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| Laura Caviani bring her holiday spirits to the AQ this weekend |
© Andrea Canter
The
holidays are ever closer, the snow is deep enough to create ice dams and
igloos, and the entertainment options around the Twin Cities can be
mind-boggling. Here, let me help you! The jazz choices are abundant and joyful.
Some Big Gigs This Week
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| Erik Fratzke |
Friday, December 14. In the “Deep End/Community Pool”
tonight at the Black Dog, a double percussion quintet of fearless improvisers
takes the bandstand, with Erik Fratzke,
Peter Leggett, Pete Hennig, Nathan
Hanson and Brian Roessler. That’s a lot of hardware. That’s a lot of music.
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| Mary Louise Knutson |
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| Lucia Newell |
Friday/Saturday,
December 14-15.
One gig I always look forward to in December is Laura Caviani’s Holiday Show, usually at the Artists Quarter as it
is this weekend. Some years ago, Laura released on of my favorite jazz holiday
CDs, Angels We Haven’t Heard.
Fortunately we do get to hear these angels nearly annually in one combination
or another. This weekend, Laura spreads good cheer with bassist Jay Young,
drummer Dave Schmalenberger, and her frequent musical partner, vocalist Lucia
Newell. There might even be a jolly man in a red suit?
Saturday, December 15. Thanks to the University of Manitoba
and their reciprocal agreement with the state of Minnesota, MN residents can attend the other
“U of M” at resident tuition rates. But the partnership does not end there.
Today, Manitoba’s Jazz Studies faculty will be
in St Paul, offering a free workshop in the
morning at Walker West Music Academy and a free public concert at Progressive Baptist Church
in the evening. On the “bandstand” in the evening will be Manitoba faculty Steve Kirby (bass),
Anna-Lisa Kirby (voice), Quincy Davis (drums), Will Bonness (piano), Laurent
Roy (guitar), Derrick Gardner (trumpet) and Craig Bailey (sax).
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| George Maurer |
Sunday, December 16. Another annual holiday bash – the George Maurer Big Band Holiday Show at
the Dakota is often a sell-out. One of the area’s most successful and popular
bandleaders, composers, and pianists, George brings along a top flight crew of 15+
musicians, including vocalists Anne Michaels and Rachel Holder. That’s a lot of
holiday sounds tightly packed on the Dakota stage. Reserve fast.
Monday, December 17. Drummer Pete Hennig backs a long list of area innovators, from the Atlantis
Quartet to the Fantastic Merlins, but we rarely get to see Pete as the center
of attention, where he belongs. Tonight at Jazz Central he gets his due.
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| Dean Magraw and Billy Peterson |
Tuesday, December 18. It’s one more Tuesday night
featuring “Dean Magraw and Friends” at
the Artists Quarter. The master guitarist has been holding the Tuesday slot
this month with such talented friends as Billy Peterson, Brandon Wozniak, Kenny
Horst, and more. Come early for the free
set featuring another guitar whiz, Cory Wong, and his quartet – all rising
stars on the local jazz scene.
Down at
Jazz Central, it’s big band night, this week featuring Xplosion!, headed by Doug Haining and Scott Agster and about 15 of
their closest musical friends. If you have not listened to big bands
–unamplified and in the intimate space of this small studio, you have not yet
really experienced a big band!
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| Todd Clouser |
Wednesday, December
19. Two ex-pat
Minnesotan are in town with some red hot music. Guitarist Todd Clouser and his A Love Electric ensemble preview some of his
patented “jazz rock” at the Clown Lounge – yes, a night reviving the music
experiments in the basement club. And over at Jazz Central, saxophonist Aaron Hedenstrom takes a break from
graduate studies at North Texas to show off
some of the compositional skills that earned him the top Composition Award at
the 2012 Detroit Jazz Festival.
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| Maud Hixson and French 75 |
Thursday, December 20. They don’t get together often
these days but whenever Maud Hixson and
French 75 are on stage, it’s a trans-Atlantic songfest of the most
sophisticated sort. Catch them at the Dakota tonight as musicians Tony Balluff,
Gus Sanberg, Robert Bell et al give songbird Maud just the right rhythms and
harmonies to put some French swing into standards associated with the
Continent.
And
speaking of bands that don’t get together often – the Illicit Sextet had about a decade hiatus before reuniting a couple
years ago, and now they are preparing for the release of their second CD –
following one of the great recordings of the 90s – Chapter One, with, what else, Chapter
Eleven. They give us a taste at the Artists Quarter, early show tonight,
followed by a band that never seems to take a break from their inventive
arrangements and originals, the Phil Hey
Quartet.
More Jazz Every Night
There’s
always more – check live jazz calendars on Jazz
Police and KBEM sites.
Suggestions to make your choices more difficult:
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| Nichola Miller |
Friday, December 14. Nichola Miller at Hell’s Kitchen; Hamline
University Big Band/Combos Holiday Concert at Anne Simley Theater (Hamline); Charmin
Michelle and the TC Jazz Imports at House of Pizza (Sartell, MN); Chastity
Brown and Sophia Shorai at the Dakota; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby
Bar (St Pau Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen (Meridien Hotel);
Patrick Harrison and Kip Jones at Café Maude (Loring Park); Steve Hobert and
Josh Granowski, dinner sets at the Icehouse
Saturday, December 15. Maurice Jacox and Bobby Eckstrand
at Eat Street Social (1 pm); Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St
Pau Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen (Meridien Hotel); Nachito
Herrera at the Dakota; Patrick Harrison and Josh Granwoski, followed by Jef Lee
Johnson, Yohannes Tona and Michael Bland at the Icehouse; Steve Kenny and the Twin Cities Cultural Project at the Red Stag
Sunday, December 16. Patty and the Buttons, brunch at
the Aster Café; Connie Evingson and Mary Louise Knutson holiday show at the
Como Lake B&B; KBEM Holiday Party with Trioso at Café Maude/Loring Park
(sold out); Charmin Michelle and the Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra at Cinema
Ballroom; Zacc Harris Trio at Riverview Wine Bar
Monday, December 17. Maryann Sullivan and Denny Malmberg
at Fireside Pizza; Headspace at the Artists Quarter; Jazz Implosion at the
Icehouse
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| Steve Kenny |
Wednesday, December 19. Charmin Michelle and Denny
Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Steve Kenny and the Bastids followed by Billy
Graczyk at the Artists Quarter
Thursday, December 20. Maryann Sullivan at Jazz Central;
Rhonda Laurie at Barbette; Gypsy Mania at Hell’s Kitchen;
Mira and Tom Kehoe and Friends, “Jazz on the Line” at Mai Village (St Paul)
Mira and Tom Kehoe and Friends, “Jazz on the Line” at Mai Village (St Paul)
Coming Soon!
. December
21, Todd Clouser at Café Maude (Loring Park)
.
December 21-22, A Hot Christmas (Lee Engele, Joan Griffith, Reynold Philipsek,
Gary Schulte), Bloomington
Center for the Arts Black
Box Theater
.
December 21-22, Dave Karr Quartet at the Artists Quarter
.
December 26, Moore
by Four at the Dakota
.
December 26, Boot Camp (Jeremy Walker) at the Artists Quarter
·
December 27-29, Bad Plus at the Dakota
·
December 28-29, Pat Mallinger at the Artists Quarte
·
December 29, Peterson Family Holiday Concert at Hopkins Center
for the Arts
.
December 31, Carole Martin, Pat Mallinger and Friends, NY Eve Party at the
Artists Quarter
.
January 4, Koplant No at the Icehouse (11 pm)
.
January 5, Kelly Rossum Quartet at the Dakota (Late Night)
.
January 7, Nellie McKay at the Dakota
.
January 11-12, Lulu’s Playground CD Release at the Artists Quarter
·
January 12, Vicky Mountain,“Voice of Van Heusen” at the Black Box
Theater, Bloomington
.
January 15, Latin Jazz All-Stars (Steve Turre, Pete Escovedeo) at the Dakota
.
January 18, Dorothy Doring/ Phil Mattson CD Release at the Artists Quarter
.
January 20, Sing the Truth (Dianne Reeves, Angelique Kidjo, Lizz Wright) at the
Mpls Convention Center
.
January 22, Jose Feliciano at the Dakota
.
January 26, Maud Hixson, Jazz @St Barneys
·
January 27-28, Dave Holland Quintet at the Dakota
.
February 12-13, Stacey Kent at the Dakota
·
February 22, Bill Frisell at Macalester (Janet Wallace Auditorium)
.
March 9, McCoy Tyner Quartet at the Hopkins
Center for the Arts
.
March 9, Randy Brecker with the JazzMN Orchestra at the Hopkins
High School Performing Arts Center
.
March 19, SF Jazz Collective at the Dakota
.
April 1, Bela Fleck and Chick Corea at the Dakota
·
April 6, John Zorn 60th Birthday at Walker Art Center
.
April 8-9, John Scofield Hollowbody Band with Mike Stern at the Dakota
.
April 12, 2 Cellos at the Dakota
·
April 15-18, Doc Severinsen Big Band at the Dakota
.
April 21, Red Planet at Landmark
Center (TCJS Jazz From J
to Z)
·
April 26, Craig Taborn at Walker
Art Center
. June
18-19, Reid Anderson at Music Space (SPCO), rescheduled from December
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| Boot Camp - coming to the Artists Quarter, December 26th |
