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Brian Courage (2013) |
© Andrea Canter
The Artists
Quarter has long been a launching pad for new artists and new ensembles, often
the venue where we remember first hearing an artist who became a favorite
locally or beyond. The Bad Plus first came together at the Artists Quarter. Bryan
Nichols, Zacc Harris, Brandon Wozniak, Chris and JT Bates, Adam Linz, The Phil
Hey Quartet, Red Planet -- all grew their reputations through gigs at the
Artists Quarter.
Bassist Brian
Courage is on that list. He's only a couple years out of college,
coming to the Twin Cities after graduation from Lawrence Conservatory. He was
hardly unpacked when he made his first visit to the AQ as a listener, and
within a few weeks was on stage with Laura Caviani. And within a few months,
Brian was an AQ regular -- on stage and in the audience. Any band needing a
bassist? Call Brian Courage. He seemed to be as at-home with a straight-ahead
trio as a big band, backing a vocalist or improvising more freely with one of
the area's more outside ensembles. And if he wasn't playing, he was
listening. It didn't matter what club or
theater I visited, nine times out of ten, there was Brian.
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Mountain King, debut at the AQ (2013) |
Brian still
covers much of the Twin Cities jazz scene, but most often I see him at the
Artists Quarter. He co-leads a band of young upstarts dubbed Courageous
Endeavors; and recently he joined forces with two somewhat older bassists--
Graydon Peterson and Jeremy Boettcher-- to form the trio Mountain
King. Mountain King-- another band that launched at the Artists Quarter. Hard
to imagine 30 people listening intently to a bass solo, let alone a three-bass
trio! And perhaps more significant to
Brian's career, he got the call to back New York pianist David Hazeltine at the AQ this past spring, and the great Lew Tabackin when the
saxophonist paid his last visit to the AQ in November.
I know that
we will still hear Brian Courage playing with a long list of ensembles and
visiting musicians after the AQ closes -- he's made the connections with venues
and fellow artists. And he's heard them all from the other side of the
bandstand.
I know that
20 years from now, we'll all recall, "Brian Courage -- yeah, I used to hear
him at the Artists Quarter. He played with everybody!"
Note: This is the second #19 in this series. Brian Courage, who apparently reads everything as well as attending everything, pointed out to me that I had posted two different entries re Eric Alexander a few days apart. I need Brian's nimble brain!