The usual January deep-freeze is rumored to be enroute. Better get out and hear some hot jazz this weekend and store up some fuel to keep the music burning through the week! The 8'Oclock Jump series returns to Walker West; there's a new trio of veterans at the Black Dog; a Minnesota Orchestra retiree heads to the Dunsmore Room.. and more in area jazz this week.
Big Gigs This Week
Friday, January 8. Walker West Music Academy hosts the 2016 season of the Eight O'Clock Jump concert series, getting underway tonight with the Bryan Nichols Trio— aka Nichols/Bates/Bates as pianist Bryan goes at it with Chris and JT Bates on bass and drums. It's sometimes radical, sometimes simply divine. And the intimate performance space at WWMA is a perfect environment.
In another intimate space, the Pete Whitman X-Tet fills the subterranean gallery at Jazz Central, offering a too-rare opportunity to hear ten of the area's finest.
At the Dakota, Jay Young's Lyric Factory is back with another edition of Bandwidth, examining music that filled the airwaves from the likes of Prince, El Debarge, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Elton John and more. Jay—who plays the smaller piccolo bass in this band, assembles a fine line-up including son Ian on bass, Thom West on keys, Kevin Washington on drums, Ernest Bisong on violin, and vocalists Yolande Bruce, Heather McElrath and Linda Sloan.
At Parma 8200, Denny Malmberg leads a swinging trio with bassist Tom Lewis and vocalist Charmin Michele. More swing in store at Vieux Carré as the Southside Aces gather on stage, following the evening's opening duo of pianist Joe Strachan and bassist Ted Olsen. Pretty much the whole history of jazz will be covered between 6 pm and midnight!
Saturday, January 9. The veterans take over as Saturday Night Jazz at the Black Dog presents the Pete Snell Trio(with Tom Lewis and Phil Aaron), followed by a newish trio of jazz stalwarts— Dean Granros, Chris Bates and Davu Seru, dubbed the Golden Circle Trio.... with rumors of a surprise guest.
Jazz @ St. Barneys (at St Barnabas Lutheran Church in Plymouth) holds another concert in its season of stellar local talents. Tonight, young singer/pianist Andrew Walesch is in the spotlight with bassist Jeremy Boettcher and drummer Jay Epstein. Very likely Walesch will include some nods to muse Frank Sinatra as well as some material that shows his range goes well beyond Frank.
At the Amsterdam, swing is in season, starting out with the Mississippi Hot Club, followed by the Jazzland Wonderband, while the talents of Zacc Harris's guitar students await early arrivals at Vieux Carré, followed by Grain, JT Bates' organ trio (with Harris and Kevin Gastonguay).
And the regulars—hear the Talking Strings at the Loring Pasta Bar and Benny Weinbeck Trio at Parma 8200. Friday/Saturday, January 8-9. In the Lobby Bar at the Saint Paul Hotel, JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske continue their weekend séance, while at the Icehouse, guitarist Jake Hanson and bassist James Buckley have back-to-back nights of dinner sets.
Sunday, January 10. There's one less jazz brunch as Crooners has discontinued brunch in favor of Sunday night music in the Dunsmore Room. And three Sundays per month, that means Dan Chouinard's new Birthday Club. It's a bit of a reprise of his Singers Voice series that ran 1990-2000 at the Dakota. This time Dan and guest vocalists will celebrate musical birthdays and anniversaries. And what better pairing to start off the series than Dan and Prudence Johnson? hard to imagine they won't include some Gershwin even if neither George nor Ira has a January birthday?
Chicago Blues meets classical string quartet, world percussion and world renowned saxophone when Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues arrives at the Dakota tonight. In addition to percussionist Frank Donaldson and the West End String Quartet, the masterful Ernie Watts will be on the bandstand with the creative blues harmonicist. Hard to label, easy to enjoy.
Monday, January 11. In the lounge at Crooners, vocalist Colleen Raye explores the works of women songwriters of the 40s and 50s. Coming from a different continent, Ethiopian bassist, now Minnesota resident Yonathan Bekure takes the spotlight at Jazz Central with unique, “diverse and soulful" music.
From their gig at Vieux Carré, now the Southside Aces move across the river to sister club, The Dakota, bringing along their high-spirited interpretations of traditional New Orleans bands.
Tuesday, January 12. It's timpanist/drummer Peter Kogan's turn to check out the Dunsmore Room at Crooners' Lounge, and his quartet is as formidable an ensemble as any— Pete Whitman on saxophones, Anthony Cox on bass, and Phil Aaron getting his first crack at the Bösendorfer. Better make reservations.
At Vieux Carré, it's the original Chris Lomheim Trio— pianist Lomheim with Gordy Johnson and Jay Epstein reprising their efforts on the 2014 recording, Timelines. Expect some Lomheim originals and engaging covers.
At the Black Dog, second Tuesdays feature the Chris Olson Project, and tonight the guitar ace engages in duets with bassist Chris Bates. New string theories! And it's big band night at Jazz Central, with the Cedar Avenue Big Band on full display. Wednesday, January 13. Chris Bates has been leading a monthly new music night at Jazz Central (Magica Improvisada), featuring different configurations of top improvisers. To start 2016, he's decided to feature the same ensemble for the first three months— joining pianist Joe Strachan and drummer Matt Buckner for “Inventions and Dimensions." Says Chris, We’ll be workshopping everything over the first two months in an open rehearsal setting and then performing this new music for a digital release at the third session."
Thursday, January 14. Back for a mostly monthly gig, the Adam Meckler Orchestra returns to Vieux Carré with a promise of some new tunes from Adam's creative pen.
You can go swing crazy with Gypsy Mania at Hell's Kitchen, or head to Jazz Central for Vocal Jazz Night(TBA). And if you somehow missed the Southside Aces at their other gigs this week, there's one more—swing dance at the Eagles Club.
Big Gigs This Week
Friday, January 8. Walker West Music Academy hosts the 2016 season of the Eight O'Clock Jump concert series, getting underway tonight with the Bryan Nichols Trio— aka Nichols/Bates/Bates as pianist Bryan goes at it with Chris and JT Bates on bass and drums. It's sometimes radical, sometimes simply divine. And the intimate performance space at WWMA is a perfect environment.
In another intimate space, the Pete Whitman X-Tet fills the subterranean gallery at Jazz Central, offering a too-rare opportunity to hear ten of the area's finest.
At the Dakota, Jay Young's Lyric Factory is back with another edition of Bandwidth, examining music that filled the airwaves from the likes of Prince, El Debarge, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Elton John and more. Jay—who plays the smaller piccolo bass in this band, assembles a fine line-up including son Ian on bass, Thom West on keys, Kevin Washington on drums, Ernest Bisong on violin, and vocalists Yolande Bruce, Heather McElrath and Linda Sloan.
At Parma 8200, Denny Malmberg leads a swinging trio with bassist Tom Lewis and vocalist Charmin Michele. More swing in store at Vieux Carré as the Southside Aces gather on stage, following the evening's opening duo of pianist Joe Strachan and bassist Ted Olsen. Pretty much the whole history of jazz will be covered between 6 pm and midnight!
Saturday, January 9. The veterans take over as Saturday Night Jazz at the Black Dog presents the Pete Snell Trio(with Tom Lewis and Phil Aaron), followed by a newish trio of jazz stalwarts— Dean Granros, Chris Bates and Davu Seru, dubbed the Golden Circle Trio.... with rumors of a surprise guest.
Jazz @ St. Barneys (at St Barnabas Lutheran Church in Plymouth) holds another concert in its season of stellar local talents. Tonight, young singer/pianist Andrew Walesch is in the spotlight with bassist Jeremy Boettcher and drummer Jay Epstein. Very likely Walesch will include some nods to muse Frank Sinatra as well as some material that shows his range goes well beyond Frank.
At the Amsterdam, swing is in season, starting out with the Mississippi Hot Club, followed by the Jazzland Wonderband, while the talents of Zacc Harris's guitar students await early arrivals at Vieux Carré, followed by Grain, JT Bates' organ trio (with Harris and Kevin Gastonguay).
And the regulars—hear the Talking Strings at the Loring Pasta Bar and Benny Weinbeck Trio at Parma 8200. Friday/Saturday, January 8-9. In the Lobby Bar at the Saint Paul Hotel, JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske continue their weekend séance, while at the Icehouse, guitarist Jake Hanson and bassist James Buckley have back-to-back nights of dinner sets.
Sunday, January 10. There's one less jazz brunch as Crooners has discontinued brunch in favor of Sunday night music in the Dunsmore Room. And three Sundays per month, that means Dan Chouinard's new Birthday Club. It's a bit of a reprise of his Singers Voice series that ran 1990-2000 at the Dakota. This time Dan and guest vocalists will celebrate musical birthdays and anniversaries. And what better pairing to start off the series than Dan and Prudence Johnson? hard to imagine they won't include some Gershwin even if neither George nor Ira has a January birthday?
Chicago Blues meets classical string quartet, world percussion and world renowned saxophone when Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues arrives at the Dakota tonight. In addition to percussionist Frank Donaldson and the West End String Quartet, the masterful Ernie Watts will be on the bandstand with the creative blues harmonicist. Hard to label, easy to enjoy.
Monday, January 11. In the lounge at Crooners, vocalist Colleen Raye explores the works of women songwriters of the 40s and 50s. Coming from a different continent, Ethiopian bassist, now Minnesota resident Yonathan Bekure takes the spotlight at Jazz Central with unique, “diverse and soulful" music.
From their gig at Vieux Carré, now the Southside Aces move across the river to sister club, The Dakota, bringing along their high-spirited interpretations of traditional New Orleans bands.
Tuesday, January 12. It's timpanist/drummer Peter Kogan's turn to check out the Dunsmore Room at Crooners' Lounge, and his quartet is as formidable an ensemble as any— Pete Whitman on saxophones, Anthony Cox on bass, and Phil Aaron getting his first crack at the Bösendorfer. Better make reservations.
At Vieux Carré, it's the original Chris Lomheim Trio— pianist Lomheim with Gordy Johnson and Jay Epstein reprising their efforts on the 2014 recording, Timelines. Expect some Lomheim originals and engaging covers.
At the Black Dog, second Tuesdays feature the Chris Olson Project, and tonight the guitar ace engages in duets with bassist Chris Bates. New string theories! And it's big band night at Jazz Central, with the Cedar Avenue Big Band on full display. Wednesday, January 13. Chris Bates has been leading a monthly new music night at Jazz Central (Magica Improvisada), featuring different configurations of top improvisers. To start 2016, he's decided to feature the same ensemble for the first three months— joining pianist Joe Strachan and drummer Matt Buckner for “Inventions and Dimensions." Says Chris, We’ll be workshopping everything over the first two months in an open rehearsal setting and then performing this new music for a digital release at the third session."
Thursday, January 14. Back for a mostly monthly gig, the Adam Meckler Orchestra returns to Vieux Carré with a promise of some new tunes from Adam's creative pen.
You can go swing crazy with Gypsy Mania at Hell's Kitchen, or head to Jazz Central for Vocal Jazz Night(TBA). And if you somehow missed the Southside Aces at their other gigs this week, there's one more—swing dance at the Eagles Club.
