Milwaukee's newest music festival is one that celebrates one of the most enduring American musics.
The Eastside Jazzfest, which takes place Saturday, July 17, at the Miramar Theatre, 2844 N. Oakland Ave., features seven jazz outfits.
The event is one of many that are part of WMSE's Radio Summer Camp music festival that runs Thursday through Sunday at a number of Milwaukee venues.
The festival opens at 6 p.m. with the progressive jazz of Isaiah Joshua, followed by the Latin funk of veteran group Clamnation at 7, Davis/Peplin Quartet's straight-ahead jazz at 8, the jazz fusion of the Kevin Hayden Band at 9, the genre-busting of Jamie Breiwick & Choir Fight at 10, the trad sounds of The Phases Trio with Godwin Louis at 11 and the Afrobeat of Tristan Royalty Squad at midnight.
There will be a jam session at 1 a.m.
Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door, available at the Miramar Theatre box office at (414) 967-0302 or online.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
