music history

A much-loved Milwaukee jazz venue shut its doors Sunday, June 28, 2026. Several musicians in the city pay tribute.

WUWM is honoring the start of summer by digging into the jazz standard "Summertime." The popular song began as a number in the opera "Porgy and Bess."

An upcoming performance at the Milwaukee County Historical Society pays homage to the history of jazz music in Milwaukee — as well as the state of jazz in the city today.

Bad Bunny wanted to share the history of Puerto Rico on his latest album. So his team made a call to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. That’s where a professor was ready to share the island’s history of colonization and radical politics.

A quartet made up of world-renowned musicians will be performing on the UWM campus this weekend. The two violinists, a violist and a cellist, known as the Fine Arts Quartet, tour the globe and always include Milwaukee as part of their circuit.

Jazz drummer and vibes player Mitchell Shiner is leading a project called Latkes Con Salsa, a live concert series and album featuring traditional Hannukah tunes with Latin rhythms. (And a little Christmas music at the live concerts too!)

Through vocal harmonies, guitar, and drums, Sway Wild intersects rock, pop, funk and folk — all centered around exploring what they describe as our own inner wilderness.

Liberace is arguably one of Wisconsin's most famous sons. Yet there's no monument — or even a plaque — dedicated to his memory in his hometown of West Allis.

The month of June commemorates Black music's impact in this country and around the world, from musical genres to instruments and lyrics.

WUWM's Xcaret Nuñez, Nadya Kelly and Maayan Silver sat down to discuss the songs sung by women that make them feel like they could move mountains, and a lot of WUWM staff also chimed in.