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| Pippi Ardennia and PipJazz Band, Music at Mears |
© Andrea Canter
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Incredibly fine weather for a jazz festival, big
puffy clouds, cooling breeze, perfect low 80s temperatures and plenty of sunshine.
No excuses!
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| Pippi |
Music at Mears special festival Thursday night
presented one of the brightest entertainers in the Twin Cities, Pippi Ardennia
and her cast of PipJazz Youth. Her house band is something quite special as
well -- with Peter Schimke on piano, Richard Johnson on keyboards, Jay Young on
bass, Glenn Swanson on drums. That's a
New York-ready ensemble! First set treat-- young violinist Zosha Warpeha, home
briefly from studies in New York at the New School.
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| Tim Kliphuis |
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Swinging at Heartland: Dutch violinist Tim
Kliphuis joined forces with guitar ace Sam Miltich and the Clearwater Hot Club.
There was some dancing in the aisles, probably a first at Heartland.
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| Dancing in Rice Park |
Dancing in Rice Park was a given, with Salsa del
Soul on stage and hundreds crowded on to the "dance floor" -- and you
could hear the energy and the rhythms at least two blocks away.
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| Park Evans |
With two regular members of Firebell fulfilling
other obligations, guitarist Park Evans was the only member of the core band to
play at the Black Dog, but the "subs" were up to the task-- Cody
McKinney on bass and Greg Schutte on drums. This might be the start of a new
band! Some of the region's finest modern jazz bands will be filling the
schedule at the Black Dog all weekend. (And their iced chai is the most
refreshing non-alcoholic drink in Lowertown.)
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| Francisco Mela |
Next, a preview of the renovated space once occupied
by the Artists Quarter in the Hamm Building, now run by the Dakota as Vieux
Carré. Ready enough for some hot piano trio music hosted by Jon Weber, with
Billy Peterson on bass and Francisco Mela on drums. That's as hot as any piano
trio anywhere-- "Blue Moon," "Well You Needn't" and more. Open jam session scheduled for later in the
evening.
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| Sisters in song--Yolande, Patty and Debbie |
Patty Peterson and Friends were cooking at the Amsterdam, and near the
end of the last set, Yolande Bruce and Debbie Duncan were called to the stage.
They had just finished a duet set at Arnellia's. Spontaneous combustion. Patty
closed out the night with stellar "Shadow of Your Smile." Caught some
of the live KBEM broadcast from The Bedlam as I drove away from downtown.
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| Maud, Arne and the Wolverines Trio |
Personal tradition--end Jazz Night Out at
Mancini's with Arne Fogel and Maud Hixson, with the Wolverines Trio (Rick
Carlson, Steve Pikal, Jendeen Forberg). And what a way to end my night-- a
spontaneous duet on "My Funny Valentine" in response to a request.
Had never heard the verse but of course Maud knows it. The back and forth of
the two voices was stunning.
So much music, so little time. Missed a lot more than I heard. Good crowds everywhere I
went. Looking forward to tough choices today and tonight with so much divese music.
Oops, gotta run, Nicholas Payton clinic at McNally Smith starts at 3!
