Veteran local musician Bob Jennings -- you remember him playing the keyboards, accordion and saxophone with such bands as The R&B Cadets, Semi-Twang, Blue in the Face and Paul Cebar & the Milwaukeeans -- had a bunch of gear stolen recently.
And, now some local bands have put together a benefit gig.
The show takes place Sunday, Dec. 27 at Shank Hall. Donation is $10 and showtime is 7 p.m.
On the bill: Semi-Twang and Blue In the Face -- two Jennings bands that recently played reunion gigs in honor of Shank Hall's 20th birthday -- The Lackloves and Tom Schwark's Trio du Monde.
"My saxes -- tenor & bari(tone) -- were recovered by Cascio Music and the New Berlin Police. South Milwaukee Police continue to investigate. Still missing are my Baldoni accordion (25 key, 12 bass, cream colored), Korg CX3 organ, Motion Sound KT80 amplifier & Motion Sound rotary pedal foot switch."
If you have any information on the whereabouts of this gear, please contact Jennings at jenningsrj@gmail.com.
In the meantime, mark your calendars to get out and support one of Milwaukee's hardest working musicians who also happens to be a diamond geezer.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
