MKE Jazz Musicians
past and present
MJI aims to highlight jazz musicians with ties to Milwaukee. The musicians listed below either spent their formative years in Milwaukee, lived in the area as working musicians, or currently reside in the region.
If you would like to be included, please email your name, instrument, and website (if you have one) to andrea@milwaukeejazzinstitute.org
Aaron, Abe – saxophone (b. 1910 – d. 1970)
Aaron, Joe - clarinet and saxophone (b. 1920 - d. 2013)
Adams, Ernie – drums
Adedapo, Adekola - vocals
Aldred, Alec - trumpet
Alexander, Hattush - tenor saxophone (b. 1927 - d. 1992)
Allen, Carl – drums
Allen, Eddie – trumpet
Allen, Jackie - vocals
Allison, Jay - trombone
Anderson, Al - bass
Antonic, Tommy - guitar
Antoniewicz, Matt - trumpet
Appleton, “Killer” Ray - drums
Armato, Sam - clarinet and saxophone (b.1916 – d. 2014)
Armstead, Rolla - saxophone
Arnold, Michael - guitar
Arriale, Lynne - piano
Artis, Martha - piano and vocals (b. 1919 - d. 2017)
Babbitt, John - bass
Bailey, Bert - clarinet and saxophone
Baker, Eddie - piano
Banks, Lem - vocals
Barber, Lynn - vocals
Barnett, John - tenor saxophone
Baugher, Randy - drums
Bayles, Dave - drums | https://davebaylesmusic.com/bio
Belton, Sam - drums
Benavides, Bony - percussion
Bender, Ethan - bass
Benton, James - bass
Berigan, Kaye - trumpet
Bey, Skip Crumby - bass (b. 1937 - d. 2004)
Black, Pinky - piano
Black, Scott - bass
Blochowiak, Andy - drums
Bond, Wendell - drums
Bonifas, Bill - guitar
Bordeaux, Baltimore - drums
Bordeaux, Reggie - drums
Braun, Dave - guitar
Breiwick, Jamie - trumpet | https://jamiebreiwick.net/
Britz, Mike - bass
Brotherhood, Roger – guitar
Budny, Bob - drums
Burdette, Bobby - tenor saxophone (b.1926 - d. 1999)
Burrows, Lee - bass (d. 2005)
Cain, Jackie - vocals (b. 1928 - d. 2014)
Caldwell, Mike - saxophone
Campbell, Victor - drums
Cannon, Gerald – bass
Carr, Jack - drums
Carr, John - drums
Chambers, Jeff - bass
Chandek, Neal - piano and trumpet (b. 1955 - d. 2022)
Christensen, Gary - bass
Cohen, Steve - harmonica
Colvin, Jimmy - saxophone
Contorno, Nick - saxophone (b. 1938 - d. 2014)
Covic, Mitar “Mitch” - bass
Cowen, Leigh - piano
Crabtree, Rich - pianist
Crain, Chris - vocals and piano | https://chriscrain1music.com/
Crook, Arron - vocals
Cross, Joey - vocals (d. 2016)
Cucunato, Lou - piano
Cunningham, Marcia - vocals (d. 2021)
Currier, Scott - piano
Czimber, Les - piano (b. 1934 - 2020)
Dameron, Ben - guitar
Dance, Dan - piano
Daneille, Marcya - vocals | https://www.marcyadaneille.com/
Davis, Anne - vocals
Davis Jr., Charles - tenor saxophone
Davis Sr., Charles - trumpet
Davis, Mark - piano | https://www.markdavismusic.com/
Davis, Mary - vocals and keyboard (b. 1946 - d. 2019)
Davis, Neil - guitar
Davis, Vince - drums
Davison, “Wild Bill” - cornet (b. 1906 - d.1989)
Denison, Annie - vocals
Deutsch, Anthony - piano and vocals
Devillers, Ron - trumpet (b. 1929 - d. 2022)
Diaz, Luis “Flaco” - percussion
Dizack, Philip – trumpet
Dominguez (DeMiles), Frank - piano (b. 1931 – d. 2019)
Dominguez, John - bass
Dorsey, Claude - piano and vocals
Drobka, Devin - drums | https://www.devindrobka.com/
Dudley, Jimmy - saxophone and clarinet (b. 1903 - d. 1971)
Ebert, Doug - bass
Einerson, Steve - piano
Elgar, Charles - violin (b. 1879 – d. 1973)
Ellis, Manty – guitar
Farinelli, Jeanne Marie - tenor saxophone
Fettig, Sam - tenor saxophone
Foshager, John - piano and trombone
Foster, Lee - drums
Fudge, Berkeley - tenor saxophone and flute
Garcia, Greg - trumpet
Garofalo, Peter - piano
Gay, Frank - trumpet (1928 - 2012)
Gay, Leonard - saxophone
Germanson, Rick – piano
Gibson, Charlene - vocals
Gies, Jeanne - vocals
Gillette, Jason - alto saxophone
Goldsmith, Jason - saxophone
Goodwin, Penny - vocals
Gordon, Frank – trumpet (b. 1938 – d. 2023)
Grassel, Jack - guitar
Grauer, Connie - piano
Green, Bunky - alto saxophone (b. 1933 – d. 2025)
Green, Will - organ
Greenstein, Jonathan - tenor saxophone
Greer, Brianna - vocals
Gribble, Cliff - educator
Grillo, Jerry - vocals
Grimwood, Robert - piano
Grzanna, Suzanne - saxophone and vocals
Gumin, Joe - drums (b. 1898 - death year unknown)
Gumina, Tommy - accordion (b. 1931 - d. 2013)
Haas, Augie - trumpet
Hamann, Jeff - bass
Hammer, Gabriel - drums, guitar, and piano | https://maestromakers.com/instructor/gabriel-hammer/
Hanrahan, Curt - saxophone
Harris, Chris - vocals
Hauck, Jessie - vocals (b. 1937 - d. 1995)
Hazeltine, David – piano
Hedges, Chuck - clarinet (b. 1932 – d. 2010)
Herman, Woody - clarinet, alto saxophone, vocals (b. 1913 - d. 1987)
Hervey, Eric - bass guitar
High, John - saxophone
Hobbs, Bob – drums (b. 1942 – d. 2023)
Ipsen, Tim - bass
Jacobson, Eric - trumpet | https://ericjacobsontrumpet.com/
Jarreau, Al - vocals (b. 1940 – d. 2017
Jensen, Tony - piano
Johnson, Allen - trumpet
Johnson, Billy - bass
Johnson, Hannah - drums
Johnson, Mark - drums
Johnson, Russ - trumpet
Johnson, Scat - vocals and guitar (b. 1915 – d. 1995)
Jones, Isaiah - piano
Jones, Rick - trumpet
Jones, Romarcus - drums
Kaczmarek, Jim - saxophone and flute
Kidd, Sam - bass (b. 1931 – d. 2025)
King, Tony - piano (d. 1990)
Kirchberger, John - saxophone
Klopfer, Dennis - piano
Koenig, Art - bass
Kozlowski, Harry - trombone
Krause, Rick - drums
Kremer, Rich - bass
Kuzniar, Jeremy - drums
LaBeau, Lucas - piano
LaGrone, James - trombone
Lea, Dean - piano
Ledvina, Charles - bass
Lehman, Joel - trumpet and vocals
Lewandowksi, Steve - guitar
Lindsey, Gerald - bass
Linke, Don - guitar and bass
LoDuca, Andy - drums
Lynch, Brian - trumpet
Maglio, Santo - piano
Maher, Mike "Maz" – trumpet and vocals
Marcus, Greg - piano
Martin, Bill - guitar
Martinson, Ron - piano (b.1934 - d. 2021)
McGirr, Tom - bass
Merriweather, Theo - piano
Milano, Constantine "Connie" - bass and vocals (b. 1927 - d. 2008)
Miller, Harold - bass
Millonzi, Sig - piano (b. 1924 – d. 1977)
Mollerskov, Jay - guitar
Momblow, Don - guitar (b. 1920 – d. 1989)
Montgomery, Buddy - piano and vibes (b. 1930 – d. 2009)
Moore, Perry - alto saxophone
Moore, Tina - vocals
Morgan, Frank - alto saxophone (b. 1933 – d. 2007)
Moroder, Rudy - piano
Mroz, Jon - bass
Myles, Gervis - bass
Napoli, Leiko - piano
Napoli, Scott - drums
Neesley, Andrew - trumpet
Negrón Jr, Cecilio – percussion (d. 2023)
Neufeld, Sam - trumpet
Newburg, Tom - saxophone
Nimmer, Dan – piano
Padilla, Johnny - alto saxophone
Paolo, Jim - bass
Pauers, Mike - baritone saxophone
Paul, Les - guitar (b. 1915 - d. 2009)
Peplin, Steve - guitar
Peppas, Chris - vocals and percussion
Petta, Perry - piano
Phillips, Jeff “Omar” - drums
Pickens, Willie - piano (b. 1931 - d. 2017)
Pietrangelo, Jeff - trumpet (b. 1952 – d. 2013)
Piette, Ben - drums
Pitts, Beverly - organ
Plog, Mike - trumpet
Pluer, Robin - vocals
Praefke, Al - drums (b. 1931 - d. 1971)
Price, John - bass (b. 1961 - d. 2024)
Pritchett, George - guitar (b. 1931 - d. 1987)
Pufall, Molly - vocals
Ramos, Toty - guitar (d. 2024)
Rattner, Jordan - guitar
Reichert, Kenny - guitar | https://www.kennyreichert.com/
Rhyne, Melvin - organ (b. 1936 - d. 2013)
Ritter, Brian - drums
Robinson, Marcus - piano
Robinson, Sonya - violin
Ruedebusch, Dick - trumpet (b. 1924 - d. 1968)
Rush, Tim - percussion
Saafir, Dumah - percussion
Sanchez, Joey - bass
Sanders, Joe – bass
Sargent, Bill - drums
Schaub, Clay - bass | https://clayschaub.com/
Schick, Mike - drums
Schneck, Dan - organ (b. 1978 - d. 2024)
Schoor, Eric - tenor saxophone
Sheridan, Tommy – piano
Shiner, Mitch - drums and vibes
Siegel, Bob - bass (b. 1953 – d. 2021)
Sievert, Sonny - trombone
Silbergleit, Paul - guitar | https://paulsilbergleit.com/
Simpson, Lenard - alto saxophone | https://lenardsimpsonmusic.com/
Small, Charles - guitar
Smirl, Terry - drums
Smith, Cladys “Jabbo” - trumpet, trombone, and vocals (b. 1908 - d. 1991)
Smith, Dick - drums
Somlai, Jeno - drums, piano, organ
Soward, Victor - drums
Spann, Cameron - drums
Spencer, Paul - drums
Standal, Mike - guitar
Steffke, Sam - piano
Stoler, Dave - piano
Stoll, Jeff – keyboard and vocals
Stone, Bill - guitar
Stuermer, Daryl - guitar
Sutton, Tierney – vocals
Swan, Angie - guitar
Syme, Doug - guitar
Tabs, Ray - piano (b. 1938 – d. 2022)
Tardy, Greg - tenor saxophone
Tardy, Joanne - vocals (b. 1940 - d. 2022)
Tato, Leo - drums
Thierfelder, Mark - piano and trumpet
Tilton, Steve - piano
Tomasicyk, Jake - trombone
Tresp, Larry - bass
Trim, Andrew - guitar
Turano, Joe - saxophone and vocals
Van Oudenallen, Aaron - tenor saxophone
VanZeeland, Dan - piano
Velleman, Barry - piano
Wagner, Bart - drums
Wake, David - piano
Wallace, Billy - piano (b. 1928 - d. 2017)
Washington, George - bass
Weber, Jon - pianist
Weitzer, Jerry - piano
Welland, George - bass (b. 1942 – d. 2025)
Westfahl, Paul - percussion
Whalen, Tim - piano
White, Mary – vocals
Whyte, Loretta - piano, organ, vocals (b. 1911 - d. 2008)
Wiegratz, Warren - saxophone
Willette, “Baby Face” - organ (b. 1933 – d. 1971)
Winters, Ellen - vocals
Wood, Juli - saxophone and vocals | https://www.juliwoodsax.com/
Woodall, Donna - vocals | https://www.donnawoodall.com/
Woodall, Jeanne - vocals (b. 1946 - d. 2011)
Young, Bernie - cornet
Zaffiro, John - guitar
Zenz, Steve - drums
Zick, Kim - drums
