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| Pleased and Flipped - Artists Quarter Final Jam, December 27-28 |
© Andrea Canter
Year-end
celebrations dominate jazz this week, but one is certainly bittersweet as the
Artists Quarter closes out its St.
Paul run, at least for now. But the AQ will exit on a
chorus of high notes, with a weekend "Jam" of surprise guests and a
sold-out New Year's Eve finale. Add in a four-night residency with the Bad Plus
at the Dakota, some former Minnesotans in solo sets at Jazz Central, and a list
of jazzy New Year's Eve gigs and 2013 will go out like a lion.
Big Gigs This Week
Friday, December 27. Last Happy Hour of the year with Irv Williams typically joined by pianist
Peter Schimke and sometimes another artist; tonight young saxophonist Joshua
Jones makes it a multi-generational gig. Stay for an hour and then come down
the block to Hell's Kitchen another no-cover gig, tonight with sassy songbird Nichola Miller. In Bloomington,
the vocal night at Parma
8200 presents favorite crooner Arne Fogel.
Enjoy with a hot toddy or a flatbread and wine. The Parma lounge and bar provides a relaxing
atmosphere, and always a top voice with backing duo or trio.
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| The Bad Plus |
Friday-Sunday,
December 27-29.
After their Thursday night start, The Bad
Plus fill out their schedule at the Dakota, playing two sets each night.
Thursday- Saturday is the usual holiday homecoming series of gigs, playing
unique arrangements of popular (and sometimes classical) fare and original
compositions; Sunday is a special reprise of their 2011 performance of
Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. Still
honoring Stravinsky's original and controversial score, The Bad Plus also gives
it a makeover that would make Igor blush.
Adjacent to
the Artists Quarter, Park Square Theatre's Words
By...Ira Gershwin and the Great American Songwriters puts T. Mychal Rambo,
Jennifer Grimm and Ari Hoptman to work on over 2 dozen tunes with Ira's lyrics,
backed by the outstanding rhythm team of Chris Olson, Chris Bates, Jay Epstein
and music director Joseph Vass. Last chance to see it this weekend... and on
Friday and Saturday, the show is over in plenty of time for the latter part of
the AQ Jam.
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| Kenny Horst |
Friday-Saturday,
December 27-28.
The long-awaited long goodbye at the Artists
Quarter starts with two nights of gala jamming. Phil Aaron (Friday) and
Bryan Nichols (Saturday) lead the rhythm section (which surely includes drummer
Kenny Horst) along with a parade of AQ favorites. May the music never end.
Saturday, December 28. Yet another homecoming featuring
Twin Cities natives who are now based in New
York. At Jazz Central, this rare Saturday night gig
offers exciting solo piano back-to-back. Classically trained, Mary Prescott undertook a year-long
improvisation project in 2012, recording an improvised work each day. She's
debuting some these pieces in public tonight. Following Mary is a solo jazz
recital by UW-EC grad Jesse Stacken,
who has impressed critics and fellow musicians over his decade in the Big
Apple, leading his own trio and now recording and touring with saxophonist Tony
Malaby among others.
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| Andrew Foreman |
Sunday, December 29. Andrew Foreman's final Off the Cuff for 2013 offers a
bass-heavy double header at the Aster Cafe. Start the evening with double
bass/double drum (double sibling?) set with Chris Bates and Casey O'Brien on
bass matching wits with JT Bates and Graham O'Brien on drums. Second set
features two drums again -- Zach Schmidt and Alex Young, joining Foreman on
bass, Trent Jacob on guitar and Dan Musselman on keyboards. The focus as always
is on improvisation, in the moment, off the cuff.
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| Anthony Cox |
Monday, December 30. Countdown to New Year's with JT's
Jazz Implosion, filling the Icehouse tonight with The Mother of Masks (Anthony Cox, Davu Seru, Mankwe Ndosi and more) for
the first set, followed by Chris Bates' Red
5 (Chris and JT Bates, Chris Thomson, Brandon Wozniak and Zack Lozier) for
the late set. So we're talking 8+ of the most creative artists in town, one
stage, one cover.
Over at Jazz Central, they're hosting a New
Year's Eve Eve Musicians' Hang, with a jam featuring many of Jazz Central's
performers and anyone who wants to join in.
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| Al Iverson will be back for the AQ NY Eve Party |
Tuesday, December 31,
New Year's Eve!
Every tradition has its end game. Tonight, Carole
Martin and Friends take the stage at the Artists Quarter for the final downbeat.
The party is sold out, although perhaps if you come by in the wee hours you
will be able to pay your respects to Kenny and Dawn Horst, Davis, Carole, and
the AQ crew who have served our jazz community so well, and for so little, for
so long. You can be sure the joint will be rockin' til last call. And maybe for
a while after that. For a list of jazzy New Year's Eve gigs, see below.
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| Denny and Charmin at Fireside Pizza |
Wednesday, January 1. A special night at Fireside Pizza
-- welcome the New Year or take a break from the umpteenth bowl game with Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg.
They guarantee a swinging start to 2014 and some of the area's best flat crust.
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, December 27. Todd Harper, solo piano at the Black
Dog (5 pm); JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel)
Saturday, December 28. Benny Weinbeck Trio at Parma 8200; Lee Engele with Uptown Maxx at Sawatdee (Eden Prairie); Ticket to
Brasil at Loring Pasta Bar; James Wallace at the Red Stag
Sunday, December 29. Zacc Harris Trio at Riverview Wine
Bar; Doug Little Quartet at Eat Street Social Club; Charmin Michelle and Jerry
O'Hagan Orchestra at Cinema Ballroom; New Standards at the Dakota
Monday, December 30. Bookhouse Trio at Barbette
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| Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske |
Tuesday, December 31,
New Year's Eve Gigs: Maud Hixson at Parma 8200; JoAnn Funk Trio at the Lobby Bar (St Paul
Hotel); Tim Patrick and his Blue Eyed
Band at the Shakopee Ballroom; Charmin Michelle and Vic Volare at the Crooked
Pint; Davina and the Vagabonds at the Dakota; Open Season, early NY Eve at thje
Black Dog (Todd Harper, Nathan
Hanson, Brian Roessler, Pete Hennig); Cafe Accordion at Loring Pasta
Bar
Wednesday,
January 1. Debbie Duncan at Hell's Kitchen
Thursday,
January 2. Moonlight Serenaders at Wabasha Street
Caves; vocal night at
Jazz Central
Coming Soon!
. January
3-4, Nachito Herrera With Strings at the Dakota
. January
5, Larry Coryell Trio at the Dakota
. January
6-7, Roberta Gambarini at the Dakota
. January
7, Dean Magraw and Davu Seru at the Black Dog
. January
10, Arne Fogel at Parma
8200
. January
11, Lee Engele, Jazz @ St. Barneys
. January
11, Adam Meckler Orchestra, Jazz at Studio Z
. January
13, David Grisman Folk Jazz Trio at the Dakota
. January
14, Chris Olson Project at the Black Dog
. January
16, Michelle Weir and Phil Mattson at Jazz Central
. January
17, Maud Hixson at Parma
8200
. January
20, Fantastic Merlins at the Black Dog
. January
24, Katie Gearty at Parma
8200
. January
31, Thomas Bruce at Parma
8200
. February
13, Kurt Elling at the Dakota
.
February15, Koplant No at the Icehouse
. February
19-20, "Guitars of Passion" (Romero Lubambo, Stanley Jordan and
Sharon Isbin) at the Dakota
. February
22, Connie Evingson, Jazz @ St. Barneys
. February
25-26, Terence Blanchard Quintet at the Dakota
. March 9,
Cecile McLorin Salvant at the Dakota
. March 16,
JazzMN Orchestra with New York Voices (matinee) at Hopkins High School
Auditorium
. March 16,
Pat Metheny Unity Group at the Fitzgerald Theater
. April 8,
Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau at the Walker
. April 9,
Brad Mehldau Trio at the Walker
. April 10,
Delfeayo Marsalis at the Dakota
. May
15-17, Ragamala Dance Company and Rudresh Mahanthappa at the Walker
. June
26-28, Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Mears
Park (St Paul)
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| Larry Coryell -- Back at the Dakota on January 5 |
