Friday dealt another blow to Milwaukee's beleaguered jazz fans: The Pabst Theater announced that, following the resignation of the program's title sponsor, it is canceling its long-running Hal Leonard Jazz Series.
"While we will no longer promote the music in a series format, jazz enthusiasts can rest assured that the music will not disappear from our venues," the Pabst Theater Foundation's executive director, Gary Witt, is quoted as saying in a press release from the Pabst, but jazz fans shouldn't derive too much hope from that promise. Right now the Pabst/Turner/Riverside conglomerate has collectively announced only one jazz show for 2009, singer Madeleine Peyroux's scheduled March 19 performance. While there is no doubt that the organization will continue to book the occasional high profile concert from, say, one of the Marsalis brothers, regular jazz shows don't seem to be a high priority.
But at least Milwaukeeans can still hear real jazz music all summer long via the Jazz in the Park series, right? Right?
