Worth The Drive Up to West Bend, Wisconsin, This Weekend

If you've never made it up to the annual Kettle Moraine Jazz Festival, you ought to think about it. Since 1998, Kettle Moraine has brought top name Smooth Jazz talent to West Bend, Wisconsin, just north of Milwaukee. During my time at WNUA, we sent dozens of listeners to the annual festival. They came back with glowing reports of the fun they had attending the many concerts and enjoying the hospitality of the fine folks who put on the Kettle Moraine festival every September.

Here is the lineup for this year's fest:

Friday, September 11

Guitarist Craig Chaquico (5;15pm)

Saxophonist Warren Hill (7:15pm)

Russ Freeman & The Rippingtons (9:15pm)

Saturday, September 12

Saxophonist Najee (3;15pm)

Guitarist Joyce Cooling (5:45pm)

Saxophonist Walter Beasley (8:15pm)

Tickets are $75 for either day or $125 for both days. To reach them by phone, call (877) 271-6903.

In my experience, the listeners I spoke with who had the best time at the fest got themselves a hotel room in Milwaukee for Friday and Saturday night and attended both days without the pressure of having to drive back down to Chicago after each day's performances.