Middleton Jazz had a great time helping the residents of The Jefferson celebrate Mardi Gras this Tuesday! Since we would be missing several members on Thursday, we decided to skip rehearsal this week, but will be back at the Middleton Senior Center on March 10.

Yes, we are back rehearsing in the Middleton Senior Center. We are still wearing masks, but have already booked a couple of gigs. Hoping 2022 is a better year!

Middleton Jazz has decided to pause rehearsals briefly during the fifth wave of COVID-19. We hope to be back in the Middleton Senior Center soon.

Just like the pandemic itself, Middleton Jazz had a roller coaster year! We started 2021 remotely, with a few Zoom meetings and two virtual performances (What A Wonderful World, Topsy) to keep our musical spirits alive. When the weather warmed up, we moved outside to rehearse in Bill Scott’s driveway. Then when vaccines became widely available and the case counts went down, we were able to return to the Middleton Senior Center in June.

We played a few outdoor gigs over the summer, including Stone Horse Green on August 5th, Lakeview Park on August 25th, and Tamarack Trails on September 8th.

With the fourth wave of COVID-19 brought on by the delta variant, we had to move rehearsals back outside in August.

Then in October, under new guidance by Public Health Madison & Dane County, we were allowed back into the Middleton Senior Center with masks, bell covers, and social distancing. All of us are vaccinated and boosted.

Fortunately, our precautions worked, and everyone stayed clear of the virus in 2021. We are hoping for a better year in 2022.

Middleton Jazz will be performing outdoors in downtown Middleton this Thursday, August 5th, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. There will be lots of activities, so come on down for some summer fun! (By the way, we will not rehearse this Thursday morning to save our chops!)

This morning we rehearsed in Bill Scott’s spacious driveway for the last time (see below). Starting next week, we will be back in the Middleton Senior Center rehearsing from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. every Thursday. We will also be performing in Hoyt Park from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, June 21, as part of Make Music Madison. Yes, we’re back!

Middleton Jazz in a virtual performance of the big band classic, “Topsy”, written by Edgar Battle and Eddie Durham. This arrangement is based on a transcription of the 1937 recording by the Count Basie Orchestra.

Alto Saxophone: Dick Trexel, Les Hoffman
Tenor Saxophone: John Carey
Trumpets: Nancy Boyle, Dick Murray
Trombone: Mike Clipson
Banjo: Bill Scott
Guitar: Carroll Sigler
Piano: John Carey
Bass: Jim Willett
Drums: Mike Connors

We decided that we all needed a pick-me-up during the pandemic, so we created this virtual performance during quarantine. Enjoy!

Clarinets: Dick Trexel, John Carey
Tenor Saxophone: Les Hoffman
Trumpets: Nancy Boyle, Dick Murray
Trombone: Mike Clipson
Banjo: Bill Scott
Guitar: Carroll Sigler
Bass: Jim Willett
Drums, Vocals: Mike Connors

Due to the invisible spread of COVID-19, Middleton Jazz will be on hiatus until further notice. We regret this interruption in making music and sharing it with the larger community, but extreme social distancing is the most effective tool we have right now to deal with the serious threat of COVID-19.

We were delighted to participate in the annual Strollin’ Middleton jazz festival again this year on September 6, 2019. Many thanks to the Greater Madison Jazz Consortium, the Middleton Community Development Authority, and many other sponsors. It was well attended, and we all had a great time! The photo below is from Debbie Trexel.