Milwaukee’s Mr. J’s Lounge will commemorate 40 years of jazz and blues with a weekend-long celebration beginning Friday, July 15.
The festivities begin with a performance by Walter Beasley on Friday, and conclude Sunday night with a performance from Bob Baldwin.
Mr. J’s opened in 1976 when owner Arlis R. Jones, who was working as a national sales rep for a local brewery at the time, noticed a lack of upscale clubs in African-American neighborhoods that featured African-American musicians.
From there he obtained a $4,000 loan and bought his current building at 4610 W Fond Du Lac Ave and opened the club.
Tickets to Mr. J’s 40th Anniversary Weekend Celebration can be purchased here for $65. Tickets are $70 at the door.
