As a recent Around Milwaukee established, opportunities abound to see live music in Milwaukee this summer. But supposing you are persnickety about what sort of sounds bounce about your cochlea, let’s see what is on the horizon in the way of the refined strains of jazz…
Riverwest’s versatile venue the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts is a triple threat. The space exhibits visual arts, functions as a community center and, of course, presents local and regional jazz musicians on a regular basis. On Friday, May 29, the Moonlighters Orchestra translates contemporary rock and pop songs into the language of hot jazz. The arrangements were written by the group’s guitarist, Craig Peaslee. The concert takes place from 8-10 p.m. and the cover is $5.
On Saturday, May 30, the Jazz Gallery is at it again with Three. Stacks. Eliot—a genre-bending quartet of young Milwaukeeans who fuse their jazz roots with unorthodox instrumentation and hip-hop without falling into the empty virtuosity of so much "fusion."
On June 5, in conjunction with Bay View Gallery Night, the second annual Bay View Jazz Festival will take place from 5:30-11 p.m. Seventeen configurations of Milwaukee’s most established jazz musicians will play The Tonic Tavern (2335 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.), The Highbury Pub (2322 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.), Boone & Crockett (2151 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.), The Backyard (2155 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.), Colectivo (2301 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.) and Morgan Park. Musicians include local jazz legend Manty Ellis, the aforementioned Three. Stacks. Eliot, and gypsy jazz ensemble 4th Street Elevator. The complete schedule for the second BVJF can be found here.
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If you are a middle or high school student and all this jazz makes your fingers itchy, consider signing up for the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music’s 21st annual Jazz Camp. Imagine: five days of seven hours (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) of first-rate education with some of the city’s finest and most knowledgeable jazz musicians. Participants will take part in master classes, listening sessions, small/large ensembles and improvisation and rhythm section workshops. The week-long camp takes place June 22-26 and culminates with a performance on Friday, June 26. The cost to register is $399 and the last day to do so is June 15. Space is limited so delay at your own risk!
