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Babatunde Lea, at the Artists Quarter October 5-6 |
© Andrea Canter
Turn on the
furnace, here comes fall weather. Or just go out an hear some live jazz this
week, that’s another sure way to keep warm. This weekend is the first in a
series of drum-led ensembles scheduled at the Artists Quarter in October, as
well as the first concert of the JazzMN Orchestra season.
Big Gigs This Week
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Debbie Duncan |
October 5. What could be better than hearing either
Debbie Duncan or Ginger Commodore at the Dakota? Hearing Debbie and Ginger together
at the Dakota! Tonight’s the night as two of our most entertaining and talented
vocalists get together with veteran musicians Lee Blaske, Jay Young and Bobby
Commodore for a few hours of ballads, blues, standards and a lot of fun.
October 5-6. Throughout October weekends, the
Artists Quarter is presenting ensembles headed by drummers. And given owner
Kenny Horst is a drummer, perhaps it is surprising this concept has not been
scheduled before. First up, recent transplant from the Bay Area, renowned
percussionist and educator Babatunde Lea, who brings together a stunning
quartet, with pianist Richard Johnson, bassist Chris Bates, and guitarist Zacc
Harris. Lea has been heard around town, often with Harris, at Café Maude among
other venues, and put in a guest appearance last spring with Poncho Sanchez at
the Dakota. He’s worked with Oscar Brown, Jr., Leon Thomas and Pharoah Sanders
among others. (Check the AQ schedule for upcoming weekend shows with Ari
Hoenig, Dave King and Eric Kamau Gravatt.)
October 6. One of the most accomplished large
jazz ensembles is right here in the Twin Cities. The JazzMN Orchestra starts
its 14th season with special guests, trumpeter Wayne Bergeron and
vocalist Connie Evingson, heading up a program devoted to the music of Hollywood. All JazzMN
concerts take place in the very pleasant Hopkins High School Performing Arts
Center. Bergeron is a veteran of big bands, film and television soundtracks,
and an acclaimed arranger and educator to boot.
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Steve Hobert |
October 8. I first saw young lion Steve
Hobert with the oddball but very talented Lulu’s Playground a few weeks ago. In
that ensemble, Hobert plays a wicked accordion, but he is also gaining a
reputation around town for his keyboard chops. Possibly both will be on display
at Jazz Central.
October 10. Two savvy guitar trios on either
side of town tonight: In Minneapolis at Café Maude, Joel Shapira leads two more
veterans, bassist Bruce Heine and drummer Eric Kamau Gravatt. We most often
hear Shapira in solo or duo contexts (often with vocalist Charmin Michelle), so
it’s always a treat to hear his post-bop interactions with fellow explorers.
(Note Joel brings a quartet to Hell’s Kitchen the next night.) In St Paul, the
long-standing partnership of Red Planet (Dean Magraw, Chris Bates and Jay
Epstein) returns to the Artists Quarter, scene of many inter-planetary voyages
for these explorers of Coltrane, Coleman and their own inventions.
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Zacc Harris |
Tonight is
also the first concert of the season for the U of M Jazz Ensemble I.
Celebrating “New Works for Big Band,” Dean Sorenson leads his young crew
through a number of compositions written by current and former bandmembers,
some of whom are already familiar for their extracurricular activities around
town—undergrads pianist Joe Strachan, trumpeter Noah Ophoven-Baldwin, and
saxophonist Cameron Kinghorn, and newly minted Masters Degree trumpeter Adam Meckler.
This is a free concert at Ted Mann.
More Jazz, All Week
Jazz is
really not hard to find in the Twin Cities—there’s something cooking every
night. Check the KBEM and Jazz Police live calendars online; listen
to KBEM and KFAI radio; check the Friday edition of the Strib. And be sure you
are on the email list for your favorite performers and clubs. More suggestions:
·
Friday, October 5. Zacc Harris Trio at
Hell’s Kitchen; Soul Rumination at the Black Dog; Zeitgeist New Music Harvest
at Studio Z; Chris Thomson’s Art Trio at Café Maude/Loring Park; Firebell at
the Aster Café
·
Saturday, October 6. Sidewalk Café at Midtown Global Market (12:30 pm); Joann
Funk and Jeff Brueske in the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Lucia Newell with Laura
Caviani and Jeff Bailey at Parma; Arne Fogel at The Lexington; Sam Miltich
Quartet with Charmin Michelle at the Edge Center for the Arts (Big Fork, MN);
Michael Johnson with Maud Hixson, CD Release at the Hopkins Center for the
Arts; Zeitgeist New Music Harvest at Studio Z; Chenoweth/Rochon/Pemberton at
the Icehouse
·
Sunday, October 7. Patty and the Buttons, brunch at the Aster Café; Chenoweth/Rochon/Pemberton
at the Icehouse (11 am); Zacc Harris Trio at the Riverview Wine Bar; Jerry
O’Hagan Orchestra with Charmin Michelle at ERV Dance Studios (Hopkins)
·
Monday, October 8. Headspace at the Artists Quarter; Southside Aces at the
Dakota; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Jazz Implosion
at the Icehouse
·
Tuesday, October 9. Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Kristin Sponcia Quartet
at the Artists Quarter; Cedar Avenue Big Band at Jazz Central
·
Wednesday, October 10. Steve Kenny and the Bastids at the Artists Quarter (7 pm);
Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; James Buckley Trio at
the Red Stage; Minnesota Jazz Orchestra at Wabasha Street Caves
·
Thursday, October 11. Todd Clouser at the Aster Café; Rhonda Laurie at Barbette; St Peter Street
Stompers at the Red Stag; Joel Shapira Quartet at Hell’s Kitchen
Coming Soon!
·
October
12-13, Ari Hoenig Trio with Bill Carrothers at the Artists Quarter
·
October
13, Connie Evingson, Jazz @St. Barney’s (St. Barnabas Arts Center, Plymouth)
·
October
13, Atlantis Quartet, Jazz at Studio Z
·
October
14, Steve Faison, PipJazz Sundays at Landmark
Center
·
October
14-15, Cassandra Wilson
at the Dakota
·
October
17, Bela Fleck and Marcus Roberts at the Dakota
·
October
18, Todd Clouser Quartet at the Artists Quarter
·
October
19, Reynold Philipsek CD Release at the 318 Café
·
October
19, Patty Peterson and Bobby Lyle, Double CD Release at the Dakota
·
October
19-20, Dave King Trio CD Release at the Artists Quarter
·
October
23, Kurt Elling at the Dakota
·
October
26-27, Eric Kamau Gravatt and Source Code at the Artists Quarter
·
October
30-31, Maria Schneider Orchestra at the Dakota
·
November
4, Spiral Visions (Milne, Hagedorn, Aaron, Lewis, Hey) at Landmark Center
(TCJS Jazz From J to Z)
·
November
5, Charlie Hunter at the Dakota
·
November
11, PipJazz Sundays Youth Showcase at Landmark Center
·
November
12-13, Bettye LaVette at the Dakota
·
November
26-27, Karrin Allyson at the Dakota
·
December
7-8, Manhattan
Transfer at the Dakota
·
December
12-13, John Pizzarelli at the Dakota
·
December
14-15, Reid Anderson, Jeff Ballard, SPCO, Liquid Music at SPCO Music Room