The 2018 season is the 25th consecutive Jazz at Five Performance Series at the corner of State Street and the Capital on Wednesday evenings and … the audience can now picnic on the capital lawn while enjoying terrific music and fine Wisconsin evenings. Conversation and comradery encouraged.
The season kicks off Wednesday August 8th with Skai Academy youth performers from Milwaukee at 4 pm, followed by the 11-piece Panchromatic Steel Band. At 6:45 Madison-based saxophonist Tony Barba and his band, Barbacoa take the stage.
The 15th, West End Conservancy youth performers start the evening. The 5:00 show is the Evan Paydon Quartet, originally from Stoughton, then the Milwaukee Jazz scene, a winner of Wisconsin Area Music Industry awards and now residing in New Orleans. The 6:45 act is national recording artist Lao Tizer and his gypsy jazz quartet.
August 22nd leads off with Madison’s own Betsy Ezell Quartet with a touch of blues Jazz followed by the bebop horn delights of Eric Jacobson Quintet with Eric’s “straight-ahead” trumpet style.
Week four is all local, all Dane county from the youth performers of the Music Foundry, followed by sounds of 50’s jazz pianist Jon Wade, up from Chicago. Than the Foxtrot 20’s New Orleans jazz of the 12-piece Hyperion Jazz Orchestra with nationally known UW Professor and piano player, Karlos Moser.
The last evening is all Wisconsin. At 5:00 the 18-piece BIG band from Waunakee, followed by national recording artist Geoffrey Keezer originally from Eau Claire, Wisconsin with vocalist Gillian Margot. Will be a terrific way to end the season.
Jazz at Five is a unique, free cultural event in downtown Madison now in its 25th year.
Events start at 4pm with a youth group of Jazz performers – please come early to support our youth performers. Capital Beer and Roman Candle pizzas available at all shows. See you at the show!
