MILWAUKEE JAZZ HISTORY
Milwaukee has a rich jazz history, shaped by many influential musicians. Though not always widely recognized, the city has been home to a remarkable number of artists who have left a lasting impact on the jazz world.
Milwaukee’s Bronzeville neighborhood, centered around Walnut Street on the Near North Side, was home to the city’s African American community from the 1920s through the 1950s. During this time, it was the center of Milwaukee’s jazz scene, with clubs that featured national touring musicians like Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Billie Holiday, as well as local greats such as Bunky Green and Willie Pickens.
Venues like the Metropole, the Moon Glow, and The Flame provided jazz and entertainment most nights of the week. Tragically, much of this historic neighborhood was destroyed in the 1960s due to urban renewal projects and to make way for the construction of Interstate 43, which cut directly through this thriving African American community. Today, this neighborhood is undergoing a significant revitalization aimed at restoring its historical prominence as an African American cultural and economic hub.
Jazz also flourished in other parts of the city, often at venues with reported Mafia ties. Three clubs on North Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (formerly Third Street) near Wells Street—the Brass Rail, Curro’s, and Gallagher’s—showcased live music from the 1950s into the 1960s before giving way to more lucrative business ventures. Notably, Herbie Hancock played his first-ever gig outside of Chicago at Curro’s in 1960.
Downtown hotels also provided venues. The Schroeder Hotel (now the Hilton Milwaukee City Center) opened in 1928 and featured jazz for decades. After being renamed the Marc Plaza in 1972, the hotel featured Buddy Montgomery and his groups performing in its lounge, the Bombay Bicycle Club, for the rest of the decade. The Pfister Hotel, one of the places where Al Jarreau got his start, continues to be an important spot, offering jazz most nights of the week.
The Jazz Gallery, located at 926 E Center Street in the Riverwest neighborhood, was run by Chuck LaPaglia from 1978 to 1984 and featured a who's who of jazz stars, including Chet Baker, Art Blakey, Betty Carter, Dexter Gordon, McCoy Tyner, and many others. Now known as the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts, it lives on as a community arts space offering art exhibits, music performances, and serving as the primary teaching site for the Milwaukee Jazz Institute.
Notable venues in Milwaukee’s current jazz scene include the newly reopened The Estate (2423 North Murray Avenue), which has hosted locally and nationally known performers since the late 1970s, and Bar Centro (804 E Center Street), which features jazz three to four nights a week, including a monthly series presented by the Milwaukee Jazz Institute. (See our Venue Page for an extensive list of Milwaukee venues that currently feature jazz.)
The following artists have made significant contributions to the jazz tradition. Some of these musicians had a profound influence on the local scene yet remain largely unknown outside of Milwaukee, while others became internationally recognized jazz stars. These are, of course, just some of the many artists who have shaped the city’s jazz legacy. The Milwaukee Jazz Institute’s intent is to continue expanding this historical resource, preserving and highlighting the contributions of Milwaukee’s jazz community.
