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| Atlantis Quartet -- at The Nicollet and Black Dog! |
© Andrea Canter
Interesting dialogue on
Facebook regarding the nature of "music" venues (crowd, volume,
expectations) and the potential to attract new audiences to jazz. As you
venture out this week-- and there's plenty to hear--consider your surroundings
and how they do or do not contribute to your enjoyment of the music and its
survival.... as well as the survival of the venue. And check out back-to-back
gigs from the Atlantis Quartet; Charles Lazarus with a new "Merry and
Bright" at Orchestra Hall; new talents (Jamison Ross) and living legends
(Ramsey Lewis) at the Dakota; local legends Butch Thompson and Dean Magraw at
Crooners, the return of the Adam Meckler
Orchestra at Vieux Carré... and the beat goes on!
Big Gigs This Week
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| The Girls* |
Friday, December 4. A six-part reunion at the Dakota ushers in the
holidays as The Girls reunite--all
six of the vocalists who at one time or another performed with the beloved
quartet over the past decade-plus. The original core--Lori Dokken, Judi Donaghy
Vinar, Erin Schwab and Debbie Duncan were augmented over the years by Patty
Peterson and Rachel Holder-Hennig, and now the full sextet brings us
"Harmony and Humor" -- and you can count on plenty of both.
The very successful Eight
O'Clock Jump concert series at Walker West Music Academy finishes the 2015 season with St Paul native pianist and
producer Anthony Walker taking a
break from duties as Music Director for Ledisi. He'll be joined by a local
ensemble headed by drum titan Kevin Washington. Stay tuned for the announcement
of the 2016 season!
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| Jordan Anderson |
Pianists takes the spotlight
at Jazz Central, where Ted Godbout
leads a trio with bassist Matt Peterson and drummer Peter James Johnson,
followed by an all-star youth quartet headed by pianist Jordan Anderson; and in St. Paul, Jeremy Walker starts off the evening at Vieux Carré.
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| Charles Lazarus |
Trumpeter Charles Lazarus
brings his "Merry and Bright" to Orchestra Hall, featuring vocalists Tonia Hughes and Bruce Henry. From Latin
to lounge, groove to gospel, the set list moves from "Christmas Time Is
Here" to "Frosty the Snowman," NOLA style. The Lazarus Brass
(Minnesota Orchestra brass experts) and his jazz rhythm team of Tommy
Barbarella, Jeff Bailey and Dave Schmalenberger will be on hand to add to the
holiday cheer.
At The Bedlam, percussion
ensemble Matra plays their last gig
til spring, featuring Andres Crovetti on vibes, Matthew Solace on drumset,
Krissy Bergmark on tablas and Jenny Klukken on marimba.
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| Steven Hobert and Dean Magraw |
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| Chris Bates |
Friday-Saturday, December 4-5. On annual local "Jazz Artists of the Year"
lists and ready to head to New York
for a studio recording session, the Atlantis
Quartet took a short vacation this fall, and are now back and blowing up
stages all over town. This weekend, they go back-to-back, from Minneapolis
to St Paul,
appearing on Steve Kenny's series at both the Nicollet (Friday Night Jazz) and
Black Dog (Saturday Night Jazz). Zacc
Harris, Brandon Wozniak, Chris Bates and Pete Hennig are each a force of
nature on the Twin Cities jazz scene, and together they can seem like a force
of the supernatural! At the Black Dog Saturday, they will be preceded by an
opening set from saxophonist Tommy Bentz
and his quartet with Steve Kenny, Jason
McLean and Alex Burgess.
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| JoAnn Funk |
Jazz in the Lobby Bar of the
Saint Paul Hotel continues the weekend holiday tradition with JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske covering
both Friday and Saturday.
Saturday, December 5. Jazz at St Barneys holds two concerts this month, the
first tonight with perennial favorite Connie
Evingson, singing with great support from Mary Louise Knutson and Dave
Karr.
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| Pippi Ardennia |
In Lowertown, the Bedlam hosts the season-closing PipJazz show, with Pippi
Ardennia leading a band of young upstarts, from McNally Smith, the U of M
and beyond, with special guest, guitarist John Penny. Proceeds support the
PipJazz Foundation (which promotes opportunities for young musicians) and the
Bedlam.
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| Patty Peterson |
At Crooners, Patty Peterson and Friends return, with
Phil Aaron, Mark Weisburg and Bobby Vandell joining Patty for a night of song
and fun. And speaking of crooners, Arne
Fogel joins a satanic trio (Steven Hobert, Matt Peterson and Dick
Bortolussi) for "December in Hell" -- that's at Hell's Kitchen.
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| Joan Griffith |
The Minnesota Guitar
Society's annual Acoustic Jazz
Guitar-a-Thon takes place at Sundin Hall at Hamline University,
featuring the best of Twin Cities' jazz guitarists--Robert Bell and Gary
Schulte Duo, Dean Granros, Joan Griffith, Chris Olson, Liz DeYoe, Tomas Simpson
and Soren Schendeman.
At the Icehouse, young lion
pianist Javi Santiago joins bassist James Buckley for dinner hour sets.
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| Zacc Harris |
Sunday, December 6. Jazz Brunch is always a fun addition to the
weekend-- check out the Aster for Patty
and the Buttons and Maria's for Robert
Everest. This afternoon, the Century
Jazz Ensemble holds its holiday concert at Century College;
and the Capri Big Band performs at
the Capri Theater. In the evening, hear the MacJazz
band under the direction of Joan Griffith at Mairs Concert Hall in the Janet
Wallace Fine Arts complex at Macalester. The Zacc Harris Trio holds its weekly seance at the Riverview Wine Bar.
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| Laura Caviani |
Monday, December 7. A special evening at the Dakota is sponsored by Lawrence University,
home to one of the top music conservatories in the Midwest.
The LU Jazz Faculty Quartet perform
with special guests, Lawrence
alums Adam Meckler, Laura Caviani and
Mary Louise Knutson. Note tickets are sold by Lawrence and not the Dakota.
As so often the case, Monday night at Jazz Central introduces a new band of area veterans, tonight led by guitarist Park Evans. His cohorts are each well accomplished in his own right--saxophonist Brandon Wozniak, trumpeter Zack Lozier, bassist Cody McKinney and drummer Greg Schutte.
As so often the case, Monday night at Jazz Central introduces a new band of area veterans, tonight led by guitarist Park Evans. His cohorts are each well accomplished in his own right--saxophonist Brandon Wozniak, trumpeter Zack Lozier, bassist Cody McKinney and drummer Greg Schutte.
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| Bryan Nichols |
At the
Icehouse, JT's Jazz implosion will play home to the first annual Rhodes Summit. Bryan Nichols, John C. S.
Keston, DeVon Russel Gray and Martin Dosh will play two sets of music on four Rhodes
pianos. "Hopefully the stage won't collapse. Some songs, some improv.
Mucho Rhodes."
The Acme Jazz Company takes the stage at Crooners, filling the lounge
and bar with a raft of original charts.
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| Butch Thompson |
Tuesday, December 8. Tuesday Instrumental Music night at Crooners features
a pair of crowd favorites, pianist Butch
Thompson and guitarist Dean Magraw,
mixing it up with trademark skill and humor.
The inventive Nova Jazz Orchestra is back at the
Minnesota Music Cafe for their monthly gig, with special guest, vocalist Tony
Demarco. And every Tuesday is Big Band night at Jazz Central, tonight featuring
the Cedar Avenue Big Band.
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| Chris Olson |
At the Black Dog, second
Tuesdays mean the Chris Olson Project,
and the project expands greatly tonight to a septet with Zoe Berman (vocals),
Andrew Godell (vocals, violin), Jemma Heigis (keyboard), Kristoph Krabbenhoft
(drums), Megan Mahoney (bass), Julian Manzara (guitar), and of course Olson on
guitar as well as some dance moves.
There's more guitar at Vieux
Carré where Joel Shapira and Dave Martin match wits with drummer Pete Hennig in
a trio dubbed The Growlers. Chris
Lomheim's sublime solo piano kicks off the evening.
At the Dakota, 2012
Thelonious Monk International Jazz Drum Competition winner Jamison Ross makes his club debut, not only showcasing his drumming
and composing, but also his skills as a vocalist, as featured on his new album,
Jamison.
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| Framework |
Wednesday, December 9. At Jazz Central, new music night presents Framework, one of the most creatively
ambitious string trios around, with Chris Olson on guitar, Chris Bates on bass
and Jay Epstein on drums.
At Crooners, the Debbie Duncan Quartet will make you
forget the cold and damp.
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| Ramsey Lewis |
Wednesday-Thursday, December 9-10. Keyboard icon Ramsey
Lewis has appeared at the Dakota several times over the past few years, and
now returns with his special holiday dazzle and his acoustic band-- featuring
Henry Johnson on guitar, Joshua Ramos on bass, and Charles Heath on drums. Two
nights, four sets. Hang on, Santa!
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| Vicky Mountain |
Thursday, December 10. Vocalist and vocal instructor Vicky Mountain gets out of class early enough for a gig at Jazz
Central tonight with trio-mates Chris Lomheim and Jim Chenoweth, while at The
Nicollet, it's vocalist Karen Quiroz and
Samba Meu, exploring acoustic Brazilian roots and pop with noted jazz
artists Dave Martin (guitar), Tim O'Keefe (percussion) and special guest, Pat
O'Keefe, on clarinet.
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| Adam Meckler |
Vieux Carré welcomes back
the Adam Meckler Orchestra, 18 of the
finest young jazz artists in the region playing original charts from bandleader
and trumpeter Adam. Come early for a duo of similarly fine young jazzers,
pianist Joe Strachan and bassist Ted Olsen.
In St.
Paul, The Yeggs take the
floor at Khyber Pass, with Adam Linz and Paul
Metzger weaving their respective strings, followed by a solo set from young
trumpeter Noah Ophoven-Baldwin.
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 7:20 am on
Fridays. On December 10, special guest will be Zacc Harris, talking about the new Jazz at Studio Z season. Venues
and artists are reminded to send information to online and print calendars
(e.g. tc@jazzpolice.com).
Coming Soon!
A special heads up! In order
to create a more listener-friendly music space, Crooners will launch its new Larry Dunsmore Room with a "pre-opening" featuring the Laura Caviani Holiday Show on December 17.
Using one of the dining rooms revamped with stage, sound system and a 9-foot
Bosendorfer grand piano, the Dunsmore Room will operate as a 80-90 seat jazz club 2-3 nights per week, featuring the Tuesday Night Instrumental Jazz series, the new "In the Crook" vocal/piano duo series on the first Sunday of the month, a new Sunday series hosted by Dan Chouinard, and
beyond, with local and occasionally national talents. The Dave King Trio will
perform for the Grand Opening in the Dunsmore Room on December 22, with Bill Carrothers on the
Bosendorfer. The no 'cover' policy will continue but there will be a drink/food
minimum, $10-$15 for local artists. Watch Crooners' website and the Lead Sheet
for more information.
. December
11, Laura Caviani Holiday Show at Vieux Carré
. December
11, JazzINK Youth Showcase with the Mac Wilms Quartet/Bill Simenson Quintet at
The Nicollet
. December
11, Arne Fogel at Parma
8200
. December
12, Fletcher/King/Woods CD release at the Black Dog
. December
12, JT Bates "Grain", Jazz at Studio Z
. December
12, Peter Kogan Quartet at Vieux Carré
. December
13, Fuzzy Math CD Release at the Icehouse
. December
14, George Cartwright's PAL at the Icehouse
. December
14-15, New York Voices Holiday show at the Dakota
. December
15, Jazz 88 Holiday Party with Mary Louise
Knutson and Katia Cardenas at Vieux Carré
. December
15, Phil Aaron Trio at Crooners Lounge
. December
17, Larry McDonald Holiday Show at the Dakota
. December
17, Laura Caviani Holiday Show and grand opening of the Larry Dunsmore Room at
Crooners Lounge
. December
18 & 20, "Jingle Bell
Doc," Doc Severinsen and the MN Orchestra at Orchestra Hall
. December
18, Peter Vircks Quartet at The Nicollet
. December
18, Maud Hixson Trio at Parma
8200
. December
19, Ginger Commodore Holiday Show at Vieux
Carré
. December
19, Headspace/Tall Tales at the Black Dog
. December
20, Peterson Family Christmas at the Dakota
. December
21, Phil Cook with Mike Lewis and JT Bates at the Icehouse
. December
21-22, Nachito Herrera and the Universals at the Dakota
. December
22, Connie Evingson "Hot Jazz" at Vieux Carré
. December
22, Dave King Trio (with Bill Carrothers and Billy Peterson) at in the Dunsmore
Room at Crooners Lounge
. December
26, Iron Chops/Framework at the Black Dog
. December
27, Big Band Christmas at Jazz@ St Barneys
. December
25-28, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
. December
28, JT Bates "Open Relationships" CD release at the Icehouse
. December 29, Jake Baldwin Quartet in the Dunsmore Room, Crooners Lounge
. December 30, Connie Evingson Eve of New Year's Eve in the Dunsmore Room, Crooners Lounge
. December 29, Jake Baldwin Quartet in the Dunsmore Room, Crooners Lounge
. December 30, Connie Evingson Eve of New Year's Eve in the Dunsmore Room, Crooners Lounge
. December
31, Artists Quarter New Year's Eve with Carole Martin at Hell's Kitchen
. December
31, New Year's Eve Dinner Show with Jazzland Wonderband at Vieux Carré
. December
31, Thomas Bruce/Maud Hixson/Benny Weinbeck Quartet, New Year's Eve Party at Parma 8200
. December
31, New Year's Eve Benefit for Feed My Starving Children with The Niskas at
Prince of Peace Lutheran
Church (Burnsville)
. January 5, Butch Thompson on the Bosendorfer, Dunsmore Room of Crooners Lounge
. January 7, Rachel Holder-Hennig and Rick Carlson "In the Crook," Dunsmore Room of Crooners Lounge
. January 5, Butch Thompson on the Bosendorfer, Dunsmore Room of Crooners Lounge
. January 7, Rachel Holder-Hennig and Rick Carlson "In the Crook," Dunsmore Room of Crooners Lounge
. January
9, Andrew Walesch at Jazz @St Barneys
. January
10, Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues at the Dakota
. January 12, Peter Kogan Quartet, Dunsmore Room of Crooners Lounge
. January 12, Peter Kogan Quartet, Dunsmore Room of Crooners Lounge
. January
17, John Penny CD release at the Icehouse
. January 19, Mary Louise Knutson Trio, Dunsmore Room of Crooners Lounge
. January 19, Mary Louise Knutson Trio, Dunsmore Room of Crooners Lounge
. January
22, Happy Apple at the Icehouse
. January
23, Jeremy Walker's Seven Psalms at
Orchestra Hall
. January
23, Rick Carlson and Steve Pikal at Jazz @St. Barneys
. January
31, Winter Jazz Festival at the Saint Paul Hotel, featuring the Cyrus Chestnut
Trio
. February
2, Charles Lloyd Trio with Bill Frisell at the Dakota
. February
8-9, John Scofield and Joe Lovano at the Dakota
. February
20, Swing Sister (Maryann Sullivan and Rhonda Laurie) at Jazz @ St Barneys
. February
20, Bill Frisell at the Dakota
. February
22, Ches Smith Trio with Craig Taborn at the Icehouse
. February
25, Rez Abassi with Rudresh Mahanthappa at Walker Art Center
. February
25, Jazz in the Target Atrium, Atrium Jazz Ensemble with Bryan Nichols at
Orchestra Hall
. March
2-3, Brian Blade Fellowship at the Dakota
. March 5,
Pete Whitman X-Tet at Hopkins
Center for the Arts
. March 13,
JazzMN Orchestra with Tierney Sutton at the Hopkins High School
Auditorium
. March 23, Geoffrey Keezer with Gillian Margot in the Dunsmore Room, Crooners Lounge
. March 23, Geoffrey Keezer with Gillian Margot in the Dunsmore Room, Crooners Lounge
. April 23,
JazzMN Orchestra with Bob McChesney and Andy Martin at Hopkins High School
Auditorium
. April 28,
Jazz in the Target Atrium at Orchestra Hall
. May 7,
Steve Lehman Octet at the Walker
Art Center
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| JT Bates --"Grain" (organ trio) at Studio Z, December 12; CD Release at the Icehouse, December 28 |
*Photos by Andrea Canter except "The Girls" (press photo)
