Mid-August makes it hard to deny that we are on the backside of summer, and our young local musicians are gigging at a frenzied pace before they have to return to school. So many of our area high school and college-age jazzers have filled our venues with new sounds and new projects over the past two months, it's only inevitable that their music will become part of the fabric of our jazz scene. In addition to gigs featuring these prodigious talents, highlights this week include Irv Williams' 97th birthday celebration, a new, nationally-based ensemble from Adam Meckler and Brian Courage, and a couple of magical duos featuring area veterans.
Big Gigs This Week
Friday, August 12. At Jazz Central, Master's night features saxophonists Dave Brattain and Joe Mayo lead their band through standards and originals, followed by the 6th installment of “BooBoo's Birthday," a trio project from Edmund Catlin with Levi Schwartzberg (vibes) and Charlie Lincoln (bass), playing their arrangements of a full Monk album.
There's vocal jazz at Parma 8200 with Maud Hixson, and at Vieux Carré with the Jana Nyberg Group featuring Adam Meckler, Matt Peterson and Rodney Ruckus. Trombonist Glen David Andrews will also do some singing at the Dakota as he entertains with high energy, New Orleans style.
At The Bedlam, a double header features the adventurous sonics of DOSH and the cool grooves of Mancrush(Lars-Erik Larson, Bryan Nichols, Zacc Harris and Brandon Wozniak). At Hell's Kitchen, East Side (Reynold Philipsek Saturday, August 13. A new venue for music— Bistro La Roux in Circle Pines—hosts a fine trio with Maud Hixson, Matt Peterson and Robert Bell this afternoon; NOLA cuisine and All-American swinging jazz.
The singers of Jazz Alley—newly formed following the Twin Cities Jazz Festival's “Singers Scat-Off"— return for their weekly brunch gig at Golden's Deli. Maryann Sullivan, Katia Cardenas, Sarah M. Greer get support from pianist Ted Godbout and bassist Jim Chenoweth for this series which will continue at least through the month.
The sounds of New Orleans continue at the Dakota with a visit from the Rebirth Brass Band, the ensemble that really launched the brass band revival about 30 years ago. At the Icehouse, a rare solo show features Chris Lomheim on piano for dinner sets, while at Crooners, the always popular Debbie Duncan maintains a high standard for vocal entertainment.
Saturday Night Jazz at the Black Dog turns things upside down— the early set features the veterans, the magical guitar duo of Joel Shapira and Dean Granros reprising the music of their live recording, Jazz Duets, while the prime time set brings in Hoaxer, a quartet of young guns, all college students— Peter Goggin (U of Michigan) on sax, Will Kjeer (McGill U) on piano, Charlie Lincoln (Berklee College of Music) on bass, and Edmund Catlin (McGill U) on drums.
Always producing interesting music, flautist Bobb Fantauzzo leads the Bobb 3B Three at the Riverview Wine Bar with Max-Finch Raymond on cello and Jonathan Townsend on drums. They're followed by the Sonoglyph Collective melding poetry and music, with Bobb on flutes, Jonathan on drums, Sean Eagan on clarinet, and Aaron Kerr on electric cello, with poets Kathryn Kysar and Lynette Reini-Gandell.
Sunday, August 14. This afternoon, there's a showing of rare “Legends of Jazz" film clips from the collection of jazz and film historian Bob DeFlores at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater, including performances from Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Fats Waller and more. You can get tickets for just the film or enjoy dinner afterwards. Or head out to Hastings and the Alexis Bailey Vineyards for the weekly “Jazz in the Vineyard," today featuring the always up-beat vocals of Barbara Meyer.
Back in town for the evening, catch the Zacc Harris Trio at the Rivervew Wine Bar, now into a second decade of Sunday night gigs.
Monday, August 15.You'll have to consult websites for updates regarding the Spotlight artist at Jazz Central and the featured band on JT's Jazz Implosion at the Icehouse! In the Dunsmore Room, it's another installment of “Laugh the Night Away" with Erin Schwab and Jay Fuchs, voice and piano, and you will laugh the night away! Tuesday, August 16. Big Band night at Jazz Central features the fiery Explosion Big Band(directed by Doug Haining and Scott Agster). At the Dakota, if this is mid-August, then it must be time for an Irv WilliamsBirthday Party! Mr Smooth chalks up number 97 with a cast of musical pals and surely there will be cake!
Wednesday, August 17. Enjoy the sublime interaction of guitar guru Dean Magraw mixes it up with iconic drummer Eric Kamau Gravatt at Vieux Carré.
In the Dunsmore Room at Crooners, trumpeter Adam Meckler launches a new project dubbed Tributary, a nationally based collective whose members mostly share connections to Lawrence Conservatory— Greg Woodsbie (Boston) on piano, former Twin Cities resident Brian Courage (New York) on bass and Derek Dreier (Des Moines) on drums, along with Eau Claire and University of North Texas alum and once-again metro resident Aaron Hedenstrom on sax.
Thursday, August 18. Jazz Central's Vocal Showcase presents the always entertaining Dorothy Doring, who can go from sultry to sassy in a single note. And a series that is not prone to putting vocals in the spotlight, Thursday Night Jazz at Reverie presents the big voice of blues and jazz, Pippi Ardennia, with singer/keyboardist Jo Schad, cellist Luke Pickman and drummer Beth Varela performing “For Peace." And at the Dakota, hard to classify but easy to listen to, vocalist Kandace Springsbrings her jazz-soul-pop sounds to the stage for one night.
Big Gigs This Week
Friday, August 12. At Jazz Central, Master's night features saxophonists Dave Brattain and Joe Mayo lead their band through standards and originals, followed by the 6th installment of “BooBoo's Birthday," a trio project from Edmund Catlin with Levi Schwartzberg (vibes) and Charlie Lincoln (bass), playing their arrangements of a full Monk album.
There's vocal jazz at Parma 8200 with Maud Hixson, and at Vieux Carré with the Jana Nyberg Group featuring Adam Meckler, Matt Peterson and Rodney Ruckus. Trombonist Glen David Andrews will also do some singing at the Dakota as he entertains with high energy, New Orleans style.
At The Bedlam, a double header features the adventurous sonics of DOSH and the cool grooves of Mancrush(Lars-Erik Larson, Bryan Nichols, Zacc Harris and Brandon Wozniak). At Hell's Kitchen, East Side (Reynold Philipsek Saturday, August 13. A new venue for music— Bistro La Roux in Circle Pines—hosts a fine trio with Maud Hixson, Matt Peterson and Robert Bell this afternoon; NOLA cuisine and All-American swinging jazz.
The singers of Jazz Alley—newly formed following the Twin Cities Jazz Festival's “Singers Scat-Off"— return for their weekly brunch gig at Golden's Deli. Maryann Sullivan, Katia Cardenas, Sarah M. Greer get support from pianist Ted Godbout and bassist Jim Chenoweth for this series which will continue at least through the month.
The sounds of New Orleans continue at the Dakota with a visit from the Rebirth Brass Band, the ensemble that really launched the brass band revival about 30 years ago. At the Icehouse, a rare solo show features Chris Lomheim on piano for dinner sets, while at Crooners, the always popular Debbie Duncan maintains a high standard for vocal entertainment.
Saturday Night Jazz at the Black Dog turns things upside down— the early set features the veterans, the magical guitar duo of Joel Shapira and Dean Granros reprising the music of their live recording, Jazz Duets, while the prime time set brings in Hoaxer, a quartet of young guns, all college students— Peter Goggin (U of Michigan) on sax, Will Kjeer (McGill U) on piano, Charlie Lincoln (Berklee College of Music) on bass, and Edmund Catlin (McGill U) on drums.
Always producing interesting music, flautist Bobb Fantauzzo leads the Bobb 3B Three at the Riverview Wine Bar with Max-Finch Raymond on cello and Jonathan Townsend on drums. They're followed by the Sonoglyph Collective melding poetry and music, with Bobb on flutes, Jonathan on drums, Sean Eagan on clarinet, and Aaron Kerr on electric cello, with poets Kathryn Kysar and Lynette Reini-Gandell.
Sunday, August 14. This afternoon, there's a showing of rare “Legends of Jazz" film clips from the collection of jazz and film historian Bob DeFlores at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater, including performances from Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Fats Waller and more. You can get tickets for just the film or enjoy dinner afterwards. Or head out to Hastings and the Alexis Bailey Vineyards for the weekly “Jazz in the Vineyard," today featuring the always up-beat vocals of Barbara Meyer.
Back in town for the evening, catch the Zacc Harris Trio at the Rivervew Wine Bar, now into a second decade of Sunday night gigs.
Monday, August 15.You'll have to consult websites for updates regarding the Spotlight artist at Jazz Central and the featured band on JT's Jazz Implosion at the Icehouse! In the Dunsmore Room, it's another installment of “Laugh the Night Away" with Erin Schwab and Jay Fuchs, voice and piano, and you will laugh the night away! Tuesday, August 16. Big Band night at Jazz Central features the fiery Explosion Big Band(directed by Doug Haining and Scott Agster). At the Dakota, if this is mid-August, then it must be time for an Irv WilliamsBirthday Party! Mr Smooth chalks up number 97 with a cast of musical pals and surely there will be cake!
Wednesday, August 17. Enjoy the sublime interaction of guitar guru Dean Magraw mixes it up with iconic drummer Eric Kamau Gravatt at Vieux Carré.
In the Dunsmore Room at Crooners, trumpeter Adam Meckler launches a new project dubbed Tributary, a nationally based collective whose members mostly share connections to Lawrence Conservatory— Greg Woodsbie (Boston) on piano, former Twin Cities resident Brian Courage (New York) on bass and Derek Dreier (Des Moines) on drums, along with Eau Claire and University of North Texas alum and once-again metro resident Aaron Hedenstrom on sax.
Thursday, August 18. Jazz Central's Vocal Showcase presents the always entertaining Dorothy Doring, who can go from sultry to sassy in a single note. And a series that is not prone to putting vocals in the spotlight, Thursday Night Jazz at Reverie presents the big voice of blues and jazz, Pippi Ardennia, with singer/keyboardist Jo Schad, cellist Luke Pickman and drummer Beth Varela performing “For Peace." And at the Dakota, hard to classify but easy to listen to, vocalist Kandace Springsbrings her jazz-soul-pop sounds to the stage for one night.
