PRESENTING SPONSORS

and

GARY HOLLANDER

SCHEDULE

Bay View Jazz Fest – The Prairie School Jazz Combo – KASE

We are excited to be one of the venues for Bay View Jazz Fest and Bay View Gallery Night!

The Prairie School Jazz Combo

The goal of TPS Jazz program is for students to gain knowledge of Jazz through listening, performing, experimenting, learning history, and observing live performances by guest artists. Through these studies students will thoroughly understand the cultural and artistic relevance of the jazz genre in general, and the role of jazz music in American history and culture.

About KASE

“This is one of the best hip-hop-jazz collaborations I’ve ever heard.”
“Nearly as impressive, these highly appealing tunes are improvised from start to finish, revealing jazzers with deep vocabularies responsive to whatever the moment demands.” -Shepherd Express, Kevin Lynch

“More than just “Alive,” these four tracks exemplify live music in its most liberating and adventurous form, from the alien ambience of “The Beholder” to Breiwick’s dizzying trumpet improvisations and knowsthetimes’ pulse-quickening turntable skills on “Heatwave”, with magnetic verses from rapper CRASHprez throughout the EP.” -Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“Rife with spontaneity and elegance, this KASE record is a perfect foot to start on with the New Year.”
“Classics meet the ahead-of-its-time as conventional jazz elements mesh seamlessly with modern electronica.”-Breaking and Entering

“…the album crackles with the spontaneity unique to a live jazz set — you can sense the musicians playing off each other, reading each other, clearing out space for each other at times and claiming it for themselves at others.”-Evan Rytlewski, Radio Milwaukee

Jamie Breiwick – Trumpet
John Christensen – Bass
Jordan Lee – Turn tables

Catral and Christian

Evan Christian picked up the guitar by ear as a teenager and never looked back, developing into one of the most sought-after solo performers in Milwaukee, with a sound that moves fluidly between jazz and flamenco. Samuel Catral is a Milwaukee original, a jazz guitarist known for soulful playing that balances technical depth with genuine feeling.

The two have been finding their way into each other’s musical orbit for a couple of years now, and what started as a natural friendship between players has grown into a real collaboration — one where two distinct voices have learned to listen closely and bring out the best in each other.

Samuel Catral – Guitar
Evan Christian – Guitar and Vocals

Tim Whalen Trio

Led by pianist and composer Tim Whalen, the Tim Whalen Trio features bassist John Christensen and drummer Hannah Johnson. Praised by jazz piano legend Kenny Barron as “an exceptional player who fully understands the jazz language,” Whalen leads the group with clarity, touch, and endless inventiveness. The trio’s sound is rooted in adventure, lyricism, and a beautiful natural chemistry between them.

Their debut recording “Trio Volume 1” captures the group in full-flight, blending Whalen’s original compositions with inventive arrangements of music by Chick Corea and Cole Porter. Recorded in March 2025, the album reflects a band comfortable leaving space, embracing spontaneity, and allowing the music to unfold organically. Rather than a statement of arrival, the trio offers a snapshot of musicians meeting each other in real time—sharing a conversation that is thoughtful, swinging, and deeply connected.

“This album secures the Milwaukee native in my mind as perhaps the root of a triad of the very best straight-ahead Wisconsin jazz pianists currently working. Moreover, it’s probably the best jazz piano trio album I’ve heard from a Badger.”  – Kevin Lynch, Shepherd Express

Tim Whalen – Piano

John Christensen – Bass

Hannah Johnson – Drums

Jeanne Marie Farinelli Trio

Jeanne Marie Farinelli is a saxophonist and educator in the Milwaukee area. In her music, Jeanne Marie fuses modern and traditional sounds to create a unique, soulful approach to improvised music. In this dynamic trio, she, along with in-demand musicians John Christensen on bass and Hannah Johnson on drums, elegantly explores contemporary melodies and jazz standards through creative interplay.

Jeanne Marie Farinelli – Saxophone
John Christensen – Bass
Hannah Johnson – Drums

Carlos Adames Group

The Milwaukee-based Carlos Adames Group follows in the footsteps of great Latin jazz innovators, combining elements of traditional and modern Latin rhythms with dynamic jazz harmonies to create an exciting new sound. Panamanian-born percussionist Carlos Adames leads the group, drawing on his encyclopedic knowledge of the world’s rhythms in his compositions and performances.

Tony Ayala, a seasoned percussionist, complements the rhythm section along with John P. Simons on the bass. Elias Holman gives the group its melodic voice, exploring the vast space of jazz and Latin music both live and in his compositions.

Carlos Adames – Percussion/Vocals
Elias Holman – Piano
John P. Simons – Bass
Tony Ayala – Percussion/Vocals

HEIRLOOM

Heirloom is one of Milwaukee’s most innovative and sought after jazz bands. Heirloom’s unique sound captivates audiences through soaring melodies, intriguing rhythms, and magnetic attention to detail.

Heirloom is made up of core members Ben Dameron, guitar, and Hannah Johnson, drums, as well as tenor saxophonist Sam Taylor and bassist Tim Ipsen.

Ben Dameron – Guitar
Sam Taylor – Tenor Saxophone
Tim Ipsen – Bass
Hannah Johnson – Drums

Milwaukee Jazz Institute Night – Student Ensembles

Donna Woodall Group

Past WAMI Female Vocalist of the Year recipient, Donna Woodall began her long Milwaukee music career singing with top local groups. She quickly discovered her own “velvet” voice and style, forming the Donna Woodall Group. With her unique mix of jazz/blues and pop classic cover hits and original music, Donna Woodall blurs musical genres and presents lush, intimate vocals with every performance. She has established herself as a skilled singer, bandleader, and songwriter in the Milwaukee music scene.

Donna’s debut recording, “The Subject Love” showcases her original material that she affectionately calls “jazzy-pop.” Audiences are delighted by her eclectic, cool, and creative originals and her bold moves into different music genres- all the while staying grounded in her jazz roots.

Currently, Donna will continue to share her gift as she performs with her stellar band in regular rotation at notable venues in Milwaukee and throughout Wisconsin.

Donna Woodall – Vocals
Ethan Bender – Bass
Bill Feldman – Drums
David Brady – Keys

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

and

GARY HOLLANDER

MEDIA SPONSORS