Isthmus Jazz Fest has many new offerings
This year’s Isthmus Jazz Festival, June 3-4 at the Memorial Union Terrace, will feature many artists never before seen on the Isthmus Jazz Festival stage.
New to the festival this year is Grupo Candela, a twelve member Latin group featuring utterly danceable rhythms. In addition to Salsa music, the band also plays Merengue, Bachata and Cumbia. The group recently performed for the grand opening of Union South, in conjunction with salsa dance classes.
On the stage earlier in the day will be another very exciting new ensemble, The Mike Frost Project. Based in Chicago, this ensemble is built around the saxophone playing of Frost and the B3 organ playing of Demos Petropoulos. The group also features Frost’s multi-talented brother, Steve, on the trumpet, guitar, drums and vibes. Some audience members may remember the group from their local appearance in the Jazz at 5 series a few years ago. They have released three CDs since 2004, which are available on iTunes. The group is very active in Chicago, playing regularly at the famous Andy’s Jazz Club, and it will be a real treat to hear them out on the Terrace.
Also new to the festival, but not to Madison, is Trumpeter Marlin McKay. Based in Indiana, McKay, who plays hard bop music, lists Nicholas Payton and Tom Harrell as his main influences. The quintet’s line-up is reminiscent of the Art Blakey Jazz Messengers, with trumpet, tenor sax, piano, bass, and drums. McKay is a recent graduate of Indiana University’s prestigious Jacobs School of Music, where he studied with Dr. David Baker and played in the Baker Band. He has also learned from Curtis Fuller, Dr. Nathan Davis, George Cables, Carmen Lundy, Rufus Reid and James Moody. This is not McKay’s first performance in Madison, as he played with great success at the Inn on the Park a few years back.
This year’s festival will also feature one of the largest jazz bands on the terrace, the 24-piece Madison Mellophonium Jazz Orchestra. This massive group features four mellophoniums (essentially french horns played like a trumpet), and a bass saxophone, in addition to the standard big band ensemble. The group is directed by a member of the Stan Kenton Orchestra and student of Johnny Richards, Joel Kaye.
Many other bands will perform, in addition to these wonderful artists, including last year’s hit, The Tony Castaneda Latin Jazz Super Group, back with their full, all-star ensemble. Festival-goers will also hear from the “cafe-jazz” of The Stellanovas, local vocal favorites Jan Wheaton, and Michelle DuVall, as well as Madison area students in The UW Madison Jazz Orchestra, Madison High School All-Stars and the Edgewood College Jazz Ensemble.
By Ben Ferris, Isthmus Jazz Festival Coordinator
