This is the first summer since 1990 that there's no Jazz in the Park in Cathedral Square Park Downtown, but don't worry music lovers, because Jazz is going virtual with a couple August events.
The events will take place Thursdays, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. via Facebook Live, which you can find here, and please consider donating to the virtual tip jar.
The August events are:
Aug. 20: Lockjaw Featuring Milwaukee Jazz Dignitaries Manty Ellis, Jamie Breiwick, Luis Diaz and Toty Ramos
Aug. 27: Cigarette Break, which comprises Tim Ricketts (founder and bassist) Olen Franklin (music director and drummer) Darrien Williams (lead guitarist) Eric Lock (keyboardist) and Tobias Cannon (saxophonist).
Jazz in the Park encourage you to share selfies from your own socially distanced Jazz in the Park backyard festival on Facebook @EastTownAssociation, on Instagram @JazzinthePark and on Twitter @EastTown.
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.
