© Andrea Canter
Patios are
open, lilacs have bloomed, our first summer storms have thundered through. It’s
time for outdoor band concerts, neighborhood festivals, and always, more music.
Big Gigs This Week
![]() |
Nichola Miller |
Friday, May 31. After taking a maternity break, Nichola Miller is back on stage,
swinging and sassy as ever. I caught her “return” gig at Hells’ Kitchen
Wednesday night, and now she’s back for another night in Hell, this time with
partner Tanner Taylor. Baby Charlie
might sing before he can talk!
Friday-Sunday, May
31-June 2.
Sometimes our internationally acclaimed jazz bands are more often on the road
than here at home. And a band like Happy
Apple has to coordinate 3 globe-trotting musicians’ schedules. The stars
align this weekend, however, with Mike Lewis, Erik Fratzke and Dave King
together on the Artists Quarter stage for three nights. King is just back from
a European tour with the Bad Plus, but he’ll nevertheless be at full throttle.
![]() |
Mike Lewis of Happy Apple |
Monday, June 3. Need a midday break? The always-fun and always savvy Adam Meckler Orchestra performs in Rice Park (St Paul) at noon. You can
find something tasty from one of the food trucks or nearby cafés, and
hopefully it will be one of our rare dry days! Tonight, Jazz Central continues
to promote new and veteran musicians, this time putting the spotlight on young Will Kjeer. Will has another year of
high school ahead of him, but a number of first-class gigs behind him,
including at the Artists Quarter where he currently holds the piano chair for
Steve Kenny and the Bastids. You gotta hear this guy.
![]() |
Zacc Harris |
Tuesday, June 4. Busy jazz day! If it’s the first
Tuesday of the month, then it’s Dean
Magraw and Davu Seru at the Black
Dog. This guitar/percussion duo has been holding intimate conversation at the
Black Dog for the past year plus. Down the street at the Artists Quarter, it
the first of three consecutive Tuesdays with Billy Peterson and Kenny Horst creating trio magic with one of the
area’s finest – tonight with guitarist Zacc
Harris. (Watch for Bryan Nichols and Brandon Wozniak in the following
weeks.)
It’s big
band night at Jazz Central, tonight featuring the Bill Simonsen Big Band. Trumpeter Simonsen may have one of the most eclectic resumes in the Twin
Cities –from studying and leading bands in Norway to playing locally with the
Wolverines Classic Jazz Orchestra, JazzMN Orchestra and Cedar Ave Big Band,
from leading a band for the North Stars hockey team to backing such notables as
Cab Calloway, Joan Rivers, Mitzi Gaynor, the
Temptations, and the Four Tops. As Tom Surowicz noted in the Strib, Bill’s big
band may be the best the you’ve never heard!
![]() |
Vinnie Rose, Triose' |
Café
Maude on Penn Avenue
continues to offer live music, including jazz, at least two nights per week.
Tonight, it’s Triosé, the hip relatively
new trio with Vinnie Rose, Jeremy Boettcher and Adrian Suarez. Nice to have the
guys right in the heart of the city – you can usually catch them at one or
another Shanghai Bistro on weekends.
![]() |
Jana Nyberg |
Wednesday, June 5. Another midday diversion – Maryann Sullivan and Rhonda Laurie team up as Sisters Swing over the
lunch hour at Landmark
Center.
And it’s a busy night in the Cities. The Jana Nyberg Group celebrates “Foodie Night” at the Dakota with their enticing takes on jazz classics, some pop covers, and some original music from vocalist/ flautist Jana. Pianist Mike Vasich makes a guest appearance. Over at Jazz Central, the Illicit Sextet reprises their recent CD release gig, blowing tunes from Chapter Eleven. All original music!
Across the river at the Artists Quarter, free-improvising Pat Moriarty and Phil Hey recreate their 1970s duo collaboration, sandwiching a duet set in between two sets of “Round Trip” with Chris Thomson and Tom Lewis, a recreation of their Ornette Coleman repertory band of the late 70s-early 80s.
And it’s a busy night in the Cities. The Jana Nyberg Group celebrates “Foodie Night” at the Dakota with their enticing takes on jazz classics, some pop covers, and some original music from vocalist/ flautist Jana. Pianist Mike Vasich makes a guest appearance. Over at Jazz Central, the Illicit Sextet reprises their recent CD release gig, blowing tunes from Chapter Eleven. All original music!
Across the river at the Artists Quarter, free-improvising Pat Moriarty and Phil Hey recreate their 1970s duo collaboration, sandwiching a duet set in between two sets of “Round Trip” with Chris Thomson and Tom Lewis, a recreation of their Ornette Coleman repertory band of the late 70s-early 80s.
Thursday, June 6. It’s Vocal Night at Jazz Central, tonight
featuring two swinging soulmates, vocalist Vicky
Mountain and pianist Tanner Taylor. At the Artists Quarter, Vicky’s usual pianist
Chris Lomheim brings his trio to the
stage – his instrumental gigs don’t come often enough!
More Jazz Every Night
Be sure to
check live jazz calendars on Jazz Police
and KBEM sites. Also find a growing
number of events on the Jazz Near
You site, a service of All About
Jazz. A few more gigs of note:
Friday, May 31. Todd Harper at the Black Dog;
Nachito Herrera at the Dakota followed by the Kevin Washington Quartet (Late
Night)
Saturday, June 1. Jazz on the Prairie Big Band at
Round Lake Park (Eden Prairie); Paul
Harper Trio at the Loring Pasta Bar; JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby
Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at Parma
Sunday, June 2. Robert Everest,
brunch at Maria’s Café; Zacc
Harris Trio at the Riverview Wine Bar; Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra with Charmin
Michelle at Cinema Ballroom
![]() |
Denny Malmberg |
Monday, June 3. Southside Aces at Famous Dave’s
(Uptown); Paula Lammers and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Southside Big Band at Centennial
Lakes; BBB Jazz Orchestra at Lake Harriet Bandshell; Jazz Implosion at the
Icehouse with Bryan Nichols, Brian Courage, Jay Epstein and Park Evans; Tommy and the Liebermen at the Dakota; Russ Peterson Big Band with
Charmin Michelle at the Old Log Theater
Tuesday, June 4. Cory Wong Quartet, early show at
the Artists Quarter; Beasley’s Big Band at O’Gara’s
Wednesday, June 5. Connie Evingson with Dave Karr and Tanner Taylor, "Jazz in the Lounge" at the Minneapolis Woman's Club; Steve Kenny and the Bastids, early
show at the Artists Quarter; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside
Pizza; Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson at Three Crows (Delano)
Thursday, June 6. Rebirth Brass Band at the Dakota;
Moonlight Serenaders at Wabasha
Street Caves
Coming Soon!
. June 7,
Sidewalk Café, CD Release at the 318
Café
. June 7,
Nicole Henry at the Dakota
. June 8,
JazZen, “Weaving of Traditions” at Sundin Hall (Hamline University)
. June 8, Jazz at Studio Z, Young Lions (3 bands)
. June 8, Jake Baldwin and Courageous Endeavors, Late Night at the Dakota
. June 8, Jazz at Studio Z, Young Lions (3 bands)
. June 8, Jake Baldwin and Courageous Endeavors, Late Night at the Dakota
. June 9,
PipJazz Sundays with John Penny, Will Kjeer
. June 9,
Dan Musselman CD Release at McNally Smith
. June 9,
Connie Evingson and Jon Weber (Music of Dave Frishberg) at the Jungle Theater
. June 11,
Hugh Masekela and Larry Willis at the Dakota
. June 13,
Albare at the Dakota
. June 16,
Sidewalk Café (Jazz in the Library), St
Paul Central Library
. June
18-19, Reid Anderson, Liquid Music at 408 (SPCO)
. June 19,
George Maurer Group (Jazz in the Library), Merriam Park
Library
. June
19-20, Ramsey Lewis Trio with Dee Dee Bridgewater at the Dakota
. June
23-24, David Murray Infinity Quartet with Macy Gray at the Dakota
. June 26,
Salsabrosa (Jazz in the Library), Riverview Library
. June
27-29, Twin Cities Jazz Festival with Cyrus Chestnut, Kenny Werner, Matt
Slocum, Ariel Pocock, JazzMN Big Band, Jon Weber and more
. July 5-7,
Iowa City Jazz
Festival with Pharoah Sanders, Fred Hersch, Charlie Hunter, Christian Scott, Lonnie
Smith and more
. July 8,
Milo Fine Free Jazz Ensemble at Homewood
Studios
. July 14,
PipJazz Sundays with Louis Alemayehu at Landmark Center
. July 23,
Badi Assad at the Dakota
. July 27, Dakota Street Fest
(Nicollet Mall)
![]() |
Hugh Masekela returns to the Dakota on June 11th with pianist Larry Willis |