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John Raymond, Minnesota CD Release at the Dakota on July 23 |
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Chris Lomheim Trio at Vieux Carre' on July 16 |
Happy to report there is now
another venue with significant jazz bookings to include in the Lead Sheet--
Vieux Carré opened earlier this week; the website
is up and running, and the club calendar is pretty much filled for July with music five nights per
week, jazz at least two of those nights and often more. Add those gigs to the
regularly scheduled action at the Dakota, Jazz Central, The Nicollet, Black
Dog, Parma
8200, Icehouse, The Tangiers, Crooners Lounge, Normandy Kitchen, and more, and
it's hard to understand anyone asking, "How can I find jazz in the Twin
Cities?" But I still get that question now and then.... so because not
everyone gets their jazz news online, KBEM asked me to start bringing a few
tips from The Lead Sheet into the studio every Thursday afternoon, around 4:40
pm for 5-10 minutes, starting Thursday, July 23. Some excerpts will be
rebroadcast on Friday mornings. Radio is
still a viable means of communicating jazz news! Tune into KBEM (88.5 fm) every
day; tune into KFAI (90.3 fm) often as well for daily music and a few jazz
shows throughout the week. (Hear my friend Larry Englund's "Rhythm and
Blues" every Saturday morning.)
Of course I can mention more
jazz right here. This week we can enjoy two generations of jazz artistry with
young pianist Will Kjeer joining forces with his uncle, Kenny Horst, at The
Nicollet; a new dazzling duo of Dean Magraw and Steven Hobert at Jazz Central;
two nights with Nachito Herrera and a new collaboration at the Dakota; and a
homecoming for trumpeter John Raymond, performing at the Dakota (Thursday) and
hanging around til at least the following Monday (Icehouse).
Big Gigs This Week
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Will Kjeer and Uncle Kenny Horst |
Friday, July 17. Before he closed the Artists Quarter at the end of
2013, owner/drummer Kenny Horst had welcomed nephew Will Kjeer to the stage more than a few times, now and then with
his trio and weekly for about six months as pianist for Steve Kenny's Group
47-- all while Will was still in high school. Now, after a post high school
year at Interlochen and a couple months before he starts college studies at Cal
Arts, Will has organized a "Summer Band" at The Nicollet with Uncle
Kenny on drums. Keeping the cross-generational theme, Will's band also includes
veteran saxman Dave Brattain and 18-year-old bassist Charlie Lincoln, himself
heading to jazz studies in September, on the other coast at Berklee.
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Steven Hobert and Dean Magraw |
At Jazz Central, a
relatively new partnership is on display with guitarist Dean Magraw and pianist Steven
Hobert. The pairing debuted a few months ago, showcasing two of the area's
most imaginative musicians. Dean and Steven are capable of magical mayhem in
any context.
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Arne Fogel |
Parma 8200 continues its
Friday nights of top area vocalists, and tonight it's crooner (and historian) Arne Fogel with frequent collaborators Steve Pikal and Rick Carlson, while other dinner music options
tonight include a sublime duo of Dave
Karr (sax) and Bryan Nichols
(piano) at the Icehouse and the string half of the Atlantis Quartet, Zacc Harris (guitar) and Chris Bates (bass) at Vieux Carré.
Jazz at the Black Dog is not
limited to Saturdays! As usual, Todd
Harper hosts Piano Fridays during happy hours, tonight with saxophonist
Chris Hagedorn, paving the way for the always surprising Donald Washington Trio (with Yohannes Tona and Mick LaBriola) later
in the evening.
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Jay Young |
The Dakota hosts another
night with Jay Young and the Lyric
Factory, and tonight's theme is "Bandwith:
A Tribute to 50 Years of Top Ten Hits." Bassist Jay and ensemble promise
arrangements of classic to current hits by Miles Davis, Marvin Gaye, Pink
Floyd, Chaka Khan, Prince, The Beatles, Sting, Aretha Franklin, Simply Red,
Cheryl Lynn, Lizz Wright, and many more.
Saturday,
July 18. If it's a summer weekend, there must be a music
festival somewhere! This afternoon and evening, Midtown Global Market hosts its annual Music Festival, and you can
hear some favorite jazz performers, including the vocals and guitar of the
long-time duo Charmin Michelle and Joel Shapira and the youthful antics of the Levi Schwartzberg Quintet.
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Joe Mayo |
Saturday
Night at the Black Dog presents a saxophonic evening! Leading off will be a
free jazz duo of saxophonists John Devine
and Bill Lang. These veterans are followed by a much younger gaggle of
improvisers led by saxophonist Joe Mayo
and his quartet--with Zacc Harris, Andrew
Foreman and Lars-Erik Larson.
Wouldn't it be cool if Devine and Lang sat in?
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Linda Peterson |
Crooner's
Lounge features pianist/vocalist Linda
Peterson, who now makes her primary home in Minnesota
after building her career in southern California.
Sister of Patty, Billy, Paul and Ricky, there's likely to be at least one other
Peterson on the bandstand.
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Peter Schimke |
Dinner
sets at Vieux Carré tonight feature the Peter
Schimke Duo... meaning there is another musician. A mystery at the moment.
But as long as you can hear Peter's keyboards, you have a great band experience
awaiting.
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Maud Hixson |
Sunday,
July 19. Swinging jazz with brunch? At least two venues will
oblige on Sundays. At the Aster Cafe, hear Patty
and the Buttons, aka accordionist Patrick
Harison and his swinging cronies (usually Tony Balluff, Keith Boyles, and
Mark Kretizer). At Crooners Lounge, there's a weekly brunch, this week
featuring Maud Hixson and the Wolverines
Trio (Rick Carlson, Steve Pikal, Jendeen Forberg). Swing those eggs and
screwdrivers!
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Charmin Michelle |
St.
Albert the Great Church in south Minneapolis has hosted a series of Sunday
afternoon jazz concerts this summer, and today's offering is Charmin Michelle, singing with support from saxophonist Kenni
Holmen, pianist Bill Duna, bassist Kent Saunders and drummer Jay Epstein.
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Brian Grivna |
Monday,
July 20. He doesn't take the spotlight often, but it's always
a treat to hear saxophonist Brian Grivna,
and tonight he is the featured artist at Jazz Central. Take advantage of the
opportunity-- between gigs with JazzMN, touring pit orchestras and theaters,
it's not every night we can hear Brian in a jazz club setting!
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Rhonda Laurie |
Fans
of vocal jazz will enjoy tonight at Crooners, with the Rhonda Laurie Trio. Rhonda has a special fondness for the songs of
the 30s and 40s, but also finds obscure gems from other eras to keep a listener
on full alert. Her cohorts tonight are Rick Carlson and Steve Pikal, so you
know the night will swing.
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Davu Seri |
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Nachito Herrera |
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Park Evans |
Two of the area's finest big
bands are on call tonight, with the combustible Explosion Big Band, led by Doug Haining and Scott Agster, filling
the chairs at Jazz Central, while "up north," the adventurous Acme Jazz Company is on the bandstand at
Crooners Lounge.
A special early set at Jazz Central tonight features a "young gun" from McNally Smith, saxophonist Lucia Sarmiento and her quintet. We've been hearing Lucia around town lately, particularly at the 2014 Twin Cities Jazz Fest on the Youth Stage and with Breaking Brass at the 2015 festival on the 6th Street Stage. Originally from Lima, Peru, Lucia studied there with Andres Prado, and came to McNally Smith by way of Buenos Ares. Among her cohorts is pianist Will Kjeer.
A special early set at Jazz Central tonight features a "young gun" from McNally Smith, saxophonist Lucia Sarmiento and her quintet. We've been hearing Lucia around town lately, particularly at the 2014 Twin Cities Jazz Fest on the Youth Stage and with Breaking Brass at the 2015 festival on the 6th Street Stage. Originally from Lima, Peru, Lucia studied there with Andres Prado, and came to McNally Smith by way of Buenos Ares. Among her cohorts is pianist Will Kjeer.
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Group 47 |
At Jazz Central, a new trio takes the bandstand for "new music night." The Adrian Peterson Ensemble (APE) isn't led by a new Peterson -- it's a collaboration of drummer Adrian Suarez, bassist Graydon Peterson and pianist Joe Strachan. New band, new music from established artists.
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John Raymond |
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Bryan Nichols |
And a quick update-- jazz tonight a Khyber Pass features a trio of amazing credentials and sounds: Adam Linz, Paul Metzger and Phil Hey. And they start late enough that you can make at least some of the show after an earlier event.
There's an
enviable double header at Vieux Carré tonight, starting dinner hour with the
swinging Zack Lozier Three in the
unusual configuration of trumpet, bass and either guitar or piano; hang around
for more traditional but no less playful or swinging, the Travis Anderson Trio.
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 24,
Jon Pemberton Tribute to Lee Morgan at The Nicollet
. July 24,
Zacc Harris & Javi Santiago/Ginger Commodore Quartet at Vieux Carre'
. July 24,
Maud Hixson at Parma
8200
. July 25, Chateau St Croix Winery Jazz Fest (St Croix Falls) with the John Raymond Group, Ticket to Brasil and Atlantis Quartet
. July 25, Christ the King Church Music Fest with Travis Anderson, Irv Williams and Ginger Commodore
. July 25, Chateau St Croix Winery Jazz Fest (St Croix Falls) with the John Raymond Group, Ticket to Brasil and Atlantis Quartet
. July 25, Christ the King Church Music Fest with Travis Anderson, Irv Williams and Ginger Commodore
. July 25,
Cory Healey's Beautiful Sunshine Band at the Black Dog
. July 25, Peter
Schimke Duo/Daddy Squeeze Band at Vieux Carre'
. July 25, Reynold Philipsek CD Release at 318
. July 27, John Raymond (MN) Quartet with Dave Karr, Brian Courage at the Icehouse
. July 25, Reynold Philipsek CD Release at 318
. July 27, John Raymond (MN) Quartet with Dave Karr, Brian Courage at the Icehouse
. July 28,
Corner Jazz (Maryann Sullivan) at The Nicollet
. July 29, Mountain King (Brian Courage, Graydon Peterson, Jeremy Boettcher) at Jazz Central
. July 29, Mountain King (Brian Courage, Graydon Peterson, Jeremy Boettcher) at Jazz Central
. July 30, dā-kə-bro̵̅o̅-dā,
All Originals at Studio Z
. July 30, Zack Lozier 3/Mississippi at Vieux Carre'
. July 31, Jeremy Walker Duo/Parisota Hot Club at Vieux
Carre'
. July 31, The Girls ("A Diva Tribute") at Chanhassan Dinner Theater
. July 31, Peter Kogan Group CD Release, Target Atrium at Orchestra Hall (10 pm)
. August 3, Courageous Endeavors (the original band) at the Icehouse
. July 31, The Girls ("A Diva Tribute") at Chanhassan Dinner Theater
. July 31, Peter Kogan Group CD Release, Target Atrium at Orchestra Hall (10 pm)
. August 3, Courageous Endeavors (the original band) at the Icehouse
. August 6,
George Brooks with Larry Coryell and Bombay
Jazz at the Dakota
. August 7, Patty Peterson and Friends at the Icehouse
. August 7, Atlantis Quartet at Vieux Carre'
. August 7, Patty Peterson and Friends at the Icehouse
. August 7, Atlantis Quartet at Vieux Carre'
. August 8,
PipJazz at The Bedlam
. August 13, Michael Janisch Paradigm Shift Quartet at
Studio Z
. August 15, Freedom Jazz Festival (Minneapolis, TBA)
. August 20, Adam Meckler Quintet Live Recording at
Studio Z
. August 20-27, Bridge Chamber Music Festival, Northfield (Laura Caviani
and Dave Milne on 8/21; Dave Hagedorn on 8/24)
. August 22, Jeremy Siskind Trio with Nancy Harms at Vieux Carré
. August
25, Cyrus Chestnut Trio at the Dakota
. August
30, Tootie Heath Trio with Ethan Iverson and Ben Street at the Dakota
. August
31, Terence Blanchard and E-Collective at the Dakota
. September
7-8, Victor Wooten at the Dakota
. September
11, Christian Scott and Stretch Music at the Dakota
. September
17, Patricia Barber at the Dakota
. September
22-23, Lizz Wright at the Dakota
. October
4, Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra at the Dakota
. October
25, Benny Green Trio at the Dakota
. November
16, Regina
Carter's Southern Comfort at the Dakota
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He's back! Brian Courage returns for a few gigs starting July 27th at the Icehouse (John Raymond QT) |