Before we get to the highlights here’s news relevant to Madison jazz fans: according to a WSJ article Magnus Restaurant will close Jan 1st and reopen in March with a new theme that appears to deemphasize jazz. This is a blow to the jazz scene and now makes it more important than ever to support the lone remaining weekly jazz series, Fridays at Inn on the Park.
Starting then with that series, this Friday at 8 pm Inn on the Park features Gerri DiMaggio and World Beat. I’m not sure if Gerri has renamed her band and reoriented her repertoire, or if this is a special show. Either way Gerri always puts on a great performance.
Sunday at 7:30 pm rising jazz star Esperanza Spalding plays the Stoughton Opera House. This is going to be really good! Esperanza’s music incorporates elements of jazz, world music, and contemporary music into a joyful whole. For a video and more, see this previous article.
I’d really like to hear Esperanza but it overlaps with the Madison Jazz Jam Sunday 4-7 pm at the Washington Hotel Coffee Room. Given the choice between performing or listening I’ll always pick performing. In this case my main duties will be hosting the event, but I hope to jam on a few tunes like everyone else!
A somewhat similar event is Laurie Lang’s Improvisation Music Workshop 6:30 pm Friday at the Washington Hotel Coffee Room. The theme this time is “Single-Line Groove and Song Building.” Here’s a review of her workshop the last time that theme was used. It was an especially popular and fun workshop.
As always more jazz events can be found at the Madison Jazz Calendar.
