Jazz this week? Something for everyone—CD releases from diverse bands; a visit from the reigning Prince of B-3; a special guest in the Lobby Bar; a favorite venue owner heading his own gig.
Big Gigs This Week
Friday, September 16. CD releases and celebrations fill tonight! At Vieux Carré, it's night #2 celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Atlantis Quartet (Zacc Harris, Brandon Wozniak, Chris Bates and Pete Hennig) and the release of their digital anthology, Atlantis Quartet: X, which offers in full their four releases as well as a half dozen bonus tracks of previously unreleased music. At the Dakota, enjoy back to back parties celebrating new releases from Charanga Tropical and Dan Kusz.
At Jazz Central, the high school jam and masters' series flip their sets. Up first will be a trio featuring Simon Petrick, Ivan Cunningham and Nicholas Christenson that will lead into the high school jam, followed (at 10 pm) by the Master's Series set from Rodney Ruckus and his quartet.
At Parma 8200, Rhonda Laurie brings her savvy vocals to the Lounge, backed by Adi Yeshaya and Keith Boyles; Charmin Michelle finishes her week of Happy Hours in Crooners Lounge; and Bryan Nichols and Dave Karrprovide a sax/piano duo of the best kind at the Icehouse. And at the Weyerhauser Auditorium at Landmark Center, Red House Records presents their season opener with three artists who are as eclectic and jazzy as they are original— Butch Thompson, Dean Magraw and Prudence Johnson.
Saturday, September 17. Jazz Alley, an ensemble that came together during the Twin Cities Jazz Festival's “scat off," continues their weekly gig for brunch at Golden's Deli. In the evening, enjoy Central Standard Time (Steve Kenny, Dave Brattain, Levi Schwartzberg, Kameron Markworth and Cory Healey) as the headline set following the season's first JazzINK Youth Showcase, featuring Simon Petrick's Icky Quartet. This is essentially the same trio that performed at Jazz Central last night (Simon, Ivan Cunningham and Nicholas Christenson), adding in guitar wizard Adam Astrup. Petrick, Cunningham and Astrup will be teammates in the new edition of the Dakota Combo.
In the Lobby Bar, it's usually JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske, but tonight, JoAnn has a night off, and arranged to have veteran Bill Evans acolyte Chris Lomheim at the hotel in her place. Not a bad trade!
A Crooners Lounge favorite, Judi Vinar, returns with the Wolverines Trio, after a special Saturday happy hour with Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson marking the finale of KBEM's Jazz 88 Days of Summer; Bryan Nichols is back at the Icehouse with guitarist Zacc Harris; singing bassist Kate Lynch and Her Most Excellent Fellows entertains at the Aster Cafe; and pianist Benny Weinbeck continues his long-running trio gig in the lounge at Parma 8200.
Sunday, September 18. Special night at the Black Dog, as visiting—Seattle-based composer/keyboardist Wayne Horvitz takes the stage with Merciless Ghost— local heroes Davu Seru, George Cartwright and Josh Granowski. Horvitz is touring all over Minnesota with his 21 Pianos project, described as “a site-specific interaction with an extremely out of tune piano" in 21 towns in MN.
Monday, September 19. Jazz Central shines the spotlight on veteran trumpeter Tom Krochock, heard recently with the Adam Meckler Orchestra. And as always, there will be some sort of improvisational mayhem at the Icehouse for JT's Jazz Implosion.
Monday-Tuesday, September 19-20. He's played the Dakota and the Artists Quarter, and now Iconic B-3 organist Joey DeFrancesco brings his trio (with Troy Roberts on sax and Jason Brown on drums) to the Dunsmore Room for two nights. Joey has been known to also bring his trumpet to the stage, and perhaps he will add some vocals as well. These shows are the part of a transition schedule as the Dunsmore Room prepares to welcome its own piano, a Fred Hersch—approved, 9-foot Steinway D, replacing the very fine Bosendorfer loaned by local pianist Steven C. Anderson. A sure sign that the Dunsmore Room remains committed to great jazz in a great listening space.
Tuesday, September 20. A monthly pairing of the best kind at Vieux Carre, as Mary Louise Knutsonprovides solo piano sets, followed by Connie Evingson's “Hot Jazz," her swinging hot club ensemble. Over at Jazz Central, another monthly pleasure, the Explosion Big Band led by Doug Haining and Scott Agster.
Wednesday, September 21. Monthly at Jazz Central, Pete Whitman presents an ensemble focused on new original music. Tonight, the Chris Lomheim Quintetfills the bill, with pianist/composer Chris joined by Whitman on saxophones, Adam Rossmiller on trumpet, Jay Young on bass and Dave Schmalenberger on drums.
Thursday, September 22. Three artists who were mainstays of the schedule at the Artists Quarter have seldom played together since the club closed three years ago. Now AQ owner and drummer Kenny Horst pulls together a titanic trio with pals Dean Magraw on guitar and Billy Peterson on bass for this week's installment of Thursday Night Jazz at Reverie. At Vieux Carre, Joel Shapirarewards the early birds with some elegant solo guitar.
Big Gigs This Week
Friday, September 16. CD releases and celebrations fill tonight! At Vieux Carré, it's night #2 celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Atlantis Quartet (Zacc Harris, Brandon Wozniak, Chris Bates and Pete Hennig) and the release of their digital anthology, Atlantis Quartet: X, which offers in full their four releases as well as a half dozen bonus tracks of previously unreleased music. At the Dakota, enjoy back to back parties celebrating new releases from Charanga Tropical and Dan Kusz.
At Jazz Central, the high school jam and masters' series flip their sets. Up first will be a trio featuring Simon Petrick, Ivan Cunningham and Nicholas Christenson that will lead into the high school jam, followed (at 10 pm) by the Master's Series set from Rodney Ruckus and his quartet.
At Parma 8200, Rhonda Laurie brings her savvy vocals to the Lounge, backed by Adi Yeshaya and Keith Boyles; Charmin Michelle finishes her week of Happy Hours in Crooners Lounge; and Bryan Nichols and Dave Karrprovide a sax/piano duo of the best kind at the Icehouse. And at the Weyerhauser Auditorium at Landmark Center, Red House Records presents their season opener with three artists who are as eclectic and jazzy as they are original— Butch Thompson, Dean Magraw and Prudence Johnson.
Saturday, September 17. Jazz Alley, an ensemble that came together during the Twin Cities Jazz Festival's “scat off," continues their weekly gig for brunch at Golden's Deli. In the evening, enjoy Central Standard Time (Steve Kenny, Dave Brattain, Levi Schwartzberg, Kameron Markworth and Cory Healey) as the headline set following the season's first JazzINK Youth Showcase, featuring Simon Petrick's Icky Quartet. This is essentially the same trio that performed at Jazz Central last night (Simon, Ivan Cunningham and Nicholas Christenson), adding in guitar wizard Adam Astrup. Petrick, Cunningham and Astrup will be teammates in the new edition of the Dakota Combo.
In the Lobby Bar, it's usually JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske, but tonight, JoAnn has a night off, and arranged to have veteran Bill Evans acolyte Chris Lomheim at the hotel in her place. Not a bad trade!
A Crooners Lounge favorite, Judi Vinar, returns with the Wolverines Trio, after a special Saturday happy hour with Maud Hixson and Rick Carlson marking the finale of KBEM's Jazz 88 Days of Summer; Bryan Nichols is back at the Icehouse with guitarist Zacc Harris; singing bassist Kate Lynch and Her Most Excellent Fellows entertains at the Aster Cafe; and pianist Benny Weinbeck continues his long-running trio gig in the lounge at Parma 8200.
Sunday, September 18. Special night at the Black Dog, as visiting—Seattle-based composer/keyboardist Wayne Horvitz takes the stage with Merciless Ghost— local heroes Davu Seru, George Cartwright and Josh Granowski. Horvitz is touring all over Minnesota with his 21 Pianos project, described as “a site-specific interaction with an extremely out of tune piano" in 21 towns in MN.
Monday, September 19. Jazz Central shines the spotlight on veteran trumpeter Tom Krochock, heard recently with the Adam Meckler Orchestra. And as always, there will be some sort of improvisational mayhem at the Icehouse for JT's Jazz Implosion.
Monday-Tuesday, September 19-20. He's played the Dakota and the Artists Quarter, and now Iconic B-3 organist Joey DeFrancesco brings his trio (with Troy Roberts on sax and Jason Brown on drums) to the Dunsmore Room for two nights. Joey has been known to also bring his trumpet to the stage, and perhaps he will add some vocals as well. These shows are the part of a transition schedule as the Dunsmore Room prepares to welcome its own piano, a Fred Hersch—approved, 9-foot Steinway D, replacing the very fine Bosendorfer loaned by local pianist Steven C. Anderson. A sure sign that the Dunsmore Room remains committed to great jazz in a great listening space.
Tuesday, September 20. A monthly pairing of the best kind at Vieux Carre, as Mary Louise Knutsonprovides solo piano sets, followed by Connie Evingson's “Hot Jazz," her swinging hot club ensemble. Over at Jazz Central, another monthly pleasure, the Explosion Big Band led by Doug Haining and Scott Agster.
Wednesday, September 21. Monthly at Jazz Central, Pete Whitman presents an ensemble focused on new original music. Tonight, the Chris Lomheim Quintetfills the bill, with pianist/composer Chris joined by Whitman on saxophones, Adam Rossmiller on trumpet, Jay Young on bass and Dave Schmalenberger on drums.
Thursday, September 22. Three artists who were mainstays of the schedule at the Artists Quarter have seldom played together since the club closed three years ago. Now AQ owner and drummer Kenny Horst pulls together a titanic trio with pals Dean Magraw on guitar and Billy Peterson on bass for this week's installment of Thursday Night Jazz at Reverie. At Vieux Carre, Joel Shapirarewards the early birds with some elegant solo guitar.
