JULI WOOD

For the past twenty years with four albums as a leader, several studio projects as a side man, and countless worldwide performances, saxophonist, vocalist and composer Juli Wood has established herself as a solid, swinging, lyrical and entertaining performer on Chicago’s music scene.

Juli has played many jazz clubs and festivals nationally and internationally; Chicago Jazz Fest, Hyde Park Jazz Fest, Milwaukee’s Summerfest, Chicago’s main jazz clubs – Jazz Showcase, Green Mill, Andy’s and Katerina’s. Skansen Jazz and Blues (Stockholm , Sweden), Pori Jazz Fest (Finland), Bent J’s club (Aarhus, Denmark), Storyville (Helsinki Finland), Arlandia Jazz Fest (Aaland Islands, Finland) and the ” Made in Chicago ” jazz festival in Poznan Poland to name a few.

Juli’s love for the saxophone goes way back. “I remember watching SOUL TRAIN as a kid on T.V. in the 70’s and seeing Maceo Parker playing alto sax with James Brown. I thought that was the coolest looking and sounding instrument in the world! So the love affair with the saxophone started in the sixth grade and has been going strong ever since.” Juli has played for the past 40 years with Robin Pluer in bands including the R&B cadets, Paul Cebar and the Milwaukeeans, Rhythm Club, and Robin’s Bastille Days groups.

ROBIN PLUER

She’s a sultry diva with pizzazz and jazzy style. She’s a multi-faceted songstress who elegantly but playfully delivers a mélange of vintage French ballads with a distinctive twist.

Robin Pluer, a perennial WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) Award winner, has been once again awarded Milwaukee’s Best Female Vocalist by the Shepherd Express for an unprecedented third year. This chanteuse with panache has become a mainstay at Bastille Days festivals. Over the past 20 years Robin has performed and composed music with John Sieger (R&B Cadets), Paul Cebar (and the Milwaukeeans) and Peter Buffett. Her fresh, engaging talent has afforded her opportunities coast to coast including Garrison Keeler’s “Prairie Home Companion” and NPR’s “World Café.” Recently, Pluer has returned from touring Europe.

Wherever she performs, whether it’s her funky R&B or flirtatious medley of French “oldies,” Robin Pluer effortlessly captivates her audiences. She can transport you to a more genteel France through chansons of the past, or strike your inner musical soul with her original R&B style.

ANTHONY DEUTSCH
Anthony Deutsch is a Milwaukee-based pianist, vocalist and composer. For nearly two decades, his musical journey has been largely informed by an unwavering thirst for truth and self-expression. Embodying both the light and darkness of the human experience, Deutsch aims to invoke a timeless presence. Improvisation is at the heart of his artistry.
“Improvisation is the act of being present. One must listen beyond their own narrative, embody that at hand, and produce a fruitful compositional offering. It is difficult and fleeting, but may yield deep beauty.”
Of citing musical influences, he notes: “Some of my favorite music is that of birds in a park or natural space – Bach is nice, too. Each moment in this life is an opportunity to find inspiration. This does not requisite sonic complexion. Sound and its absence are of the same origin.”
Presently, Deutsch freelances in a wide array of performative opportunities and continues to compose music for his original lyrical heart-song project, “Father Sky”.