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About

Who is Laurie?

Laurie Lang is an upright bassist, composer, arranger, educator, and producer whose work centers on creativity, collaboration, and the expressive role of the bass within an ensemble.
For Laurie, creativity begins with observing it in nature and in people, then allowing that to awaken new possibilities in herself and in others. That sense of discovery carries into her music, where jazz becomes a space for both structure and freedom. More than performance alone, Laurie’s work is an invitation into creativity, connection, and shared experience. Through music, she seeks to awaken a sense of belonging, openness, and the possibility of exploring both the musical and the spiritual together.
Laurie began studying upright bass with the great Richard Davis at UW learning so much more about music than just how to play the instrument. Her studies included diving deep into the history of black music in America and studying with Davis made for an all inclusive experience of learning technique, while listening to volumes of recordings and hearing 1st hand stores of jazz legends. This love for jazz music and its history was born, nurtured and launched into the world.
Inspired further by composer-bandleader bassists such as Charlie Haden and Charles Mingus, Laurie approaches the bass as both a rhythmic foundation and a melodic voice. She is drawn to the low tones of the instrument, the movement and groove it creates, and the way it supports and shapes the music as it unfolds.
Laurie performs across a wide spectrum of jazz styles, including traditional New Orleans jazz, swing, hard bop, and avant-garde improvisational music, blending these traditions while remaining open to new ideas and evolving musical conversations.

Collaboration & Community

Laurie loves making music with other people and hearing what each person brings to the moment. For her, ensemble playing is about discovering how those voices come together to create something meaningful, where each person contributes and belongs.
Jazz community means musicians and listeners coming together to explore and share ideas through music. It means creating spaces where people can listen deeply, learn from one another, and support creativity and connection through improvisation. This vision of community has shaped Laurie’s work for many years.
Laurie regularly performs and helps to create platforms for collaboration with these artists and groups:
  • The Madison Jazz Society
  • Katherine Kramer Projects
  • John Becker & Sally de Broux
  • Becca May Grant & the Rivers of Madison
  • Stan Godfriaux & Jim Huwe
  • Betsy Ezell & Bobbette Rose

Education & Outreach

Her work as an artist-in-residence includes:

  • Huegel Elementary
  • Jefferson Middle School
  • One City Schools
  • Stevens Elementary
  • Sauk Trail Elementary
  • Samuel Gompers Elementary
  • Whitehorse Middle School

She has also served as a clinician with

  • Middleton High School
  • Southwest Wisconsin Jazz Festival
  • Sun Prairie Regional Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival

Creative Work & Leadership

Laurie has also contributed to the Madison jazz community through organizational leadership and artistic collaboration.
She served on the board of the Madison Music Collective, an organization dedicated to promoting modern jazz and improvisational music and bringing nationally recognized artists to the region.
Laurie currently serves on the board of the Madison Jazz Society.

She acts as the director of:

  • Madison Jazz Society’s "Discover Jazz” Outreach to numerous area middle and high schools.
  • MJS iGnitE jAzz! Camp Intensives
As long as there are musicians who have a passion for spontaneity, for creating something that’s never been before, the art form of jazz will flourish.

– Charlie Haden –

FROM THE BLOG

Thoughts on creativity, jazz, and the experience of making music with others.
Laurie Lang

Making the Song Yours

On May 13, MJS will close its Workshop and Jam Series 2025-26 with a vocal workshop all about making a song your own. Each artist will perform and speak about

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Laurie Lang May 4, 2026 No Comments
Laurie Lang

Structure and Freedom

One of the things I value most about jazz is the way it holds structure and freedom together. There is form, rhythm, harmony, and history. There is also space for

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Laurie Lang April 15, 2026 No Comments
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