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Laura Caviani and her Trio -- multiple gigs this week! |
© Andrea Canter
The frost is on the pumpkin,
leaves are falling, and jazz is buzzing all over the Metro. It's a full week of
local veterans in varying combinations and some young cats from Oberlin highlighting
the local scene.
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Joyce Lyons |
Friday, October 16. A fine voice that gets too little attention around
town, Joyce Lyons and her usual crew
(Phil Aaron, Graydon Peterson) help you chill out at Parma 8200. In Lowertown St Paul, a young
voice getting more and more attention lately entertains at the SW Crafthouse (Senor Wong) -- Katia Cardenas pays hommage to Ella as well as more modern jazz and
pop.
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Eric Gravatt |
At the Black Dog,
"chill" with some heat from the monthly Donald Washington Trio gig, with the Wise Man of saxophone on the
bandstand with son Kevin on drums and special guest on more saxophones, Jimmie
Wallace. Another local icon, drummer Eric
Kamau Gravatt returns to Jazz Central with his long-running Source Code, currently featuring Dave
Graf and Solomon Parham on horns and Ron Evaniuk on bass.
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JT Bates |
Vieux Carré hosts an early
evening of duo finery with Jeremy Walker,
then moves into less civilized territory with Grain, the new B-3 organ trio from drummer JT Bates, with Kevin Gastonguay on organ and Zacc Harris on guitar.
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Dean Granros |
Friday Night Jazz at the Nicollet also brings together some exciting veterans, with
Davu Seru on drums, Chris Bates on bass and legendary Dean Granros on guitar (Seru/Bates/Granros).
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Yolande Bruce |
At Crooners, it's old times
with Judi (Donaghy) Vinar singing and
swinging with the Wolverines Quartet, while the latest installment of the Eight
O'Clock Jump series at Walker West features the Yolande Bruce Group. This concert may be sold out but check with
Walker West.
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Laura Caviani |
Saturday, October 17. The first of several opportunities this week to hear
the Laura Caviani Trio with special
guest, Portland-based drummer Todd
Strait. Todd is an old
cohort of Laura's, one of her Kansas
City connections through Karrin Allyson. Now in Portland, Todd appeared
on Laura's recording, Going There. Tonight the trio (with Steve Pikal on bass)
helps raise funds for Habitat for Humanity in concert at Plymouth
Congregational Church in south Minneapolis.
(See more gigs, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday).
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Adam Linz |
Saturday Night Jazz at the
Black Dog features a tantalizing double header. Things start cooking with a new
string duo-- Peter Susag on bass and Greg
Byers on cello. (Greg was the first cello graduate of the University of Miami's
famed jazz program.) The heat will be further cranked up for the second round as
bassist Adam Linz's Le Percheron
makes its Black Dog debut, previewing music from their forthcoming vinyl
release. Adam will be joined by young vibes master Levi Schwartzberg, trumpeter
Noah Ophoven-Baldwin, and drummer Cory Healey.
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Maryann Sullivan's Corner Jazz |
Veteran vocalist Maurice Jacox returns to the Normandy
Kitchen with his trio, while at Crooners, vocalist Patty Peterson brings along some "new" friends, bassist
Mark Weisberg and guitarist Wayne Cullinan, along with nephew Jason Peterson
DeLaire on keys and sax. JoAnn Funk and
Jeff Brueske fill the Lobby Bar of the Saint Paul Hotel with classic and
more modern fare, while Maryann
Sullivan's Corner Jazz performs in the lounge at Public Kitchen.
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Andrew Walesch |
Sunday, October 18. The usual suspects for jazz brunch-- The Andrew Walesch Trio with Gordy Johnson
and Jay Epstein preside at Crooners; Patty
and the Buttons swing at the Aster; and Robert
Everest puts a touch of Brazil
on the Mexican menu at Maria's.
This evening, trumpeter Solomon Parham is back at The Bedlam
with Solomon's Sessions, a jam session with young cohorts from McNally Smith
College of Music.
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Steve Kenny |
Laura Caviani's trio with Graydon Peterson and Todd Strait
will present a workshop at Schmitt Music in Edina on jazz piano ensemble performance.
Over at Crooners, Doug Haining and his
Twin Cities Seven, with vocalist Maryann Sullivan, perform on their monthly
Monday slot. And at Jazz Central, trumpeter and curator Steve Kenny shines in the "featured artist" slot.
Tuesday, October 20. The Laura Caviani Trio makes its debut at Crooners on the Tuesday
instrumental jazz night, with Graydon Peterson and Portland,
OR drummer Todd Strait. At Vieux
Carré, Dan Musselman plays some
inventive solo piano during the early evening, followed by the Zacc Harris Trio.
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Katia Cardenas |
And it's
Foodie Night at the Dakota, with vocalist Katia
Cardenas and her band, featuring Todd Godbout on piano, Andrew Foreman on
bass, Zach Schmidt on drums and special guest Jason Weisman on sax. It's the
one-year "Dakota-versary" for the young singer who has become a
regular presence on Foodie Nights. The Explosion
Big Band, led by Doug Haining and Dave Graf, takes their usual place on Big
Band Tuesday at Jazz Central.
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Chris Lomheim |
Wednesday, October 21. We're used to hearing pianist Chris Lomheim in solo or with his trio,
but tonight at Jazz Central, Chris expands his team to a quintet, with Pete
Whitman on sax, Adam Rossmiller on trumpet, Jay Young on bass and Dave
Schmalenberger on drums.
Thursday, October 22. The original Charmin and Shapira Duo return to Jazz Central tonight as part of
the Vocal Jazz series. And a younger duo, pianist
Joe Strachan and bassist Ted Olsen, open the evening at Vieux Carré.
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 October 22-- Will Schmid re his quintet gig on the Youth Jazz Showcase
the next night at The Nicollet.) Venues and artists are reminded to send
information to online and print calendars (e.g. tc@jazzpolice.com).
Coming Soon!
. October
23, No Room for Squares (opening - Will Schmid New Quintet) at The Nicollet
. October
23, BDP at Jazz Central
. October
24, Illicit Sextet at the Black Dog
. October
24, Pippi Ardennia Birthday Bash and Fundraiser at The Bedlam
. October
25, Benny Green Trio at the Dakota
. October
26, Glimpse Trio (Mike Sopko/Hamir
Atwal/Martin Dosh) at the Icehouse
. October
27, Jane Monheit at the Dakota
. October
29, Emily Green at Jazz Central
. October
31, How Birds Work at the Black Dog
. November
1, Soul Cafe at the Hennepin Ave
United Methodist Church
. November
2, Real Bulls (JT Bates, Dave King) and Enormous Quartet at the Icehouse
. November
7, Butch Thompson with Tony Balluff and Steve Pikal, Jazz @ St Barneys (St
Barnabas Church)
. November
9, Joey DeFrancesco at the Dakota
. November
10, Mary Louise Knutson Trio at Crooners Lounge
. November
12-14, Zeitgeist New Music Cabaret at Studio Z
. November
13, Eric Gravatt and Source Code at Walker
West Music
Academy
. November
16, Regina Carter's
Southern Comfort at the Dakota
. November
17, Adam Meckler Orchestra at Vieux Carré
. November
19, Jazz in the Target Atrium (Orchestra Hall), Atrium Jazz Ensemble + Ron
Miles
. November
21, Joyce Lyons, Jazz @ St. Barneys
. November
21, JazzMN Orchestra at Hopkins
High School Auditorium
. November
22-23, Karrin Allyson at the Dakota
. November
30, Pat Martino Quartet at the Dakota
. December
2, Diane Schuur at the Dakota
. December
4, The Girls at the Dakota
. December
4, Atlantis Quartet at The Nicollet
. December
5, Atlantis Quartet at the Black Dog
. December
8, Jamison Ross at the Dakota
. December
9-10, Ramsey Lewis Holiday Show at the Dakota
. December
14-15, New York Voices Holiday show at the Dakota
. December
25-28, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
. January
23, Jeremy Walker's Seven Psalms at Orchestra Hall
. February
2, Charles Lloyd Trio with Bill Frisell at the Dakota
. February
8-9, John Scofield and Joe Lovano at the Dakota
. March
2-3, Brian Blade Fellowship at the Dakota
* All photos by Andrea Canter except Junior Ranger (provided by the band)
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Benny Green and his trio -- coming to the Dakota on October 25! |