It might not last but it is nice to see some sunshine as I write this! And we have a lot of sunny music coming our way this weekend with the return of the Twin Cities Winter Jazz Festival in St Paul, along with a variety of our great local artists and visitors gigging into next week. Also a shout out to my parents (age 94 and 95) celebrating their 71st anniversary on January 27, who are fully responsible for my love of music.
Big Gigs This Week
Friday, January 27. Vieux Carre' presents Peter Kogan's smokin' Monsterful Wonderband. The retired Minnesota Orchestra timpanist has turned to jazz in a big way, playing with big talents—Pete Whitman (sax), Adam Rossmiller (trumpet), Scott Agster (trombone), Chris Olson (guitar), Phil Aaron (piano), and Gary Raynor (bass).
Over at the Dakota, another big talent— contemporary jazz king, saxophonist Steve Cole and his Superband, with local pals Patty Peterson on vocals and Ricky Peterson on keys. And the Ordway presents outstanding vocalist Somi— known as the modern-day Miriam Makeba. Born in the U.S. of East African immigrant parents, she's immersed herself in the music of her homeland and effectively blends jazz, soul and African rhythms.
Jeremy Walker starts out the night at Vieux Carre', followed by the always swinging Southside Aces, while duo partners Bryan Nichols and James Buckley work some magic during the dinner sets at the Icehouse.
Saturday, January 28. Saturday Night Jazz at the Black Dog collaborates with the festival, and the usual double header features an opening set from guitarist Tommy Bentzand his quartet (Steve Kenny on FLUMPET, Jason McLean on bass, Alex Burgess on drums), followed by the “Welcome Home" show from drummer Rodney Ruckus and his trio with Javi Santiago on piano and Greg Byers on electric cello. The Ruckus just returned from a tour of the Midwest and West Coast.
Another collaborating festival venue is Golden's Deli in Lowertown, bringing back the vocal ensemble Jazz Alley— Katia Cardenas, Sarah M Greer and Maryann Sullivan. These songbirds came together at the 2016 Twin Cities Jazz Festival “Scat Off" and soon formed a trio playing “in the alley" for Saturday brunch at Goldens and have been on hiatus since the patio closed for the season.
Jon Weber and Friends finish the night at Vieux Carre' with the official Winter Fest jam. It's become tradition for pianist/encyclopedic scholar Weber to host festival jams during the summer jazz festivals, and looks like this tradition will now have a winter edition.
Across town at the Dakota, another welcome back gig— Chicago vocalist Bruce Henry brings to his former home stage a wide-ranging baritone and penchant for beboppish interpretations, and always a topnotch band.
And at Jazz Central, the Minnesota Hard Bop Collective features B3Q, a Hammond B-3 quartet with Abebi Stafford on organ, Cole Mahlum on guitar, Evan Benidt on tenor sax and Collective leader Jesse Simon on drums. The band performs some rarely heard repertoire from the likes of Wes Montgomery, Dexter Gordon and Hank Mobley.
At the Icehouse, enjoy dinner with some sophisticated duets from Patrick Harison on accordion and James Buckley on bass. Or relax in the lounge at Parma 8200 with the weekly gathering of the Benny Weinbeck Trio (with Gordy Johnson and Phil Hey).
And in River Falls, an exciting opportunity to hear the Costa Rican sax and percussion ensemble SONSAX! Hosted by UW-River Falls, the band performs tonight in Abbott Concert Hall on campus.
Saturday-Sunday, January 28-29. Saturday is Winter Fest kickoff on the TPT stage featuring some never-seen classic jazz film clips from Bob DeFlores'archives and interviews from Leigh Kamman's Jazz Image archives, part of the Leigh Kamman Legacy Project. The fest is in full swing Sunday across 4 stages at the Saint Paul Hotel, with the Dakota Combo, Sam Rosenstone, Jon Weber and Patty Peterson's Jazz Women All Starson the ballroom Main Stage; John Pennyfollowed by Andrew Walesch with Dave Karron the Summit Room Stage; Peter Kogan's Monsterful Wonderband and the Ted Olsen ensemble on the M Street Cafe Stage; and JoAnn Funk Trio in the Lobby Bar.
Headliner Nicholas Payton and his Afro-Caribbean Mixtape (ACM) wrap it up the Ballroom at 7 pm. In addition to his well-deserved reputation as one of the genre's top trumpeters and composers, Payton of late has added keyboards and vocals to much of his work, and brings ACM's debut recording to St. Paul prior to its public release in two weeks. There's also two great sets of jazz on the Winter Carnival's Treasure Island Entertainment Stage (outdoors) in Rice Park during Sunday afternoon, featuring the Walker West Jazz Ensemble followed by the McNasty Brass. The forecast suggests it will be a good afternoon to explore Rice Park in between the indoor sets at the hotel.
Sunday, January 29. Not all the music is at the Winter Jazz Fest today. At the Dakota, enjoy the return of the great guitar and vocal duo, Tuck and Patti. Guitarist Tuck Andress is a virtuoso performer whose sleight-of-hand is simply mesmerizing; vocalist Patti Cathcart puts a gospel spin on her incredible voice, but is also the writer and arranger for this partnership of nearly 40 years, on and off stage.
In the Dunsmore Room, Erin Schwab joins Dan Chouinard for The Birthday Club, followed by the weekly gig with vocalist/entertainer Jennifer Grimm.
Monday, January 30. This week's installment of Jazz Implosion at the Icehouse is a CD release show for Twin Cities native Matty Harris's Double Septet—what he describes as “psychodelic chamber jazz." Expect Harris to wield at least four reeds.
Monday-Wednesday, January 30-February 1. Monday starts a three-night run at the Dakota for always entertaining Nellie McKay— vocalist, pianist, ukulele specialist and comedienne. She's bringing her show “A Girl Named Bill", about Billy Tipton, a little known mid-20th century bandleader who was assumed to be a man until his death, when it was discovered that he was really a woman. Nellie assembles music from Jelly Roll Morton, Oko Ono, Cindy Walker, and her own compositions, covering the theme of living with secrets.
Tuesday, January 31. Chris Lomheim opens on solo piano followed by JT Bates and his Grain trio (Kevin Gastonguay on B-3, Zacc Harris on guitar) at Vieux Carre', while the Aaron Hedenstrom Orchestra fills the 5th Tuesday slot for Big Band Night at Jazz Central. Wednesday, February 1. A new group dubbed SPAT is on stage at Jazz Central, with some young guns— Andrew Tomten (sax), Patrick Adkins (piano), Drew Stinson (bass), and Tarek Abdelqader (drums). At Vieux Carre', trumpeter Zack Lozier shines with his trio (a rotating cast of pianists and bassists).
Thursday, February 2. Their appearances are too few and far between these days- Red Planet, the long-running trio of Dean Magraw, Chris Bates and Jay Epstein, brings their unique brand of jazz telepathy to Thursday Night Jazz at Reverie.
The trombone-wielding Potash Twins return to the Dakota, and the Jacob Hanson Triodebuts at Crooners Lounge, with versatile guitarist Jacob mixing it up with brother Jeremy on drums and James Buckley on bass.
Big Gigs This Week
Friday, January 27. Vieux Carre' presents Peter Kogan's smokin' Monsterful Wonderband. The retired Minnesota Orchestra timpanist has turned to jazz in a big way, playing with big talents—Pete Whitman (sax), Adam Rossmiller (trumpet), Scott Agster (trombone), Chris Olson (guitar), Phil Aaron (piano), and Gary Raynor (bass).
Over at the Dakota, another big talent— contemporary jazz king, saxophonist Steve Cole and his Superband, with local pals Patty Peterson on vocals and Ricky Peterson on keys. And the Ordway presents outstanding vocalist Somi— known as the modern-day Miriam Makeba. Born in the U.S. of East African immigrant parents, she's immersed herself in the music of her homeland and effectively blends jazz, soul and African rhythms.
Jeremy Walker starts out the night at Vieux Carre', followed by the always swinging Southside Aces, while duo partners Bryan Nichols and James Buckley work some magic during the dinner sets at the Icehouse.
Saturday, January 28. Saturday Night Jazz at the Black Dog collaborates with the festival, and the usual double header features an opening set from guitarist Tommy Bentzand his quartet (Steve Kenny on FLUMPET, Jason McLean on bass, Alex Burgess on drums), followed by the “Welcome Home" show from drummer Rodney Ruckus and his trio with Javi Santiago on piano and Greg Byers on electric cello. The Ruckus just returned from a tour of the Midwest and West Coast.
Another collaborating festival venue is Golden's Deli in Lowertown, bringing back the vocal ensemble Jazz Alley— Katia Cardenas, Sarah M Greer and Maryann Sullivan. These songbirds came together at the 2016 Twin Cities Jazz Festival “Scat Off" and soon formed a trio playing “in the alley" for Saturday brunch at Goldens and have been on hiatus since the patio closed for the season.
Jon Weber and Friends finish the night at Vieux Carre' with the official Winter Fest jam. It's become tradition for pianist/encyclopedic scholar Weber to host festival jams during the summer jazz festivals, and looks like this tradition will now have a winter edition.
Across town at the Dakota, another welcome back gig— Chicago vocalist Bruce Henry brings to his former home stage a wide-ranging baritone and penchant for beboppish interpretations, and always a topnotch band.
And at Jazz Central, the Minnesota Hard Bop Collective features B3Q, a Hammond B-3 quartet with Abebi Stafford on organ, Cole Mahlum on guitar, Evan Benidt on tenor sax and Collective leader Jesse Simon on drums. The band performs some rarely heard repertoire from the likes of Wes Montgomery, Dexter Gordon and Hank Mobley.
At the Icehouse, enjoy dinner with some sophisticated duets from Patrick Harison on accordion and James Buckley on bass. Or relax in the lounge at Parma 8200 with the weekly gathering of the Benny Weinbeck Trio (with Gordy Johnson and Phil Hey).
And in River Falls, an exciting opportunity to hear the Costa Rican sax and percussion ensemble SONSAX! Hosted by UW-River Falls, the band performs tonight in Abbott Concert Hall on campus.
Saturday-Sunday, January 28-29. Saturday is Winter Fest kickoff on the TPT stage featuring some never-seen classic jazz film clips from Bob DeFlores'archives and interviews from Leigh Kamman's Jazz Image archives, part of the Leigh Kamman Legacy Project. The fest is in full swing Sunday across 4 stages at the Saint Paul Hotel, with the Dakota Combo, Sam Rosenstone, Jon Weber and Patty Peterson's Jazz Women All Starson the ballroom Main Stage; John Pennyfollowed by Andrew Walesch with Dave Karron the Summit Room Stage; Peter Kogan's Monsterful Wonderband and the Ted Olsen ensemble on the M Street Cafe Stage; and JoAnn Funk Trio in the Lobby Bar.
Headliner Nicholas Payton and his Afro-Caribbean Mixtape (ACM) wrap it up the Ballroom at 7 pm. In addition to his well-deserved reputation as one of the genre's top trumpeters and composers, Payton of late has added keyboards and vocals to much of his work, and brings ACM's debut recording to St. Paul prior to its public release in two weeks. There's also two great sets of jazz on the Winter Carnival's Treasure Island Entertainment Stage (outdoors) in Rice Park during Sunday afternoon, featuring the Walker West Jazz Ensemble followed by the McNasty Brass. The forecast suggests it will be a good afternoon to explore Rice Park in between the indoor sets at the hotel.
Sunday, January 29. Not all the music is at the Winter Jazz Fest today. At the Dakota, enjoy the return of the great guitar and vocal duo, Tuck and Patti. Guitarist Tuck Andress is a virtuoso performer whose sleight-of-hand is simply mesmerizing; vocalist Patti Cathcart puts a gospel spin on her incredible voice, but is also the writer and arranger for this partnership of nearly 40 years, on and off stage.
In the Dunsmore Room, Erin Schwab joins Dan Chouinard for The Birthday Club, followed by the weekly gig with vocalist/entertainer Jennifer Grimm.
Monday, January 30. This week's installment of Jazz Implosion at the Icehouse is a CD release show for Twin Cities native Matty Harris's Double Septet—what he describes as “psychodelic chamber jazz." Expect Harris to wield at least four reeds.
Monday-Wednesday, January 30-February 1. Monday starts a three-night run at the Dakota for always entertaining Nellie McKay— vocalist, pianist, ukulele specialist and comedienne. She's bringing her show “A Girl Named Bill", about Billy Tipton, a little known mid-20th century bandleader who was assumed to be a man until his death, when it was discovered that he was really a woman. Nellie assembles music from Jelly Roll Morton, Oko Ono, Cindy Walker, and her own compositions, covering the theme of living with secrets.
Tuesday, January 31. Chris Lomheim opens on solo piano followed by JT Bates and his Grain trio (Kevin Gastonguay on B-3, Zacc Harris on guitar) at Vieux Carre', while the Aaron Hedenstrom Orchestra fills the 5th Tuesday slot for Big Band Night at Jazz Central. Wednesday, February 1. A new group dubbed SPAT is on stage at Jazz Central, with some young guns— Andrew Tomten (sax), Patrick Adkins (piano), Drew Stinson (bass), and Tarek Abdelqader (drums). At Vieux Carre', trumpeter Zack Lozier shines with his trio (a rotating cast of pianists and bassists).
Thursday, February 2. Their appearances are too few and far between these days- Red Planet, the long-running trio of Dean Magraw, Chris Bates and Jay Epstein, brings their unique brand of jazz telepathy to Thursday Night Jazz at Reverie.
The trombone-wielding Potash Twins return to the Dakota, and the Jacob Hanson Triodebuts at Crooners Lounge, with versatile guitarist Jacob mixing it up with brother Jeremy on drums and James Buckley on bass.
