Thank you for joining us in 2009. We are now busy planning the 2010 20th Anniversary Season! The concerts take place every Thursday night of June through September from 6:30pm to 9pm, which means we kick off the 20th Anniversary on June 3, 2010.
If you want to know who was here in 2009 - see below. The 2010 schedule will be released around March 1, 2010.
June 4, 2009 - The Bonifas Quintet with Steve Rodby
Joining the Bonifas Quintet is 14 time Grammy Award winning bassist Steve Rodby who is a long-standing member of the Pat Metheny Group and a prolific producer for Jazz greats such as Michael Brecker. Also performing are pianist Mark Davis, Trumpeter Mike Plog and drummer Dave Bayles. These first rate musicians produce straight ahead jazz with a program of original blues, ballads, bop and bossas. Bill Bonifas has appeared at the Catalina Jazz Festival and the Jazz Yatra Festival in Bombay India.
June 11, 2009 - Bonerama
Nationally recognized and critically acclaimed New Orleans' band, Bonerama, is something different. They're not a traditional brass band, but they've got brass to spare-even with no trumpets or saxes in sight. With Bonerma's four-trombone frontline, you can guess it's not quite like any rock 'n' roll band you've seen. They can evoke vintage funk, classic rock and free improvisation in the same set; maybe even the same song.
June 18, 2009 - Sugar Blue
Hailing from Harlem, New York this Grammy Award-winning harmonica virtuoso, is not your typical bluesman. Blue's extraordinary talent has allowed him to work with the likes of the Big Walter Horton, Carey Bell, James Cotton, Junior Wells, Willie Dixon and the Rolling Stones. Specifically, The Stones, invited Blue to join them in the studio. Besides his work on the Some Girls album, he can be heard on Emotional Rescue and Tattoo You. Additionally, he received the 1985 Grammy Award for his work on the Atlantic album, Blues Explosion, recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
June 25, 2009 - Pete Carney & Orange Alert
Hip-Hop beats, Blue Note Horns, House Bass, South Side Drums, and West Side turntables take listeners and dancers into an Orange Alert music event. Pete Carney's music is a head on collision between jazz and the underground sound of Chicago. Orange Alert brings the DJ generation into jazz playing analog bop over downtown grooves. In concert, this Nu jazz warehouse party from the Midwest requires serious listening and mad dancing.
July 2, 2009 - King Comets
The King Comets focus on the swing era, early rhythm and blues, and the roots of rock 'n roll by covering such groups as Louis Prima ("Oh Marie," "Jump, Jive & Wail"), Bill Haley & His Comets ("Shake, Rattle & Roll," "13 Women") and Louis Jordan ("Caldonia," "Choo Choo Ch'boogie"). The King Comets mix in a bit of swing-inspired 50's music with Elvis Presley ("One Night With You," "One-Sided Love Affair"), Carl Perkins ("Gone, Gone Gone)
July 12, 2009 - BASTILLE DAYS! Check out the Bastille Days Schedule here.
July 16, 2009 - The Dixon-Rhyne Project
The Dixon-Rhyne project easily crosses over from the jazz camp into the jam band zone where other organ-driven instrument groove jazz dwell. This cross-generational crews finds a middle ground of respect and simpatico. Featuring Dixon's vocal-like sax voicings and Rhyne's weaving and highly-rhythmic organ lines the result is ideal symbiotic jazz fusion.
July 23, 2009 - The Donna Woodall Group
Exposure to everything from "Billy Holliday to Billy Joel" has contributed to the group's musical style. The band blends the adult contemporary styles of artists such as Cassandra Wilson, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, Sting, and Tracy Chapman with some elements of traditional jazz and blues. Yet, the most notable part of the band's repertoire, is the original songs. Seasoned musicians, playful song lyrics, strong hooks, masterful delivery and a captivating stage performance set DWG apart from the rest.
July 30, 2009 - The Alex Wilson Band
With Alex's uncle Marc Wilson on the drums, and Alex's brother Matthew singing harmonies and playing bass, Alex is running with one of the toughest bands on the scene today. It's no surprise that they won the 2007 WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) Award for blues group/artist of the year. A versatile musician, Alex effortlessly switches between genres. He plays everything from sweet Beale Street blues to West coast swing. From hard Texas grinders to stone cold Chicago grooves with a feeling that's said to be timeless. Alex's style and tasty originals matched with his undeniable stage presence and unmistakable guitar style will drive you to the dance floor.
August 6, 2009 - Madisalsa
MadiSalsa-a 10 member ensemble devoted to the musical traditions of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and The Dominican Republic-has been serving the Midwest from its home base in Wisconsin's capital since 1992. With a repertoire ranging from traditional island classics to original material from within the band, each performance offers a wide variety of musical expression. From mambo to merengue, bolero to bomba, MadiSalsa's exciting array of moods and grooves is guaranteed to please.
August 13, 2009 - The Clyde Stubblefield Show
Clyde Stubblefield IS the FUNKY DRUMMER! He drummed for James Brown from 1965 to 1970 and recorded such hits as "I Feel Good," "Coldsweat," and "The Funky Drummer." Currently, the Clyde Stubblefield Band sports two featured vocalists (male and female), a three-piece horn section (sax, trumpet, and trombone), an organ/keyboardist, a percussionist, a smokin' guitarist and a rock-solid bass to play with the Funky Drummer.
August 20, 2009 - De la Buena
Employing jazz harmonic sensibility and a deep-seated love of diverse cultures, De La Buena explores the textures and rhythms of Latin musics of the Americas with roots planted firmly in African Diasporic traditions. Growing from a trio into a powerful 10-piece over the last six years, De La Buena has been electrifying audiences with their own brand of Afro-Cuban and Latin Jazz. De La Buena, ever conscious of the influence and necessary respect for tradition... yet, a band willing to inject sophisticated, psychedelic sensibilities into an aggressive, expansive framework.
August 27, 2009 - The Tempters
With their smooth style and perfect harmony, ladies grab your best guy and fellas grab your best girl, it is cheek to cheek time. These men are professionals from the Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Watch closely as they change formation and dazzle their way into your heart. Not only will they amaze you with their choreography, they will mesmerize you with their spectacular harmony. Audience participation is a must.
September 3, 2009 - The Jazz Orgy
The Jazz Orgy plays an enchanting mix of jazz, funk, blues, and groove. December 2007 saw The Jazz Orgy's introduction into the Milwaukee jazz scene at The Jazz Estate, the most respected jazz club in Milwaukee, if not in all of Wisconsin.
September 10, 2009 - Chicago Afrobeat Project
Chicago Afrobeat Project, emerging in 2002 from an industrial, urban Chicago art community, has established itself as leaders in the non-traditionalist side of the afrobeat movement. The 7-14 person ensemble energizes the classic afrobeat influences of juju, highlife, American funk, and afro-Cuban music with a formative infusion of experimental jazz and rock elements that thrive in the Chicago music scene. Inherent in the group's sound is an expression of world cultural unity and social awareness within a medium of music, dance and rebellious celebration.
September 17, 2009 - Garaj Mahal
Garaj Mahal's sound - a convergence of jazz-style improvisation, mystical Middle-Eastern atmospheres, and danceable American funk - attracts music lovers from all parts of the spectrum and creates a profoundly unique experience. Each band member dedicates every drop of his education, history, and life-long passion for music to their audience every time they step on stage.
September 24, 2009 - Bumpus
From Chicago, IL Much like Sly Stone fused the pop music of Jefferson Airplane with the heavy funk of James Brown, Bumpus incorporates propulsive rhythmic grooves with into deeply layered yet uncluttered songs that form the foundation for rich soul and gospel-laden vocals. While you can't hear Bumpus without the word funky coming to mind, there's an unmistakably modern and relevant element to their music.
