The JRT will be on a brief hiatus around the Thanksgiving holiday – thus be sure to catch us at any of the fast-approaching dates below.

The Bay Restaurant
in Whitefish Bay
342 E Silver Spring Dr, Whitefish Bay
414-455-3045
www.thebayrestaurant.net
Friday Nov 8
8pm – 10pm

Remarkable food and a great atmosphere in the heart of charming Whitefish Bay – Baby It’s Cold Outside – stay warm and cozy at the Bay.

Westallion Brewery
1825 S 72nd St, West Allis, WI 53214
414-578-7998
www.westallionbrewing.com
Saturday Nov 9
3pm – 6pm

Join the good folks at Westallion in celebrating the 244’th birthday of the US Marine Corps this Saturday. Enjoy the taproom and outside tent while supporitng Sierra Delta: a charity training and providing support dogs to wounded vets – more info at www.sierradelta.com. Oorah!

Caroline’s Jazz Club
401 S 2nd Street
414-221-9444
www.facebook.com/CarolinesJazzClub
Wednesday Nov 13
7:30pm – 11:30pm

Did you miss ryan’s intimate solo jazz set at Carolines last week? No worries, he’s back with a full jazz-legit trio on Nov 13. Let’s get cookin.

Bugsy’s Backalley Speakeasy
218 N Water St, Milwaukee
(but enter via the alley off Chicago Ave)
414-221-6565
www.bugsysbackalleysaloon.com
Saturday Nov 16
9pm – 1am

The finale for our November is non other than Bugsy’s – it’s a party with good friends old and new and it wouldn’t be the same without you.

Also happy to bring you news of an ancillary JRT related project currently underway – mostly as an excuse to use the word ‘ancillary’.

Recent Sundays have been further blessed as I lend piano and arranging work to a remarkable local gospel recording artist. I’ll be sure to steer you to her album upon completion as you won’t want to miss out.

Now see that’s what’s known in the business as a ‘teaser’ (did it stave off any ‘unsubscribe’ requests? no? oh it’s my inane blather and grammatically deformed copy that’s the problem? But I’m doing the best I can with this… what’s that? Oh – that’s what makes it so sad – that this is the best I can do? No I’m not saying you’re wrong, just that it’s hurtful. Say again?… Oh that I sometimes lose focus and spin off tangentially? I mean I guess sometimes I get distracted – like that one time when that dude dressed as Captain America showed up and I… oh I’m, I’m doing it again? yeah… Righto – ok so what were we talking about? – microwave cookery or something to do with vitamins?)

Baseball season may be drawing to a close, but the JRT has a double-header not-to-be-missed. We have two, count ’em two fundraisers slated both supporting absolutely great local charities right here in Mil-Town. Details below and attached

Much love to you all as we close in on Halloween. I’ll be handing out Tic-Tacs to the costumed wee ones that visit my house this year with thinly veiled threats of ‘trick-or-treat’. It’s my small way of making the world a better smelling place one fresh breath at a time. Now in winto-green flavor.

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin
Feed your Soul 2019
at Flux Design
3775 N. Richards St. 53212
www.feedingamericawi.org/fysmke
Friday Nov 1
Live Jazz with the JRT: 5:45 – 6:45
Event runs until 11pm

As you know, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin does tremendous work up and down Wisconsin’s ‘Eastern seaboard’ and remains one of the J Ryan Trio flagship charities – we are blessed to support them through our music. This Friday is no exception as we lend jazz to kickoff the Feed Your Soul 2019 event – held at Flux Design. Crafting high quality, creative interiors (think Bugsy’s), the Flux Design warehouse and shop is a cross between American Pickers and Orange County Choppers. Simply one of the most intriguing spaces in the city. Information on the event at www.feedingamericawi.org/fysmke

MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary Fundraising Event at:
The Coffee House
2717 E Hampshire Street, Milwaukee
414-534-4612
Saturday Nov 2
Doors open 7:30
Music from 8pm to 10pm

Working tirelessly to improve the lives of those in our city, Sister MacCanon Brown and her many supporters-in-mission are creating the MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary – a multi-resource life-line for those in need. Details on this event and her visionary project are in the attached – or visit www.mbsanctuary.org to learn more. (scroll down as there is also a coffee-related event on Nov 1). Groove along with high-energy, coffee fueled music for a great cause.

The coffee house Nov2 2019 flyer – MacCanon Brown Homeless Sanctuary fundraiser

Enjoy great views of the city and JRT music atop the Rockwell Automation Clock Tower during the Open Doors Milwaukee event on Sept 28. Open Doors provides a unique peek inside historic and significant Milwaukee buildings normally not open to the public.

Speaking of clock towers – how about that Daniel in the Clock Tower from Mr Roger’s Neighborhood of Make Believe? I gotta believe Daniel says it best when he tells us it’s ‹meow› going to be straight up groovy ‹meow› at any of the ‹meow› JRT outings listed ‹meow› below ‹meow›.

Caroline’s Jazz Club
401 S 2nd Street
414-221-9444
www.facebook.com/CarolinesJazzClub
Wednesday Sept 11
8:30pm – 11:30pm

Midweek is goodweek at Carolines. Stop in for libations and jazz both cooled out and cookin. Take that, hump day!

Bugsy’s Backalley Speakeasy
218 N Water St, Milwaukee
(but enter via the alley off Chicago Ave)
414-221-6565
www.bugsysbackalleysaloon.com
Saturday Sept 21
9pm – 1am

Don’t miss Andy’s drum solo as he tees it up Phil Collins style. Crockett and Tubbs would approve.

Doors Open Milwaukee at the Rockwell Automation Clock Tower
1201 S 2nd St, Milwaukee, WI 53204
www.travelwisconsin.com/events/tours/doors-open-milwaukee-43438
Saturday Sept 28

What many don’t know is that the Neighborhood of Make Believe was rife with zoning and building code violations. Indeed only with sizable kickbacks from King Friday were the permits eventually signed. JRT investigators recently uncovered documents from Picture Picture showing a complete disregard for even rudimentary construction standards and basic city planning:

• The tree occupied by Owl and Henrietta Pussycat was not only never zoned duplex, but was a tinderbox of a fire hazard (what with all the leaves and such).
• Originally built as a strip mall, Lady Elaine repurposed the merry-go-round as her primary residence. Heck the signs for ‘Dollar General’ and ‘Checks Cashed’ still clutter the basement.
• How the Platypus house ever received an occupancy permit remains a mystery. I gotta believe lack of opposable thumbs contributed mightily to the shoddy construction.
• King Friday’s castle? An architectural abomination so poorly built the third floor is virtually uninhabitable due to mold. I cannot over-stress the importance of properly installed vapor barrier.

But, in all fairness – they do have a trolley.

Riddle me this: what’s the only thing better than an outing at Ally’s Bistro?

Answer: Two outings at Ally’s Bistro.

Please enjoy the easy parking, family friendly atmosphere, good food fine drinks at Ally’s both this Friday AND next Friday – details below. We’ve got a pair of trio’s (I did the math) revved up and ready to go with fresh songs for both dates. My tired jokes between the songs? Those will remain groan-ily stale (and mostly lifted from old Steve Allen bits).

Ally’s Bistro
N72W13350 Lund Ln, Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
262-251-972
allysbistro.com
Friday Aug 30
8pm-10pm

AND

Ally’s Bistro
N72W13350 Lund Ln, Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
262-251-972
allysbistro.com
Friday Sept 6
8pm-10pm

Anyone else have a hankerin’ for some doublemint gum?

A friendly reminder for those who love Sunday mornings, coffee and maybe a little jazz::

Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum’s Renaissance Garden – Café Sopra Mare
2220 N. Terrace Avenue, Milwaukee
414-271-3656
www.villaterrace.org/exhibitions_events/upcoming_events
Sunday Aug 25
10:30am – 12:30pm (as in: the morning)

Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum hosts the original trio – Mike, Andy and little-ole-me – laying down instrumental morning jazz in the best Tuscan courtyard garden this side of Florence. Make it a summer morning of art and sound at a venue that is truly one of Milwaukee’s shining gems.

I am extremely excited to announce a Shrimp Boil at the historic Story Hill Firehouse featuring the J Ryan Trio this Friday Aug 16 (5:30-8:30pm). For tickets and details please see the link and info below. The Story Hill Firehouse is one of Milwaukee’s newest and finest venues for weddings, special events and live music.  Originally constructed in 1927, the now refurbished space retains many original architectural details while lending a thoroughly chic and modern scene to any event or evening. And the food? Magnifique!

In the spirit of any good New Orleans shrimp boil, we’ll ‘laissez les bon temps rouler’. That is: ‘Let the Good Times Roll’. The JRT will cover both the song and the sentiment.

Story Hill Firehouse
407 N Hawley Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53213
262-477-5813
facebook:  www.facebook.com/407Hawley/
website:  www.storyhillfirehouse.com
Friday Aug 16
5:30pm – 8:30pm
Information and tickets available at the below link
www.facebook.com/events/1082877085237617/

Bugsy’s Backalley Speakeasy
218 N Water St, Milwaukee
(but enter via the alley off Chicago Ave)
414-221-6565
www.bugsysbackalleysaloon.com
Saturday Aug 17
9pm – 1am

But wait – there’s more: There’s Bugsy’s Backalley Speakeasy on Saturday Aug 17. Woohoo. We’ll play a perpetual plethora of poppin’ tunes while also including a copious compliment of camaraderie and comedy. Oh we can be pretty funny – although not always in a ‘ha ha’ way.

And all of the above after helping out friends in music at the State Fair. Indeed the photo below shows our very own Alissa wailing on a Janis Joplin tune while ensconced in the mighty tendrils of not 1, not 2, but count ’em 3 smoke machines. I think the vapor looked extremely cool under the lights, and helped Alissa develop an even smokier tone by the third set.

Extra extra read all about it…was a phrase once used by newsboys to sell newspapers… newspapers, kinda like the internet, but made from trees.

So here’s the scoop: J Ryan Trio (www.jryantrio.com) opens for the fabulous Australian blues band Kings & Associates during the Milwaukee stop of their US tour. They’ll play an intimate club event at Ally’s Bistro this Wednesday – details below. Here’s a primer to bring you up to speed: it’s summer here, winter there; Miller here, Fosters there; toilets flush clockwise in the US, counterclockwise down-under; and that’s not a knife… this is a knife.

Ally’s Bistro – with Australian blues band Kings & Associates
262-251-972
N72W13350 Lund Ln, Menomonee Falls, WI 53051
allysbistro.com
Wednesday July 10
JRT – 5pm – 6pm
K&A – 6:30pm – 8pm

Also be sure to check out our July session at the always cool and groovin Bugsy’s:

Bugsy’s Backalley Speakeasy
414-221-6565
218 N Water St, Milwaukee
(but enter via the alley off Chicago Ave)
www.bugsysbackalleysaloon.com
Saturday July 20
9pm – 1am

Got some great music on the way – check out details below or at www.jryantrio.com We’re excited to share not only our sound, but our charity mission supporting both Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and the Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Initiative.

Caroline’s Jazz Club
401 S 2nd Street
414-221-9444
www.facebook.com/CarolinesJazzClub/
Wednesday June 26
8:30pm – 11:30pm

Opening day of Summerfest. Stop in on the way to the fireworks, or on the way back from the fireworks for a chance to win Summerfest tickets courtesy of your friends in the J Ryan Trio. Or avoid the parking and crowds and hang out old-school at club Carolines – it’s the zig to Summerfest’s zag.

MOTOR Restaurant and Bar
BBQ and Blues at the Harley Davidson Museum
400 W Canal St, Milwaukee, WI 53203
414-287-2778
www.motorrestaurant.com/happenings/
Saturday July 6
5pm – 8pm

Catch the Milwaukee Blues Rock Collective at MOTOR on the campus of the Harley Davidson Museum. We’re B students all night as we focus on Bourbon, Blues, BBQ and Breakin-it-down old school. Visit MOTOR for a unique and well crafted experience (on two wheels, or four). All proceeds from the MBRC appearance at this outing benefit Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Initiative.

Well – my cat’s on Prozac. I’m completely unmedicated but the cat’s on anti-depressants. That’s messed up on (at least) two counts. You see, one of our cats passed recently. The remaining cat (Pango) took the loss personally. In fact he stopped eating, gave up on doing much of anything. I’m sure with opposable thumbs he would have hit the bottle pretty hard. After a few days of no food we thought it best to have him checked out. Clean bill of health but learned the little fella was likely distraught over the loss of his feline brethren. Amazing social depth for an animal still willing to eat off the floor. Anyhoo, after a few days on happy pills, he’s back to his old self – remarkable. Good thing too as his despondence prevented him from sitting on his favorite sofa. Not sure how the therapy sessions were to work if he wont sit on the couch.

The J Ryan Trio – how does that make you feel?

School’s out, summer travel on tap – but still plenty of fun to be had in and around Mil-town. Wanted to keep you in the loop on the following dates – full schedule at www.jryantrio.com.

Arte´ Wine and Painting Studio
1442 Underwood Avenue, Wauwatosa, WI 53213
414-810-6095
www.artewineandpaint.com
Friday June 14
7pm – 10pm

Part of the Arte´ Wine and Paint summer music series – enjoy drinks prepared by gracious staff, painting tips provided by their top artists and music courtesy of, um… well the little ole JRT of course. Ingredients of a perfect Friday nite.

Bugsy’s Backalley Speakeasy
218 N Water St, Milwaukee
(but enter via the alley off Chicago Ave)
414-221-6565
www.bugsysbackalleysaloon.com
Saturday June 15
9pm – 1am

The cavalcade of musical anomaly that is the JRT will convene our June plenary speakeasy session at the fabulous Bugsy’s. Both members and prospective inductees into our musical family are encouraged to attend.

Special Alert: The JRT is very excited to be opening for Kings and Associates at Ally’s Bistro the evening of July 10 for a special event as part of their US tour. Awarded multi Australian Blues Music Awards and 2018 ARBA album of the year, you’ll want to eek out time on your summer calendar to reserve seats for this very, very special event. Rest assured I’ll keep you posted with further details. In the meantime check them out at the link below:
www.facebook.com/kingsandassociatesmusic

Speaking of special events, we had a little 8’th grade graduation shindig last Friday. Not sure when 8’th grade graduation became an event – but I’ve got the left-over cupcakes to prove it’s indeed a thing. Oh you know the cupcakes – store bought jobbers that if not consumed at the party, get unceremoniously dumped in the office break room on Monday morning – the hallowed tradition of feeding left-overs to co-workers. Ostensibly a waste-not, want-not arrangement but also a fascinating ongoing social experiment. I’ve seen left for the taking both delicious morsels, and less desirable fare:

• Random vegetables – from a home garden or maybe from a relative serving in an agrarian work camp – and always includes zucchini. Any workplace in July / Aug invariably features abandoned zucchini. Why grows them if you don’t wants them? No-one takes them – no one wants unwrapped fringe vegetables on their desk all day, or wants to tote these nature-made punch-lines with them to the parking lot. Tomatoes? I guess, but the zucchini thing has got to stop.
• Christmas cookies – anytime after Jan 10. I’ve seen these things show up in March…. March. Sometimes they’re broken into pieces in what I suspect is an attempt to mask their origin, but I know my cookie forensics and ain’t no way those rock-hard atrocities were crafted in any month other than December. Heck the tin says ‘feliz navidad’. Now my Spanish is limited to that and ‘donde esta la biblioteca’ but those cookies are ‘no bueno’.
• Any candy not in a wrapper. And this goes for hotel check-in desks, banks counters all of that. M&M’s or Mike & Ikes or whatever ampersanded confectionery exposed to whomever last took a big unwashed handful… no. hecks no. In our resurgent age of measles, swimmers ear and restless leg syndrome the whole unwrapped candy scene is done. Shut it down.
• Candy that IS wrapped, but has near it a sign-up sheet for boy scout troop 007 or brownie troop YYZ or whatever wee-tyke paramilitary club y’all are into. Don’t get me wrong – those are all great organizations and I’m more than happy to buy a $5 Twix to support them. My request is simply that the sign-up sheet be explicit and clearly marked in direct adjacency to said candy. Else I think I found free candy (free candy!) but instead inadvertently commit a serious and egregious social misdeed inadvertently stealing from the wee tykes. Wee tykes with survival and military training.

Oh – and I don’t like potlucks.

I’ve switched toothpastes. They had a taste test at the grocery store; I ate half a tube of the Aquafresh before the nice lady running the show shut it down. Gotta say it wasn’t bad. I’m minty fresh. Plus don’t gotta worry about tartar anytime soon.

Taste tests are great not only for mildly toxic dentifrice, but also for music. As you know, the J Ryan Trio has a sister band – The Milwaukee Blues Rock Collective. While the J Ryan Trio is a charity mission playing piano led jazz, blues and soul, the MBRC is a guitar slingin’ rock and blues band. Thus in the spirit of taste-testin’, I bring humbly to your ears two tender morsels for your consideration:

• First a J Ryan Trio interpretation of a Sinatra classic: ‘One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)’ – see attached mp3.
• Second an MBRC treatment of Janis Joplin’s ‘Piece of My Heart’ – see other attached mp3.

If you found either sample at all tasty, please know that both the J Ryan Trio and Milwaukee Blues Rock Collective are available to book your venue or event. Do feel free to reach out to yours truly, or to our fabulous Alissa if we can be of service. Four out of five dentists can’t be wrong.

Best of all: stop out and sample a veritable smorgasbord of music at any of our upcoming soirees and check our full schedule at www.jryantrio.com

Caroline’s Jazz Club
401 S 2nd Street
414-221-9444
www.facebook.com/CarolinesJazzClub
Wednesday May 29
8:30pm – 11:30pm

Stop by and we promise to lay it down good and groovy on your Wednesday. Classic jazz club vibe (though we’ll rock it out a little)

West Allis A La Carte
Downtown West Allis
(on Greenfield Ave between 7oth & 76th Streets)
414-774-2676
www.travelwisconsin.com/events/fairs-festivals/west-allis-a-la-carte-44617
Sunday June 2
3pm – 5pm on the East Stage

West Allis knows how to throw a great party – and West Allis A La Carte is it. Find the Milwaukee Blues Rock Collective at the East Stage starting at 3pm. We’ll peg the fun-meter.