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| The Atlantis Quartet celebrates "Expansion" at the Artists Quarter this weekend |
© Andrea Canter
Fall is not
only in the air, it's in the trees, on the street, along the river and up at
the lake. Along with our newly arrived cloak of autumn color and cooler nights,
we have a colorful variety of jazz artists in our midst, from talented locals
to starbright visitors. It's hard to top a week that brought in Dave Holland,
Billy Cobham and Gary Burton, but there really is no let down when you consider
the artists coming our way this week-- from a rare appearance by pianist Kenny
Drew, Jr. with the ever-enticing JazzMN Orchestra to a CD release from jazz
hipsters Atlantis Quartet to a solo improv night with Chris Bates.
Big Gigs This Week
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| Linda Peterson |
Friday, October 4.
In town more and more these days, vocalist/pianist Linda Peterson takes over the lounge at Parma 8200.
This cozy venue has been pulling in the area's best vocalists on Friday
nights, and with cooler weather, the bar/lounge is likely to be more jammed so
make a reservation to ensure good sightlines and a more intimate experience. A
popular performer in the LA area, Linda is now building a Twin Cities audience
as she appears at more and more area venues, often in the company of one or
more of her jazzy siblings.
In the
heart of the metro, Ginger Commodore
continues her Friday night series of duos at the Dakota with R&B crooner Ray Covington. Ginger is equally adept
at singing jazz standards, blues, soul and gospel, making her a perfect partner
for Covington.
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| Tanner Taylor |
And if you
are in the mood for instrumental finery, the cross generational duo of Tanner Taylor and Dave Karr will carry
you into the weekend at the Icehouse. There's a century of experience between
the two, and you can figure out for yourself how that's distributed.
Friday-Saturday, October
4-5. For their
4th CD, the Atlantis Quartet went
into the studio with 9 original tunes, only 2 of which have appeared on an
earlier album. Expansion is the
subject of this weekend's CD Release Party at the Artists Quarter, and offers a
wide range of moods and rhythms, from electro-fusion madness to 21st century
balladry. Zacc Harris, Brandon Wozniak, Chris Bates and Pete Hennig,
individually, are at the top of the improvising musician tower, and
collectively, they're fully loaded for one heckuva musical shootout.
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| Doug Snapp and JazzMN |
Saturday, October 5. JazzMN
Orchestra launches its 15th season at the Hopkins High School Auditorium
with a special guest rarely heard live around here-- pianist Kenny Drew, Jr. Splitting his chops
among jazz and classical repertoire, the bluesy swinger will join the band in
tracing the history of jazz piano from Bill Evans to Herbie Hancock and beyond.
Added attraction--vocalist Connie
Evingson will be the guest vocalist, a role she has filled numerous times
with JazzMN including at last summer's Twin Cities Jazz Festival and last
month's JazzMN benefit at the Dakota.
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| Brandon Wozniak |
Tuesday, October 8. Brazilian singer/songwriter Vinicius Cantuaria returns to the Dakota
with music that is hard to classify but lovely to hear. And across town, it's
easier to classify saxophonist Brandon
Wozniak as a modern jazz explorer as he bring a group of
"friends" into the Artists Quarter for some collaborative mayhem.
Everyone's favorite sideman, Brandon
should be breaking out as bandleader any minute now.
Wednesday, October 9. Ever since he initiated his monthly
improv series at Jazz Central, Chris
Bates has enjoyed a wide variety of play dates. But tonight he goes solo,
and if you have never heard Bates in a solo performance, don't miss this
opportunity. (And if you have heard him, you undoubtedly have marked your
calendar already.) How many sounds and how many moods can come from a solo
bass? Infinite.
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| Charmin and Shapira |
Want to put
a little swing in your step? And without paying a cover? It's Foodie Night at
the Dakota, and Charmin Michelle and Joel
Shapira --and Friends-- are tonight's show, traveling from swing to bossa
and whatever they grab in-between.
Thursday, October 10.
It's the next installment of the Jazz Police-sponsored Young Artists
Showcase at the Artists Quarter, starting at 7, no cover, and tonight featuring
one of the most active high school combos in the metro-- the Cosmic Troubadours from Minneapolis Southwest High School.
This sextet has performed on KBEM as well as in various setting around town,
and of course on their high school stage. Stick around and for a mere $5 you
can enjoy a new trio featuring Pete
Hennig, Park Evans and Brian Courage.
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| Cosmic Troubadours |
On campus,
it's the annual Fall Concert for Jazz I
at the University
of Minnesota, and tonight
it's a celebration of "Home Grown" composers, area and student
compositions. This is also the first of this season's Jazz From J to Z concerts
sponsored by the Twin Cities Jazz Society. Free admission at Ted Mann
Auditorium on the West Bank.
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| Laura Caviani |
The
Schubert Club is launching a new music series, Cocktails With Culture, a happy
hour type event, free with a cash bar in the Landmark
Center second floor Art Gallery.
First performers will be Laura Caviani
and Pete Whitman, who note that "We will be
celebrating the renovation of a Wurlitzer piano owned by the Schubert Club that
was built in 1935 by playing works
composed
around that time."
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, October 4. Irv Williams and Peter Schimke,
Happy Hour at the Dakota; Todd Harper, early evening at the Black Dog; Capri
Big Band at Golden's Deli (St Paul); Patty Peterson and Friends at Bunkers
Saturday, October 5. Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the
Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at Parma 8200; Dave Martin at
the Icehouse; Nachito Herrera at the Dakota
Sunday, October 6. Zacc Harris Trio at Merlins Rest Pub (4 pm); Sounds of Blackness at the Dakota;
Robb Henry Trio at Loring Pasta Bar; Dr. Mambo's Combo at Bunker's
Monday, October 7. Charmin Michelle and Denny
Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; JT's Jazz Implosion at the Icehouse; Featured
Artist and Jam Night at Jazz Central
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| Chris Olson |
Tuesday, October 8. Chris Olson Project at the Black
Dog; Cory Wong Quartet, early set at the Artists Quarter; Cedar Avenue Big Band
at Jazz Central; Joel Shapira at Hell's Kitchen
Wednesday, October 9. Steve Kenny's Group 47 Jam followed
by Miguel Hurtado and Friends at the Artists Quarter
Thursday, October 10. Debbie Duncan at Hell's Kitchen;
Connie and Herb at The Bean (Andover)
Coming Soon!
. October
11, John Penny and Pippi Ardennia at Senor Wong
. October
11-12, Bill Carrothers Trio at the Artists Quarter
. October
12, Vicky Mountain and Maryann Sullivan
("Dearie and O'Day"), Jazz @St Barneys (St Barnabas Arts Center)
. October
12, Atlantis Quartet, Jazz at Studio Z
. October
13, Steve Kimmel, PipJazz Sundays at Landmark
Center
. October
14, Red 5 at the Icehouse (Jazz Implosion)
. October
15, Haining/Agster Jazz Explosion at Jazz Central
. October
15, Dean Magraw and Friends at the Artists Quarter
. October
15-16, Ginger Baker Jazz Confusion at the Dakota
. October
16, Bryan Nichols and Company at the Artists Quarter
. October
17, Dave Karr Quartet at the Artists Quarter
. October
18-19, CD Release, Foreign Motion (Cory Wong) at the Artists Quarter
. October
22, Framework at the Artists Quarter
. October
22-23, Jack Jones at the Dakota
. October
23, Graydon Peterson Quartet at the Artists Quarter
. October
24, Pippi Ardennia CD Release at FACES
Mears Park
. October
24, Chris Lomheim Trio at the Artists Quarter
. October
25, Maud Hixson at Parma
8200
. October
25-26, Eric Kamau Gravatt and Source Code at the Artists Quarter
. October
26, Rhonda Laurie, Jazz @ St Barneys (St Barnabas Arts Center)
. October
29, Adam Meckler Orchestra at the Artists Quarter
. October
30, Mountain King at the Artists Quarter
. October
31, Pete Whitman X-Tet at the Artists Quarter
. 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
7-10, Zeitgeist New Music Cabaret
. November
9, Alan Toussaint at the Dakota
. November
9, JazzMN Orchestra with Rey Rivera, Tribute to Tito Puente at Hopkins High School Auditorium
. November
10, PipJazz Youth All-Stars at Landmark
Center
. November
16, Laura Caviani, Jazz @ St Barneys (St Barnabas Arts Center)
. December 6, Reynold Philipsek CD release at 318
Café
. December
8, Bill Frisell's Big Sur Quartet at The Cedar
. December
21, Maud Hixson and the Wolverines Trio, "Let It Snow" at Bloomington Center for the Arts, Schneider Theater
. December
26-29, The Bad Plus at the Dakota (12/29 Rite of Spring)
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| Bill Carrothers returns to the Artists Quarter October 11-12 |
