An evening of French Chanson and Gypsy Jazz. Featuring Robin Pluer, Juli Wood, Stas Venglevski and Guy Fiorentini
Stas
October6th2024
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An evening of French Chanson and Gypsy Jazz. Featuring Robin Pluer, Juli Wood, Stas Venglevski and Guy Fiorentini
A cash bar will be available.
$55 + 4% service fee + 5% tax
Each registered guest must print out their ticket/receipt and bring it to the event.
For the past twenty years with four albums as a leader, several studio projects as a side man, and countless worldwide performances, saxophonist, vocalist and composer Juli Wood has established herself as a solid, swinging, lyrical and entertaining performer on Chicago’s music scene.
Juli has played many jazz clubs and festivals nationally and internationally; Chicago Jazz Fest, Hyde Park Jazz Fest, Milwaukee’s Summerfest, Chicago’s main jazz clubs – Jazz Showcase, Green Mill, Andy’s and Katerina’s. Skansen Jazz and Blues (Stockholm , Sweden), Pori Jazz Fest (Finland), Bent J’s club (Aarhus, Denmark), Storyville (Helsinki Finland), Arlandia Jazz Fest (Aaland Islands, Finland) and the ” Made in Chicago ” jazz festival in Poznan Poland to name a few.
Juli’s love for the saxophone goes way back. “I remember watching SOUL TRAIN as a kid on T.V. in the 70’s and seeing Maceo Parker playing alto sax with James Brown. I thought that was the coolest looking and sounding instrument in the world! So the love affair with the saxophone started in the sixth grade and has been going strong ever since.” Juli has played for the past 40 years with Robin Pluer in bands including the R&B cadets, Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeeans, Rhythm Club, and Robin’s Bastille Days groups.
She’s a sultry diva with pizzazz and jazzy style. She’s a multi-faceted songstress who elegantly but playfully delivers a mélange of vintage French ballads with a distinctive twist.
Robin Pluer, a perennial WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) Award winner, has been once again awarded Milwaukee’s Best Female Vocalist by the Shepherd Express for an unprecedented third year. This chanteuse with panache has become a mainstay at Bastille Days festivals. Over the past 20 years Robin has performed and composed music with John Sieger (R&B Cadets), Paul Cebar (and the Milwaukeeans) and Peter Buffett. Her fresh, engaging talent has afforded her opportunities coast to coast including Garrison Keeler’s “Prairie Home Companion” and NPR’s “World Café.” Recently, Pluer has returned from touring Europe.
Wherever she performs, whether it’s her funky R&B or flirtatious medley of French “oldies,” Robin Pluer effortlessly captivates her audiences. She can transport you to a more genteel France through chansons of the past, or strike your inner musical soul with her original R&B style.
Guy Fiorentini started out playing in high school and just never stopped. He’s toured internationally playing rock, funk, jazz, blues, punk and bluegrass. He co-founded the 3 time WAMI Award winning Salt Creek (the Onion called our debut CD “…easily one of the year’s best local discs”) and the popular gypsy jazz ensemble Milwaukee Hot Club.
Guy has performed/recorded with: Jim Liban, ‘Lil Rev, Roger Brotherhood, Johnny On Washday, Rockin’ Johnny, Robin Pluer, Robert Allen Jr., John Kruth, Harmonius Wail, Alex Wilson, Fox and Branch, The Carpet Baggers, Danny Moore, UrbanSol, Caravan Gypsy Swing Ensemble, the Crusties, the Probers, and many others. In 2010 he was voted “Bass Player of the Year” by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI).
He has also worked extensively as a sound man and recording engineer and has installed p.a. systems in clubs like Anodyne and Hotel Foster.
Recently Hal Leonard published Guy’s play-along book of Django and swing-era tunes arranged for ukulele: Gypsy Jazz, Ukulele Play-Along.
Peter Roller is a consummate guitarist based in Milwaukee WI since the late 1980s. A career highlight was having his solo Dobro instrumental ‘Rancho Mirage’ included on the compilation Masters of Acoustic Guitar (Narada 1997) alongside pieces by the likes of Leo Kottke, Eric Johnson and Laurence Juber. While a Guitar Instructor in John Stropes’ original Fingerstyle Guitar degree program at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, he continued as a working guitar player in the Worldbeat band Paul Cebar & the Milwaukeeans. They toured the Upper Midwest and he played electric and lap steel guitar on That Unhinged Thing (Shanachie 1993). In the 90s he also was blessed to take a lesson in Hawaiian Slack Key guitar with Maui-based master George Kahumoku Jr.
In the current age of Internet music streaming Peter’s found his fingerstyle and slide guitar pieces used on television in the U.S., Japan and Germany, as well as in a movie released in Switzerland. Having retired from his position as Professor and Chair of the Music Department at Alverno College, he is now inspired to teach students the Roots guitar styles he’s loved and guide them toward playing and writing their own syntheses built upon this strong foundation!