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| Connie's new CD-- Celebration at the Jungle on June 10th! |
© Andrea Canter
I’ll be in California for the
coming week, and as is true whenever I travel, I have some misgivings about the
music I am missing back home. This weekend in particular is gig-heavy among
jazz and other music venues. The advantage of being gone this weekend is I can
avoid picking and choosing among competing options—but it is surely a win-win
dilemma. And if any one is in northern California this weekend, be sure to
check out the Healdsburg Jazz Festival—especially Kenny Burrell at the Raven
Theater Saturday night, and the grand finale at Rodney Strong Winery Sunday
afternoon-evening, with Vijay Iyer, Sheila Jordan, and Roy Haynes’ Fountain of
Youth.
Highlights This Week
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| Steve Pikal, Rick Carlson and Maud Hixson |
June 9. Once again, the Artists Quarter
hosts a newly formed ensemble that prompts the question, “Why haven’t these
guys played together before?” This time the special ingredients are saxophonist
Brandon
Wozniak, bassist Adam Linz, and drummer Eric
Kamau Gravatt. Each is frequently on stage at the AQ and other venues, Brandon often with
Atlantis Quartet, Bryan Nichols and Zacc Harris; Adam with Fat Kid Wednsdays,
Bryan Nichols, and Dave King; and Eric with his Source Code when he is not busy
touring with McCoy Tyner. Bless Kenny Horst for pulling this threesome together
for an unforgettable night of inventive mayhem. Across town, the Dakota hosts Ginger
Commodore and her quintet (Adi Yeshaya, Kathy Jensen, Mark Weissburg,
Bobby Commodore, Darryl Boudreaux). Coming off her run at Chanhassan in
Hairspray, Ginger has undoubtedly been storing up some of the swinging blues
and gospel-tinted songs that make her an area favorite, with Moore by Four or heading her own band.
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| Dakota Combo |
Looking for
some late night madness? The Northern Spark Festival is underway, and if you
can figure out what is going on from their website, you are doing better than I
am. But one thing I can suggest is a late set from the Dakota Combo outside MacPhail Center for Music, starting at 10:30 pm.
With four seniors still celebrating graduation and 3 younger cohorts looking
ahead to their “upperclassmen” years, the Combo is in top form and looking at a
very busy summer, starting tonight. Under the guidance of Adam Linz, the group
will be polishing up their repertoire for a recording session at Wild Sound
next week.
June 10. I would dread making a decision
today if I were in town. Connie Evingson at least offers two
performances to help ease the dilemma. At the Jungle Theater (4:30 and 7:30
shows), Connie celebrates her eagerly anticipated 9th recording,
Sweet Happy Life. Apparently the first vocalist to devote an entire album to
the song lyrics of Normal Gimbel, Connie previewed some of her tunes last
summer under the title Summer Samba. Now the project is completed, sixteen
songs from Brazilian composers (Jobim, Bonfa), film composers (Michel Legrand)
and more. You may not be familiar with Norman Gimbel, but you are familiar with
many of his songs, including jazz standards “Bluesette” and “Canadian Sunset”
and Roberta Flack’s pot hit, “Killing Me Softly With His Song.” Connie’s band
at the Jungle includes Laura Caviani, Joan Griffith, and Dave Karr. (See CD review!)
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| PipJazz student guest Joe Suihkonen |
The Minnesota
Jazz on the Prairie Festival will be held at the Staring Lake
Amphitheater in Eden Prairie,
a gold mine for fans of area big bands. On the schedule this year will be Good
News Big Band; Just Friends Big Band; Acme Jazz Company; Bend in the River Big Band; River City Jazz
Orchestra; and the Jazz on the Prairie Big Band. At Landmark Center,
enjoy the monthly edition of PipJazz Sundays, as host and
talented vocalist Pippi Ardennia welcomes blues singer Barbara Leshoure and
student artist, trumpeter Joe Suihkonen. Barbara sang with the best in Chicago but has been seldom heard recently as a Minnesota resident. Joe,
hot off his graduation from South High, is heading for Oberlin on scholarship
this fall, but not before he gets his fill of summer gigs, starting with
PipJazz and including several appearances with the Dakota Combo.
An unusual
opportunity to hear an unusual musician: Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith,
recently in town as part of the Vijay Iyer festival at the Walker,
returns to Minnesota for an evening at Macalester College (Weyerhauser Chapel), in
collaboaration with Stephen Goldstein
(electronics) and Douglas R. Ewart (dulzaina, didjeridoo, bass clarinet, alto
saxophone, electronics and percussion).
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| Roy Hargrove at the Dakota |
June 10-11. And
speaking of trumpet, more mainstream brass will be the focus when Roy Hargrove
and his hard-hitting quintet return to the Dakota, as they do almost
annually. In a direct line of
inheritance from Louis Armstrong through Dizzy, Roy plays every gig as if it is his last, or
his first. And his long-standing quintet runs like family—Justin Robinson on
sax, Sullivan Fortner on piano, Akeem Saleem on bass, and Montez Coleman on
drums.
June 11. The long-awaited opening of music
at the Ice House in south Minneapolis
(2528 Nicollet) is here! Mondays will be curated by JT Bates, which means we
can expect regular appearances by Fat Kid Wednesdays and programming we’ve
missed since the demise of the Clown Lounge. After a couple preview gigs last
week, the series (9:30 pm) launches with the Dave King Trucking Company
(King with Brandon Wozniak, Adam Linz, Eric Fratzke). The next few weeks offer
Red Planet and Fat Kids. Stay tuned for more music, with James Buckley curating
weekends.
June 12. The Nicollet continues its Tuesday
nights of jazz under the leadership of vocalists Maryann Sullivan and Rhonda
Laurie, who team up for their own evening of great standards and more
obscure fare. It’s a nice early evening get-away in a relaxed setting with a
wide range of teas, coffees and pizzas… and often a large gathering of swing
dancers. And it’s all over in time to head to St. Paul for a reunion of the Tuesday
Night Band (Downtown Bill Brown, Billy Franze, Kenny Horst) at the
Artists Quarter. It’s like old times for this one night of hard boppin’ B-3
organ and West Side Tacos will be on the menu dirt cheap.
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| Dean Brewington |
June 13. The Twin Cities Jazz Festival
officially kicks off on the evening of June 28th with the annual
Jazz Night Out round of club gigs in St.
Paul. But like last year, there’s a festival prelude,
bringing top local artists into St. Paul public libraries, this year in four settings
starting today in the Rondo Library with an early evening performance by Dean
Brewington’s Old School ensemble. Dean has been a fixture on the local
jazz scene for a few decades, a particularly familiar face at the TC Jazz
Festival and Freedom Jazz Festival. He’s a monster on alto and soprano sax, and
has typically surrounded himself with some much younger talents. Old School
suggests he might be bringing together a group of like-minded veterans. This is
a freebie, like the rest of the festival.
More Jazz Every Night!
There’s
always more. Keep it all straight with the live jazz calendar on Bebopified and cross posted
on Jazz Police; also hear calendar
announcements on KBEM and KFAI radio. More suggestions:
Friday, June 8. Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico
Kitchen (Chambers/Meridien Hotel); Lee Engele and Reynold Philipsek at the Wine
Market (Mendota Heights); Paula Lammers at JoJo’s Rise and Wine Bar; Sophia
Shorai at Hell’s Kitchen
Saturday, June 9. Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico
Kitchen (Chambers/Meridien Hotel); Joel Shapira solo guitar at Ingredients Café
Sunday, June 10. “Copa!” with Russ Peterson’s Big
Band and visiting vocalists including Camilla Formica at the Burnsville
Performing Arts Center; Zacc Harris Trio, Riverview Wine Bar; Firebell at
Barbette
Monday, June 11. Headspace at the Artists Quarter;
Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Vincent Rose and Steve Hobert at Jazz Central
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| Jack Brass Band |
Tuesday, June 12. Cory Wong Quartet, early show at
the Artists Quarter; Cedar Avenue Big Band at Jazz Central; Jack Brass Band at
Driftwood Char Bar
Wednesday, June 13. Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg
at Fireside Pizza; Wolverines Trio at Hell’s Kitchen; Steve Kenny and the Bastids followed by the
Dave Karr Quartet at the Artists Quarter; Nexus Ensemble at Nomad World Pub
Thursday, June 14. Lee Engele with Reynold Philipsek
and Matt Senjem at Becker Performing Arts Center Amphitheater (Crystal); Frankhouse
at Hell’s Kitchen; Peterson Family at the Edina Performing Arts Center at Edina
High School (benefit for the Edina Historical Society); Dave Brattain Quartet
at the Artists Quarter; Kavanessence at Barbette
Coming Soon!
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June
15-16, Paul Bollenback at the Artists Quarter
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June
16, Jana Nyberg Group at Hayden Heights Library (St Paul), Twin Cities Jazz Festival (2 pm)
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June
16, Barbary Coast 45th Anniversary at the Black Box, Bloomington Center for the
Arts
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June
18, Laura Caviani at Jazz Central
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June
18-19, Stanley
Clarke and George Duke at the Dakota
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June
20, St Peter Street Stompers, St Anthony Park Library (St Paul), Twin Cities Jazz Festival
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June
20, Phil Hey Quartet at the Artists Quarter
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June
21, X-Tet at the Artists Quarter
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June
22, A Love Electric/Adam Meckler Orchestra at the Ritz Theater
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June
22-23, Nachito Herrera at the Dakota
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June
22-23, Dave King Trucking Company at the Artists Quarter
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June
28, Jack Brass Band at St Paul
Central Library (11:30 am), Twin Cities Jazz Festival
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June
28-30, Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Mears
Park (headliners Bad Plus
with Joshua Redman; Delfeayo Marsalis; Francisco Mela’s Cuban Safari)
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July
1-2, Bill Frisell at the Dakota
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July
5, Dean Magraw & Marcus Wise,
PipJazz Sundays at Landmark
Center
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July
9-10, Victor Wooten at the Dakota
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July
13-14, John Raymond Project at the Artists Quarter
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July
20-21, Pete Whitman & Laura Caviani at the Artists Quarter
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July
28, Dakota StreetFest on Nicollet Mall
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July
29, James Carter Organ Trio at the Dakota
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August
1-2, Tribute to Jimmy Smith with Joey D’Francesco, Larry Coryell & Jimmy
Cobb at the Dakota
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August
3, Pat Mallinger at the Artists Quarter
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August
9, Tribute to Blossom Dearie with Joann Funk at the Artists Quarter
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September
4-5, Pat Metheny Unity Band at the Dakota
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September
18, John Scofield Trio at the Dakota
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September
26-27, Chick Corea and Gary Burton at the Dakota
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September
30, Esperanza Spalding’s Radio Society at the State Theater
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October
30-31, Maria Schneider Orchestra at the Dakota
Photo note: All photos except Connie Evingson CD cover art by Andrea Canter
