Vocalist Jeannine Rivers performs with John Hefter tonight at The Baby Grand, the new piano lounge located at 11302 W. Bluemound Rd. in Wauwatosa and is looking forward to a couple smoking sets.
But she's also glad that they won't be smoky sets.
"The area where we perform is smoke-free," Rivers said. "As a singer, that's something that I like. People can smoke at the bar, but it's in a different area. They can still hear the music, and they can watch it on the big-screen TVs.
"It's really a nice setup. The owner, John Picciurro, has done an incredible job. It's becoming a very popular place with musicians."
Rivers, who performs at places like Caroline's Jazz Club, Hilo Martini Lounge, Café Luna, John Hawks Pub, Centennial Bar and Grill and The Grove, mixes jazz standards with R&B classics and some originals from her upcoming album "Fly Away."
After 18 years in the banking industry, she is studying music at Milwaukee Area Technical College, where she is a lead vocalist in the Honors Ensemble under the direction of Steve Peplin.
"Singing is something I love to do," Rivers said, whose influences include Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, Dakota Staton, Barbra Streisand and others.
"I just love to perform and I want people to come and see me at The Baby Grand. It is going to be a good night."
Showtime is 8 p.m. There is no cover charge.
Host of “The Drew Olson Show,” which airs 1-3 p.m. weekdays on The Big 902. Sidekick on “The Mike Heller Show,” airing weekdays on The Big 920 and a statewide network including stations in Madison, Appleton and Wausau. Co-author of Bill Schroeder’s “If These Walls Could Talk: Milwaukee Brewers” on Triumph Books. Co-host of “Big 12 Sports Saturday,” which airs Saturdays during football season on WISN-12. Former senior editor at OnMilwaukee.com. Former reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
