This review is in collaboration with Meaghan Heinrich. Meaghan is an experienced musician, lecturer for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and several music festivals, and is a local music educator.
Sweet Sheiks conjure up the finest sounds of early jazz with a modern twist, paying tribute to the sultry speakeasy tunes of the ‘teens and twenties. Jen Müttin-Schrank’s haunting vocals evoke a bygone era of diva songbirds, becoming all the more intriguing when she picks up her musical saw. Filled out by violin, clarinet, tuba, and tenor banjo, the band’s classic New Orleans sound is in full swing.
Slow drags and early blues tunes are prominent in their sets, with a good dose of fast-paced, virtuosic numbers featuring dazzling improvisations by clarinetist Andrew Spadafora and violinist Ousia Lydian. While some tunes can get a bit complex for beginning dancers to keep up, the entrancing spirit and character of Sweet Sheiks’ music is enough to get anyone on the floor for a while.
Milwaukee Stomp 