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| Flumpeteer and bandleader Steve Kenny-- two bands this weekend |
© Andrea Canter
Come the
first part of August and it seems summer --which never really got here--is
already winding down: Back to School sales, cooler evenings, fading lillies,
and that final scramble to spend time at the cabin. Jazz, on the other hand,
seems to be heating up, with gigs throughout the metro, even a new venue,
visiting ex-pat Minnesotans, a tribute to Aretha Franklin from two of the
area's most beloved voices, some farewell gigs.... it's a diverse melange of
our favorite music.
Big Gigs This Week
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| Patty Peterson |
Friday, August 8. If you enjoy Patty Peterson but prefer to hear her away from the din of weekend
blasts, come out to Parma 8200 for an evening of favorite songs in an intimate,
very sane setting-- good food and wine too! We rarely hear Patty in a trio
context -- tonight with brother Paul and nephew Jason DeLaire.
And if you
are one who is energized by the Friday night party at the Dakota, this will be
a special one as Ginger Commodore and
Debbie Duncan take on the music of Aretha Franklin. Probably there is no
other pair of voices as well suited to the task.
Trumpeter (actually flumpeter) Steve Kenny has been a performing maniac
of late, with three active bands (Illicit Sextet, Group 47, Quartet) and more.
Tonight he brings a special chordless edition of his Steve Kenny Quartet to the
Black Dog, featuring saxman Chris Thomson, bassist Brian (soon moving to New York) Courage and
percussion monster Babatunde Lea.
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| Dave Graf (Valve Meets Slide) |
The Bridge
Series at Jazz Central continues to rock with jazz favorites from the Artists
Quarter, tonight presenting Valve Meets
Slide, a collaboration of valve trombonist Brad Bellows and slide bone-man
Dave Graf. It's usually a quintet and always a delight.
Saturday, August 9. For something a little different,
head to the Icehouse at 11 am and hear the students of Doug Little's annual Twin Cities Jazz Workshop. A lot of top
area talents got their start with this summer program.
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| Kenny Horst |
Steve Kenny
again, this time with another AQ favorite, What
Would Monk Do, and featuring AQ legend Kenny Horst on drums, along with Peter Schimke on keys and (the #1 busy jazzer in town) Brian Courage on bass. The venue
might sound familiar-- The Nicollet on the northeast corner of Nicollet and
Franklin where a jazz friendly coffee house of that name hosted jazz a couple
nights per week til it shut down about a year ago. With a new owner and a
beer/wine license, The Nicollet hopes to present more jazz. This is an awfully
good start as the quartet performs new arrangements of Monk classics as well as
original Monk-inspired fare.
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| Aaron Hedenstrom* |
Monday, August 11. It's homecoming night for
saxophonist/composer/bandleader Aaron
Hedenstrom, UW Eau Claire alum currently pursuing graduate studies in
composition at the University
of North Texas. He
launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a recording of original music last
spring, about the same time he was named winner of two Downbeat Student Awards: "Graduate Jazz Soloist" and his
Aaron Hedenstrom Organ Quartet earned an "Outstanding Performance"
award in the "Blues/Pop/Rock" category; Aaron also won the 2013
Detroit Jazz Festival composers' award. Tonight (and Wednesday at Jazz Central)
he joins forces with former UW-EC colleague and current U of Northern Colorado
grad student Brian Claxton (drums),
with local stalwarts Bryan Nichols, Jeremy Boettcher and Zacc Harris. The set
list will include a preview of works from Aaron's upcoming album.
Drummer Pete James Johnson returns to his native
Twin Cities, escaping LA traffic for a while and performing at Jazz Central
Studios tonight. Since moving to LA, Pete has been busy with the Bob Mintzer
Big Band and gigging with the likes of Russell Ferrante, Alan Pasqua and
Ambrose Akinmisure.
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| Charmin Michelle and Joel Shapira |
Tuesday, August 12. Back on the Foodie Night schedule
at the Dakota, Charmin and Shapira and
Friends will swing the night away, one of the best music bargains in town
with no cover! Adding to the
long-running duo of Charmin Michelle and Joel Shapira are friends Paul Harper
(sax), Tom Lewis (bass) and Nathan Norman (drums).
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| Framework |
At the
Black Dog, the second Tuesday is reserved for guitarist Chris Olson, and tonight he brings in his cohorts for an evening
with Framework, featuring Chris Bates and Jay Epstein. Expect original
compositions and perhaps some reworkings of modern jazz classics.
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| Larry McDonough |
Wednesday, August 13. In a rare appearance at the
Icehouse, pianist Larry McDonough
celebrates the 10th anniversary of his acclaimed recording, Simple Gifts. Know as an inventive
composer and re-arranger, Larry's penchant for odd rhythms and lovely melodies
is reflected in these tracks, with the full album to be performed live with his
quartet in an early show (7:30 pm).
Aaron Hedenstrom/Brian Claxton present another gig, this time at Jazz
Central Studios for the "new music" series.
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| Chris Lomheim |
Thursday, August 14. Maybe one of the most interesting
night of the month: Steve Kenny's All Originals continues at Studio Z with the Chris Lomheim Trio, undoubtedly
previewing the original compositions that make up Lomheim's forthcoming CD
(release set for October 18th). It's been about a decade since the last Lomheim
Trio recording, and with a state Arts Board grant, the sublime pianist went to
work on a set of new works, recorded at Wild Sound last spring with Gordy
Johnson and Jay Epstein. There might be some even newer compositions on the set
list tonight --apparently once he started writing, Chris just couldn't stop.
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| Adam Linz |
Khyber Pass
restaurant in St Paul
hosts some interested sounds every Thursday night, and tonight might be the
most wide-ranging yet. First set (9 pm) will be solo bass with Adam Linz. My first encounter with Adam,
more than ten years ago, was a solo bass performance at The Cedar, and he's
continued to impress ever since, particularly as a solo performer. No part of
the bass is off limits. Adam will be followed by one of his former Dakota Combo
students, Oberlin student trumpeter Joe
Suihkonen, partnering with U of M grad, trumpeter Noah Ophoven-Baldwin for some unusual trumpet duo music.
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| Jack Brass Band |
Jack Brass Band -- Minnesota's own modern take on
New Orleans' brass bands-- appears monthly at the Amsterdam Bar and tonight's
the night! On a big stage in a big room, the band seems to be bigger than life.
And they sound that way, too!
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| Sheridan Zuther |
More Music Every Night
Keep up
with the live jazz scene in the Twin Cities -- check out calendars at Jazz Police, KBEM, Rhythm and Grooves and All About Jazz as well as here on
the blog. More jazz to tickle your ears:
Friday, August 8. Irv
Williams Trio, happy hour at the Dakota; Todd Harper at the Black Dog; Sophia
Shorai at Hell's Kitchen; Classic Big Band and Nostalgics at Bloomington KC
Hall
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| James Buckley |
Saturday, August 9. Bryan Nichols and James Buckley,
dinner sets at the Icehouse; Benny Weinbeck Trio at Parma 8200
Sunday, August 10. Robert Everest, brunch at Maria's;
Doug Little Trio, Music in the Vineyard at Alexis Bailey Winery (Stillwater); Zacc Harris
Trio at Riverview Wine Bar; Charmin Michelle with the Jerry O'Hagan Orchestra at Cinema Ballroom
Monday, August 11. Charmin Michelle and Denny
Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Twin Cities Hot Club at Famous Dave's (Uptown)
Tuesday, August 12. Cedar Avenue Big Band at Jazz
Central; Cafe Accordion at Loring Pasta Bar; Nova Jazz Orchestra at Minnesota Music Cafe
Wednesday, August 13. Vicky Mountain with James Allen and Jim Chenoweth,"Piazza on the Mall" (1221 Nicollet) at 5 pm; Charmin Michelle and Denny
Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Bend in the River Big Band, Delano City Park; KCGO
Big Band at Como Lakeside Pavilion; Joey Van Phillips Trio (with Scott Fultz and Chris Bates) at Cafe Maude
Thursday, August 14. Connie and Herb at The Bean;
Minnesota Jazz Orchestra, swing dance at Wabasha Street Caves; Southside Aces
at Minneapolis Eagle's Club
Coming Soon!
. August
16, Jazz Crew College
Send-Off at Jazz Central
. August
18, Phil Hey Quartet at the Icehouse
. August
18, Evan Montgomery and Brian Courage at Jazz Central
. August
20, Mountain King at Jazz Central
. August
21, Steve Kenny's Group 47 at Studio Z
. August
21, Maryann Sullivan at Jazz Central
. August
22, Phil Hey Quartet/Stefan Kac at Jazz Central
. August
25, Dave Martin/Mike Doolin CD release at Icehouse followed by Brian Courage
Farewell Party
. August
27, Dave Martin/Mike Doolin CD release at the Black Dog
. August
28, Atlantis Quartet at Studio Z
. August
29, Reynold Philipsek, live documentary taping at 318 Cafe
. August
29, Maud Hixson at Parma
8200
. August
30, Dave Martin and Mike Doolin, Guitar Repair Clinic, CD release at Jazz
Central
. August
31, Connie Evingson and Jon Weber, Best of the Ella Fitzgerald Songbooks at
Jungle Theater (matinee and evening)
. September
4, Nichols/Bates/Bates at Studio Z
. September
11, Adam Meckler Orchestra at Studio Z
. September
13, John Raymond, Jazz at Studio Z
. September
13, Selby Avenue
Jazz Festival (Selby and Milton Av, Saint
Paul)
. September
16, Meshell Ndgeocello at the Dakota
. September
17, Nellie McKay and the Turtle
Island Quartet at the
Dakota
. September
20, Mary Louise Knutson Trio, Jazz @ St Barneys, St.
Barnabas Lutheran Church
. September
21, Ticket to Brasil, Adieu Summer Concert at Como Park
. September
24, Chick Corea and Vigil at the Dakota
. September
25, The Cookers at the Dakota
. September
26, Pablo Ziegler Tango Project at the Dakota
. September
26, Adam Meckler Orchestra at MacPhail (Antonello Hall)
. September
28, French 75 with Maud Hixson, Schneider Theater, Bloomington Center
for the Arts (2 pm matinee)
. September
30-October 1, Larry Coryell/Victor Bailey/Lenny White at the Dakota
. October
5-6, Hiromi Trio Project at the Dakota
. October
11, JazzMN Orchestra with Dave Weckl at Hopkins High School
Auditorium
. October
12, Laura Caviania and JazzAX at Carleton
College (3 pm)
. October
18, Chris Lomheim Trio CD release at Studio Z
. October
18-20, Herb Alpert and Lani Hall at the Dakota
. November
6, Terri Lynne Carrington's Mosaic Project (with Rachel Z) at O'Shaughnessy
. December
2, Jazz at Lincoln
Center Orchestra with
Wynton Marsalis and Cecile McLorin Salvant at Orchestra Hall
* Photo of Aaron Hedenstrom courtesy of Aaron Hedenstrom
* Photo of Aaron Hedenstrom courtesy of Aaron Hedenstrom
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| The Phil Hey Quartet - coming soon to Jazz Central and the Icehouse |
