UW Madison Jazz Orchestra Video

Here’s a video from a recent performance of  My One and Only Love by the UW Madison Jazz Orchestra conducted by Jim Doherty.

 

Madison Mellophonium Jazz Orchestra video

Monday night Rand Moore filled in on drums when Blues by Five played at Lilianas, and on the break I talked to him about the Madison Mellophonium Jazz Orchestra (MMJO). Rand is the founder and leader of the MMJO and it didn’t take long to see this is his favorite subject.

One of the things we discussed was how much Rand was looking forward to the MMJO gigs this week. At 7 pm tonight they are playing at Monona Terrace to mark the beginning of the 2011 Wisconsin State Music Conference, and from noon to 3 pm Sunday they play a dance at the DorfHause in Roxbury.

Roxbury is thirty minutes outside of town, a direct shot down Hwy 12 toward Sauk City, and the DorfHause is a big old-fashioned German-style dinner club with a large dance floor. You’ll feel like you stepped back in time. Ideal for dancing to a big band!

And this is no ordinary band. They are large (23 pieces  including 4 Mellophoniums), talented (can you imagine Dave Cooper, Jon Schipper, Jim Doherty, and John Bohman on trumpets?), and play all original Stan Kenton charts.

If you need more event details see the calendar to your left. If you haven’t heard the MMJO here’s a clip from this summer’s Isthmus Jazz Fest:

Video from Lawrence University Faculty Quartet concert

A beautiful day and distractions like the Iron Man didn’t keep a full house of jazz fans from enjoying a fantastic concert in the Nightclub room at the Brink Lounge yesterday. The concert by the the Lawrence Faculty Jazz Quartet was easily the best concert I’ve been to this year.

A recording of the entire concert will be available in the future on the Mad Toast Live website – highly recommended! In the meantime here is a video of the second song performed, “Gitchee Gumee,”written by keyboardist Bill Carrothers (the rest of the group is saxophonist Jose Encarnacion, percussionist Dane Richeson, and bassist Mark Urness). It cast a powerful emotional spell over the room that video cannot capture.

If you encounter stuttering playback try waiting for the buffering indicator to  travel all the way to the right – this may take several minutes. And sorry for the shaking, I forgot my mini-tripod. Hopefully as I get more experience (this is my first video ever) there will be more videos of Madison jazz performances, and the quality will improve.

Zach Nielsen video

You may have noticed Zach Nielsen’s name on the Madison Jazz Calendar lately. Zach arrived in Madison last summer from Albuquerque where he played in a trio with some of the city’s best jazz players. After taking some time to settle his family in he  began performing several months ago at Pasqual’s and Great Dane, two venues not previously known for jazz.

In Madison he has been playing with accomplished jazz musicians also. In this recent video from Pasqual’s, Zach and his trio play the Mingus quasi-blues, Nostalgia in Times Square. Zach on keys, Keith Leinert on drums, and Brad Townsend on bass.

Sun Prairie HS Jazz Ensemble CD sampler

by Howard Landsman

 

Last May, Sun Prairie High School’s Jazz Ensemble gave a stunning performance at Madison’s Mary Lou Williams 100th Birthday Concert at the Overture Center, including rousing renderings of “Roll ‘Em” and “Walkin’ and Swingin’.”  These two pieces are included on a new CD just issued by the school (see the news release below) to help raise the $ needed to send the band to New York’s Lincoln Center for the finals of this year’s “Essentially Ellington” competition.  Samples of three of the CD’s tracks can be listened to below.

 

This is the 6th time in the past 15 years that little Sun Prairie WI (city population 24,000) has gone up against the big boys/girls in this prestigious nation-wide competition and made it to the finals!  We are extremely proud of the students’ accomplishments and grateful for the ongoing work of the extraordinary music teacher who directs the band, Mr. Steve Sveum.  If you’d like to order the CD, you can either send in the attached form or contact Sun Prairie band parent, Chris Berberet at chrisbATmadisonadvDOTcom.

 

Here are the sample tracks, and below that is more information about the CD and how to order it.

Roll ‘em

Prelude to a Kiss

The Mooch

Sons of Daughters video

Madison’s Patrick Breiner has been touring with his new group, Sons Of Daughters. Here they play his ”Is It In You?” at the Clown Lodge in Minneapolis  (December 6, 2010). Video by Sarah Whiting.

Sons Of Daughters is:
Patrick Breiner – tenor sax
Aaron Darrell – bass
Devin Drobka – drums