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| Bill Carrothers at the Artists Quarter |
© Andrea Canter
It’s May,
so “it might as well be spring” although Mother Nature seems unable to commit.
It’s much easier to commit to supporting live jazz, and there are plenty of
opportunities in the coming week, from Bill Carrothers’ return to the Artists
Quarter with the old After Hours Trio to birthday cake with Charmin Michelle at
Fireside Pizza and a guitar duo at Café Maude featuring Todd Clouser and Park
Evans.
Big Gigs This Week
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| Gordy Johnson |
Friday, May 3. If there’s one bassist I wish I
heard more often locally, it’s Gordy
Johnson. And tonight, he’s paired with virtuoso pianist Phil Aaron for the dinner sets at the
Icehouse, that hip new venue in south Minneapolis.
Good food and beverage options add to the evening, and with no cover, this is
the weekend bargain!
Downtown, check out the new Thomson/Harris Collective at Hell’s Kitchen. This ensemble brings together two accomplished innovators, saxophonist Chris Thomson and guitarist Zacc Harris. If you’re going to Hell, this is the way to get there!
Friday-Saturday, May
3-4. Reprising
his acclaimed After Hours Trio gigs with bassist Billy Peterson and drummer
Kenny Horst, Bill Carrothers returns
to the scene of many stellar evenings at the Artists Quarter. Bill’s been a more frequent visitor lately,
and the jazz cachet of the Twin Cities shines a bit brighter each time. Expect
standards turned inside-out and some original tune as well.
Saturday, May 4. It’s part two of dinner set magic
at the Icehouse this weekend, with tonight’s pairing of monster pianist Tanner Taylor and the wise old man of
bebop, Dave Karr on tenor.
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| Charmin Michelle at Fireside Pizza |
Monday, May 6. You can have your cake and Charmin
too! A special twist on their regular gig at Fireside Pizza, Denny Malmberg and Charmin Michelle make
it a birthday party for Charmin, complete with swinging covers and cake.
Tuesday, May 7. Three guys tracing their roots
back to the UW-Eau Claire, Triosé is the collaboration of guitarist
Vinnie Rose, bassist Jeremy Boettcher and drummer Adrian Suarez. They swing
both ways—covers and originals, and in either mode they put out a lot of energy
and invention. And tonight they jazz it up at Café Maude in southwest Minneapolis.
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| Dean Magraw |
Across the
metro at the Black Dog, it’s the first Tuesday of the month, which means it’s
another evening with guitar wizard Dean
Magraw and master percussionist Davu
Seru. Or head over the Artists Quarter for a guitar-heavy double header,
with the young masters of the Cory Wong
Quartet opening early before yielding to a sparkling trio of Zacc Harris, Billy Peterson and Kenny Horst.
Wednesday, May 8. Let’s keep the guitar theme going, with a duo at Café Maude (Penn Av) that couldn’t be finer – Todd Clouser and Park Evans. Clouser has mostly been seen here with his Love Electric ensemble, but tonight it is more intimate, and fully guitar as he squares off with the always-exciting Evans.
There’s
something worth listening to at least 4 nights per week at Jazz Central.
Tonight, it’s the monthly installment of Chris
Bates’ Magica Improvisado, tonight featuring his Good Vibes Trio with Dave Hagedorn and Phil Hey. Now--that's good vibes!
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| Peter Schimke |
Thursday, May 9. We don’t get to hear pianist Peter Schimke in a leading role often
enough, so head down to the Artists Quarter tonight to hear him heading a trio
and focusing on his talents as improviser. Or check out the trio madness at the
Icehouse, with bassist Gary Raynor,
pianist Phil Aaron and drummer Jay Epstein – three veterans who deal in the
jazz canon from top to bottom, inside and out.
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 3. Peter Schimke and Irv Williams,
Happy Hour at the Dakota; JoAnn Funk at Parma; Harper/Leggett/Foreman at the
Black Dog; Vic Volare and the Lounge Lizards at Champion Ballroom
Saturday, May 4. JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske at the
Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at Parma; Jon Pemberton Trio at
the Red Stag
Sunday, May 5. Patty and the Buttons, brunch at
the Aster Café; Capri Big Band at the Capri Theater (3 pm); Zacc Harris Trio at
the Riverview Wine Bar; Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra with Charmin Michelle at Cinema
Ballroom
Monday, May 6. Southside Aces at Famous Dave’s
(Uptown); JT’s Jazz Implosion at the Icehouse
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| Joel Shapira |
Tuesday, May 7. Joel Shapira at Hell’s Kitchen;
Beasley’s Big Band at O’Gara’s; Bill Simenson Orchestra at Jazz Central
Wednesday, May 8. Charmin Michelle and Denny
Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Steve Kenny and the Bastids follwed by New Sound
Underground at the Artists Quarter
Thursday, May 9. Phil Mattson’s MacPhail Vocal
Ensemble at Jazz Central; James Wallace at Barbette
Coming Soon!
. May 10, Vicky Mountain
at Parma
. May
10-11, Jerry Weldon at the Artists Quarter
. May 11,
Zacc Harris at Studio Z
. May 12,
PipJazz Sundays with the Women in Jazz Ensemble
. May
12-13, Fourplay at the Dakota
. May 15,
Michael O’Brien at the Artists Quarter
. May
15-16, Jane Monheit at the Dakota
. May 16,
Dakota Combo at Antonello Hall (MacPhail
Center for Music)
. May 18, Mary
Louise Knutson Trio, Jazz @St. Barneys (St Barnabas Church)
. May 19,
Illicit Sextet at Jazz Central (TCJS Jazz From J to Z)
. May 19,
Martin Taylor and Lawrence
Juber at the Dakota
. May 22,
Snowblind at the Artists Quarter
. May 23, Vicky Mountain
and the Chris Lomheim Trio at the Artists Quarter
. May 24,
Joe Krowne Trio at the Dakota
. May
24-25, Bryan Nichols Quintet at the Artists Quarter
. May 25,
Patty Peterson and Friends at the Dakota
. May 29,
Maud Hixson CD Release at the Dakota
. May 31, Talking
Strings at the Black Dog
. May 31-
June 1, Happy Apple at the Artists Quarter
. June 7,
Reynold Philipsek CD Release at the 318 Café
. June 9,
PipJazz Sundays with John Penny, Will Kjeer
. June 16,
Sidewalk Café’ (Jazz in the Library), St
Paul Central Library
. June
18-19, Reid Anderson at 408 (SPCO)
. 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
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, Lonnie Smith and
more
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| Michael O'Brien holds his MN CD Release at the Artists Quarter, May 15th |
