© Andrea Canter
Holiday themes prevail over much of the Twin Cities music
scene as we count down to the end of the year, and jazz is no exception.
Concerts and gigs featuring instrumental trios, vocal ensembles and more make
the season bright, but so do CD release celebrations, new bands, old favorites
and.. everything jazz.
Big Gigs This Week
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Rio Nido (in the day)* |
Friday, December 11. A long overdue reunion, the beloved classical jazz trio of the 70s and
80s, Rio Nido is back for two sets at
the Dakota. From 1972-1986, Tim Sparks, Prudence Johnson and Tom Lieberman kept
the music of the 30s and 40s alive and well before moving on to launch their
own stellar solo careers.
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Eric Gravatt |
Eric Gravatt returns to Jazz
Central with Source Code, tonight
featuring saxophonist Chris Thomson in the front line with trumpeter Solomon
Parham, veteran Source Code bassist Ron Evaniuk, and of course Weather Report
alum Gravatt on drums. They're followed by the student set and jam, this time
featuring the Jax Blake Tricetet.
At The Nicollet, prime time bandleader and
trumpeter Bill Simenson breaks away
from the big band format to assemble a star-bright quintet with saxophonist
Nathan Hanson, guitarist Dave Martin, bassist Chris Bates and brother, drummer
JT Bates. The monthly JazzINK Youth Showcase kicks off the evening with teen
talents, the Mac Wilms Quartet.
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Laura Caviani |
Laura Caviani and her trio offer the first of two holiday shows this week, starting
at Vieux Carré in St Paul with Gordy Johnson on bass and Joe Pulice on drums--
the same cast as her holiday release, Holly,
Jolly and Jazzy. Laura brings at least one holiday show to the metro every
winter, filled with originals and reinterpretations of seasonal standards. Andrew Foreman and Ben Abrahamson open the
night with a string duo.
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Arne Fogel |
At Parma 8200, Arne Fogel celebrates the eve of Frank Sinatra's centennial
birthday with Steve Pikal and Rick Carlson, including their renditions of "Fly Me To
The Moon", "I've Got The World On A String", "The Tender
Trap", "Our Love Is Here To Stay", "Wee Small Hours",
and more. JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske
have some holiday fun in the Lobby Bar at the Saint Paul Hotel (and again on
Saturday).
Saturday, December 12. Need a midday break from shopping? At Midtown Global Market, Charmin Michelle and Joel Shapira make
voice/guitar duo magic.
At Crooners Lounge, Andrew Walesch and his 9-piece orchestra reprise his recent
centennial salutes to Frank Sinatra on Frank's actual birthday.
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Jeff King |
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JT Bates |
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Peter Kogan |
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Charanga Tropical |
Another CD release, this time Fuzzy Math celebrates their second
album, Pass the Guacamole, at the
Icehouse. Referred to as the jazz
band for people who don't like jazz, Mark Vandermyde, keys; Eric Graham, bass;
Andrew Schwandt, sax; and Haralds Bondaris, drums should also appeal to those
who do like jazz!
Monday, December 14. You can have lunch in Hell today-- Hell's Kitchen
offers a lunch-time holiday show with the Jaztronauts,
headed by saxophonist/vocalist Jason Weisman.
U of M Jazz Ensembles I and II present their winter concert at Ted Mann with guest
artist, trombonist David Springfield.
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Steven Hobert |
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New York Voices |
And it's two consecutive
nights in Hell with Charmin Michelle and
Vic Volare!
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Phil Aaron |
KBEM holds
its annual holiday party at Vieux Carré, but anyone can come in for the music
which features the McNally Smith -affiliated Gerard Ahlgren Group followed by vocalist Katia Cardenas.
And it's Big Band Night at
Jazz Central, with Doug Haining and Scott Agster's Explosion Big Band hitting the rafters tonight.
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Charmin and Shapira |
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Laura Caviani |
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Larry McDonough |
A new venue in downtown
Delano --the Bonde Bistro-- welcomes the Pete
Snell Trio with Pete on sax, Lee Blaske on piano, and Jim Chenoweth on
bass. And if your tastes run smooth, you
can't do better than an evening with pianist George Winston at Orchestra Hall.
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 17, special guest will be Patty Peterson, talking about
the Peterson Family holiday show and more. Venues and artists are reminded to
send information to online and print calendars (e.g. tc@jazzpolice.com).
Coming Soon!
. 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
18, Donald Washington Group at the Black Dog
. 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) 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
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 in the Dunsmore Room at Crooners Lounge
. January
7, Rachel Holder-Hennig "In the Crook" with Rick Carlson in the
Dunsmore Room at Crooners Lounge
. January
8, Denny Malmberg Trio with Charmin Michelle at Parma 8200
. January
9, Andrew Walesch at Jazz @St Barneys
. January
10, Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues at the Dakota
. January
10, Dan Chouinard's "Birthday Club" series launches in the Dunsmore
Room at Crooners Lounge
. January
12, Peter Kogan Quartet in the Dunsmore Room at Crooners Lounge
. January
17, John Penny CD release at the Icehouse
. January
19, Mary Louise Knutson Trio in the Dunsmore Room at 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
29, Maud Hixson at Parma
8200
. 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 in the Dunsmore Room at Crooners
. 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