The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Live Jazz, July 22-28

Dave King Trio, Dunsmore Room July 26-27

© Andrea Canter

As we start the weekend, both music and sidewalks will be sizzling! Fortunately, it also sounds like the music, not the weather, will keep on simmering throughout the rest of the week! And a diverse music week it will be, with blues-driven jazz (from old AQ favorites) honoring the Lowertown Blues Festival at the Black Dog, the first annual Rochester City Jazz Festival 80 miles southeast of the Metro, an almost annual performance from French bassist Francois Rabbath to close out the Twin Cities Bass Cam, a return, two-night visit in the Dunsmore Room for the Dave King Trio, and a "CD Re-Release" celebration with the Illicit Sextet at Vieux Carré... and more... and more.

Rodney Ruckus

Friday, July 22. Wherever he plays, drummer Rodney Ruckus lives up to his name! After attending Berklee College of Music and performing with luminaries like Herbie Hancock, John Patitucci, Joe Lovano, Roy Hargrove, Charles Lloyd and Tia Fuller, Ruckus has become fully entrenched in the Twin Cities jazz scene, including leading his own band on the main stage of the recent Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Tonight he brings the band to Jazz Central in prime time.

Southside Aces

At Vieux Carré, pianist/composer Jeremy Walker provides the opening sets of music before yielding the stage to the swinging New Orleans sounds of the Southside Aces. Meanwhile, crooner Arne Fogel returns to Parma 8200, while songbird Sophia Shorai entices on the other side of the metro, at Crooners Lounge. And jazz over dinner in a joint with the summer-enticing name Icehouse is a perfect Friday night escape with Tim Sparks and James Buckley, guitar-bass duo magic.

Charles Lazarus

It's closing weekend for Sommerfest at Orchestra Hall, and what better way to end on a hot summer night than with Charles Lazarus' "Night in the Tropics" with the Minnesota Orchestra? Lazarus again brings in his jazz quartet (Mary Louise Knutson, Jeff Bailey, Dave Schmalenberger, Ken Chastain) and, along with the MO, covers the sounds of Brazil, Cuba, Hawaii and beyond, including Lazarus originals, a tribute to Jobim, and Duke Ellington's "Caravan."

Zacc Harris

Saturday, July 23. Find some jazz and shade in nearby western Wisconsin! From noon til 6 pm, the Chateau St. Croix Winery in St. Croix Falls holds it's annual jazz festival, complete with food trucks, craft beers, wine and some of the metro's finest music from Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson, the Zacc Harris Quartet, Pete Whitman's Mississippi, and Doug Little's Charanga Tropical. If staying close to home has more appeal, cool off at the Midtown Global Market for a midday serenade from Charmin (Michelle) and (Joel) Shapira.

Tuesday Night Band

The final day of the Lowertown Blues Festival is also the final day of celebrating the "Grand Re-Opening" of the Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar.  Really the Dog never closed down during renovations that moved music from the bar to the new dining area and back again, but now it's all done-- larger and full bar, full kitchen with table service and expanded menu, and double the seating between the two sections. Depending on the nature of the event, there will be music on the renovated bar side, and on the new dining side! Honoring the traditions of the Blues Festival, Saturday Night Jazz at the Black Dog presents the Ted Godbout Trio followed by the longest-running act in the history of the Artists Quarter, the famed Tuesday Night Band with Downtown Bill Brown on B-3, Billy Franze on bass, and AQ owner Kenny Horst on drums.

Larry McDonough

Just up the street in Lowertown, Larry McDonough's Acoustelectric band (with Richard Terrill, Greg Stinson and Dean White) helps celebrate the opening of World of Beer at 5th and Sibley. The first set presents the acoustic jazz of Bill Evans, Chet Baker, Tony Bennett, and more, while the second, electric set features jazz/rock fusion arrangements of Sting, Clapton, Led Zeppelin, and Prince (with Larry's new arrangement of the "Question of U"). And of course there will be a world of beer! Larry notes that this is the last public performance of this material before the band's recording session for their CD, Alice in Stonehenge and Other AcoustElectric Adventures. 

At the Dakota, Nachito Herrera presents a night of Gershwin as only he can, while Patrick Harison provides some swinging accordion over the dinner hours at the Icehouse.

Sunday, July 24. For years, trombonist John Sievers has been leading not only his own quartet (D'Sievers) but also keeping jazz alive and growing in the Rochester area. Now he's combined efforts with the Twin Cities jazz impresario Steve Kenny to produce the first annual Rochester City Jazz Festival, noon til dark at the Rochester Civic Theatre, on the patio and in the concert space. D'Sievers will open the fest at noon on the patio, followed by a three-hour jam with area musicians, with two of the Twin Cities' most adventurous bands, Group 47 and the Atlantis Quartet, performing indoors for the evening sets. Tickets are $10 at the door or on the theater website in advance. Definitely worth the field trip (about 80 miles from the twin downtowns).

Sophia Shorai

A little closer to the metro, you can enjoy some outdoor jazz at Alexis Bailey Vineyard in Hastings, where wine tasting will be complemented by the Sophia Shorai Quartet. Since I can't say it better, to quote Larry Englund, she "can express heartbreak, determination and grace with a combination of sweetness and aplomb." Come back for an early Sunday evening when, Arne Fogel again, takes the stage in the Dunsmore Room with a compelling trio of Chris Lomheim, Graydon Peterson and Nathan Norman.

Monday, July 25. You can enjoy a rising star or an internationally acclaimed veteran on either end of the metro tonight! At Jazz Central, young trumpet master Omar Abdul Karim is in the spotlight with pals Pierre Lewis (organ) and Batume (drums).

Francois Rabbath (courtesy Twin Cities Bass Camp)

In West St. Paul, the Augustana Lutheran Church hosts world renowned bassist and educator Francois Rabbath, again in town for the Twin Cities Bass Camp with son, pianist Sylvan. Now 85, the self-taught native of Syria "is so spontaneous and organic that it’s difficult to tell where the written music leaves off and the improvisation begins. His technical ability is such that he sounds like a trio of one: bowing, plucking and hammering in an ever-flowing cascade of sound" (Kansas City Star). For this concert, Rabbath and Sylvan will premiere new works arranged with strings and drums. (Tickets $25 at the door.)

Mike Lewis

Rabbath plays at 7 pm, meaning there's time to get across town to the Icehouse for JT's Jazz Implosion night, and tonight it's a formidable trio of improvisers with JT holding down the time (if they bother with time) for saxophonist Michael Lewis and guitarist Jeremy Ylvisaker.

JT Bates

Tuesday, July 26. At Vieux Carré, pianist Steven Hobert opens the evening, warming up the stage for JT Bates' Grain Trio featuring Kevin Gastonguay on B-3 and Zacc Harris on guitar. At Jazz Central, Big Band Night features the Twin Cities Latin Jazz Orchestra.

Dave King

Tuesday-Wednesday, July 26-27. They're back! After playing the official opening gig in the Dunsmore Room last December, the Dave King Trio with Bill Carrothers and Billy Peterson are back in Fridley. Far more sublime than you might expect from the pulse of the Bad Plus, Dave's trio is at least a 90-degree turn from his work with the Dave King Trucking Company, which had a two-night run at Vieux Carré last week. Expect clever reinventions of jazz standards and songbook classics, as well as some original material. These are three of the most creative jazz artists working today. Anywhere.

Wednesday, July 27. Back in the 90s, there was a very popular jazz band called the Illicit Sextet. And at the height of their popularity, the band went on a 15-year hiatus, reconvening at the Artists Quarter in 2009 and staying on the scene ever since. They've released two recordings about 20 years apart and a third is due out this fall, but tonight at Vieux Carre', they will celebrate their very first effort, Chapter One, with a digital re-release. Most of the original band is intact-- Steve Kenny, Paul Harper, David Roos, Chris Lomheim, Tom Pieper and Nathan Norman. At this show, hear all original music from Chapter One as well as Chapter Eleven and the forthcoming next chapter.

Jana Nyberg

Thursday, July 28. The Dakota presents Minnesota's First Lady of Song, Debbie Duncan, while, back from her annual array of gigs in Door County, Jana Nyberg returns to Vocal Jazz Night at Jazz Central, accompanied by the elegant piano of Chris Lomheim. In St. Paul at Khyber Pass, "elegant" might not describe Embezzler, but you will hardly feel cheated out of anything despite the band name--rather you will be treated to the inventions of Paul Metzger, Adam Linz and JT Bates.

More Jazz!

There's always more jazz around the metro! See the Live Jazz Calendar posted on the KBEM website, and read more about jazz events at jazzpolice.com --online and on Facebook. And tune into the on-the-air edition of the Lead Sheet every Thursday at 4:40 pm, rebroadcast on Fridays at 8:20 am, on KBEM 88.5 FM. Andrea's guest on July 28 will be vocalist Katia Cardenas, talking about her new recording and upcoming adventures.

Coming Soon!

. July 29, All Originals, Will Kjeer at Studio Z

. July 29, Peter James Johnson/Boo-Boo's 5th Birthday (Edmund Catlin) at Jazz Central
. July 30, Patty Peterson at Crooners Lounge

. July 30, Rodney Ruckus, Saturday Night Jazz at the Black Dog
. July 30, Will Schmid Trio + 1 at 318 Cafe
. July 30, PipJazz "Time for Love" featuring the Women of Jazz ensemble at The Bedlam
. July 31, Vern Sutton with Dan Chouinard in the Dunsmore Room at Crooners Lounge
. August 8, Marcus Miller at the Dakota

. August 8-12, Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg, happy hours at Crooners Lounge
. August 9-10, Estaire Godinez at the Dakota

. August 10, Vicky Mountain, Lucia Newell and Judi Vinar in the Dunsmore Room at Crooners Lounge
. August 13, Rebirth Brass Band at the Dakota

. August 19, Nachito Herrera at the Dakota

. August 20, Ethan Iverson solo piano in the Dunsmore Room at Crooners Lounge

. August 23, Chris Lomheim Trio in the Dunsmore Room at Crooners Lounge

. August 25, Andrew Walesch Quartet at the Dakota

. August 26, Davu Seru No Territory Band, All Originals Jazz at Studio Z
. August 27, Illicit Sextet (Chapter One Re-Release) at Vieux Carre'

. August 28, Patty and Linda Peterson in the Dunsmore Room at Crooners Lounge

. August 30, Pat Mallinger and Bill Carrothers in the Dunsmore Room at Crooners Lounge

. August 30-31, Jane Monheit and Nicholas Payton ("Ella and Louis") at the Dakota
. September 1-2, Barbara Morrison and Houston Person at the Dakota

. September 4, Davell Crawford at the Dakota
. September 5, José Feliciano at the Dakota
. September 8, Mindy Abair at the Dakota

. September 10, Dakota Combo Auditions at MacPhail Center for Music

. September 10, Jazz @ St Barneys, Mary Louise Knutson Trio at St Barnabas Church, Plymouth

. September 16, Charanga Tropical/Dan Kusz album releases at the Dakota

. September 17, Earl Klugh at the Dakota

. September 24, Jazz Women All-Stars with Patty Peterson at the Dakota
. September 25-26, Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman Duo at the Dakota
. October 1, Terence Blanchard with JazzMN Orchestra at Ordway

. October 15, Amir El Saffar Ensemble, McGuire Theater at Walker Art Center
. October 20-21, McCoy Tyner Quartet with Gary Bartz at the Dakota

. October 22, Matt Slocum Trio at Studio Z

. November 11, Chucho Valdes/Joe Lovano at Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City

. November 14, Catherine Russell at the Dakota 

Rodney Ruckus (2016 Twin Cities Jazz Festival), coming to the Black Dog on July 30