© Andrea Canter
It's been
Jazz Appreciation Month and on April 30th, it's the third annual International
Jazz Day sponsored by UNESCO, and featuring hundreds of registered Jazz Day
events throughout the world. Minnesota was the last of the 50 states to
register this year -- but now at least two local venues have joined the
international listing -- note April 30th gigs at Jazz Central (Kevin Gastonguay
Quartet) and the Black Dog (Foreman/Feily/Schmidt/Musselman), ensuring both
cities are on the map and, in both cases, boasting some of our most inventive
young artists. And of course, there is more jazz this week (including visits
from Miguel Zenon and Joe Lovano; the return of the Atlantis Quartet, Jazz Noir
and Soul Cafe; an Earth Day Celebration with Dave Milne's One World Consort)
and on April 30th. Let's make every day Jazz Day!
Big Gigs This Week
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| Atlantis Quartet |
Friday, April 25. Busy individually and as a band,
the Atlantis Quartet returns to
action at Jazz Central on the Bridge Series. As a frequent attraction at the
Artists Quarter, it's been a bit harder to catch this band of composers and
explorers lately, but fortunately their music transcends venue. BTW, the guys
will headline the Mears Park Main Stage opening night of the upcoming Twin
Cities Jazz Festival!
 |
| Tommy Bruce |
At Parma
8200, Thomas Bruce returns to soften
your week-end stress levels with sophisticated vocals to accompany your pasta
or dolce indulgences.
 |
| Miguel Zenon |
Saturday, April 26. At the Hopkins High School
Auditorium, JazzMN Orchestra closes
out a season of dazzling concerts with one more, this time featuring one of the
hottest alto saxophonists of the new millenium, Miguel Zenón. He's been to town with the SF Jazz
Collective, of which he is a founding member, and he's appeared with his Esta
Plena ensemble; this will be his first local gig with a big band. Expect to
hear some injections of the folk traditions of his native Puerto
Rico. And earlier in the day, come over to the MacPhail Center
for Music (1-2 pm) for a free public clinic headed by Zenón.
 |
| Mike Lewis |
Sunday, April 27. Perhaps this should be Minnesota
Jazz Day! Start your day with brunch at the Icehouse and a new trio -- Mike Lewis (on bass, not sax!), Jeremy Ylvisaker on guitar, and Adrian Suarez on drums. Mike and Jeremy play together in Alpha
Consumer; Adrian
gets around but most often with Graydon Peterson and Vinnie Rose. Mike is not
new to the bass but his long tenure with Happy Apple and Fat Kid Wednesdays has
kept his saxophone in the spotlight.
Your
choices later in the day might give you serious conflict: At the Dakota, KBEM
radio brings the second installment of Jazz Noir, a live radio broadcast in the
style of old-time radio. The Black Hand
Side That Feeds You --a story about social upheaval and the rise of jazz on
Minneapolis' North Side of the late 60s--
was written by Christina Ham and scored by John Penny, and features actors,
vocalists and instrumentalists in two performances, the later show broadcast
live.
 |
| David Milne |
It's also a
night of jazz and poetry with Soul Café
at the Hennepin Avenue United
Methodist Church,
with a theme of "The Wisdom of Uncertainty." Soul Cafe's latest
configuration includes Steve Blons (guitar), Dave Graf (trombone), Brad Holden
(alto sax) and Darryl Boudreaux (percussion). Three unusual ensembles and
contexts...all on Sunday evening.
 |
| Joe Lovano |
Monday, April 28.
It's hard to come up with new accolades for Joe Lovano's Us Five, which returns to the Dakota for just one
night. Lovano has always surrounded himself with great artists and composers,
from his days with Woody Herman to more recent collaborations with Paul Motian,
Bill Frisell, Hank Jones, and now a quartet with Jack DeJohnette and Esperanza
Spalding. But perhaps Us Five has been the capstone of his career thus far, a
two-drumset ensemble that has released three acclaimed recordings in the band
debuted in 2009. Spalding remains as bassist in the recording studio and
occasionally on tour, but typically bass duties belong to Peter Slavov, who has
proven himself more than worthy of the position, along with pianist James
Weidman (Matt Wilson), drummer Otis Brown III (Lovano Nonet), and drummer
Francisco Mela (Kenny Barron, Melissa Aldana, McCoy Tyner, and his Cuban
Safari). Lovano never rests on his laurels, which explains his taking top tenor
sax honors in the most recent Jazz Times,
Downbeat and Jazz Journalists Association polls, as well as a first win in
JJA's Multi Reeds category. Expect him to turn up with a taragato, G-Mezzo
saxophone and Aulochrome in his box of horns.
 |
| Arne Fogel |
Tuesday, April 29. There's a fifth Tuesday this
month, meaning Jazz Central can squeeze in another big band. Making their JC
debut will be the Acme Jazz Company,
directed by Doug Rasmussen, and it's
also a celebration of their first CD. On hand will be vocal titan Arne Fogel,
guitarist Joan Griffith, alto saxman Miles Mortenson, tenor saxman Bob Parsons,
trumpeter Pete Davis, and guest Bruce Thornton on tenor and clarinet, along
with the rest of the Company of topnotch big band artists. Acme has performed
since 2008 and has amassed one of the largest collections of original charts in
the U.S.
 |
| Kevin Gastonguay |
Wednesday, April 30,
International Jazz Day. Perhaps a coincidence but International Jazz Day in Minnesota features two
young hip bands on each side of the metro. At Jazz Central, the Kevin Gastonguay Quartet features
prolific composer and pianist Gastonguay (founder of Sol Spectre), Zacc Harris
on guitar, Andrew Bergmann on bass, and Greg Schutte on drums. This is Jazz Day
at Jazz Central, but don't expect purity -- Kevin is known for blurring the
lines between jazz, R&B, rock and more.
 |
| Andrew Foreman |
Over at the Black Dog, it's another gathering young explorers-- Andrew Foreman (bass), David Feily (guitar),
Zach Schmidt (drums) and Dan Musselman (piano). They also straddle genres,
blending jazz, indie rock and alternative pop.
Although
not a registered Jazz Day event, a new trio at Barbette is certainly worthy: (Park)Evans/ (Brian) Courage/ (Pete) Hennig
is a new collective of active metro jazzers who have worked with Parker
Paisley, the Atlantis Quartet, and Courageous Endeavors. Their repertoire draws
from a mix of original compositions, fresh new arrangements, and lesser known
standards. (See other gigs that fall on Jazz Day on the calendar below.)
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 25. Irv Williams and Peter Schimke,
happy hour at the Dakota; Todd Harper, solo piano followed by Rhizosphere at
the Black Dog; JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske in the Lobby Bar (Saint Paul
Hotel); Bryan Nichols and Brian Courage,
dinner sets followed by Black Market Brass at the Icehouse; Red Baraat at
Orchestra Hall; Brass Messengers at Sweet 317
Saturday, April 26. JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske in the
Lobby Bar ; Benny Weinbeck Trio at Parma 8200; Cory Wong and James Buckley,
dinner sets at the Icehouse; Jon Pemberton at Loring Pasta Bar
Sunday, April 27. Off the Cuff at the Aster; Zacc
Harris Trio at Riverview Wine Bar; Charmin Michelle with the Jerry O'Hagan
Orchestra at Cinema Ballroom; Concordia University Jazz Ensemble and Vox 9 at
Buetow Music Center (Concordia University)
 |
| Charmin Michelle |
Monday, April 28. Charmin Michelle and Denny
Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; University
of Minnesota Jazz
Ensemble I and II at Ted Mann; Lars-Erik Larson and the No Coast Quartet at the
Icehouse; Dave Karr Quartet at Jazz Central
Tuesday, April 29. Cafe Accordion at Loring Pasta Bar
Wednesday, April 30,
Jazz Day! Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg
at Fireside Pizza; Wolverines Trio at
Hell's Kitchen; Midweek Mambo with Charanga Tropicale at Loring Pasta Bar; Josh
Granowski and Joe Strachan at Cafe Maude
Thursday, May 1. Erin Radtke at Jazz Central;
Moonlight Serenaders at Wabasha
Street Caves;
Alicia Renee and Chris Lomheim, Jazz @Christos (Union Depot)
Coming Soon!
. May 2,
Maud Hixson at Parma
8200
. May 2,
Illicit Sextet at the Black Dog
. May 3,
PipJazz "Women in Jazz" workshop and concert at Maplewood Community Center
. May 3,
Paul Renz Trio, Jazz at the Steeple
Center (Rosemount)
. May 5,
Peter Vircks Quartet at the Icehouse
. May 6,
Dean Magraw and Eric Gravatt at the Black Dog
. 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 9,
Courageous Endeavors at the Icehouse
. May 10,
Yohannes Tona with Geoff LeCrone and Demetrius Mabry, Jazz at Studio Z
. May 13,
Jane Monheit at the Dakota
. May 15-18,
Ragamala Dance Company and Rudresh Mahanthappa at the Walker
. May 19, Jean Brice Godet with the Fantastic Merlins /Atlantis
Quartet at the Icehouse
. 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 2,
Tom Rainey and Ingrid Laubrock at the Icehouse
. June 8,
Jazz in the Library, Joan Griffith at St
Paul Central Library
. June 14,
Next Generations, Steve Kenny Group 47 LP Release, Jazz at Studio Z
. June
16-17, Maceo Parker at the Dakota
. June 18,
Ginger Baker Jazz Confusion at the Dakota
. June 18,
Jazz in the Library, Bryan Nichols Quartet at St Anthony Park Library
. June 24,
Diane Schuur at the Dakota
. June 25,
Jazz in the Library, Tres Mundos at Arlington Hills Library
. June
26-28, Twin Cities Jazz Festival (Branford Marsalis 6/27; Dianne Reeves 6/28;
and more), Mears Park
(St Paul)
. June 30,
Craig Handy at the Dakota
. July 1,
Nels Cline and Julian Lage at the Dakota
. 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
. July 10,
All Originals Jazz series, The Illicit Sextet at Studio Z
. July 17,
All Originals Jazz series, Courageous Endeavors at Studio Z
. July 24,
All Originals Jazz series, Zacc Harris Group at Studio Z
. July 31,
All Originals Jazz series, Red Planet at Studio Z
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| Women in Jazz, Workshop ( 2pm) and Concert (7 pm) May 3rd, Maplewood Community Theater |
