After selling out six shows in three nights at the Jazz Estate last year, Mitchell Shiner Latin Vibes brings back its Latkes Con Salsa shows, but this year it moves to Best Place in The Brewery District.
"Latkes Con Salsa reimagines Hanukkah and Christmas favorites in a Latin Jazz style," says Shiner, who teaches at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, and is Chair of Jazz & Contemporary Music.
"Influenced by the musical traditions of the Afro-Latino diaspora, we put a hip rhythmic twist on old chestnuts like 'Sivivon Sov Sov Sov,' 'We Three Kings' and 'I Have a Little Dreidel'."
You can catch the performances this year at Best Place, 917 W. Juneau Ave., Dec 14-17. There will also be a Madison gig at the North Street Cabaret on Dec. 9.
In addition to vibraphonist Shiner, this year’s lineup includes bassist Joey Sanchez, percussionists Andy Miller, Bony Benavides, and Hannah Johnson, guitarists Garrett Waite and Steve Peplin, and pianist David Wake.
"The band represents a cross-section of veteran and emerging players on the Milwaukee music scene," Shiner says.
"Of course, we will miss our departed brother in rhythm, Cecilio Negron Jr., who played an integral role in recording the Latkes album and its launch last year."
(Yes, there is a "Latkes Con Salsa" album, which you can hear and buy here.)
For more information, visit shineymusic.com.
While there's a bit more elbow room at Best Place than at The Jazz Estate, tickets could go fast, so if you're interested, don't wait. You can order online here.
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.
