A night of outstanding music began with the Henry Grimes Quartet. His beautiful green bass caught my eye from the moment I walked in. His playing caught my ear from the moment he picked it up until he stopped playing. The quartet started out the set with more experimental compositions and moved to less dissonant material, closing with the familiar Sonny Rollins set finale Oleo. More often than not, sets of music usually flow in the opposite direction, becoming more experimental as the night goes

On a typical night, jazz masters Jack DeJohnette and Dave Holland are leading their own groups in any number of theatres and clubs around the globe. On this particular night, they were part of another jazz master’s trio, the venerable Herbie Hancock. Including the encore, an inspired version of Maiden Voyage that began with a brief bluesy run that transformed into an extended introduction by Hancock, the trio delivered a 105-minute set covering six selections. The evening started with Herbie

Cassandra Wilson graced the Pabst Theatre stage on Sunday evening, March 21. The most inspiring vocalist over the last decade, she has a brilliance no one can deny. The latest group she has assembled is a wonderful collection of musicians who create a full, almost orchestral, sound that is the perfect complement to her voice. Her set began with a song from her 1993 release Blue Light Til Dawn, entitled Children of the Night, a stirring, almost haunting number that set the tone for the evening

The President of Milwaukee’s Common Council, Marvin Pratt and a jazz drummer from Milwaukee, Victor Campbell presented legendary bebop artist Roy Haynes with a Proclamation, making May 31 Roy Haynes Day. Graciously accepting the award, Roy seemed a bit surprised to receive a Proclamation from the city of Milwaukee. When he recently told a friend he had a gig in Wisconsin they asked "Do people like jazz in Wisconsin?" Nonetheless, Roy seemed impressed with the Proclamation and with the enthusiasm

When the spotlight shines on Dianne Reeves, she shines right back. In her element, she draws in the audience from the moment she walks on stage and keeps their attention until the moment she walks off. Her voice is mesmerizing and she showcased it starting with the introduction, singing "Welcome, I am so happy to be here tonight and I hope you are too. The band has been working on some special music to play tonight just for you " The thing that amazed me about Dianne Reeves’ voice is h