Photo via Kevin Lynch
Is art like life? Or is it like life, enhanced, and illuminated?
In recent months, The Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts, 926 E. Center Street, has proven one of Milwaukee’s acutely responsive arts venues for social awareness, especially regarding the Pandemic, with several worthy art exhibits.
First came “ReBegin,” a deeply reflective group art show about living with the Covid curse, in many personal manifestations, followed by a bold consciousness-raising effort, “Artists Respond: MKE’s Creative Efforts to Stop Covid-19." Contributors offered public-health messaging in collaboration with health professionals, community organizers, and activists. They designed murals, banners, video, music, and other media to mobilize communities and challenge social norms.
July and August offered two collaborative shows: “Imagine It!” involved artists who collaborate with others and external contexts. The other event, “Nature Neglected: Are We Loving it to Death?” combined poetry, photography, and song, with the popular collective Milwaukee Earth Poets & Musicians advocating for the Milwaukee River Greenway.
In September, JGCA finally revives its post-pandemic performing arts phase with The Don Linke Trialogue at 7 p.m. September 3.
A Strong Trio
Led by guitarist-vocalist Linke, the trio includes bassist Todd Richardson and features Victor Campbell, one of Milwaukee’s most experienced drummers. He’s performed with many local and national musicians including Manty Ellis, Berkeley Fudge, Melvin Rhyne, Carlos Santana, Brian Lynch, Delfeayo Marsalis, Nicholas Payton, and classic R&B groups The Drifters, The Platters, and The Coasters. He is also one of Milwaukee’s notable musicians who have received funding from the Jazz Foundation of America during the COVID outbreak.
As a free-lance musician with no performance outlets and no health insurance, Campbell endured the pandemic with aid from several organizations, notably the Jazz Foundation of America, which “helped me with my rent and sent me $200 every month for groceries,” Campbell said. “And it was crucial for health care and also helped financially in teaching and dealing with unemployment, and legal actions.”
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The assistance allowed Campbell extensive time to hone his craft. “I split the day; in the morning working on rhythms and grooves, in the afternoon playing ‘simulation with the band,’ with CDs, and in the evening studying Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, and other great drummers.”
Relative newcomer Todd Richardson completes the Trialogue trio on bass. “We will play all original music, a mixture of tunes from each of their CDs,” Campbell said. “The music keeps evolving. It sounds like kids growing up,” he laughed. “Todd did beautiful job learning the material. Don said, ‘You are our bassist now.’ So now things are opening up.”
The arts center also expanded its COVID-free outreach through Riverwest Radio, WXRW-104.1 FM. Four weekly shows at 3 p.m. include “Artful Lives,” interviews with creative types with JGCA connections, and the popular OWL activity series, geared to seniors in Riverwest.
The renewed vitality reflects a very active board of dedicated volunteers, said JGCA president Mark Lawson. The venue’s ambitions will expand soon with the imminent hiring of its first-ever executive director, a paid position geared to become full-time.
