JazzInk

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, January 27 - February 2

2012-01-25T12:06:00.003-06:00

© Andrea Canter

Lots going on as the St Paul Winter Carnival heats up, but even without the added merriment, jazz offerings alone make for some tough decisions as there are intriguing gigs at every turn. But it also means you can’t lose.

Highlights, This Week
Give your weekend a relaxing jumpstart at the Dakota early Friday evening with the proverbial Happy Hour team of Irv Williams and Peter Schimke. About 40 years apart, the pianist and saxman nonetheless are like brothers once the music starts, as their recording Duo attests. And given that Irv is 92, any chance to hear him play is a gift. This Friday, if you stick around for prime time, you’ll hear the vibrant, countrified jazz/fusion sounds of the Galactic Cowboy Orchestra.

Or take a trip out I-94. Back in the Midwest after their annual runs at the Dakota and Village Vanguard, The Bad Plus turns up in St. Cloud Friday night (1/17), bringing music and mayhem to the classic trappings of the Paramount Theater. If you missed them at the Dakota, this might be a good alternative. And if you miss them in St. Cloud, remember they will be back in late June with pal Joshua Redman to close out the Twin Cities Jazz Festival (6/30).

If St Cloud is too far for a winter’s night drive Friday night, then the 318 Café in Wayzata is an easy stroll, and a chance to hear some new music from guitar genie Reynold Philipsek before he leaves town for a month. There will be some previews of his upcoming CD, Last Summer, and some collaborations with bassist Matt Senjem and percussionist Michael Bissonnette. And with your $10 you get your pick of CDs from Reyn’s treasure chest.

Two weeks ago we heard fiery ensembles back-to-back at the Artists Quarter, with wholly different approaches to the piano and repertoire, and already we are getting a second dose. Richard Johnson returns to the Midwest this weekend (1/27-28) at the Shanghai Bistro in Hudson with AQ trio mates Graydon Peterson and Reid Kennedy. Expect a night filled with swing and bebop and a sprinkling of stride.

Also on Friday and Saturday (1/27-28) at the Artists Quarter, Bryan Nichols and his Quintet reprise, in part, their January 15th recreation of the music of Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet, along with a good dose of original compositions. The show two weeks ago was one Bryan’s best, and that is saying quite a lot. They will have to make do without percussionist Jay Epstein this round, but otherwise it’s the same ensemble, doubling Jarrett’s sax section with both Mike Lewis and Brandon Wozniak, with James Buckley on bass, JT Bates on drums and, of course, Bryan on piano.

And Brandon and JT are going to need a helicopter Saturday night (1/28), starting the evening early with the Monk in Motian ensemble at Studio Z (7 pm). Generally paying homage to the music of Thelonious Monk as interpreted by Motian’s Electric Bebop Band, this concert (part of the Jazz at Studio Z series) will more thoroughly honor the late Paul Motian by sporting three drummers—Pete Hennig, Davu Seru and JT, as well as Wozniak and Scott Fultz on saxophones, Zacc Harris and Park Evans on guitars, and Matt Peterson on bass. Monk in Motian does not gather often, given the busy careers of each of these artists. They will be sharing on open rehearsal at Studio Z at 4 pm (no charge for the rehearsal).

If you like the idea of two guitars, you can get your wish two more times this weekend with “Guitars Extraordinaire” in the Black Box Theater of the Bloomington Center for the Arts, Saturday night (1/28) and Sunday matinee (1/29). And what could be more extraordinaire than master guitarist/bassist/mandolinist Joan Griffith and the young veteran of hot club music, guitarist Sam Miltich. Add to this pair the guest vocals of Connie Evingson and the percussion support of Dave Schmalenberger and you have a recipe for enchanting interpretations of Brazilian and swing standards and likely some original works from Joan. Tickets for Saturday were nearly gone, and a handful remained for Sunday at last report. Call the theater to see what’s left.

Diverse options on Tuesday (1/31): For some swinging takes on the Great American songbook, look no farther than Maryann Sullivan as she takes the mic herself at The Nicollet. For the past few years, she has kept her talents under wraps, stepping out now and then as Maxine Sousé. But now she’s given up the cloak and dagger. That voice of KBEM works quite well in song! Meanwhile, Café Maude continues to expand its musical offerings, tonight with the startling duo of cellist Michelle Kinney (Jelloslave) and tabla master Gary Waryan. World music, jazz and experimental improvisation on the same dinner plate.

More Jazz All Week
Keep up with the Twin Cities jazz scene via our full-time jazz radio station, KBEM, and the most comprehensive listing of gigs on the website. More ideas:

• Friday, January 27: Arne Fogel at Hell’s Kitchen; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen (Meridien/Chambers Hotel); Merciless Ghost (George Cartwright, Josh Granowski, Davu Seru) at the Black Dog; Dave Ziffer at Ingredients Café

• Saturday, January 28: Rick Carlson and Gary Schulte, brunch at Hell’s Kitchen; Century College Jazz Festival with Roger Ingram and the Joel Shapira Quartet; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen (Meridien/Chambers Hotel); Ginger Commodore and Dennis Spears at the Dakota; Nichola Miller at Hell’s Kitchen

• Sunday, January 29: Century College Jazz Festival with Roger Ingram and the Joel Shapira Quartet; Patty and the Buttons, brunch at the Aster Café; Charmin Michelle and the Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra at Cinema Ballroom; Zacc Harris Trio at Riverview Wine Bar

• Monday, January 30: Headspace at the Artists Quarter; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; U of M Jazz Ensemble I with Roger Ingram at Stillwater Area High School; Phil Aaron at Jazz Central

• Tuesday, January 31: Cory Wong Quartet followed by a special jam at the Artists Quarter; Kristin Sponcia and Phil Mattson at The Nicollet; Jack Brass at the Driftwood

• Wednesday, February 1: Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Steve Kenny and the Bastids (early show) at the Artists Quarter

• Thursday, February 2: TCJS Young Artists Series (Stillwater Area High School Combos) at the Artists Quarter (7 pm); Dan and Reuben Ristrom at Sawatdee (Maple Grove); Sophia Shorai at Barbette

Coming Soon!
• February 3, Matt Haimovitz at Macalester (Weyerhauser Chapel)
• February 3-4, Dave King Trucking Company at the Artists Quarter
• February 4, Resurrection (Ellen Lease, Pat Moriarty, Noah Ophoven-Baldwin, Evan Clark) at Studio Z
• February 4, Richard Johnson Trio at Shanghai Bistro (Hudson, WI)
• February 8-9, Jeff Lorber Fusion (with Randy Brecker) at the Dakota
• February 10-11, Bobby Peterson Memorial Piano Showcase at the Artists Quarter
• February 11, Richard Johnson Trio at Shanghai Bistro (Hudson, WI)
• February 15-16, Hugh Masekela at the Dakota
• February 17, Bruce Henry at the Dakota
• February 17-18, Todd Clouser’s A Love Electric at the Artists Quarter
• February 18, Kurt Elling and Lizz Wright at Orchestra Hall
• February 19, Laura Caviani and Joan Griffith, “Sambanova” at Carlton College Concert Hall (Northfield)
• February 22-23, Doc Severinsen Big Band at the Dakota
• February 25, Laura Caviani, Jazz@St. Barneys
• February 25, Atlantis Quartet, Jazz at Studio Z
• February 27, Steve Turre and Latin Jazz Band at the Dakota
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)
• March 3, Head of the Waters Jazz Festival (John Fedchock guest artist) at University of Minnesota/Duluth
• March 4, Nathan Hanson’s Saxophone Choir (TCJS, Jazz From J to Z) at Roseville Area High School
• March 8, TCJS Young Artists Series, the Dakota Combo at the Artists Quarter
• March 9-10, Manhattan Transfer at the Dakota
• March 10, Caswell Sisters with JazzMN Orchestra at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center
• March 11, PipJazz Sundays with Pippi Ardennia and guests
• March 16-17, Richard Johnson Trio at the Artists Quarter
• March 20, Toots Thielmans and Kenny Werner at the Dakota
• March 21-22, Al DiMeolo and Gonzalo Rubalcaba at the Dakota
• March 29-April 1, Eau Claire Jazz Festival
• March 31, Doug Little, Music of Roberto Fonseca, Jazz at Studio Z
• April 6, Irvin Mayfield, “Love Letter to New Orleans” at Orchestra Hall
• April 10, Cory Wong and Pena (TCJS Jazz From J to Z) at Minneapolis Southwest High School
• April 15, MacPhail Center for Music Combo Festival and Spotlight Concert featuring Adam Niewood, the Dakota Combo, and MacPhail Jazz Faculty
• April 22, Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education Fund Raiser at the Dakota
• April 22, Doug Haining Quintet, Tribute to Cannonball Adderley (TCJS Jazz From J to Z) at the Artists Quarter
• April 29-30, Steve Tyrell at the Dakota
• May 20-21, Ramsey Lewis Trio at the Dakota
• May 26, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and New Orleans Jazz Orchestra at Orchestra Hall
• June 28-30, Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Mears Park (headliners Bad Plus with Joshua Redman, Delfeayo Marsalis Octet; Francisco Mela’s Cuban Safari)

Photos (top to bottom): Irv Williams and Peter Schimke at the Dakota; Richard Johnson; JT Bates (Bryan Nichols Quintet and Monk in Motian); Joan Griffith

Twin Cities Jazz Week in Review: January 13-19

2012-01-22T00:41:00.003-06:00

© Andrea Canter

The piano at the Artists Quarter took a beating last weekend (even broke a string) but it was all in the name of monstrous talents from near and far, and the AQ’s “keyboard showcase” continued into midweek.

• Jon Weber Trio, January 13th (Artists Quarter). Always welcomed as a favorite adopted son, pianist Jon Weber had to play second fiddle, briefly, to Twin Cities Jazz Festival director Steve Heckler, who was on hand not only to sponsor the night but to announce the 2012 headliners. And we were all thrilled to hear that Joshua Redman will appear on stage with the Bad Plus, that Delfeayo Marsalis will bring his octet to Mears Park, and that Francisco Mela will appear as leader with his ensemble! But on with the show, and it is always a show when Jon Weber is at the AQ. As usual, he started off solo, soliciting requests, asking for keys, spouting off trivial facts that leave us scratching our heads – how does he store all that information as well as all that music? After a while, Jon invited on stage his trio mates for the evening, bassist Billy Peterson and drummer Kenny Horst, leading into a long set of stride and bop-filled favorites. And as always, the game was “Name That Quote” as Jon repeatedly found ways to insert fragments of other tunes, sometimes cleverly reprising something he played earlier.

An added treat was the guest appearances of not one, but two stellar local vocalists. Maud Hixson performed with Jon on his last visit in fall 2011, as well as in gigs at the Metropolitan Room last winter and at the gala New York Cabaret Conference in October. And Alicia Renee has performed at the jazz festival with Jon since she was I her mid-teens, and her voice as only matured since then. Maybe Jon’s jams at the 2012 festival will include a hand-picked singer showcase? Start with Maud and Alicia.

It’s not hard to understand why Weber was the heir apparent to the host chair for the new iteration of Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz (Piano Jazz: Rising Stars). He’s personable, funny, quick-witted and, yeah, a terrific musician.

• Richard Johnson Trio, January 14th (Artists Quarter). If you were at Bobby Watson’s set at the 2010 Twin Cities Jazz Festival, you should remember Richard Johnson, the young pianist who burned up everything Watson tossed out. He’d already done the same working for Wynton Marsalis and Russell Malone in his early career. Now moving more forcefully into his role as leader, Johnson was an interesting follow-up to Jon Weber, possessing some of Jon’s predilection for stride and swing, and similar tendencies to quote from far and wide. With Graydon Peterson on bass and Reid Kennedy on drums, it was a night of still-youngish lions at play, and the seldom-tapped jazz potential of West Side Story provided an ambitious playground. Highlights—Johnson’s solo on the “Jets’ Song,” chocked full of the history of jazz from stride to post bop; Peterson’s arco basslines tracing the melody of “Somewhere;” the staggering rhythm of the arrangement of “I Feel Pretty,” complete with riffs from “There Will Never Be Another You.” Johnson likes it here and plans to return monthly in the coming year to a variety of local venues. To date, he has gigs set at Shanghai Bistro in Hudson (2/4), Hell’s Kitchen (2/25) and again at the AQ (3/16-17). Stay tuned.

• Bryan Nichols Quintet+1, the Music of Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet, January 15th (Artists Quarter, TCJS Jazz From J to Z series). We’ve heard a lot from the Bryan Nichols Quintet lately, but never playing this music and never with the bonus of playful percussionist Jay Epstein. Bryan noted that this is music many have never or seldom heard, although a number of us in the audience remember hearing it when it was first issued in the 70s. And after hearing 75 minutes of moderately controlled and melodic mayhem, we have to wonder, why isn’t this music played more often? The answer may be –it is difficult and requires an incredible level of collaboration among the musicians. Thus the band had a set list of 9 tunes—and only 9 tunes, including one from outside the Jarrett recordings, a cover of “Trieste” to honor Jarrett’s late drummer, Paul Motian. “This is all we learned,” said Bryan before the one encore (Dewey Redman’s “Mushi Mushi”). “We can’t do another one.”

If Jarrett wanted to revive this body of work today, he would need look no farther than saxophonists Mike Lewis and Brandon Wozniak (doubling the reeds in the original quartet), bassist James Buckley, drummer JT Bates, and the additional layer of Jay Epstein as the sixth man on percussion. And, in fact, if Jarrett wanted to just sit back and listen, he could do no better than Bryan Nichols as his alter ego. The energy level alone could keep lights burning in LA for weeks, and the virtuosic soloing and collective bargaining pushed the musical envelope throughout the evening. This music is as innovative and ear-catching today as it was 40 years ago. And following a 2011that might be dubbed “The Year of Bryan Nichols,” the pianist just moved it up another notch to kickoff 2012. If you missed the show, or if you want more, Bryan promises to mix some Jarrett with original music when he returns to the AQ with the quintet next weekend (January 27-28).

• Dan Musselman Trio, January 18 (Artists Quarter). Young Dan Musselman capped a week of piano action at the AQ with a laid-back outing featuring Matt Peterson on bass and, perhaps less familiar, Alex Young on drums. Musselman can rip through the keyboard like McCoy Tyner but took it somewhat more gently this evening, perhaps wary of that piano string with a temporary fix pending replacement. About half the first set were Musselman originals, from a brooding, dark “Winter Solstice” to an ominious “Sahara” that suggested a back alley in Marakkesh to a more up-tempo “Outbound” and the mini-epic “On the Way.” Drummer Young’s transcription of Brad Mehldau’s “When It Rains” yielded the most lyrical moments of the set, while bassist Peterson offered a hopeful melody on “Today Is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life” and the solemn syncopation of a traditional Israeli folksong. Far too few heard this music. Musselman deserves a wider audience.

Photos (top to bottom): Jon Weber (1/13); Bryan Nichols Quintet (1/15); Richard Johnson (1/14); Dan Musselman Trio (1/18), all at the Artists Quarter (photos by Andrea Canter)

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, January 20-26

2012-01-20T12:34:00.006-06:00

© Andrea Canter

Sometimes the coldest nights of the year bring out the biggest crows. Well, of course, we all know music can warm the heart and soul! There will be some warm-hearted and heat-heavy moments this weekend and should carry us into next week.

Highlights This Week

Tonight (Friday, 1/20), two high-energy performers join forces supported by a swinging trio at one of our newest music venues. At the Crooked Pint Alehouse, singers Katie Gearty and Nichola Miller will offer enough heat to melt Winter Carnival ice sculptures, while the Tanner Taylor Trio will more than keep up the pace. Katie is often heard with Vital Organ and can move from jazz to blues to R&B with a flick of an eyelash; Nichola simply swings til the rafters shake. Monster pianist Tanner Taylor gets plenty of support from bassist Keith Boyles and one of the youngest additions to our jazz scene, drummer Trevor Haining. Across and around the bend from MacPhail on a busy Washington Avenue corner, the Crooked Pint has been hosting a diverse schedule of music since it opened last fall.

If a little more gentility is your preference for Friday or Saturday nights, grab the couch or nearby table at D’Amico Kitchen (lower level of Meridien/Chambers Hotel) and enjoy the mainstream pleasures of the Benny Weinbeck Trio (Gordy Johnson on bass, Phil Hey on drums). Pianist Benny has a golden touch, and with long-time collaborators Gordy and Phil, offers such jazz classics as “Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise” and “Take 5.” Gentle enough to help you chill out after a long week, but with enough edge to keep you comfortably alert. And it’s all in a very comfy atmosphere, perfect for that glass of wine, appetizer, even dinner. Or just a night cap. There’s a similar warmth and calm across town at the Lobby Bar of the St. Paul Hotel where Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske have been the weekend entertainment for the past few years. On vocals and piano, Joann channels her inner Blossom Dearie with swinging support from bassist Jeff. Stay for the evening or make it a prelude to an evening at Ordway or the AQ… or an after-theater stop.

Jazz@ St. Barney’s is a long-running, monthly series of chamber jazz at the St. Barnabus Center for the Arts in Plymouth. This Saturday night (1/21) features vocalist Paula Lammers and the sublime Mary Louise Knutson Trio. Trained in opera, Paula moved in a more swinging direction with a long tenure on the Minnesota Zephyr, heads her own 9-piece swinging ensemble, Cloud Nine, performs in duo with vocalist Reeves Cary, and is now the lead vocalist for the Phil Mattson Singers. Her latest recording, Deep Purple Dreams, draws from folk, pop, cabaret and theater; from songbook kings Duke Ellington, Cole Porter and Johnny Mandel to pop icon Billy Joel to local jazz diva Judi Donaghy; from Bill Evans and Michel Legrand to Stephen Sondheim and Henry Mancini, and beyond. In other words, Paula Lammers goes far and wide to find songs that we don’t necessarily hear at every gig. And her instrumental support could not be any finer, with the ever-effervescent lyricism of pianist Mary Louise Knutson, with bassist Jason McLean and drummer Nathan Norman. The Jazz @ St Barney’s setting is informal—you can even get treats and a beverage to enjoy with the music.

They just played to a strong crowd at the Artists Quarter on a subzero night, so you know Snowblind can raise the temperature! This brass quintet has been together now for 7 years, and their book is stuffed full with original compositions and heady arrangements from Shilad Sen, Adam Rossmiller, Scott Agster, Graydon Peterson and Reid Kennedy. They fill the performance “stage” at Jazz Central on Monday night (1/23).

Once a fixture in the Bay Area, drummer/percussionist Babatunde Lea has relocated to Wisconsin and crawls over the border now and then to mix it up with local string men, guitarist Zacc Harris and bassist Adam Linz. They take no prisoners on Wednesday (1/25) at Café Maude. Be sure to make a reservation so you can see them at work. It’s only one of several hot acts on the same night, with the Artists Quarter hosting Steve Kenny and the Bastids, boppin’ their way through hot charts, followed by the Graydon Peterson Quartet gathering momentum (Adam Meckler, Vinnie Rose and Adrian Suarez); and on the West Bank, it’s the T Collective (James Buckley, Michael Lewis, Martin Dosh and Tim Glenn) exploding at the Nomad World Pub. That’s a fair share of the top improvising jazzers all working the same night. Hard to choose. Good for music!

More good strings at Hells’ Kitchen on Thursday (1/26) when the Joel Shapira Quartet take the stage. In addition to the boppish finery of Shapira’s guitar, the ensemble features the always volcanic saxman Pete Whitman, dynamic bassist Tom Lewis, and versatile drummer Dave Schmalenberger. Their Open Lines was one of the top local releases of 2011.

More Jazz!
It’s cold (finally) and January tends to be relatively slow in many respects, but you can always find good jazz and good company at the many venues around town. And more are coming—watch for the opening of a new jazz series at the Lexington in St Paul with preview gigs in February. Meanwhile, updates are always available at the KBEM website, jazz calendar. A few more recommendations for the coming week:

• Friday, January 20: Irv Williams and Peter Schimke, Happy Hour at the Dakota; Erin Schwab at Hell’s Kitchen; AQ closed for private event

• Saturday, January 21: “By George! A Celebration of George Gershwin,” MacPhail Center for Music Spotlight Series (“sold out” but call for cancelations); Kenny Lewis and the Barflyz at the Artists Quarter; Jana Nyberg Group, Late Night at the Dakota

• Sunday, January 22: Patty and the Buttons, brunch at the Aster Café; No Time for Squares, Benefit for Ann Cirelli at the Artists Quarter; Rhizosphere (Bobb Fantauzzo, Gabriella Sweet, Mike Bruns, Sean Egan) in “Music Under Glass” at the Como Park Conservatory; Zacc Harris Trio at Riverview Wine Bar; Meshell Ndegeocello at the Dakota

• Monday, January 23: Headspace at the Artists Quarter; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Meshell Ngdeocello at the Dakota

• Tuesday, January 24: Cory Wong Quartet at the Artists Quarter (early show); Raul Midon at the Dakota; Maryann Sullivan at The Nicollet; Jack Brass Band at the Driftwood; Nova Jazz Orchestra at the Shorewood.

• Wednesday, January 25: Wolverines Trio at Hell’s Kitchen; Nellie McKay at the Dakota; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza

• Thursday, January 26: Media Addicts at the Artists Quarter; Nellie McKay at the Dakota; Robert Everest Trio at the Black Dog

Coming Soon!
• January 27, The Bad Plus, Paramount Theater (St Cloud)
• January 27-28, Bryan Nichols Quintet at the Artists Quarter
• January 28, Monk in Motian Tribute to Paul Motian (with 3 drummers), Jazz at Studio Z
• January 28, Ginger Commodore and Dennis Spears at the Dakota
• January 28-29, Great Guitars (Joan Griffith, Sam Miltich) with Connie Evingson at the Bloomington Center for the Arts (Jazz From J to Z)
• January 28-29, Century College Jazz Festival with Roger Ingram, Joel Shapira Quartet
• January 30, U of M Jazz I with Roger Ingram at the Stillwater Area High School Jazz Festival
• February 2, TCJS Young Artists Series, Stillwater Area High School Combos at the Artists Quarter
• February 3, Matt Haimovitz at Macalester (Weyerhauser Chapel)
• February 3-4, Dave King Trucking Company at the Artists Quarter
• February 4, Resurrection (Ellen Lease, Pat Moriarty, Noah Ophoven-Baldwin, Evan Clark) at Studio Z
• February 4, Head of the Waters Jazz Festival (John Fedchock guest artist) at University of Minnesota/Duluth
• February 8-9, Jeff Lorber Fusion (with Randy Brecker) at the Dakota
• February 10-11, Bobby Peterson Memorial Piano Showcase at the Artists Quarter
• February 15-16, Hugh Masekela at the Dakota
• February 17, Bruce Henry at the Dakota
• February 17-18, Todd Clouser’s A Love Electric at the Artists Quarter
• February 18, Kurt Elling and Lizz Wright at Orchestra Hall
• February 19, Laura Caviani and Joan Griffith, “Sambanova” at Carlton College Concert Hall (Northfield)
• February 22-23, Doc Severinsen Big Band at the Dakota
• February 25, Laura Caviani, Jazz@St. Barneys
• February 25, Atlantis Quartet, Jazz at Studio Z,
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)
• March 4, Nathan Hanson’s Saxophone Choir (TCJS, Jazz From J to Z) at Roseville Area High School
• March 8, TCJS Young Artists Series, the Dakota Combo at the Artists Quarter
• March 9-10, Manhattan Transfer at the Dakota
• March 10, Caswell Sisters with JazzMN Orchestra at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center
• March 11, PipJazz Sundays with Pippi Ardennia and guests
• March 20, Toots Thielmans and Kenny Werner at the Dakota
• March 21-22, Al DiMeolo and Gonzalo Rubalcaba at the Dakota
• March 31, Doug Little, Music of Roberto Fonseca, Jazz at Studio Z
• April 10, Cory Wong and Pena (TCJS Jazz From J to Z) at Minneapolis Southwest High School
• April 15, MacPhail Center for Music Combo Festival and Spotlight Concert featuring Adam Niewood, the Dakota Combo, and MacPhail Jazz Faculty
• April 22, Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education Fund Raiser at the Dakota
• April 22, Doug Haining Quintet, Tribute to Cannonball Adderley (TCJS Jazz From J to Z) at the Artists Quarter
• April 29-30, Steve Tyrell at the Dakota
• May 20-21, Ramsey Lewis Trio at the Dakota
• June 28-30, Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Mears Park (headliners Bad Plus with Joshua Redman, Delfeayo Marsalis Octet; Francisco Mela’s Cuban Safari)

Photos (top to bottom): Katie Gearty; Paula Lammers; Graydon Peterson; Mike Lewis and James Buckley (T Collective) (Photos by Andrea Canter)

Jazz Face: Mike Lewis

2012-01-20T12:24:00.003-06:00

© Andrea Canter

If saxophonist Mike Lewis ever left the Twin Cities (and we are always afraid he will), there would be a sudden brown-out, at least musically. Aside from his amazing horn chops, Lewis infuses vital energy into everything he touches, from Fat Kid Wednesdays and Happy Apple to the Bryan Nichols Quintet, tours with Andrew Bird and his guest appearances last year with Adam Linz’s Charles Mingus project at MacPhail and Ann Millikan’s House of Mirrors experiment.

Last Sunday at the Artists Quarter, Lewis and fellow sax monster Brandon Wozniak anchored the Bryan Nichols Quintet + 1 performance of the music of the Keith Jarrett American Quartet, part of the Twin Cities Jazz Society’s Jazz from J to Z series. It seemed that music soared even higher than the original, in no small part due to Mike’s hair-flying, body-rocking, never-hold-back high-voltage improvisations that spattered, sputtered, spiraled and sprayed his notes in all directions.

Michael Lewis. Never unplugged.

You can next catch Mike at the Nomad World Pub on January 25th in the fine company of James Buckley, Martin Dosh and Tim Glenn as the “T Collective.” Bring any devices that need recharging.

Photos: Mike Lewis with Bryan Nichols and Brandon Wozniak at the Artists Quarter, January 15th. (Photos by Andrea Canter)

2012 Twin Cities Jazz Festival -- Headliners Announced

2012-01-14T01:13:00.003-06:00

© Andrea Canter

Jon Weber, long-time “house pianist” for the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, came to the Artists Quarter last night for an evening of solo and trio excitement, but the excitement began before he played his first note. Twin Cities Jazz Festival Director Steve Heckler, hosting Weber’s gig, started the evening with the much anticipated announcement of the headliners for the 2012 festival, to be held June 28-30 in Mears Park. Hearty applause greeted the naming of the following confirmed acts: Francisco Mela and the Delfeayo Marslis Octet, both on Friday, June 29th; the Bad Plus with Joshua Redman, June 30th. Mela, Marsalis and Redman will also be on hand to conduct workshops during the festival.

Francisco Mela: Cuban drummer Francisco Mela has been making a name for himself since relocating to the US ten years ago. Dubbed “one of the most important Cuban drummers in jazz” by Jazz Times, his first recording featured Joe Lovano; he has worked with Kenny Barron, Jane Bunnett’s Spirits of Havana and the legendary Paquito D’Rivera. Now teaching at Berkelee in Boston, Mela takes time to tour with Lovano (Us Five), David Sanchez, John Scofield, Kenny Barron, and his own ensembles (trio, quintet and Cuban Safari). With Us Five, Mela appeared at the 2010 TCJF and at the Hopkins Center for the Arts in October 2011. His latest recording with Cuban Safari, Tree of Life, topped many lists as one of the best recordings of 2011.

Delfeayo Marsalis Octet: A frequent visitor to the Twin Cities in recent years, trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis is a middle brother of the famed clan. He began his career as a producer at 17. Now, 100 or so productions later, he’s shifted his emphasis to performance, touring with his quintet in support of his acclaimed CD Minions Dominion, a tribute to former employer Elvin Jones, and in the past year, with his octet celebrating the music of Duke Ellington (Sweet Thunder). Marsalis has performed in recent years at the Dakota, Orchestral Hall and as guest artist with the local high school ensemble, Dakota Combo.

The Bad Plus With Joshua Redman: The iconic piano trio of the 21st century joins forces with the poster boy for modern mainstream saxophone. There’s been no shortage of performances by the Bad Plus (Ethan Iverson, Reid Anderson and Dave King) in the Twin Cities for the past dozen years. Twin Cities natives Anderson and King began their collaboration with Menonomie native Iverson around 2000, and soon sky-rocketed to international fame with their irreverent interpretations of modern rock and pop as well as their edgy original compositions. They’ve reimagined Blondie, Ligeti, and Stravinksy, and have incorporated vocals. But never a horn. And what a horn! Joshua Redman has been drawing accolades since he burst on the jazz scene fresh out of Harvard and pre-law studies, winning the Monk Saxophone Competition in 1991, releasing a string of acclaimed recordings with his trios and quartets, and directing the first editions of the SF Jazz Collective (2004-2007). His most recent appearance here was with the quartet James Farm in September at the Dakota.

Over the next few months, Heckler and company will announce additional acts to appear on the Mears Park Main Stage, the adjacent Sixth Street stage, and at clubs throughout the St Paul downtown area. The Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education will again sponsor a Youth Stage on June 30th, near Mears Park on Prince Street. Jazz Night Out will kick off the festival at various venues on June 28th. The 14th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival is presented at no charge thanks to funding from the Minnesota Arts Board, City of St Paul, corporate sponsors and private donations. Visit the festival website for updates and to make a donation.

Photos (top to bottom): The Bad Plus; Joshua Redman; Delfeayo Marsalis; Francisco Mela (photos by Andrea Canter)

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, January 13-19

2012-01-13T14:58:00.005-06:00

© Andrea Canter

There’s a “Winter Jazz Blast” in Roseville Saturday but the weekend as a whole could be classified as a “jazz blast”—an explosion of diverse and high-flying artists from near and far descending upon clubs throughout the metro, with a heavy concentration in St. Paul. Meanwhile, just up on Cathedral Hill, the congestion of the International Red Bull Ice Crash might challenge some driving and parking, but just allow extra time, as the music will be well worth the effort.

Highlights This Week
Friday night (1/13) at the Artists Quarter, we welcome the return of a favorite “adopted” son, jazz festival “house pianist” and always-entertaining host, Jon Weber. For years, Weber has been a stalwart accompanist, soloist and “Stride Night” participant around the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, but he usually gets back to town at least once a year for his own gig at the AQ. Hosted tonight by festival director Steve Heckler, the trio (with Billy Peterson and Kenny Horst) will no doubt run through diverse sets from boogie-woogie to post bop, while Jon will engage the audience in a fruitless effort to stump the piano giant by suggesting odd keys, odd time signatures and various styles, getting heavy doses of jazz trivia along the way. (Easy to imagine him taking over for Marian McPartland as host of NPR's Piano Jazz this season!) And don’t be surprised if Heckler provides a preview of what will surely be the most exciting TC Jazz Festival ever (June 28-30).

All day Saturday (1/14), it’s the annual Roseville Winter Jazz Blast held at Northwestern College. Throughout the day, 18 middle and high school bands will perform and attend clinics, building up to a concert finale in the evening with the JazzMN Orchestra and special guest, guitar whiz Mike Stern. Stern performed with JazzMN during their 2010 concert season and his interact with the band was truly exciting. The festival is open to the public at no charge, and the evening concert (7:30 pm) is very reasonable. A good way to enjoy a cold winter day—inside with nonstop jazz!

An interesting alternative on Saturday night: Bach and Jazz at St. Paul’s Celtic Junction, sponsored by the Bach Society of Minnesota. I’ve often been struck by the underlying baroque of some approaches to jazz improvisation, and tonight the connection will be more overt when the jazz trio Framework (Chris Olson, Chris Bates, Jay Epstein) join some Bach aficionados (Jin Kim, baroque violin; Julie Elhard, viola da gamba; Paul Boehnke, harpsichord) to pay homage to Johann Sebastian and play some Bach-inspired jazz. Dan Gilliam of MPR will lead a discussion between Boehnke (Bach) and Olson (Jazz).

Come back to the AQ Saturday and Sunday! Saturday night (1/14) will be the St Paul solo debut of a rising star pianist, Richard Johnson. So who is Richard Johnson? One-time pianist with the Wynton Marsalis Septet and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Johnson has continued his charge with the likes of Russell Malone and Bobby Watson. He last appeared in St Paul at the TC Jazz Festival in 2010, with Watson’s quartet. Tonight he highlights the music of West Side Story, supported by our local heroes, Graydon Peterson on bass and Reid Kennedy on drums.

And come Sunday (1/15), it’s the Twin Cities Jazz Society’s Jazz From J to Z concert featuring inventive pianist Bryan Nichols and his “Quintet + 1” exploring the music of Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet of the 1970s. This is a new program from Bryan, who is joined by saxophonists Mike Lewis and Brandon Wozniak, bassist James Buckley, drummer JT Bates, and special guest, percussionist Jay Epstein. The early evening start (7 pm) features a short opening set from a trio of high school free jazzers, Respective Sound Convergence Summit (Sam Wildenauer, Henry Misa, Will Nelson). This ensemble drew praise from the master of free improv, Milo Fine, when they played at last summer’s Midtown Global Jazz Fest.

Thursday night (1/19), the Atlantis Quartet makes a too-rare appearance at the Dakota, and tonight it’s also KBEM’s Jazz 88 Restaurant Tour, meaning a special menu package for those who sign up on KBEM’ site (if reservations remain). But it’s otherwise an open night to come down, order off the menu or just enjoy a glass of wine or a plate of fries with one of the best modern jazz ensembles in town, headed by guitar ace Zacc Harris with fellow improvisers Brandon Wozniak, Chris Bates and Pete Hennig.

Thursday night (1/19) is the annual South High School Singer Showcase, this year featuring guest Connie Evingson with the acclaimed South Jazz Ensemble and a “showcase” of young vocalists from the South Pops Singers. This year the singers have received special coaching in the art of jazz singing from local singer/educator Rhonda Laurie, with support from the Jazz Artists in the Schools (Midwest Regional Arts Council) grant to the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education. And you never know, one of the alums of the Pops Singers is Jose James, one of the brightest new stars on the jazz planet. You might be hearing a star of the future as well as one of the brightest local stars of the present. An unfortunate conflict, on the same night farther south at Roosevelt High School, the jazz band led by Tom Wells will perform with guest artist/clinician Amber Woodhouse. Saxophonist Amber, a graduate of St Paul Central High School and the Berklee College of Music, was herself a young teen star and member of the first Dakota Combo. Also supported by the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education via its MRAC grant, Amber has been working with the new Roosevelt jazz program this winter.

More Jazz!
For updates and more gigs, check out the jazz calendar on the KBEM website! Some additional recommendations for the coming week:

• Friday, January 13: Irv Williams and Peter Schimke, Happy Hour at the Dakota; Sophia Shorai at Hell’s Kitchen; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen (Meridien/Chambers Hotel); Charmin Michelle and the Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra at the Medina Ballroom; Vic Volare’s Fabulous Fridays at Mediterranean Cruise

• Saturday, January 14: Charmin & Shapira, Midtown Global Market (12:30 pm); Karen Quiroz Brazilian Music at Hosmer Library (2:30 pm); Reynold Philipsek Trio with Doug Haining at Hell’s Kitchen; Joel Shapira at Ingredients Café; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen (Meridien/Chambers Hotel); Jon Pemberton Trio at the Loring Pasta Bar

• Sunday, January 15: Patty and the Buttons, brunch at the Aster Café; Martin Luther King concert at Ted Mann (4 pm, with Larry Long, Tonia Hughes, Billly Peterson, Billy Steele); Zacc Harris Trio at Riverview Wine Bar

• Monday, January 16: Headspace at the Artists Quarter; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Scott Agster at Jazz Central

• Tuesday, January 17: Barbara Bjork and Kristin Sponcia at The Nicollet; Cory Wong Quartet at the Artists Quarter (early set); Jack Brass Band at the Driftwood; Acme Jazz Company at the Shorewood

• Wednesday, January 18: Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Steve Kenny and the Bastids followed by the Dan Musselman Trio at the Artists Quarter; Jana Nyberg at Hell’s Kitchen; Parker Paisley at Café Maude (Park Evans, Brandon Wozniak, Adam Wozniak, Pete Hennig); Nomad World Pub Jazz Series with Tanner Taylor, James Buckley and Phil Hey

• Thursday, January 19: Dan and Reuben Ristrom at Sawatdee (Maple Grove); Snowblind at the Artists Quarter; Sophia Shorai and Bryan Nichols at Barbette

Coming Soon!
• January 21, Paula Lammers and Mary Louise Knutson, Jazz @ St. Barney’s

. January 21, MacPhail Faculty celebrate George Gershwin at Antonello Hall
• January 22-23, M’Shell Ndgeocello at the Dakota
• January 23, Snowblind at Jazz Central
• January 24, Maryann Sullivan at The Nicollet
• January 25, Babatunde Lea with Adam Linz and Zacc Harris at Café Maude
• January 25-26, Nellie McKay at the Dakota
• January 27, The Bad Plus, Paramount Theater (St Cloud)
• January 27-28, Bryan Nichols Quintet at the Artists Quarter
• January 28, Monk in Motian Tribute to Paul Motian (with 3 drummers), Jazz at Studio Z
• January 28, Ginger Commodore and Dennis Spears at the Dakota
• January 28-29, Great Guitars (Joan Griffith, Sam Miltich) with Connie Evingson at the Bloomington Center for the Arts (Jazz From J to Z)
• January 28-29, Century College Jazz Festival with Roger Ingram, Joel Shapira Quartet
• January 30, U of M Jazz I with Roger Ingram at the Stillwater Area High School Jazz Festival
• February 3, Matt Haimovitz at Macalester (Weyerhauser Chapel)
• February 4, Resurrection (Ellen Lease, Pat Moriarty, Noah Ophoven-Baldwin, Evan Clark) at Studio Z
• February 8-9, Jeff Lorber Fusion (with Randy Brecker) at the Dakota
• February 10-11, Bobby Peterson Memorial Piano Showcase at the Artists Quarter
• February 15-16, Hugh Masekela at the Dakota
• February 17, A Love Electric at the Artists Quarter
• February 17, Bruce Henry at the Dakota
• February 18, Kurt Elling and Lizz Wright at Orchestra Hall
• February 19, Laura Caviani and Joan Griffith, “Sambanova” at Carlton College Concert Hall (Northfield)
• February 22-23, Doc Severinsen Big Band at the Dakota
• February 25, Laura Caviani, Jazz@St. Barneys
• February 25, Atlantis Quartet, Jazz at Studio Z,
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)
• March 9-10, Manhattan Transfer at the Dakota
• March 10, Caswell Sisters with JazzMN Orchestra at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center
• March 11, PipJazz Sundays with Pippi Ardennia and guests
• March 20, Toots Thielmans and Kenny Werner at the Dakota
• March 21-22, Al DiMeolo and Gonzalo Rubalcaba at the Dakota
• March 31, Doug Little, Music of Roberto Fonseca, Jazz at Studio Z
• April 22, Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education Fund Raiser at the Dakota
• April 29-30, Steve Tyrell at the Dakota
• May 20-21, Ramsey Lewis Trio at the Dakota
• June 28-30, Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Mears Park

Photos (top to bottom): Jon Weber; Mike Stern; Richard Johnson; Connie Evingson (all photos by Andrea Canter)

The Young and the Fearless

2012-01-12T21:41:00.005-06:00

© Andrea Canter

It’s been a good winter so far for young jazz musicians in the Twin Cities. It seems new opportunities come along every week, and often it’s because these future stars are creating their own—through teachers, slightly older peers, whatever connections they can find.

The latest installment of the Twin Cities Jazz Society’s Young Artists Series kicked off the winter season at the Artists Quarter in mid-December with a trio led by South High senior and drummer Emerson Hunton, and featuring fellow South senior Sam Wildenauer on bass and Northwestern U freshman (Minnetonka HS class of 2011) Brad Allen on tenor sax. Covers and originals filled the set, and pianist Quentin Tschofen, at the time in his first semester at UW-EC, sat in on the final tunes. (He’s now on his way to New York to start the jazz program at the New School.) A week later, Quentin performed a solo set as part of the Schubert Club’s Courtroom Series. In addition to a couple standards and a solo arrangement of his own “North,” Quentin’s skills were tested when he was asked to spontaneously improvise on “Jingle Bells.” And just a week ago, bassist Sam found himself playing with veteran improvisers at the Black Dog Café when he joined Alden Ikeda, Joe Smith and Nathan Hanson in the Community Pool/Deep End Series’ featured gig. Sam brings his own teen trio (Respective Sound Convergence Summit) to the Artists Quarter this weekend, opening for Bryan Nichols on Sunday (1/15).

Just before the New Year, the Minnesota Youth Jazz Band held its annual winter jam at the Artists Quarter. Directed by David Mitchell, MYJB is the premiere metro-wide big band experience for high school, and now middle school, jazz students. This evening was an amalgam of current and former MYJB musicians playing a variety of configuration, from small combo to full 22-piece band, and mostly on the fly. But they had learned their lessons well, some now finishing college studies. In full force, this might have been the largest ensemble to play at the AQ, spilling well into the seating area. And they probably displayed the most enthusiasm per square inch. The management of the constantly changing format and personnel was almost as incredible as the resulting music. And the audience? Mostly family and a lot of students whose enthusiasm closely matched the performers.

About eighteen months ago I was contacted by Tyler Anderson, then a junior saxophonist at UW-Eau Claire. He had recorded a CD and was hoping to get it reviewed. A few months later, when TCJS was seeking a small ensemble from Eau Claire for the Young Artists Series, director Bob Baca sent us to Tyler, who had just formed a new quartet called The Coriolis Effect. Their set last October was surely the most sophisticated we ever presented in this series. Now the band, their own EP in hand, is spending winter break touring around the upper Midwest, playing some club gigs and presenting clinics in several high schools. One of their first stops (last week) was Jazz Central in Minneapolis, and their promotional activities paid off as the performance space was filled, mostly with a young crowd who are often noticeably absent from jazz gigs in more formal settings. Ranging from freshman bassist Jordan Jenkins and junior pianist Cody Peterson to the soon-to-graduate seniors, Anderson and drummer Mike Malone, they played a set of original music. In the very dim light of Jazz Central, it was hard to remember these were guys still worrying about final exams and graduation credits.

Winter break provided an opportunity for another college musician to take the stage at the Dakota. Trumpeter Jake Baldwin, in his third year at the New England Conservatory in Boston, was already well acquainted with the Dakota stage. The Minnetonka High School grad first played in the downtown club with the Dakota Combo during his junior year, again as a senior, and a few times since with bands he and former Combo cohort, pianist Joe Strachan have put together for the Late Night series. And last May, Jake was again at the Dakota, scene of the International Trumpet Guild Convention and the finals of the ITG soloist competition. For last Friday’s Late Night, Jake led a sextet that he assembled when his frequent quartet collaborators were unable to make the gig, save Joe. That precluded a set of original music, but the band (featuring musicians tied to NEC and the U of M as well as South High and Manhattan School of Music grad Miguel Hurtado) smoked through a set of standards including a fine turn on “Darn That Dream,” some sizzling Parker and Monk, and a nod to the recently departed Sam Rivers (“Beatrice”) that highlighted U of M saxophonist Nelson Devereaux. Again, a strong and young audience got full exposure to modern jazz.

Of course, jazz is not dead. But more than merely existing, jazz, in the Twin Cities and beyond, is thriving through the talent and fervor of student musicians, their instructors and mentors, and the audiences they bring to their performances. One wonders, will they all find a place to play? Will there be enough of an audience to sustain them through careers in music? For those who are creating their own opportunities for performance and teaching, the prospects are bright.

You can keep up with some of our young artists via the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education website and Facebook page. Some upcoming student performances:
• Roseville Jazz Blast (high school clinics and performances throughout the day, soloists with guest artist Mike Stern and the JazzMN Orchestra in the evening), January 14th at Northwestern College in Arden Hills (concert at 7 pm)
• Respective Sound Convergence Summit, opening set, Twin Cities Jazz Society Jazz From J to Z concert featuring Bryan Nichols Quintet + 1, January 15th at the Artists Quarter (7 pm)
• Minneapolis South High Singer Showcase (singers with the jazz band and guest Connie Evingson) on January 19th at South, 7 pm
• Roosevelt High School Concert with jazz band and guest Amber Woodhouse on January 19th at Roosevelt (7 pm)
• Stillwater Area High School Jazz Festival and concert, January 30th at Stillwater Area High School
• Stillwater Area High School Jazz Combos, February 2, TCJS Young Artists Series at the Artists Quarter (7 pm)

Photos (top to bottom): Quentin Tschofen; Jake Baldwin with Nelson Devereaux and Joe Strachan at the Dakota; the Emerson Hunton Trio with Quentin Tschofen at the Artists Quarter; MYJB jam at the Artists Quarter; the Coriolis Effect led by Tyler Anderson (at the Artists Quarter in fall 2011). (All photos by Andrea Canter)

Singing for Christine

2012-01-12T21:25:00.005-06:00

© Andrea Canter

Most of the Twin Cities vocalists who were not among the fifteen on the Dakota stage Tuesday night were in the audience, and many more musicians, writers, jazz fans, friends and family crowded the club for nearly four hours to pay respects and send off a musical tribute to popular singer Christine Rosholt. Rosholt, whose suicide on December 28th shocked family and community, leaves a significant hole in the area jazz family. She performed at every conceivable venue from southern Minnesota to the North Shore, in clubs, concert halls, libraries, nursing homes, gala benefits and private parties, in duos, quartets, big bands. She started out mining the Great American Songbook but lately was stretching her musical wings, most recently diving head first into songs written by British pop songwriter Kevin Hall, many written specifically for her as the pair worked on what would be her last recording, Pazz. Hall returned from England to participate in the memorial event.

A rotating cast of musicians supported the singers Tuesday night, with organizer, long-time musical partner Tanner Taylor and her other long-standing collaborator Chris Lomheim sharing piano duties with Hall and George Maurer; the drums were manned by frequent cohorts Jay Epstein, Mac Santiago, and Paul Midori; her usual bassist Graydon Peterson managed the upright through the entire three sets. Throughout the evening, KBEM's Maryann Sullivan choreographed the sets while showing off her own vocal chops. Song choices were sentimental and tragically logical, from “I Remember You” (house band) and “I’ll Be Seeing You” (Rachel Holder) to “Leaving” (Vicky Mountain) and "Bye Bye Baby" (Maryann Sullivan). Sophia Shorai offered a heart-rending “Smile,” one of Christine’s favorites with its telling lyric; Katie Gearty rocked poignantly on “Let It Be;” Rhonda Laurie (“Blue Skies”), Paula Lammers (“You Must Believe in Spring”) and Arne Fogel (“That Old Black Magic”) offered some hope while lines in “Cheek to Cheek” (Nichola Miller) and “Close Your Eyes” (Lila Ammons) seemed to take on new meaning in this context.

The second set, with Hall on piano, featured some of the songs from Pazz, that last collaboration celebrated just over a month ago on this stage, and here performed by Christine’s “back-up” singers, Rachel and Katie. But it was Patty Peterson who skillfully handled the most difficult presentation, singing the seemingly prophetic “Last Goodbye.” Kevin put speculation to rest; he wrote the song before he met Christine. Tragically the lyrics became all too relevant.

J.D. Steele, with Debbie Duncan and Katie Gearty, closed down the evening in a more celebratory fashion with a Motown finale. And leave it to Christine, as if a last gesture of support for the music scene she worked so hard to master, to bring together one grand display of the depth and breadth of local musical talent. There may be one less star in our jazz galaxy, but its light still travels with a bright after-glow.

Memorial donations can be sent to the Hennepin Health Foundation's Christine Rosholt Act of Kindness Fund at 701 Park Av, Minneapolis MN 55414.

Photos (top to bottom): Sophia Shorai; Patty Peterson; Chris Lomheim; Lawrence Hutera and the band; JD Steele with Debbie Duncan and Katie Gearty (all photos by Andrea Canter, 1/10/12)

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, January 6-12

2012-01-05T15:20:00.003-06:00

© Andrea Canter

“From Bop to Bach” and a fond farewell to a favorite songbird warm Twin Cities jazz venues this week.

Highlights This Week
Back in November, pianist Laura Caviani revisited some of her classical repertoire, now interpreted through her post-bop experiences as composer and performer. In trio format, she captivated the Artists Quarter audience with her new takes on Bach, Schubert, Chopin, Debussy, McDowell and more. Now she’s back with an expanded program and expanded band, adding vibes master Dave Hagedorn to an ensemble with Chris Bates on bass and Phil Hey on drums, “From Bach to Bop” this weekend, back at the AQ (1/6-7). And you can be sure Laura will add works by Monk, Mary Lou Williams, maybe Alec Wilder and Horace Silver?

Friday night (1/6), the Black Dog continues its biweekly “Community Pool—Deep End” series curated by Nathan Hanson and Brian Roessler. Tonight’s offering comes from Hanson, Pat O’Keefe, Pat Moriarty, and Davu Seru. Horns a plenty. Across town at the Dakota (1/6), Cuban firebrand Nachito Herrera is back with a night of flaming musical cigars, piano madness and lots of fun. And stick around late (or come downtown!) for the shape of jazz to come, with the Jake Baldwin Sextet on the Late Night schedule. Jake is a prodigious trumpeter in his third year at the New England Conservatory of Music, a finalist in the 2011 International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition and alum of Minnetonka High School, the Dakota Combo and Minnesota Youth Jazz Band. Tonight he gathers some equally outstanding young players studying in college music programs or recently graduated and launching their careers.

If you are looking for some excellent chamber jazz in an informal but classy context, remember some weekly offerings in both downtowns—the Joann Funk/Jeff Brueske duo in the Lobby Bar of the St Paul Hotel, and the Benny Weinbeck Trio (with Gordy Johnson and usually Phil Hey) at D’Amico Kitchen in the Meridien/Chambers Hotel. This month, catch them on Friday and Saturday nights (1/6-1/7). Nathan Norman fills in for Hey this weekend with Benny.

Tuesday night at the Dakota (1/10), the Twin Cities jazz community celebrates the life and music of Christine Rosholt, one of the area’s most popular vocalists who passed away on December 28th. Paying respects will be a long list of musicians, including her frequent cohorts Tanner Taylor, Graydon Peterson, Mac Santiago, Dave Karr, fellow vocalists and more, many of whom appeared on her December release, Pazz.

Café Maude has been hosting some fine jazz ensembles lately, and this week is no exception. Peter Schimke, James Buckley and Jay Epstein form an inventive trio on Wednesday night (1/11), and the menu from Maude’s kitchen is a fine complement to improvisation.

More Jazz!
Things seem a bit slower in January but there’s always several choices on any given night. Visit KBEM’s jazz calendar online for updates.
• Friday, January 6: Happy Hour with Peter Schimke and Irv Williams at the Dakota; Glen Helgeson and Gary Schulte at the 318 Café; Vic Volare Fabulous Friday at Mediterranean Cruise
• Saturday, January 7: Zacc Harris Trio with Debbie Duncan at Hell’s Kitchen; Parisota Hot Club at the Loring Pasta Bar; Vicky Mountain and James Allen at First Course Bistro; JazZen at The Nicollet
• Sunday, January 8: Brunch with Patty and the Buttons at the Aster Café; Zacc Harris Trio at the Riverview Wine Bar; Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra with Charmin Michelle at Cinema Ballroom
• Monday, January 9: Sophia Shorai at the Dakota; Headspace at the Artists Quarter; Improvised Music with Milo Fine and friends at Homewood Studios; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; James Buckley at Barbette
• Tuesday, January 10: Cory Wong Quartet at the Artists Quarter (early show) followed by Memorial for Howie Foss; Jack Brass at the Driftwood; Cedar Avenue Big Band at the Shorewood
• Wednesday, January 11: Steve Kenny and the Bastids followed by the Dave Karr Quartet at the Artists Quarter; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza
• Thursday, January 12: Rhonda Laurie at the Aster Café; Phil Hey Quartet at the Artists Quarter

Coming Soon!
• January 13, Jon Weber at the Artists Quarter
• January 14, Richard Johnson Trio at the Artists Quarter
• January 14, Roseville Winter Jazz Blast with Mike Stern at Maranantha Hall, Northwestern College
• January 15, Bryan Nichols “Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet” at the Artists Quarter (Jazz From J to Z)
• January 21, Paula Lammers and Mary Louise Knutson, Jazz @ St. Barney’s
• January 22-23, M’Shell Ndgeocello at the Dakota
• January 25-26, Nellie McKay at the Dakota
• January 27-28, Bryan Nichols Quintet at the Artists Quarter
• January 28-29, Great Guitars (Joan Griffith, Sam Miltich) with Connie Evingson at the Bloomington Center for the Arts (Jazz From J to Z)
• February 3, Matt Haimovitz at Macalester
• February 8-9, Jeff Lorber Fusion (with Randy Brecker) at the Dakota
• February 10-11, Bobby Peterson Memorial Piano Showcase at the Artists Quarter
• February 15-16, Hugh Masekela at the Dakota
• February 16, Kurt Elling and Lizz Wright at Orchestra Hall
• February 17, A Love Electric at the Artists Quarter
• February 25, Laura Caviani, Jazz@St. Barneys
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)
• March 9-10, Manhattan Transfer at the Dakota
• March 10, Caswell Sisters with JazzMN Orchestra at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center
• March 20, Toots Thielmans and Kenny Werner at the Dakota
• March 21-22, Al DiMeolo and Gonzalo Rubalcaba at the Dakota

Photos (top to bottom ): Jake Baldwin; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske; Laura Caviani (all photos by Andrea Canter)

Signs of Jazz Life in the Local Universe, 2011 (Part 1)

2011-12-31T00:22:00.016-06:00

© Andrea Canter

The Variety section of Friday’s Star Tribune was filled with “best of” lists –night life, quotes, albums, live acts, songs. The only mention of anything jazz-related was in the article, “No. 1 Sign the Local Music Scene Was Alive and Well in 2011,” which provided responses from 9 panelists of the Twin Cities Critics Tally and, not surprising, included only one jazz comment -- from local blogger/jazz calendar maven Pamela Espeland. With the exception of Jon Bream, who on occasion covers something jazzy, Pamela was the only member of the entire panel with any clear interest in jazz.

No one asked my opinion, so I’m happy to share it here. What were the signs that the local jazz scene was alive and well in 2011? In no particular order:

KBEM radio. After celebrating 40 years on the air in fall 2010, Jazz88 continued its jam-packed daily programming from trad to rad, giving more students opportunities to learn about the music as well as broadcasting skills, adding new programs like Patty Peterson’s Playroom and expanding Maryann Sullivan’s Corner Jazz to include the Local Corner. Further, Jazz 88 has continued its REEL Jazz film screenings, seasonal jazz cruises, and Jazz After Work. And I am looking forward to the 2012 return of South High (and now Southwest) students running their own show, as well as broadcasts of St Paul Live.

Twin Cities Jazz Festival. After nearly going under a few years ago, the festival is fast becoming one of the top jazz events in the Midwest, growing in attendance, gigs and enthusiasm each year since settling into Lowertown for one long weekend in June. Hats off to Steve Heckler and his crew for bringing in acts like Gary Burton and Danilo Perez, showing off local talents, presenting workshops, and doing it all as a free public event. At least for a few days and nights, everyone’s a jazz fan. Bonus in 2011--Downbeat Magazine was on hand to not only cover the story of Gary Burton, but the story of the festival (published in October).

Artists Quarter. Credit owner Kenny Horst with survival as the only club venue in town presenting jazz full time. A haven for local musicians and serious listeners, Kenny offers lots of bop and bang for the buck (usually $5 weeknights and $10-$15 weekends). In the past year, he brought in more national artists, like Eddie Gomez, Christian Howes, Eric Alexander, Jon Weber and more. And of course there are our locally-based musicians with national reputations!

Jazz Central. Underground clubs and house parties are making a comeback, even in the Twin Cities, and Jazz Central leads the way. Tanner Taylor and Mac Santiago turned an old recording studio in Northeast Minneapolis into a performance space/teaching and recording studio, “for the cats, by the cats.” Surviving on donations and rentals, they offer Monday night gigs and jams and sometimes more during the week, but the mission is to give musicians a place to play without being confined by concerns for filling the house or playing to a common denominator of musical tastes—here they can stretch out, experiment, and work in combinations that are simply unlikely bookings.

Dakota Jazz Club. Some may view the expanded music schedule (covering pop, rock, blues, and more) as a contra-indicator of jazz health. Ideally, the Dakota Jazz Club would still be offering “jazz” seven nights per week and making a profit doing it. This concept is becoming an oxymoran in jazz worldwide. Lowell Pickett continues to bring in top names in the national jazz scene more often than any other local venue and at prices that are still competitive with clubs in other major cities. And the Dakota continues to be one of the classiest settings to hear music of any kind. Best of all, it’s still open. Maybe someone who enjoyed Little Anthony and the Imperials will come back to hear Kenny Werner and Toots Thielemans (March 20th)? Maybe.

Young Artists and Jazz Education. Opportunities for students to learn and perform are growing, within our public and private schools (including MacPhail, McNally Smith, Walker West) and within the arts community. From the student broadcasters at KBEM to those in the elite community ensembles like the Dakota Combo, Minnesota Youth Jazz Band, and Walker West, the array of talent coming up through the ranks is impressive. In the past year, the Dakota Combo was selected to participate in the annual Charles Mingus High School Festival and Competition in New York, and MYJB toured Europe, including a performance at the famed Montreux Jazz Festival. My friend Joan Delich also reminded me that the St Olaf Jazz Ensemble, directed by Dave Hagedorn, was named Top Large Jazz Ensemble in the college division of the Downbeat Student Awards. And young artists have been welcomed to the stage at the Artists Quarter (including the TCJS Young Artists Series), Dakota, area jazz festivals (TCJF, Dakota Street Fest, Burnsville Art and All That Jazz) and more. A new opportunity launching in 2011 was the PipJazz Sundays concert series at Landmark Center, where each concert (as of November) features a student guest who rehearses and performs with the house band.

Learning opportunities outside of the schools have also grown, with public clinics during the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, at Walker West, and through Zacc Harris’s Jazz at Studio Z series, which includes open rehearsals on the afternoon of each gig. The Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education received an MRAC grant to bring jazz artists into schools for intensive learning experiences. Perhaps one of the best examples of the growth of opportunities for young musicians was last night’s line-up at the Black Dog Café. On stage for the Community Pool/Deep End new music series was a band simple labeled Ikeda/Smith/Wildenauer. Alden Ikeda and Joe Smith are seasoned veterans on the local scene. Sam Wildenauer is a 17-year-old bassist at South High. Yeah, that’s the way it used to be.

Local recordings. It was a good year for local jazz artists, with excellent releases from Bryan Nichols (Bright Places), Atlantis Quartet (Lines in the Sand), Mary Louise Knutson (In the Bubble), Doug Haining (Last Many Swinging), Joel Shapira Quartet (Open Lines), Charmin and Shapira (Dawning and Daylight), the Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra with Charmin Michelle (Dance Party Volume 1), Prudence Johnson (A Girl Named Vincent), Paula Lammers (Deep Purple Dreams), Red Planet (Space Dust) and the late Christine Rosholt’s tragically final jazz/pop hybrid (Pazz). And let’s count the Dave King Trucking Company (Good Old Light), since nearly all members of the band are based here.

Big gigs: The brightest stars on the national and international jazz scene came to Twin Cities venues this year, including the Bad Plus performing their arrangement of the Rite of Spring at the Loring and their 12th annual holiday weekend at the Dakota; Joe Lovano’s Us Five visiting twice (at the Dakota and at the Hopkins Center for the Arts); Branford Marsalis and Terence Blanchard, and Herbie Hancock (solo) at Orchestra Hall; Gary Burton and Danilo Perez at the TC Jazz Festival; Mike Stern with the JazzMN Orchestra at the Hopkins Performing Arts Center; Theo Bleckmann at Macalester; Ramsey Lewis, Roy Hargrove, “Four Generations of Miles,” Michel LeGrand, Arturo Sandoval, Roberta Gambarini, Jane Monheit, Karrin Allyson, Ben Sidran, Stanley Clarke, James Farm, John Scofield at the Dakota; Eric Alexander, Eddie Gomez and Christian Howes at the Artists Quarter.

New venues for jazz. Pamela noted in the Strib that “when one venue closes, others open or make room for jazz.” The Clown Lounge closed; Café Maude put music on hold for couple months; and the Loring Theater has closed as of today. But now we have Nicollet Coffee with jazz at least weekly, a revived Nomad World Pub Jazz series, the new series at Studio Z, expanded jazz at the Black Dog (e.g., first Tuesdays with Dean Magraw and Davu Seru and Community Pool/Deep end on alternating Fridays), and the return of the Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen. And it seems more and more restaurants and bars are presenting jazz at least a few nights each month. Jazz is increasingly present in the suburbs, from Wayzata (318 Café) to Stillwater (Shanghai Bistro).

Signs That Jazz Needs a Boost
Amidst all the indicators that jazz thrives in the Twin Cities, there remain some signs that jazz advocacy is still sorely needed:

Attendance at gigs. Especially during the week, audiences can be painfully scant. When an artist like Joe Lovano and his Us Five band can not fill the house at the Dakota, you have to wonder…. But where is the press to help promote jazz gigs? Oh yeah, I forgot, the Strib sent a photographer down to the Artists Quarter to cover the last B-3 Organ Night!

Limited venues for serious listening/playing. Despite some great spaces and attitudes, a-too high percentage of jazz musicians still play for too little money in cramped spaces with poor sound systems in rooms filled with people seeking only background music to talk over. We need more Black Dogs, more Studio Zs, small venues that are truly artist-friendly.

Awareness: Apparently we don’t yet have a critical mass of jazz websites, jazz bloggers, or jazz reporters as I still hear, way too often, “Where can I go to hear some jazz?” or worse yet, “It’s too hard to find out about jazz gigs.” Of course if you are reading this, you do know how to find out. As much as we like to think the world has switched allegiance to online information, the dearth of jazz coverage in daily print media or on commercial radio continues to be one of the most serious deterrents to jazz wellness.

But these downers are long-standing issues. Despite these ongoing challenges, jazz is thriving as much in the Twin Cities as anywhere else, and given the size of the metropolitan area, this may be the strongest jazz scene per capita in the country.

New Year's Resolutions

You can help make 2012 a banner year for jazz in the Twin CItites by making a few commitments:

• Join the Twin Cities Jazz Society and ensure continued series of concerts, scholarships, Young Artists Series, student workshops and print and online news coverage.
• Donate to KBEM and KFAI radio to ensure continued programming and educational support. (And listen to jazz programming!)
• Donate to the Twin Cities Jazz Festival to ensure a wide range of artists and workshops at no charge
• Attend as many jazz gigs as you can, and make it a point to visit new venues to hear new artists and/or new music, including student performances.
• Visit jazz-related websites and blogs to find out what is going on!
• Tell your local newspaper that you want more coverage of jazz events!
• Stop talking during the bass solo!

What were the key indicators of jazz health in 2011 according to other local jazz hounds? Watch this blog for Part 2, to be posted in early next week.

Photos (top to bottom): Maryann Sullivan broadcasts Corner Jazz and the Local Corner on KBEM radio; the Twin Cities Jazz Festival filled Mears Park for the Gary Burton Quartet; the Dakota Combo performed at the Mingus Festival and Competition in New York; the Nicollet Coffee hosts jazz every Tuesday night with groups like JazZen. (Photos by Andrea Canter)

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, December 30 - January 5

2011-12-29T15:52:00.006-06:00

© Andrea Canter

The joy of celebrating and anticipating the New Year is tempered this week with the loss of our dear friend and jazz chanteuse Christine Rosholt. But she would be the first one to tell us to get out and share some good music with friends and family. So let’s do it, there’s enough to keep us in good spirits every day.

Highlights This Week
With a Saturday night of New Year’s Eve special gigs, it might be easy to overlook some fine options for Friday night. But don’t! For starters, enjoy New York-based pianist and one of our favorite visitors, Rick Germanson, playing in trio at the Artists Quarter (12/30) as a warm-up to the annual AQ New Year’s Eve Party with vocalist Carole Martin. In trio, you can readily hear the lyricism, the layers of harmony, the eclectic approach to improvisation that has marked Germanson’s performances and recordings over the past decade. And of course, New Year’s Eve at the AQ means Carole Martin and a great band, this year anchored by Rick on piano, with Graydon Peterson, Kenny Horst, Dave Karr and surprise guests. Carole has been headlining the year-end bash for a number of years now, and there are a few predictables—great torch songs and feisty blues, a down-home light buffet and noise makers, a champagne toast, and a club full of people who love jazz and the AQ. (Reservations still available.)

Of course there’s more for New Year’s Eve, and with some gigs scheduled early in the evening, you can enjoy some good music and still get home early, or make it a double-header. Among those early options, Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson gently chase away 2011 at Honey; Nichola Miller and Tanner Taylor swing the Hell out of Hell’s Kitchen; Lee Engele and Pietro Benso sway at Nonna Rosa’s. A bit later, catch Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske in the Lobby Bar of the St Paul Hotel; the Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen at the Meridien/Chambers; or the first New Year’s Eve Jam at Jazz Central.

Save some energy for 2012! Charmin Michelle is off to a busy start, not only with her usual Sunday (1/1) gig with the Jerry O'Hagan Orchestra at Cinema Ballroom and her Monday (1/2) and Wednesday (1/4) nights with Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza, but also on stage at the Dakota for “Foodie Night” at the Dakota on Tuesday (1/3), swinging hard with Rick Carlson, Steve Pikal and Nathan Norman. Another area favorite, Lucia Newell is back at the Artists Quarter Wednesday night (1/4), and there’s no brighter way to start the new year than with some south-of-the-border fare sung in the original language.

A few months ago, I heard a young band of jazzers from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, dubbed The Coriolis Effect. It was pretty sophisticated stuff for college musicians, and now they are taking their compositions and arrangements on a Midwest tour during January, starting off at Jazz Central on Thursday night (1/5). Leader Tyler Anderson blows a mean saxophone, and his cohorts (Cody Peterson on piano, Jordan Jenkins on bass, Mike Malone on drums) contribute their own works. We’ll be hearing a lot more from them.

More Jazz!
A lot of venues are a bit slow transitioning to 2012, so look for updates online, particularly on the KBEM jazz calendar. A few more recommendations:

• Friday, December 30: Irv Williams and Peter Schimke, Happy Hour at the Dakota followed by The New Standards; Sophia Shorai at Hell’s Kitchen; Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen (Meridien/Chambers Hotel); Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Big Band Christmas at St. Barnabas Church with the KC Gospel Orchestra; Ikeda-Smith-Wildenauer at the Black Dog.
• Saturday, December 31: Lee Engele and Reynold Philipsek, 12:30-2:30 pm in the atrium of the Midtown Global Market; New Year’s Eve with Davina and the Vagabonds at the Dakota
• Sunday, January 1: Patty and the Buttons, brunch at the Aster Cafe'; Zacc Harris Trio at the Riverview Wine Bar
• Monday, January 2: Soapboxing at the Artists Quarter
• Tuesday, January 3: Cory Wong Quartet at the Artists Quarter; no B-3 organ night at the AQ (schedule TBA); Dean Magraw and David Seru at the Black Dog; Jack Brass at the Driftwood; Acme Jazz Company at the Shorewood; Doug Haining and Dave "Cool Breeze" Brown at Nicollet Coffee
• Wednesday, January 4: Steve Kenny and the Bastids at the Artists Quarter (7 pm show); Zacc Harris Quartet at the Black Dog; George Maurer at the Dakota; Nomad Jazz Series at Nomad World Pub (TBA)
• Thursday, January 5: Dave Brattain Quartet at the Artists Quarter; Nick Haas Trio at Hell’s Kitchen; Yemen Blues at The Cedar

Coming Soon!
• January 6, Jake Baldwin Quartet at the Dakota (Late Night)
• January 13, Jon Weber at the Artists Quarter
• January 14, Richard Johnson Trio at the Artists Quarter
• January 14, Roseville Winter Jazz Blast with Mike Stern at Maranantha Hall, Northwestern College
• January 15, Bryan Nichols “Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet” at the Artists Quarter (Jazz From J to Z)
• January 22-23, M’Shell Ndgeocello at the Dakota
• January 25-26, Nellie McKay at the Dakota
• January 27-28, Bryan Nichols Quintet at the Artists Quarter
• January 28-29, Great Guitars (Joan Griffith, Sam Miltich) with Connie Evingson at the Bloomington Center for the Arts (Jazz From J to Z)
• February 3, Matt Haimovitz at Macalester
• February 8-9, Jeff Lorber Fusion (with Randy Brecker) at the Dakota
• February 15-16, Hugh Masekela at the Dakota
• February 16, Kurt Elling and Lizz Wright at Orchestra Hall
• February 17, A Love Electric at the Artists Quarter
• March 2-3, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)
• March 9-10, Manhattan Transfer at the Dakota
• March 10, Caswell Sisters with JazzMN Orchestra at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center
• March 20, Toots Thielmans and Kenny Werner at the Dakota
• March 21-22, Al DiMeolo and Gonzalo Rubacalba at the Dakota

Photos (top to bottom): Rick Germanson; Charmin Michelle with the Jerry O'Hagan Orchestra; Lucia Newell; The Coriolis Effect (L-R), Cody Peterson, Jordan Jenkins, Tyler Anderson, Mike Malone) (all photos by Andrea Canter)

Jazz Face: Christine Rosholt, RIP

2011-12-29T11:13:00.003-06:00

© Andrea Canter

I first heard Christine Rosholt sing at the Dakota, maybe in 2004. She had a sincere perkiness that was contagious and carried over into her renditions of great tunes from the 30s and 40s. She was just at the beginning of her singing career, and her voice was still finding its mark. But she already knew how to draw in an audience to hear her stories, well prepared from her education at the Children’s Theater and as a performance art/photography major at the Art Institute of Chicago. And just naturally one who enjoyed interacting on the live stage.

I last heard Christine sing at the Dakota on December 1, 2011, a celebration of her third and most ambitious recording (Pazz) that pushed her beyond her comfort zone into pop, R&B and rock arrangements of songs, mostly written for her, by British songwriter Kevin Hall. It capped a year (or two) that revealed a more daring, more personally styled singer who was as likely to sing Frishberg or Blossom Dearie as Harold Arlen or Irving Berlin, one who now cited the influences of Tierney Sutton and Karrin Allyson as well as Billie and Ella. Her voice had found its mark. In October, Christine revitalized a 2005 production of songs based on Shakespeare’s sonnets and dialogue. Then there was the new recording with potential pop chart hits. And ever the warmth, the banter, the stories –the brightness that kept the demons far from public view.

My last interview with Christine was back in August. Things were coming together for “Jazz Meets the Bard” and the final mix was underway for Pazz. “It’s fun to break away from the song book and work on something that pretty much no one has heard before,” she said.

What we saw on stage, particularly at the Pazz release, was the fun, the delight in presenting new music, the camaraderie with her musicians, that love of performing for a live audience. We never saw Christine give in to the dark side.

On December 28th, the demons won. But they can’t take away our memories of all that.

For obit, see Jazz Police.

Photo: My favorite of Christine, from the TCJS 30th anniversary party at the Dakota in February 2009, with frequent cohort Graydon Peterson.

Tuesday Nights Will Never Be the Same

2011-12-28T14:46:00.002-06:00

© Andrea Canter

It was the Tuesday after Christmas, and throughout the Artists Quarter, not a chair or barstool stood empty, not even a mouse could squeeze in. The drinks poured freely, the $5 admissions piled high; even the Strib sent photographers to cover the gig. Up on the stage, Bill Brown made the B-3 bubble and hum; Billy Franze tossed and turned that guitar inside out with his usual big grin; and owner Kenny Horst pounded and rattled the drumkit into submission.

This should have been the usual weekly gig for the Tuesday Night Band, that evening of snarly soulful bluesy organ jazz that has brought “a joyful noise” to the AQ for the past fifteen years, making it one of the –or the—longest running club shows in the Twin Cities. With media coverage and a wall-to-wall audience, you might assume it was also one of the most popular gigs in town. It used to be. And maybe, if even 25% of last night’s crowd had turned up on a regular basis over the past few years, Tuesdays would continue to be B-3 Organ night.

The gig is up. With falling attendance, change was inevitable. The Tuesday Night Band will no longer define Tuesday nights at the AQ. Sure, we can expect the band to turn up on the schedule now and then. And most likely, attendance will be high when TNB is on stage. Maybe it’s just human nature to gravitate to the least frequent, most novel opportunity and take for granted the things we can really count on. I’m as guilty as anyone. Tuesday night? I can always go hear the TNB. I’ll go next week.

Any time I missed TNB, I missed something special. Fortunately I did not miss their last weekend gig at the AQ, a November blowout with guest saxophonist Sue Orfield. Where was the Strib on that night? It was one of the best club shows I attended in 2011. I was, still am, looking forward to a follow-up.

Another band, or maybe many other bands, will turn up on the AQ’s Tuesday night schedule. Maybe it will draw big crowds. I hope so. And wouldn’t it be cool if the Strib sent a photographer or reporter to cover the story of a new band, a new artist, or a landmark jazz club that offers great music to the community six nights per week?

Photos (top to bottom), the grand finale of B-3 Organ Night on December 27th: AQ owner Kenny Horst, Billy Franze, "Downtown" Bill Brown, the trio composite photo. (All photos by Andrea Canter)

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, December 23-29

2011-12-23T01:40:00.003-06:00

© Andrea Canter

Year 2011 is soon to be “last year,” but there’s plenty of great music around town to enjoy over the coming week, even on Christmas Day. Tickets and gift cards to your favorite club make great gifts!

Highlights This Week
It’s tradition! The Bad Plus come to town over the holidays and give us a preview of their upcoming residency at the Village Vanguard in New York. So New Yorkers might get TBP for New Year’s Eve, but in the Minni-Apple, we get them first, and we’ve had the trio for the most years. In fact, in the general Twin Cities area, we’ve had Ethan Iverson, Reid Anderson and Dave King since the beginning. Since their first improvisations. In 2010, Iverson (from Menonomie) and Reid and King (from Golden Valley) celebrated ten years of bodacious collaboration, and now they come into the Dakota for their 11th consecutive holiday gig, starting tonight (12/23) and picking up again on Sunday/Monday (12/15-26) before heading to the Vanguard. Their last recording (Never Stop) was filled with original music, while their acclaimed 2011 spring tour featured their interpretation of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. Will they never stop? We hope not. Expect some surprises in 2012! (Well, that’s of course totally predictable!)

Friday night only (12/23), the Artists Quarter hosts a holiday celebration with the Phil Aaron Trio, special guests, CD give-away and other treats. One of the most consistent and elegant pianists in town, whether leading his trio or comping with great voices like Lucia Newell or collaborating with the likes of Phil Hey, Phil can be counted on to give you a special evening. He’s joined by bassist Billy Peterson and drummer/AQ owner Kenny Horst for this holiday party gig. (AQ closed Saturday and Sunday!)

It’s always a special night every Friday and Saturday at D’Amico Kitchen in Le Meridien/ Chambers Hotel. Grab a drink or a snack or light entrée and let the Benny Weinbeck Trio do the rest! One of the area’s most accomplished pianists, Weinbeck has a long-standing rapport with bassist Gordy Johnson and drummer Phil Hey. Gordy notes that this is “really kind of fun, and it's an ‘artsy’ environment. Le Méridien Chambers Minneapolis is an interesting building with a lot of modern artwork all over the place, some really good food, etc., etc.” Don’t be thrown by the fact that this is a downtown restaurant on weekends—there’s seats at the bar or tables and the dinner crowd thins out by 8:30—music til 11:30 by a trio that could easily draw a crowd in New York. But we have them here. With valet parking. Open Christmas Eve!

The AQ has a few more special nights in the coming week. On Wednesday (12/28), get a glimpse of the future of jazz when the Minnesota Youth Jazz Band and alumni open the evening under the leadership of jazz educator David Mitchell, and then stick around for a heavy dose of Jazz Present Tense with the Phil Hey Quartet. Although they might suggest the bebop glory of Jazz Past (Modern Jazz Quartet?), Phil and company have their ears on the future and never disappoint. On Thursday (12/29), it’s a cross-generational duo with pianist Dan Cavanagh and former mentor, vibes master Dave Hagedorn. If you have not heard their 2010 release, Horizon, quickly add it to your wish list! Sublime, elegant, intriguing.

MYJB highlights young musicians mentored by jazz educators; the Quentin Tschofen Trio, playing Thursday night (12/29) at the Acadia Café, highlights slightly older young musicians striking out on their own. Tschofen played a solo set yesterday at Landmark Center, part of the Schubert Club Courtroom Concert series, and was dazzling in his interpretations of Monk and JP Johnson, as well as his own composition. Heading to New York to start studies at the New School in a few weeks, Quentin will be joined at the Acadia by college student musicians, bassist Ted Olsen and drummer Matt Buckner.

More Jazz, Every Night
Keep up with jazz in the Twin Cities via the KBEM jazz calendar, Jazz Police, TCJS and of course, live jazz radio at 88.5 FM.

• Friday, 12/23: Irv Williams and Peter Schimke, Happy Hour at the Dakota; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Arne Fogel and Rick Carlson at Ingredients Café; Erin Schwab at Hell’s Kitchen; Lee Engele and Reynold Philipsek at the Wine Market (Mendota Heights).
• Saturday, 12/24: Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel)
• Sunday, 12/25: Patty and the Buttons at the Aster Café
• Monday, 12/26: Aaron Hendenstrom’s Jazz Beasts at Jazz Central; Headspace at the Artists Quarter; Nichola Miller and Rick Carlson at Loring Pasta Bar, Musique Mystique; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza
• Tuesday, 12/27: Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter; Connie Evingson at the Dakota; Nova Jazz Orchestra at the Shorewood; Chris Morrissey at Café Maude; Vicky Mountain at The Nicollet
• Wednesday, 12/28: Nichola Miller with Tanner Taylor at the Aster Café; the Wolverines Trio at Hell’s Kitchen; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza
• Thursday, 12/29: The New Standards at the Dakota; Daddy Squeeze Band at the Crooked Pint

Coming Soon!
• December 30, Rick Germanson Trio at the Artists Quarter
• December 31, New Year’s Eve Party at the Artists Quarter with Carole Martin & Rick Germanson
• December 31, Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson at Honey
• December 31, New Year’s Eve Jam at Jazz Central
• January 2, Charmin Michelle at the Dakota
• January 6, Jake Baldwin Quartet at the Dakota (Late Night)
• January 13, Jon Weber at the Artists Quarter
• January 14, Atlantis Quartet at the Artists Quarter
• January 14, Roseville Winter Jazz Blast with Mike Stern at Maranantha Hall, Northwestern College
• January 15, Bryan Nichols “Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet” at the Artists Quarter (Jazz From J to Z)
• January 22-23, M’Shell Ndgeocello at the Dakota
• January 25-26, Nellie McKay at the Dakota
• January 27-28, Bryan Nichols Quintet at the Artists Quarter
• January 28-29, Great Guitars (Joan Griffith, Sam Miltich) with Connie Evingson at the Bloomington Center for the Arts (Jazz From J to Z)
• February 3, Matt Haimovitz at Macalester
• February 8-9, Jeff Lorber Fusion (with Randy Brecker) at the Dakota
• February 15-16, Hugh Masekela at the Dakota
• February 16, Kurt Elling and Lizz Wright at Orchestra Hall
• February 17, A Love Electric at the Artists Quarter
• March 2-3, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)
• March 9-10, Manhattan Transfer at the Dakota
• March 10, Caswell Sisters with JazzMN Orchestra at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center
• March 20, Toots Thielmans and Kenny Werner at the Dakota
• March 21-22, Al DiMeolo and Gonzalo Rubacalba at the Dakota

Photos (top to bottom): Phil Aaron; The Bad Plus (Photos by Andrea Canter)

Calling All Drummers! Fight World Hunger With Marv Dahlgren!

2011-12-22T20:32:00.004-06:00

Marv Dahlgren, well-known Twin Cities’ percussionist and educator, has launched an initiative that he hopes will raise global awareness of world hunger. His new Global Drummers Alliance calls upon drummers to send the message via a global performance of “Three Camps” on January 14th at 2 pm CST. His fellow drummer (and former student) Dave Stanoch is hosting Marv’s website, which provides background and information about this initiative. If you are a drummer at any level, please consider joining in this demonstration, wherever you are!

Dahlgren, now 86, was the principal percussionist with the Minnesota Orchestra for 48 years as well as a renowned educator and author of texts on drumset method. But these days he is drumming up interest in the fight against world hunger via Global Drummers Alliance. Using the drums has long been an effective way of communicating, so Marv invites drummers everywhere to send a message around the world on Saturday, January 14th. At 2 pm, raise your sticks and play the classic snare drum solo, “Three Camps.” Originally this piece was played in wartime to rally soldiers, and it can be found online.

To raise awareness of world hunger, Marv asks that all who participate send a personalized copy of the official press release in advance to local print, radio, television and web media about the location of your local gathering. The press release is available in PDF, here. Remember that the performance on January 14th will be short—it’s the awareness generated in the media that will give the project impact.

Global Drummers Alliance is not collecting donations or asking that others solicit funds. Remind media and others of the many organizations that exist to raise funds to fight world hunger and encourage donations. Remember, every penny helps someone who desperately needs it.

Marv and Dave remind us that professional players, teachers, students at every level, drum shops and more can participate in this one-of-a-kind event. Marv says, "You could be riding a bus and pull out your sticks at the chosen time and if someone asks why, you can tell them you're raising awareness to help end world hunger."

So get out your sticks, spread the word, and send your message loud and clear on January 14! And if you know a drummer, drum teacher or drum student--in any genre--tell them all about it!

Check out more on Facebook!

Images: Global Drummers Alliance banner; Marv Dahlgren on vibes; Dave Stanoch. (Photos by Andrea Canter)

Stocking Stuffers

2011-12-20T11:17:00.021-06:00

© Andrea Canter

Look no farther than your favorite CD and book sources for last minute stocking stuffers for the jazz fan on your list.

Holiday Music
Geri Allen, A Child Is Born (2011, Motema). Geri Allen surrounds herself with keyboards (piano, Fender Rhodes, concert celeste, farfisa and clavinet) and voices (vocal, voice samples and spoken word) to celebrate the joy and wonder of the holiday season—and more generally a wish for hope and peace-- on A Child Is Born. In addition to the title track (dedicated to the late Hank Jones), Allen covers traditional music, favorite carols and two original compositions. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” highlights the voices of the Quilters of Gee’s Bend, Alabama, thus playing traditional church ritual chants against rural Americana, setting the stage for Allen’s lyrical arrangement of this holiday folksong. The original tracks include “Journey to Bethlehem,” a very brief interlude referencing both the pilgrimage of the Magi and Allen’s visit to Bethlehem in 2006, with the soulful voice of Carolyn Brewer providing a backdrop. Brewer and singer Connaitre Miller join forces with Allen on another original inspired by her Bethlehem visit, setting the text of Matthew 1:23 "God Is With Us" as a short, magical prayer.

Chris Bauer, In a Yuletide Groove: Harmonica Jazz for the Holidays (2011). There’s something so utterly charming and swinging about the harmonica, especially when applied in a jazz groove to seasonal favorites like “Winter Wonderland” and “Frosty the Snowman.” This self-produced project brings the listener 16 gifts that infuse the musical joy of Toots Thielmans with a swinging quintet. It’s easy listening, but nothing simple about the arrangements and artistry of these musicians. This is the perfect recording to play for the diverse tastes of extended family gatherings around the holidays.

Elisabeth Lohninger Band, Christmas in July (2011, Jazzsick Records). Austrian-born vocalist Elisabeth Lohninger and her accomplished European band bring bebop riffs and swinging inventions to a dozen holiday songs reflecting global cultures and highlighting Lohninger’s multi-lingual chops--she sings in nine languages. With arrangements quoting Coltrane and Parker in surprising contexts, Lohninger—whether offering the straight lyric or horn-like vocalese—presents many moods for the holidays and many interpretive twists that will linger long after the season. And as common as "Christmas in July."

Doug Munro and La Pompe Attack, A Very Gypsy Christmas 2011, Got Music Records). For this set of seasonal favorites in hot club arrangements, veteran eclectic guitarist Doug Munro rounded up an ensemble featuring Ken Peplowski on clarinet, Howie Bujese on violin, and Cyrille-Aimee Daudel on vocals. Everyone swings with authority throughout the set, the spirit of Django and Grappelli pulsating through “Sleigh Ride,” “Let It Snow,” “Greensleeves” and “Silent Night,” while Peplowski gilds “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and “Winter Wonderland”; Cyrille Aimee offers the rarely heard verse on “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” What Munro and company accomplish, beyond a lot of holiday cheer, is a testament to the versatility of hot club swing—it fits these traditional and popular carols perfectly.

Matt Wilson, Christmas Tree-O (2010, Palmetto). Issued for the 2010 holiday season, this one deserves repeated recommendation. And it is so Matt Wilson… you half-expect the clever drummer to pop down the chimney wearing a bright red suit and big grin, as he dumps his bag of quirky holiday gifts at your feet. Or in this case, in your ear. From what other musician would you expect to find, on the same CD, “The Chipmunk Song” and Alvin Ayler’s “Angels”? And of course there is Matt’s version of “Little Drummer Boy.”

Jazz for All Seasons
Some top releases of 2011 (listed in no particular order) make great gifts to be enjoyed all year long.
• Craig Taborn, Avenging Angel (ECM)
• Brad Mehldau, Live in Marciac (Nonesuch)
• Three Cohens, Family (Anzic)
• Pilc/Hoening/Moutin, Threedom (Motema)
• Denny Zeitlin, Labyrinth (Sunnyside)
• Karrin Allyson, Round Midnight (Concord)
• Tierney Sutton Band, American Road (BFM Jazz)
• Lynne Arriale, Convergence (Motema)
• Fred Hersch, Alone at the Vanguard (Palmetto)
• Joe Lovano & Us Five, Birdsongs (Blue Note)
• Bill Carrothers Trio, Live at the Village Vanguard (Pirouet)
• Pat Mallinger, Home on Richmond (PJM Records)
• Chick Corea/Stefano Bollani, Orvieto (ECM)
• Kurt Elling, The Gate (Concord)
• James Farm (Redman, Parks, Penman, Harland), James Farm (Nonesuch)
• Dan Tepfer, Goldberg Variations/Variations (Sunnyside)
• Terell Stafford, This Side of Strayhorn (MaxJazz)
• Matt Slocum Trio, After the Storm (Chandra Records)
• Konitz, Mehldau, Haden, Motion, Live at Birdland (ECM)
• Jacqui Naylor, Lucky Girl (Ruby Star Records)
• Gary Burton New Quartet, Common Ground (Mack Avenue)
• Charles Lloyd/Maria Farantouri, Athens Concert (ECM)

And for fans of Twin Cities jazz, or those who should be:
• Bryan Nichols, Bright Places
• Mary Louise Knutson, In the Bubble
• Doug Haining, Last Man Swinging
• Christine Rosholt & Kevin Hall, Pazz
• Charmin & Shapira, Dawning and Daylight
• Joel Shapira Quartet, Open Lines
• Atlantis Quartet, Lines in the Sand
• Jana Nyberg Group, Fever
• Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra with Charmin Michelle, Dance Time Volume 1

And for a wee bit of holiday joy, Lee Engele’s A Hot Christmas.

Swinging Reads
OK, this probably won’t fit in a stocking… but get it anyway.

Kathy Sloane, Keystone Korner: Portrait of a Jazz Club (2011, Indiana University Press). If there is to be one book on your list this season, let it be Kathy Sloane’s collection of interviews and stunning black and white photos in tribute to the one-time hub of Bay Area jazz, Keystone Korner. Todd Barkan’s legendary club comes to life through commentary from Barkan, Orrin Keepnews, staff, and artists who regularly performed there—George Cables, Eddie Henderson, Steve Turre and more. The text recreates the San Francisco scene of the 70s and 80s, the struggles to keep jazz alive yet accessible to all, to respect the musicians and the music. Yet it is Sloane’s photography that really sells the story, the struggle and the artistry of the era. And there’s a bonus CD included from tapes recorded live at the club, featuring Stan Getz, Art Blakey, Bill Evans, Dexter Gordon and more.

Happy Holidays from JazzINK!

Images: Frosty; Craig Taborn's Avenging Angel; Charmin Michelle and Jerry O'Hagan (cover image for Dance Time Volume 1); Geri Allen's A Child Is Born; Kathy Sloane's Keystone Korner. (Dance Time image by Andrea Canter)

Twin Cities Jazz Week in Review, December 9-15

2011-12-16T15:23:00.004-06:00

© Andrea Canter

I feel like I have music coming out of both ears, so much went into them in the past week! And even for me it was an eclectic assortment.

Doc Severinsen and the Minnesota Orchestra (“Jingle Bell Doc”) at Orchestra Hall, December 9. He’s a bit over the top sometimes but there’s no denying Doc Severinsen can blow that trumpet. What many of us did not know was that Severinsen’s talent extends across generations, to granddaughter/singer-songwriter Blaire Reinhard and grandson, singer/pianist Gray Reinhard. Progeny distinguished themselves admirably on original, country/pop infused songs. Severinsen also introduced soprano Vanessa Thomas as his “daughter,” apparently an honorary kinship, but her soulful voice carried well in the big hall in front of the big orchestra. With the Minnesota Chorale spreading holiday cheer, and the unique bell choir, Twin Cities Bronze, it was an evening that covered a wide range of music and holiday traditions.

Arne Fogel and Maud Hixson, The Crosby-Clooney Story at the Bloomington Center for the Arts, December 10. Once a busy and popular jazz duo, Arne and Maude have performed together less often in the past few years, but when they do, it’s magic, just like the partnership of Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. With swinging backing from Rick Carlson, Steve Pikal and Dick Bortolussi, Arne and Maude traced the Bing and Rosie partnership through its beginnings in the 50s through Bing’s death, on radio and on record. And of course there were songs from White Christmas. Charming, informative, and always musical. (They will be back in Bloomington with Reeves Carey to salute Frank Sinatra in “Frankie Goes to Hollywood” in February.)

Teri Roiger and John Menegon, Camp Heartland Benefit at the Dakota, December 12. Maybe a private function does not belong in this review, but… it’s my review! And it was a benefit open to the public for a great cause, Camp Heartland for children with HIV, AIDS and other isolating conditions. It was as much the music as the cause that drew me in, as it has been a good five years since either vocalist Teri Roiger or husband, bassist John Menegon, have performed locally. Roiger is one of the most inventive-yet-accessible vocalists on the modern jazz scene, awaiting a spring release of her Abbey Lincoln project. Menegon is a tasteful bassist with impeccable credentials, having toured extensively with both David “Fathead” Newman and Dewey Redman. For this gig they were supported by Laura Caviani and Jay Epstein, and it all made for a delightful quartet that deserves its own audience in a listening environment. Most of the music was holiday-themed, but even sleigh bells ring with more intensity when given new interpretation from artists like Teri Roiger. On my list, Santa, bring me a Twin Cities gig with Teri and John in 2012.

Box Car (Jeremy Walker, Anthony Cox, JT Bates and Wessell Anderson) at the Dakota, December 13th. Saxman-turned-pianist Jeremy Walker may become the Duke Ellington of the early 21st century. At least he is following the path of his hero in significant ways, particularly as a composer, arranger and bandleader. His latest project is the quartet Boxcar, featuring co-leader and internationally renowned bassist Anthony Cox, creative drummer JT Bates, and swinging saxman Wessell Anderson, on hiatus from Jazz at Lincoln Center and his own Cannonball Adderley project. Walker’s own compositions varied from the elegant repetition of “Skateboard Guy” to the prayerful abstractions of “All of Us” to the Monkish swing of “Hey, City Bumpkin!”. Cox contributed “Work in Progress,” featuring his arco introduction to the controlled energy of the whole, particularly his later solo, suggesting a classical bassist on steroids. But Anderson was the focal point, his alto sax soaring like Charles Lloyd playing Mingus on “All of Us,”soloing with swinging bounce on Cox’s “Country Stuff,” always shining be it blues or bop or something more abstract. On a short tour this month, Boxcar will play four nights at Jazz Standard in Manhattan in May.

José James at the Dakota, December 14. When he performed at the Dakota in 2010 with just piano accompaniment, he came on stage dressed in a tailored suit, sliding movely through mostly ballads from his glorious For All We Know. When the South High grad brought his quartet out for the first set at the Dakota, all bets were off. With his leather jacket and Yankees cap siden-angled, José James looked as much a gang wannabe as a one of the most popular male vocalists on the planet, an image initially fueled by the hip-hop cadence and lyrics of his opening song and further promoted when he removed the cap to reveal what resembled graffiti cut/stenciled into his short hair ("Nikki G," his wife) . But you can’t pigeon-hole José James, be it on home turf or European concert venues. While he just returned from a tour with McCoy Tyner featuring the songs of Coltrane and Hartman, his new hip-hop single “Trouble” is traveling virally around the globe.

And for his 80-minute set at the Dakota, James rolled it all into one integrated package, not only proving that hip-hop, jazz and soul are meant for each other, but also introducing stars-in the making, pianist Kris Bowers and trumpeter Takuya Kuroda, and bringing back all-star drummer Nate Smith (Dave Holland, Chris Potter). Tunes like “Save Your Love for Me” and “Feel Like Making Love to You” could have been written yesterday; Coltrane’s “Equinox” soared and smoldered from modern jazz improv to serious blues with the sudden dynamic shifts that characterize Tyner…. and James. The set-closer with hand-clap “choir” signaled yet another collaboration, James and North African writer Hindi Zahra, bringing hip-hop and post bop into alignment. (The two team up on the music of Billie Holiday this spring in Brussels.) The older generation, many connected to James through South High, and the younger audience, more attuned to hip hop and rap, seemed equally pleased.

And keep an ear on Kris Bowers. The Juilliard grad and recent winner of the Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition is not along for the Jose' James ride without good reason. He seems adept at any tempo, any mood, and his monster hands can fly across the 88s or delicately weave through a ballad with soul and savvy.

Photos: Teri Roiger at the Camp Heartland Benefit; Wess Anderson with JT Bates (Boxcar) at the Dakota; José James, and Kris Bowers at the Dakota.

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, December 16-22

2011-12-16T12:14:00.005-06:00

© Andrea Canter

Just the number of gigs around town tells you things are revving up for the holidays. Seeking holiday fare or not, any local or visiting jazz fan should be pleased with the options in the coming week.

Highlights This Week
It’s always a holiday when Debbie Duncan in on stage, and she’s on the bandstand at the Artists Quarter for two nights (12/16-17) before heading across the river for another night at the Dakota (12/9). On both gigs, she boasts splendid support from pianist Adi Yeshaya and drummer Nathan Norman, with Billy Peterson on bass at the AQ and Gary Raynor on the big box at the Dakota. Once anointed as “Perpetually Outstanding Performer” by the Minnesota Music Awards, Debbie is always that and more, singing a ballad or the blues, perpetually swinging, and endlessly entertaining.

In Lowertown’s Studio Z, there’s back-to-back mayhem, with Todd Clouser’s A Love Electric Friday night (12/16) and Bryan Nichols’ We Are Many on Saturday night (12/17). Both bands feature some of the most innovative jazz artists in the region and beyond, not the least of whom are the bandleaders. Guitarist and composer Clouser, a Minnesota based in Baja, launched A Love Electric about a year ago, with trumpeter Adam Meckler, bassist Chris Bates, and drummer Greg Schutte, and the result is a melding of rock (particularly 70s style), groove and hard boppin’ jazz. There’s some amps and related gear, but mostly it’s the energy generated by the band that’s truly “Electric.” And speaking of energy, there’s plenty from acoustic sources when Bryan Nichols reconvenes his nine-piece We Are Many as the December offering in Zacc Harris’s Jazz at Studio Z series. Trying to gather so many top-flight musicians on a given night is challenging, so their gigs are few and far between. This time out, hear a sax-laden horn line with Mike Lewis, Brandon Wozniak and (New York-based) Nick Videen, Greg Lewis on trumpet, Jeremy Ylvisaker on guitar, dueling bassists with Adam Linz on upright and Erik Fratzke on electric, and JT Bates on drums, along with Nichols on piano. Nichols promises a reprise of the We Are Many suite as well as new works created for this night. The program starts at 7 pm but come down early in the afternoon for the open rehearsal at 1 pm.

More excitement in Lowertown this weekend—the Black Dog Café hosts the Brad Bellows/Donald Washington Quartet on Friday night (12/16). This edgy ensemble first gathered together last summer, with bassist Brian Roessler and drummer Pete Henning steering Bellows on valve trombone and Washington on saxophones. We don’t get many chances these days to hear Bellows or Washington, making this gig all the more intriguing. Washington, in particular, is better known as an educator (his most famous pupil being James Carter), but when he picks up his horn—particularly that shiny bari sax, you where his lessons came from.

Perched on the river, the Aster Café on Main Street SE is a cozy, sort of retro joint for good food and music, and Friday night (12/16) is one of their best offerings, with guitar whiz Reynold Philipsek , versatile bassist Matt Senjem, swinging accordionist Denny Malmberg, and former resident harmonica legend Clint Hoover (visiting from Pittsburgh) on stage.

If you are looking for a dose of holiday bliss, look no farther than the annual Peterson Family Christmas, this year at the Dakota with two shows on Sunday (12/18). Mom/Grandma Jeanne Arland Peterson leads her brood, with five offspring (Ricky, Billy, Patty, Linda and Paul), grandson Jason DeLaire, and nephew Russ on board. That’s at least eight Petersons, and between them that means at least a dozen instruments and a choir. Even Scrooge would sing along with the Petersons.

And there’s more celebrating midweek with the annual KBEM Holiday Party, this year at Café Maude where the multi-course dinner will be capped by a much-anticipated trio performance featuring Todd Clouser, Bryan Nichols and Adam Linz. It’s always a fun evening and a chance to help support KBEM as well. Reservations necessary! Check the KBEM website under Events, Restaurant Tour.

The Artists Quarter scores back to back midweek with two gigs featuring stellar musicians with Minnesota roots if not addresses—the Zacc Harris Quartet (12/21) with Bryan Nichols, Chris Bates and JT Bates and Minnesota Nice (12/22) with New York-based saxman Nic Videen joining Nichols, JT and bassist Jeremy Boettcher. Hmm… how many times did I mention Nichols for his week?

More Jazz Every Night!
For a comprehensive overview of the jazz schedule in the Twin Cities, check the calendar on the KBEM website, TCJS’s website, weekly listings in the Star Tribune, aticles on Jazz Police, and just listen to Jazz 88! More recommendations:

• Friday, December 16: Peter Schimke and Irv Williams, happy hour at the Dakota; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske in the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen

• Saturday, December 17: Charmin & Shapira at Midtown Global Market (12:30 pm); Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen; Jana Nyberg Group at Honey; Maud Hixson and the Rick Carlson Trio (Swing Dance) at the Eagles Aerie Club; Pippi Ardennia at School for the Wise II

• Sunday, December 18: Lee Engele Holiday CD Release at the Aster Café (with Reynold Philipsek, Gary Schulte); Zacc Harris Trio at the Riverview Wine Bar

• Monday, December 19: Maud Hixson and Cliff Brunzell Golden Strings, Holiday Part at Jax Café; Charmin Michelle and Rick Carlson, Musique Mystique at Loring Pasta Bar; Maxine Sousé with David Martin and Doug Haining at Fireside Pizza; Headspace at the Artists Quarter; Zack Lozier Quintet at Jazz Central

• Tuesday, December 20: Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter; Salon Night (new music) at Studio Z; Sophia Shorai at the Dakota; Rhonda Laurie and Maxine Sousé at The Nicollet; Jack Brass at the Driftwood; Acme Jazz Company at the Shorewood

• Wednesday, December 21: George Maurer Holiday Show at the Dakota; Steve Kenny and the Bastids (7 pm) at the Artists Quarter; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Nomad Jazz Series (curated by James Buckley) at the Nomad World Pub

• Thursday, December 22: Joel Shapira at Hell’s Kitchen; Christine Rosholt at Barbette

Coming Soon!
• December 23, 25-26, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
• December 27, Chris Morrissey at Café Maude
• December 27, Paris Strother Trio at the Dakota
• December 28, Phil Hey Quartet at the Artists Quarter
• December 29, Dave Hagedorn and Dan Cavanagh at the Artists Quarter
• December 30, Rick Germanson Trio at the Artists Quarter
• December 31, New Year’s Eve Party at the Artists Quarter with Carole Martin & Rick Germanson
• January 6, Jake Baldwin Quartet at the Dakota (Late Night)
• January 14, Roseville Winter Jazz Blast with Mike Stern at Maranantha Hall, Northwestern College
• January 15, Bryan Nichols “Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet” at the Artists Quarter
• January 22-23, M’Shell Ndgeocello at the Dakota
• January 25-26, Nellie McKay at the Dakota
• February 3, Matt Haimovitz at Macalester
• February 8-9, Jeff Lorber Fusion (with Randy Brecker) at the Dakota
• February 15-16, Hugh Masekela at the Dakota
• February 16, Kurt Elling and Lizz Wright at Orchestra Hall
• February 17, A Love Electric at the Artists Quarter
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)
• March 9-10, Manhattan Transfer at the Dakota
• March 10, Caswell Sisters with JazzMN Orchestra at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center
• March 20, Toots Thielmans and Kenny Werner at the Dakota

Photos (top to bottom): Donald Washington; Debbie Duncan; Todd Clouser; Bryan Nichols (photos by Andrea Canter)

Jazz Education? Priceless

2011-12-14T17:05:00.005-06:00

© Andrea Canter

For a moderately sized urban area, the Twin Citiies offers a surprising array of learning and performance opportunities for aspiring musicians, and particularly aspiring jazz musicians. Jazz is really a hard sell. It’s been decades since it could be called America’s “popular” music. And it was never a major subject in public school curricula. In most contexts, jazz was barely a footnote in a general music classroom. Listings of jazz gigs and concerts, if included at all, typically are noted on small-print calendars at the back of the Arts section of the daily paper. Fewer and fewer record labels cater to jazz interests or sign jazz musicians. Even venerable jazz clubs like the Iridium in New York, Yoshi’s in San Francisco, or the Dakota in Minneapolis have expanded their calendars to encompass other genres in order to survive.

Yet somehow, professional music schools and universities appear to be thriving with an influx of eager students, many on scholarships, many paying as much as $50,000 per year to pursue their dreams. More and more public and community schools are offering jazz ensemble and big band experiences. Despite the discouraging outlook for careers in jazz performance, despite the often exorbitant costs of private conservatories and even public universities, despite the lack of interest or approval among their peers, a large number of student musicians are seeking the training and experiences that will serve them in clubs, studios and classrooms. Nate Chinen wrote about this phenomenon in the New York Times a couple years ago—the apparent mismatch between the number of students entering college level jazz programs and the prospects for successful careers as jazz artists.

But maybe this is not really a mismatch at all. How many eager young athletes attend college on football or basketball scholarships versus the number who find a position on a pro team? How many students in “Communications” or “Marketing” (let alone English or History!) are finding professional level jobs in these fields?

Just how impractical is a music education? And particularly a jazz education? Jazz, after all, is about communication, collaboration, invention—three life skills that would benefit all of us. Can you succeed in jazz music without an understanding of its history? The history of jazz is the history of mankind from the beginning of the 20th century, and the roots of that history extend much farther back in time and throughout a world of cultural traditions. Music is language, and learning language has long been associated with improved brain functioning.

And perhaps one ultimate consequence of the proliferation of jazz education programs is the evolution of an audience for the music in coming generations. If more students are exposed to jazz beyond a cursory level, if more adults go into the independent world with a love of the music regardless of their level of skill, and regardless of their positions –or lack of—in music, is it likely that they will minimally attend jazz gigs, vote to support music programs in public schools, buy jazz music (in whatever form future technology takes), and donate to their favorite jazz programs? There are many ways that young artists fuel a future for the music.

Locally, jazz programs seem to be increasing at the high school and middle school levels as determined jazz educators inspire students who may have entered the 7th grade band program unaware of Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. Organizations like the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education, Twin Cities Jazz Society and Walker West Academy of Music bring established artists into the classroom and bandroom to ignite students’ budding interests in improvisation and composition; these organizations also find opportunities for fledgling bands and combos to perform on club and festival stages. All-star ensembles like the Dakota Combo and Minnesota Youth Jazz Band provide peer role models and opportunities for the most serious students to tackle the most serious repertoire within a compatible peer group, where one does not need to explain why Spalding is at least as important as Bieber.

And a new organization, PipJazz, is bringing talented young jazz musicians to the stage for a different learning experience—playing with the pros. Each month (the new season begins in March), in addition to the usual guest artist and house band, producers Pippi Ardennia and Glenn Swanson bring a middle, high school or college jazz student aboard as youth guest artist. And that means attending rehearsals and sound check, performing as the “star” on a couple tunes, backed not by talented peers but by seasoned professionals. It’s a more supervised, planful version of the “academy of the streets” that nurtured earlier generations. Imagine the inspiration for a 14-year-old jazz trumpeter attending a concert where one of the guest stars is a 16-year-old trumpeter on stage with leading area players.

Even among these exceptional talents, will they all find jobs? Careers in music? Probably not. But I bet they each find their own voice. And that’s a priceless education.

Photos (top to bottom): Students participate in a vibes workshop at the Shell Lake Jazz Camp; students from the Dakota Combo and MYJB participate in a composition workshop with renowned trumpeter Dave Douglas at the MacPhail Center for Music; 16-year-old Zosha Warpeha as student guest artist at the December PipJazz concert at Landmark Center, with guest Esera Tuaolo (left) and vocalist Pippi Ardennia (right). (All photos by Andrea Canter)

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, December 9-15

2011-12-09T00:12:00.008-06:00

© Andrea Canter

More holiday-themed events as well as the “usual” wide range of jazz will keep spirits bright this coming week.

Highlights This Week
The “Jingle Bell Doc” (Severinsen) returns to Orchestra Hall to add some holiday fun to the Minnesota Orchestra (12/9 and 12/11 matinee). I last heard Doc with a small Latin ensemble at the Dakota Jazz Club, and was impressed with his lively swinging trumpet. The fare will be different at Orchestra Hall, far more seasonal and, in front of the orchestra, certainly more symphonic. If you only remember Doc from The Tonight Show, you might want to experience his musicianship from this perspective.

Down the street at the Dakota Friday night (12/9), one of our favorite expat Minnesotans, Bruce Henry, holds everyone’s attention, his crushed velvet baritone dancing around Charlie Parker and George Gershwin as well as some R&B and blues.

Not specifically a holiday revue, we can still expect some songs from White Christmas when Arne Fogel and Maud Hixson bring Bing and Rosie to life in “The Crosby/Clooney Story” at the Bloomington Center for the Arts (12/10). Although they used to be one of the hottest duos in Twin Cities clubs, Arne and Maude have most often paired on theater stages in the past few years, particularly in Arne’s various musical revues at Bloomington, Burnsville and Hopkins performing arts centers. Long known as a Bing Crosby scholar, Arne hosted the popular Bing Shift on KBEM and has been exploring the Crosby archives for some time. And Maud’s been researching Rosemary Clooney, so you know this show will go beyond the music and give us a glimpse of the personalities behind it.

And fasten your seatbelt as Red Planet blasts through our galaxy this weekend (12/9-10) at the Artists Quarter. Our favorite cosmonauts, Dean Magraw, Chris Bates and Jay Epstein will reprise the music of their spring release, Space Dust as well as a new Coltrane medley, Monk, and other treats. Speaking of treats, the first set on Saturday night will feature Dean going solo while Chris and Jay finish upstairs at the Park Square Theater in The Soul of Gershwin.

One of the bright young brass voices on the local jazz scene, trumpeter Adam Meckler debuts his Adam Meckler Orchestra with a raft of new compositions and arrangements under the baton of Dean Sorenson, Monday night at O’Gara’s. And his big band has some big names—Bryan Nichols, Chris Bates, Brandon Wozniak, Pete Hennig—as well as a bunch of young up-and-comers. (In other words, there are some terrific 30-somethings here with some terrific 20-somethings nipping at their heels.)

Monday night (12/12), there’s a cool benefit at the Dakota for Camp Heartland, with both dinner and show-only tickets available (see links on Dakota website). In addition to the live auction and hors d’oeurves, music will be provided by guest vocalist Teri Roiger and husband/bassist John Menegon, with Laura Caviani on piano and Jay Epstein on drums. I first heard Teri when she was booked into the Artists Quarter about five years ago; John appeared with David Fathead Newman at the KBEM Winter Jazz Festival that year. Teri has long been recognized for her modern interpretations of standards and original music, and will soon release an album tribute to Abbey Lincoln. John played regularly with Newman and Dewey Redman, and continues to record, compose, arrange for Teri and his own bands. They’re an amazing team.

And speaking of amazing teams, check out Jeremy Walker’s new band, Box Car, arriving at the Dakota Tuesday night and featuring Wynton’s saxman Wessell “Warmdaddy” Anderson, with Walker on piano, Anthony Cox on bass and JT Bates on drums. It will be a New York moment (or a couple hours) for the band on its debut tour, playing “original jazz music that combines the panache of New Orleans and the drive of New York, with the free-spirited underground jazz of Minneapolis.” Count on Walker, now living in New York, to assemble a group of musicians who can improve upon any music that comes their way, from Armstrong and Ellington to their own inventions.

The Dakota has the hot stage this week, with a welcome return of fast-rising star singer and hometown hero José James on Wednesday (12/14). In the company of recent Monk Piano Competition winner Kris Bowers and fellow South High grad, New York-based bassist Chris Smith, James brings music hot off his recent European tour with McCoy Tyner. Expect some Coltrane and some more soul-oriented tunes from one of the best male voices of the last decade.. and likely one of the very best of the next.

More Jazz All Week!
The most comprehensive and updated listing of Twin Cities jazz can be found on the KBEM website. More recommendations:

Friday, December 9: Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen; Jazz Nutcracker Suite with David Milne and the UW-River Falls Jazz Band at Landmark Center; Lee Engele and Reynold Philipsek at Pardon My French; MacJazz Holiday Concert at Macalester’s Kagin Commons (free)

Saturday, December 10: Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson, White Christmas screening with music at the Heights Theater; Sophia Shorai at Nicollet Island Inn; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske in the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen; Glen Helgesen and Dave Stanoch at the Aster Café; Nachito Herrera at the Dakota

Sunday, December 11: Century Jazz Ensemble holiday show at Century College; Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson, White Christmas screening with music at the Heights Theater (matinee and evening); Zacc Harris Trio at the Riverview Wine Bar; Butch Thompson at MacPhail (free, tickets all reserved but call for turnbacks)

Monday, December 12: Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Headspace at the Artists Quarter; Russ Peterson Big Band at Old Log; Twin Cities Hot Club with Rhonda Laurie at Famous Dave’s (Uptown); Connie Olson with Rick Carlson at the Loring Pasta Bar

Tuesday, December 13: Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter; Cedar Ave Big Band at the Shorewood; James Allen at The Nicollet Coffee House; Jack Brass at the Driftwood

Wednesday, December 14: Steve Kenny and the Bastids followed by Snowblind at the Artists Quarter; Sophia Shorai at Red Stage; Wolverines Trio with Nichola Miller at Hell’s Kitchen

Thursday, December 15: Lee Engele with Reynold Philipsek at Nonna Rosa’s; Emerson Hunton Trio at the Artists Quarter (TCJS Young Artists Series) followed by the Dave Karr Quartet

Coming Soon!
• December 16, Todd Clouser’s Love Electric at Studio Z
• December 16-17, Debbie Duncan at the Artists Quarter
• December 17, Bryan Nichols’ We Are Many at Studio Z
• December 18, Peterson Family Christmas at the Dakota
• December 20, KBEM Holiday Restaurant Tour with Benny Weinbeck, Adam Linz, Todd Clouser at Café Maude
. Zacc Harris Quartet at the Artists Quarter
• December 22, Nick Videen and Minnesota Nice at the Artists Quarter
• December 23, 25-26, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
• December 27, Chris Morrissey at Café Maude
• December 27, Paris Strother Trio at the Dakota
• December 28, Phil Hey Quartet at the Artists Quarter
• December 29, Dave Hagedorn and Dan Cavanagh at the Artists Quarter
• December 30, Rick Germanson Trio at the Artists Quarter
• December 31, New Year’s Eve Party at the Artists Quarter with Carole Martin & Rick Germanson
. January 6, Jake Baldwin Quartet at the Dakota (Late Night)
. January 14, Roseville Jazz Blast with Mike Stern at Maranantha Hall, Northwestern College
• January 15, Bryan Nichols “Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet” at the Artists Quarter
. February 3, Matt Haimovitz at Macalester
• February 15-16, Hugh Masekela at the Dakota
• February 16, Kurt Elling and Lizz Wright at Orchestra Hall
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)

Photos (top to bottom): Maud Hixson and Arne Fogel; Doc Severinsen; Adam Meckler; Jose James (all photos by Andrea Canter)

Twin Cities Jazz Week(s) in Review: From Mallinger to Russell

2011-12-07T22:48:00.004-06:00

© Andrea Canter

Never think there’s too much music around the Twin Cities -- but sometimes I have trouble finding time to write about it. Over the past two weeks, we’ve had some enticing visitors as well as accomplished local artists, some expectedly fine music and some surprises. And some celebrations that quickly put listeners in a holiday mood—even without holiday themes.

Pat Mallinger Quartet at the Artists Quarter, November 25-26. Thanksgiving weekend now seems incomplete without a visit from St Paul native Pat Mallinger. Visiting family and friends from his base in Chicago, the inventive saxman played four sets with a sympathetic team of Bryan Nichols on piano, Graydon Peterson on bass and Kenny Horst on drums. Mallinger was celebrating his latest CD, recorded live at the Green Mill with another AQ favorite, Bill Carrothers. But European touring prevented Carrothers from a home-town holiday, and you couldn’t ask for a better alternative on keys than Nichols. Not much from the recording made the set lists—but the title composition “Home on Richmond” was as rich and vibrant as on the CD, perhaps a bit more flowing as Nichols tends to use longer lines than Carrothers. With a band that just came together for this weekend, Mallinger called mostly covers, but not just the usual fare—Ellington’s lovely “Angelica” with particularly glowing work from Peterson; Jobim’s bouncy “So Danso Samba” with Nichols churning freely (so this is what Monk might have done with a samba?); Pat joyfully quoting Coltrane on the 1930s hit, “Close Your Eyes” and Sonny Rollins on his own “On One and Three.” And his tribute to his dad (who was there on Friday night), “Oakdale Avenue,” soared high both nights, a gorgeous ballad that opened wide spaces for the multiple layers of Bryan’s piano. All in all, it was a weekend of wicked blowing and majestic slowing.

Mary Louise Knutson Trio, CD Release at the Dakota, November 30. No surprise here. After a standing room only celebration a week earlier at the AQ, our resident poet laureate of piano repeated the feat across the river, filling up the Dakota with a lot of original songs from both the new In the Bubble and her debut album, Call Me When You Get There. With her core trio of Gordy Johnson and Phil Hey, Mary Louise captivated the audience with her elegant touch and powerful arrangements. Well, maybe some were surprised. One man mentioned he had only heard Mary Louise with the JazzMN Orchestra and did not realize she had such talents as a composer and chamber performer. Hopefully the new recording will keep these talents on public display.

Christine Rosholt and Kevin Hall, CD Release at the Dakota, December 1. The Dakota stage had little chance to cool down before Christine Rosholt brought in her own festival to celebrate the release of Pazz, her pop/jazz project with British songwriter Kevin Hall. That Christine was behind yet another project was no surprise. That she can knock out potential pop and R&B hits as if it was her usual bread and butter was not so predictable. Hall wrote a bunch of songs with Christine in mind after hearing her at the Dakota on a 2008 visit. And over the next three years, the pair went in and out of Creation Audio with a cast that reads like the Who’s Who pages of Twin Cities jazz. And few on the recording missed the party. Perhaps most notable was the performance of the Hornheads, surely one of the top brass ensembles in the Midwest and beyond. And we hardly ever hear them in full around here. Lucia Newell came on to recite a Spanish introduction and share vocal duties with Christine on “Midnight Moon” and take the spotlight on an original song; the show turned theatrical with the introduction of the Pazzettes—red and pink-wigged singers Sophia Shorai, Katie Gearty and Rachel Holder playing back-up to Christine on a rockin’ “Pazz”; some fine R&B renditions from the Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson songbooks with J.D. Steele adding a gospel touch. But the shiniest moments came on Hall’s original tunes, particularly Christine’s pairing with Dave Jensen’s trumpet (“Just Say You Will” and “Better Off Alone”) and a duet with the two principals (“So Not Over You”). It’s clear that Hall is not over Rosholt… and I suspect there will be a follow-up to take their “pazz” even farther.

PipJazz Sunday, Pippi Ardennia and Esera Tuaolo at Landmark Center, December 4. This concert marked the end of the first season of the monthly PipJazz Sunday, the brainchild of vocalist Pippi Ardennia and drummer Glenn Swanson. And it was the second concert that not only highlighted a stunning guest artist, but also brought to the stage an outstanding student guest. Ardennia can command an audience all by herself, from sultry ballads to down-home blues, but her guests always push her up a notch, and vice versa. Former NFL player Esera Tuaolo proved jocks can sing, his rich voice soaring on “Hallelujah;” Pippa always includes her original “Love So Good” but never without a change in mood, and perhaps never “so good” as the swampy reading this evening. If Tuaolo surprised some in the audience, then 16-year-old violinist Zosha Warpeha stunned most with her swing, her energy, and her mature string delivery and improvisation skills. After playing her selected “Over the Rainbow” and “Mahna de Carnival,” beautifully, Zosha was having too much fun to leave—Pippi invited her to sit in the rest of the way, and her presence just added another level of enthusiasm, on stage and in the audience. The PipJazz Youth Program seems to be attracting more to Weyerhauser Auditorium, and not just family and friends. Giving young artists not only a chance to perform in public, but to perform as part of a band of established professionals in a concert hall setting, is a unique and highly motivating component of music education. When PipJazz starts up its second season in March, student guests will continue to be a vital part of each program.

Catherine Russell at the Dakota , December 5. This was my surprise and I suspect the same for many others at the Dakota. While Catherine Russell comes with a stellar jazz pedigree (her dad Luis Russell was an arranger for Louis Armstrong and her mom Carline Ray, at 86, still plays the bass), she spent most of her career through her 40s singing rock and blues, touring with Sting among others. But fortunately for jazz fans, she found her way back to her roots in the past decade and now tours with a classy swing trio (guitarist Matt Munisteri, pianist Mark Shane, bassist Lee Hudson). Generally her sound comes from the era of her set list, the songs of the 20s, 30s and 40s; her phrasing and stylings suggest Billie, Ella, and Sarah while her voice exudes its own special charms; she notes Armstrong as a strong influence. The long set included tunes from Ella’s and Hoagy Carmichael’s songbooks, some Fats Waller, all swingers but none of the obvious fare. And when she got down to the blues (and I do mean down), she was as wicked as any, particularly on the song she noted was banned at one point, “My Kitchen Man.” Which threw out everything but the kitchen sink in thinly disguised Penthouse lyrics. Like Barbara Morrison (equally swinging but with a more urbane sound), she sold every note at full price. And on both sides of the stage, everyone had a lot of fun. Somehow I missed her when she came to town a year or two ago. I won’t make that mistake again.

Photos (top to bottom): Pat Mallinger at the AQ; Christine Rosholt and Kevin Hall at the Dakota; Zosha Warpeha at Landmark Center (PipJazz); Catherine Russell at the Dakota (all photos by Andrea Canter)

Jazz Face: Jason Moran, Jazz Advisor to Kennedy Center

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© Andrea Canter

Only 36, pianist Jason Moran has been appointed Artistic Advisor for Jazz for Kennedy Center, a post held by NEA Jazz Master Dr. Billy Taylor until his death this past year at age 89. Despite his youth, Moran’s appointment is hardly from left field as the Texas native has held numerous residencies including through the Walker Art Center; his numerous projects have included compositions based on paintings and a reworking of Thelonious Monk’s famed Town Hall concert. Moran’s duties at Kennedy Center will include selecting artists and developing the acclaimed Kennedy Center jazz program, which has included more than 30 performances each year, NPR broadcasts and the annual Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz festival and competition.

Passing the torch to Moran is quite logical. Perhaps more familiar as a protégé of Jaki Byard, Moran traces his lineage back to Billy Taylor as well. At age 16, Jason attended a master class from Taylor at his high school, and his first performance at Kennedy Center came in 1998 through a program to identify young talent. Moran has long considered Taylor a mentor. “At a certain point, my generation has to stand up to continue to hand down the information that has been given to us. Billy has been a person who bridged the gap between jazz and the American public ... So that’s the thing I want to continue to model in whatever I do.”

Moran of course is a 21st century musician known more for his advanced approaches to improvisation than traditional bop and swing. But Kennedy Center director Kevin Strutherrs noted that “we have selected someone who is firmly rooted in the traditions of the music…It is important that we pay homage to the past, and I think Jason does that through his music, but he puts it in a contemporary setting.” Given his ongoing work with his famed Band Wagon trio and on the piano bench for the ever-exploring Charles Lloyd, we should expect that “contemporary setting” to just expand further with Moran advising one of the most influential music programs in the country.

Photo: Jason Moran, at the Dakota Jazz Club with the Charles Lloyd Quartet in fall 2010. (Photo by Andrea Canter)

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, December 2-8

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© Andrea Canter

‘Tis the season for holiday music. Seems to get earlier every year. At Orchestra Hall, seems every other night has a festive spin, and the clubs and other venues around town are billing more and more “holiday shows.” But even Scrooge could find some great jazz down the street in coming weeks.

Highlights This Week
What Would Monk Do…. in 2011? Since his music in mid-20th century seemed to come from some future planet, he would probably feel right at home at the Artists Quarter this weekend (12/2-3). This quartet (Steve Kenny, Peter Schimke, Billy Peterson and Kenny Horst) take Monk for a playful romp. Not a lot of jingle bells. And not far away at the Black Dog, another quartet mixes up some futuristic mischief of its own design, when Community Pool/Deep End curators Nathan Hanson and Brian Roessler bring on the free improvising team of Ellen Lease and Pat Moriarty for a night of curious inventions in varying combinations, Friday night only (12/2).

But if it’s a holiday mood you are looking for, look no farther than Orchestra Hall and the quasi-annual visit from trumpet king Chris Botti (12/2). Yes, he’s made his reputation (and fortune) topping contemporary jazz charts and wooing pop-oriented audiences, but along the way he’s gathered accolades from real jazz critics for his real jazz chops. And he has a penchant for selecting similarly skilled collaborators who are best known for their work in jazz clubs. Take his keyboard partner for instance—it’s one of the Twin Cities’ favorites, Eau Claire native Geoffrey Keezer. This won’t be Monk and it won’t be free improve, but it will be real music. And in a holiday spirit.

Come Sunday (12/4), it’s time for the monthly installment of PipJazz Sunday at Landmark Center. This time, host and soaring singer Pippi Ardennia welcomes special guest, vocalist and former NFL player Esera Tuaolo. We can expect some sensational duet supported by a crackerjack rhythm section. (Didn’t we just hear Peter Schimke and Billy Peterson at the AQ?) Also on the bill—the monthly “student guest artist,” this month with an amazing young violinist, Zosha Warpeha, a student at Perpich who fiddles in bluegrass, classical and jazz well beyond her 16 years.

Midweek, guitarist Dean Magraw and tabla partner Marcus Weiss celebrate the first Tuesday of the month at the Black Dog (12/6), with the Zacc Harris Quartet on the bandstand Wednesday night (12/7)—that’s two consecutive nights of edgy improvisation in Lowertown. Or just relax with a cocktail at the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis, where Connie Evingson holds her monthly Jazz in the Lounge (12/7), this month saluting the holidays with Sanford Moore on keys.

More Jazz!
There’s too much to remember so tune into KBEM 88.5 and check the website for the continually updated jazz calendar! Some additional recommendations:
• Friday, December 2: Irv Williams and Peter Schimke, Happy Hour at the Dakota; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen; New Standards holiday show at the Fitzgerald Theater; Milo Fine Free Jazz Ensemble at the West Bank School of Music

• Saturday, December 3: Frankhouse, brunch at Hell’s Kitchen; James Buckley Trio, Hell’s Kitchen; JazzZen at The Nicollet; Joan Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); New Standards holiday show at the Fitzgerald Theater; Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen

• Sunday, December 4: Gypsy in Me—gypsy jazz with the Baaken Trio and Sidewalk Café at MacPhail’s Antonello Hall; Zacc Harris Trio at the Riverview Wine Bar; Celebrate Minnesota benefit for bartender Karl Schwartz at the Dakota

• Monday, December 5: Catherine Russell at the Dakota; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; U of M Jazz Ensemble Big Band concert at Ted Mann

• Tuesday, December 6: Joel Shapira at The Nicollet; Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter; Dirty Wontons at Café Maude; Jack Brass at the Driftwood; Acme Jazz Company at the Shorewood

• Wednesday, December 7: Steve Kenny and the Bastids at the Artists Quarter; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza

• Thursday, December 8: McNally Smith Night at the Artists Quarter; Bruce Henry at Hell’s Kitchen; Rhonda Laurie at Three Crows (Delano); Christine Rosholt at the 318; Sophia Shorai with Bryan Nichols at Barbette

Coming Soon!
• December 9 & 11, “Jingle Bell Doc” (Severinson) at Orchestra Hall
• December 9, Bruce Henry at the Dakota
• December 9-10, Red Planet at the Artists Quarter
• December 10, “The Crosby/Clooney Story,” Arne Fogel and Maud Hixson at the Bloomington Center for the Arts
• December 10, “White Christmas” with Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson at the Heights Theater
• December 12, One Heartland Benefit at the Dakota with Teri Roiger
• December 13, Box Car (Wessell Anderson, Jeremy Walker, Anthony Cox, JT Bates) at the Dakota
• December 14, José James at the Dakota
• December 16, Todd Clouser’s Love Electric at Studio Z
• December 16-17, Debbie Duncan at the Artists Quarter
• December 17, Bryan Nichols’ We Are Many at Studio Z
• December 18, Peterson Family Christmas at the Dakota
• December 20, KBEM Holiday Restaurant Tour with Bryan Nichols, Adam Linz, Todd Clouser at Café Maude
• December 22, Nick Videen and Minnesota Nice at the Artists Quarter
• December 23, 25-26, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
• December 27, Chris Morrissey at Café Maude
• December 27, Paris Strother Trio at the Dakota
• December 28, Phil Hey Quartet at the Artists Quarter
• December 29, Dave Hagedorn and Dan Cavanagh at the Artists Quarter
• December 30, Rick Germanson Trio at the Artists Quarter
• December 31, New Year’s Eve Party at the Artists Quarter with Carole Martin & Rick Germanson
• January 15, Bryan Nichols “Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet” at the Artists Quarter
• February 15-16, Hugh Masekela at the Dakota
• February 18, Kurt Elling and Lizz Wright at Orchestra Hall
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)

Photos, top to bottom: Billy Peterson (What Would Monk Do, PipJazz); Pat Moriarty with Ellen Lease; Pippi Ardennia (photos by Andrea Canter)

Twin Cities Jazz Week in Review: November 18-24

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© Andrea Canter

The week leading up to a major holiday is often hectic, to say the least. Taking time to hear some great music is a good stress reducer. And with the options of the past week, I feel like I’ve been to the jazz spa.

Laura Caviani Trio at the Artists Quarter, November 18. No matter how many trio gigs Laura has in a given year (and it is not nearly enough), she never puts on the same show twice. Sometimes she honors a muse, like Horace Silver, Thelonious Monk or Mary Lou Williams. Sometimes she delves into the repertoire of an under-appreciated composer like Alec Wilder. And this weekend, Laura looked back to her classical training and gave us jazz interpretations of Bach, Chopin, McDowell, Fauré and more. With a very compatible team of bassist Gary Raynor and drummer Jay Epstein, Laura also included some of her favorite jazz artists, particularly Monk, Williams and Wilder, a lovely cover of “The Very Thought of You,” and a couple of her own compositions, including her reinterpretation of Debussy’s “Gollywog’s Cakewalk” (which became “Gollywog’s Boogie Woogie”). Those of us who struggled through childhood piano lessons long enough to mangle McDowell’s “To a Wild Rose” appreciated hearing the theme as intended, and then transformed by Laura’s improvisation.

Zacc Harris Group at Studio Z, November 19. Zacc Harris is not only an outstanding guitarist, composer and bandleader, he’s also a curator of jazz gigs, currently via an MRAC grant to present a monthly jazz event at Studio Z. This month he brought in his own band, and despite the snowy day, drew a few dozen listeners to two sets of mostly original compositions played by five of the area’s most creative artists—Harris, pianist Bryan Nichols, bassist Chris Bates and drummer JT Bates, with “special guest” on tenor sax and bass clarinet, Brandon Wozniak. I could have used a bigger dose of that bass clarinet, which Brandon said he had not really played in five years. But it sounded like he had never put it down on the ensemble’s run through Zacc’s “Undercurrent.” Also outstanding on this tune was the collaboration of guitar and keyboard which created an aural sensation of sirens. Zacc’s ode to his late canine companion (“She Was My Best Friend”) showed everyone’s soft side, from JT’s gentle brushwork to Bryan’s exquisite soloing, as well as the composer’s own majestic balladry. While there was some Bad Plus energy in the opening “In Passing,” the ensemble’s additional voices (guitar and sax) more often generated harmonies and rhythms suggestive of Mingus. They closed with their one cover, an abstract take on “Softly As in a Morning Sunrise.”

Mary Louise Knutson Trio at the Artists Quarter, November 23. Proof that trio outings from Mary Louise Knutson are much too infrequent was the standing-room only crowd on hand on Thanksgiving Eve to celebrate her new CD, In the Bubble. While the title refers to an “everything was perfect” vacation, it just as easily describes the interaction among the musicians, on CD and on stage. With masters of nuance, bassist Gordy Johnson and drummer Phil Hey, the trio created a perfect storm of music, with lustrous new arrangements of such masterpieces as “Bluesette”, “It Could Happen to You,” “That’s All” and even “You Are My Sunshine,” and “should be classic” new compositions like “Sea of Qi,” “Can You Hear Me Now” and the title track. ML also dipped back into her first recording for the playful “Merl the Pearl” and started the second set solo with her version of “Pennies From Heaven.” And you had to listen fast at times to catch all of the trio’s antics, such as the series of Ellington quotes in Jobim’s “So Danco Samba” and Gordy Johnson’s nod to Stevie Wonder while “In the Bubble.” I know a lot more whizzed by my ears. If you missed this one, or just want more, the trio will hold their Minneapolis release party at the Dakota on November 30th .

Photos: Laura Caviani at the AQ; Zacc Harris and Chris Bates at Studio Z; Mary Louise Knutson at the AQ (all photos by Andrea Canter)

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, November 25-December 1

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© Andrea Canter

It’s Thanksgiving weekend, and on my list of gratitudes is the Twin Cities jazz scene. Just this week alone, you can celebrate the release of four diverse recording projects—a creative sax/piano quartet featuring two Minnesota natives, a locally-based piano trio with international potential, a Twin Cities big band release of previously unrecorded Stan Kenton charts, and a trans-Atlantic singer/songwriter pairing bridging the worlds of jazz and pop. Remember, CDs make great holiday gifts!

Highlights This Week
A long-time favorite of Artists Quarter audiences, saxophonist Pat Mallinger (11/25-26) returns to his home town for his nearly annual post-Thanksgiving romp, this time celebrating the release of Home on Richmond. Recorded live at the Green Mill in Chicago, the recording also features one of our own international stars, pianist Bill Carrothers. With Bill tied up with performances in Europe, for AQ gig, Pat’s enlisted a worthy alternative, Bryan Nichols, along with bassist Graydon Peterson and drummer Kenny Horst. Mallinger seems to take his music up a notch with each recording, and Home on Richmond is filled with spiky excitement, from Mallinger’s title track and Carrothers’ glorious “Snowbound” to inventive takes on “Smile” and “Nagasaki” and transcendent covers of Charles Lloyd and John Coltrane.

Back at the Dakota for the holidays! The savvy piano/sax duo of Peter Schimke and Irv Williams (11/25) returns for Happy Hour every Friday night. With Schimke’s deft touch and William’s soulful horn, and their telepathic communication on stage, there’s no better way to wind down from a busy week (or busy holiday) than to spend an hour or two with Peter and Irv.

The Loring Pasta Bar’s “Musique Mystique” series continues Monday Night with vocalist Rhonda Laurie and guitarist Robert Bell (11/28). In the past year or so, the pair have performed together via Rhonda’s “Happy Days Are Here Again” project, funded through the Minnesota Historical Society and Minnesota Regional Public Libraries. But metro residents don’t need to travel to Graceville, MN to hear Rhonda and Robert – just to Dinkytown.

Mary Louise Knutson (11/30) had so much fun at her St Paul CD release last week, she’s taking the show across the river to the Dakota Wednesday night. Better plan to get there early—the AQ release party was standing room only. Celebrating In the Bubble with her core trio of Gordy Johnson and Phil Hey, ML has assembled a collection of new compositions and new arrangements of such standards as “Bluesette” and “It Could Happen to You” that evokes the swinging elegance of the great jazz piano trios of Evans and Jarrett. Even if you were there at the AQ, this music keeps drawing you back.

Lila Ammons (11/30) can trace her roots in boogie woogie and blues to grandfather Albert Ammons and uncle Gene Ammons, but she’s established her own career as a vocalist across both styles. Often performing in Europe with boogie-woogie pianist Axel Zwingenberger, she’s also launched a quintet of local musicians with a broader jazz palette. The quintet (with pianist Ted Godbout, bassist Zachary Warpinski, drummer Tim Zhorne, and saxophonist Dean Brewington) performs at Honey on Wednesday night.

The Twin Cities Jazz Society (Jazz From J to Z) and KBEM’s Big Band Scene team up to present one of the area’s premiere big bands, the Nova Classic Jazz Orchestra (12/1), celebrating the 100th birthday of Stan Kenton with a release of a recording of unpublished charts. These charts, by one of Kenton’s top arrangers, Bill Mathieu, put the spotlight on a number of Nova’s fine talents, as well as special guest saxophonist Dave Karr. The celebration will take place at Minnetonka High School’s Performing Arts Center, with the exemplary Minnetonka High School jazz band playing an opening set.

It’s been a three-year collaboration, from their first meeting to their final recording session. Local chanteuse Christine Rosholt (12/1) so impressed British songwriter Kevin Hall when a family visit brought him to a gig at the Dakota, he immediately suggested they team up to perform some of his original music. The result is a set of tunes, mostly written for Christine, that bridges her jazz inclinations with Hall’s rock/pop-flavored leanings—a hybrid they dub “Pazz.” And it’s not just Rosholt and Hall who will be at the CD release party at the Dakota Thursday night—they will be joined by nearly every cast member of the recording, including trumpeter Dave Jensen and the rest of the Hornheads, J.D. Steele, Randy Sabien, Lucia Newell, Estaire Godinez and more.

More Jazz This Week
The area’s most comprehensive jazz calendar can be found on the KBEM website. More recommendations:

• Friday, November 25: Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen; Maud Hixson with Tim Patrick at the Medina Ballroom

• Saturday, November 26: Sophia Shorai at the Nicollet Island Inn; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen; Arne Fogel at Ingredients Cafe

• Sunday, November 27: Zacc Harris Trio at the Riverview Wine Bar

• Monday, November 28: Headspace at the Artists Quarter; Sophia Shorai at Barbette; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Tanner Taylor Trio at Jazz Central

• Tuesday, November 29: Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter; Jack Brass Band at the Driftwood; Michael Gold at The Nicollett

• Wednesday, November 30: Wolverines Trio at Hell’s Kitchen; Steve Kenny and the Bastids followed by Black Heralds at the Artists Quarter; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; UW-Eau Claire Jazz Ensemble at the Shorewood

• Thursday, December 1: Media Addicts at the Artists Quarter; Arne Fogel at Hell’s Kitchen

Coming Soon!
• December 2, Chris Botti at Orchestra Hall
• December 2: Nathan Hanson, Brian Roesslear, Ellen Lease and Pat Moriarty at the Black Dog
• December 2-3, What Would Monk Do at the Artists Quarter
• December 4, PipJazz Sunday (Pippi Ardennia with guest Esera Tuaolo) at Landmark Center
• December 5, Catherine Russell at the Dakota
• December 9 & 11, “Jingle Bell Doc” (Severinson) at Orchestra Hall
• December 9-10, Red Planet at the Artists Quarter
• December 10, “The Crosby/Clooney Story,” Arne Fogel and Maud Hixson at the Bloomington Center for the Arts
• December 10, “White Christmas” with Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson at the Heights Theater
• December 12, One Heartland Benefit at the Dakota with Teri Roiger
• December 13, Box Car (Jeremy Walker, Anthony Cox, JT Bates) at the Dakota
• December 14, José James at the Dakota
• December 16, Todd Clouser’s Love Electric at Studio Z
• December 16-17, Debbie Duncan at the Artists Quarter
• December 17, Bryan Nichols’ We Are Many at Studio Z
• December 18, Peterson Family Christmas at the Dakota
• December 20, Benny Weinbeck, Adam Linz, Todd Clouser at Café Maude
• December 22, Nick Videen Quartet at the Artists Quarter
• December 23, 25-26, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
• December 27, Chris Morrissey at Café Maude
• December 29, Dave Hagedorn and Dan Cavanagh at the Artists Quarter
• December 30, Rick Germanson Trio at the Artists Quarter
• December 31, New Year’s Eve Party at the Artists Quarter with Carole Martin & Rick Germanson
• January 15, Bryan Nichols “Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet” at the Artists Quarter
• February 15-16, Hugh Masekela at the Dakota
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)

Photos (top to bottom): Pat Mallinger at the AQ; Peter Schimke and Irv Wiliams, Happy Hour at the Dakota; Lila Ammons; Christine Rosholt with Graydon Peterson (all photos by Andrea Canter)

The Lead Sheeet: Twin Cities Jazz, November 18-24

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© Andrea Canter

With the cold weather suddenly upon us, there’s only one sane thing to do: Warm up with some hot music. Holiday shows will be popping up soon, but right now, the options include more timeless fare from all walks of jazz.

Top Picks
Laura Caviani (11/18-19) is a busy jazz educator and composer, and her public performances lately have been more often out of town. So it’s a double treat to have two nights with Laura and her trio at the Artists Quarter this weekend. Joining her this time will be bassist Gary Raynor and drummer Jay Epstein, familiar faces and sympathetic partners. As for the music, Laura notes her playlist will include “jazz renditions of classical repertoire from my childhood, including works by Bach, Chopin, Macdowell, and Debussy, to name a few…We'll also include some Alec Wilder and Mary Lou Williams's hits for good measure, and of course the standard fare of Monk, Tin Pan Alley, and an original or two." Can’t miss! (Don Berryman has posted a bunch of videos of Laura’s AQ performances on You Tube.)

Zacc Harris (11/19), via an MRAC grant, is curating a monthly jazz series at Studio Z, and he’s giving his own band a turn Saturday night. The Zacc Harris Group includes his core quartet of Bryan Nichols, Chris and JT Bates, expanded to include exciting saxophonist Brandon Wozniak. Earlier in the day (1 pm), they’ll hold a free and open rehearsal, a great way to gain some insight into the music and the development of group improvisation.

Also Saturday night, at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center, it’s another dose of the JazzMN Orchestra (11/19), this time focusing on the music of Miles Davis. No guest trumpeter, this concert instead highlights the talents of the JazzMN horn section (trumpeters Dave Jensen, Steve Strand, Bob Holgrimson and Jeff Gottwig) as they take a trip through Miles’ wide-ranging career.

Like your pizza with thin crust and a side of swing? There’s always both on Monday and Wednesday nights at Fireside Pizza in Richfield where the house band is Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg….unless Charmin is off on a gig in Spain or another venue. Then another local songbird fills in, and when you can get subs like Maud Hixson (11/21) and Rhonda Laurie (11/23), it’s a perfect pizza night. Back from her recent performance at the New York Cabaret Conference, Maud might have a few new things up her sleeve, while Rhonda has been heard most recently swinging with Sidewalk Café, Robert Bell and Phil Mattson. Either night (or better, both nights), when Maud and Rhonda take the mic next to Denny’s accordion, it will be a night of great songs, great lyrics, and great pizza.

Tuesday is another great night for song. The Nicollet presents Vicky Mountain (11/21) and cohorts from the Jazz Vocalists of Minnesota (Maggie Diebel, Teresa Manzella and Karen Quiroz) giving Autumn a musical farewell. Not far down the street at the Dakota, New York-based Minnesota native Vanessa Trouble (11/21) returns for a night of sultry song with that Big Apple sheen.

If you missed the CD release earlier this month at the Artists Quarter, on Wednesday you have another opportunity to hear the Doug Haining Quintet (11/23) at Jazz Central. With trombonist Scott Agster ably filling in for Dave Graf, the rest of the band on Last Man Swinging will be on hand, and all will vie to be that last man—Rick Carlson, Steve Pikal and Dick Bortolussi joining Haining and Agster. And there is another CD release party at the AQ tonight, as Mary Louise Knutson (11/23) celebrates In the Bubble with Gordy Johnson and Phil Hey, who both figure prominently on the recording. There’s a long list of new compositions from ML and her inventive arrangements of “It Could Happen to You,” “Bluesette,” “That’s All,” “Bernie’s Tune” and “You Don’t Know What Love Is.” A night with this trio and you will at least know what jazz is!

More Jazz!
Keep up with local jazz via KBEM—the jazz calendar online and Maryann Sullivan’s Local Corner (Thursdays) and Corner Jazz on Sundays, along with all the other great interviews, jazz and related programming. Some more recommended gigs for the week:

• Friday, November 18: Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); the Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen; Pat O'Keefe, Nathan Hanson, Brian Roessler and Ta Cumba Aiken at the Black Dog

• Saturday, November 19: Nichola Miller and Tanner Taylor at Hell’s Kitchen; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske with Nathan Norman at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen; Emily Green at the Eagle’s Aerie Club

• Sunday, November 20: Regina Marie Williams as Nina Simone at the Capri Theater (Legends Series); Kavanessence (Vanessa Dembo and Mark Bloom) at the Sabes Jewish Community Center; Zacc Harris Trio at the Riverview Wine Bar

• Monday, November 21: Headspace at the Artists Quarter

• Tuesday, November 22: Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter; Frankhouse at Hell’s Kitchen; Jack Brass Band at the Driftwood; Still Black Still Proud (Peewee Ellis, Maceo Parker and more) tribute to James Brown at the Ordway

• Wednesday, November 23, Vital Organ at Hell’s Kitchen

Coming Soon!
• November 25-26, Pat Mallinger CD Release at the Artists Quarter
• November 30, Mary Louise Knutson Trio, CD Release at the Dakota
• December 1, Christine Rosholt and Kevin Hall, CD Release at the Dakota
• December 1, Nova Jazz Orchestra and the Minnetonka High School Jazz Band at Minnetonka HS (Jazz From J to Z)
• December 4, PipJazz Sunday (Pippi Ardennia with guest Esera Tualo) at Landmark Center
• December 5, Catherine Russell at the Dakota
• December 9 & 11, “Jingle Bell Doc” (Severinson) at Orchestra Hall
• December 9-10, Red Planet at the Artists Quarter
• December 10, “The Crosby/Clooney Story,” Arne Fogel and Maud Hixson at the Bloomington Center for the Arts
• December 13, Box Car (Jeremy Walker, Anthony Cox, JT Bates) at the Dakota
• December 14, José James at the Dakota
• December 16, Todd Clouser’s Love Electric at Studio Z
• December 1-17, Debbie Duncan at the Artists Quarter
• December 17, Bryan Nichols’ We Are Many at Studio Z
• December 18, Peterson Family Christmas at the Dakota
• December 22, Nick Videen Quartet at the Artists Quarter
• December 23, 25-26, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
• December 29, Dave Hagedorn and Dan Cavanagh at the Artists Quarter
• December 30, Rick Germanson Trio at the Artists Quarter
• December 31, New Year’s Eve Party at the Artists Quarter with Carole Martin and Rick Germanson
• February 15-16, Hugh Masekela at the Dakota
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)

Photos (top to bottom): Laura Caviani; Zacc Harris; Vanessa Trouble; Doug Haining (photos by Andrea Canter)

Twin Cities Jazz Week in Review, November 11-17

2011-11-17T16:31:00.002-06:00

© Andrea Canter

The diversity of Twin Cities jazz, on any given week, is a marvel. Just within a couple days you can hear it all, from free improvisation to ballroom foxtrot. Throw in some savvy swing, sizzling bebop and a preview of local jazz yet to come….

John Jorgenson Quintet with Connie Evingson at the Dakota, November 11. Connie’s appearance with swinging guitarist/clarinetist John Jorgenson was added rather last minute, but her association with him has been growing, with a recent concert at the Hopkins Center for the Arts and a recording date this past week. I missed John’s bouzouki in the first set, but his guitar and clarinet were on fire later in the evening on some hot club standards; his violinist Jason Anick would have made Grappelli smile, and Connie was in full swing mode, every note where it belonged. Get me in line for that new CD.

Insurgent at Studio Z, November 12. The usually conservative offerings of the Twin Cities Jazz Society’s “Jazz From J to Z” expand at least once per year beyond post-bop. And there is no finer group traveling “beyond” than the trio Insurgent, with pianist Ellen Lease, alto saxophonist Pat Moriarty and drummer Phil Hey. Pat and Phil have a long history of free jazz conversations, and adding an inventive pianist like Ellen ups the options for melody and harmony, both prevalent despite the usual connotations of “free jazz.” This is mayhem you can almost sing, even while Ellen reaches “under the hood” with little mallets, even while Pat blows whispers or honks of dead air into his mouthpiece, even while Phil scrapes the edge of a cymbal like fingernails on a blackboard. Saturday night, they gave us two sets of curiously sustainable sounds, new messages that seemed intended as much for us in the audience as for each other. This free jazz was not free of meaning.

Sue Orfield and the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter, November 12. Until she brought her steamy quartet to the Twin Cities Jazz Festival last June, it had been a good five years since I heard tenor saxophonist Sue Orfield. She plays in the environs of Eau Claire and rarely gigs in the metro area. Hopefully that is about to change. A strong guest soloist can bring out the best in an already-topnotch band, and perhaps that has never been more obvious than Sue’s gig with the Tuesday Night Band (B-3 monster “Downtown” Bill Brown, guitarist Billy Franze, drummer Kenny Horst) this past weekend. I caught the second set Saturday night (after Insurgent) and found new meaning in the phrase “blown away.” There’s Sue herself, blowing fast and hard and soulfully on Charlie Parker’s “Segment” and “Mr. PC,” with sweet passion on “In a Sentimental Mood,” and wailing from deep in the swamp on an interesting take on “Ode to Billie Jo.” But even more uplifting was the interaction among the four musicians, summed with gusto on the closing “Sister Sadie” and evident in every grin on and off stage. From the crowd to the musicians themselves, no one doubts this combination should percolate for years to come.

PipJazz Sunday’s Student Night at Landmark Center, November 13. It’s no easy feat to produce a concert-length jazz program every month. Chicago’s best kept secret is now ours, ever since vocalist Pippi Ardennia moved here two years ago. With drummer/producer Glenn Swanson, Pippi has directed a monthly family-oriented jazz concert in the Weyerhauser Auditorium of Landmark Center, featuring a first-class guest artist along with a dream house band and Pippi herself. Now Pippi and Glenn have enlisted support from the Twin Cities Jazz Society and Walker West Music Academy to identify area student musicians to join the monthly program. This Sunday was the student kickoff and the concert featured three outstanding young artists from 13 – 17, each playing with the house band on a selected tune, and then returning for more interactive excitement. Eighth grader Jordan Anderson made his big stage debut with Lee Morgan’s “Ceora,” followed by 16-year old trumpeter DeCarlo Jackson killing on “Billie’s Bounce” and 17-year-old UW-Eau Claire student Quentin Tschofen bobbing and weaving through Mingus’ “Peggy’s Blue Skylight.” Not your typical high school band fare. Quentin and DeCarlo teamed up on “My Funny Valentine,” with Pippi providing the impassioned vocals; Jordan switched to electric keyboard for “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and everyone had a run at “All of Me.” Seriously good young artists often find public performance opportunities with their own ensembles or school bands; sharing the stage and the musical exchange with seasoned pros is a rare learning experience. Watch for the PipJazz closing 2011 concert December 4th with high school violinist Zosha Warpeha, and, starting in March, a monthly student guest throughout the 2012 season.

Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra With Charmin Michelle at Cinema Ballroom, November 13. It was a little odd to find myself facing a swing band in a ballroom. Asked to take photos of band for a forthcoming CD, I found myself –two left feet and all—tapping my toes as I moved around the floor dodging a diverse but enthused group of ballroom enthusiasts who gather most Sundays at Cinema Ballroom in St. Paul. I barely remember Arthur Murray’s Dance Party but if the music was this good, it must have been a hit show. O’Hagan himself is a fine clarinetist in the tradition of Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, and the guys in the 14-piece band are quite accomplished practitioners of swing, bop and Latin stylings, from the swinging pace of “That Old Black Magic” to the south-of the-border sway of “Takes Two to Tango” to the heated instrumental of Jerry’s own “Dante’s Garden.” If you are accustomed to the intimacy of Charmin Michelle at Fireside Pizza or the Dakota, it’s a treat to hear her front a big band, proving you don’t need Ethel Merman pipes to prompt a multi-generational roomful of dancers to take flight. If you’re pining for the good old days of swing bands and dance floors, check the schedule as Jerry and Charmin and company preside nearly every Sunday night. And watch for the upcoming release of Dance Party Volume 1.

Graydon Peterson Group at The Nicollet, November 15. It’s good to see this little coffee and music joint thriving. On the corner of Franklin and Nicollet, maybe the vibe of the old Acadia (now on the West Bank) is blessing both the coffee and the music. Tuesday nights, Maryann Sullivan and Rhonda Laurie are booking a diverse range of jazz, often new bands and bands that don’t get much visibility. Yet. One of the metro’s most active and eclectic bassists, Graydon Peterson has seldom been heard in the role of leader, but hopefully that is about to change. With guitarist Vinnie Rose, trumpeter Adam Meckler and drummer Adrian Suarez, this quartet brought new music to The Nicollet in a vein that might have been unexpected by the coffeehouse regulars and swing dancers. But even new music has a beat, and before night’s end, a pair of dancers found their feet adapting to post-bop inventions. A growing number of area musicians drop in on Tuesday nights to check out the scene, giving the Nicollet a downtown, Big Apple, little loft feel. With better coffee.

Al Jarreau, Pantages Theater, November 16. He used to come more often, but it has been a while since the master of anything with a human voice returned to his old haunt. Now in his 70s and hobbling a bit, Jarreau was nevertheless in fine form on a "greatest hits" songlist, if sometimes overpowered by the ultra-amplification at Pantages. Things equalized better in the second set when we could much better hear the lyrics and the nuances that have made Al an inspiration to many, including his young bassist Chris Walker who nearly stole the show when given the chance to show off his elastic soul voice. Listening to an aging John Hendricks on the way home, I was struck by the similarities, Jarreau's voice far more supple at this point but the lineage is apparent. And I would love to hear a duet with Bobby McFerrin.

Photos (top to bottom): John Jorgenson Quintet with Connie Evingson; Ellen Lease attacking the strings at Studio Z; students Quentin Tschofen (piano) and DeCarlo Jackson (trumpet) on stage with Pippi Ardennia and the PipJazz band; Charmin Michelle and the Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra (all photos by Andrea Canter)

Jazz Face: Sue Orfield

2011-11-15T16:20:00.002-06:00

© Andrea Canter

She was once known as “Seattle’s Best Horn,” but tenor saxophonist Sue Orfield, now based in Eau Claire, WI, should have recognition far beyond either locale. Playing this past weekend at the Artists Quarter with an organ trio already known for its playful, zesty firepower—the Tuesday Night Band—Orfield turned up the heat beyond boil. The TNB+1 didn’t sizzle, they nearly vaporized. If there was a grin meter to measure artist satisfaction, then B-3 man Bill Brown, guitarist Billy Franze and drummer Kenny Horst were off the chart. Why has it taken so long to put this jazz-holy union in place? Orfield keeps busy with diverse projects from blues to sax quartet to her own soulful jazz ensemble in western Wisconsin, but it’s only a couple hours to the Twin Cities. Sue brought her own band to town last June for the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, and tongues are still wagging, ears still (happily) ringing. And now, with these two nights of relentless artistic combustion, we have to expect a long-standing collaboration is in the making. Orfield is one of the most powerful, most songful, most spirited tenor players I’ve heard. And her art, and her joy, went viral at the AQ. Let it spread far and wide.

Photo: Sue Orfield at the Artists Quarter, November 12, 2011 (photo by Andrea Canter)

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, November 11-17

2011-11-11T11:45:00.003-06:00

© Andrea Canter

An exceptional weekend coming our way in Twin Cities jazzland! What better way to commemorate 11/11/11? And of course more into the week.

Highlights
The longest-running gig at the Artists Quarter, the Tuesday Night Band, occasionally appears on the weekend. But this weekend (11/11-12) is extra special because the best organ trio in the upper Midwest is augmented by one of the region’s most explosive, swinging saxophonists, Sue Orfield. Based in the Eau Claire area, Orfield spent some time in the Pacific Northwest where she repeatedly won honors as top blues saxophonist. Now heading her own band and performing with the Tiptons Saxophone Quartet and more, Orfield is also one of the most eclectic reed players around. She blew the top off the Sixth Street Stage at the 2011 Twin Cities Jazz Festival.

It’s not exactly a jazz event but then it is not exactly an event that fits into any genre: Billed as “A Once-in-a-Century Interstellar Blacklight Puppet Jam Party,” the eclectic “art rock” Galactic Cowboy Orchestra performs at the Ritz Theater Friday night (11/11), with blues-jammer Trent Romens and a special appearance by Z Puppets Rosenschnoz. I first heard this quartet of fiddle, guitar, bass and drums at the Dakota StreetFest last summer and they are totally fun (and skilled). So throw in blacklight puppetry, blues and comedy and it should be an unforgettable evening. Details on the band site.

Friday (11/11) at the Dakota, the gypsy swing quintet headed by guitarist John Jorgenson returns, and a last minute scheduling adds our own gypsy princess Connie Evingson to the bill. She’s performed with Jorgenson before, and it’s a partnership that was made in Django heaven. If your toes are still tapping come Saturday (11/12), head over to the Bloomington KC Hall for a swing dance sponsored by Big Band Scene (KBEM) featuring the many talents of the Acme Jazz Company fronted by our resident crooner, Arne Fogel.

Probably nothing could be farther from Django and a swing dance than Insurgent, a trio of free improvisers who will challenge each other as much as the audience, and it’s all for the good. Saxophonist Pat Moriarty, pianist Ellen Lease and drummer Phil Hey have established their individual and collective reputations for quick thinking and thoughtful playing in a world without rules, without restrictions. It’s the opportunity to watch and listen to the birth of new music. They’re performing Saturday night (11/12) at the home of experimental music, Studio Z in St. Paul, sponsored by the Twin Cities Jazz Society. And they should be done early enough to get you back across town to hear a too-infrequent appearance by expat Twin Citian Jeremy Walker, heading his Small City Trio in the Dakota Late Night slot. Composer and bandleader Walker, now based in New York, fortunately returns “home” now and then to give a progress report on his career as jazz pianist. (Small City Trio also plays the Red Stage on Wednesday, 11/16).

You can also watch and listen to the birth of new music careers when the PipJazz Sunday concert series continues at Landmark Center on Sunday (11/13). Usually it’s vocalist Pippi Ardennia, a terrific house band and a well-chosen guest artist. But the “guest artist” this month is a trio of student jazz musicians, each playing one or two tunes with the house band. And from this point on, each PipJazz Sunday concert will include one student guest artist, thanks to a partnership among PipJazz, the Twin Cities Jazz Society and Walker West Music Academy. This first student offering includes UW-Eau Claire pianist Quentin Tschofen and two students studying at Walker West, 16-year-old trumpeter DeCarlo Jackson and 13-year-old pianist Jordan Anderson.

It might seem an unlikely jazz venue but the music continues to flow at The Nicollet, a funky coffee house off Franklin and Nicollet. Curated by KBEM’s Maryann Sullivan, the Tuesday night series has offered a wide range of jazz from swinging vocals to cosmic instrumental ensembles. This Tuesday (11/15), catch new Graydon Peterson Group, headed by one of the metro’s most versatile bassists. No booze but great coffees, pastries and other goodies, and a cozy listening environment sometimes punctuated by swing dancers who seem quite adaptable to any jazz idiom. And no cover.

One of the legendary jazz/R&B singers working today, Al Jarreau makes a rare Twin Cities appearance on Wednesday (11/16) at Pantages. So how often does a jazz artist get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?

KBEM’s great film series, REEL Jazz, continues Thursday (11/17, screenings at 7 & 9 pm) at the Trylon Theater with much heralded “1959: The Year That Changed Jazz.” In this one year, four iconic recordings were released, including Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue, Brubeck’s Time Out, Mingus’ Mingus Ah Um, and Ornette’s The Shape of Jazz to Come. And it seemed the world was at a crossroads as well, with school integration conflicts, the Vietnam war and Cuban Missile Crisis looming. The BBC documentary features interviews with Brubeck, Coleman, Lou Reed and Herbie Hancock. A second show at 9 pm was recently added and you might be able to get a ticket yet for this one—check KBEM online.

More Jazz!
You can get a pretty complete listing of jazz events for every day of the week online at KBEM. Some additional recommendations:

• Friday, November 11: Dean Magraw and Michael Bissonette at the 318 in Wayzata; Benny Weinbeck Trio at D’Amico Kitchen; Nathan Hanson/Brian Roesslear/Pat O’Keefe at the Black Dog; Patty Peterson & Friends at the Crooked Pint Ale (Patty’s birthday party)
• Saturday, November 12: Charmin & Shapira at Midtown Global Market (noon); Sophia Shorai at the Nicollet Island Inn; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Patty Peterson & Friends at the Crooked Pint Ale (Patty’s Birthday Party)
• Sunday, November 13: Charmin Michelle and the Jerry O’Hagan Orchestra at Cinema Ballroom
• Monday, November 14: Lucia Newell and Dean Magraw at the Loring Pasta Bar (Musique Mystique); Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; free improv with Milo Fine at Homewood Studios; Gypsy Mania at Barbette; something special at Jazz Central
• Tuesday, November 15: Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter; Arne Fogel at Hell’s Kitchen, Jack Brass Band at the Driftwood
• Wednesday, November 16: Wolverines Trio at Hell’s Kitchen; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Steve Kenny and the Bastids followed by the Gary Berg Quartet at the Artists Quarter; James Buckley Trio at the Nomad World Pub
• Thursday, November 17: Pete Whitman’s X-Tet at the Artists Quarter; Jana Nyberg Group at Hell’s Kitchen

Coming Soon
• November 11, Galactic Cowboy Orchestra at the Loring Theater
• November 11-12, Sue Orfield with the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter
• November 12, Insurgent (Pat Moriarty, Ellen Lease, Phil Hey) at Studio Z (Jazz From J to Z)
• November 13, PipJazz Sundays at Landmark Center (TCJS Student Showcase)
• November 16, Al Jarreau at the Pantages Theater
• November 17, REEL Jazz at the Trylon Theater
• November 19, JazzMN Orchestra, Tribute to Miles Davis at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center
• November 19, Zacc Harris Quartet at Studio Z
• November 22, Vanessa Trouble at the Dakota
• November 23, Mary Louise Knutson Trio, CD release at the Artists Quarter
• November 25-26, Pat Mallinger CD Release at the Artists Quarter
• December 1, Christine Rosholt and Kevin Hall, CD Release at the Dakota
• December 1, Nova Jazz Orchestra and the Minnetonka High School Jazz Band at Minnetonka HS (Jazz From J to Z)
• December 5, Catherine Russell at the Dakota
• December 10, “The Crosby/Clooney Story,” Arne Fogel and Maud Hixson at the Bloomington Center for the Arts
• December 14, José James at the Dakota
• December 16, Todd Clouser’s Love Electric at Studio Z
• December 17, Bryan Nichols’ We Are Many at Studio Z
• December 23, 25-26, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
• February 15-16, Hugh Masekela at the Dakota
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)

Photos: (Top to Bottom) Insurgent (Ellen Lease, Pat Moriarty and Phil Hey); student performs for PipJazz Sunday (Quentin Tscofen, DeCarlo Jackson, Jordan Anderson); string players with the Galactic Cowboy Orchestra; Sue Orfield; Arne Fogel (all photos by Andrea Canter)

Twin Cities Jazz Week in Review: November 4-10

2011-11-10T22:17:00.004-06:00

© Andrea Canter

I was in Iowa City all weekend so missed some good music, I’m sure. But I also caught the Johnson County Landmark in Iowa City, surely one of the country’s best college big bands, directed by esteemed composer/arranger John Rapson. Part of the program was devoted to music from the Radiohead Jazz Project, established a year ago by James Miley and Fred Sturm with an international team of arrangers. Universities throughout the U.S. are performing this music, and the Johnson County Landmark gave us well-executed and thoroughly enjoyable renditions of “Idioteque,” “Everything in Its Right Place,” and “Bodysnatchers.” The program also included a very swinging “In a Mellow Tone” and some works by Ken Scahphorst.

Here at home, I caught a couple terrific CD celebrations reflecting our region’s range of repertoire and experience, and a night showcasing the depth of artistry on the MacPhail faculty:

John Raymond Project CD Preview at Jazz Central, November 8. I remember a cold November night maybe six or seven years ago when four of us came to a late evening show at Bryant Lake Bowl for the debut of the John Raymond Project. John’s mom and I were the ones over 20. John was this skinny 19-year-old trumpeter trying out some new music with pals from UW-Eau Claire. Since that night, John has been reeling in much larger audiences, the JRP evolving across the years at Eau Claire and now in New York, John racking up accolades and awards as composer and performer, earning his Master’s Degree from SUNY-Purchase, and now ready to release a new recording produced by his mentor Jon Faddis. Officially, Strength & Song will be released in spring 2012, but John is raising funds for CD distribution with a series of preview gigs here and in nearby Wisconsin haunts, using a band of mostly former UWEC jazzers (guitarist Vinnie Rose, bassist Jeremy Boettcher, keyboardist Scott Currier) plus recent Manhattan grad and rising local drum star Miguel Hurtado. The recording includes former Twin Citian Javier Santiago on piano and hot New York-based guitarist Gilad Hekselman, with guest appearances from pianist Gerald Clayton and saxophonist Tim Greene.

The audience Monday night at Jazz Central was treated to the music of the CD plus a few more. This may not be the same band as the recording, but you wouldn’t know it—the arrangements allowed a lot of stretching out, not just for the leader. Most of the compositions were John’s and took us tumbling through ideas on one, settling back to feel the colors wash over our ears on the next; the band also proved skillful at rearranging standards, giving us a playful run at “Straight No Chaser.” It’s a long way from Bryant Lake Bowl. And I bet it is a long way from where John is heading next. It will be an incredible ride. You can keep up with John and learn more about the recording project on his website.

Doug Haining Quintet CD Release at the Artists Quarter, November 9. Haining fits his CD title perfectly, Last Man Swinging, although he might have to fight his bandmates for the crown, with such swingers as Rick Carlson, Dave Graf, Steve Pikal and Dick Bortolussi on board. Over careers now spanning at least three decades each, this is a band that can probably make anything from a nursery rhyme to a Bach Cantata swing with joy and logic. Thus the tunes they recorded and played at the AQ were sonic putty, from the swaying opener, “It Ain’t Necessarily So” to the reconfigured “Two Funky People” where two clarinets became a clarinet and trombone (hmm, talk about two funky people—Haining and Graf!) to the ultimate delight of “Jitterbug Waltz.” What you can’t readily grasp from the CD alone is how much fun these guys are having, and of course that joie de swing is highly contagious.

Jazz Thursdays at MacPhail, November 10. Two of the jazz gems in the Twin Cities are the beautiful performance space of Antonello Hall at MacPhail and MacPhail’s Jazz Thursdays concert series, which fortunately occur together 4-5 times each year. The new Jazz Thursdays season launched tonight with a whirlwind faculty extravaganza, featuring some of the area’s most talented artists taking turns in varying combinations from duos (cellist Jacqueline Ultan and bassist Adam Linz finding the classical foundation of Andrew Hill’s “Golden Sunset”; a bass/sax duel between Linz and altoist Greg Keel on Parker’s “Now’s the Time”; a delicate string duet among Linz and guitarist James Allen on Esbert’s “Frevo”) and trios (pianist Bryan Nichols, Linz and drummer Phil Hey covering Dewey Redman; Linz with pianist Tom Pletscher and trumpeter Brad Shermock covering Gary Peacock) to a quartet with Shermock, Ultan, Hey and vocalist Vicky Mountain on her original “Leaving” and a sextet with Mountain, Nichols, Allen, Shermock, Ultan and Hey going into dark corners on “Lady Madonna.”

But the most fun was the finale, all nine musicians including two pianos swapping tales on Ornette Coleman’s “Friends and Neighbors.” There’s easily enough talent on the MacPhail jazz faculty for another night of such hip exchanges without repeating any of the cast. “Jazz Thursdays” could easily last all week.

Photos: (top to bottom) The John Raymond Project at Jazz Central; Doug Haining and Dave Graf swing at the Artists Quarter; Greg Keel and Adam Linz duke it out at MacPhail (all photos by Andrea Canter)

Jazz Face: Craig Taborn, Jazz's "Avenging Angel"

2011-11-07T16:34:00.004-06:00

© Andrea Canter

High on my list for jazz CD of the year is Craig Taborn’s long-awaited solo set of improvisations, Avenging Angel. Released midyear on ECM, the recording has drawn praise far and wide, but perhaps nothing father or wider than its inclusion in the recent listing of “cultural artifacts” of the new millennium posted by online magazine Slate. Slate’s editors posed the question to their contributors, “Which cultural artifacts since 2000 will speak to future eras? What are the timeless expressions being forged in our noisy moment? Even more important: What are we overlooking that will one day be seen as an essential document of our time?”

Jazz critic Seth Colter Walls nominated one recording of the past decade, Taborn’s Avenging Angel, noting that “Anyone who wonders why their ‘indie’ music has become so familiar as to be arguably equated with ‘adult contemporary’ should take a tour of Taborn's sound-world: a place where echoes of Debussy, ’70s AACM-school jazz, and minimal techno collide with a force that could easily preclude intelligibility. In Taborn’s hands, that radical chorus really sings.”

Slate’s listing only included one other piece of music, Black-Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling.” But Taborn is in very interesting, diverse company with the likes of television’s The Wire, the Ugg boot, tennis star Roger Federer, Bob Dylan’s Chronicles Volume One, and the iPod. Taborn, who has doggedly avoided the limelight throughout his career and invests no ego in the legions of “best of” lists, probably had a Woody Allen moment when he saw the Slate’s slate. But it couldn’t happen to a better representative of the merger of inspirations, technologies and artistic energies that will propel jazz through the 21st century. And the sound world of Craig Taborn surely will outlast the iPod.

See the full roster of nominees from the Slate

Photo: Craig Taborn at the 2009 Iowa City Jazz Festival with the Chris Potter Underground. (Photo by Andrea Canter)

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, November 4-10

2011-11-03T00:15:00.003-05:00

© Andrea Canter

Hints of the holidays are getting stronger every day, but there’s also a festive air throughout the area music venues. Jazz is no exception.

Highlights This Week
Studio Z holds its annual New Music Cabaret, hosted by the experimental music ensemble Zeitgeist and covering a wide range of new music over four nights, November 3-6. Not all falls under a modern jazz umbrella but each band considers improvisation a basic staple. Zeitgeist performs each night, along with the Ataria Quartet and Illicit Sextet on Thursday (11/3), Renegade Ensemble, Nirmala Rajasekar and Ill Chemistry on Friday (11/4), Mississippi Peace and Douglas Ewart & Quasar on Saturday (11/5), and Anti-Gravity and Julie Johnson & the No Accounts on Sunday (11/6).

It’s not exactly a listening room, but the ambience of the Aster Café along Main Street seems perfect for nights of chamber jazz and sultry song. Having performed there with the swing trio Sidewalk Café, vocalist Rhonda Laurie now returns for a more intimate duo evening with pianist Rick Carlson to kick off the weekend on Friday night (11/4).

I hope this is more than coincidence, but it seems Lucia Newell has become a monthly gig at the Artists Quarter, which until now has not boasted a vocalist in regular rotation. Lucia returns for a weekend (11/4-5) with the dream trio of Phil Aaron, Adam Linz and Kenny Horst. Lucia promises favorites and new songs, and on Saturday night, Larry Englund will be on hand for the taping of a St. Paul live segment with KBEM radio.

Another of our top songbirds, Connie Evingson continues her Jazz at the Jungle series on Sunday (11/6, 4 and 7:30 pm) with a look at jazz across three, or maybe four generations. Dubbed Jazz 3G, this should have wider appeal than Verizon 4G, with a band that includes saxman Dave Karr, bassist Gordy Johnson, pianist Tanner Taylor, and drummer Trevor Haining—that’s a range from 81 to 23! And bringing a taste of the next generation, the Dakota Combo will perform a song or two at each show. So we really are talking about an age range of 15-81! Music that has inspired artists across generations will be the heart of the show, while the Combo will perform a tune written by high school senior/trumpeter Joe Suihkonen.

Monday (11/7) at the Dakota will be my personal introduction to pianist/vocalist Michael Kaeshammer, but just reading about him has me drooling. Sometimes compared to Harry Connick (and he does inject some Crescent City beats into his music), the German born, Canadian schooled Kaeshammer has won awards and fans around the globe, and garnered a bunch more on his last visit to the Dakota.

Two CD celebrations this week: On Tuesday (11/8), trumpter John Raymond, who recently completed his master’s degree at SUNY-Purchase, is back for a visit in his home town and doing some fund raising to support the promotion of his new recording, to be officially released in early 2012. It’s a very special project, produced by John’s mentor Jon Faddis and recorded at the famed (and now departed) Bennett Studios, featuring Twin Cities native pianist Javier Santiago and acclaimed Israeli guitarist Gilad Hekselman. This preview gig will be held at Jazz Central, and anyone attending will get their own pre-release copy of the CD. Given John’s successes with previous projects, I anticipate a really fine recording. Joining him in Minnesota (and in Wisconsin) will be cohorts from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, plus young lion drummer Miguel Hurtado. Then on Wednesday (11/9) at the Artists Quarter, veteran saxophonist Doug Haining celebrates his new quintet release, Last Man Swinging. With long-time cohorts Dave Graf, Rick Carlson, Steve Pikal and Dick Bortolussi, and tunes from Gershwin, Mancini, Hefti, Ellington, Waller, Berlin and more, the CD simply swings from the rafters. Expect even more in live performance.

One of the bargain jazz series in the metro, MacPhail’s Jazz Thursdays returns for a new season (11/10), this opening concert in Antonello Hall featuring varying combinations of MacPhail jazz faculty in duo and trio settings, as well as a larger ensemble that ties it all together. Directed by bassist Adam Linz, the MacPhail jazz program boasts such artists as pianists Bryan Nichols and Greg Thiesen, saxophonists Chris Thomson and Greg Keel, trumpeter Adam Rossmiller, drummer JT Bates, vocalist Vicky Mountain and more.

More Jazz!
KBEM radio’s website posts the area’s most complete listing of jazz events. A few more recommendations:

• Friday, November 4. Brian Rosselear and Nathan Hanson with painter Stephane Catteneo at the Black Dog; Estaire Godinez at the Dakota
• Saturday, November 5: Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); JazZen at The Nicollet; Lee Ritenour at the Hopkins Center for the Arts; Vicky Mountain and James Allen at First Course Bistro
• Sunday, November 6: Century Jazz Ensemble Fall Fling at Century College
• Monday, November 7: Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza (Richfield)
• Tuesday, November 8: Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter; Charmin Michelle at the Dakota; Phil Mattson Singers at The Nicollet; Jack Brass Band at the Driftwood
• Wednesday, November 9: Paul Renz Quartet at the Dakota; Steve Kenny and the Bastids, early show at the Artists Quarter; Merciless Ghost at the Black Dog and later at Nomad World Pub; Leisure Valley at Café Maude
• Thursday, November 10: Dave Karr Quartet at the Artists Quarter

Coming Soon!
• November 11, Galactic Cowboy Orchestra at the Loring Theater
• November 11-12, Sue Orfield with the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter
• November 12, Insurgent (Pat Moriarty, Ellen Lease, Phil Hey) at Studio Z (Jazz From J to Z)
• November 13, PipJazz Sundays at Landmark Center (TCJS Student Showcase)
• November 16, Al Jarreau at the Pantages Theater
• November 17, REEL Jazz at the Trylon Theater
• November 19, JazzMN Orchestra, Tribute to Miles Davis at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center
• November 19, Zacc Harris Quartet at Studio Z
• November 22, Vanessa Trouble at the Dakota
• November 23, Mary Louise Knutson Trio, CD release at the Artists Quarter
• November 25-26, Pat Mallinger CD Release at the Artists Quarter
• December 1, Christine Rosholt and Kevin Hall, CD Release at The Loring Theater
• December 1, Nova Jazz Orchestra and the Minnetonka High School Jazz Band at Minnetonka HS (Jazz From J to Z)
• December 5, Catherine Russell at the Dakota
• December 10, The Crosby/Clooney Story, Arne Fogel and Maud Hixson at the Bloomington Center for the Arts
• December 16, Todd Clouser’s Love Electric at Studio Z
• December 17, Bryan Nichols’ We Are Many at Studio Z
• December 23, 25-26, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
• February 15-16, Hugh Masekela at the Dakota
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)

Photos: (Top to bottom) Rhonda Laurie at the Aster Cafe; the Dakota Combo; John Raymond; Doug Haining (all photos by Andrea Canter)

Twin Cities Jazz Week in Review, October 28 - November 3

2011-11-02T23:25:00.004-05:00

© Andrea Canter

Sometimes it’s the artists who fly below the radar who give us the most exciting music. And sometimes it’s the veteran performer who comes back time and again with something new. There was some of both in the past week at Twin Cities’ jazz venues.

Herbie Hancock at Orchestra Hall, October 28. Certainly this was the most talked-about and most anticipated jazz event of the week—or month, but was it the most enjoyable? Depends who you ask. Fans of Herbie’s acoustic jazz piano, which is impeccable by any definition, likely were happy with the first part of the program (one very long set). I enjoyed his arrangement of “Footprints,” his orchestral tour through his own “Dolphin Dance,” his reharmonization of “Embraceable You.” And up until that point it was a solo acoustic piano set. But Herbie was not alone on stage; he was surrounded by various electronic gear so it was inevitable that he would move into funky fusion territory, starting off with “Canteloupe Island” and then “Chameleon.” Fans of Herbie’s electronic grooves were probably getting what they came for. I could have left at that point. Herbie smiling and strutting with his portable synth was more theater than music, proving it is very difficult to be a one-man electronic band. Even if you’re Herbie Hancock.

Atlantis Quartet at the Artists Quarter, October 28-29. Every Halloween weekend for the past four years, the Atlantis Quartet (Zacc Harris, Brandon Wozniak, Chris Bates, Pete Hennig) picks an iconic recording, from jazz or beyond, and reinterprets it in full. This year, the guys performed Sonny Rollins’s The Bridge as their second set, following a set drawn largely from their three recordings, and particularly from their brand new Lines in the Sand. Both sets were immensely satisfying and provided ample evidence of the wide range of this ensemble. Original music like “Immersion is the Condition” (Hennig), “The Hidden Place” (Bates), “Isle of the Flightless Birds” (Harris) and “Ballad for Ray” (Wozniak) moved the spotlight around among the quartet, drawing applause for Zacc’s intricate, often horn-like lines, Brandon’s airborne spirals of Coltranish fire, Chris’s often playful counterpoints, Pete’s rhythmic experiments that never overpowered the rest. Yet perhaps it was the Rollins set that was most telling, taking legendary arrangements of familiar songs and casting them in a 21st century light—“Without a Song,” “God Bless the Child,” “You Do Something to Me”… Atlantis, you do something to me. Keep on doing it.

Martha Alkins, CD Release at Famous Dave’s, October 30. You can’t fly more under the radar than a new vocalist launching her first EP. I never heard of Martha Alkins before Connie Olson contacted me to do some photos for the CD cover for one of her students. And it was one of those stories about youthful aspirations sidetracked by real life. Martha Alkins was set on becoming a singer through her teens but somehow got derailed and only came back to her first love thirty years later. She’s been studying with local vocal sensation Connie, and apparently she learned her lessons well. Bringing a six-song CD (Lost and Found) to a celebration at Famous Dave’s (Uptown), Martha surrounded herself with a crackerjack band—Brian Ziemniak on keys, Karl Koopman on guitar, Haralds Bondaris on drums and the internationally acclaimed Anthony Cox on bass, the ensemble that appears on the recording. But most of the glory belongs to Martha herself, who brings a fine storyteller’s passion and solid voice to her songs. Her second set included a pair from the recording (“Midnight Sun” and “Beginning to See the Light”), along with a sultry reading of “Peel Me a Grape.” I think we’ll be hearing more of Martha Alkins. I hope so.

John Scofield Quartet at the Dakota, November 1. I’ve always appreciated the guitar and composition skills of John Scofield, but never as much as on this visit to the Dakota. The long first set covered the breadth of Scofield, from hard driving bops through Gillespie (“Woody ‘n You”) and Monk (“Hackensack”) to the wide range of his own compositions like the elegant “Simply Put,” dreamy “Still Warm,” tartly grooving “Slinky” and funkfest “Green Tea.” But the highlight for me was the quartet’s take on “My Foolish Heart,” introduced acapella by Scofield, as if the original was written for guitar and specifically for John. Pianist Mike Eckroth was sizzling, and maniacal powerhouse drummer Greg Hutchinson took it down to soft swaying support on brushes. Bassist Ben Street was an assertive companion throughout.

Vicky Mountain, Birthday Bash at the Artists Quarter, November 2. Vicky knows how to throw a birthday party. Celebrating her six decades (and four decades in music), she gathered a sympathetic trio with Chris Lomheim, Jim Chenoweth and Kenny Horst and served cake with a side of bop and 70s funk. Her own “Too Bad” and original lyrics to Gary Brunotte’s “I Say Goodbye” were standouts, as was her opening, uniquely phrased “No Moon at All” and a very dark, but stunning “Lady Madonna.” Lady Vicky, you rock!

Photos: (top to bottom) The Atlantis Quartet at the AQ; Martha Alkins at Famous Dave's in Uptown; John Scofield at the Dakota (all photos by Andrea Canter)

Jazz Face: Happy Birthday, Chick Corea!

2011-11-02T20:01:00.002-05:00

© Andrea Canter

One of the icons of 60s and 70s music who has never lost his forward drive, pianist Chick Corea turns 70 this month. And for much of November, he is celebrating at the famed Blue Note in Manhattan with an all-star round-up of past and present collaborators, from duet mates Gary Burton and Herbie Hancock to his pioneering fusion band Return to Forever, his famed Elektric Orchestra, his recent gathering of giants in the Five Peace Band and more. I last saw Chick on the Dakota stage in late 2009 with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White, a short while after hearing him with the reunion of Return to Forever, and with the same trio at the 2009 Detroit Jazz Festival, where this photo was taken. I’ve long been a fan of Chick’s duet projects, seeing him live for the first time at the old Guthrie Theater with Gary Burton, and maybe two decades later when their reunion tour came to the Dakota. His duo recording with Hiromi (Duet) was sublime, but his new pairing with Italian star Stefano Bollani (Orvieto) sets a new standard for dueling jazz pianos. It’s a great birthday gift—from Chick to the listening world.

Photo: Chick Corea at the 2009 Detroit Jazz Festival (photo by Andrea Canter)

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, October 28-November 3

2011-10-28T00:53:00.004-05:00

© Andrea Canter

A weekend that starts with Herbie Hancock’s first solo tour and moves on with a CD release and Halloween reprise from the Atlantis Quartet before finding a John Scofield Quartet gig midweek is no trick. Just a very jazzy set of treats for Twin Cities’ jazz fans.

Highlights
Hard to imagine that in his 50+ years of touring, Herbie Hancock is just getting around to his first solo excursion. Minnesota Orchestra Hall is one of his few stops on the Midwest leg, this Friday night (10/28). If anyone can make this cavernous hall into a jazz venue, it’s the eclectic, timeless Herbie, particularly with his very own Fazioli piano on stage. And some electronic devices as well. Tickets remain. Be there.

Now, for something really different, and just a short walk from Orchestra Hall, check out the young musicians flying under the label of Alicia Steele and The Endeavors, playing in the Late Night slot at the Dakota on Friday (10/28). The band includes some up-and-coming local jazzers--keyboardist Joe Strachan, saxophonist Nelson Devereaux, bassist Ben Kelly and drummer Miguel Hurtado--with leader and hip-hop/R&B artist Alicia Steele making the mix a musical mosaic. I am only familiar with Strachan and Hurtado, but that is enough--these guys are heading a new wave of new music in town.

And don’t miss the celebration of the Atlantis Quartet’s third recording, Lines in the Sand, makings its debut at the Artists Quarter this weekend (10/28-29). Recorded life at the AQ last May, the band reconsiders some earlier favorites as well as introducing a few new compositions from guitarist Zacc Harris and bassist Chris Bates. Saxophonist Brandon Wozniak and drummer Pete Hennig are well represented as well, and all in all, the music underscores the inventive musicianship that has made this band stand out since it first started gigging six years ago. And Atlantis will honor its beloved Halloween tradition with yet another run at an iconic recording, this time taking on Sonny Rollins’s The Bridge in full. Original music and Sonny Rollins! Almost spooky!

John Scofield has crossed nearly all subgenres of jazz since coming onto the jazz scene with Gerry Mulligan, Charles Mingus and of course, Miles Davis. The guitarist, last in town with his delta driven Piety Street Band, brings an acoustic quartet featuring drummer Gregory Hutchinson to the Dakota for one night, two sets, November 1st. I haven’t heard his new album (Moments of Peace) but it is getting raves.

One of the area’s favorite songbirds and jazz educators, Vicky Mountain celebrates a big birthday in big style with a rare gig at the Artists Quarter on Wednesday (11/2). She’s backed by Chris Lomheim, Chris Bates and Kenny Horst with a promise of special guests and of course cake! Earlier in the evening, Cuban dynamo Nachito Herrera presents a workshop at MacPhail, using Rachmaninoff as his point of departure. He’s joined by Minnesota Orchestra principal trumpeter Manny Laurano.

The third annual Zeitgeist New Music Cabaret gets underway at Studio Z on Thursday (11/3), running through Sunday with four hours of music each evening: November 3: 7:30 pm, Artaria String Quartet; 8:30 p., Zeitgeist; 9:30 pm, Illicit Sextet. November 4: 7:30 pm, Renegade Ensemble; 8:30 pm, Zeitgeist; 9:30 pm, Nirmala Rajasekar; 10:30 pm, Ill Chemistry. November 5: 7:30 pm, Mississippi Peace; 8:30 pm, Zeitgeist; 9:30 pm, Douglas Ewart and Quasar. November 6: 7:30 pm, AntiGravity; 8:30 pm, Zeitgeist; 9:30 pm, Julie Johnson and the No-Accounts.

More Jazz!
There’s another gig everywhere you turn. Check out the calendar on the KBEM website.
Some additional recommendations:

• Friday, October 28: Sophia Shorai at Hell’s Kitchen; Benoit Delbecq and Merciless Ghost at the Black Dog; Ginger Commodore Quartet at the Dakota; Rhonda Laurie and Robert Bell at the Riverview Wine Bar

• Saturday, October 29: Joel Shapira Trio, brunch at Hell’s Kitchen and evening at Loring Pasta Bar; Peter Schimke Trio at Shanghai Bistro (Hudson, WI); Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Lee Engele at Nonna Rossa’s

• Sunday, October 30: Martha Alkins, CD release at Famous Dave’s/Uptown

• Monday, October 31: Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Firebell at the Red Stag; Dave Karr and Brian Grivna at Jazz Central

• Tuesday, November 1: Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter; Dorothy Doring and Phil Mattson at The Nicollet; Dean Magraw and Davu Seru at the Black Dog; Christine Rosholt with Beasley’s Big Band at O’Gara’s

• Wednesday, November 2: Jazz in the Lounge with Connie Evingson, Dave Karr and Tanner Taylor at the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis; Steve Kenny and the Bastids, early show at the Artists Quarter; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; John Raymond Trio at the Nomad World Pub

• Thursday, November 3: Phil Hey Quartet at the Artists Quarter

Coming Soon!
• November 7, Michael Kaesehammer at the Dakota
• November 9, CD Release, Doug Haining Quintet at the Artists Quarter
• November 10, Jazz Thursdays at MacPhail (MacPhail Faculty)
• November 11, Galactic Cowboy Orchestra at the Loring Theater
• November 11-12, Sue Orfield with the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter
• November 12, Insurgent (Pat Moriarty, Ellen Lease, Phil Hey) at Studio Z (Jazz From J to Z)
• November 13, PipJazz Sundays at Landmark Center (TCJS Student Showcase)
• November 16, Al Jarreau at the Pantages Theater
• November 17, REEL Jazz at the Trylon Theater
• November 19, JazzMN Orchestra, Tribute to Miles Davis at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center
• November 19, Zacc Harris Quartet at Studio Z
• November 23, Mary Louise Knutson Trio, CD release at the Artists Quarter
• November 25-26, Pat Mallinger at the Artists Quarter
• December 1, Christine Rosholt and Kevin Hall, CD Release at The Loring Theater
• December 1, Nova Jazz Orchestra and the Minnetonka High School Jazz Band at Minnetonka HS (Jazz From J to Z)
• December 5, Catherine Russell at the Dakota
• December 16, Todd Clouser’s Love Electric at Studio Z
• December 17, Bryan Nichols’ We Are Many at Studio Z
• December 23, 25-26, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
• February 15-16, Hugh Masekela at the Dakota
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)

Photos: (top to bottom) Atlantis Quartet; John Scofield; Vicky Mountain; Zeitgeist with Guy Kluvecek (photos by Andrea Canter)

Twin Cities Jazz Week in Review, October 21-27

2011-10-27T15:54:00.002-05:00

© Andrea Canter

What I missed in the past week might have made for a really good week of jazz. What I heard live, however, made for a stellar series worthy of a festival in any city. From a young composer/educator’s homecoming to a veteran titan’s best-yet ensemble to an unheralded but highly inventive ensemble’s local debut to a solo piano outing that might outshine the upcoming Herbie Hancock gig…. It was a showcase of talent and inspiration.

Matt Slocum Trio at the Artists Quarter, October 21-23. Slocum sits tall at the drumkit but his music traverses the depths and heights of emotion, from the elegant moods of his compositions to the wide dynamic and rhythmic ranges of the trapset. I’ve heard Minnesota native Slocum and elegant bassist Massimo Biolcati before, on past visits to the Artists Quarter and on Matt’s two fine CDs—the most recent, After the Storm, providing much of set list played Friday night. But I never heard pianist Sam Yahel, known perhaps more as a B-3 and electronic keyboard wizard, but easily on par with the very best acoustic pianists working today. And we were treated not only to Slocum’s melodic excitements like “Catalyst” and “Pete’s Place,” but also to Yahel’s frenzied finesse (“Hometown”) and a few inventive takes on standards, like their particularly engaging “Moonlight in Vermont.” The inspiration did not end with the last set. On Sunday when the AQ is typically dark, Matt and Sam (Massimo had to get to his next gig) held a master class aimed at high school and college level musicians, giving the approximately 20 eager students ninety minutes of critique and tips, and providing everyone a chance to perform in the context of lessons on “listening” (to yourself and bandmates) and improvising.

Joe Lovano and Us Five at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, October 22. I’ve now heard Us Five four times in jazz club, festival and concert contexts, and this night was the best yet. Even without the Grammy’s poster girl for jazz, Esperanza Spalding, this is a formidable band. But this was the first time I’ve heard Spalding with the group, and with the young bassist backing one of the living legends of saxophone, this band soars. Lovano’s frequent acappella solos on tenor and his haunting taragato evoked Parker, Coltrane, Coleman and Lloyd while calling out to the ancient Gods of music; Spalding’s frequent solo introductions confirmed her place among the brightest jazz artists of her generation—a fact often overlooked in the sea of hype about her steep career trajectory and commercial fashion appeal. And the rest of the band easily kept up with their better known cohorts, James Weidman churning up the keyboard on “Yardbird Suite” and “Donna Lee,” the two drummers (Otis Brown III and Francisco Mela) engaging in back-and-forth duels throughout the evening. While the venue lacks the intimacy of a jazz club, the larger stage better separates the two trapsets, allowing the audience to better hear as well as see the impact of the double dose of percussion—which, with this band, is not merely a doubling of sound but an expansion of effects, with sticks and brushes (or mallets or shells) simultaneously at work, interjecting their own counterpoint. Lovano is not only a master composer and performer, but an ingenious bandleader and arranger. Us Five readily instigated a joyful response from us 500.

Dead Cat Bounce at Walker West and Studio Z, October 24. As a former and long-term cat owner, I initially shuddered at the name of this ensemble. The term refers to a sudden rise in a falling stock. Which might evoke thoughts of unexpected turns in a music that has seen its popularity sink in recent decades. Founding saxophonist/composer Matt Steckler has created a sound and a repertoire for four saxophones (and assorted other woodwinds) plus bass and drums, and DCB has been creating thrills and chills for more than a dozen years. Their first visit to the Twin Cities started with a combined performance/Q&A session at Walker West Music Academy, well attended by a mixed age audience of students, musicians and interested bystanders. We learned a bit about the nature of composing for a specific ensemble, about keeping track of all ideas in the composing process, about the use of gestures (like an orchestra conductor) to cue shifts in the music, crucial when working in weird time signatures like 23/4! And we got a preview of the music DCB performed later in the evening at Studio Z.

The concert drew a much smaller audience than the clinic, making it the artistic crime of the week. But there was no lack of enthusiasm on the part of the musicians or the few who came to listen. DCB mostly played music from their new release, Chance Episodes, including the far-flung “Silent Movie—Russia 1995,” “Salon Sound Journal,” and “Far From the Matty Crowd.” Having reviewed the CD, I was familiar with the music, but one needs to see this band to appreciate where the sounds come from. It’s one thing to hear a group of saxophones, another to see how they inspire each other (often going horn to horn) and to recognize the versatility of each musician. On any given tune, the four hornmen will likely each play at least two instruments, pulling as much sound from body language as from reeds and valves. They closed the night with one of their older tunes, “Hepcat Revisited,” a reckless, fast, swinging romp that, like many other works in their repertoire, hints at the old Mingus workshop in energy and harmonies. This is definitely a band deserving wider recognition.

Bryan Nichols, solo piano at Antonello Hall (MacPhail Center for Music), October 26. Bryan Nichols passed up a career in genetics to play with titans in Chicago and with Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program, all a prelude to his climb to the top of the Twin Cities jazz piano stable. Anyone familiar with his compositions and improvisational chops would have anticipated a stellar evening when Bryan scheduled a solo performance as the capstone to his McKnight fellowship. But even loyal fans—at least this one—were a bit unprepared for the level of artistry that he presented over some 70+ minutes in the perfect setting of Antonello Hall. The set included about a half-dozen spontaneous improvisations along with unique interpretations of standards and a couple original compositions from his recent quintet release, Bright Places. And often it was not easy to tell what was “composed” in the moment versus a pre-existing structure undergoing major revision.

Bryan takes a melodic core—one that he invents or one that he excavates—and runs circles around it. The pathway might be lightly paved or treacherously bumpy; the destination more or less visible or thoroughly disguised. A classical feel might conjure Chopin or Bartok; a jaggedy hop-scotching hand-over-hand assault might conjure Monk or Cecil Taylor. And those diverse directions might appear within one piece, one verse, or one line. He might startle with shifts in dynamics or rhythms yet never turns his back on accessibility to his audience. Ultimately it all makes sense.

There was no tune I would not want to hear again (and of course it would be new!), but particularly give me more time with Paul Motian’s “Abacus” with its Eastern scales and hymnal delicacy; the dark and surprisingly swinging, bluesy waltz of Dave King’s “That Isn’t Even Worth Selling” from early Happy Apple days; the unique voicings and continuous right handed, bell-chiming vamp of “A Child Is Born;” and the elongated improvisation that evolved into Strayhorn’s exquisite “A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing.” And then there was the closing from his CD, Bryan’s “Drums You Didn’t Hear” with its constantly shifting time, mood and colors that he tethers together with such maniacal elegance.

Solo piano is no easy gig. There’s equal parts danger in overusing the instrument’s orchestral power or confining the sound to its most delicate melodicism. The most sophisticated composers walk that tightrope without a safety net, without losing their balance. And the most dexterous performers make it look easy. Bryan Nichols succeeds on both levels. And then he goes farther by creating new works –from thin air or from existing repertoire—that at once seem part of the modern jazz tradition and part of jazz yet to come.

Photos: (top to bottom) Matt Slocum with Massimo Biolcati at the Artists Quarter; Joe Lovano (at the Dakota in spring 2011); Dead Cat Bounce at Studio Z; Bryan Nichols solo at MacPhail (all photos by Andrea Canter)

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, October 21-27

2011-10-21T00:34:00.006-05:00

© Andrea Canter

After a week without jazz, I am in recovery. Fortunately there’s plenty of opportunities to help me get back on track.

Highlights
Young drummer and Twin Cities native Matt Slocum has been making as much of an impression on the national jazz scene as a composer as he has with his trapset. One listen to his second recording, After the Storm, should be ample evidence. With long-time bassist Massimo Biolcati and acclaimed pianist Sam Yahel, Slocum brings his trio into the Artists Quarter for the weekend (10/21-22), sticking around for an ensemble workshop on Sunday (12:30-2 pm) at the AQ, free and open to all, particularly aimed at high school and college ensemble musicians. If you are expecting bombast and high volume, forget it. This is one drummer who, like our own Phil Hey, treats the drum kit as a melodic chamber ensemble partner.

If sublime drumming isn’t enough to keep you awake on a Friday night, you can really rev your motor with Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue at First Avenue. On both trombone and trumpet, there are few artists who can excite a crowd quite like Shorty (Troy Andrews).

Saturday night (10/22) brings Joe Lovano and his Us Five band back to the Twin Cities for the third time in about 18 months. With pianist James Weidman, bassist Esperanza Spalding, and two drummers (Francisco Mela and Otis Brown III), the quintet headlined the 2010 Twin Cities Jazz Festival, and returned (sans Spalding) to the Dakota last spring. Spalding is expected on this tour which lands at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. From festival stage to jazz club and now in a concert hall, there’s no finer ensemble working today. Lovano alone is worth the ticket, as one of the most inventive, always-listenable interpreters of Parker and beyond, as well as a formidable composer. But add in the rest and you’ve got magic.

Unfortunate competition on Saturday night, but that just creates that Big Apple feeling: Zacc Harris’s series, Jazz at Studio Z, continues with Seven Steps to Havana, Doug Little’s septet that puts Cuban flavors in a postbop mélange. They start out early afternoon with an open rehearsal/workshop (free at Z), leading into the evening performance.

It might sound like an odd pairing but Butch Thompson and Spider John Koerner have done it before, just not recently or at the Artists Quarter. Sunday night, with cameras rolling for a segment of “St. Paul Live,” the two duke it out to everyone’s delight.

Come Monday night (10/24) at Studio Z, you have to be intrigued by a band dubbed Dead Cat Bounce! Before cat lovers get riled up, the name comes from a Wall Street term for a sudden rise in a falling stock. In other words, expect the unexpected in a good way. DCB was founded by saxophonist/composer Matt Steckler with pals at the New England Conservatory in Boston about 15 years ago, and they have been making merry mayhem ever since, with a frontline of four saxophones buoyed by bass and drums. Sort of a World Saxophone Quartet with rhythm. The original repertoire (from Steckler) suggests the larger ensembles of Mingus, the most experimental works of Ellington, the harmonic excitement of Schneider, all encased in unexpected suggestions from Latin and Eastern cultures. A free preview will be provided at 4:30 pm at Walker West Music Academy. (There’s an amusing interview with Matt Steckler on JazzINK.)

Charmin Michelle comes back to the Dakota on Tuesday night (10/25) in the fine company of pianist Phil Mattson, bassist Gordy Johnson and drummer Dave Schmalenberger. Plus it’s a “Foodie Night”—spend $25 on dinner and no cover. You can also catch Charmin in her usual Wednesday night haunt, Fireside Pizza, with Denny Malmberg on accordion (10/26).

Wednesday (10/26) brings a rare solo performance from pianist Bryan Nichols, one of the brightest lights on the otherwise bright Twin Cities jazz scene. Performing in the beautiful Antonello Hall of MacPhail, Bryan will offer his interpretations of standards as well as original compositions and “a few surprises.” As one who generally uses surprise elements in his arrangements, Bryan could be up to just about anything. This concert starts early (7 pm), which means it would be pretty easy to take in Bryan before heading across town to hear one of the infrequent shows of the Illicit Sextet at the Artists Quarter. One of the premiere jazz bands of the late 80s-mid 90s, the band reunited a couple years ago and discovered they still have the chops and the audience to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Or if you really want more Bryan, head to the Nomad World Pub for the late night jazz series, tonight featuring Gang Font with Dave King, Erik Fratzke, Greg Norton… and Bryan Nichols.

Thursday (10/27) features another live recording for St. Paul Live, this time with the Pete Whitman X-Tet at the Artists Quarter. The band plays nearly monthly, featuring ten of the best of the metro headed of course by veteran saxman/bandleader Pete Whitman. It’s our hometown little big band with the sound of New York’s best. Let ‘em keep the Vanguard Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty. We have the X-Tet.

More Jazz!
So much more this week, take your pick, your ears will win. See a pretty complete schedule on the KBEM website.

• Friday, October 21: Todd Harper’s Full Moon Rabbit at the Black Dog; Patty Peterson and Friends at School II Bistro; Nachito Herrera at the Dakota

• Saturday, October 22: Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Nachito Herrera at the Dakota

• Sunday, October 23: Milo Fine’s L'Editions Lagnaippe at Homewood Studios (with Paul Metzger and Elaine Evans); James Wallace at the Red Stag

• Monday, October 24: Maryann Sullivan and Joel Shapira at Fireside Pizza; Nichola Miller and Rick Carlson at the Loring Pasta Bar’s Musique Mystique; Dennis Spears at the Dakota; Clay Pufahl at Jazz Central

• Tuesday, October 25: Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter; Big Band Tuesdays with the Nova Contemporary Jazz Orchestra at the Shorewood; Graydon Peterson Quartet at Jazz Central; John Penny and Rey Rivera at The Nicollet; Jack Brass at the Driftwood

• Wednesday, October 26: Steve Kenny and the Bastids, early set at the Artists Quarter; Todd Clouser, Dean Magraw and Jay Epstein at Café Maude

• Thursday, October 27: Gypsy Mania at Hell’s Kitchen; Jana Nyberg Group at Aux1 (The Republic)

Coming Soon!
• October 28, Herbie Hancock Solo Piano at Orchestra Hall
. October 28-29, Atlantis Quartet CD Release and Halloween Party at the Artists Quarter

• November 1, John Scofield Quartet at the Dakota
• November 3-6, Zeitgeist New Music Festival at Studio Z
• November 7, Michael Kaesehammer at the Dakota
• November 9, CD Release, Doug Haining Quintet at the Artists Quarter
• November 10, Jazz Thursdays at MacPhail (MacPhail Faculty)
• November 11-12, Sue Orfield with the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter
• November 12, Insurgent (Pat Moriarty, Ellen Lease, Phil Hey) at Studio Z (Jazz From J to Z)
• November 13, PipJazz Sundays at Landmark Center (TCJS Student Showcase)
• November 16, Al Jarreau at the Pantages Theater
• November 17, REEL Jazz at the Trylon Theater
• November 19, JazzMN Orchestra, Tribute to Miles Davis at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center
• November 19, Zacc Harris Quartet at Studio Z
• November 25-26, Pat Mallinger at the Artists Quarter
• December 1, Christine Rosholt and Kevin Hall, CD Release at The Loring Theater
• December 1, Nova Jazz Orchestra and the Minnetonka High School Jazz Band at Minnetonka HS (Jazz From J to Z)
• December 16, Todd Clouser’s Love Electric at Studio Z
• December 17, Bryan Nichols’ We Are Many at Studio Z
• December 23, 25-26, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)

Photos: (top to bottom) Matt Slocum; Joe Lovano; Charmin Michelle; Bryan Nichols (all photos by Andrea Canter)

The Show I Didn't Miss Last Week: The Wallace Roney Sextet

2011-10-20T23:16:00.004-05:00

© Andrea Canter

I love my annual treks to northern California but it always seems to coincide with something special, jazz speaking, back home in the Twin Cities. In the past week, I missed the too-infrequent appearance of Patricia Barber (at the Dakota). I heard positive comments about the show. I missed the first performance of the quartet Good Life (Brandon Wozniak, Peter Schimke, Billy Peterson, Kenny Horst) at the Artists Quarter. I heard positive comments about the show. I missed a rare pairing of Nichola Miller and Maud Hixson (at the Dakota). Maud thought it was a blast. I missed a performance/Q&A by the Denver-based Aakash Mittal Quartet at Walker West. The quartet and folks at Walker West were pleased with the turnout and sounds like everyone had a great evening.

I got back in time to catch two sets with the Wallace Roney Sextet at the Artists Quarter (October 19). Billed initially as a quintet, Roney brought along a second saxophonist (paired with his brother Antoine), and the addition of young Arnold Lee on alto was icing on the cake. This is a tight, but not too tight, ensemble that teeters on the edge of edginess without losing its accessibility and melodicism; Roney is a leader who doesn’t need to continually shine the light on his own talent but, rather, gives each of his cohorts a lot of space. There were times when he returned to center stage for only a short break, quickly backing away as the musical leadership was tossed back and forth.

In his early career, Roney was often criticized for too closely following his mentor, Miles Davis. There is still a lot of Miles in his horn but there’s pieces of Coltrane and Coleman, and mostly Roney himself. He often wears a modal mantel, blazing through climbing scales in a dizzying exhibition, but was perhaps most effective when backing off into lyrical balladry, as on his interpretation of “I Love You” near the end of the first set. For the most part, it seemed, the band ran through original compositions—or reinventions that became original compositions? No matter, each set unfolded as multi-part suites, each segment stretched out and played with little pause in between. But there was plenty of joyful blowing, energetic, often dazzling interactions, and ecstatic soloing.

Antoine Roney (on tenor) was as much the center of attention as brother Wallace, calling up Coltrane in spirit without imitation. The younger guys gave plenty of reason for optimism in considering the future of jazz: Pianist Aruán Ortiz offered articulate inventions at warp speed and on thoughtful downshifts; bassist Rashaan Carter provided funk and groove one minute, serious depth charges the next; drummer Kush Abadey served notice that he can rattle, roll, and splatter with the best of his generation. And then there was that sixth man, Arnold Lee, blowing like a veteran and sharing the hornline conversations with the Roneys as comfortably as if shooting hoops with his pals on the playground.

The Artists Quarter has increasingly played host to visiting national artists, offering tickets at bargain prices (Roney was one of the most expensive of late at a mere $22), ensuring a younger audience as well as long-term jazz aficionados have access to some of the best in modern music.

Support our local “jazz and only jazz” club. It will feed your own ears.

Photos: (top to bottom) Wallace Roney; Antoine Roney; Aruán Ortiz; Kush Abadey; the sextet (all at the Artists Quarter, October 19, by Andrea Canter)

Jazz: Just Hard to Find at "Jazz Clubs?"

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© Andrea Canter

A few years ago, Minnesota Monthly irked more than a few jazz fans by proclaiming that jazz was too hard to find and too hard to understand. Or words to that effect. Apparently the editors at MM have found a way to resolve that dilemma, by finding jazz at an area theater and nonjazz at the area’s most renowned jazz club. The November issue’s “Best Of” selections include two that might intrigue or confuse local music audiences. But perhaps these selections best highlight what is really going on locally, and nationally, in live jazz.

Named “Best Jazz Venue” was the Capri Theater on Minneapolis’s northside. The Capri has been presenting primarily vocal jazz over the past few seasons, bringing such great voices as Debbie Duncan, Dennis Spears, Greta Oglesby, Regina Marie Williams, Charmin Michelle and more to the stage, often as part of the Capri’s noteworthy Legends Series in tribute to the greats of the genre, from Billie Holiday to Ella to Sarah and beyond. The Twin Cities Jazz Society brought Dave Milne’s Lester Young salute to the Capri in 2009 as well as the first-run of a new show from Arne Fogel, “Blue.” Of course the Capri hosts other music and other performing arts, but mainline jazz has been at the core of its recent seasons.

On the same page, MM anointed the Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant as its “Best Club to Hear Singer-Songwriters.” And neither the editors, nor the Dakota, would claim that this title refers to jazz singer/songwriters like Rondi Charleston, Rene Marie or Tierney Sutton. No, this category includes those singers and songwriters like Judy Collins, Maria Muldauer and a younger generation out of the folk, blues and pop traditions. Lowell Pickett initiated his American Songwriters series quite a while ago, and to some degree it seems to have tapered off lately as the club has increasingly booked major blues, rock and pop artists, songwriters or not. MM notes the Dakota now books about “a quarter” of the lineup from non-jazz genres. Among national artists, I suspect that is closer to 70% of late. And it’s not a Dakota thing--this trend is apparent coast to coast at most major jazz clubs save the hard core clubs of Manhattan. (Just check the schedules at Yoshi’s in San Francisco or Oakland.) The best of popular music, broadly defined, now comes to clubs that formerly booked jazz artists, new and legendary. How do we compare the drawing power of Joe Lovano to Little Anthony and the Imperials? And should we?

There’s an upside to this, at least locally. The Capri Theater is not the only venue to add jazz to its roster on a regular basis. If we are seeing far fewer club gigs for jazz artists, we are seeing far more jazz at theater venues. The Loring Theater (formerly Music Box) near downtown Minneapolis has brought in the likes of The Bad Plus, Marco Benevento, Matthew Shipp and KBEM’s summer Jazz Party. St. Barnabas Church in Plymouth has been running its monthly Jazz@St Barney’s series for several years. Studio Z in St. Paul’s Lowertown district has often booked avant garde and experimental jazz artists and now, thanks to a grant to Zacc Harris, has a monthly Jazz at Studio Z series through spring 2012. MacPhail Center for Music continues its Jazz Thursdays concerts and occasionally books other jazz artists for master classes and performances. Walker Art Center, in 2010-2011, boasted perhaps the most exciting series of jazz concerts in town, with Brad Mehldau and Dave Douglas highlighting the New Music series. Then there's the little underground performance space, Jazz Central, run by musicians Tanner Taylor and Mac Santiago to provide a place for musicians to do their own thing without concern for the bottom line. Every Monday night, there's one or more invited artists jamming and inventing and collaborating, creating some of the most exciting music in town.

Both the Bloomington Center for the Arts and Hopkins Center for the Arts include jazz on their season schedules, with Butch Miles, the Peterson Family, Joan Griffith and Sam Miltich, and more in Bloomington, while Joe Lovano’s Us Five, Connie Evingson, Evan Christopher and more will appear in Hopkins. The JazzMN Orchestra season, held at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center, schedules four concerts each season, often with a major visiting star (this season, including John Clayton and Terell Stafford). The Twin Cities Jazz Society brings 7-10 concerts to multiple venues around the metro each season, some as a cosponsor with other presenters, some on its own-- this season including cosponsoring Joe Lovano in Hopkins and local artists at Studio Z, the Artists Quarter and area high school auditoriums. And Orchestra Hall, which has long presented some jazz every season, now has its own Artistic Director for Jazz (Irvin Mayfield) and the increasingly interesting Piper Jaffray Jazz Series. This season, visiting artists include the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Herbie Hancock’s solo piano concert, Kurt Elling and Lizz Wright, and Mayfield. And oh yes, the Capri Theater’s Legend series continues this season.

Small area music clubs may come and go, and the presentation of jazz waxes and wanes, but there seems to be a growing commitment to presenting (if no supporting) local jazz artists, from the new Tuesday night series at The Nicollet to the edgy bookings each Wednesday night at the Nomad World Pub to the ongoing schedules at the Black Dog, Café Maude, Loring Pasta Bar, Fireside Pizza, Hell’s Kitchen and out in the burbs as well. (Catch Big Band Tuesdays at the Shorewood in Fridley!) Even my neighborhood diner/bar, The Driftwood, has Jack Brass Band every Tuesday night.

But what about Best Jazz Club? That category was not really part of MM’s list. So it will have to be on my list. Locally, the Artists Quarter remains the only fulltime presenter of jazz, supporting local musicians from bebop to well beyond, vocalists on a slowly growing basis, student musicians via performance opportunities and low cover charges, and the serious jazz audience via a listening environment. And more and more, Kenny Horst is finding ways to bring in national artists, from the established talents of Eddie Gomez, Christian Howes, Eric Alexander, Wallace Roney and even Roy Haynes to the rising stars of tomorrow like Matt Slocum and Koplant No.

I’m glad Minnesota Monthly has discovered that there’s great jazz in a local theater. Now, maybe next year they can find it at a jazz club. Or two.

Photos: (top to bottom) Judy Collins, one of the most famed singer/songwriters to perform at the Dakota, in May 2011; Jazz Thursdays at MacPhail, here featuring the MacPhail faculty's Mingus ensemble in fall 2010; Charmin Michelle and Joel Shapira, CD release at the Artists Quarter in fall 2010. (Photos by Andrea Canter)

Jazz Face: Irv Williams, Still Feisty After All These Years

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What will I be doing if and when I get to 92? Surely not playing the saxophone since I never have… But will I be working as I am today? With enough motivation and energy to sustain my activities at an admirable level? Although every year he hints at retirement, and with every CD release (nearly annually) he suggests it will be his last, saxman Irv Williams keeps chugging along. His gigs are fewer, his late nights earlier, but put Irv on stage, give him a chair which he might not use, and he still blows the sweetest sounds with the utmost conviction. His recent guest appearance with vocalist Pippi Ardennia on her PipJazz Sundays concert series was classic Irv. The plan was for him to perform three songs during the first set. He played marvelous versions of “Misty” and “Moon River” with the band, and was to next play a duet with Pippi on “Here’s to Life.” But Pippi was so enthralled with his “Moon River,” she begged him to do it again so she could join in. And then came that stunning duet on “Here’s to Life.” Irv was having too much fun to leave, staying on stage through the first set.

Here’s to Irv, an amazing model for getting the most out of life.

Photo: Irv blowing ever so sweet on "Here's to Life" (photo by Andrea Canter, 10/2/11)

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, October 14-20

2011-10-11T20:00:00.003-05:00

© Andrea Canter

I’ll miss most of the music in town this week. My loss! Some cool things are happening.

Highlights
Can’t think of a better horn to put in front of Peter Schimke, Billy Peterson and Kenny Horst than saxman Brandon Wozniak. He’s been tearing up one ensemble after another since relocating to the Twin Cities about five years ago. Now a veteran of the Atlantis Quartet and Monk in Motian bands, he’s been heard a lot lately with Bryan Nichols and Dave King—and he can be judged by the company he keeps. With the feisty trio of Schimke, Peterson and Horst, that’s “Good Company” on the Artists Quarter bandstand this weekend (10/14-15).

If you anywhere near Staples, MN this weekend, check out Connie Evingson at the Centennial Auditorium Friday night (10/14) as she reprises her Peggy Lee revue, “Fever.” Connie is a Peggy Lee scholar as well as interpreter, and she fills her show with informative tidbits as well as engaging song. Back in the Twin Cities area on Saturday (10/15), you can also enjoy a more diverse set of Connie’s music at the monthly Jazz at St. Barney’s show at St. Barnabas Church in Plymouth. Connie is joined by monster pianist Tanner Taylor.

Sunday afternoon (10/16) there’s a special screening of “In My Mind,” Jason Moran’s Thelonious Monk project in which he explores and recreates Monk’s famed Town Hall Concert. It’s part of the otherwise always interesting Sound Unseen festival, this viewing at the Trylon Theater.

And it’s time for Soul Café’s semi-annual gig at their old stomping grounds, the gallery at the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church off Loring Park. For years, this trio of Steve Blons, Laura Caviani and Brad Holden held monthly gatherings of jazz and poetry readings. Now with their reduced schedule they have also expanded to a sextet, adding bass (Jay Young), percussion (Darryl Boudreaux) and vocals (Lucia Newell). There’s always a theme to the music and selected poems, this time “Resilience.” A unique ensemble that we now hear way too infrequently, perfect for a Sunday evening (10/16).

For some soul-bending fun, can’t beat the beats of the Crusaders, and particularly when the original core of the 60s hit band is back on tour—Joe Sample, Wayne Henderson and Wilton Felder. They’re at the Dakota Monday and Tuesday (10/17-18). About a year ago, the band toured without Felder, who was ailing, but he’s back on the bandstand ensuring a revival of the original sound.

A couple weeks ago, Chris Lomheim backed wife, vocalist Emily Green at The Nicollet, drawing a large crowd to enjoy some swinging music. Chris comes back now on Tuesday (10/18) to support one of Emily’s mentors, Vicky Mountain, and “swinging music” will again define the evening. The setting is casual, the coffee outstanding, and the pizzas sure looked good!

Also on Tuesday, a rare opportunity to enjoy one of the most inventive bands you may have never heard of, the Aakash Mittal Quartet, playing (free!) an early evening of music and discussion at Walker West Music Academy. Saxophonist Aakash and cohorts, based in Denver, are quickly developing a very personal sound that takes from bebop and postbop and the music of modern India, yielding a global jazz mélange that is exciting and beautiful. The quartet performed at the Dakota on the Late Night series and at the 2010 Twin Cities Jazz Festival.

Speaking of rare, the Wallace Roney Quintet comes into the Artists Quarter for one night (2 sets) on Wednesday (10/19). Roney was last at in town about 4 years ago. One of the most exciting trumpeters on the national and international scene, Roney is also a savvy bandleader with such sidemen as brother Antoine (sax) and Araun Ortiz (piano). Across the river at the Dakota (10/19), there’s also some exciting collaboration, with Bryan Nichols, Cody McKinney and Greg Schutte supporting cool vocalist Sophia Shorai.

More Jazz

• Friday, October 14: Lee Engele and Reynold Philipsek at Pardon My French; Rhonda Laurie and Robert Bell, Grand Kabaret at the Grand in New Ulm

• Saturday, October 15: Jelloslave at Hosmer Library; Patty Peterson and Friends at the Dakota; Sophia Shorai solo at The Nicollet Island Inn; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel)

• Sunday, October 16: Jimmi-apolis with Jimmie Wallace at the Red Stage

• Monday, October 17: Headspace at the Artists Quarter; Charmin Michelle and Rick Carlson at the Loring Pasta Bar; Dave Graf at Jazz Central

• Tuesday, October 18: Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter; Acme Jazz Company with Arne Fogel at the Shorewood; Jack Brass at the Driftwood

• Wednesday, October 19: Wolverines Trio at Hell’s Kitchen; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Anthony Cox at the Nomad World Pub

• Thursday, October 20: REEL Jazz (films of Bob Flores) at the Trylon Theater; Dave Karr Quartet at the Artists Quarter

Coming Soon!
• October 21-22, Matt Slocum Trio at the Artists Quarter
• October 22, Joe Lovano and Us Five at the Hopkins Center for the Arts
• October 22, Seven Steps to Havana at Studio Z
• October 24, Dead Cat Bounce at Studio Z
• October 26, Bryan Nichols at Antonello Hall, MacPhail Center for Music
• October 26, Illicit Sextet at the Artists Quarter
• October 28, Herbie Hancock Solo Piano at Orchestra Hall
• November 1, John Scofield Quartet at the Dakota
• November 9, CD Release, Doug Haining Quintet at the Artists Quarter
• November 10, Jazz Thursdays at MacPhail (MacPhail Faculty)
• November 12, Insurgent (Pat Moriarty, Ellen Lease, Phil Hey) at Studio Z (Jazz From J to Z)
• November 13, PipJazz Sundays at Landmark Center (TCJS Student Showcase)
• November 16, Al Jarreau at the Pantages Theater
• November 17, REEL Jazz at the Trylon Theater
• November 19, JazzMN Orchestra, Tribute to Miles Davis at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center
• November 19, Zacc Harris Quartet at Studio Z
• November 25-26, Pat Mallinger at the Artists Quarter
• December 1, Christine Rosholt and Kevin Hall, CD Release at The Loring Theater
• December 1, Nova Jazz Orchestra and the Minnetonka High School Jazz Band at Minnetonka HS (Jazz From J to Z)
• December 16, Todd Clouser’s Love Electric at Studio Z
• December 17, Bryan Nichols’ We Are Many at Studio Z
• December 23, 25-26, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)

Photos: (Top to bottom) Connie Evingson; Brandon Wozniak; Wayne Henderson of the Crusaders; Aakash Mittal; Wallace Roney (all photos by Andrea Canter)

Twin Cities Jazz Week in Review, October 7-13

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© Andrea Canter

No, I do not get out every night, and some weeks I don’t get out much at all—especially when I am in that frenzy before leaving town. So for me, it was a short jazz week in town, but a very satisfying one. I missed a lot—Red Planet at the Artists Quarter over the weekend, some great local voices coming up (Charmin Michelle, Maud Hixson and Nichola Miller at the Dakota, Lucia Newell at the AQ) and the great Patricia Barber at the Dakota.

But I did hear two very satisfying gigs, one of local veterans, one of a relative newcomer on the national jazz circuit.

Pippi Ardennia and Irv Williams, PipJazz Sundays at Landmark Center (October 9). Hard to imagine a more entertaining evening than our Chicago transplant, sings-it-all Pippi on stage with tenacious 91-year-old sax legend Irv Williams. Pippi is always a ball of energy, whether letting it all out on her own “Love So Good” or with controlled passion on “Here’s to Life.” And Irv—he seemed to lose years with each note as if Pippi’s energy was piped into his horn, spinning with the band on “Misty” and “Moon River” before Pippi returned to the stage, insisting that they needed to repeat the latter so she could join in. Her duet with Irv on “Here’s to Life” readily recalled Shirley Horn. Irv was having so much fun, he hung out on the rest of the first set. Pippi and her house band (Peter Schimke, Billy Peterson, Jimi Behringer and Glenn Swanson) kept the energy high on the second set, but the opening voice and drums duo on “What the World Needs Now” was most enticing. Pippi and cohort Glenn continue the series in November with a focus on three young artists, covering middle school through college level.

Rondi Charleston at the Dakota (October 10). You have to admire personal transformations, those inner mandates that push one to follow a muse that just won’t be silent. Rondi Charleston was no stranger to jazz or vocal music throughout childhood, ultimately earning a degree from Juilliard in classical voice and singing opera…but it wasn’t “it.” So she turned around, got a degree in journalism and became an award-winning investigative reporter for ABC. Still… that wasn’t “it.” The pull of jazz and song was too strong. Yet the instinct to search to find the story remained. Today Rondi is building a career as a jazz singer, a musical storyteller, a songwriter and lyricist. All her past comes into the present when she takes the stage. As a singer, she is still growing, and growing quickly as her show at the Dakota amply demonstrated. Over the past few years, Rondi’s voice has evolved a more rounded, more confident sound, her phrasing and timing a more personalized feel, her ever-present gift of storytelling more spell-binding. Always, she gathers a band that could easily sell out clubs and top charts on its own power—the poetic powerhouse, Lynne Arriale, on piano; music director, nimble-fingered Dave Stryker on guitar; mellow Ed Howard on bass; wide-ranging and deft Anthony Pinciotti on drums; and high-energy Mayra Casales on congas/percussion.

From the opening sunshine of “Wave” to the second set closer, “Baby Don’t Quit Now,” with her own “Telescope,” “Your Spirit Lingers” and “Land of Gallilee” in between, this was a night of nonstop delights. Casales was perhaps the surprise package; and if anyone doubted the significance of a talented percussionist in a vocalist’s ensemble, “Land of Gallilee” should have ended speculation. Arriale and Stryker were commanding as soloists throughout, both particularly on “Telescope” and Arriale leading the way on the instrumental rendition of Blondie’s “Call Me.” But arguably, the most arresting moments came from the voice/guitar duet from South Pacific, “This Nearly Was Mine.” This night, really, was Rondi’s.

Photos: (top to bottom) Irv Williams and Pippi Ardennia sail on "Moon River;" Rondi Charleston at the Dakota (photos by Andrea Canter)

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, October 7-13

2011-10-07T10:26:00.006-05:00

© Andrea Canter

My own jazz week is short as I leave town Wednesday for California wine country. And probably no jazz. So I’ll have to cram in some good music this weekend and drool just a bit over what I’m going to miss.

Highlights This Week

Anytime we hear Red Planet, it’s going to be fun and serious. Dean Magraw, Chris Bates and Jay Epstein have been orbiting Planet Jazz for about a decade, and the music just gets more interesting. Check out their CD Space Dust for a good sampling of their interpretations and inventions. A little Coltrane, a little Ornette, a lot of cosmic magic at the Artists Quarter this weekend (10/7-8).

At 91 (or is it 92?), you’d think saxophonist Irv Williams would just take the easy gigs. But on Sunday (10/9), Irv performs on a concert hall stage as guest artist of singer Pippi Ardennia and her PipJazz house band at Landmark Center, the October installment of the PipJazz concert series. Ever see Irv in a concert halls setting? Me either. The master of tasteful bebop and balladry, Irv makes it all seem easy. And lovely. And the rest of the show will be well worth it as well, with Pippi on stage to entertain with her original music and multi-mood covers.

Rondi Charleston heard jazz as a youngster, gravitated to theater and classical voice at Juilliard, and ended up an award-winning investigative reporter for ABC Prime Time Live. No wonder her new career as a jazz singer is based on her ability to find and then tell a story (often with original lyrics) with the intimacy of a small club no matter where she performs. Monday night (10/10), she comes back to the Dakota with a band that would be the envy of any singer—Lynne Arriale on piano, Dave Stryker on guitar, Ed Howard on bass, Anthony Pinciotti on drums.

Lucia Newell tells her stories in three languages, singing this Wednesday (10/12) at the Artists Quarter. Lucia can swing, she can samba, she can collaborate with her bandmates on improvisations that would challenge many instrumentalists.

Just added! A special night of double trouble, double fun at the Dakota! Wedneseday (10/12), hear Nichola Miller and Maud Hixson, together! Two of the area's most popular voices, Nichola known for her stinging swing and Maud for her cooly intimate storytelling, join together with favorite accompanist Rick Carlson. Hard to predict the outcome, except it will be very musical and very entertaining.

A storyteller with a totally different perspective and voice, Patricia Barber returns to the Dakota on Thursday (10/13), bringing along her often dark, often witty, always clever songbook. She’s tackled Ovid and Cole Porter recently, but the best is from her own imagination. Also on Thursday, if your tastes run to more bebop and less dark humor, the U of M Jazz Ensembles present their annual fall concert at Ted Mann Concert Hall, cosponsored by the Twin Cities Jazz Society (“Jazz From J to Z”), honoring the music of Art Blakey with special guest, drummer Phil Hey. You won’t find better free music this week!

More Jazz!
The most complete Twin Cities jazz calendar is just a click away on the KBEM website. More recommendations:

Friday, October 7: Community Pool: Deep End at the Black Dog Café with Nathan Hanson, Douglas Ewart and Pete Hennig; the Graydon Peterson Quartet at Shanghai Bistro; JazzZen at the Riverview Wine Bar; Milo Fine Free Jazz Ensemble at the West Bank School of Music

Saturday, October 8: Sidewalk Cafe at Midtown Global Market (12:30 pm); Free workshop for high school /college rhythm players with Butch Miles at Jazz Central (1 pm); Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel); Reynold Philipsek with Matt Senjem at Mendoberri Café; Charmin and Shapira and the 318 Café; Five by Design at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center

Sunday, October 9: Wolverines Big Band with Butch Miles and Judi Donaghy at the Bloomington Center for the Arts

Monday, October 10: Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza; Headspace at the Artists Quarter; Madeleine Peyroux and Nellie McKay at the Guthrie Theater; Zach Lozier at Jazz Central

Tuesday, October 11: Big Band Tuesdays at the Shorewood with the Acme Jazz Company and Arne Fogel; Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter; Jack Brass Band at the Driftwood; Dorothy Doring, Roxy Cruz and Ann Marie Michel at Jazz Central ; Charmin Michelle with Phil Mattson at the Dakota

Wednesday, October 12: Steve Kenny and the Bastids, early show at the Artists Quarter; Firebell at Café Maude; James Buckley Trio at the Nomad; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza

Thursday, October 13: Gary Berg Quartet at the Artists Quarter; Jana Nyberg Group at Aux (Republic); Sophia Shorai at Barbette

Coming Soon!
• October 14-15, Good Life at the Artists Quarter
• October 16, Soul Café at Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church
• October 17-18, Jazz Crusaders at the Dakota
• October 19, Wallace Roney Quintet at the Artists Quarter
• October 20, REEL Jazz at the Trylon Cinema, films by Bob DeFlores
• October 21-22, Matt Slocum Trio at the Artists Quarter
• October 22, Joe Lovano and Us Five at the Hopkins Center for the Arts
• October 22, Seven Steps to Havana at Studio Z
• October 24, Dead Cat Bounce at Studio Z
• October 26, Bryan Nichols at Antonello Hall, MacPhail Center for Music
• October 28, Herbie Hancock Solo Piano at Orchestra Hall
• November 1, John Scofield Quartet at the Dakota
• November 12, Insurgent (Pat Moriarty, Ellen Lease, Phil Hey) at Studio Z
• November 16, Al Jarreau at the Pantages Theater
• November 19, JazzMN Orchestra, Tribute to Miles Davis at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center
• November 19, Zacc Harris Quartet at Studio Z
• November 25-26, Pat Mallinger at the Artists Quarter
• December 25-26, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)

Photos: (top to bottom ) Dean Magraw of Red Planet; Pippi Ardennia (PipJazz); Irv Williams; Rondi Charleston (all photos by Andrea Canter)

Twin Cities Jazz Week in Review, September 30-October 6

2011-10-07T00:12:00.003-05:00

© Andrea Canter

Three nights in a row I heard “Mood Indigo,” and no two were even closely similar. Nancy Harms sang an edgy arrangement by pianist Bryan Nichols; the JazzMN and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestras provided more straight instrumental readings, JALCO probably closest to Ellington’s own. That was just the weekend. Dave Brittain, Gordy Johnson and Phil Hey brightened the one-year anniversary of Jazz Central and a quartet of young upstarts burned up the stage at the Artists Quarter. And some big ones got away from me, particularly Esperanza Spalding’s Chamber Music Society at O’Shaughnessy and Rhonda Laurie paired with Phil Mattson at The Nicollet.

Nancy Harms at the Artists Quarter, September 30th. No matter how talented a young artist is, it is not easy to get that break that sends a career into orbit. Nancy Harms is the exception, not only because hers is an exceptional talent, but because she has really worked to get the breaks. Like sitting in everywhere as soon as she arrived in New York a year ago. Wycliffe Gordon heard her, and now she is gigging with the great trombonist and appears on a few tracks of his new release. She sings with him at a festival in France and then at Dizzy’s at the end of the month. But she had a gig near her Minnesota hometown last weekend and squeezed in a show at the Artists Quarter with a guitar ensemble headed by Zacc Harris. Many of the tunes of the evening appear on her 2009 recording, In the Indigo. But that was then, and this is now, and Nancy has only stretched her skills as storyteller and improviser. “Bye Bye Blackbird” with its voice/bass duet intro remains one of best calling cards, but like everything else she does, it’s morphing into something even more personal with each presentation. Something in her voice is just a bit more mellow, more confident, wiser.

JazzMN Orchestra with John Clayton, at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center, October 1. We are really lucky in Minnesota to have such a top-notch jazz big band. With prime soloists in every section, it really is not essential to bring in a renowned guest artist. But it does add to the fun and gives the stars an earful of the best of Midwest. Bassist/composer/arranger/bandleader John Clayton did the honors Saturday night, mostly as animated conductor and arranger. Judi Donaghy sang the familiar “Bluesette” and the much less often sung “Whisper Not” during the local first set, Clayton coming on to direct the second set on his own arrangements of works by Horace Silver, Johnny Hodges, even every piano student’s “Heart and Soul.” A bluesy two-bass duet pairing Clayton with house bassist Terry Burns was perhaps the highlight of the night, and while some thought Clayton’s ten-minute solo was too much bass, I think there is no such thing in the hands of a master musician.

Jazz at Lincoln Center at Orchestra Hall, October 2. The audience sang “happy birthday” to Wynton Marsalis, celebrating his 50th on his current tour. In return, we got perhaps the most animated, soulful performance I’ve heard yet from this star-studded band. Even Irvin Mayfield, Artistic Director of Jazz for Orchestra Hall, put in a comical as well as musical appearance, popping out at the start of the second set, trumpet in hand, and quipping “Oops, wrong concert.” The only dull step was oddly on the opening Monk tune, “Evidence;” otherwise it was an evening of superb soloing from all, particularly the gold-plated trumpet section of Kelly Rampton, Ryan Kisor, Marcus Printup, and, of course, Wynton.

Phil Hey, Dave Brattain and friends at Jazz Central’s Birthday Bash, October 3. The Twin Cities best kept jazz secret celebrated a year of at least weekly performances and jam sessions in the lower level studio space run by Tanner Taylor and Mac Santiago. Tanner handled the keys, and Phil Hey gave Mac the night off, aided by Gordy Johnson and starring a hard-blowing Dave Brattain on tenor sax. Shorter, Silver and more were given high flying readings from some of the most energetic post bop I’ve heard around here. Brattain needs a wider following and more gigs to establish the reputation among listeners that he clearly has heard among fellow musicians.

Tyler Anderson and the Coriolis Effect at the Artists Quarter, October 6. Six or seven nights per year, the Twin Cities Jazz Society presents its Young Artists Series at the Artists Quarter, featuring a high school or college level ensemble. Maybe the most savvy student band yet was the quartet from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, led by saxophonist Tyler Anderson under the name Coriolis Effect. I have no idea what this effect is. But the effect of the music was undeniable—relentlessly inventive. Each member of the band (Anderson, pianist Cody Peterson, bassist Jordan Jenkins, drummer Mike Malone) contributed original compositions, and the set was paced as well as any pro outfit, a mixture of beautiful balladry and powerhouse knock-downs. And Tyler has already figured out how to engage the audience from the microphone. The lone covers came at the end, a better than average rendition of “All the Things You Are” featuring UW-EC saxophone professor Doug O’Connor duking it out with Anderson, and the encore “Bring It On Home to Me,” showing off the young guys’ gospel-blues chops. The band just recorded an EP with five of these tunes which will serve as a sonic business card for future gigs. And they will have plenty.

Photos: (top to bottom) Nancy Harms, homecoming at the Artists Quarter; Dave Brattain with Tanner Taylor at Jazz Central; The Coriolis Effect at the Artists Quarter (all photos by Andrea Canter)

Jazz Face: Mary Louise Knutson

2011-10-06T17:17:00.002-05:00

© Andrea Canter

Ten years ago, Minneapolis-based pianist Mary Louise Knutson released her first recording (Call Me When You Get There), about equal parts original compositions and new arrangements of standards. The reviews were raves, the airplay was off the charts. We wanted more. But we had to wait a decade. In the interim, Mary Louise kept busy, touring the Midwest with her trio, Italy with Debbie Duncan, becoming one of the very first call accompanists for area singers and holding down the rhythm section for the JazzMN Big Band (now Orchestra). Trio gigs became few and far between. But now she’s back, fresh out of the studio at Creation Audio with a new set following a similar formula. Dubbed In the Bubble to describe the “everything is going right” feeling of a vacation in Costa Rica as well as the chemistry in the recording studio, Mary Louise is back where she most belongs, heading a trio of elegant collaborators (bassist Gordy Johnson and drummers Phil Hey, Greg Schutte and Craig Hara) and taking listeners through a lovely soundscape of original fare and clever rearrangements of standards. The CD is getting airplay on KBEM and elsewhere. Now we just need a CD release party to bring it fully to life. Jazz Times called the first recording “piano trio finery,” which must make In the Bubble “piano trio majesty.”

Full review to be posted on JazzINK and Jazz Police.

Photo: Mary Louise “in the bubble” at Creation Audio in June 2009. (Photo by Andrea Canter)

J is For Jazz and Other Obsolete Volumes

2011-10-02T00:33:00.003-05:00

© Andrea Canter

I know, this is really a jazz blog. Not a blog about recycling. Maybe improvising is really recycling music?

Here’s my dilemma: I can not figure out what to do with my 1981 set of the World Book Encyclopedia. I can’t remember the last time I used it. Probably shortly after I got it in about 1987 as a “discard” at a library book sale. Soon after, I began to rely on the internet for quick references and more in-depth means of satisfying my curiosity about whatever. The internet was constantly updated and required no storage. At least none on my end. I did buy one of those CD-ROM versions of the Brittanica. I never used it. Why load an encyclopedia when you can look up any term and find a long list of sites with far more information than could be stored on a CD? Simply, even before the 21st century, encyclopedias were obsolete.

So what do we do with our old World Books and Brittanicas? Turns out there’s no market for them at all. Good Will, Salvation Army, similar thrift and charity agencies won’t take them. Books for Africa won’t ship them. Schools, hospitals, churches—no one wants them any more than I do. They are big, bulky and impossible to keep updated. They are even less useful than pennies and 8-track tapes.

So the next thing is recycling, right? Not so fast. Recycling companies will take paper. Not book bindings. You can’t just take a set of encyclopedias to the county recycling center or leave the set in your green recycling bin for city pick-up. Not without first removing the bindings. There are companies that specialize in removing those bindings, for a fee. Heck, why can’t I just do that myself? Armed with my exacto knife, I figured I could do a couple volumes each night and have a few bags of recycle-able paper by the weekend.

I pulled out volume “C-Ch.” In pretty good shape for 1981. Oh yeah, I have not really opened this volume in nearly 30 years. Did you know that the Japanese Bobtail Cat has been a symbol of good luck in Japan? I didn’t know a female cat was referred to as a “queen.” I thought that was just bees. I didn’t know that the whiskers on a catfish have a name, barbels. Or that there are over 2,000 species of catfish. I just like them fried in cornmeal. (That’s in volume Ci-Cz.)

OK, so what about volume “J”? Naturally I have to check out “jazz.” I learned something on the first page. There was in early jazz band in Indianapolis headed by a guy named Frank Clay. I’ve of course heard of Bessie Smith but I didn’t know about Mamie Smith, who was the first nationally successful black Blues singer. The next few pages are filled with vintage black and white photos of Bix, Basie, Bird, Duke, Herbie and more. What about the section “Jazz Today?” Of course it isn’t “today” now… but it was “today” in 1981. It’s a good summary up to 1981. That would have been more than enough for Ken Burns.

So it seems there is still plenty for me to learn right here in my 1981 World Book. After all, most of the history of Planet Earth and mankind came before 1981. And in 2011, is there really no value in literally putting your hands on this cubic yard of text and graphics, thumbing through it just to find out what you can find out? I remember doing just that as a kid, pulling out a book, spending an hour or more just sifting through all those facts, finding something new and obscure. Sure, I could still do that online. But there's something about touching the paper, print.

Two weeks ago, I took a few boxes of old Downbeat and Jazz Times magazines, some dating back about 15 years, to the MacPhail Center for Music and invited the seven new students of the Dakota Combo to help themselves. I know that teenagers don’t generally think about hard-copy magazines—they can read all this and much more online, often for free. But put this archaic paper resource center in front of them, and watch what happens. We used to call it “browsing” before that word became a synonym for “surfing,” back when “surfing” referred to something cool guys did on the beach. But even high tech-oriented kids in 2011 quickly recognize the glory of hands-on encounters with words and pictures.

So I don’t really want to start gutting my World Books. Somewhere there is a kid, a family, a budding scholar, even a future jazz musician who would enjoy a similar encounter with volume J. Or C-Ch. Or the whole damn alphabet. Even from 1981. After all, you can always look up 1982+ online.

The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, September 30-October 6

2011-09-30T11:33:00.006-05:00

© Andrea Canter

Hard to top the nonstop, night after night great gigs of last week, firing up jazz on all cylinders for a promising fall. But here comes another week.

Highlights
Minnesota small-town native, former Twin Cities rising star vocalist Nancy Harms has done what many fear is impossible—she’s settled in New York and is getting gigs and plenty of attention. It’s only been a year but Nancy already caught the approving ear of Wycliffe Gordon and formed a partnership with young hot pianist Jeremy Sisskind. But for her homecoming Friday night (9/30) at the Artists Quarter, she relies on old friends, guitarist Zacc Harris, bassist James Buckley and drummer Jay Epstein. She likely will bring out some old standards (as well as new material), but don’t expect anything less than new arrangements and some alluring new sounds. (If you are out near Dawson, MN, you can catch Nancy at the Memorial Auditorium Saturday night, 10/1!)

Helping with the ongoing fund raising for Kyber Pass Cafe, the Dave King Trucking Company performs there Friday night (9/30) and then returns to the AQ on Saturday night (10/1), pared down to one sax this weekend, but the one sax is Brandon Wozniak. Who could ask for anything more?

The best big band in the area, JazzMN Orchestra launches its new season Saturday night (10/1) with one of the best bassists in the universe, John Clayton. More often associated with his Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra and Clayton Brothers ensemble, this will be a rare treat to hear John as a featured soloist and arranger. Judi Donaghy provides the local vocal. Another local vocal, Connie Evingson, performs not to far away at the same time, with the hot club swinging John Jorgenson Quintet at the Hopkins Center for the Arts. This collaboration has been on the Dakota stage, and guitarist Jorgenson has shared the stage with Elton John, Sting, Billy Joel and… Pavorotti? Want more Connie? Her monthly Jazz in the Lounge at the Minneapolis Woman’s Club returns on Wednesday (10/5), this time a duo with piano monster Tanner Taylor.

Easy to do a double header on Sunday (10/2), with a matinee at the Bloomington Center for the Arts presenting “Swing Set,” Lee Engele with “the Andrews Sisters”—Aimee Fischer, Kathy Mueller and Lisa Pallen. The gals recall the great songs of the 40s when swing was truly the thing. Four great voices for a Sunday afternoon. At Orchestra Hall in the evening, it’s a return engagement with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra directed by Wynton Marsalis, who is celebrating the big 5-0 on this tour. One of the very best big bands in modern jazz. It might be a stretch to do a triple on Sunday, but if you are a fan of jazz guitar, Charlie Hunter shows how it’s done at the Dakota with sets at 7 and 9. And who knows, some famous trumpeter might just come down the street and sit in on the end of the late show…it would not be the first time.

Monday (10/3) marks the beginning of Arne Fogel's new 13-week radio series on KBEM, Minnesota Voices: Certain Standards, airing twice each Monday through Friday at 8:30 am and 6:30 pm, and featuring top local (or formerly local) voices: Connie Evingson (Mondays), Nancy Harms (Tuesdays), Arne Fogel (Wednesdays), Maud Hixson (Thursdays) and Debbie Duncan (Fridays). Each segment is about three minutes, each singer accompanied by Tanner Taylor on piano (except for Maud, who performs with husband Rick Carlson). Read more on Jazz Police.

Monday (10/3) marks the first anniversary of Jazz Central, the underground performance and studio space run by Tanner Taylor and Mac Santiago. This is a celebration of survival of an independent venture in a tough economy—and they have pulled it off with at least weekly gigs and jams featuring a wide range of the area’s top and up-and-coming jazz artists. “By the cats, for the cats,” as the website notes. This anniversary party features one of the best in the jazz business, drummer Phil Hey. Tonight he is not a sideman. Come out, help pay the rent and have a blast.

One of the area’s most accomplished and enjoyable duos, Charmin (Michelle) and Shapira (Joel) perform twice at Fireside Pizza this week, on Monday (10/3) and Wednesday (10/5), as well as next Saturday (10/8) at the 318 in Wayzata. And in quartet format, they’re on the stage at Hell’s Kitchen on Thursday (10/6). They’ll be doing selections from their two duo recordings as well as some new material. For voice and guitar, this is an unbeatable combination.

If you missed Esperanza Spalding’s Chamber Music Society last year at the Dakota, or want another dose, she’s bringing her stellar project to O’Shaughnessy Auditorium on Tuesday (10/4), cosponsored by the Dakota. Since topping Justin Bieber for the Grammy’s Best New Artist, she’s been expanding her audience and turning up in slick magazine ads. Whatever brings jazz more attention! Note she is scheduled to perform with Joe Lovano’s Us Five in Hopkins on October 22nd.

More Jazz!
There’s plenty more during the week. As full a schedule as exists can be found on the KBEM website. Some additional recommendations:
• Friday, September 30: Jana Nyberg Group at Honey; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel)

• Saturday, October 1: Sophia Shorai at the Nicollet Island Inn; Joann Funk and Jeff Brueske at the Lobby Bar (St Paul Hotel)

• Sunday, October 2: Joan Griffith and Clea Galhano at Kyber Pass Café

• Monday, October 3: Lalah Hathaway at the Dakota; Headspace at the Artists Quarter

• Tuesday, October 4: Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter; Rhonda Laurie and Phil Mattson at The Nicollet; Dean Magraw and David Seru, First Tuesdays at the Black Dog; Jack Brass at the Driftwood; Copper Street Brass at MacPhail

• Wednesday, October 5: James Buckley Trio at the Artists Quarter; Acoustic Alchemy at the Dakota; Paula Lammers with Sample Night Live at the History Theater (St Paul)

• Thursday, October 6: Tyler Anderson’s Coriolis Effect at the Artists Quarter (Young Artists Series) followed by Media Addicts; Reynold Philipsek and Matt Senjem at Barbette; Acoustic Alchemy at the Dakota

Coming Soon!
• October 7-8, Red Planet at the Artists Quarter
• October 9, PipJazz at Landmark Center with Irv Williams
• October 10, Rondi Charleston with Lynne Arriale and Dave Stryker at the Dakota
• October 13, U of M Jazz Bands, Salute to Art Blakey at Ted Mann
• October 13, Patricia Barber at the Dakota
• October 16, Soul Café at Hennepin Avenue Methodist Church
• October 17-18, Jazz Crusaders at the Dakota
• October 19, Wallace Roney Quintet at the Artists Quarter
• October 20, REEL Jazz at the Trylon Cinema, films by Bob DeFlores
• October 21-22, Matt Slocum Trio at the Artists Quarter
• October 22, Joe Lovano and Us Five at the Hopkins Center for the Arts
• October 22, Seven Steps to Havana at Studio Z
• October 24, Dead Cat Bounce at Studio Z
• October 26, Bryan Nichols at Antonello Hall, MacPhail Center for Music
• October 28, Herbie Hancock Solo Piano at Orchestra Hall
• November 1, John Scofield Quartet at the Dakota
• November 12, Insurgent (Pat Moriarty, Ellen Lease, Phil Hey) at Studio Z
• November 16, Al Jarreau at the Pantages Theater
• November 25-26, Pat Mallinger at the Artists Quarter
• December 25-27, The Bad Plus at the Dakota
• March 1-2, Vijay Iyer at the Walker Art Center (McGuire Theater)

Photos: (Top to bottom) Nancy Harms; John Clayton; Wynton Marsalis; Esperanza Spalding (all photos by Andrea Canter)

Twin Cities Jazz Week in Review: September 23-29

2011-09-29T22:29:00.003-05:00

© Andrea Canter

Maybe it is just my imagination or luck, but it seems the Twin Cities jazz scene is heating up and about to bubble over. There’s a lot to hear, often simultaneously, meaning there’s a lot to miss as well. Which means I can be just as overwhelmed here as in New York. I think that is a good thing. Highlights, from my perspective:

Theo Bleckmann at the Macalester Plymouth United Church, September 23: Mezmerizing, nearly impossible to describe in human terms. But I tried – see blog, September 26.

Dave King Trucking Company at Studio Z, September 24. This was the first in the monthly Jazz at Studio Z series curated by Zacc Harris with support from an MRAC grant. Some of the usual suspects in the DKTC were missing—New York saxman Chris Speed and Happy Apple guitarist Erik Fratzke. Brandon Wozniak handled the horn duties alone, which just meant more soloing from the guy who is one of the area’s the most inventive musicians; Luke Polopnik took over on guitar, which meant a somewhat more mellow, Frisellish sound. With King and Adam Linz, the result was well up to DKTC standards as the band moved through some of the most appealing compositions of their recent release, Good Old Light, as well as some other concoctions. And when King crushed his snare, he was in the perfect setting to find back-up percussion supplies. This is the home to Zeitgeist!

The Peterson Family’s "Our Love Is Here to Stay" at the Bloomington Center for the Arts, September 25. With matriarch Jeanne Arland Peterson celebrating 90 last month, there’s been a lot of Peterson Family gigs lately. But each time out, it’s a somewhat different configuration, and this matinee kicking off both the Bloomington and TCJS concert seasons focused on the songs and times of the Gershwins with extended Peterson Family talents from Jeanne to her offspring to nephew and grand nephew. This is not just a multi-talented family but a bunch of multi-talented individuals. And clearly, their love, and their music, is here to stay.

Christine Rosholt, Jazz Meets the Bard at the Jungle Theater, September 26. My nominee for the most transformed jazz artist in the Twin Cities, Christine has been performing around town for much of the past decade, starting out as an entertaining, adequate interpreter of the Great American Songbook and morphing steadily into an even more entertaining, more personal, more complex interpreter of… most anything musical. From her Elizabethan ruff to her informative, stand-up comic style banter with the audience and stellar vocal performance throughout, Jazz Meets the Bard Meets Christine was a fine night of songs and stories. (And watch out for Christine’s upcoming CD release with English songwriter Kevin Hall in December as she melds jazz and pop into “Pazz.”)

Emily Green with the Chris Lomheim Trio at The Nicollet, September 27. Maryann Sullivan of KBEM is curating this Tuesday night series at The Nicollet coffeehouse, and so far it has been an impressive and diverse array of musicians. One-time student of Vicky Mountain who has rarely performed at club venues, vocalist Emily Green joined husband/pianist extraordinaire Chris Lomheim and pals Jim Chenoweth and Reid Kennedy for some light and sassy takes on jazz and pop classics. Her voice is sunny and charming. Hopefully there will be more opportunities to enjoy it.

Lionel Hampton Celebration at the Dakota, September 27. Vocalist/producer Jaycee Falk has assembled a cast of Hampton’s alums and admirers for this tour showcasing the great vibraphonist’s music. Heading the bill, an inspired Jason Marsalis, who has shifted his focus from drums (which he still plays in bands like John Ellis’s Double Wide) to vibes (which is his only instrument in his own band). Seeming uninspired or simply bored on his own gig at the Dakota a year ago, this time out Marsalis was animated and artful, two important qualities in a vibes player. His elder partners on this gig, saxophonist Red Holloway and trombinst Fred Wesley, though clearly masters of their craft, were decidedly upstaged by the local horn team—trumpeters Jeff Gottwig and Adam Rossmiller, saxophonists Pete Whitman and Kathy Jensen; bassist Gary Raynor and drummer Dave Schmalenberger ably provided the pulse for the night. Diane Schuur only sang three songs, but they were three highlights of the night. The only real flaw in the show was emcee Falk himself, whose nightclub chatter got old quickly and added about 20 unnecessary minutes to an otherwise delightful, high-energy evening. But Falk, as producer, is commended for taking full advantage of the talents he found on the local scene. It gave new meaning to “Flying Home.”

Jane Monheit at the Dakota, September 28. Speaking of transformations: Five years ago, maybe only three, buttery perfect vocalist Jane Monheit seemed headed in a too-pop, too smooth direction, particularly on her recordings. Her live shows always hinted at a more personal sound but she was “packaged” for mass appeal. Then she became a first-time mom. She took control of her recording. In short, she became the jazz singer her early potential suggested she would become. Sometimes she scats, sometimes she doesn’t—whatever seems like the natural thing to do, it sounds effortless either way. Even without scatting –which is overrated as a marker of “jazz” singing, Jane seems comfortable sending her voice in whatever direction best fits the lyric and underlying emotion. While her set was mostly a round-up of favorites we’ve heard her do before, songs like “Over the Rainbow,” “Taking a Chance on Love,” and “That’s All” were rearranged and/or reinterpreted, making it a new set. And she is still buttery perfect.

Stephen and Greg Paulus and the Minnesota Orchestra, “TimePiece” at Orchestra Hall, September 29. Most fans of classical music in Minnesota are familiar with composer Stephen Paulus. Some jazz fans in the Twin Cities remember his son, trumpeter Greg Paulus, recently minted from the Manhattan School of Music and now making a name for himself as a composer and performer of electronic music. The inevitable? Father and son working together on a composition for orchestra and jazz soloists. The centerpiece of the program kicking off the Minnesota Orchestra’s new season, Paulus and Paulus wrote a score that highlights the versatility of a large classical orchestra and the heart and soul of jazz from some of the area’s most accomplished improvisers (Bryan Nichols, Mike Lewis, Adam Linz, JT Bates). “TimePiece” does not attempt to make jazz artists of classical musicians or classical musicians of jazz artists, but rather melds two worlds into one dramatic composition. (Two more nights, September 30-October 1—tickets still available.)

Photos: (Top to bottom) Emily Green with the Chris Lomheim Trio at The Nicollet; Jason Marsalis and Kathy Jensen with the Lionel Hampton Celebration Band at the Dakota (photos by Andrea Canter)

Keep Jazz Radio Alive - Join KBEM

2011-09-28T15:00:00.002-05:00

© Andrea Canter

If you have been listening to KBEM radio this week, you know it is Fall Pledge time. And especially if you have been listening and are not already a member of Jazz 88, this is your chance to put your money where your ears are—tuned in to the only jazz radio station in Minnesota and one of few left nation-wide.

KBEM is unique, even as a jazz radio station. KBEM is a jazz education vehicle! Not only are listeners educated about various jazz styles, players and events by listening to various programs and interviews, but high school students from the Minneapolis Schools participate in a variety of learning experiences, from the skills of broadcasting and radio technology to the music of jazz. Student announcers augment the pros every day, and some have their own programs. Minneapolis South High students, for example write and present their own radio show. Further, KBEM goes well beyond the airwaves, sponsoring events like the jazz cruise, the Twin Cities Jazz Festival and Jazz After Work.

Check membership options online or listen to KBEM for more information about how you can keep jazz radio alive and thriving in the Twin Cities. Since matching funds are often available during pledge drives, this is the best time to join and show your support for KBEM. We have a true national treasurer on the air!

Photo: Student announcer Emmanuel Perry in the KBEM studio at North High School (photo by Andrea Canter)

Jazz Face: Adam Linz

2011-09-26T14:14:00.003-05:00

© Andrea Canter

The first time I heard Adam Linz was as a solo opening act for Happy Apple at the Cedar Cultural Center, before Happy Apple became an international sensation and before Adam trimmed off his dreadlocks. It was maybe the first time I heard solo bass. It intrigued me then, and even more so now. And now I have heard Adam in multiple solo, duo, trio and larger ensembles, playing everything from straight ahead jazz to Mingus to free improv. Of course there really is no such thing as a “solo” performance from Adam, as he typically vocalizes (on key) whatever he is bowing or plucking, sort of a “duet for one.” It’s annoying if it’s Keith Jarrett’s moaning during solo piano. It’s simply part of the charm of Adam’s music.

Among many projects, Adam is a member of the relatively new Dave King Trucking Company, and performed with the ensemble Saturday night at Studio Z in St. Paul. His soloing was a high point of a very cool evening of original compositions. Like the great bassists touring the world today (Charlie Haden, Gary Peacock, Dave Holland, Christian McBride, Charnett Moffett, Alex Blake, William Parker), Adam can make his instrument sing, scream, growl, sing, creak, groan, sing….his fingers generating sparks, squeaks, squeals, melodies. It’s always a pas de deux, Adam and his bass. Two-part harmony.

Photo: Adam Linz at the Dakota in 2009. (Photo by Andrea Canter)

Theo Bleckmann: From the Fifth Dimension of Human Voice and Mind

2011-09-26T12:09:00.003-05:00

© Andrea Canter

The New York Times refers to him as “from another planet.” He must be. Theo Bleckmann and I can not possibly share the same anatomy of mouth and throat, let alone brain. But standing alone on the chancel of the Macalester Plymouth United Church on the Macalester College campus, Bleckmann looked anything but alien. In fact he sort of looks like Peewee Herman. And he took us on a Big Adventure.

Labeling Bleckmann a “vocalist” is like labeling Picasso a “painter.” Yes, he sings, and yes, he sings very well. He has a pleasant, pitch-perfect tenor, and if you listen to his voice on the more-or-less straight recording of MOSS, you would expect him to be forging a successful career as a jazz or pop singer. But that is not Theo’s direction. He doesn’t follow the experimental path of Bobby McFerrin so much as he hurtles above and beyond it, gathering swirls of electronic manipulations and playtime paraphernalia which he recycles into a menagerie of sounds, some human, some not. It’s McFerrin in a psychedelic wind tunnel. At times the connection to more earth-bound song is obvious; at other times there seems to be little resemblance to a human source. Yet at all times, Bleckmann is riveting, the result jaw-dropping, playful, hilarious, even beautiful.

German-born Theo Bleckmann came to the Macalester campus through a marvelous series, New Music at Macalester, supported by the Rivendell Foundation. The free concert followed two days of residency with Mac music students, who filled the majority of seats Friday night. “New Music” can refer to anything from innovative instrumentation to spontaneous creations to unusual sources of sound. Bleckmann fulfills any definition.

The program, lasting a little over an hour, included eleven pieces, the majority composed (invented?) by Bleckmann, and starting with the aptly titled “Duet for One.” Thus we were introduced to his ability to create the illusion of harmony with one voice, the sound of singing with electronic loops without any out-of-body apparatus. So maybe it is not really an illusion, but Bleckmann truly can produce two tones simultaneously? Is his voice a chordal instrument? There is some similarity to yodeling, but more so.

Other compositions, coming from Bleckmann himself as well as arrangements of works by others (including frequent collaborator Meredith Monk), made use of electronic loops, some which seemed pre-recorded, some clearly created on the spot; Bleckmann at times used a small megaphone (muting his human trumpet), whistles, toys that went inside the mouth… Where is the DVD with close-ups? The effects ranged from drones, Gregorian and African chants, haunted house sound effects, cartoonish voices, echos from deep caves….and sometimes that gorgeous tenor. Even standards were fair game, including Johnny Mercer’s “I Remember You” and Lew Brown’s “Come Love,” the latter a creaky, croaky, teeth-rattling mass of sound effects from a toy-like apparatus Theo stuffed in his mouth. The long “Channel Surfing/anteroom” was particularly clever, loops suggesting the electronic jerking of stop and start, overall a weirdly liturgical soundscape. And in addition to his one-man soundtrack effects (especially prevalent on his “Free4all”), Bleckmann at times resorted to total silence, miming his vocalizations with his rubber-face antics. He closed with a haunting rendition of the classic “Lilli Marleen,” his megaphone creating an echo chamber of (mostly) human harmonies.

Listening to Theo Bleckmann, I couldn’t help but recall the words of Rod Serling as he introduced the 60s TV classic series, The Twlight Zone: “You are traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination…”

It was a wondrous night in the land of Theo Bleckmann.