Bark Culture at the Sugar Maple in Milwaukee on August 12, 2025

Bark Culture is a Philadelphia-based jazz trio led by superhuman vibraphonist Victor Vieira-Branco and featuring bassist John Moran and drummer Joey Sullivan. They came through Milwaukee a few months back to perform a short but impactful set of originals in the back room at the Sugar Maple. This tour would eventually lead them to concerts at Rhizome in Washington DC and a gig at the well-known Hopscotch Fest in Raleigh, NC.

Vieira-Branco has performed with Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra as well as the Chad Taylor Quintet, and very recently Bark Culture was featured on Mazurek's soundtrack to Kelly Reichardt’s new film The Mastermind.

This set was filled with high-energy jazz and was one of the more memorable concerts I attended over the summer.

Buy their album here.

Recording information:

BARK CULTURE
2025-08-12
Milwaukee, WI
the Sugar Maple

Victor Vieira-Branco: vibraphone
John Moran: double bass
Joey Sullivan: drums

Setlist:
01 Palace (5:24)
02 Farce [Sam Yulsman] (4:46)
03 Paradise Lawns (5:45)
04 Willow (6:26)
05 Panic (8:09)
06 Tempered (9:00)
07 When I Look Over (9:16)

Total time = 48:46

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for this blog

Microphones: Line Audio CM3 in ORTF plus Shure SM58 at bass amp
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96
Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (294 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (253 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

video of this performance by BRAG Milwaukee:

Setting at the Cactus Club in Milwaukee on November 2, 2024

Setting is a trio composed of Nathan Bowles (Pelt, Black Twig Pickers) on banjo, keyboards, and percussion, Jaime Fenneley (Mind Over Mirrors) on keyboards, and Joe Westerlund (Califone) on percussion. They came to the Cactus Club in Milwaukee almost a year ago to bring their special flavor of organic folk drones to the storied rock club. 

Setting's first album was described in the promotional material as sounding like, "A UFO slowly sinking into a peat bog," and I feel that is pretty apt for this music. There is a complexity of textures to be found in their music which can be exhilarating and which bears reposted listenings quite well.

Buy their most recent album here.

Recording information:

SETTING

2024-11-02

Milwaukee, WI

Cactus Club

Nathan Bowles: banjo, keyboard, tapes, percussion 

Jaime Fennelly: harmonium, synthesizer

Joe Westerlund: drums, percussion, electronics

Tracklist

01 Complete performance (59:07)

Total time = 59:07

Microphones: Line Audio CM3 in ORTF

Additional source: stereo soundboard feed from Alex Pekka Hall

Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96

Software: Audacity, xAct

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for this blog

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (326 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (165 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

video of a performance in Asheville, NC two years ago:

Minor Moon at Thawed Out Fest in Chicago on April 26, 2025

Next up we have a wonderful Americana band from Chicago known as Minor Moon, who were extremely impressive at the Thawed Out Fest in Chicago this past April. Lead singer and primary writer Sam Cantor has released four albums of material over the past 10 years. For the band's latest album, Cantor utilized several members of the Chicago jazz community including Lia Kohl, Dustin Laurenzi, Macie Stewart and Sima Cunningham, as well as the quintet featured in this performance.

Cantor's songs have an emotional immediacy that is refreshing, as well as enough melodic variety to sustain interest over a 45-minute set.  

Buy their most recent album here.

Recording information:

MINOR MOON
2025-04-26
Chicago, IL
Thawed Out Fest

Sam Cantor: guitar and voice
Chet Zenor: electric guitar
Max Subar: pedal steel
Jason Ashworth: bass
Sam Subar: drums

Setlist:
01 Blue Timing (6:43)
02 Cracking Glass (3:00)
03 No Lightning Fix (5:53)
04 Spend Your Gift Well (4:09)
05 Hey, Dark Ones (5:07)
06 Under Beyond (5:16)
07 The Light Up Waltz (4:20)
08 Miriam Underwater (3:26)

Total time = 37:54

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for this blog

Microphones: Beyerdynamic MC930 in ORTF
Additional source: mono SBD feed
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre3 at 24/96
Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (222 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (121 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

Jon Camp at the Jazz Gallery in Milwaukee on October 11, 2025

Jon Camp is a Washington, DC-based fingerstyle guitarist who came to the Milwaukee Jazz Gallery a week ago with his trio consisting of bassist Nick Arrivo and pedal steel guitarist Jamie Linder.

It was a delightful set full of rich melodies and lovely textures, with a very pleasant Americana feel. It seemed to me that a lack of percussion helped smooth out the mixture of instruments and allowed a lot of the lyricism to shine through.

Buy his brand new album here.

Recording information:

JON CAMP

2025-10-11

Milwaukee, WI

Jazz Gallery for the Arts

Jon Camp: guitar

Jamie Linder: pedal steel guitar

Nick Arrivo: bass

Setlist:

01 Habitat

02 Where Cicadas Go to Die

03 Goats’ Revenge

04 It Looms, It Blooms -> Turquoise Flower

05 Kerosene Goodbye

06 Also Ran

07 Proceed

08 Mining Twilight

09 Sixteenth of April

10 Bombus Bombus

11 Partisan’s Folly

12 When You Fall, I Fall

Microphones: Line Audio CM3 in ORTF at stage lip

Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96

Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for this blog

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (221 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (148 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

Jon Camp performing at Rhizome in June:

ragenap+dathon at the Jazz Gallery in Milwaukee on October 11, 2025

Joel Berk and Corey Lyons produce music under the monikers ragenap and dathon respectively, and both specialize in playing their Fender six string electric basses through various pedals to achieve a distinctive flair of drone. Each play various small percussion instruments as well as bass. Their music has a hypnotic feel to it, yet there are many small gestures and flourishes in the improvisational zones they produce to show that there are active and keen musical choices happening.

These fine young men came to the venerable Jazz Gallery in Milwaukee last week to perform as a duo, as opening support for Jon Camp and his trio. That evening also featured Jim Warchol, whose tasteful sonic explorations flowed very well into ragenap+dathon's mesmerizing set.

Buy their most recent album here.

Recording information:

ragenap+dathon

2025-10-11

Milwaukee, WI

Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts

Joel Berk: Fender VI and percussion

Corey Lyons: Fender VI and percussion

Setlist:

01 Improvisation (38:53)

Total time = 38:53

Microphones: Line Audio CM3 in ORTF at stage lip

Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96

Software: Audacity, xAct

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for this blog

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (185 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (118 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

video of a set in Chicago in June also featuring Alexander Adams:

Jim Warchol at the Jazz Gallery in Milwaukee on October 11, 2025

There was a mini guitar festival happening at the venerable Jazz Gallery in the Riverwest neighborhood of Milwaukee a few days ago, with Washington, DC-based melodic finger style guitarist Jon Camp and his trio performing along with ragenap+dathon (zones and drones on Fender 6-string basses from Chicago) and our next upload, Milwaukee legend Jim Warchol performing on guitar and electronics.

Jim is a veteran of the Milwaukee music scene, having been a member of Sometime Sweet Susan in the early 1990s through to his stints as avantgarde electronic project Loam, then as an integral member of percussionist Jon Mueller's Death Blues, and most recently with his current band, the post-rock outfit Dryhouse Ruins.

For this performance he soloed over a bed of pulsing electronic drones whose textures changed throughout the 22-minute set. The mood was dark yet with a hopefulness in the background. It's always a joy to watch Jim perform and I am really looking forward to checking out the record release show celebrating the new Dryhouse Ruins LP.

Recording information:

JIM WARCHOL
2025-10-11
Milwaukee, WI
The Jazz Gallery

Jim Warchol: guitar and electronics

Setlist:
01 improvisation (22:38)

Total time = 22:38

Microphones: Line Audio CM3 in ORTF at stage lip
Recorder: Sound Devices MixPre6ii at 32/96
Software: Audacity, xAct

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for www.milwaukeetaper.com

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (104 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (66 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

video of Death Blues performing at Hopscotch Festival in 2012:

Blues Ambush at the Milwaukee Psych Fest on May 10, 2024

Blues Ambush is a power trio from North Philadelphia featuring Ken Brenninger on guitar, Eric Noonan on bass, and Dave Siebert on drums. They specialize in bluesy psychedelic jamming that sounds great loud and in person. They certainly didn't disappoint at last year's Psych Fest, their performance prompting a fellow audience member to tell me that the band was their favorite of the entire festival.

Buy their most recent album here

Recording information:

   

BLUES AMBUSH
2024-05-10
Milwaukee, WI
The Cooperage
Milwaukee Psych Fest

Ken Brenninger: guitar
Eric Noonan: bass
Dave Siebert: drums

Setlist:
01 JA’s Funeral (13:00)
02 Gripper’s Choice (6:47)
03 Hornets (10:32)

Total time = 30:19

Recorded with permission by Richard Hayes for this blog

Microphones: Line Audio OM1 in A-B
Additional source: mono SBD
Recorder: MixPre3 in 24/96
Software: Audacity, Fission, xAct

downloads:

16bit, 44.1 kHz FLAC files (195 MB)

these lossless files can be burned to CDR, if you are into that sort of thing

320 kbps mp3 files (88 MB)

highest quality lossy mp3 files possible 

A video of part of this performance: