The Madison Jazz Festival 2025, celebrating 10 days of jazz across the city of Madison June 6-15, announced its lineup featuring performers from around the world and full schedule of events on Wednesday.
Highlights include a special series honoring the 60th Anniversary of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), a performance by the trailblazing Original Pinettes Brass Band from New Orleans, and weekend Union Terrace headlining sets by saxophonist Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few and pianist Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Ensemble, according to a press release from the Arts + Literature Laboratory, one of the presenters of the event.
The Madison Jazz Festival 2025 will also be presented by Wisconsin Union Theater, collaborating with Madison Music Collective, Madison Jazz Society, and venues UW-Madison Memorial Union Terrace, Cafe CODA, North Street Cabaret, High Noon Saloon, MYArts, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Allen Centennial Garden, Olin Park, and Warner Park.
Bassist Emma Dahuff, who will celebrate the release of her new album, “Inventions through Lineage,” will be the Friday, June 6 headliner at the High Noon Saloon.
Ugochi Nwaogwugwu, an internationally renowned poet, singer, writer, and founder of Spirit Speaks, Inc., whose band African Soul Ensemble has been named “Best African Entertainer” by the Chicago Music Awards multiple times, will perform at Cafe CODA on Saturday, June 7.
The Festival will also welcome The Original Pinettes Brass Band, described as the “ONLY female Brass Band in the Universe,” who will perform at Olin Park on Sunday, June 8, 7 p.m.
Weekday events include the NewBridge Summer Concerts Kickoff at Warner Park (June 9); a tribute to Mary Lou Williams by Poet Fabu Phillis Carter and pianist Jane Reynolds (June 10); Oscar-nominated documentary Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (June 11); Sweet Tooth Jazz Band at North Street Cabaret (June 11); and DC & The Love with guest Mar Vilaseca at Cafe CODA (June 12)
The weeklong festival culminates with two full days of jazz on the UW-Madison Memorial Union Terrace featuring free concerts throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday, June 14-15.
For the full schedule of events for Madison Jazz Festival 2025, click here.
