© Andrea Canter
Green leaves, crab apple
blossoms, tulips and a good be-bop riff-- you have to love spring in Minnesota, once it gets
here. Can't use the weather as an excuse these days-- it isn't too cold, there's
no snow and ice, and it isn't too hot yet!
Take your ears out for a spin: Some veteran ensembles at The Nicollet
and Black Dog, young lions and a visiting New Yorker at Jazz Central, a
visiting duo of piano titans at the Walker -- it's a jazz lovers weekend. The
work week kicks off with homecoming gigs (sort of) for Minnesota bassists at the Icehouse.
Big Gigs This Week
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Javi Santiago |
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Framework |
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Patty Peterson |
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Robert Glasper & Jason Moran (photo WBGO) |
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Good Vibes Trio |
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Anthony Cox |
Sunday, May 3. Make it campus
jazz day! The Century Jazz Ensemble holds its annual Swing Into Spring concert
mid-afternoon on the Century
College campus. The long-running
ensemble includes alums of the Century
College jazz program and faculty.
Later in the afternoon, in Northfield,
Adam Kolker (see Saturday at Jazz Central) is the special guest with St. Olaf Jazz Ensembles II and III on
the St. Olaf campus. Come evening, you can enjoy the U of M Jazz Ensembles I and II in a salute to Big Bands at Ted
Mann.
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Michael O'Brien |
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Maryann Sullivan and Jim Chenoweth |
It will be a
different sort of good time, but good nonetheless, when Coloring Time featuring Cody
McKinney takes the stage at the Icehouse. Quoting their press, "Coloring Time is a musical accident
waiting to happen, so to speak. Instrumentalists Casey O’Brien (bass), Graham
O’Brien (drums), John Keston (keys), Robert Mulrennen (guitar) and Jon
Davis (reeds) pave nebulous jazzways on which vocalist/MCs Joe Horton, Kristoff
Krane and Adam Svec race headlong to rapture and epiphany." Special guest,
bassist Cody McKinney, is back in town after completing studies at the New School
in New York,
and he is wasting no time returning to the heart of the Twin Cities music
community.
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Lila Ammons |
More Jazz!
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, May 1. Irv Williams, happy hour at the
Dakota; Todd Harper's Piano Fridays at the Black Dog; Andrew Walesch at Parma
8200; John Paulson with Swing, Inc. at Signatures (Winona); Twin Cities Latin
Jazz Orchestra and the Anoka-Ramsey Community College Jazz Band at ARCC
Performing Arts Center; Matra at the Black Dog; Infinite Variety Band at
Crooner's Lounge
Saturday, May 2. Charmin & Shapira, Midtown
Global Market (12:30 pm); Lila Ammons, 3 pm at Club Saragota (Duluth); Talking
Strings at Loring Pasta Bar; Zacc Harris and Phil Aaron, dinner sets at the
Icehouse; Benny Weinbeck Trio at Parma 8200; JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske in the
Lobby Bar, Saint Paul Hotel; Paula Lammers with Mary Louise Knutson and Nuhjume
at Antonello Hall, MacPhail Center for Music; Seven Cats Swing Band at
Crooners' Lounge
Sunday, May 3. Patty and the Buttons, brunch at
the Aster; Robert Everest, brunch at Maria's; Jazz Brunch at Crooners' Lounge;
Zacc Harris Trio at the Riverview Wine Bar
Tuesday, May 5. Cafe Accordion at Loring Pasta
Bar; Dean Magraw and Davu Seru at the Black Dog; Brio Brass at Edinborough
Indoor Amphitheater; Bill Simenson Orchestra at Jazz Central; Robert Everest at
Crooners' Lounge
Wednesday, May 6. Connie Evingson with Chris Lomheim, Terry Burns and Dave Karr at the Minneapolis Woman's Club; John Penny Trio at Scratch Bar & Grill; Wolverines Trio at Hell's Kitchen; Anthony Cox at Jazz Central; Three Faces at Lake & Irving
Thursday, May 7. Benny Weinbeck, Wayzata Lunds & Byerly's; Moonlight Serenaders at Wabasha Street Caves; Normandale Community
College Jazz Band at Lorenz Fine Arts Auditorium (NCC); Joel Shapira at Hell's
Kitchen
Coming Soon!
. May 8,
Ron Miles with the Atrium Jazz Ensemble at Orchestra Hall (Target Atrium)
. May 8,
Presidential Flow (Mayo, Brattain, Nair, Evans, Granowski) at The Nicollet
. May 8,
Joel Shapira Trio at Parma
8200
. May 9,
Joe Mayo/Cory Healey's Beautiful Sunshine Band at the Black Dog
. May 10,
Southside Aces (brunch), Prudence Johnson and Dan Chouinard (evening) at the
Dakota
. May 10,
Soul Cafe' at Hennepin
Avenue Methodist
Church
. May 10, Paul Renz Quartet at the Aster Cafe
. May 10, Paul Renz Quartet at the Aster Cafe
. May 11,
Tim Berne's Snake Oil at the Icehouse
. May 12, Vicky Mountain
at The Nicollet
. May 13,
Casey O'Brien Quartet at Jazz Central
. May 15, Minnesota Youth Jazz
Band at The Nicollet
. May 15,
Michael O'Brien Quartet at Jazz Central
. May 15,
Maud Hixson at Parma
8200
. May 16,
Headspace followed by the Paul Renz Quartet at the Black Dog
. May 22,
Chris Lomheim Trio at The Nicollet
. May 22,
Travis Anderson Trio at Parma
8200
. May 23,
Central Standard Time followed by Firebell at the Black Dog
. May
27-28, Rachelle Ferrell at the Dakota
. May 29,
Bottomless Pit at The Nicollet
. May 29,
Connie Evingson at Parma
8200
. May 30,
Dave Martin Trio followed by the Atlantis Quartet at the Black Dog
. June 2,
Tim Reis Rolling Stones Project at the Dakota
. June 3,
Steve Smith and Vital Information, NYC Edition at the Dakota
. June 5,
Paul Harper's Show and Tell at The Nicollet
. June 6,
Lulu's Playground followed by The Five at the Black Dog
. June 12,
Tommy Bentz Quartet at The Nicollet
. June 13,
Will Schmid Trio followed by the Graydon Peterson Quartet
. June 16,
Ticket to Brazil, Jazz in
the Library at SunRay Library (St Paul)
. June 17,
Good Vibes Trio, Jazz in the Library at Hamline Library (St Paul)
. June 19,
The Dakota Combo followed by Dean Granros' Tall Tales at The Nicollet
. June 20,
John Penny/Jay Epstein Duo followed by the Phil Hey Quartet at the Black Dog
. June 21,
Francisco Mela Trio, Jazz in the Library at St Paul Central Library
. June 22,
Kurt Elling at the Dakota
. June
23-24, Cecile McLorin Salvant at the Dakota
. June
25-27, Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Mears Park and beyond (Dr John,
Potter/Holland/Louke/Harland Quartet, Francisco Mela with Nicholas Payton,
Araya-Orta Quartet, Marquis Hill Blacktet)
. June 28,
John Pizzarelli at the Dakota
. June
30-July 1, Charles Lloyd Quartet at the Dakota
. July 2-4,
Iowa City Jazz Festival (Charles Lloyd, Dave Douglas, Rudresh Mahanthappa,
Julian Lage, Brian Charette, Atlantis Quartet, Becca Stevens, COLOSSUS, Dakota
Combo)
. August 6,
George Brooks with Larry Coryell and Bombay
Jazz at the Dakota
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Tim Berne's Snake Oil - coming to the Icehouse, May 11 |