On Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 3pm, Arts + Literature Laboratory hosts the premier performance of Michael Brenneis’s new suite of pieces called Plutonium for an 8-piece jazz ensemble featuring some of the best of Madison’s jazz community. It also celebrates the release of the recorded version which will be available on November 18. This project has been supported by a grant from the Greater Madison Jazz Consortium. $10 suggested donation. Doors open at 2:30pm.

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A new work by Michael Brenneis entitled Plutonium: an industrial abstraction for jazz musicians highlights industrialization as it continues to reverberate all around us.

Numerous landmarks exist along the trajectory of our species from its origin to its extinction. Those that are evolutionary exist, for the most part, in the distant past. Some that are cultural have triggered the evolutionary, the invention of cooking, for example. Of the cultural landmarks (agriculture, urbanization, global connection, others), industrialization stands out as fundamental to the modern age, affecting, or with the potential to affect, nearly every human on the planet.

This suite of seven pieces cuts a wide swath through the effects of industrialization on the human condition, from its beginnings in the 19th century to its perturbations in the modern era. Largely, the pieces are not cinematic, although some are. Rather, they are abstractions meant perhaps to conjure images or the essences of the subject matter. The musical language is drawn from 20th and 21st century jazz vocabulary, but hints at contemporary classical technique from the same period. The program as a whole visits many neighborhoods along the musical spectrum, both familiar and surprising, but maintains its coherence as a work of modern jazz.

This concert represents the premiere of Plutonium, and celebrates the release of the recorded version – which will be offered for sale on November 18th.

The performers, collectively known as the Plutonium Players, are:

Tony Barba — Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone
Jonathan Greenstein — Tenor Saxophone
Greg Smith — Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone
Paul Dietrich — Trumpet
Mark Hetzler — Trombone (Jaime Kember will be performing at this concert)
David Spies — Tuba
John Christensen — Bass
Michael Brenneis — Drums

Plutonium is supported by a grant from the Greater Madison Jazz Consortium.
Admission is free to all ages. A $10 donation is suggested.
The Arts + Literature Lab is located at 2021 Winnebago Street in Madison, WI.

Taking the Katz album as a jumping-off point, Yid Vicious will present a program of extended
compositions by Brady that transmogrify folk materials into vehicles for improvisation by the members
of Yid Vicious, Madison’s locally-grown klezmer ensemble.
Far Out Folk is supported by the Greater Madison Jazz Consortium and the Madison Arts Commission
with additional funds from the Wisconsin Arts Board.

Geoffrey Brady and Yid Vicious present
Far Out Folk
Thursday, October 25, 2018, 7:30 pm
Gates of Heaven, James Madison Park, Madison, WI
Free admission, donations accepted at the door
http://www.yidvicious.com/
https://www.facebook.com/yidvicious

Washington has been drawing vibrant, multi-ethnic and multi-generational crowds with tour stops at the world’s most prominent festivals such as Coachella, Glastonbury, Fuji Rock, Bonnaroo and Primavera. He has also participated in cross-genre collaborations with influential artists like Kendrick Lamar, John Legend, Run the Jewels, and Ibeyi, as well as the creation of “Harmony of Difference,” a standalone multimedia installation during the prestigious 2017 Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. He is also featured in the 2016 film, “Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary,” that has been aired widely on PBS, http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/chasing-trane/.

Washington gave a sold-out concert at The Majestic last Fall and will return to Madison on Friday, 11/2/18, to perform at The Sylvee, https://www.thesylvee.com/events/kamasi-washington/, after an opening set by Butcher Brown, described as “an up-to-the minute throwback to the great progressive jazz bands of the 60s and 70s.”

This historic event will celebrate the life and legacy of world-renowned 2014 NEA Jazzmaster Richard Davis who has made an indelible impact on the world of jazz and beyond over his five decades of performing and serving as a master teacher of the bass for generations of students. This event will involve a historic performance by some of his closest collaborators over the years from across the globe in addition to video and photographic tributes and never before seen memorabilia from his personal collection. There will also be a surprise announcement involving Richard’s legacy in Madison as part of the evening’s special events.

Featuring:

Andrew Cyrille (drums)
Peter Dominguez (bass)
Javon Jackson (sax)
Aska Kaneko (violin)
Angelica Sanchez (piano)

Sponsored by Ho-Chunk Gaming of Wisconsin, Joe and Mary Ellyn Sensenbrenner, Fox & Fox, S.C., and HurleyBurish S.C.

Co-Sponsored by the Capitol Hues, Arts Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Book Festival, Dane Arts, Zebra Dog Studios, the Greater Madison Jazz Consortium, the Progressive Magazine, the Great Dane, and the Isthmus Newspaper

Special Thanks to Chuck France for producing the program and co-producing the event with Stephen Braunginn, Ed Holmes for his tireless efforts to make this event a success and Anne Katz who has been instrumental in helping with the event. Also, thanks to all of the sponsors, co-sponsors and the Overture staff for bringing it to life and dignifying Richard’s legacy. A final word of thanks to Richard’s daughter Persia for all of her support.

Cost: $48+ General Public
General Public: $48/$53/$73; Union Member: $43/$48/$67; UW Faculty/Staff or Youth: $45/$50/$70; UW-Madison Student: $15

Since bursting onto the international jazz scene in 1974, jazz guitarist Pat Metheny has been widely acclaimed for his distinct guitar style that blends the flexible articulation of horn players and advanced rhythmic sensibility, paving his own improvisational style deeply rooted in the jazz tradition of melody, swing and the blues. The result is smooth, refined and emotionally evocative.

Earning a multitude of accolades throughout the past 40 years, including 20 Grammy Awards and an induction to the Downbeat Hall of Fame, Metheny continually reinvents his repertoire and compositions to maintain a fresh sound. He is known as a pioneer of electronic music, having been one of the first to use a synthesizer as a serious musical instrument.

What can you expect from An Evening With Pat Metheny? Metheny says,

“It could really be anything and everything. I have already written a bunch of new music inspired just by the thought of this presentation, but I could also imagine playing only old music one night, or even playing entire albums. I like the idea of keeping it open and letting it become whatever it winds up being over the course of a tour.”

Joining Metheny on stage are Antonio Sanchez (drums/percussion), Linda May Han Oh (bass) and Gwilym Simcock (piano). Each are widely acclaimed musicians in their own right, reflecting Metheny’s affinity for bringing together powerhouse musicians and creating unforgettable collaborations.