Vocalist Kat Sherman has been on the Eau Claire music scene for more than two decades, performing in a wide variety of styles and venues, and maintaining an active teaching studio in piano and voice. Having formed the successful jazz trio, Kat and the Hats, she continues her exploration of the jazz idiom in a duo with Paul Hecht.

Paul Hecht brings a wide musical curiosity and a commitment to jazz traditions in the piano/keyboard trio format. Hecht trained with musicians from Detroit and Chicago and now divides his time between Chicago and Eau Claire.

Wyatt Thomson possesses a voice that echos the soundscapes of the dance halls, supper clubs, and road houses that still litter the landscape of his home in the Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin.

​Citing Tom Waits as his biggest influence, it’s safe to say that Thomson (Like Waits) seems to have skipped right over decades of music that might have otherwise changed his sound for the worst.

One of Thomson’s biggest appeals is that he sounds like an artist transported from the 1950’s honky tonks of the Midwest, and dropped off into the second decade of the 21st century unscathed by the worst aspects of pop country, pop music, and an industry forever changed by technology.

Not unlike a character from a Roger Miller song, Thomson has the bona fides of working pawn shops, odd jobs, and scraping by in the rust belt landscape of NW Wisconsin. As a result, he’s gained the street wise and cynical wisdom that is earned young from such a life.

The world may press onward with its insane pace, but Thomson ambles along with a casual confidence and story telling tales that feel like they’re ripped from old paperbacks in a truck stop, or found in some lost postwar beatnik manuscript.

Enjoy an evening of exceptional live jazz with two of the region’s top talents. Pianist Josh Gallagher attended the renowned Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship and studied at the prestigious Brubeck Institute, bringing a rich and expressive sound to every performance. He’s joined by saxophonist Aaron Hedenstrom, a gifted performer and composer who holds a doctorate from the University of North Texas and teaches jazz saxophone at UW–Eau Claire.

Together, they’ll explore a wide range of jazz tunes—from timeless standards to modern interpretations—perfect for a relaxed and memorable night out.

Simon Cropp is a flatpick guitarist and country and bluegrass songwriter. His performance style is equal parts dive bar bravado and fireside introspection. Simon’s songwriting style is plainspoken storytelling, channeling classic country themes of love, heartbreak, and the landscapes he travels through. Both as a solo act and with his band Slapdash Bluegrass, Simon has had the chance to share the stage with songwriting inspirations in The Last Revel, Possessed by Paul James, Margo Cilker, Clay Street Unit, and Joseph Huber. With a dreadnought guitar in hand, Simon’s flatpicking style blends country-inspired crosspicking with melodic sensibility to produce a sound that is as comfortable on a front porch as it is on a festival stage.