Jazz on the Square is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization based in Woodstock, Illinois

Woodstock, Illinois

Woodstock is a far northwest suburb of Chicago in McHenry County, Illinois. The population was 20,151 at the 2000 census. The 2010 Census shows 24,770 residents. It is the county seat of McHenry County...

 whose mission is to promote jazz education and performance in the community. Jazz on the Square promotes live jazz in McHenry County

McHenry County, Illinois

McHenry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 308,760, which is an increase of 18.7% from 260,077 in 2000. Its county seat is Woodstock. This county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest county, in...

 and provides jazz education opportunities to the community via clinics and its Jazz Jam Series.

History

Jazz on the Square was founded in 2007 by jazz enthusiasts Robert Honesty, Judith Honesty, Randy Robinson, Erin Denk and Billy Denk. The group was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization, eventually achieving 501(c)(3) status to better match its mission to provide educational opportunities to the community.

Current board members include Erin Denk, Billy Denk, Robert Honesty, Nicole Honesty, Dr. Thomas Takayama and Bryan Kyrouac.

Jazz Jam Series

The organization initially provided a venue for live jazz performance in McHenry County by hosting weekly jazz jams at Pirro's Restaurante in Woodstock from September 2007 to June 2008. The jams featured the John Weber Trio as the house band.

In September 2008, Jazz on the Square began hosting the Monthly Jazz Jam Series at Stage Left Café in Woodstock. The house band featured Billy Denk, Daniel Villarreal-Carrillo and David Reilly.

In January 2009, the jazz jams were scheduled for the first and third Friday each month with Billy Denk as host. Several area musicians sit in as house band members.

In addition to the performance opportunities, Jazz on the Square's approach is to make the jazz jams an opportunity for all levels of musicians to learn the art of jazz and express themselves musically. Student musicians are encouraged to sit in early in the evening. Seasoned professionals join in as the evening progresses.

The jazz jams are currently scheduled for the first and third each Friday, unless otherwise noted on www.jazzonthesquare.net

Workshops

As part of the 2010 Woodstock Jazz Festival, music educators Dr. Thomas Takayama and Bryan Kryouac, presented "Duke Ellington: Imagery in American Music" at Stage Lefe Café. The presentation was a multimedia exploration of the music and life of Duke Ellington. In addition to narrative provided by Dr. Takayama, Mr. Kryouac provided narrative and examples of musical and stylistic components of Ellington's compositions using the trombone and tenor saxphone.

The goal of Jazz on the Square is to provide the community more jazz education workshops and learning experiences.

2008 Woodstock Jazz Festival

The 2008 Woodstock Jazz Festival took place August 22 - August 24, 2008. Musicians performed on the Woodstock City Square during the day and in restaurant and club venues around the Square in the evening. The purpose of the festival was to promote appreciation and understanding of live performances of jazz music and to increase participation in the art of making jazz music. Venues participating included Courthouse Grill, La Petite Creperie, Liquid Blues, Pirro's Restaurante and the Woodstock Public House as well as the Woodstock Farmer's Market. Musical acts included the BBJ Project, Doc Brown, Juliano Gypsy Jazz, John Weber Trio featuring Dave Childress, Jud & Judy Brown, Mike Louie Quartet, Music Mavericks, McHenry County Jazz Combo directed by Dr. Thomas Takayama, Billy Denk Trio, New Fuse, SRV Trio, Summer Hallenstein and Toots.

2009 Woodstock Jazz Festival

The 2009 Woodstock Jazz Festival took place August 21 - 22, 2009. As with the previous festival, several local venues and restaurants participated. Participating venues included La Petite Creperie, Liquid Blues, Odd Fellow's, Stage Left Café, Woodstock Farmer's Market, Herban Fare and O'Leary's Pub. Musical acts included Roger Panella Duo, Billy Denk's GLAZZ, Paul Abella Trio, Conductive Alliance, John Weber Trio, McHenry County College Jazz Combo, Doc Brown, BBJ Project, Jeff Matz, London Thomas Duo, Blue Skies, Music Mavericks & Juliano Milo Gypsy Jazz. In addition, a jazz drumming clinic was held by friends of Jazz on the Square, Rick Brabeck and Hot Rod Music.

2010 Woodstock Jazz Festival

The 2010 Woodstock Jazz Festival took place August 27 - 28, 2010. For the 2010 festival, the event was held exclusively at Stage Left Café and the Woodstock City Square. The festival featured several up-and-coming musicians on the Chicago jazz scene including: Chris Green Quartet, Elaine Dame Duo with Kyle Asche, Outcast Jazz Band, Paul Abella Quartet, Roger Panella Trio, Shawn Maxwell Quartet and Typhanie Monique & Neal Alger. In addition, several local musicians participated: Blue Skies, McHenry County College Jazz Combo and Music Mavericks. Friends of Jazz on the Square, La Petite Creperie and Liquid Blues, also featured live jazz. The Liquid Blues set was notable for the John Weber Trio's performance. Special guest Billy Denk sat in with the trio. The event was sponsored by WDCB

WDCB

WDCB is a radio station broadcasting a public radio and jazz format. Licensed to Glen Ellyn, Illinois, USA, the station serves the Chicago area. The station is currently owned by College of DuPage, District 502 and features programing from AP Radio and Public Radio International...

 (90.9 FM).

2011 Woodstock Jazz Festival

The 2011 Woodstock Jazz Festival will take place August 26 - 27, 2011. The lineup includes Marbin, John Weber Trio, Tony do Rosario Quartet, Paul Abella Trio, McHenry County College Jazz Combo, Outcast Jazz Band, Blue Lakes Fine Arts Jazz Band, Aaron Koppell Quartet and Chris Greene Quartet.

Styles

The styles of music are as varied as the performers who participate at Jazz on the Square events. Styles of jazz performed include jazz standard

Jazz standard

Jazz standards are musical compositions which are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive list of jazz standards, and the list of songs deemed to be...

s, bebop

Bebop

Bebop differed drastically from the straightforward compositions of the swing era, and was instead characterized by fast tempos, asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that expanded on their role as tempo-keepers...

, latin jazz

Latin jazz

Latin jazz is the general term given to jazz with Latin American rhythms.The three main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian, Cuban and Puerto Rican:# Brazilian Latin Jazz includes bossa nova...

, cool jazz

Cool jazz

Cool is a style of modern jazz music that arose following the Second World War. It is characterized by its relaxed tempos and lighter tone, in contrast to the bebop style that preceded it...

, hard bop

Hard bop

Hard bop is a style of jazz that is an extension of bebop music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz which incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano...

 and swing. Sometimes events take on a more experimental feel featuring funk

Funk

Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...

, fusion

Fusion (music)

A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, i a sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided...

 and blues

Blues

Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

 interpretations of jazz standards.

Sources

• Jazzonthesquare.net
  
• Jazzonthesquare at MySpace
  MySpace
  Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....