Description
Event Details:
Date: Â Saturday, March 7th, 2026
Time:  7PM • Doors at 6PM
Venue: Â MUSE Sturgeon Bay
Directions: 330 Jefferson Street, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin 54235. On the corner of Third Avenue and Jefferson Street in downtown Sturgeon Bay.
Phone: 920-333-2859
Email: tickets@musesturgeonbay.com
About the Artists:
• Donna Ruzicka is an American jazz vocalist recognized for her rich, emotive tone, and elegant interpretations of classic jazz repertoire. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, she began her musical journey at the age of three, studying organ and growing up surrounded by the sounds of a large, music-loving family. Now based in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Ruzicka has been an active presence in the Fox Valley jazz community for more than two decades. She has studied, performed and recorded with many of the region’s most respected musicians, including: guitarist Tom Theabo, harmonica player Jim Wilfahrt, pianist Tim Fox, saxophonist Tom Washatka, and pianist/composer John Harmon. Ruzicka honed her craft through the mentorship of acclaimed jazz vocalist Janet Planet, developing a vocal style defined by warmth, expressive phrasing, and a soulful sense of storytelling—qualities reminiscent of the intimate, conversational stylings of jazz’s most beloved interpreters. Her discography includes: Song of Songs, Season’s Greetings, Favorites, and New Favorites.
• Pianist and trumpet player Tim Fox graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Music Education. He has played trumpet and/or piano in the Chicago area, around Colorado’s Western Slope, and on the road, with the likes of “The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra,” under the direction of Buddy Morrow, “The Temptations” and “The Four Tops,” Eric Alexander, Ed Soph, Ernie Watts, Red Skelton, Barbara Eden, Connie Francis, Mitzi Gaynor, and with many more. Tim facilitated, with the generous support of Jazz Aspen Snowmass (JAS,) the Roaring Fork Jazz Workshop, and worked closely with the JAS’s education initiatives. He is currently a freelance musician, living near the Southern Door County, Wisconsin, but still collaborates with musicians from Denver to Grand Junction, and considers himself a member of the Josefina Mendez Jazz trio and Elements Jazz.
• Saxophonist, composer, arranger, recording engineer/producer Tom Washatka has been performing, producing and recording music for over almost 5 decades. He co-owns Stellar Sound Productions record label with his wife Janet Planet. He has performed internationally including Japan and the London Jazz Festival. “Washatka does not take the traditional approach of stating the melody and then improvising off it,” remarks Cadence Magazine in their review of the Tom Washatka Quartet. “Instead,” they continue, “he teases with only hints of the melody or a recomposed melody line and gets right into unique deviations that fully reshape the original song. He plays with the enthusiasm of the hard bop masters…” The diversity of what Tom does invigorates his curiosity and keeps his music fresh. Whether performing, recording, writing or arranging all the parts contribute to the sum.
• Bassist John Gibson has collaborated with numerous Fox Cities musicians since the early 1980s, including John Harmon, Janet Planet, Christine Salerno, and Steve March Tormé. Additionally, he has served as an audio engineer and producer at studios in Green Bay and the Fox Cities since 1987, contributing to the creation of commercials, industrial films, and television documentaries. Presently, John is enjoying his retirement from his audio career as a freelance bassist in Northeast Wisconsin.
