centro

YONAT PIVA; Daughter Undone - brooding indie grooves
2026-07-30 20:00 - 22:00 (America/Chicago) | bar centro, 804 E. Center St., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53212
This is music in the act of becoming. Drawing from the wells of jazz, blues, experimental indie, and world music, the ensemble blends a distinctive voice that ranges from sultry to fierce, driving bass and electronic layers under blues-infused guitar.
opening band to be announced

CAMERON SPANN QUARTET
2026-07-31 20:00 - 22:00
Upcoming artist and Milwaukee native, Cameron Spann is a drummer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader. Spann is in his 4th year at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts earning his BFA. Prior to pursuing higher education, Spann immersed himself in the Milwaukee jazz scene, playing with musicians such as Anthony Deutsch, Mark Davis, Jamie Breiwick and many others.
Cameron is excited to return to bar centro to play music with the homies.

MIKE ARNDT II QUINTET
2026-08-01 20:00 - 22:00
Join the Mike Arndt II Quintet for an electrifying evening of jazz at Bar Centro on July 19th from 8:00 to 10:30 PM. Led by the dynamic saxophonist Mike Arndt II, this stellar ensemble will pay homage to jazz legends John Coltrane, Chick Corea, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Kenny Garrett, and more. Expect a vibrant performance filled with virtuosic improvisations, soulful melodies, and swinging rhythms that capture the essence of these iconic artists. Don’t miss this unforgettable night of classic and contemporary jazz!
Michael Arndt II – Alto Saxophone

JAZZ JAM - first Thursday - no cover + drink specials
2026-08-06 20:30 - 23:30
doors at 7 / no cover

JULIAN SINGH & LUCAS LEBEAU TRIO
2026-08-07 20:00 - 22:00
Julian Singh – drums
Lucas Lebeau – keys
Tim Ipsen – bass

THE CARLOS ADAMES GROUP - Latin Jazz
2026-08-08 20:00 - 22:00
Carlos Adames is a percussionist and educator whose musical formation spans Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, and Panama, where he specialized in percussion through formal study at the Escuela Superior de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and mentorship with master artists, including Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Miguel “Angá” Díaz, and more. This diverse background informs his deep understanding of Afro-Latin, Caribbean, and contemporary musical traditions.
Adames has performed with renowned artists such as Willie Colón, Chuchito Valdes, Gal Costa, Orbis Tertius, Aretha Franklin, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, The American Idols, Danilo Pérez, and Eugenia León, among many others.
He is currently the bandleader of The Carlos Adames Group. An award-winning Latin jazz ensemble rooted in Afro-Caribbean traditions while embracing modern jazz and global influences, the band delivers original music that is vibrant, sophisticated, and deeply connected to the traditions that inspire it.
With over 15 years of university-level teaching experience, he has served as a professor and guest clinician across institutions in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, France and Germany, fostering cultural exchange and the advancement of percussion as a global art form.

BULL FIDDLE FOUR - post-war electric blues
2026-08-14 20:00 - 22:00
Jon Mroz & His Bull Fiddle Four is a Milwaukee-based post-war electric blues combo featuring Jon Mroz on upright bass and vocals.
Mroz, known for leading the Swingin’ Kools in the 1990s and the early jazz band Troubadours of Rhythm today, assembled his Bull Fiddle Four to celebrate the raw energy and pioneering sound of late 1940s and early 1950s blues legends like Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers, and Little Walter.
The lineup features some of the Midwest’s most accomplished musicians:
Big Al Dorn, Wisconsin’s premier harmonica talent (2025 WAMI winner!) and a protégé of blues icon Jim Liban.
Paul Stilin, a veteran guitarist with a storied career in Milwaukee’s blues and jazz scenes.
Tael Estremera, a multi-instrumentalist whose virtuosic piano playing adds a rich dimension to the band’s sound.
Patrick Morrow, a powerhouse drummer of taste who has toured with roots acts across the country.

BIG STYLE BRASS BAND - New Orleans style brass band
2026-08-15 19:30 - 21:00
Big Style Brass Band is a ten-piece group performing music rooted in the New Orleans tradition. BSBB hails from Milwaukee, WI and is well known throughout the state’s burgeoning New Orleans brass band scene. They balance traditional with modern New Orleans and pop covers you are sure to recognize!
NO COVER

ALVIN COBB JR. TRIO
2026-08-21 20:00 - 22:00
A native of Atlanta, Alvin Cobb, Jr., is a drummer, composer-songwriter, producer, and photographer currently based in Chicago. Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune once wrote, “Here was a drummer who can make his instrument sing, the lyricism of his work sustaining listener interest…Cobb has emerged as a distinctly charismatic player.” Graduating from Florida State University (B.A.) and Northwestern University (M.M.) with degrees in Music Performance, Alvin has gone on to work with countless artists, including Chance the Rapper, Nola Adé, Marcus Printup, Sherman Irby, Victor Goines, Dee Alexander, Patricia Barber, and Sarah Marie Young.
He is the leader of the Alvin Cobb, Jr. Trio with bassist/vocalist Katie Ernst and pianist Julius Tucker. The group formed during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to independently produce livestream concerts that would help raise funds for grassroot charity organizations based in Chicago. Since 2020, the trio has been featured on various publications and radio stations including NPR, held residencies at Chicago area music venues while also touring nationally, and was nominated for Best Jazz Ensemble in 2022 by the Chicago Reader. Also in 2022, Alvin began composing and performing, accompanied by this trio, new original film scores to the existing silent film works of legendary Black film pioneer Oscar Micheaux (Chicago Tribune Article). Alongside these new feature film scores, the trio released its critically-acclaimed debut album, “You’ll Need This Later,“ showcasing Alvin’s original compositions, in May 2024. This album earned features on NPR, Worldwide FM, JazzFM UK, and made Bandcamp Weekly’s “Best Albums of 2024“ list. Alvin’s highly anticipated sophomore album, “The Chase and The Runaway,” is set to be released in July 2026.

WILLIAM TONEY
2026-08-27 20:00 - 22:00
Step into an unforgettable evening of music as vocalist William Toney brings his signature smoove soul sound, along with his band featuring Tael Estramera, George Ballesteros, Ben Skrade, Yanni Chudnow, Isaac Repinski, and Eddy Magallanes to the intimate setting of Bar Centro. With a voice that flows like velvet and stirs the soul, William weaves together rich threads of jazz, blues, soul, & funk into a timeless musical tapestry
