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Dave Holland brings "Prism" to the Dakota this weekend |
© Andrea Canter
I am gone
for a few days and will miss a big weekend of jazz -- coming back just in time
to catch the second night of Dave Holland's new Prism quartet. But I will miss
an increasingly rare performance by Red Planet, a stunning CD release by Lila
Ammons, and more! Bu there's always the coming week which is truly packed, with
drum titan Billy Cobham and vibes master Gary Burton back-to-back at the
Dakota, the hard-to-define acclaimed ensemble Kneebody at the Artists Quarter,
Fat Kid Wednesdays back at the Icehouse, and even more.
Big Gigs This Week
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Lila Ammons |
Friday, September 27. Few seasoned classical/opera
singers can claim to make the complete turn-around to jazz, but Lila Ammons did just that. With her
legacy showing in every note (grandpa was boogie woogie pianist Albert Ammons;
uncle was the great bop saxophonist Gene Ammons), Lila celebrates the release
of her first solo recording, The Nearness
of You, at Hell's Kitchen, backed by local cohorts Dean Brewington, Ted
Godbout, Ron Evaniuk and Kevin Washington. The recording features an all-star
New York cast including a few guest turns from Houston Person-- be sure to pick
up a copy for yourself and a few for holiday gifts! One of the best local
releases of the year and one of my favorite vocal releases from anywhere this
year.
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Red Planet |
Friday-Saturday,
September 27-28.
Red Planet has long been a popular
trio, with Dean Magraw, Chris Bates and Jay Epstein, but each has been so busy
lately that we seldom get to enjoy their magical collaboration. They come back
to home base, the Artists Quarter, this weekend, and we can expect them to
tackle Coltrane, Coleman, and other notable repertoire as well a original
works.
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Craig Taborn, back home with Prism |
Saturday-Sunday,
September 28-29.
It's a rare weekend at the Dakota that feature national touring artists from
the jazz realm, but here comes one of the top new ensembles of the year--Dave Holland's Prism. Holland has long been known for assembling
top musicians in freakishly stellar combinations, and this one is perhaps his
best yet -- with Kevin Eubanks, Craig Taborn and Eric Harland. All have past
history with Holland
but never in a single band. The music is all original from the band, and given the engaging material on their new
self-titled album, the live show will no doubt be one of the most exciting jazz
gigs of the year.
Sunday, September 29. Hard to believe that this is trad
/stride piano master Butch Thompson's
debut performance at the Schneider Theater of the Bloomington Center for the
Arts. But this matinee indeed marks his first gig there in his 45-year career.
He'll welcome savvy vocalist Lee Engele to the stage for what is sure to be an
enjoyable Sunday afternoon of swinging tunes.
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JT Bates |
Monday, September 30. JT's Jazz Implosion is always
worth the night at the Icehouse each Monday, but particularly when Fat Kid
Wednesdays is on stage. JT joins Adam Linz and Mike Lewis, and then it's JT,
Adam and Paul Metzger taking the late set as Embezzler.
Tuesday, October 1. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of
his Spectrum album, Mahavishnu Orchestra drummer Billy Cobham comes to the Dakota with Jerry Goodman (violin), Dean
Brown (guitar), Gary Husband (piano) and Ric Fierabracci (bass). Many consider Spectrum to be Cobham's best release.
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Triose' |
A much
younger band of innovators squeezes into the music space at Cafe Maude in
southwest Minneapolis.
Triosé (Vinnie Rose, Jeremy Boettcher
and Adrian Suarez) has a relatively short resumé but the trio has already
demonstrated they are a force to be reckoned with, and when they take apart 70s
and 80s pop hits, there's no end to invention.
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Gary Burton |
Wednesday-Thursday,
October 2-3. Celebrating his 70th birthday, a new CD and a
the publication of a riveting autobiography, vibes master Gary Burton returns to the Dakota with his "New" Quartet,
featuring Julian Lage, Scott Colley and Antonio Sanchez. This is the same
quartet that left audiences spellbound at the 2011 Twin Cities Jazz Festival.
Across the
river, a very different ensemble will be generating heat at the Artists
Quarter, when the still-young cats of Kneebody
come to town -- and invite Dave King to double the drum sets. Relatively young
they may be, this band has been together for 12 yeas already --Adam Benjamin on
keyboards, Shane Endsley on trumpet, Ben Wendel on tenor sax, Kaveh Rastegar on
bass, and Nate Wood on drums. The New
York Times tried to find a description, coming up with “There isn’t a handy
term or genre for the music that Kneebody creates. It’s a band thoroughly
acquainted with 1960s free-bop, 1970s jazz rock, 1990s hip-hop and
postmillennial indie rock; along with classical postminimalism."
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:
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Joyce Lyons |
Friday, September 27. Irv Williams and Peter Schimke,
happy hour at the Dakota; Joyce Lyons and Phil Mattson at Parma 8200; Patrick Harison at the Icehouse
Saturday, September 28. JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske at the
Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at Parma 8200; Viva Brazil at
Loring Pasta Bar; Gang Font at the Icehouse
Sunday, September 29. Patty and the Buttons, brunch at
the Aster Cafe; Robert Everest, brunch at Maria's; Zacc Harris Trio at Merlin's Rest Pub (4 pm)
Monday, September 30. Headspace at the Artists Quarter;
Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Adi Yeshaya and friends
at Jazz Central
Tuesday, October 1. Dean Magraw and Davu Seru at the
Black Dog; Cory Wong Quartet at the Artists Quarter; Bill Simonsen Orchestra at
Jazz Central
Wednesday, October 2. Steve Kenny Group 47 at the
Artists Quarter; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; James
Wallace at the Red Stag
Thursday, October 3. Vocal Night at Jazz Central;
Moonlight Serenaders at Wabasha
Street Caves; Jon Pemberton at the Red Stag; Zacc Harris Trio at Harriet Brewing Co
Coming Soon!
. October
4-5, Atlantis Quartet CD Release at the Artists Quarter
. October
5, JazzMN Orchestra with Kenny Drew, Jr at Hopkins HS Performing Arts Center
. October
6, Sounds of Blackness at the Dakota
. October
8, Vinicius Cantauria at the Dakota
. October
9, Charmin & Shapira and Friends at the Dakota
. October
10, Cosmic Troubadours (Young Artists Showcase) at the Artists Quarter
. October
11, John Penny and Pippi Ardennia at Senor Wong
. October
11-12, Bill Carrothers at the Artists Quarter
. October
12, Vicky Mountain and Maryann Sullivan
("Dearie and O'Day"), Jazz @St Barneys (St Barnabas Arts Center)
. October
13, Steve Kimmel, PipJazz Sundays at Landmark
Center
. October
15-16, Ginger Baker Jazz Confusion at the Dakota
. October
18-19, CD Release, Cory Wong at the Artists Quarter
. October
24, Pippi Ardennia CD Release at FACES
Mears Park
. October
25, Maud Hixson at Parma
8200
. October
26, Rhonda Laurie, Jazz @ St Barneys (St Barnabas Arts Center)
. November
1, Erik Friedlander and Mitch Epstein at the Walker Art Center
. November
3, Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education Fundraiser featuring Lynne Arriale Trio
at the Dakota
. November
6, Marcus Roberts Trio at the Dakota
. November
7, Patricia Barber at the Dakota
. November
9, Alan Toussaint at the Dakota
. November
10, PipJazz Youth All-Stars at Landmark
Center
. November
12-13, José James at the Dakota
. November
16, Laura Caviani, Jazz @ St Barneys (St Barnabas Arts Center)
. December 6, Reynold Philipsek CD release at 318
Café
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The Atlantis Quartet releases new CD next weekend at the Artists Quarter |