One of Milwaukee's most popular summer festivals released
its 2013 music line-up recently. Jazz in the Park is one of the city's premier
outdoor destinations of tourists and locals alike, who have flocked in
ever-growing numbers to the festival since it first began in 1991. An average
of nearly 10,000 fans has attended the weekly Thursday shows since then, and
this season is expected to raise that number significantly.
Located in the heart of downtown, the event continues its
residence at the scenic Cathedral Square this year. Street parking is available
for commuters who don't live close enough to walk, the closest spots situated
on the streets surrounding the square, Kilbourn, Jefferson, Wells, and Jackson.
The city's number 30 bus line also runs directly to the venue.
Debuting just two years ago, Milwaukee's own Extra Crispy
Brass Band will headline Jazz in the Park's first show of 2013 on Thursday,
June 6th. The six member group has been a main stay in the bar and
festival scene since forming in 2011, including performances at notable events
such as the WMSE Backyard BBQ and Bastille Days. The act delivers to fans a
plethora of historic and modern brass band music, specializing in early century
titles and their own creative originals.
The festival's first out-of-state performer comes to town
for the second week of the summer season. Minneapolis’s Davina and the
Vagabonds is led by dynamic female vocalist and piano player Davina Sowers, who
has been compared to such names as Etta James and Amy Winehouse by many
critics. Backed by a four-piece band, Sowers is a classically trained musician
who plays her own eclectic mixture of blues, jazz, and ragtime.
Soule Monde (from Vermont,) and Madison native Natty Nation
perform before Jazz in the Park takes a two-week hiatus for the 4th
of July and Bastille Days. Tweed Funk reopens the festival on July 18th,
the first of six Milwaukee-based bands to perform before it ends on September 5th.
Fo/Mo/Deep and Snarky Puppy are the only other non-Wisconsin
acts this season. Both have earned national and international attention,
Brooklyn's Snarky Puppy even slated to attend this year's London Jazz Festival
and New Morning in Paris.
Admission to every show of the 2013 Jazz in the Park
festival is free. Alcohol and food are sold by a variety of vendors stationed
around the square, though no outside alcohol is permitted on the grounds. Deals
on alcohol are offered during the 5PM happy hour. Music starts at 6PM.
2013 Jazz in the Park Line-Up
June
6th – Extra Crispy Brass Band (Milwaukee)
13th – Davina & the Vagabonds (Minneapolis,
MN)
20th – Soule Monde (Burlington, VT)
27th – Natty Nation (Madison)
July
18th – Tweed Funk (Milwaukee)
25th – Torn Soul (Milwaukee)



