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Delfeayo Marsalis, at the Dakota on April 10 |
© Andrea Canter
I am
writing under a Winter storm warning. They are not even calling it a Spring
storm warning. Driving might be dicey to start out the weekend, but don't be
deterred from your focus on great jazz -- there is plenty this weekend, worth a
slow drive, and by Sunday it should be back to normal, right? Good thing as
great music jams up the calendar midweek and beyond with two-night
extravaganzas with Brad Mehldau overlapping some creative programming with
visiting native son Matt Slocum, who overlaps trombone favorite Delfeayo
Marsalis at the Dakota. Earlier we have a couple nights focused on young
talents, the opening of a new PipJazz Season, back-to-back "bop and
bossa" with Charmin & Shapira, and a public workshop and gig with a
Latin percussion expert. That's just the headlines.
Big Gigs This Week
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Patrick Adkins |
Friday, April 4. Challenging driving will be rewarded! At Jazz
Central, it's the Jazz Police Youth Showcase night with a quartet headed by
accomplished pianist Patrick Adkins, soon to graduate from Edina High School
and head east. Dubbed Sound Skirmish,
his quartet also includes vibes master Levi Schwartzberg, bassist Drew Stinson
(both from Southwest) and drummer Ben Ehrlich (Wayzata).
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Steve Kenny |
Across the river, and also boasting some young
talents, Steve Kenny's Group 47 takes
the stage at the Black Dog, previewing music from their forthcoming Straight to
Vinyl LP release. Steve is a virtuosic trumpeter -- or rather, flumpeter,
playing a hybrid trumpet/flugelhorn, while leading a band of significantly
younger lions, with 17 year old Will Kjeer on keys, barely older Thomas
Strommen (sax) and Alex Burgess (drums), and a still youngish Adam Tucker on
bass. If there is any ice left on the streets, Group 47 will melt it quickly.
And if you are in reach of Parma 8200 in Bloomington, a night with
beloved crooner Arne Fogel, pasta and
cannoli might be what the weatherman ordered.
Friday-Saturday, April 4-5. It's the annual Eau Claire Jazz Festival, and probably not the first one to have snow in the forecast. But it will be hot at Memorial High School Auditorium with Byron Stripling and Wycliffe Gordon as headliners, along with a lot of clinics, student ensembles and more.
Friday-Saturday, April 4-5. It's the annual Eau Claire Jazz Festival, and probably not the first one to have snow in the forecast. But it will be hot at Memorial High School Auditorium with Byron Stripling and Wycliffe Gordon as headliners, along with a lot of clinics, student ensembles and more.
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The Dakota Combo |
Saturday, April 5. Continuing the Young Lions theme
of the weekend, singer Pippi Ardennia
opens her fourth season with the renamed PipJazz Live concert series featuring
the Dakota Combo at the Capri
Theater. This septet of high school jazzers is always dazzling, from their
arrangements of such heavy modernists as Ornette Coleman and Charles Mingus to
their own inventive compositions. Pippi again assembles a terrific house band
(tonight with Peter Schimke, Jay Young and Glenn Swanson) and some additional
young "artists in residence" -- pianists Will Kjeer and Jordan
Anderson, vocalist Maggie Kjeer, saxophonist Ebony Rainwater, and house
arranger and songwriter Jo Schad. Note new time (7 pm) as well as the new night
and new venues (alternating with the Maplewood
Community Center's
theater).
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Lila Ammons |
Another vocalist known most for her boogie woogie chops
initiates a new project as Lila Ammons
"Presents Voices of Influence, Bessie Smith to Sarah Vaughan" with
pianist Ted Godbout and special guest, boogie woogie partner, Austrian pianist
Axel Zwingenberger, in the intimate space of Honey.
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Charmin & Shapira |
Saturday-Sunday, April
5-6. Vocalist Charmin
Michelle and guitarist Joel Shapira
have been pleasing wide-ranging audiences for about a decade, recently adding
"Friends" as a quintet covering "Bop and Bossa." They bring
this repertoire to an intimate concert setting at the Black Box Theater of the Bloomington Center for the Arts with back-to-back
shows Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Charmin and Shapira add Paul Harper
on sax, Tom Lewis on bass and Nathan Norman on drums for two high-energy shows.
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Tyler Anderson |
Monday, April 7. Jazz Central Studios present a special
opportunity tonight with a 7 pm workshop featuring Puerto Rican percussionist Efrain Toro, whose resumé includes Stan Getz, George Benson, Placido
Domingo, Los Lobos, and Kiss! Toro's master class (open to the public)
"focuses on rhythm in ways that are uniquely scientific and soulful with
information that is truly enlightening for all musicians." After the
workshop, Toro will perform a set. But stick around, this is a double-header.
At 9:30 pm, the stage is turned over to another young lion, saxophonist Tyler Anderson, soon to go on the road
with Delfeayo Marsalis. (Note the Toro workshop fee is $15 and limited to the
first 50 or so who can fit into the room!)
Tuesday, April 8. The monthly edition of A Chris Olson Project at the Black Dog
finds the ace guitarist/educator presenting ensembles from McNally Smith
College of Music. Meanwhile, big band fans will enjoy the monthly gig at Jazz
Central with the long-running, star-studded Cedar Avenue Big Band.
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Brad Mehldau |
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Matt Slocum |
Thursday, April 10. A Twin Cities favorite returns: Trombonist, record producer and NEA Jazz Master Delfeayo Marsalis is back at the Dakota with his quintet. And joining him tonight and on his Midwest tour will be area native saxophonist Tyler Anderson, hot off a year of studies with Delfeayo's older brother Branford.
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Jana Nyberg |
Need more brass in your life? How about a shot of New Orleans? Jack Brass Band fills the bill tonight at the Amsterdam Bar. Stick around for the late set with the McNasty Band from McNally Smith.
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, April 4. Irv Williams and Peter Schimke, happy hour at
the Dakota; JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske in the Lobby Bar (Saint Paul Hotel); Bryan
Nichols and James Buckley, dinner sets at the Icehouse; St Mary's University
Jazz Ensemble, Page Theater (SMU, Winona); Daniel Zamzow/Andrew Foreman Trio at
Sweet 317 (St Paul); Tim Patrick and His
Blue-eyed Band at the Eagles' Club
Saturday, April 5. Benny Weinbeck Trio at Parma 8200;
JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske in the Lobby Bar (Saint Paul Hotel); Patty Peterson
and Friends (with Jason DeLaire) at School II; Pigs' Eye Jass Band at the
Eagles' Club; David Martin, dinner sets at the Icehouse; Maurice Jacox with
Bobby E and Tom Wells at Harriet Brewing
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Patty Peterson |
Sunday, April 6. Robert Everest, brunch at Maria's;
Zacc Harris Trio at Riverview Wine Bar; Doug Little Quartet at Eat Street
Social
Monday, April 7. Charmin Michelle and Denny
Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Southside Aces at Famous Dave's (Uptown); JT's Jazz
Implosion (Dave Karr, Adam Linz, JT Bates) at the Icehouse; The Neighborhood
Trio at Barbette
Tuesday, April 8. Cafe Accordion at Loring Pasta
Bar; Nova Jazz Orchestra at Minnesota
Music Café
Wednesday, April 9. Charmin Michelle and Denny
Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Fall of the House of Usher at Jazz Central
Thursday, April 10. Alicia Renee and Chris Lomheim at
Christo's (Union Depot); Jazz It Up with
Steve Cole, Joan Griffith at James B. Woulfe Alumni Hall (University of St
Thomas, St Paul); Connie and Herb at The Bean (Andover); Minnesota Jazz
Orchestra at Wabasha Street Caves; Roseville Big Band at Central Park
Amphitheater (Woodbury)
Coming Soon!
. April 11,
Catherine Russell at the Fairmont Opera House (Fairmont, MN)
. April 11,
Jeremy Walker, CD Release (7 Psalms)
at Bethel College
. April 12,
Doc Severinsen and the Minnesota
Orchestra at Orchestra Hall
. April 13,
Connie Evingson and Jon Weber, Jazz at the Jungle (Theater)
. April 14,
Good Vibes Trio, CD Release at the Icehouse
. April 15,
Poncho Sanchez at the Dakota
. April 16,
New Composer Ruckus Night at Studio Z
. April 17,
Christopher McBride Quintet, fundraiser at Eden Prairie High School
. April 17,
Lucia Newell and Phil Aaron at Jazz Central
. April 18,
Ramsey Lewis and John Pizzarelli at Orchestra Hall
. April 18,
Ginger Commodore and Dennis Spears at the Dakota
. April 19,
Bobby McFerrin at Orchestra Hall
. April 19,
Cory Healy 4-Tet, Jazz at Studio Z
. April 21,
José James at The Cedar
. April
21-22, Steve Tyrell at the Dakota
. April 24,
Charmin & Shapira at Jazz Central
. April 25,
Tommy Bruce at Parma
8200
. 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's One World Consort 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 7,
Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge at the Dakota
. May 8,
Jazz Thursdays with the Dakota Combo at Antonello Hall (MacPhail Center
for Music)
. May 9,
Jazz Police Youth Showcase featuring Will Kjeer's Blue Haven at Jazz Central
. May 10, Yohannes
Tona with Geoff LeCrone and Demetrius Mabry, Jazz at Studio Z
. May 13,
Jane Monheit at the Dakota
. May
15-17, Ragamala Dance Company and Rudresh Mahanthappa at the Walker
. May
19-20, Cassandra Wilson
at the Dakota
. May 20,
Adam Meckler Orchestra at Amsterdam Bar
. May
26-27, Victor Wooten at the Dakota
. May 29,
Bill Charlap Trio at the Dakota
. June 14, Jazz at Studio Z Next Gen Showcase (3 bands) featuring LP release for Steve Kenny's Group 47
. June 14, Jazz at Studio Z Next Gen Showcase (3 bands) featuring LP release for Steve Kenny's Group 47
. June
16-17, Maceo Parker at the Dakota
. June 18,
Ginger Baker Jazz Confusion at the Dakota
. June
26-28, Twin Cities Jazz Festival (Branford Marsalis 6/27; Dianne Reeves 6/28;
and more), Mears Park
(St Paul)
. July 3-5,
Iowa City Jazz Festival (Tom Harrell, Joe Lovano Us Five, Anat Cohen Quartet,
Ingrid Jensen Nordic with Geoffrey Keezer, Jared Gold, Pedrito Martinez)
. July 7-8,
Bill Frisell Quartet (Greg Leisz, Tony Scherr and Kenny Wollesen) at the Dakota
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Chris Bates' Good Vibes Trio, CD Release at the Icehouse on April 14th! |