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| Irv Williams - Mr Smooth at the "Pinnacle" (CD release July 6) |
© Andrea Canter
Is it difficult to come down
from a jazz festival high? I'll let you know when I come down. After three
solid days of music at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, I am off to another
three-day extravaganza, the Iowa City Jazz Festival (July 2-4), where I expect to see a couple
dozen Twin Citians as well as two of my
favorite MN bands-- the Atlantis Quartet and Dakota Combo. They perform in Iowa as part of the
first Iowa-Minnesota jazz fest exchange. We heard their fabulous Laranja
ensemble here on the 6th STreet
Stage last Friday, along with the City Six of Iowa City on our youth showcase
at Union Depot. Now Atlantis will appear on the Iowa City Main Stage, while the
high schoolers of the Dakota Combo perform on the Youth Stage in Iowa City.
But there is more music here
in Minnesota
this weekend and through next week!
Big Gigs!
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| Iowa City Jazz Festival |
Thursday-Saturday, July 2-4. The Iowa City
Jazz Festival always brings some Twin Cities jazz fans south (5-hour drive).
See the festival website for the full schedule, including B-3 ace Brian
Charette and vocalist Becca Stevens on Thursday; Rudresh Mahanthappa's Bird
Calls, Dave Douglas' High Risk and Whirlpool with Ron Miles on Friday; and
Julian Lage, Ben Allison, the Atlantis Quartet and Charles Lloyd Quartet on
Saturday. http://www.summerofthearts.org/festival-menu/jazz-festival/about.aspx
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| Ted Olsen |
Friday, July 3. On the Friday Night Jazz at the Nicollet series, celebrate the holiday weekend with the core
rhythm team that performed with Ted
Olsen's quintet on the Main Stage of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Ted's
trio features Ted on bass, Javier Santiago
on piano, and Miguel Hurtado on drums. These guys have been on Twin Cities
stages since their early teens. Now all hold music degrees and are already
significant contributors to the local jazz scene.
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| Tommy Bruce |
At Parma
8200, hear the stirring vocals of Thomas
Bruce, in the fine company of Rick Carlson and Gordy Johnson... and we hear
that one can also watch the fireworks from Parma's patio. Fireworks inside, fireworks
outside. And just in case you missed one of Debbie
Duncan's three jazz festival performances last weekend, you can catch her
tonight at Crooner's Lounge.
Described as an "under
the radar gig", Sweet 16 (above the Black Dog) hosts Nathan Hanson, Doan Brian Roessler and Marc Anderson in
"essentially a house concert." What a house.
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| Wolverines Big Band |
Saturday, July 4. Tonight you have a rare opportunity to enjoy the
swinging, Basie-inspired Wolverines Big
Band, three top vocalists, and a lakeside display of fireworks-- all at
Excelsior Commons on Lake
Minnetonka. There's
family fun all afternoon, leading up to the Big Band concert. The Wolverines
have been around for more than 40 years, but in recent years the big band gigs
have been few and far between, while the Wolverines Trio is a frequent booking
at Hell's Kitchen. Tonight, drummer and leader Jendeen Forberg gathers the full
flock, backing singers Maud Hixson, Judi
Vinar (Donaghy) and Jason Richards.
Fireworks at sundown, of course!
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| Thomas Strommen |
Saturday Night Jazz at the
Black Dog features two bands with overlapping (and young!) personnel. Opening
will be Dark Blue, featuring some
young guns, all affiliated at one time or another with the University of
Wisconsin River Falls--Thomas Strommen on tenor, Jason McLean on guitar, Dylan
Nelson on bass and Alex Burgess on drums. Stick around for the Independence Day Quintet, featuring
veterans Steve Kenny on Flumpet™ and Mikkel Romstad on piano, along with
Strommen and Burgess.
Sunday, July 5. A special night of Brazilian song at the
Dakota--Brazilian singer/guitarist Vinicius
Cantuaria presents a program of Jobim. Cantuaria started out as drummer for
Caetano Veloso in the late 70s, and has been based in New York for the past 20 years. Among his
many collaborators are David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, Bill Frisell, Brad
Mehldau, Jenny Scheinman, and more. The BBC refers to him as the "master of the sublimely sensual." This
is simply beautiful music.
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| Billy Peterson & Irv Williams |
Monday, July 6. With each new recording over the past decade, sax
legend Irv Williams has suggested it
would be his last. Pinnacle may or
may not be his finale, but at nearly 96, Irv is more seriously talking
"retirement." Whatever. This recording with guitarist Steve Blons and
bassist Billy Peterson is a capstone, not only for Mr. Smooth's engaging horn
but also for the inclusion of segments of an interview with Leigh Kamman, what
turned out to be Leigh's final interview before his passing in October 2014.
Kamman will be with us in spirit at the CD release party tonight at the Dakota.
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| Dean Magraw |
Tuesday, July 7. It's First Tuesday at the Black Dog with Dean Magraw and Davu Seru, the monthly
improv session with two of the most enchanting improvisers in the metro. Over
at Jazz Central, the mighty Bill Simenson
Orchestra fills half the performance space, still sizzling after their Twin
Cities Jazz Festival performance at Como
Park. The Icehouse presents a new installment of Coloring Time, a jazz/fusion project
with a revolving cast. Tonight's guests include young keyboard giant Ted Godbout.
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| Faye Washington, Capri Big Band |
Wednesday, July 8. Chris Bates hosts his monthly Magica
Improvisado at Jazz Central, a night of new music and "magical
improvisations." Tonight, original music and some seldom-heard covers from
bassist Bates, pianist Peter Schimke and drummer Cory Healey. Something more family-oriented, the Capri Big Band (led by Faye Washington)
performs at Minnehaha
Falls Park
tonight. Enjoy swinging jazz and treats from Sea Salt Eatery or your own picnic
basket.
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| james buckley |
Thursday, July 9. Apparently curating two jazz series is not enough
for Steve Kenny. He's got a new grant to support a second summer season of
All-Originals at Studio Z -- the invited bands only perform original music. The
kickoff show tonight features truly one of a kind--bassist James Buckley-- with two frequent partners, pianist Bryan Nichols
and drummer JT Bates.
A new voice in the Twin
Cities makes her Jazz Central debut tonight. Christine Hitt earned a Masters of Music degree at the University of Arizona, and has recorded with such
luminaries as Ugonna Okegwo, Hubert
Laws, Slide Hampton, Steve Smith, and Curtis Fuller. Her band includes Eric
Hitt, Dave Schmalenberger and Brian Handeland.
More Jazz!
Keep
up with the live jazz scene in the Twin Cities. The most comprehensive jazz
calendar can be found at Jazz Police, but you will also find
jazz listings at KBEM, Rhythm and Grooves and Jazz
Near You. Jazz Police also posts monthly metro jazz highlights. KBEM
and KFAI radio host jazz programs regularly and provide daily notices of jazz
gigs and concerts. Venues and artists are reminded to send information to
online and print calendars (e.g. tc@jazzpolice.com)
Coming Soon!
. July 10, Dean Granro's Tall Tales at The Nicollet
. July 11, Jacob Teichroew Group with Adam Meckler at Jazz
Central
. July 11, Laura Caviani Trio with Gordy Johnson and Jay
Epstein at the Black Dog
. July 12, Edina Jazz Fest at Centennial Lakes
Park
. July 13,
Jacob Teichroew Group at the Icehouse
. July 15, Pete
Whitman's X-Tet at Jazz Central
. July 16,
Red Planet, All Originals at Studio Z
. July 17,
Jay Young's Lyric Factory, Top 10 Hits at the Dakota
. July 17,
Kjeer, Horst and Friends at The Nicollet
. July 17,
Dean Magraw and Steven Hobert at Jazz Central
. July 17,
Arne Fogel at Parma
8200
. July 18,
Joe Mayo Quartet at the Black Dog
. July 19,
Midtown Global Market Music Festival
. July 23,
John Raymond Quartet at the Dakota
. July 23,
Nichols/Bates/Bates, All Originals at Studio Z
. July 24,
Jon Pemberton Tribute to Lee Morgan at The Nicollet
. July 24,
Maud Hixson at Parma
8200
. July 25,
Cory Healey's Beautiful Sunshine Band at the Black Dog
. July 28,
Corner Jazz (Maryann Sullivan) at The Nicollet
. July 30, dā-kə-bro̵̅o̅-dā,
All Originals at Studio Z
. August 6,
George Brooks with Larry Coryell and Bombay
Jazz at the Dakota
. August 8,
PipJazz at The Bedlam
. August 13, Michael Janisch Paradigm Shift Quartet at
Studio Z
. August 20, Adam Meckler Quintet Live Recording at
Studio Z
. August
25, Cyrus Chestnut Trio at the Dakota
. August
31, Terence Blanchard and E-Collective at the Dakota
. September
7-8, Victor Wooten at the Dakota
. September
22-23, Lizz Wright at the Dakota
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| Laura Caviani brings her trio to the Black Dog, July 11 |
