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The Lead Sheet: Twin Cities Jazz, October 29-November 4

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I just noticed this is my 300th post to this blog! So Happy Halloween! And the Twin Cities jazz community has a lot of treats, starting with a homecoming weekend for Kelly Rossum and the return of guitar virtuoso Paul Bollenback, with a much-anticipated return of Regina Carter's Reverse Thread project to spice up midweek.

You can't go wrong on either side of the river this weekend. When trumpeter Kelly Rossum relocated to New York in fall 2009, he had recently completed a commission from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls to write a soundtrack for the 1920 silent film, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which he premiered with his newly formed Nicollet Circus Band. The work will be presented three times this weekend, twice in MacPhail's stunning Antonello Hall (Friday and Saturday nights, 10/29-30) and again Sunday afternoon on the River Falls campus. It's a creepy film, of course, and I would expect creepy excitement from Kelly and his Nicollet Circus Band, a cast of characters themselves reflecting the best of the area's freer jazz artists—including Scott Agster, Chris Thomson, Brandon Wozniak, Brian Roessler, Steve Roehm and more.

Guitarist Paul Bollenback has been a longtime favorite at the Artists Quarter, and he'll be on the bandstand this weekend (10/29-30). He's performed with the best, including Joey De Francesco, Steve Gadd, Gary Bartz, Paul Bley, Charlie Byrd, Terri-Lyne Carrington, Herb Ellis, Geoffrey Keezer, Joe Locke, Jack McDuff, James Moody, David “Fathead" Newman, Houston Person, Stanley Turrentine, and (wife) Chris McNulty. For some reason I missed his last visit, but will make amends this weekend.

Come Tuesday (11/2), the third violinist to hit local jazz stages within one week lands at the Dakota. Following last week's appearances by Amanda Shaw (Dakota) and Christian Howes (AQ), Regina Carter brings yet another perspective to the violin as an instrument of improvisation with her Reverse Thread project. Performing earlier this year at Ted Mann Concert Hall as well as releasing the same-named recording, Carter and Reverse Thread bring together the roots of African music and modern-day post bop, and feature kora master Yacouba Sissoko and accordionist Wil Houlshouser along with the highly talented Chris Lightcap (bass) and Alvester Garnett (drum set). Carter's projects are always well considered, with Lightcap and Garnett collaborators of long-standing. And how often do you get to enjoy the kora in the environs of a classy jazz club?

And what would Halloween be without a new spooky show from the Atlantis Quartet? Having brought us their interpretation of A Love Supreme (2008) and The Head Hunters (2009), the adventurous ensemble (Zacc Harris, Brandon Wozniak, Chris Bates and Pete Hennig) now take on Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy at, where else, Hell's Kitchen on Halloween night (10/31). Forget those trick or treaters, the tricks and treats are all in Hell tonight!

On the new music front, Zeitgeist and Studio Z are hosting a series of Lowertown cabaret music events. With almost three hours of local live music each night, the cabaret features some of the Twin Cities' most inventive musicians coming together. New music fans are invited to attend one, two or three shows each night at Studio Z (7:30-10:30 pm), 11/4-6. Thursday night features the Renegade Ensemble, Zeitgeist, and Hanson/Ren/Roessler.

More special treats this week include gigs at the AQ from Framework (Jay Epstein, Chris Olson, Chris Bates) on Wednesday (11/3) and the seldom heard Pete Whitman Quintet (Chris Olson, Laura Caviani, Gary Raynor, Dave Schmalenberger) on Thursday (11/4), and the next KBEM Community Education class, moving to Minneapolis's Northeast Middle School for November, starting Wednesday (11/3) with host Calvin Worthen and “Jazzin' the Blues."

Want more?

Friday (10/29): Arne Fogel at Ingredients Café in White Bear; Lee Engele at Pardon My French in Eagan; Fantastic Fridays (Nathan Hanson on Sax, Rahjta Ren on piano and Peter Leggett on drums) at the Black Dog; an evening with Milo Fine at Homewood Studios; Three Keys Quartet at Honey; Charmin Michelle with the Jerry O'Hagan Orchestra at the Medina Ballroom; Benny Weinbeck Trio at Chambers Hotel (again Saturday night) Saturday (10/30): New Orleans Halloween Party at Roy Wilkins Auditorium featuring Charmaine Neville -dinner earlier in the evening to benefit the Twin Cities Jazz Festival; Rare Medium at Tryg's; Lee Engele at Nonna Rosa; Joanne Funk and Jeff Brueske in the Lobby Bar at the St Paul Hotel Sunday (10/31): Charmin Michelle and Jerry O'Hagan Orchestra at Cinema Ballroom Monday (11/1): Headspace at the Artists Quarter; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg at Fireside Pizza (Richfield); Fat Kid Wednesdays at the Clown Lounge Tuesday (11/2): Cory Wong Quartet followed by the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter; Jack Brass Band at Favor Café; Christine Rosholt with Beasley's Big Band at O'Gara's Wednesday (11/3): Wolverines at Hell's Kitchen; Charmin Michelle and Denny Malmberg (international night) at Fireside Pizza (Richfield) Thursday (11/4): Christine Rosholt at Chocolate Sampler Night at the Minnesota History Theater

Coming Soon!

  • November 5-6, Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman and the SPCO live premiere of Highway Rider at the Walker Art Center
  • November 5-6, Dave King Trucking Company at the Artists Quarter
  • November 9, Dean Magraw & Marcus Wise, CD release at the Artists Quarter
  • November 11, REEL Jazz ("Last of the Blue Devils") at the Trylon Theater
  • November 12, Chanteuse Diaries (Maud Hixson and Lee Engele) at Burnsville Performing Arts Center, Black Box Theater
  • November 12-13, Laura Caviani's Tribute to Mary Lou Williams at the Artists' Quarter
  • November 15-16, Kenny Barron Quartet with David Sanchez at the Dakota
  • November 18, Meditations II (Music of Mingus) at MacPhail
  • November 19-20, Carole Martin at the Artists Quarter
  • November 20, JazzMN Orchestra and Stephanie Nakasian (Kenton salute) at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center
  • November 20, Ann Hampton Calloway at Orchestra Hall
  • November 21, “Something (Vo) Cool" with Rhonda Laurie, Connie Olson and Tommy Bruce at the Women's Club (Minneapolis)
  • November 26-27, Ricky Peterson and the Brothers with Patty Peterson at the Artists Quarter
  • December 2, Jenny Sheinman at Walker Art Center
  • December 6-7, Ravi Coltrane Quartet at the Dakota
  • December 8-9, McCoy Tyner at the Dakota
  • December 17-18, Red Planet at the Artists Quarter
  • December 25-27, Bad Plus at the Dakota
Photos: Kelly Rossum; Zacc Harris of the Atlantis Quartet; Calvin Worthen, KBEM's host for “Jazzin' the Blues," the next community ed installment. (All photos by Andrea Canter)

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