Interview Free, live jazz (not live, free jazz) comes to Frank’s Power Plant

Free, live jazz or live, free jazz? Yeah, Rita Szopinski knows. Her startup free-of-charge, live jazz series at Bay View’s Frank’s Power Plant has already gotten verbally misconstrued. “I was trying to think of a good name for it, and I was calling it ‘Free Live Jazz’. People kept thinking that it was live free jazz,” she says with a laugh. “So now, it’s just ‘Live Jazz Fridays.’ No costs!” Szopinski recently began hosting and booking the live jazz sessions during her Friday cocktail hour shift at Frank’s, giving patrons a reason to stick around for more than simply the camaraderie, booze, and another precious chance to strew peanut shells about on a bar floor. The A.V. Club talked to Szopinski about her growing interest in Milwaukee jazz culture.

The A.V. Club: What inspired the idea to host a jazz night at Frank’s Power Plant?

Rita Szopinski: When I was in San Francisco in the Castro district a handful of years ago, I stopped at this bar and saw instruments set up. Everything was super classy looking, too—lots of good beer and lots of good wine. There also was a dude in a thong hanging out at the bar, but nobody cared at all. The quartet started, and they were so fucking good. No big deal, but they were really good. I like that kind of thing: super chill, super casual, but that’s the thing you’ll remember for the rest of the year.

I liked the idea of booking a jazz night at Frank’s because it would be easy (I already work there), and because Frank’s has a nice stage that is set up near the bar and seating. Also, it’s got a tavern feel to it—it’s not just a “rock” bar. Frank’s books several different styles of music already, and I thought it would be a cool place for not just one group of people to come in. There are a lot of places in Milwaukee that are straight-up venues, so I think jazz performances would be hard to fit in at those places. Also, I like to make more cocktail types of things over just a beer and a shot, so it’s a nice thing to do before you go get dinner on a Friday night.

A lot of the same people show up, and it’s a close-knit community of people that just want to play whenever, wherever. The musicians are just super appreciative to have a place to play; they come in and set up and do their own thing. They have an open two-and-a-half-hour slot to play whatever they like, and the people that are watching really seem to be into it. They may not otherwise give a shit, but that’s kind of my point. I want people to come see it, not because they’re actively seeking it out, but because they’re there and they enjoy it.

AVC: How did you become interested in jazz music?

RS: My Uncle Bill gave me a [John] Coltrane CD when I was a kid, shortly after introducing me to Thelonious Monk. Also, a good friend, Matt Gorski [of Fresh Cut Collective], was a huge influence in my appreciation of jazz. I really got into Wes Montgomery and Miles Davis. I also really like Oscar Peterson; he can play with such a weird versatility. He throws all these licks into his music that you can barely catch. The more I listened, the more I started realizing how great these people were for being able to just play this stuff off the top of their heads.

I’m not sure if I remember the first time I saw a live set, but when I was in the music program at Milwaukee High School Of The Arts and Milwaukee Area Technical College, I remember being blown away just by seeing my friends snap on their instruments and play. MATC had and has some amazing instructors, like Hal Miller, Steve Peplin, and Jack Grassel.

AVC: How do you currently view live jazz in Milwaukee?

RS: There are a lot of great places where you can check out jazz on the East Side and downtown, and a lot of great players around the city as well, but it’s tough to happen upon jazz unless you know exactly where to go. I recently saw a gypsy jazz group play at Hotel Foster, which I got really excited about. There are quite a few cafes, bars, and restaurants on the East Side and downtown that host jazz throughout the week—the Jazz Estate and Caroline’s are always go-to venues. Seeing Ahmad Jamal and Les Paul at The Pabst was pretty incredible. I love Milwaukee and I love live jazz. I’ve been in other cities where live jazz is kind of a common occurrence, yet you run into one of the most amazing groups you’ve ever heard playing on the street for free. In Milwaukee, it’s kind of a treasure. A friend recently took me to Angelo’s, and I unknowingly walked into one of the best improv experiences I’ve ever had.

AVC: Do you feel dissatisfied with anything?

RS: Seeing younger guys playing their hearts out and doing some shit I couldn’t even describe with words to an audience of three people kinda bums me out, but that’s not specific to Milwaukee, that happens everywhere. There are still so many venues around Milwaukee, not to mention stations like WMSE, that promote local music like crazy and organize events like Jazz In The Park and Chill On The Hill. I’m forever impressed by how this city supports its local artists.

AVC: What have you got planned?

RS: So far we’ve had the James Murphy/Chris Newlin Quartet, the Repetti/Wolff duo, Steve Peplin and Neil Davis, MJV Open Jam Night with the Andy Buck Quartet, Julie B, James Murphy’s Vedic Eden, and I think a couple more. Jamie Breiwick, Neil Davis, Steve Peplin, The Milwaukee Jazz Vision, James Murphy, and Chris Newlin have really done a lot to support the jazz scene, and have been a tremendous help in getting this going at Frank’s Power Plant. I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback and support from both the musicians and patrons, so I’m really excited to see how this progresses.

All upcoming shows for Live Jazz Fridays at Frank’s Power Plant shows are listed at www.frankspowerplant.net. Any musicians interested in booking may contact Szopinski at rita.szopinski@gmail.com.