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Twin Cities Jazz Festival gets officially underway on June 22 in Mears Park |
© Andrea Canter
After a
relaxing week in San Francisco and the North Bay (including an evening concert
from Joe Lovano and his new "Classic Quartet"), I am happy to be back
in the Jazz Cities as we heat up to the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Young lions
and seasoned veterans, locals and visitors,
combine to give us a wide range of modern jazz leading up to Thursdays'
official festival opening with Emmet Cohen and Terence Blanchard at Mears Park.
Big Gigs This Week
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Adam Booker |
Friday, June 16. At Jazz Central, it's the last chance (for a
while at least) to hear UMD bassist Adam
Booker before he moves East to a bass faculty position at Appalachian State
University. His trio includes Levi Schwartzberg on vibes and Ben Ophoven-Baldwin
on drums.
Some cool
jazz for dinner sets at the Icehouse brings together Dave Graf and Javi Santiago, trombone and piano, long-lasting
veteran and young upstart. And a duo combination seldom heard in jazz.
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How Birds Work |
Saturday, June 17. Saturday Night Jazz at the Black
Dog brings back an old Artists Quarter favorite, How Birds Work-- that's Dean Granros, Peter Schimke, Chris Bates
and Kenny Horst. The only play a few gigs per year so don't miss this one.
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Simon Petrick |
Opening at the Black Dog will be the JazzINK Youth Showcase featuring
PAW --Simon Petrick (drums), Jordan
Anderson (piano) and Tyler Wagner (bass). Simon is heading to the University of North Texas after studies with Phil Hey
and JT Bates, and finishing his senior year of high school in the U of M Jazz
Ensemble. Jordan
just finished his first year at the U of Michigan where he is studying with ace
pianist Benny Green. And Tyler will begin his
third year at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
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Joel Shapira |
Also Saturday, guitarist Joel Shapira takes the early slot at Vieux Carre' to celebrate the
release of his new solo CD, In Essence.
This is a stunning collection of Joel's arrangements of jazz standards. Strings
also rule at the Icehouse, with guitarist Zacc
Harris and bassist Gary Raynor interacting during dinner hours.
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Cameron Kinghorn |
The Twin
Cities Jazz Festival presents a night of music at the Hennepin Ave
United Methodist
Church, starting out with
the student ensemble Tamberwood,
followed by two sets from Cameron
Kinghorn and his band, featuring Cameron on vocals.
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Debbie Duncan |
At
Rosemount Central Park, it's the annual Jazz
Blast with five bands, including the Twin Cities 7 and Acme Jazz Company. At
Public Kitchen, hear the Richard Kronick
Quartet, while Debbie Duncan takes
over Crooners Lounge.
Sunday, June 18. There's another festival preview on
Father's Day afternoon with Doug Little's Charanga
Tropical performing in the George Latimer Central Library in downtown St Paul.
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Nancy Harms |
In the
evening, a treat for jazz vocal fans as Nancy
Harms--our Clara City MN native-- returns to the Dunsmore Room with great tunes
and arrangements from her Ellington at
Night recording as well as new material.
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Regina Maria Williams |
Regina Marie Williams returns to the Dakota with "American Songbook", and a new
venue, 56 Brewing, presents young guns-- Jordan
Anderson and his trio.
New venue in Northfield--Imminent Brewing opens this weekend and vibraphone master Dave Hagedorn and friends perform today: With bassist Kevin Clements and drummer Eric Hanson, the trio is currently nown as TLA but a change is "imminent" based on feedback!
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Adam Astrup |
Monday, June 19. Young
guitar whiz Adam Astrup (newly
graduated and heading to college studies at the University of Northern
Colorado) leads a band at Jazz Central, filled with some familiar names --
Patrick Adkins on keys, Andrew Tomten on sax, Nick Benish on bass, and Simon
Petrick on drums.
At the
Icehouse, JT's Jazz Implosion hosts a double feature, starting with Jon Davis' quartet (Davis on bass and
woodwinds, Chuck Love on trumpet, flute, melodica and percussion, Bryan Nichols
on keys and Greg Schutte on drums). The later set features the George Marich Trio, with Marich on
drums, George Cartwright on saxes, and Josh Granowski on bass.
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Jane Bunnett & Macqueque |
The Dakota
hosts a very overdue Twin Cities appearance from Canada's multi-reed star Jane Bunnett with her Cuban all-women
ensemble, Macqueque. At Crooners Lounge, Linda
Peterson starts her happy hour week, on vocals and piano, with Erin Schwab celebrating her birthday
during the evening's prime time.
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Jordan Anderson |
Tuesday, June 20. Pianist Jordan Anderson (again!) brings a
quartet to a jazz fest preview gig at Walker West, with support from Peter
Goggin, Charlie Lincoln and Edmund Catlin-- three names we also hear a lot of
during summer breaks.
At the
Black Dog, guitar giant Dean Magraw
pairs up with violinist Zosha Warpeha. Zosha is into her final year at New School
in New York,
and last summer first performed together with Magraw for some amazing fun and
interaction among the strings.
It's Explosion Big Band at Jazz Central
tonight, while Vieux Carre' holds a piano night-- starting with Chris Lomheim solo, followed by the Jon Pemberton Trio with Jon here on
piano.
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Christian Sands |
Wednesday, June 21. The Dakota
hosts young piano sensation Christian
Sands, most recently handling keys for Christian McBride and the Mack
Avenue Superband.
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Claudia Schmidt and Dean Magraw |
In the
Dunsmore Room, vocalist Claudia Schmidt
reunites with dazzling guitarist Dean
Magraw and the never predictable pianist Bryan Nichols -- a pretty awesome trio.
Vieux
Carre' hosts JT Bates and his Grain Trio with Kevin Gastonguay on keys
and Zacc Harris on guitar.
And a
special event for kids-- Kinderjazz
at Landmark Center, a free concert and hands-on experience starting at 10:30
am, music and guidance with Cody McKinney, Pete Hennig and John Keston,
complete with instrument "petting zoo." All ages.
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Emmet Cohen |
Thursday, June 22 is the official
opening of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. At Mears Park,
Emmet Cohen and his trio are back
after wowing audiences at Crooners and Jazz Central in March; Terence Blanchard and his E-Collective
finish off the evening on the Main Stage.
Vieux Carre' has an expanded festival line up this year with Jon Weber solo piano followed by the Mary Louise Knutson Trio, and the Black
Dog hosts five bands including the Mac
Santiago Quartet--all next Thursday.
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Terence Blanchard |
Of course there's music throughout
Lowertown and beyond through Saturday so check the festival website schedule. (Note that
Jazz Central and Reverie will not have music tonight.)
Away from
the festival, Khyber Pass presents Stew Frog: Scott Fultz on sax and
electronics, Steve Goldstein on lap electronics and percussion, and Dean
Granros on guitar and synth. And at the Bad Waitress (on Nicollet), Thursday
night jazz continues with Pete Whitman
and Peter Schimke, sax and piano duo.
More Jazz!
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Jon Weber |
There's always more jazz around the
Metro every week. See
the Live jazz calendar posted on the KBEM website, and see more about jazz events
at jazzpolice.com --online and on facebook. Andrea's guest next week will be our festival
house pianist and certainly one of the nation's most talented and most
knowledgable jazz artists, Jon Weber Tune in at the usual time to hear Jon's
take on the 2017 festival.
Coming Soon!
. June 23, Twin
Cities Jazz Festival (Anat Cohen and Choro Adventuroso), Mears Park
and beyond
. June 23, Kari Musil & Freedom of Jazz Orchestra at
Schmidt Brewery Artists Lofts
. June 23-24, Dorado Schmitt and Django All Stars at the
Dakota
. June 24,
Twin Cities Jazz Festival (Bobby Lyle, McCoy Tyner with Joshua Redman), Mears Park
and beyond
. June 25, Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson, Music of the 30s at
St Albert the Great (1 pm)
. June 25, Reynold Philipsek Film Release, "A Life Well
Played" at the Schneider Theater
. June 25, Ernest Bisong Group at Walker West (Twin Cities
Jazz Festival)
. June 25, Beasley's Big Band at Como
Lakeside Pavillion (Twin Cities Jazz Festival)
. June 27-28, Lisa Fischer and Grand Baton at the Dakota
. June 29, Steven Hobert Quartet at Reverie
. June 29, Charmin and Shapira at the Bad Waitress
(Nicollet)
. June 30, Silverback Trio CD release, Bryant Lake Bowl
. June 30-July 2, Iowa City Jazz Festival with Donny
McCaslin, Stacy Kent, The Cookers, Laura Caviani, John Raymond, Dakota Combo
and more
. July 1, Jay Young and the Lyric Factory at the Dakota
. July 1, Sheridan Zuther and Steven Hobert at NE Mpls Farmers Market (St Boniface parking lot)
. July 2, Oudyano (Steven Hobert and Issam Rafea) in the
Dunsmore Room at Crooners Lounge
. July 3, Geoffrey Keezer solo piano in the Dunsmore Room at
Crooners Lounge
. July 7, Illicit Sextet at Studio Z (All Originals)
. July 10, Teri Roiger in the Dunsmore Room at Crooners
Lounge
. July 13, George Cartwright and Davu Seru at Khyber Pass
. July 14, Glen David Andrews at the Dakota
. July 20, Carmen Lundy at the Dakota
. July 21-22, New Standards at the Dakota
. July 23, Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson, Music of the 40s at
St Albert the Great (1 pm)
. July 26-27, Pharoah Sanders at the Dakota
. July 27, Lila Ammons Quartet at Hell's Kitchen
. July 28, Kenny Horst at Studio Z (All Originals)
. August 2, Kendra Shank in the Dunsmore Room at Crooners
Lounge
. August 7, Chris Thomson Band with John Raymond at the
Icehouse
. August 8, Cyrille Aimee at the Dakota
. August 8-9, Kevin Mahogany in the Dunmore Room at Crooners
Lounge
. August 16, Ben Sidran at the Dakota
. August 20, Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson, Music of the 50s
at St Albert the Great (1 pm)
. August 24, Debbie Duncan Live Album Recording at the
Dakota
. August 25, Jazz Word Jazz at Studio Z (All Originals)
. August 30, Dr Lonnie Smith at the Dakota
. September 12-13, Mike Stern Band at the Dakota
. September 18, The Yellowjackets at the Dakota
. October 10-11, Chick Corea Sextet with Steve Gadd at the
Dakota
. October 20, Mindy Abair at the Dakota
. October 26-27, Ramsey Lewis Quartet at the Dakota
. October 28-29, David Sanborn at the Dakota
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McCoy Tyner -- at the TC Jazz Festival on June 24 |