New jazz club in Oconomowoc seeking house band

We are opening a jazz club in an old 1890s building in beautiful Oconomowoc. We have a basement cellar that is open now but the first floor venue is under construction and will be opening in May.

I am the music director for the house band and booking agent. On a side note, all performances will be recorded to analog tape and put out on vinyl every 6 months. We want a place for folks to be able to talk and enjoy their company and wine so dynamic control is very important to us. There are no TVs in the building, imagine that!

I have open auditions from now until March for the house band.

Thanks,

Jeremy Brockman
612-850-7311
http://www.lakecountryjazz.org
http://www.vinoetcetra.com

Gerri and Paul seek Edge

From Gerri DiMaggio

We had such a great time playing at the Edgewater in the month of December that they have kindly asked us back for February!  It’s a perfect spot and a beautiful room to unwind with friends for cocktails and Jazz.
 
Please come in from the cold and join Paul Hastil and me for some music from the great American songbook.
 
Hope to see you Thursday’s 6:30 to 9:00 in the Cove Bar overlooking the lake at the Edgewater.

Madison Jazz Jam moves to Lilliana’s

Madison Jazz Jam, an all ages, all levels, educational jam is holding its next session on Sunday, February 13th 4-7 pm at Lilliana’s Restaurant in Fitchburg.

Madison Jazz Jam began last September and after 3 monthly sessions took a break during December, then cancelled its January session because of a conflict with the Packer’s championship game. After a 2 month hiatus everyone is excited to be returning.

Adding to the excitement is the news that Lilliana’s is now hosting the event. Lilliana’s offers jazz 6 days a week, has a strong commitment to the jazz community, is very enthusiastic about hosting the jam, and has a nightclub vibe yet is open to all ages. One drawback: seating is limited so get there early.

If you haven’t attended yet, the format for  Madison Jazz jam is different from most jams; it involves all ages and includes an instructional component during the first set. It is free ($5 donations strongly encouraged). Read more about it here.

Madison Jazz Jam is made possible by the support and involvement of many funders and sponsors. Madison Jazz Jam is especially grateful to Madison Music Collective and Dane County Cultural Affairs for their support for this month’s program.

Magnus closing, last New Breed Jam on Thursday

If you haven’t heard, Magnus is closing for good. Originally, they planned to close the end of this year for remodeling and reopen in spring as Velo Bahn, a bicycle-themed restaurant. But that plan was dependent on a rail station being built across the street. When the high speed rail project was axed Magnus decided to close rather than renew their lease and remodel.

For years Magnus was a superb restaurant and one of Madison’s main jazz venues. On Thursday, December 16th, the New Breed will hold it’s last jam there. The night is special because it will be one of the last jazz performances at Magnus, and one of the last times to catch the New Breed Jam session for awhile. After the New Breed lost their gig at the Cabana Room last November they didn’t perform again until summer, and the jam wasn’t restarted until this recent series of four gigs at Magnus.

The New Breed is working on lining up another venue for their jam but nothing is set yet. Let’s hope it won’t take so long this time. Just in case, get down to Magnus Thursday and get there early if you want a seat. And if you’re a jammer and don’t usually stop down until the second set you’re missing out on some very nice music. Last time the first set was all New Breed originals. All very different and enjoyable. See you there.

“Mary Lou Williams @ 100″ Concert This Saturday at Overture

by Howard Landsman, Chairman, Madison’s Mary Lou Williams Centennial Committee

Pianist Geri Allen, the world's foremost interpreter of Mary Lou Williams' instrumental music

How often do jazz audiences get to see live performances by world-class musicians at a highly affordable price, in our community or anywhere else?   Such a rare opportunity is coming up this weekend, on Saturday, October 2, at 7:30 PM, when renowned pianist Geri Allen and her trio and celebrated vocalist Carmen Lundy take the stage at Overture Center’s Capitol Theater to bring to a peak Greater Madison’s year-long centennial celebration of legendary pianist, composer and arranger Mary Lou Williams.

As part of the  Centennial Committee”s mission — and through support from many local grantmakers, donors and sponsors –  ticket prices  have been kept unusually low for a concert of this caliber.   Tickets can be had for as little as $15, and virtually the entire orchestra section is priced at $25.  Also, there’s a $5 discount for youth (under 18) and others with a student ID, in all price ranges. 

Good seats are still available through the Overture Center box office (walk-up, or 258-4141, or online at www.overturecenter.com/production/mary-lou-williams-100).  Tickets are also available through early Saturday morning (Oct 2) at three satellite sales locations in the Madison area: Strictly Discs, 1900 Monroe Street, (608) 259-1991; Frugal Muse East, 1193 North Sherman Avenue (in the Northgate shopping center), (608) 242-0000; and Frugal Muse West, 235 Junction Road (in the mall with the Far West Side Target), (608) 833-8668.

Ms. Allen and Ms. Lundy are, respectively, the world’s foremost  interpreters of Mary Lou Williams’ instrumental and vocal music.  In their Overture concert, Allen and Lundy will present fresh interpretations of secular compositions from all stages of Ms. Williams’ 50+ year career that spanned nearly every significant era in jazz history.   Included will be a performance of Ms. Williams’ 12-movement Zodiac Suite, composed in 1945 when she and Duke Ellington were virtually alone in pioneering the use of extended forms in the jazz idiom.

Carmen Lundy, the world's leading interpreter of Mary Lou Williams' vocal music

This concert is part of a four-day Mary Lou Williams Fall Festival Weekend (9/30-10/3/10) that is presenting many chances to hear Ms. Williams’ music and learn more about her life, her career, and her legacy.  For a complete schedule of events, please visit www.marylouwilliamscentennial.org.

New jazz series: Fridays at The Inn on the Park

Great news! The Inn on the Park in downtown Madison is once again offering weekly jazz!

It has been years since The Inn on the Park was a Madison jazz mainstay, so it is a welcome surprise that the success of several recent jazz events appears to have bred a weekly jazz series. In October they hosted the Madison Music Collective’s sold out Cole Porter tribute, and an encore performance a few weeks ago. In December they successfully hosted Jazz on a Winter Night, an annual benefit for the Second Harvest Food Bank. Now they are beginning a weekly Friday night series featuring Madison’s favorite Jazz artists. With its panoramic view of the Capitol and its cabaret atmosphere, The Inn on the Park is an ideal setting to showcase jazz. A schedule will be coming soon. Here’s the information:

THE HEART OF JAZZ BEATS AGAIN IN DOWNTOWN MADISON AT THE “INN ON THE PARK” ON THE BEAUTIFUL CAPITOL SQUARE. 

FRIDAY, APRIL 16^TH IS A NEW BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP WITH “JAZZ AT THE PARK”. EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT YOU CAN HEAR LIVE JAZZ FROM A LONG LIST OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS

THE TONY CASTANEDA BAND
JAN WHEATON TRIO
THE NEW BREED BAND
GERRI DIMAGGIO AND FRIENDS
RANDAL HARRISON TRIO
SARA YERVAND TRIO
JEANNIE WOODALL BAND 

MUSIC IS FROM 8:00 TO 11:00 - NO COVER 

IT FEELS GOOD TO HAVE A HOME AGAIN FOR JAZZ 

THESE SHOWS ARE PRODUCED BY GERRI DIMAGGIO AND BELLA PRODUCTIONS