Tuesday February 17th, 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m., $10 cover

Celebrate Mardi Gras & Fat Tuesday!! Get into the spirit of the Mardi Gras as traditional New Orleans jazz is celebrated with the Ryan Meisel Quartet featuring Celia Meisel on vocals and sax!! Joining them is Smoke N’ Mirrors, a band that brings new life to the classic organ trio sound with original compositions and fresh improvisations. Come out to dance, celebrate the season and have fun. “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” Let the good times roll!

Ryan Meisel Quartet featuring Celia Meisel – Ryan and Celia’s dynamic playing and original arrangements capture the spirit of New Orleans we collectively hold in our hearts and imaginations. Meisel is a multi-instrumentalist, educator and composer from Milwaukee Wisconsin.  Ryan grew up outside of Milwaukee and honed his jazz skills under the tutelage of legendary bassist Richard Davis at the University of Wisconsin Madison and master jazz educators Ron Carter and Rodrigo Villanueva at Northern Illinois University. Ryan strives to share music that is original, unifying among musicians and uplifting for audiences. Hailing from the South, Celia Meisel is a soulful singer and saxophonist whose blues-infused sound is steeped in story and feeling.

Smoke N’ Mirrors:  The band was formed when old friends and former band mates, Gabe Hammer (organ) and Pete Geraci (saxophone) reconnected in MKE in 2017. The band went through a few configurations before solidifying into the group today. When Sam Kacala (drum set) joined, the trio quickly evolved into one of MKE’s most entertaining new jazz groups.

The music of Smoke N’ Mirrors takes inspiration from jazz legends such as Jimmy Smith and Jack McDuff as well as more popular artists like James Brown, Parliament, and Grover Washington Jr. Smoke N’ Mirrors aspires to create a fun, dance-friendly vibe while also creating space to push the limits on self-expression through improvised solos and hypnotic grooves.