Daryl Stuermer and Boney James became the latest Thursday in a long line of jazz greats to wow audiences at Summerfest over the years.

While younger fans attend The Big Gig for rock bands and other musical genre, those of us who have been going to the festival for more than three decades appreciate the tradition of jazz, ranging from classical to smooth, over the years.

Stuermer and James held up that tradition with fine performances. A former member of Genesis, Stuermer has never forgotten his hometown of Milwaukee. In fact, the 49-year-old guitarist has already made appearances at two area festivals this summer and will also appear at Bastille Days.

In recent years, Stuermer has gravitated to the "smooth" jazz sound. On Thursday night, he led with a couple new, yet-to-be-recorded songs and then traced his development from what he called a "young pup" to the present.

The audience reacted most favorably to several songs from his days with Sweetbottom, Phil Collins and Genesis. He was at his best with "Vagabond Street" and "Omnibus."

James has reached legendary status in recent years for his rhythm and blues style. His CD "Ride" has become a classic. He brought the audience at the Briggs and Stratton stage Thursday night on an entertaining ride with several songs from his hit CD.

This could be a headliner act at the Marcus Amphitheater with slick lighting and a seven-member band. James himself is a high-energy guy who challenges a light man to keep up with his on the stage.

He brings a New York attitude to his sax playing, and was accompanied by some very talented musicians. By the third song, he has the audience on its collective feet, vibrating to his sound.

The Briggs and Stratton Big Backyard has become one of the best stages on the Summerfest grounds, although at times James rocked the place so much you had to wonder about the stability of the Hoan Bridge above.

The Summerfest jazz tradition goes back to the start of the festival, but really became solidified during the years when the Miller venue was known as the Miller Jazz Oasis.

Drummer Buddy Rich and Maynard Ferguson were regular performers at the Oasis. Legend Lionel Hampton appeared.

That tradition of legendary jazz artists continued this year with the appearance of Buddy Guy and Ray Charles, who has long been part of mainstream popular music.

As the definition of jazz expanded to include what not often is called "smooth" jazz, artists like Spyro Gyra, David Benoit, Chick Corea, Nelson Rangell and others graced the stages at Summerfest.

The festival also always has been a great showcase for local talent. For example, Eddie Butts has long been a local favorite who performs at Summerfest. He had the crowd at the Miller Oasis grooving again Thursday.

One of the beauties of Summerfest is the eclectic, diverse array of music. But, this fan, and thousands of others, continue to return year after year because of the rich tradition of jazz. Daryl Stuermer and Boney James kept that tradition alive and well Thursday night.

Ray Brown Tribute

Just a quick tribute to legendary bass player Ray Brown, who died at 75 Tuesday in Indianapolis. Brown appeared as the first performer in the Hal Leonard Jazz Series at the Pabst Theater this past February. It was my privilege to review his show.

Gregg Hoffmann writes The Brew Crew Review and Milwaukee Sports Buzz columns for OMC, and soon will start a new column called On The Pack. When he isn't in a press box, you likely can find him at a jazz concert.