centro

Stella & Me
2025-01-30 20:00 - 21:30 (America/Chicago) | bar centro, 804 E. Center St., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53212
Tania Taylor and (Sandy) Stella
Folk and rock plus some originals from the 60s to today.
Uke, Guitar, Flute and Homegrown Harmonies

NINETEEN THIRTEEN - chamber rock trio
2025-01-31 20:00 - 22:30
NINETEEN THIRTEEN is an award winning chamber rock group. The founder and cellist, Janet Schiff, uses looping technology with her 1913 cello while Renee Luna Bebeau provides a steady backbeat. The newest member, Jen Janviere adds her sultry voice and hand percussion.

Tael Estremera Quartet - an evening of Charlie Parker
2025-02-01 20:00 - 22:00
Your host Tael Estremera and his Quartet intend to deliver a fun and upbeat atmosphere featuring Parker’s tunes.
Tael Estremera – Piano
Clay Lyons – Alto Saxophone
Liam Phillips – Upright Bass
Yanni Chudnow – Drums & Cymbal

JAZZ JAM - every 1st Thursday - no cover + drink specials
2025-02-06 20:30 - 23:30, 2025-03-06 20:30 - 23:30, 2025-04-03 20:30 - 23:30
doors at 7 / no cover

BEN DAMERON QUARTET - modern jazz
2025-02-07 20:00 - 22:30
Ben Dameron – guitar
Hannah Johnson – drums
John Christensen – bass
Tim Whalen – piano.

MS. KAPRICE - soul, jazz, r&b, funk
2025-02-08 20:00 - 22:30, 2025-03-08 20:00 - 22:30
demonstrating intimate sounds and musicality
Songtress and Musician; Ms. Kaprice
presents
“Front and Center”
a live music series spotlighting lead singers & instrumentalists
soul – jazz – r & b – funk
every second Saturday of the month

FAITH HATCH & COMPANY - Love Through the Ages
2025-02-13 20:00 - 22:30

ANTHONY DEUTSCH QUARTET - "Songs of Love"
2025-02-14 20:00 - 22:30
Anthony Deutsch – piano / vox
Kenny Reichert – guitar
Clay Schaub – upright bass
Devin Drobka – drums / cymbals

RIGHTEOUS ROOSTER - Jazz-Groove Organ Trio
2025-02-15 20:00 - 22:30
Righteous Rooster is a jazz-groove organ trio from Chicago, featuring Henry Dickhoff on organ, Kenny Reichert on guitar, and Luke Sagadin on drums and cymbals. Their debut album, “Fowl Play,” is set to be released on October 25 with Shifting Paradigm Records. Influenced by the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Soulive, Medeski Martin & Wood, Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart, Grant Green, and the Sam Yahel Trio, Righteous Rooster blends improvisation, imaginative compositions, and a love for the history of organ trios to create a distinct and engaging sound.
Kenny Reichert – guitarist, composer, bandleader, and educator. His wide-reaching music draws on a mix of influences including jazz, folk, classical, & avant-garde.
Henry Dickoff – organ.
Luke Sagadin – drums and cymbals

Jazzy Joan Presents Jazz Where it is and Where it's Going: Songs About "The Kiss"
2025-02-20 19:00 - 23:30
Really the kiss? During the month of valentines and kisses, Jazzy Joan explores the many tunes about the “kiss” and other romantic notions – tunes that reflect love’s lasting pleasure and others that might convince you to “call the whole thing off.”
Wherever you find yourself on the love-spectrum, join Joan for a night of recored jazz guaranteed to make your heart skip a beat.
Jazz Joan guarantees a social, good time and starts off at 7:00, so get there early! No cover.
DOORS AT 6:30

CHET BAKER TRIBUTE
2025-02-21 20:00 - 22:30
Join us for a musical tribute to the great trumpet player and vocalist, Chet Baker.
Isaiah Simons – Bass
Alec Baca – Trumpet
Juan Camacho – Drums
Isaiah Kitts – Electric guitar and vocals

HARRY TONCHEV TRIO
2025-02-22 20:00 - 22:30
Harry Tonchev is a Bulgarian-American jazz guitarist who is very active in Chicago and Central Illinois. His high energy trio focuses on improvisational music by exploring a mixture of originals and standards from the Great American Songbook. His conversational approach to improvised music keeps audiences engaged.
Harry Tonchev – guitar
John Christensen – bass
Todd Howell – drums

Dovekeeper - Yonat Piva - singer-songwriter
2025-02-27 20:00 - 22:30
Milwaukee musician Yonat Piva is a singer-songwriter guitarist who performs under the stage name Dovekeeper. Her songs vary from introspective 70s AM radio acoustic guitar tracks to bluesy, funky contemporary rockers.

DONNA WOODALL - vocalist
2025-02-28 20:00 - 22:30
Voted 2023 Wisconsin Area Music Industry’s (WAMI) Female Vocalist of the Year, Donna Woodall has established herself as a skilled, multi-genre singer/songwriter and bandleader in the Milwaukee music scene. Donna artfully blends the musical styles of artists such as Carole King, Cassandra Wilson, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, Sting, The Beatles, and Tracy Chapman with elements of traditional jazz and blues. The result? A fresh, new twist on familiar pop songs. Audiences are delighted by her eclectic song selections, cool originals, creative renditions of classic hits and jazz standards, and her bold moves into different music genres- all the while staying grounded in her jazz roots. In 2024, Donna continues to share her gifts as she performs at top Wisconsin festivals/events and in regular rotation at notable venues in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin.

SOUND EXCHANGE: Exploring the process of performance
2025-03-01 20:00 - 22:30
Bio: Sound Exchange is a collaborative effort led by artists Sam Kacala and Mark J Soriano that gives the audience a look into the process of performance. Each show features a cast of local artists from various mediums to highlight their creativity and the value of the spaces that hold it.
Event: Faith Hatch, a multi-genre vocalist, pianist, and guitarist based in Milwaukee will join former Saint Kate Artist In Residence, Jeff Zimpel. Zimpel is an interdisciplinary artist who will transform the space into a living studio through soundscapes and storytelling. Over the course of three acts, this Sound Exchange will explore original compositions and improvisation, wandering through genres ranging from jazz to hip hop, bluegrass and more.
Band: Faith Hatch – Vocals & Piano, Jeff Zimpel – Soundscapes & Storytelling, Mark J Soriano – Guitar & Audio Engineering, and Sam Kacala – Drums & Keys

FAT TUESDAY - Big Style Brass Band - no cover
2025-03-04 19:00 - 22:30
7 pm Second Line out on sidewalk!

TLALOK - Latin Jazz
2025-03-07 20:00 - 22:30
Tlalok is a bilingual singer / songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in Milwaukee. Originally from Chicago, Tlalok comes from a long line of musicians dating back to his great-grandfather, a composer from Vicente Guerreo, Mexico. A century later he keeps the family tradition alive through boleros, bossa novas, and vibrant performances channeling the passion of his ancestors.

GARRETT WAITE TRIO
2025-03-13 20:00 - 22:30
Garret Waite – guitar and vocals
Tim Ipsen – upright and electric bass
Hannah Johnson – drums and percussion

DOORS AT 7

PAUL SILBERGLEIT TRIO — A Night of (Mostly) Original Music
2025-03-14 20:00 - 22:30
Veteran Milwaukee jazz guitarist Paul Silbergleit brings his acclaimed trio with bassist Clay Schaub and drummer Devin Drobka to perform their original compositions, along with fresh takes on a few tunes you might know!

MILWAUKEE JAZZ INSTITUTE - Javier Red - modern jazz pianist
2025-03-15 20:00 - 22:30
details to follow
DOORS AT 7

JASON RIGBY QUARTET
2025-03-16 16:00 - 18:30
TENOR SAXOPHONIST JASON RIGBY has carved out a niche in the world of creative and improvised music with his unique and compelling voice – one that is renowned worldwide – by embracing individuality focused on quality and a constant search for organic expression.
Having spent the past decade recording and touring as prime member of drummer Mark Guiliana’s Jazz Quartet, Rigby has performed at many of the world’s top jazz festivals and venues in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. He has appeared on several Grammy-nominated recordings and collaborated with Billy Hart, Michael Formanek, Cameron Brown, George Schuller, Kris Davis, Eivind Opsvik, Aretha Franklin, Mike Baggetta, Thomas Morgan, and Rudy Royston. Rigby has contributed his voice to a number of large ensembles including the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and the composer-led groups of Miho Hazama, Jihye Lee, Alan Ferber, Mike Holober, Jared Schonig, David Binney, Darcy James Argue, and Asuka Kakitani.
London Jazz News states: “American saxophonist/composer Jason Rigby has this spontaneous capacity to adapt his way of playing to different styles and moods. He is a shape-shifter whose musical approach is a synonym for consistency regardless if he’s playing in small groups such as the quartet of Mike Baggetta and Mark Guiliana, or large ensembles like the Alan Ferber Big Band. Rigby leads with resolve, evincing an outgoing posture, compositional bravura, and laudable flair for exploration.”
“There’s a breathy tone, some of the Coltrane to Pharoah preach, and seemingly boundless chops. (That breathy tone in part is particularly attractive; the Michael Brecker/Jan Garbarek ‘glossy’ lineage is cool too, but sometimes I crave something darker and fuzzier.)” – Ethan Iverson, pianist
“The warmth of Rigby’s tone and the rigor of his ideas come across even in the stormiest free blowing.” – David R. Adler, Stereophile
“Rigby’s burly tone and searching improvisations recall the expressionistic flights of Ornette Coleman and Joe Henderson.” – John Murph, DownBeat
JASON RIGBY QUARTET
Jason Rigby – tenor saxophone
Russ Johnson – trumpet
Clark Sommers – bass
Dana Hall – drums & cymbals

Jazzy Joan Presents Jazz Where it is and Where it's Going: The Vibes of March
2025-03-20 19:00 - 23:30
Once again, Jazzy Joan welcomes you to her monthly recorded jazz show, “Jazz: Where it is and Where it’s Going.” This month she features the vibraphone, and the multitude of bell tones it creates when a “simple” stick with a rubber ball on the end, strikes down on a row of aluminum bars joined together. Joan guarantees you will feel the vibe, or better yet the vibration with beautiful music by current-day vibe masters Warren Wolf, Joe Locke, Steve Nelson, and others. Joan introduces her recorded jazz show at 7:00, so get there early! No cover.
DOORS AT 6:30

SMOKE N' MIRRORS - funk-soul trio
2025-03-21 20:00 - 23:00
Smoke N’ Mirrors is a funk-soul organ trio from Milwaukee. The group brings new life to the classic organ trio sound with original compositions and fresh improvisations.
Gabriel Hammer on keys
Pete Geraci on sax
Sam Kacala on drums
DOORS AT 7

ZACC HARRIS QUINTET- modern jazz guitarist
2025-03-22 20:00 - 22:30
Since moving to Minneapolis in 2005, Zacc Harris has garnered a reputation as one of Minnesota’s top guitarists, being named 2017 Twin Cities Best Jazz Artist by the City Pages. Also a founding member of the acclaimed group Atlantis Quartet, Harris has toured as leader and sideman throughout the US and UK, including a 2016 run with Zacc Harris Group at London’s famed Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, and performances on the main stage of Twin Cities Jazz Festival and Iowa City Jazz Fest. His 2021 album Small Wonders received a 4-star review from Downbeat Magazine and a spot in their Best Albums of the Year list. The new album, Chasing Shadows, has also received critical acclaim including a review from JazzWise Magazine who say Harris “explores the kind of big-sky generous melodicism pioneered by artists like Pat Metheny and Gary Burton…his timing and articulation are beyond reproach and his imagination extensive.”

“Catalyst” video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEPe714jxY4

The band features the Twin Cities’ finest players with Brandon Wozniak (Dave King Trucking Company) on tenor sax, Bryan Nichols (Nicole Mitchell) on piano, Chris Bates (Bill Carrothers) on double bass, and Pete James Johnson (Omar Abdulkarim) on drums.

DAVE DAMIANI with THE JAZZ ORGY - jazz, swing vocalist
2025-03-27 20:30 - 22:00
Crooning for Milwaukee, L.A.-based Dave Damiani will keep the night swinging with the best of jazz standards, one night only at bar centro. It is a party when Dave Damiani is in Wisconsin!
Dave Damiani (https://www.davedamiani.com) is an American singer, songwriter, producer based out of Los Angeles, CA. Having started as a bartender at the famed CHARLIE O’S JAZZ CLUB in Valley Village, CA, Dave Damiani had the opportunity to work, learn and become friends with some of the best musicians on the planet.
Shortly after receiving his master’s degree in Commercial Music from the California State University in Los Angeles, Dave began his pursuit to put together the perfect band with youth and style. His debut album “Watch What Happens” has been receiving worldwide airplay. Brad “Martini” Chambers was the first to discover Dave Damiani’s originality. Brad has been playing him constantly on www.martiniinthemorning.com since 2013. Additionally, receiving airplay on over 300 radio stations and on Satellite Radio XM 71 (Siriusly Sinatra). In January Dave Damiani hosted his own hour on Sirius XM Siriuisly Sinatra #71, while hosting his good friend and New Jersey brother Joe Piscopo swung the studio say hi!
“Your record “Watch What Happens” is great! You should really be proud. I mean great and I don’t just say these things.”-Johnny Mandel (Oscar and Grammy Award Winning Composer and Arranger)

Troubadours of Rhythm
2025-03-28 20:00 - 22:30
Jon Mroz – string bass
Aidan White – guitar & banjo
S.A. Anderson – piano
Kyle Samuelson – cornet & trombone
Jon Lovas – clarinet
Debuting in 2023, the Troubadours of Rhythm are a captivating journey through time, skillfully led by string bassist Jon Mroz. Drawing inspiration from the electrifying ambiance of the late 1920s and early 1930s south side Chicago (and north side Milwaukee!), the Troubadours are a musical time machine, transporting listeners and dancers to an era of exuberance and innovation.
From stomps to rags; from blues to swing, Mroz and his musical comrades have traveled the country to cleverly revive the syncopated rhythms, timeless melodies and improvisational spirit that defined the golden age of jazz on the cusp of swing. This eclectic five-piece combo features guitar, banjo, upright string bass, acoustic piano, cornet, clarinet, trombone, washboard with vocal shouts and harmonies.
Embark on a sonic journey with the Troubadours as they pay homage to the timeless magic of early jazz & blues, ensuring that its infectious excitement resonates with audiences, both nostalgic and new.

HEIRLOOM - contemporary jazz
2025-03-29 20:00 - 22:30
Heirloom is one of Milwaukee’s most innovative and sought after jazz combinations. Each musician has a deep connection and passion for modern music and draws upon contemporary classical, rock, and indie influences in their compositions. Heirloom’s original sound captivates audiences through soaring melodies, intriguing rhythms, and magnetic attention to detail. Heirloom performs as a trio, quartet, and quintet with core members Ban Dameron, guitar, and Hannah Johnson, drums.
