben Sidran and other illustrious local groups such as Natty Nation.

The duo of guitarist Louka Patenaude (left of cow) and pianist Paul Hastil (right) will take the stage (minus cow) at 7:15 PM at the Madison Music Collective's "Jazz on a Summer's Evening" on July 18th

At Art in the Barn, Patenaude will be joined by longtime collaborator Paul Hastil, a pianist who has been a regular on the Madison jazz scene for the past 18 years. Hastil has performed with area notables Doc and Kelly DeHaven, and Gerri DiMaggio, as well as internationally recognized artists such as Archie Shepp, Sheila Jordan, and Richard Davis. Patenaude and Hastil’s duo explorations will run the gamut, from original compositions, to spontaneous improvisations, to a tribute to the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson.

The Dave Cooper Quintet takes the stage at 8:30 PM to close out the Madison Music Collective’s “Jazz on a Summer’s Evening” on July 18th

Trumpeter David Cooper will lead a quintet that includes saxophonist Tom Gullion, pianist Tim Whalen, bassist Mark Urness, and drummer Ernie Adams. Cooper performs regularly in a jazz setting with the New Breed Quintet, the Tim Whalen Nonet, and vocalist Gerri DiMaggio, and currently holds the third trumpet chair with the Madison Symphony Orchestra. As an educator, Dr. Cooper is professor of trumpet and jazz studies at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.  The quintet’s program at Art in the Barn will feature compositions by Cooper, Gullion, and Whalen.

 Directions to Art in the Barn

Art in the Barn is located at 5927 Adams Road, about half-way between Fish Hatchery Road and Fitchburg Road and about 5 miles south of the Beltline. With summer road construction on Fish Hatchery, the best route from the north and east is via Seminole Highway. From the Beltline exit, go south for 4 miles to the end of Seminole, turn right onto Whalen Road for 0.4 miles, then left onto Fitchburg Road for 1.1 miles, then left again onto Adams Road for 1 mile.

For More Information: Contact Anne at 835-0454 or visit www.artinthebarnwi.org or www.mmcmusic.org.