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| Terence Blanchard coming to the Dakota, February 24-25 |
© Andrea Canter
There's so
much music this weekend -- hopefully we will be able to dig out from the
winter's biggest storm and enjoy it! And even if you are snowbound for a couple
days, there's plenty more jazz in the metro through next week, with visits from
Terence Blanchard and Bobby Watson completing a two-week jazz binge at the
Dakota.
Big Gigs This Week
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| Donald Washington |
Friday, February 21. The Donald Washington Quartet returns to the Black Dog, with tenor/bari
veteran Washington heading a heady band with Eric Jacobson on sousaphone, Brian
Rosslear on bass and Davu Seru on drums. Sounds like there will be a lot of
very deep conversation! Over at Jazz
Central, the new Friday
"Bridge"
series (aka Bridging the Gap without the Artists Quarter) features a bunch of
young (and youngish) lions --Nelson Devereaux (tenor sax), Jake Baldwin
(trumpet), Zacc Harris (guitar), Brian Courage (bass) and Lars Larson (drums).
And for a more causal gig, check out Maryann
Sullivan in her debut at the Riverview Wine Bar, singing standards and more
with guitarist Dave Martin.
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| Steve Kenny |
Saturday, February 22. Steve Kenny kicks off a new band at the Black Dog -- a quartet
featuring Kenny on trumpet, Brandon Wozniak on sax, Billy Peterson on bass and
Babatunde Lea on drums. Kenny's gigs for the past five years or more have
largely been on the Artists Quarter stage, but he wasted no time finding new
venues with recent performances at Jazz Central, the Icehouse and Black Dog
with his Group 47 and the Illicit sextet. The new band promises to be another
winner, tackling Monk and more.
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| Maud Hixson and Arne Fogel |
Vocalists
have a big weekend, starting tonight as Connie
Evingson swings to the hot club vibe of Robb Henry, Matt Senjem and Dave
Karr on the Jazz @ St.Barney's concert series. Curated by Jeff Whitmill, this
series has been going strong for years at St. Barnabas Church in Plymouth with at least
monthly presentations of the Twin Cities' finest. In Bloomington
(Schneider Theater), the team of Arne
Fogel and Maud Hixson takes the stage in Arne's new production, The Envelope Please, a revue of Oscar
winners and also-rans that have brightened Hollywood
film soundtracks. Music direction from pianist Rick Carlson adds to the glow.
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| Pippi Ardennia |
Saturday-Sunday,
February 22-23.
Singers Charmin Michelle and Pippi
Ardennia each have a long resumé of performances and recordings, but never
together. The Capri Theater's production of Girl Talk will remedy that, and
then some, adding an all-gal band (Laura Caviani, Kathy Jensen, Joan Griffith,
Jendeen Forberg) to the show. Saturday
night and Sunday matinee.
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| Andrew Foreman, Off the Cuff |
Sunday, February 23. It's the first anniversary of the Off the Cuff series of improvised music
at the Aster Cafe. Curated by bassist Andrew
Foreman, this monthly series has brought diverse musicians together in the
very cool environment of the Aster. Celebrating tonight: Set A with Jon Davis
(reeds), Anthony Cox (bass and cello), Mike Lewis (bass and horns), and Alden
Ikeda (drums). Set B with Nelson Devereaux (saxes), Jake Baldwin (trumpet),
Miguel Hurtado (drums), Andrew Foreman (bass), Eric Mayson (keys) and Big Cats
(samples).
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| Terence Blanchard and Joshua Crumbly |
Monday-Tuesday,
February 24-25.
Much lauded trumpeter/composer Terence
Blanchard brings his stellar "Magnetic" quintet to the Dakota for
two nights. Blanchard alone is a powder keg but add in more ammunition -- heavy
hitter Brice Winston on sax, young Fabian Almazon on piano, Joshua Crumbly on
bass and recent Monk Competition runner-up, Justin Brown on drums. Even if you
haven't heard Blanchard's latest recordings (Magnetic placed on many critics' "best of 2013" lists),
you've probably heard his music on film soundtracks, including most everything
from Spike Lee.
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| Adam Meckler Orchestra |
Tuesday, February 25. The Adam Meckler Orchestra started out with a monthly gig at Jazz
Central, but soon their audience outgrew the studio space. Next Adam became the
first big band with a regular monthly gig at the Artists Quarter, where the
audience typically filled the club space. With the closing of the AQ, the AMO
needed a new home, and now will be playing almost monthly at The Amsterdam Bar, fourth
Tuesdays. Unlike most area big bands, this one is devoted to original music,
trying out and refining works by Adam Meckler as well as a handful of
innovative arrangements. The size of the Amsterdam Bar should guarantee ample
space for the AMO's growing fan base.
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| Bobby Watson |
Wednesday, February 26. One of the very first national
shows I saw at the old Dakota at Bandana
Square was Bobby
Watson's Horizon. A one-time Minneapolis resident and director of Art
Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Watson has revived Horizon with much of the original
crew--trumpeter Terell Stafford, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Essiet Essiet,
and drummer Victor Lewis. They headlined the Twin Cities Jazz Festival a few
years ago, returning now stronger than ever.
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| Stanley Clarke |
Thursday, February 27. Stanley
Clarke makes a rare local appearance, bringing back "School Days"
to The Cedar. Clarke performs the entire 1976 album along with other material,
accompanied by Ruslan Sirota (piano/keys), Michael Mitchell (drums), and Brady
Cohan (guitar).
Hopefully
vocal jazz night at Jazz Central will not get snowed-out! Tonight Tommy Bruce charms in the company of
pianist Rick Carlson. Over in St. Paul,
it's the monthly gig at the Black Dog with the Talking Strings, usually featuring Pavel Jany (guitar), Gary
Schulte (violin) and Dan Weston (bass).
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, February 21. Irv Williams and Peter Schimke,
happy hour at the Dakota; Todd Harper, solo piano at the Black Dog; Vic Volare
at Hell's Kitchen; JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske in the Lobby Bar (St Paul
Hotel); Arne Fogel with Rick Carlson and Gordy Johnson at Parma 8200; Good News
Big Band/Metropolitan Male Chorus with special guest Connie Evingson at the
Diamond Lake Lutheran Church; Patrick Harison and Keith Boyles, dinner sets at
the Icehouse; "Playing It Close to Home" (winners of the Eric Stokes
Songwriting Contest hosted by Zeitgeist) at Studio Z
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| Patty Peterson |
Saturday, February 22. Benny Weinbeck Trio at Parma 8200;
JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske in the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Tommy and the Liebermen at the Aster Cafe; Patty Peterson
and Friends "Celebrate Life" concert (music only or dinner show) at
the Icehouse; "Playing It Close to Home" (winners of the Eric Stokes
Songwriting Contest hosted by Zeitgeist) at Studio Z; Jon Pemberton Trio at
Loring Pasta Bar
Sunday, February 23. Robert Everest, brunch at Maria's
Cafe; Medicinal Jazz Band at the Black Dog (4 pm); Zacc Harris Trio at the
Riverview Wine Bar; Robert Robinson fundraiser at the Dakota
Monday, February 24. Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg
at Fireside Pizza; Pete Hennig at Jazz Central; Embezzler (JT's Jazz Implosion)
at the Icehouse
Tuesday, February 25. Nova Jazz Orchestra at Jazz
Central; Rick Carlson at Cafe Maude; Zacc Harris and Friends at the Black Dog
Wednesday, February
26. Charmin
Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Graydon Peterson at Jazz Central;
Minnesota
Youth Jazz Band I at Famous Dave's (Uptown)
Thursday, February 27. Debbie Duncan at Hell's Kitchen;
Connie and Herb at The Bean (Andover); JoAnn
Funk Trio at the Dakota; Swingbeat Big Band at Wabasha Street
Caves; new Thursday Late Night series at Jazz Central (9:30) with Carlo Gesualdo Group
Coming Soon!
. February
28, Jack Brass Band Mardi Gras at Schneider Theater, Bloomington Center
for Arts
. March 2,
Dave King Trucking Company at Antonello Hall, MacPhail Center for Music
. March
3-4, Manhattan
Transfer at the Dakota
. March 4,
Jack Brass Band at Amsterdam Bar
. March 6,
Dave King at the Walker
Art Center
. March 8,
Jazz at Studio Z (TBA)
. 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
. March 29,
Rick Carlson and Steve Pikal, Jazz @St Barney's (St Barnabas Church, Plymouth)
. April 3,
Dean Granros and Joel Shapira at the Black Dog
. April 5,
Dakota Combo with PipJazz, Capri Theater
. April
5-6, Charmin and Shapira and Friends, Black Box Theater (Bloomington)
. April 8,
Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau at the Walker
. April 9,
Brad Mehldau Trio at the Walker
. April
9-10, Matt Slocum Trio CD release with Phil Hey Quartet, Bryan Nichols and more
at Weyerhaeuser Auditorium of Landmark
Center
. April 10,
Delfeayo Marsalis at the Dakota
. April 15,
Poncho Sanchez at the Dakota
. April 19,
Jazz at Studio Z (TBA)
. April 21,
José James at The Cedar
. April 26,
Miguel Zenon with the JazzMN Orchestra, Hopkins High School
. April 27,
Jazz Noir with John Penny, live broadcast on KBEM from the Dakota
. April 27,
Earth Day Concert, Dave Milne Octet at Lake Harriet
Spiritual Community
. April 28,
Joe Lovano Us Five at the Dakota
. May 3, PipJazz
"Women in Jazz" workshop and concert at Maplewood Community Center
. May 10,
Jazz at Studio Z (TBA)
. May 15,
Jazz Thursdays with the Dakota Combo at MacPhail Center
for Music
. May
15-17, Ragamala Dance Company and Rudresh Mahanthappa at the Walker
. May
19-20, Cassandra Wilson
at the Dakota
. May 29,
Bill Charlap Trio at the Dakota
. June
26-28, Twin Cities Jazz Festival (Dianne Reeves, Branford Marsalis and more), Mears Park (St Paul)
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| Manhattan Transfer returns to the Dakota, March 3-4 |
