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| The Dunsmore Room opens officially with the Dave King Trio on December 22 |
© Andrea Canter
The weather of the moment
seems much like the Twin Cities jazz scene-- a mix of everything! From big band
and trad to swinging vocals, "chamber jazz" to avant garde, and from
holiday magic to CD release, there's no shortage of jazzy entertainment this
week. Actually the scene is much better than the weather!
Big Gigs This Week
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| Dave Brattain |
Friday, December 18. About a year ago, saxophone giant Dave Brattain and
fleet-fingered guitarist Kevin Daley started a quartet dubbed the Daley
Brattain Report, but soon rebranded with the impossible-to-spell da-ke-brōō-da, taking a couple
letters--or sounds--from each musician's first name (Dave Brattain, Kevin
Daley, Bruce Heine and Dave Stanoch). While I can't guarantee the spelling
here, there is no doubt regarding the effectiveness of this collaboration,
coming together again at Jazz Central.
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| Peter Vircks |
In 2014, the Peter Vircks Quartet released a
well-received album, What You Believe Is True, a favorite at MPR and elsewhere.
The band returns to The Nicollet tonight (Friday Night Jazz at The Nicollet
series), featuring leader Vircks on sax, Brian Ziemniak on keys, Ron Evaniuk on
bass and Kevin Washington on drums.
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| Doc Severinsen & Vanessa Thomas |
It's an almost annual
holiday celebration at Orchestra Hall, as Doc
Severinsen returns as "Jingle Bell Doc," conducting the Minnesota
Orchestra along with our own Mary Louise Knutson on piano, Vanessa Thomas on
vocals, the Minnesota Chorale and Twin Cities Bronze (handbell ensemble). It
might be predictable, but it's always fun and Doc can still blow a great horn.
The concert repeats on Sunday afternoon.
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| Irv Williams |
Happy Hour just seems
happier during the holidays. At 96, Irv
Williams is still at it, with pal Steve Blons for Friday Happy Hour at the
Dakota. At Crooners' Lounge, vocalist/pianist Andrew Walesch raps up his week-long Happy Hour run, while songbird
Maud Hixson (with Rick Carlson and
Gordy Johnson) returns to the lounge at Parma 8200 for a "happy
evening," still flying high after her gig at the famed St. Peter's Church
in Manhattan last month.
Pianist Todd Harper and his quartet open the evening at the Black Dog,
followed by the inventive Donald
Washington Group, with Washington on saxes, wife Faye on cello and flute,
son Kevin on drums, and Dick Studer on bass.
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| Bryan Nichols |
Want a little piano with
your dinner? Bryan Nichols teams with
bassist Jeremy Boettcher at the Icehouse, while Jeremy Walker starts the evening at Vieux Carré. And JoAnn
Funk and Jeff Brueske calm holiday nerves in the Lobby Bar at the Saint
Paul Hotel, back again tomorrow (see below) as their two-night weekend gig
continues through the holidays.
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| Ginger Commodore |
Saturday, December 19. Another favorite songbird, Ginger Commodore brings her holiday show with her GCQ Quartet to
Vieux Carré Saturday night-- with her core band of Lee Blaske, Mark Weisberg
and Bobby Commodore, with Rich Manik on sax and some extra percussion from
Daryl Boudreaux. Ginger's gospel-tinged, bluesy vocals are particularly well
suited to holiday fare. (Catch her in the act again at Crooners on Wednesday!)
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| Dean Granros, Chris Bates (Tall Tales) |
Saturday Night Jazz at the
Black Dog brings back two crowd favorites: Long-time Monday night band at the
Artists Quarter, Headspace opens the
evening (Rob Dewy, Matt Senjem, Adam Ropar) with curator Steve Kenny adding
some brass; the headline band will be Dean
Granros' Tall Tales -- a double guitar quartet with Zacc Harris, Chris
Bates and Jay Epstein spinning "tall tales," of course, and nearly
spinning out of orbit.
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| JoAnn Funk |
JoAnn Funk's
Lobby Bar gig at the Saint Paul Hotel transforms into her annual "Deck the
Halls" night, adding the baritone voice of Steve Marking and violinist
Gary Schulte to Jeff Brueske's basslines and of course JoAnn's piano and
vocals. And at the Normandy Kitchen,
keyboard mayhem prevails with the Travis
Anderson Trio (with Steve Pikal and Nathan Norman).
Sunday, December 20. Singer, pianist and bandleader Andrew Walesch does double duty at Crooners today, leading his trio
(Gordy Johnson, Jay Epstein) during the weekly jazz brunch, then coming back
with the trio at 5 pm in the new (not officially opened!) Dunsmore Room for a
couple hours of his favorite holiday tunes, played on the Bösendorfer.
The Nova Jazz Orchestra makes it their fourth annual holiday concert
lat afternoon at St James Lutheran Church in St Paul.
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| Patty Peterson and Jason DeLaire |
And another very
long-running tradition, the Peterson
Family Holiday Show will be presented twice at the Dakota. Now headed by
the five siblings--Linda, Patty, Ricky, Billy and Paul Peterson with Linda's
son Jason Peterson DeLaire, the show has been a seasonal favorite for more than
25 years. Seating is very limited... if any seat remains!
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| Mike Lewis |
Monday, December 21. Young guitar sensation Jon Wood takes the spotlight and heads the following jam session at
Jazz Central, while the avant garde holds a meltdown at the Icehouse tonight --
guitarist Phil Wood tangles with
saxman Mike Lewis and Implosion series host JT Bates.
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| Maryann Sullivan and Doug Haining |
Taking a more traditional
view, the popular Twin Cities Seven
led by Doug Haining returns to its regular rotation at Crooners, with vocalist Maryann Sullivan guaranteeing the music
will swing all night.
Monday-Tuesday, December 21-22. It's not unusual for Cuban pianist Nachito Herrera
to play at the Dakota, as he is on stage there nearly monthly. But this
two-night stand is different-- Nachito
Herrera and the Universals features a collaboration of cultures and musics.
In addition to the volcanic technique and firestorm energy of Nachito, the band
features violinist Karen Briggs (Yanni, Stanley Clarke, David Grusin),
saxophonist Mike Phillips (Stevie Wonder, Prince), Senagalese bassist Cheikh
Ndoye (Eric Marienthal, Russell Ferante), and drummer Raul Pineda (Chucho
Valdes).
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| Pat O'Keefe, Cherry Spoon |
At the Black Dog, it's
another installment of the Cherry Spoon
Collective, surely one of the most intriguing ensembles of new music devotees.
Performing new commissions and
improvisational new music, the leaders include Michelle Kinney (cello), Nick
Guadette (bass) and Patrick O’Keefe (sax), with a cast of the area's top
experimenters. Funding comes from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
and the American Composers Forum.
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| Dave King |
Tuesday, December 22. Tonight marks the official opening of the Dunsmore
Room at Crooners, the converted Lakeside Dining Room now a full service jazz
club two-three nights per week, with the centerpiece a 9-foot Bösendorfer on a
newly built stage, with new sound system. And what better way to celebrate than
with the Dave King Trio? King
launched this trio a few years ago with the acclaimed recording, I've Been Ringing You (Sunnyside, 2012), featuring piano wizard Bill Carrothers
and eclectic bass genius Billy Peterson. Consistent with all music at Crooners,
there's no cover, but shows in the Dunsmore Room will have a set minimum food
and drink purchase. And they will make that easy with some special items. But
most important, the quiet setting and policies of the Dunsmore Room should
ensure a perfect listening environment for one of the most inventive jazz trios
on the scene, anywhere.
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| The Dunsmore Room piano |
The master of odd time
signatures, pianist Larry McDonough
brings his quartet and holiday show to Lowertown at The Bedlam. Larry's vocals
and piano will warm the most surly Scrooge, and his band-- Richard Terrill on
sax, Greg Stinson on bass, Dean White on drums, and daughter Rosie McDonough on
African percussion--will add modern twists to some familiar holiday
carols.
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| Chris Lomheim |
At Vieux Carré, two sure
things: Solo piano from Chris Lomheim
to start the evening, followed by vocalist Connie
Evingson. They're just so predictable-- predictably at the top of the game.
And on Big Band Night at Jazz Central, the music moves south for the Twin Cities Latin Jazz Orchestra, led by
Geoff Senn and Mac Santiago.
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| Retro Swing Sister |
Wednesday, December 23. The Ginger
Commodore Quartet reprises their holiday show, now moving north to Crooners
Lounge. And if your feet want more exercise than tapping, try a swing dance at
the Eagles Club with music from Retro
Swing Sister--Maryann Sullivan and Rhonda Laurie.
Yet another annual holiday
show is back-- the George Maurer Group
returns to the Dakota with rearrangements of seasonal favorites from his
ensemble of the area's top instrumentalists and smoldering vocals.
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| Pete Whitman |
At Jazz Central, Pete
Whitman presents a new project -- Cold Fusion, and the name seems misleading as
this is a volcanic ensemble: Pete on saxes, Steve Kenny on FLUMPET™, Chris
Olson on guitars, Ron Evaniuk on bass and Reid Kennedy on drums.
Thursday, December 24. T'is the night before Christmas and some venues are
closed, but you can enjoy Joel Shapira
at Hell's Kitchen or Benny Weinbeck
at Parma 8200.
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. We broadcast a day early next week, on December 23 (repeated on the
24th), with special guest JT Bates to talk about his new solo recording and the
Jazz Implosion Series at the Icehouse. Venues
and artists are reminded to send information to online and print calendars
(e.g. tc@jazzpolice.com).
Coming Soon!
. 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
10-11, Mack Avenue
Super Band 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
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| The Bad Plus Return to the Dakota, December 25-28 |
