© Andrea Canter
Feels like Autumn in Minnesota! And our jazz
venues are turning up the heat, from gigs with the best of our young lions to
veteran performers in diverse contexts, including a CD release from very
familiar musicians playing in the unexpected context of romantic standards.
Big Gigs This Week
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Lucia Sarmiento |
Friday, September 25. Young lions chew up the stage at The Nicollet on the
Friday Night Jazz Series! I first heard young saxophonist Lucia Sarmiento a couple years ago on the youth stage at the Twin
Cities Jazz Festival. From Lima Peru,
she studied with one of our favorite visiting artists, Andres Prado, and now is
pursuing advanced studies at McNally Smith with Pete Whitman. She leads a band
of like-minded artists who appeared on the Sixth
Street stage at the 2015 festival.
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Maud Hixson |
At Parma 8200 in Bloomington, it's the monthly evening with the Maud Hixson Trio, with Rick Carlson and Gordy
Johnson. Maud and Rick just returned from Portland,
OR where they performed her "Skyscraper
Wits" show-- music from Porter, Hart and Mercer, so perhaps some of that
repertoire will be on the Parma
setlist?
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Javi Santiago |
At Vieux Carré, start the
evening with the sublime piano/bass duo of Jeremy
Walker and Jeff Brueske, then re-boot your ears with the Javi Santiago Sextet. The young pianist,
recently relocated back home after a few years honing his chops in New York, has assembled
a band of the top young guns in town-- trumpeter Jake Baldwin, bassist Ted
Olson, and drummer Miguel Hurtado, along with two of our most prolific
veterans--guitarist Zacc Harris and saxophonist Pete Whitman. It will be a
blast.
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Anthony Cox |
Jazz Central has a new, more
eclectic format for Fridays, starting at 8 pm. This week, internationally
acclaimed bassist Anthony Cox leads Riotous N ("mysticism explored")
with an ensemble featuring top improvisers deVon Gray (keys), John Penny
(guitar), Davu Seru (percussion), and Sarah M. Greer (vocals).
Saturday, September 26. Saturday Night Jazz at the Black Dog makes a bit of
a right turn tonight with a CD release party for A Night Together. Conceived and funded by frequent Black Dog
patrons Holly Augustine and Bill Coulter, the recording puts familiar Black Dog
performers Brandon Wozniak, Steve Kenny,
Peter Schimke, Billy Peterson and Kenny Horst into less familiar territory--standards
that tell the story of love ("A Night Together") from preamble
("Suggestion") to conclusion ("Denouement"), arranged by
Adam Meckler.
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John Penny |
To be sure there is an initial jolt of adrenalin, the 7 pm
opening set features the John Penny Trio--guitarist/vocalist
John with bassist Charlie Riddle and drummer Davu Seru. Surely a night with
something for everyone!
At the Dakota, there's
always some fun as well as music flowing with Patty
Peterson and Friends, and tonight's "Friends" include both brother
Ricky Peterson on keys and frequent guest Steve Cole on sax, along with Jason
Peterson DeLaire, Joe Elliot, Billy Franze, and Bobby Vandell.
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Debbie Duncan |
Across the river, Minnesota's First Lady of Song, Debbie Duncan, entertains as only she
can at Vieux Carré. (I just ran into her, almost literally, on the grounds of
the Detroit Jazz Festival-- and I think it's time she performed there for her
hometown crowds.)
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Pavel Jany |
Regular Saturday night gigs
continue-- JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske
in the Lobby Bar of the Saint Paul Hotel; the swinging Talking Strings (Pavel Jany, Gary Schulte) at the Loring Pasta Bar; and
the epitome of piano jazz at Parma
8200 with the Benny Weinbeck Trio.
Sunday, September 27. Sunday Jazz Brunch is offered at Crooners Lounge
with songbird Maud Hixson; at the
Aster Cafe with the swinging Patty and
the Buttons; and at Maria's Cafe with Brazilian jazz favorite Robert Everest. End the day in relaxed
surroundings at the Riverview Wine Bar with the Zacc Harris Trio.
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Larry McDonough |
Monday, September 28. Our favorite piano-playing attorney Larry McDonough celebrates the big 6-0
at the Dakota with his long-running quartet-- saxophonist Richard Terrill,
bassist Greg Stinson and drummer Dean White, usually assisted by Larry's daughter Rosie
on African percussion. To make this gig more festive, Larry has asked fans for
song requests from his CDs and recent shows.
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Cameron Kinghorn |
Tonight the young turks of Jazzland Wonderband debut at Crooners
Lounge, playing the music of Dixieland and the Swing era. These are musicians
you have heard in more contemporary contexts-- Cameron Kinghorn, Nelson
Devereaux, Keith Hilson, Evan Clark and Andres Crovetti.
JT's Jazz Implosion at the Icehouse features a star-bright organ trio, with Kevin
Gastonguay, Zacc Harris and JT himself. This is no church organ gig!
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Arne Fogel |
Tuesday, September 29. The benefit of a fifth Tuesday this month-- the Acme Jazz Company (with vocalist Arne Fogel)
performs on Big Band night at Jazz Central Studios! With one of the most original books among
regional big bands, Acme brings a modern twist to Big Band sounds.
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Dave Graf |
Tuesday Night instrumental
jazz series continues at Crooners with the Dave
Graf Quartet. We seldom hear the ace trombonist in a leading role, and he
has gathered some simpatico pals--Dan Leahy on piano, Gary Raynor on bass and Mac
Santiago on drums.
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Dean Magraw |
A worthy double-header at
Vieux Carré: Start your evening with calm elegance from the solo piano of Chris Lomheim. Then jump-start your
cardio system with the ever-surprising Red
Planet, featuring Dean Magraw, Chris Bates and Jay Epstein in the band's VC
debut.
Wednesday, September 30. New Music Night at Jazz Central presents a dazzling
duo with Steven Hobert and Dean Magraw,
taking piano and guitar to new heights with "honesty, passion,
exploration. . . . letting loose. Come and dig it."
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Solomon Parham |
Thursday, October 1. Vieux Carré kicks off the new month with early
evening music from guitarist Joel Shapira,
followed by Solomon's Sessions-- a
jam of sorts led by trumpeter Solomon Parham and friends.
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. KBEM and KFAI radio host jazz programs regularly and provide
daily notices of jazz gigs and concerts. The live edition of The Lead Sheet can
be heard at 4:40 pm on Thursdays on KBEM, excerpts rebroadcast at 7:40 am on
Fridays. (Special guest September 3--Peter Leggett of Walker West, on the new
jazz series with Nicole Mitchell and soon Ron Carter.) Venues and artists are
reminded to send information to online and print calendars (e.g. tc@jazzpolice.com).
Coming Soon!
. October
2, Pete Emblom Sextet at Jazz Central
. October
3, Wayne Bergeron and Andrew Walesch with JazzMN Orchestra at Hopkins High School
Auditorium
. October
4, Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra at the Dakota
. October
6, Butch Thompson at Crooners Lounge
. October
8, Jazz in the Target Atrium (Orchestra Hall), Atrium Jazz Ensemble with
Wessell Anderson
. October
10, Maud Hixson, Jazz @ St. Barneys
. October
13, Phil Hey Quartet at Crooners Lounge
. October
15, Amina Figarova Sextet at the Dakota
. October
16, JT Bates Organ Trio at Vieux Carré
. October
16, Yolande Bruce Group at Walker
West Music
Academy
. October
20, Laura Caviani Trio with Bob Bowman and Todd Straight at Crooners Lounge
. October
25, Benny Green Trio at the Dakota
. October
26, Mike Sopko/Hamir Atwal/Martin Dosh at the Icehouse
. October
27, Jane Monheit at the Dakota
. November
1, Soul Cafe at the Hennepin Ave
United Methodist Church
. November
9, Joey DeFrancesco at the Dakota
. November
10, Mary Louise Knutson Trio at Crooners Lounge
. November
13, Eric Gravatt and Source Code at Walker
West Music
Academy
. November
16, Regina
Carter's Southern Comfort at the Dakota
. November
19, Jazz in the Target Atrium (Orchestra Hall), Atrium Jazz Ensemble
. November
21, Joyce Lyons, Jazz @ St. Barneys
. November
21, JazzMN Orchestra at Hopkins
High School Auditorium
. November
22-23, Karrin Allyson at the Dakota
. December
2, Diane Schuur at the Dakota
. December
14-15, New York Voices Holiday show at the Dakota
. December
25-28, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
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Atrium Jazz Ensemble, new season October 8 at Orchestra Hall |