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Red Planet at the James J Hill Center on February 19th |
A bunch of jazzy Valentine's
Day gigs, some new and old configurations, a rare visit from one of the kings
of contemporary jazz and more warm up the winter this week.
Valentine's Celebrations
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Andrew Walesch |
Friday, February 13. A young singer/pianist in the tradition of Sinatra, Andrew Walesch is heard around town (Parma, Crooners Lounge,
Chanhassan Dinner Theater) in intimate ensembles and fronting big bands.
Tonight he spins romance at Parma
8200.
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Pete Whitman |
Friday-Saturday, February 13-14. Pianist/vocalist
JoAnn Funk and bassist Jeff Brueske play in the elegant Lobby Bar
(Saint Paul Hotel) every Friday and Saturday night, but for Valentines' Day
weekend they have a special guest, tenor saxophonist Pete Whitman to up the romance quotient. JoAnn is known for her
affinity for Blossom Dearie, Peggy Lee, Diana Krall and more, but anything can
happen when you add in sax!
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Yolande Bruce |
The owners of the Dakota are
dropping live hints as to the next music club to occupy the Hamm Building
in downtown St. Paul
with a series of "pop-up" events. For Valentine's Day weekend,
they're showing their eclectic tastes with a jazzy Friday night gig featuring Moore by Four's Yolande Bruce on vocals with backing
from drummer Bobby Commodore and friends. Saturday night, Twin Cities
native singer/songwriter Sarah Morris
takes the stage. Come check it out before they close for renovations to get
ready for their formal opening.
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Nachito Herrera |
Saturday, February 14. One of the
best known voices in the Twin Cities,
Connie Evingson offers a "This Funny Thing Called Love" in the
Cabaret of Camp Bar with pals Dave Karr, Adi Yeshaya, Gary Raynor and Mac
Santiago. Her repertore is endless, from songbook gems to hot club swing to the
Beatles and David Frishberg. At the Dakota, a truly smoldering date night
awaits with our best known import from Cuba, pianist extraordinaire Nachito Herrera. Whether playing his
native son or rhumba, interpretations of Ellington or Earth, Wind and Fire, or
dazzling Rachmaninoff, your ears, and your feet, will never be the same.
Reservations essential for either the dinner or cocktail show.
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Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson |
For a somewhat more snarky
approach, Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson
present "Bad for Each Other: A Bent Valentine" for the dinner sets at
the Icehouse.
Maud describes it as “an alternative: a cynical and snarky celebration of a
syrupy Hallmark holiday." This won't be the usual menu of songbook
standards. "Think Cole Porter’s ‘Love for Sale.’ Or ‘Miss Otis Regrets.’" You will
have no regrets spending your Valentines' Day evening with Maude and Rick.
Unless you fail to make a reservation.
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Patty Peterson, "The Girls" |
The Hopkins Center
for the Arts presents "This Thing Called Love." In varying
combinations, these six of the most beloved voices in the Twin Cities have
performed as The Girls, and tonight
they are all on stage to celebrate Valentines' Day and themes of romance. Lori
Dokken, Judi (Donaghy) Vinar, Patty Peterson, Debbie Duncan, Erin Schwab and
Rachel Holder-Hennig bring magic to their harmonies. Courtesy appetizers before
the show.
Big Gigs This Week
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Irv Williams |
Friday, February 13. Irv Williams plays happy hour at the Dakota every
Friday but this one is special-- he's playing with piano, and the pianist is
Mary Louise Knutson! It's a very rare pairing, but hard to imagine a better partner
for Mr. Smooth than MLK!
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Eric Gravatt |
Weather Report alum drummer Eric Kamau Gravatt returns to the Bridge
Series at Jazz Central with "Friends." Tonight his friends include
Coltranish saxman Brandon Wozniak, wide-roaming guitarist Zacc Harris, and
way-too-young-to-be-this-good bassist Charlie Lincoln, who still has a few
months left of high school.
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Chris Bates |
And it is Friday the 13th
and only appropriate that we hear from The
Fall of the House of Usher at the Icehouse, which describes the band as
"East, West, North African, 80s East Village, Qawwali Trance, Early 70s
Psychedelic Miles, and Good Old New Orleans Vampire Funk." The ensemble
features a multi-generational melange of musicians including Chris Cunningham,
Chris Bates, Nathan Hanson, Greg Schutte, Cole Pulice and more.
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Romero Lubambo |
Less scary but surely as
musical is a the three-guitar extravaganza at the Dakota, with the Assad Brothers and Romero Lubambo.
Brothers Sergio and Odair Assad have helped create new interest in both
Brazilian guitar and guitar duos with a repertoire that includes original music
composed by Sérgio and his re-workings of folk and jazz music as well as a wide
range of Latin styles, classical works, and adaptations of the likes of
Gershwin and Debussy. Another Brazilian, Romero Lubambo has dazzled Twin Cities
audiences recently, touring with Sharon Isbin's Guitar Passions and with Dianne
Reeves as the headline act of the 2014 Twin Cities Jazz Festival.
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Paul Harper |
Saturday, February 14. If you are less inclined toward a romantic evening
and instead seeking some hot modern jazz, look no farther than the Black Dog's
ongoing Saturday night programming. Tonight, veteran saxophonist Paul Harper steps out from his work with
the Illicit Sextet and Charmin & Shapira and Friends to lead his quartet
with guitarist Mike Cramer, bassist Charlie Riddle and drummer Nathan Norman.
Come early-- your best chance for a table plus the opportunity to hear the
opening band, in this case Central
Standard Time with young Charlie Lincoln and Alex Burgess mixing it up with
"old timers" Steve Kenny and David Roos.
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Laura Caviani |
Sunday, February 15. How about a jazzy Mardi Gras celebration while
raising funds for homeless youth? The Longfellow
Jazz Sextet includes some familiar names coming together to help support
the Metro Homeless Youth Program of Lutheran Social Services in this
mid-afternoon gig at Christ Church Lutheran (Minneapolis) -- Laura Caviani,
piano; Bill Simenson, trumpet; Pete Whitman, sax; Pete Enblom, trombone; Bruce
Heine, bass; Dave Schmalenberger, drums; and Judi Donaghy Vinar, guest vocalist.
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Andrew Foreman (Chomsky) |
It's always cool to hear a
new ensemble. Together for just a few months, Chomsky turns up the heat at the Aster Cafe tonight. A
collaborative project headed by bassist Andrew Foreman, Chomsky straddles art
rock, modern jazz and indie pop through the inventions of Foreman, Thomas
Nordlund (guitar, effects), Jake Baldwin (trumpet, effects), and Zach Schmidt
(drums). They'll offer a mix of original works and unique covers.
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Jon Wood |
Monday, February 16. The "featured performer" spotlight at Jazz
Central is turned on an ensemble dubbed "Iron
Chops"-- with young guitarist Jon Wood and veteran saxophonist Dave
Brattain. Jon's been performing all over the metro lately and organized the
recent Minnesota Jazz Guitar Summit at Jazz Central.
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Chris Thomson |
Plan to stay out late to
catch the Enormous Quartet on JT's
Jazz Implosion series at the Icehouse. This
band does not perform nearly often enough -- with Chris Thomson on saxes, Park Evans on guitar, Chris
Bates on bass and Joey Van Phillips on drums. Four guys with an "enormous"
sound and equally big imaginations.
Tuesday, February 17. It's third Tuesday, and Fat Tuesday-- and it's Jack Brass Band night at the Amsterdam. An original New Orleans brass band in Minnesota? You betcha! And if you want an even bigger band tonight,
it's also Explosion Big Band night at
Jazz Central. Between Minneapolis and St. Paul, that should be enough brass to send musical
messages right down the Mississippi
to the Delta.
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David Sanborn (Facebook photo) |
Tuesday-Wednesday, February 17-18. One of the living icons of contemporary jazz,
multi-Grammy winning saxophonist David
Sanborn has played with the Butterfield Blues Band, Stevie Wonder, the
Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Gil Evans, Paul Simon, James Taylor and more, and
has hosted a number of television and radio shows. Recently Dave has returned
more often to his jazz roots, and in 2015 will be featured on the Smooth Jazz
Cruise and in performance with the great Al Jarreau. Joining Sanborn for two
nights at the Dakota is long-time associate and one of Minnesota's favorite sons, Ricky Peterson.
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Ricky Peterson |
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Noah Ophoven-Baldwin |
Wednesday, February 18. It must be Young Lions Night at Jazz Central,
although the calendar reads "New Music" night. Trumpeter Noah Ophoven-Baldwin leads a trio of
20-somethings, with pianist Joe Strachan and drummer Miguel Hurtado. Don't let
their youth fool you-- these guys have been playing improvised music since
their early teens, and lately a fair amount with each other.
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Cameron Kinghorn |
Thursday, February 19. Vocal night at Jazz Central features rising star Cameron Kinghorn. Cameron might be better
known around town as a trumpeter--with the Adam Meckler Orchestra, Black Market
Brass, New Sound Underground, Jazzland Wonderband and more, but he's also
building a reputation as a vocalist with jazz and R&B leanings -- heard
with the new Nooky Jones.
In St.
Paul's James
J. Hill
Center, Red Planet opens the next installment of
the Realphonic Radio Hour (featuring Shannon McNally). Dean Magraw, Chris Bates
and Jay Epstein are never second bananas and always worth the ticket. Plus the
setting is just plain elegant.
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Dean Granros |
Khyber
Pass continues its Thursday
series of cutting edge jazz improvisers, tonight featuring one of the masters
of it all, guitarist Dean Granros.
Two sets of solo improvisations!
More Jazz All Week!
Keep up with the live jazz
scene in the Twin Cities -- check out calendars at Jazz
Police, KBEM, Rhythm and Grooves and Jazz Near You, as well as here on the
blog. More jazz to tickle your ears:
Friday, February 13. Don Strong, happy hour, followed by Larry Dunsmore at
Crooners' Lounge; Todd Harper, happy
hour at the Black Dog; Bryan Nichols and James Buckley, dinner sets at the
Icehouse; Classic Big Band and the Nostalgics at Bloomington KC Hall; Jason
Squinobal Quartet (with Dave Hagedorn, Chris Bates and Cory Healey) at Studio Z
Saturday, February 14. Kate Lynch and Her Most Excellent Fellows at
Patisserie 46 (3 pm); Don Strong, happy hour at Crooners Lounge; John Paulson
with Swing Inc. at Signatures (Winona); Pavel Jany's Talking Strings at Loring
Pasta Bar; Benny Weinbeck Trio at Parma 8200; Maurice Jacox Trio at Normandy
Kitchen; No Name Jazz at Underground Music Cafe
Sunday, February 15. Patty and the Buttons, brunch at the Aster Cafe;
Robert Everest, brunch at Maria's; Zacc Harris Trio at Riverview Wine Bar;
Jennifer Grimm, Manitou Station
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Denny Malmberb |
Monday, February 16. Denny Malmberg and guest at Fireside Pizza; BZ3
Organ Trio at the Narrows Saloon
Tuesday, February 17. Cafe
Accordion at Loring Pasta Bar; Acme Jazz Company at Crooners Lounge; River City
Jazz Orchestra at Minnesota
Music Cafe; Patty and the Buttons at Cafe Maude
Wednesday, February 18. Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside
Pizza; Wolverines Trio at Hell's Kitchen; Zacc Harris Trio at Cafe Maude; Jazz
at the Tangiers
Thursday, February 19. Maud Hixson at Crooners Lounge; Beasley's Big Band
at Wabasha Street Caves;
John Devine and Friends at Loring Pasta Bar
Coming Soon!
. February
20, Chris Lomheim Trio at Jazz Central
. February 20, Maryann Sullivan and Corner Jazz at the Black Dog
. February 20, Pete Snell and Drew Oliver at Blackwater Bistro (Wayzata)
. February 20, Maryann Sullivan and Corner Jazz at the Black Dog
. February 20, Pete Snell and Drew Oliver at Blackwater Bistro (Wayzata)
. February
21, Studio Z Winter Jazz Festival (Adam Meckler Orchestra, Endeavors, Atlantis
Quartet, Mancrush, Nichols/Bates/Bates, Graydon Peterson Quartet)
. February
21, Glen David Andrews at the Dakota
. February
21, Good Vibes Trio at the Black Dog (Opening - Central Standard Time)
. February
21, U Wisconsin River Falls Jazz Ensemble with Donny McCaslin, William
Abbot Concert Hall at UW-River
Falls
. February
21, Twin Cities Cabaret Network Salon at Town House Bar
. February
22, Lulu's Playground at Jazz Central (3 pm)
. February
23, Irv Williams at Jazz Central
. February
23, Quintet Party with Red 5 and Cory Healey's Beautiful Sunshine Band at the
Icehouse
. February
24, Twin Cities Latin Jazz Orchestra at Jazz Central
. February
25, Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn at O'Shaughnessy Auditorium
. February
25, Leisure Valley at Cafe Maude
. February
27, Javi Santiago and Friends at Jazz Central
. February
28, U of M Jazz Festival with guest Pat Mallinger (evening concert)
. February
28, Zacc Harris Group at the Black Dog (Opening - Central Standard Time)
. February
28, Arne Fogel & Jennifer Eckes, “What The World Needs Now: The Songs of
Burt Bacharach & Hal David” at the Bloomington Center
for the Arts
. February
28, Minnesota State
University Mankato
Jazz Mavericks, with Mike Stern and Kenni Holmen in Halling Recital Hall, MSU Mankato
. March 2, Minnesota Youth Jazz
Bands Winter Concert at Famous Dave's (Uptown)
. March 3,
Rene Marie at the Dakota
. March 4,
Pedrito Martinez Group at the Dakota
. March 5,
Katia Cardenas (tribute to Ella Fitzgerald) at Jazz Central
. March 6,
Eric Gravatt and Dean Magraw at The Nicollet
. March 6,
"Raisin’ Cane: A Harlem Renaissance
Odyssey"
with Jasmine Guy and the Avery Sharpe Trio at O'Shaughnessy Auditorium
. March 7,
DD7 at the Black Dog (Opening - Charles Lincoln Group)
. March 9,
David Sanchez Quartet at the Dakota
. March
10-11, Cassandra Wilson
at the Dakota
. March 12,
Jack DeJohnette at Walker
Art Center,
McGuire Theater
. March 13,
Foreign Motion at The Nicollet
. March 13,
Peter Vircks Quartet at Jazz Central
. March 13, Katia Cardenas at Mattie's on Main
. March 13, Charanga Tropicale, "Two Nights to Cuba" at the Bedlam Theater (St Paul)
. March 13, Katia Cardenas at Mattie's on Main
. March 13, Charanga Tropicale, "Two Nights to Cuba" at the Bedlam Theater (St Paul)
. March 14,
Chris Botti at Orchestra Hall
. March 14, Charanga Tropicale "Two Nights to Cuba" at The Cedar
. March 14, Charanga Tropicale "Two Nights to Cuba" at The Cedar
. March 15,
Jazz Mn Orchestra with Pete Christlieb at Hopkins High School
Auditorium
. March 20,
Jake Baldwin Quintet at The Nicollet
. March 20, Invisible Guy (Ben Goldberg, Michale Coleman and Hamir Atwal) at the Icehouse
. March 20, Invisible Guy (Ben Goldberg, Michale Coleman and Hamir Atwal) at the Icehouse
. March
23-24, Steve Tyrell at the Dakota
. March
25-26, Delfeayo Marsalis (Southern Gentleman) at the Dakota
. March 27,
How Birds Work at The Nicollet
. March 29,
Tierney Sutton and Mark Summer at the Dakota
. March 31,
Eliane Elias Trio at the Dakota
. April 1,
Rebirth Brass Band at the Dakota
. April 12,
Anat Cohen Quartet at the Dakota
. April 16,
Anthony Cox and Jeremy Walker, "Rage of Achilles" at Orchestra Hall
(Target Atrium)
. April 16,
Bettye LaVette at the Dakota
. April 17,
Ann Hampton Callaway at Orchestra Hall
. April 24,
Tuck and Patti at the Dakota
. April 25,
JazzMN Orchestra with Bob Mintzer at Hopkins l High School Auditorium
. April
25-26, Irv Williams, Legends concert at The Capri
. April 26,
KBEM's Jazz Noir at the Dakota
. April 27,
Omar Sosa at the Dakota
. April
29-30, Madeleine Peyroux at the Dakota
. May 2,
Jason Moran and Robert Glasper at the Walker
. May 9,
PipJazz "Women in Jazz" -- afternoon workshop and evening concert at
The Bedlam
. June 3, Steve
Smith and Vital Information, NYC Edition at the Dakota
. June 22,
Kurt Elling at the Dakota
. June
25-27, Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Mears
Park and beyond
. July 2-4,
Iowa City Jazz Festival (Charles Lloyd, Dave Douglas, Rudresh Mahanthappa,
Julian Lage, Brian Charette, Atlantis Quartet, Becca Stevens, COLOSSUS, Dakota
Combo)
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Good Vibes Trio at the Black Dog, February 21-- Winter Jazz Fest After Party! |