bebopified

New e.s.t. studio album to be released at the end of March

2012-01-26T06:55:00.000-08:00

Awesome news from B.H. Hopper Management: A new e.s.t. studio album, "301," with all-original, never-before-released compositions, will be in stores on March 30, 2012 worldwide.

The press release:

In January 2007 e.s.t. were on tour in Asia and Australia performing shows in Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Jakarta, Perth and Sydney. It was their third tour of Japan and their second time on the fifth continent and the venues and audiences had become noticeably bigger. Only a few weeks before they had finished their triumphant tour of Germany performing their now legendary “Live in Hamburg” concert (awarded ‘Album of the Decade’ by the London TIMES). It was undoubtedly the prime time of the style defining jazz band of the Noughties.

Esbjörn Svensson, Magnus Öström and Dan Berglund decided to rent the famous Studio 301 in Sydney for their off-days in the middle of the Australian tour and jammed for two consecutive days to develop new songs and material. Altogether they recorded 9 hours of music. “Leucocyte” became the first release from this recording and has been praised by critics and fans alike as a ground-breaking work that leads into a new musical universe.

Very soon after the recording Esbjörn Svensson had edited much of the material down to two albums. And so the plan at the time was to release either a double album or two consecutive albums from this recording. The untimely passing of Esbjörn Svensson then disrupted this undertaking and only one of the albums, “Leucocyte”, was released at the time.

The fan community has been longing for access to archival material and recordings ever since. So three years on, in October and November 2011, Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström revisited the material from that recording and together with their regular sound engineer Ake Linton made their own edit for an album which is now called ‘301’ and which will be released on March 30, 2012 worldwide. It contains all original e.s.t. compositions that have never been heard before !!

Svensson perished in a diving accident in June, 2008. "Leucocyte" was released in September of that year. Both Berglund and Öström have since released CDs of their own; Berglund's "Tonbruket" (2010) and "Dig It to the End" (2011), Öström's "Thread of Life" (2011).

Writing yesterday about "301" for the UK's Jazzwise, Jon Newey noted, "The news of its release is set to create a huge buzz in the jazz world where the group left a vast vacuum still to be filled. Word from EST's manager, Burkhard Hopper, suggests '301' falls between the experimentalism of 'Leucocyte' and the classic EST sound of 2007's 'Live in Hamburg,' which was voted in Jazzwise's top three jazz albums of that year and as album of the decade by The Times. Reasons to be very cheerful amidst a month of escalating gloom."

Graydon Peterson on his new band, and his goals

2012-01-20T17:49:00.000-08:00

Graydon Peterson by John Whiting

In late April 2011, I went to see Connie Evingson sing at the Artists’ Quarter in St. Paul. In her band was Graydon Peterson, a first-call bassist for many vocalists in the Twin Cities.

Afterward, while waiting to pay our tab, I ended up standing next to him at the bar.

“This is a bands town,” I said. “When are you going to start your own band?”

It was a casual, making-conversation question to which he replied, in all seriousness, “That’s one of my goals for this year.”

When Peterson sets a goal for himself, he follows through. The Graydon Peterson Quartet played their first public gig at the Shanghai Bistro in Hudson, Wisconsin, on October 7. From there, they moved to Jazz Central in Minneapolis on October 25 and The Nicollet Coffee House on November 15.

On Wednesday, January 25, they will make their debut at the Artists’ Quarter, the nationally known jazz club in St. Paul. From zero to 60 in four steps.

It won’t be the first time the individual musicians—Peterson, Adam Meckler on trumpet and flugelhorn, Vincent Rose on guitar, Adrian Suarez on drums—have played the AQ, but it will be their first time as a band.

I was at Jazz Central on October 25 and liked what I heard. I’ve seen Peterson play many times, mostly for singers, and until now he has been in the background. Leading a band playing his music, he was in charge and enjoying himself.

The music was diverse and engaging, sometimes playful, sometimes moody and beautiful, and—the best word I can think of—optimistic. Not upbeat, which sounds like trying too hard, but definitely not a downer.

It was also demanding, both rhythmically and melodically. During the second set, which was stronger than the first, Meckler and Rose were sweating.

Back in April, I asked Peterson if we could talk once his band was up and running. We spoke by phone on the Friday before the AQ date.

PLE: Why did you decide to start a band?

Graydon Peterson: I wanted to express my creativity in a different way. As a sideman, you play your role. Now that I’m in charge of the band, my name is on the front line, I’m writing the tunes, and it’s a different perspective. It feels more open to me.

PLE: Why did you choose these musicians?

GP: They’re all good friends of mine. I knew that in a band, we would push each other to become better musicians and make the music better. There are a lot of fantastic musicians I would like to play with, but I knew these people were also looking to be in a group instead of just getting together and playing tunes. I knew the four of us wanted to have a group and make a group sound.

PLE: Do you have a particular sound in mind?

GP: Not really. It’s more about having our ears open and trying to make it work. We’re all listening at the same time, trying to figure it out.

PLE: You play only original music, specifically your original music and arrangements. Why no standards?

GP: I made a decision to not play standards. I want all of us to be taking a fresh approach to the music. If you’re playing a standard, everyone knows the intro, everyone knows the chorus. You know that Miles played it this way or someone else played it that way. It’s easy to play a solo—you end up quoting it by accident.

PLE: At Jazz Central in October, you played your own arrangements of two covers, “Velveteen” by a grunge band called Sponge and “The Working Hour” by Tears for Fears. How do you decide on covers you want to arrange?

GP: The ones you heard were tunes from the past that have been stuck in my brain for years. Sometimes I’ll remember every note of a particular tune. Obviously, something is sticking with me. To remember a tune that way means we should probably play it. For newer stuff, if something grabs me, I might want to arrange that. I was listening to something the other day and one track immediately pulled me in.

PLE: What was it?

GP: It was something by a band called Rubble Bucket. Really poppy.

PLE: What kinds of music do you listen to?

GP: As much diverse stuff as possible. If I find myself getting into a rut and only listening to jazz, I know it’s time to switch to classical for a bit, or electronic, or pop—anything. What I listen to affects how I play. If I listen to jazz constantly, I play too much bebop.

PLE: Is the Graydon Peterson Quartet a jazz band?

GP: I wish we didn’t have to label music. It locks you into a specific sound. But I guess we do. There are so many elements of improvisation in our band that I guess we would call it a jazz band. But not everything is going to be swing, which usually defines jazz. I would like to use the general term “music.”

PLE: What brought you to jazz? Was there a special moment or a turning point for you?

GP: I played electric bass in high school, in pep band, but I didn’t know anything about jazz. I played rock music and fooled around at home. Then the jazz band director at my school saw me at pep band and said, “You should play bass in the jazz band.” I told him I didn’t know anything about jazz, and he said, “Don’t worry about it. You’ll figure it out.” I went in and we played a couple of tunes and I liked it. I liked how it was free.

From there, the band director pushed me. “You should try out for the all-state jazz band.” I didn’t know anything, but he said I should do it anyway. The audition was almost all ear. “Play something underneath this … Give me a different beat to this … Now we’re going to play a blues.” There was no music. That was interesting.

I made it into the band, and I loved it. That was probably the moment—when I went to the first rehearsal for the all-state jazz band and thought, “Holy crap, this is fun.”

PLE: What kind of sound are you going for in your quartet?

GP: There are plenty of bands I like, but I’m not trying to sound like any of them. When I’m writing music, I’ll take the approach of a certain band. If I’m listening to The Bad Plus, I’ll try to write a tune in that style. But I’ll make it sound like our band instead of The Bad Plus.

Lately, the music of [trumpeter] Ambrose Akinmusire has been extremely influential to me. It’s mesmerizing.

PLE: Do you find any bass players especially inspiring?

GP: I haven’t listened to bass players specifically for a while. But I do have some favorites. Larry Grenadier. The Fly trio, with Grenadier [and Mark Turner and Jeff Ballard].

PLE: What is it like to play your own music, and to hear other musicians play it?

GP: It’s the same as playing any other music—I know how it goes because I wrote it. At the same time, I’m still using my ears to figure out what everybody else is doing and make it all work as a group. Listening to other people play it is fun. They’ll play stuff I wasn’t thinking about. That’s the whole point, the reason I chose these guys.

PLE: Are you happy with your group sound?

GP: Oh, for sure. We have a long way to go, and we have to play a lot more, but some of the tunes are really taking off.

PLE: What will we hear at the Artists’ Quarter?

GP: Lots of new material. My goal last year was to write 20 tunes. I made it to 17 by the end of the year. I’m working on another now, and a new arrangement. So I’m close to 19.

PLE: What are your goals for the band?

GP: I want to get these tunes sounding good enough that we can make a CD. I would like a document, a time stamp, something that says, “This is what we sounded like then.” It’ll be fun to listen to years from now, when we’re doing completely different stuff.

PLE: So you see this as a long-term band?

GP: I hope so … Another goal I have: I would like any person who likes music to come down to hear us and take something away, have an experience they can relate to, find something they like. Not just jazz people. Anybody who likes music.

I’m trying to make the music very emotional. When I write, I’m going more by instinct and trying not to use my brain so much. I’m using my ears and not thinking so much. I still want to make the tunes interesting, but not to the point where it’s all numbers and math. I’m trying to tap different emotions.

This week's jazz picks and news

2012-01-20T07:48:00.000-08:00

Tonight (Friday, Jan. 20), Nichola Miller and Katie Gearty share the stage at the Crooked Pint. Both are fine, grown-up, passionate singers who can raise the hair on the back of your neck. With Tanner Taylor on piano, Keith Boyles on bass, Trevor Haining on drums. 9 p.m. No cover.

On Saturday, the MacPhail Center for Music faculty celebrates George Gershwin in a program called "By George!" His music will be arranged for two pianos, accompanied by strings, winds, and voices. The concert takes place in MacPhail's Antonello Hall, one of my favorite venues. 8 p.m. $20 adults/$15 youth and seniors.

Music in a two-acre tropical garden in St. Paul in the dead of winter? Thank you, Como Park Conservatory. Its "Music Under Glass" series continues on Sunday with Rhizosphere, an improvisatory quartet that blends world music with jazz, folk, and the blues. With Bobb Fantauzzo (of JazZen) on Native American and Chinese flutes, Gabriela Sweet on slide guitar and accordion, Mike Bruns on guitar, Sean Egan on clarinet. Coming up: the Café Accordion Orchestra, the Robb Henry Trio, the Daddy Squeeze Trio, and Gnarl. 5 p.m. Free.

On Tuesday, the New York-based vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Raul Midon comes to the Dakota. He’s been here a few times before and I have always missed him. I caught about 10 minutes of his performance at last year’s Monterey Jazz Festival and vowed never to make that mistake again. Silky, soulful tenor. Wonderfully percussive guitar style. And “improvisational mouth horn”—vocal bebop trumpet solos. 7 p.m., $30.

Also on Tuesday, the live jazz continues at the Nicollet coffee house on the corner of Nicollet and Franklin. This time, it’s singer Maryann Sullivan, known to KBEM listeners as the host of "Corner Jazz" and "On the Local Corner," now heard on Monday nights. There’s a big wooden dance floor, lovely floor-to-ceiling windows, and hot coffee to enjoy along with the music. A cozy place to go on a winter’s night. 7 p.m. No cover.

On Wednesday and Thursday, singer/songwriter/pianist/ukelele player Nellie McKay returns to the Dakota with a performance the New Yorker described as "part seedy cabaret, part existential meditation, and all musical exploration ... a brilliant piece of theater." She has taken the 1958 movie I Want to Live!, about the third woman to die in the gas chamber at San Quentin, and turned it into a cabaret show. It sounds deliciously weird, thought-provoking, and puzzling. 7 p.m. $35.

Also on Wednesday, the Graydon Peterson Quartet performs at the Artists’ Quarter. This brand-new band, begun by bassist Peterson (who’s usually seen backing singers), plays all-original music by Peterson. I saw them in October at Jazz Central and liked them a lot. Read an interview here later today. 9 p.m. $5.

On Friday, Jan. 27: the inimitable, the delightful, the totally squeezeboxy Accordion-O-Rama! returns to Crossings at Carnegie in Zumbrota. I loved this when I heard it in 2010 on a balmy autumn night in October. Not so sure about heading down the highway at 90 below, but I'll be there in spirit. Crossings at Carnegie is a former Carnegie library turned gift shop and live music venue. This year's players: Dan Newton, Dee Langley, Gary Powell, and Bob Walser. 7:30 p.m. $18 advance/$20 day of show.

The headliners for this year's Twin Cities Jazz Festival have been announced: Cuban drummer Francisco Mela, the Delfeayo Marsalis Octet, and The Bad Plus with saxophonist Joshua Redman.

Check the live jazz calendar on KBEM's website for even more jazzy goodness. Got gigs? Send an email to jazz88calendar@gmail.com.

The Bryan Nichols Quintet + 1 at the AQ

2012-01-16T19:13:00.000-08:00

Sunday, January 15, 2012, playing the music of Keith Jarrett's American Quartet. It was h-h-h-h-hot.

L to R: Bryan Nichols, James Buckley, Michael Lewis, JT Bates,
Brandon Wozniak, and Jay Epstein by John Whiting

Jon Weber at the AQ: Concert review

2012-01-14T11:32:00.000-08:00

Jon Weber by John Whiting

An evening with pianist Jon Weber is not to be missed. Witty, brainy, intimate, and enormously entertaining, it’s part concert, part music history class.

Weber engages the audience from the start, asking “What should I play? In what key?” He knows literally thousands of tunes and quotes liberally, so by the end of one you’ve heard bits and phrases from several. He tells you when each song was written, by whom, whether it came from a movie or a musical, when the composer was born, and what else he wrote, accompanied by musical examples.

I wonder how he sleeps, with so much knowledge and so many facts crammed into his head, pushing and shoving and clamoring to get out.

While Weber’s performance borders on shtick—that’s the “show-business routine” meaning, not the “gimmick or gag” meaning—it never crosses over because he is so deeply and seriously musical. His playing is impeccable, his technique awe-inspiring, whether dashing through notes at top speed or interpreting “Autumn in New York” so tenderly and expressively that you stop breathing.

Maud Hixson by John Whiting

He’s also very funny. Following his own combination of Jobim’s “Wave” and Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” (strange, but it works), he mentions that he once thought the words to the latter were “Smell Cousin Walter.” He promises to give himself a 15-yard penalty if he uses the same musical quote more than once. He demonstrates the “sneaky fill”—where all the music happens in the right hand—by lifting his left hand high and mugging. He tosses off bon mots, like “Sometimes choosing the key is the hardest choice of all.”

Last night at the Artists’ Quarter, we experienced Weber’s customary romp through jazz, with bonuses. For part of the evening, he played solo; for part, with old pals Billy Peterson on bass and Kenny Horst on drums. Singers Maud Hixson and Alicia Renee were in the house; each was invited up to the stage. Hixson chose Irving Berlin’s “I Love a Piano”—in part, I’m sure, because of this verse and Weber’s signature ponytail:

And with the pedal I love to meddle

When Paderewski comes this way

I’m so delighted if I’m invited

To hear that long-haired genius play.

Alicia Renee by John Whiting

In the second set, she returned for “While We’re Young.” Renee brought her big, beautiful voice to “Ain’t Misbehavin’.”

The best surprise of the night: young pianist Witness Matlou, originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, now on full scholarship at Berklee, who drove up from Iowa (where he spent a year as an exchange student at Drake) to see Weber. Matlou played the standard “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise,” and even the chatty table behind us quieted down as he made it a masterpiece of spacious understatement, playing behind the beat, swinging hard. Peterson and Horst were right there with him. Wish I’d recorded it. (Don Berryman, maybe you did?) Matlou has several videos on YouTube of varying quality; go here for a recent example of his playing. I’ll be disappointed if we don’t see more of him soon.

Related: Jon Weber's "Piano Jazz Rising Stars" radio show, now airing on KBEM at 10 p.m. on Saturday nights.

Jazz comes to the Lex

2012-01-14T10:17:00.000-08:00

Arne Fogel by John Whiting

Heavy double doors open to a world of dark wood, beamed ceilings, classic food and cocktails (including ice cream drinks--Pink Cadillac, anyone?).

Founded in 1935, frozen in time, the Lexington Restaurant has had just three owners in its long and storied history. It's a St. Paul tradition, the place to go for important lunches and dinners, family events, meetings, celebrations, receptions, reunions, wakes, to talk politics, to see and be seen. And now, to hear live jazz.

If anyplace cries out for the Great American Songbook, it's the Lex, especially its elegant Williamsburg Room. Period light fixtures, handcrafted cherry woodwork and beams, serpentine bar, stained glass windows, grand piano. Make mine a Manhattan, no bitters, while someone sings "Cheek to Cheek" or "Stardust," "I Fall in Love Too Easily" or "As Time Goes By."

Beginning with two nights in February, moving to twice a week in March, Arne Fogel will curate a new series of vocal jazz performances in the Williamsburg Room, most often accompanied by piano and bass. The music starts at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 10:30.

The schedule so far:

--Saturday, February 4: Arne Fogel with Steve Pikal, bass, and piano TBA
--Tuesday, February 14 (Valentine's Day): Arne Fogel and Maud Hixson with Rick Carlson and Steve Pikal
--Every Thursday and Saturday beginning in March. March 1 and 3: Maud Hixson. March 15 and 17: Arne Fogel. March 22 and 24: Patty Peterson.

Others TBA. He'll be mixing it up, but the Great American Songbook will be the core of the program.

"The new owners of the Lexington want the ambience and sophistication that comes with those great songs and that great music," Fogel said. "And the Williamsburg is not a TV room. Thank God for that."

This week's jazz picks and news

2012-01-13T10:42:00.000-08:00

Tonight (Friday, Jan. 13), pianist Jon Weber returns to the Artists' Quarter. Formerly of Chicago, now based in NYC, he's a regular at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, and before his performance, the headliners for the 2012 festival will be announced. I've seen Weber play several times and it's always new--new songs, new quotes within songs, new composers whose birthdays he knows, new versions of old favorites, played in any key. (Famously, he often asks the audience, "How would you like me to play this? With one flat, two flats, five flats?") After subbing now and then for Marian McPartland on her iconic NPR program "Piano Jazz," he was recently tapped to head a new series for NPR called "Piano Jazz Rising Stars." It airs locally on KBEM at 10 p.m. on Saturdays. Listen to Neal Conan's interview with Weber here. AQ, 9 p.m., $10.

Tomorrow night:

--The JazzMN Orchestra performs at the Roseville Winter Jazz Blast with special guest Mike Stern, a guitarist whose career includes time with Blood, Sweat and Tears and Miles Davis. Northwestern College's Maranatha Hall, 7:30 p.m., $17/$15 TCJS members/$7 students.

--Bach meets jazz when Framework (Chris Olson on guitar, Chris Bates on bass, Jay Epstein on drums) goes mano-a-mano with a Baroque ensemble (viola, viola da Gamba, harpsichord) led by Bach Society artistic director Paul Boehnke. Bach's music will be played in both traditional and nontraditional ways. Could be a mash-up. Celtic Junction, 8 p.m., $20/$15 seniors/$5 students.

--Pianist Richard Johnson plays the music of Bernstein's West Side Story. Johnson is an alum of the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He'll be joined by Graydon Peterson on bass, Reid Kennedy on drums. AQ, 9 p.m., $12.

BTW, Weber and Johnson are the only touring jazz artists we'll see in the Twin Cities until Jan. 24, when Raul Midon comes to the Dakota. Lucky for us, many fine jazz musicians live and work here. But we need the touring artists, too.

Might as well call next week Scott Agster Week. The trombonist/educator/composer headlines Monday night at Jazz Central. 8:30, no cover. On Tuesday, you can hear him with the NOLA-style Jack Brass Band at the Driftwood Char Bar. Their regular weekly gig starts at 9-ish, no cover. And on Thursday, he's with Snowblind at the Artist's Quarter. Snowblind is a band with a shiny front line: Shilad Sen on tenor sax, Adam Rosmiller on trumpet, Agster on bone. 9 p.m., $5.

Wednesday night (Jan. 18) was originally scheduled as a CD release for Parker Paisley, guitarist Park Evans’s band with Brandon Wozniak, Adam Wozniak, and Pete Hennig. The CD release has been postponed, probably until next month, but the band will play at Café Maude starting at 7 p.m. No cover.

A modest proposal for those going to Maude on nights with live music: If you want to listen, ask to be seated near the music and they will be happy to accommodate you. If you want to talk, ask to be seated away from the music. Most non-concert-hall venues (bars, cafés, restaurants, coffee shops, clubs) have places to sit if what you want is background music for a social evening.

Thursday night (Jan. 19), the Atlantis Quartet performs at the Dakota. Their latest CD, Lines in the Sand, was one of my Top 10 picks for 2011. Atlantis is Zacc Harris on guitar, Brandon Wozniak on saxophone, Chris Bates on bass, and newlywed Pete Hennig on drums. 8 p.m., $5.

I’m very pleased to say that saxophonist John Devine is back and, in his words, “giggin’ again.” He’s at the First Course Bistro Friday starting at 7 p.m. No cover, reservations recommended (small room).

On Saturday, vocalist Paula Lammers is the featured artist in the Jazz @ St. Barney’s series in Plymouth at St. Barnabas Center for the Arts. She’ll perform with Mary Louise Knutson on piano, Jason McLean on bass, and Nathan Norman on drums. The music starts at 7 p.m., and this is a family-friendly show. $10 adults/$7 TCJS members/$5 students.

Also on Saturday, members of the MacPhail faculty will celebrate the music of George Gershwin in a program called “By George.” That starts at 8 p.m., and for more information, visit MacPhail's website or the live jazz calendar.

You’ll find the live jazz calendar on KBEM’s website. Go to the home page, look for Live Music Calendars, and click on Jazz. If you’re a jazz musician who wants your gigs listed there, send an email to jazz88calendar@gmail.com.

One more thing: Next week, I start a new gig for MinnPost. I'll be writing more about all the arts, less about jazz specifically. But I'll be an arts writer who believes that jazz is worth covering, not treating as a narrow niche interest. The live jazz calendar will continue, as will this blog and the radio bits.

Christian McBride's hat

2012-01-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

Because Christian loves a good cigar and acts as a spokesman for Davidoff, his hat is based on the Davidoff Private Label cigar band.

Related: Doug Haining's hat

Christine Rosholt, remembered with music and tears

2012-01-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

Tanner Taylor

Christine would have loved it. The Dakota was SRO, those without reservations (at least a hundred, maybe more) being turned away and told to come back at 9:30 (many did).

Musicians and singers were everywhere—on stage, at tables, gathered outside the Green Room and at the bar.

Club owner Lowell Pickett flew back early from the annual APAP conference in NYC, skipping the NEA Jazz Masters program in the Rose Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

So did pianist/composer George Maurer. I’ve never seen Scott Seekins at the Dakota; he was there, too.

We came to remember and honor singer Christine Rosholt, who died at the end of December, a week before her birthday, a victim of depression. (As was Susannah McCorkle.)

Emceed by Maryann Sullivan, the evening began with a moment of silence and a few words from Christine’s father. Then the “Christine Rosholt Band”—Tanner Taylor and later Chris Lomheim on piano, Graydon Peterson on bass, Vinnie Rose on guitar, Dave Karr and Doug Haining on saxophone, Dave Jensen on trumpet, Mac Santiago alternating with Jay Epstein on drums—played and played for a parade of singers: Nichola Miller, newlywed Rachel Holder Hennig, Katie Gearty, Arne Fogel, Sophia Shorai, Patty Peterson, Rhonda Laurie, Paula Lammers, Lawrence Hutera, Tresa Sauer, Maryann Sullivan, Vicky Mountain.

Kevin Hall, whom Christine always called “Kevin Hall from London!” (complete with exclamation point), flew in to perform songs from Pazz, his CD with Christine. He last performed at the Dakota at the official CD release on December 1. It must have been terribly difficult for him to return under these circumstances. He shared the most stories about Christine.

L to R: Katie Gearty, Vinnie Rose, Graydon Peterson

A third set, a jam session, brought Maurer, J.D. Steele, and Debbie Duncan to the stage. Scott Fultz, Zacc Harris, Dorothy Doring, Lee Engele, Connie Olson, Ginger Commodore, Lila Ammons, and Connie Evingson were in the house, as were Larry Englund from KFAI, Michele Jansen from KBEM, and many people from MinnPost, where Christine had become a member of the family.

It was an evening full of emotion, in the crowd and on the stage. The performances were generous and heartfelt. It’s hard to sing when your eyes are filling and your throat is tightening, but that’s what you do. All of the singers gave their best, but three stood out for me. Katie Gearty, whose father died unexpectedly the same day as Christine, must have summoned heroic reserves to make it through the night. Patty Peterson, who nearly died in 2007 from an aortic aneurysm and ever since has championed life and love, sang “The Last Goodbye,” the now-prophetic final track from Pazz, and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Both were brave performances, and searingly honest. And Sophia Shorai gave an aching and luminous reading of Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile,” after which she turned, quickly left the stage through the curtain, and burst into tears.

Sophia Shorai

If Christine had known how many people cared for her, and respected her, and thoroughly enjoyed her performances, would that have made a difference? According to those who know about depression, how pitiless and painful it is, probably not. In the awful wake of her death, littered with if-onlys, what-ifs, and grief, we can, as Patty suggested, love each other more. We can, as Maryann said a week or so ago, be more willing to reach out to a troubled friend or acquaintance.

We can also celebrate the living, people we love who are still with us, whose work and example have shaped our music scene. What about a tribute to Irv Williams? To Marv Dahlgren who, at age 87, will lead a worldwide “Hunger Beat Down” this Saturday? At 80, saxophonist Dave Karr has his own tribute band, playing the music of Gerry Mulligan. As I watched him last night at the Dakota and recalled times I’d seen him with Christine, I thought—let’s throw a party for Dave.

Related: StarTribune columnist Gail Rosenblum has written a lovely piece about Christine.
Photos by John Whiting.

Kevin Hall

This week's jazz picks and news

2012-01-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

Tonight (Friday, Jan. 6) at the Black Dog in St. Paul’s Lowertown: George Cartwright, Pat Moriarty, and Nathan Hanson on saxophones, Pat O'Keefe on clarinets, Davu Seru on drums. What an enticing lineup. Part of the Community Pool: Deep End series of improvised music being curated by Nathan Hanson and Brian Roessler, who say, “Expect to be challenged and soothed, not necessarily in that order.” 8 p.m.-ish, tip jar.

Tonight and Saturday at the Artists’ Quarter in St. Paul: the Laura Caviani Quartet. Laura is such an elegant, tasteful pianist, and she chooses wonderful musicians to accompany her. This weekend it’s Chris Bates on bass, Phil Hey on drums, and Dave Hagedorn on vibes. They’re playing a program called “From Bach to Bop,” which Laura describes as “new arrangements inspired by classical piano works from her childhood.” If you’ve ever heard John Lewis play Bach, or Jacques Loussier, this could be similar—or not. Bach with a hint of Monk? 9 p.m., $10.

On Tuesday night, Twin Cities jazz artists and fans will pay tribute to singer Christine Rosholt, who died suddenly at the end of December. Many people who knew her and performed with her over the years will gather at the Dakota to honor her memory with music. We’re expecting Tanner Taylor, who was her most frequent accompanist on piano, and Graydon Peterson, her usual bass player, along with Mac Santiago, Dave Karr, Dave Jensen, Kevin Hall’s Pazz Band, Sophia Shorai, Nichola Miller, Arne Fogel, Katie Gearty, Five by Design, Maryann Sullivan, Doug Haining, Rhonda Laurie, Paula Lammers, and more. There’s no cover charge, but donations can be made to the Hennepin Health Foundation, Christine Rosholt Act of Kindness Fund. Starts at 7 p.m. Note: Christine’s family will hold a visitation and memorial service at Washburn-McReavy Southeast Chapel in Minneapolis earlier that day. The visitation is at 3 p.m., the service at 4 p.m.

News: The Tuesday Night Band has ended its tenure at the Artist’s Quarter after 15 years—the longest-running music gig in the Twin Cities. The band will return from time to time, but if you’ve been thinking about going on Tuesday nights, sorry, too late. Tip: Don’t think a regular gig will be around forever. Remember the Clown? The Hotel Sofitel?

On Wednesday, Jan. 11, Dean Magraw and Davu Seru deliver their unique blend of melody and meditation at the Nomad World Pub in Minneapolis. Arrive early and sit close so you don’t miss a note. P.S. The Nomad Jazz Series is now on winter hours; the music starts an hour earlier and doesn’t run quite so late. A smart move for what will one day be our usual frozen wasteland. 9 p.m., no cover.

Friday the 13th is a lucky day for Twin Cities music fans as pianist Jon Weber returns to the Artists’ Quarter. Formerly of Chicago, now based in NYC, Weber has been a regular part of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival for years. He can play almost any song in any key, plus tell you who wrote it when and mention in passing the composers’ birthdays. If that makes him sound like a sideshow act, he is most definitely not. He’s a brilliant and engaging pianist who recently began hosting a new program for NPR called “Piano Jazz Rising Stars.” 9 p.m., $10.

News: “Piano Jazz Rising Stars” has just been added to KBEM’s programming and will air on Saturday evenings at 10 p.m. beginning January 7 (tomorrow).

News: If you’re going to Jon Weber, plan to arrive by 8:30, when the headliners for the 2012 Twin Cities Jazz Festival will be announced.

On Saturday, the JazzMN Orchestra will perform at the Roseville Winter Jazz Blast with special guest, guitarist Mike Stern. Stern’s career started with Blood, Sweat, and Tears; he later performed with Miles Davis, the Brecker Brothers, and the Yellowjackets. Maranatha Hall, Northwestern College, Roseville. 7:30 p.m., $17; $15 for Twin Cities Jazz Society members, $7 for students.

Also on Saturday, pianist Richard Johnson comes to the Artists’ Quarter. Johnson was a member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in the early 2000s, He also played with Russell Malone’s quartet and Irvin Mayfield’s quintet. 9 p.m., $12.

January 13–15 is a great weekend for piano and those who love it (count me in). On Sunday, Bryan Nichols and his quintet-plus-one will play the music of Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet. Bryan will be joined by Mike Lewis and Brandon Wozniak on saxophones, James Buckley on bass, JT Bates on drums, and Jay Epstein on percussion. The Twin Cities Jazz Society is sponsoring this event, and if you’re a member, you save at the door. 7 p.m. Sunday at the Artists’ Quarter in St. Paul. $10, $7 TCJS members.

News soon about a beloved Twin Cities restaurant that’s about to start featuring jazz on a regular basis.

Christine Rosholt, 1965-2011

2012-01-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

Popular Twin Cities singer Christine Rosholt died suddenly last Wednesday. Today, January 3, would have been her 47th birthday. Her favorite color was red, and she was famous for her red lipstick; she wore a pair of jeweled red lips on a chain around her neck. When I told her I wanted to make her a hat and asked what color she preferred, her immediate answer was "Red!" I sent her hat in early 2010, and she responded with this winsome self-portrait.

Christine was a good and faithful friend to MinnPost, and when co-founders Joel and Laurie Kramer learned of her death, they asked me to write about her. It was a privilege, but it didn't come easily.

Earlier this morning, when my piano teacher, Stephen Dewey, stopped by for my biweekly lesson, I told him the sad news. I wasn't sure if he knew Christine, but of course he did; almost everyone involved in music in the Twin Cities must have heard her name or seen her perform at some point during her too-short career. Turns out Stephen had attended the prestigious Yale Cabaret Conference with her in 2009. Part of the conference includes critiques designed to improve performers' stage presence. According to Stephen, Christine, who loved hats, was advised to move the one she was wearing back a bit so people could see her more clearly. "Why?" she retorted. "I can see all of you perfectly well."

Nachito Herrera at the Dakota: Guest review by Reece Peterson

2012-01-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

A second review by a Theoroi member of Nachito Herrera's December 10 performance at the Dakota, reproduced with permission. Theoroi is the group of young Twin Cities professionals and arts lovers sponsored by the Schubert Club. Read Rea Rettarath's perspective(s) here. bb

Nachito Herrera – I got a fever,

and the only prescription is more cowbell!

“There are only two types of music, good music and bad music,” Nachito Herrera explained before his set at the Dakota Jazz Club on December 10th. The brilliant Cuban pianist is the definition of “good music,” which he demonstrated by playing a holiday set infused with modern Cuban jazz. From the first note struck by Herrera and his band (Kevin Washington on drums, and Jonas on bass guitar), the environment of the Dakota Jazz Club took on the warm, festive mood of Cuban jazz. A quick survey of the audience portrayed a lot of foot-tapping and shoulder-swaying. There is no doubt in my mind that if there was a section of floor that remotely resembled a dance floor it would have been packed to the gills with salsa dancers.

The Theoroi group and I were extremely lucky to be able to meet and speak to Herrera about his music before he took the stage. Similar to listening to his music, Herrera’s stories of his past have you at the edge of your seat, hanging on every word, and wowed upon completion. Even though Herrera’s past is chock full of amazing stories and portrays the brilliance of the man, what truly impressed me is Herrera’s passion to create new innovative sounds and to continually challenge himself. The mere thought of creating a New Year’s Eve set themed around the Earth, Wind and Fire band appears crazy on the surface, but after selling out every show and the set becoming a fan favorite, Herrera proved crazy is the new genius.

Not only does Herrera challenge himself through his song selection, but he also includes new instruments and sounds in his repertoire. For the December 10th show, he included a cow bell, which was installed on the left side of his piano. Herrera incorporated the cow bell beautifully, but the mere fact that he was smacking a cow bell with his left hand, playing the piano feverishly with his right hand, and stepping on pedals with his left foot is truly astonishing. Can you even tap your head and rub your belly at the same time?

Nachito Herrera’s passion for music is matched by none, and that is precisely why his sound will be matched by none.

The Loring Theater closes

2011-12-31T15:57:00.000-08:00

From the Loring Theater's website:

Friends of Loring Theater:

The Directors, LLP has decided not to renew its lease on Loring Theater (a.k.a. The Music Box Theatre) located at 1407 Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. The company will cease operating in the building effective December 31, 2011.

In early 2010 we began to transform The Music Box Theatre into a modern day variety house under the building’s original name Loring Theater. With the support of a group of investors, the owner of the building, a talented staff of professionals and many others we built an operating infrastructure that added a fantastic 440-seat venue back into the vibrant Twin Cities performing arts scene.

Since we opened, over 15,000 people walked through the doors and hundreds of artists performed on the stage. We are proud of our work, honored to have been stewards of the space, and grateful to all who contributed their time, talent and money to this amazing venture. Loring Theater is an amazing building in a phenomenal location and there are many, many artists who love performing on that stage. Our hope is that someone will pick up where we left off and continue to make Nicollet Avenue and 14th Street in the Loring Park Neighborhood a destination for affordable quality entertainment.

Best wishes to all for a happy and prosperous New Year.

Steve Barberio

The Directors, LLP

I'm sorry to learn this, but not surprised. The Loring was on a busy street in an inner-city neighborhood, and while free parking was available, it was a block away in a school parking lot surrounded by a chain-link cage. The theater is an old venue in need of a facelift, with uncomfortable seats and a buzzy sound system. And yet, I really liked it--the spaciousness, the ornate plaster work, the columns, the sense of history. Somehow the room managed to expand and contract to fit the size of the audience, so when the large balcony was empty and dark, it disappeared, making those of us seated downstairs feel as if we were in a cozy, intimate space.

Part of the Loring's deliberately eclectic programming included jazz; music journalist Tad Hendrickson (formerly of Minneapolis, now living in New Jersey) brought interesting people in (the Dave King Trucking Co., Matthew Shipp, Israeli flutist Mattan Klein, and especially The Bad Plus performing Stravinsky's Rite of Spring), but it seemed at first as if no one at the Loring knew anyone in the local media. I heard about Matthew Shipp from a Goldstar mailing offering discounted tickets. I couldn't believe my eyes. Matthew Shipp, the great improviser, listed among movie bundles, musicals, and water parks? Most of the people who would have gone to see him found out too late. There simply wasn't enough publicity. I made as much noise as I could, but the big press never mentioned him. Then one evening after a show at the Loring I ended up chatting with some people from its PR department. One described walking up and down Nicollet, meeting business owners and residents in an effort to build an audience. I thought--seriously?

The NOWnet's Last Dance happened there, in April. So did KBEM's May Fest Jazz Party. Marco Benevento came in August; Todd Clouser's A Love Electric opened. Kip Jones played there, and the Galactic Cowboy Orchestra, and this year's Heliotrope Festival found a temporary home at the Loring. I had hoped that Hendrickson might be able to book Fred Hersch's "My Coma Dreams" project and sent him pestering emails. Too bad about that.

But when one door closes, another opens, or so they say. I'm interested to see what Kate Nordstrum will do with the SPCO Center, now that she's been tapped to program a new music series there. It's a good space in St. Paul's historic Hamm Building, three floors up from the Artists' Quarter.

This week's jazz picks, loosely, and our sad news

2011-12-30T17:31:00.000-08:00

I've been away from my desk for several days, off the radio and the blog, so there are no official picks this week. Though I strongly recommend pianist Rick Germanson at the Artists' Quarter tonight. Rick returns tomorrow for the sold-out or nearly sold-out New Year's Eve party at the AQ with Carole Martin and friends (Dave Karr, Graydon Peterson, Kenny Horst), plus the famously casual once-a-year buffet complete with meatballs and Junior Mints.

If you're looking for live jazz on New Year's Eve, you can find it in many places around the Twin Cities, including the Black Dog, the Red Stag, Honey, the Chambers Bar, the Lobby Bar at the St. Paul Hotel, the Dakota, the AQ, and Jazz Central. Check the live jazz calendar on KBEM's website or at the right for details.

MinnPost has published my list of 11 Memorable Twin Cities Concerts in 2011; thanks to Secrets of the City for the nod. The Strib's Chris Riemenschneider invited me to participate in this year's Twin Cities Critics Tally. I sent him a list of my favorite local jazz CDs of the year and expanded on it here.

For many of us in the Twin Cities jazz community--performers, presenters, chroniclers, fans--this New Year's Eve will be tempered by grief. Earlier this week, on Wednesday, jazz vocalist Christine Rosholt died suddenly and unexpectedly. Everyone knew her, and she knew everyone. Obituaries/tributes here (JazzPolice.com), here (the Strib), here (MPR), and here (City Pages). I've been asked to write something for MinnPost when it returns from its holiday publishing schedule next week. (Christine was much loved by MinnPost.) A tribute is being planned for January 10 at the Dakota. Meanwhile, let's love the people we love.

Nachito Herrera at the Dakota: Guest review(s) by Rea Rettarath

2011-12-26T14:13:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, the members of Theoroi, the group of young Twin Cities professionals and arts lovers sponsored by the Schubert Club, gathered at the Dakota to hear the Cuban pianist Nachito Herrera and his band. One requirement of membership is the commitment to write about events afterward using social media. Reproduced with her permission, here's Rea Retterath's two-part take on Herrera's performance now (December 2011) and then (April 2005). Read Reece Peterson's perspective here. bb

Nachito Herrera at the Dakota: Now and Then

by Rea Rettarath
originally published on her blog

NOW

Concert Review: Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera

Friday, December 10, 2011

http://www.nachitoherrera.com/

http://dakotacooks.com/

So going into the talk, I knew what I wrote in 2005 (below), and that Nachito Herrera played classical piano throughout his childhood, including all this Rachnaninoff through his late teens.

Ok folks, do you know what that means? Have a quick listen to Herrera himself playing at MacPhail.

We were invited to go to his car (hypothetically, of course) to check out his highly diversified iPod, which apparently contains Weather Report to Mariah Carey to Chick Corea. From this, he made what I found to be the central point: There are 2 types of music in the world: Good and Bad. Finding it and qualifying it is up to you.

From his talk, I gathered that Nachito LOVES theory and technique. And how could a lifelong musician of his caliber not? His skill with language is apparent, and with the language of Music, he translates Cuban into Classical, Jazz into Cuban, and takes “fusion” back and forth across many genre lines to expand all of our vocabularies.

So how does someone get to this point of mastery of an instrument, a language, an art? He talked about learning by ear versus by instruction, and feels that you start by ear, even if it is just to get the motivation by listening to others. He grew up listening to all kinds of music and spoke extensively on the importance of influence. He was playing the piano by 5 or 6 years old, and to illustrate his diverse taste, mentioned that he liked playing music from the album Black on Black (Waylon Jennings – 1982) when he was younger. His father was a piano player and encouraged him to get a good ear to be able to get a job. The technical skill and flexibility came early out of sheer necessity. Call for a gig? Gotta be able to cut it.

The jazz influence in his life is remarkable. He explained that American music was somehow “bad” in Cuba through his youth. Lucky for us that in his teenage dissent, Nachito and his friends huddled around a radio and got the frequency just right to stream in an American classical station that played just 30 minutes of jazz from 9:00 – 9:30 each night. He and his friends transcribed what they heard by ear, and played it.

He talked about the stuffy-ization of classical music (he didn’t call it that, in case you’re unfamiliar with Rea-isms). Today we need a tuxedo to see a classical concert in a concert hall with an expensive ticket. But historically the venues for (and indeed the intention of) lots of this music were casual gatherings or dance functions. He talked about the humanity of these musical giants as well: Vladimir Horrowitz was knocking down Rachmaninoff’s door saying “Hey, you gotta get out of bed and finish your 2nd movement.” These musicians were people, and continued to re-invent their craft the same as we continue to do today. So with that, when presented with Rhapsody in Blue, he suggests taking the tuxedo out of it. Swing it! Often people forget that Gershwin was a jazzer.

All right, let’s get to the show itself. We had good seats, but I was far less connected to the performance than my previous experience. Not complaining about this – our experience included a 3 course meal a la mode exquisite that the Dakota boasts. After all, their URL even reads "dakotacooks.com." And do they ever. The smoked pecans on the salad tasted like bacon. It was remarkable. Mad props for this kitchen, too, for being able to accommodate a last minute, by the way, vegetarian request. And to our server for being chipper about it. The entrée was a little bit like banana bread with beans on it, but it was delectable and unusual, and what more can you really ask for? How bout locally sourced apple strudel with lingonberries and skyr? Amazing.

The music was sort of a hodge-podge of Cubanized Christmas music, and started off with the oh-so-catchy Sleigh Ride, but as a cha-cha-cha, and it warmed us right up for the rest of the show. There were a lot of synth horns that I could have done without, but in the absence of a full horn section and various auxiliary percussionists, what’s a prodigy to do? Just do it all himself.

His daughter joined him for many of the pieces. Here’s a real journalist’s thoughts on her, pulled from the Dakota’s own site:

“As magnificent as is Nachito throughout this set, he is nearly upstaged by his daughter’s vocal incantation… Sounding like a cantorial sorceress conjuring the Gods, Mirdalys Herrera gives a ceremonial performance, her voice powerful and penetrating. One can imagine a mythical Yoruban Princess, especially when her only accompaniment is the congas. The rest of the cast serves as the chorus; the piano sounds the final benediction as the crowd erupts.” - Andrea Canter, Jazz Police

Personally, while I found all the above to be absolutely true (conjured gods and all, you wouldn’t believe how crowded it got), she had lousy stage presence. Nachito WAS nearly upstaged by her, and not by her vocal incantation, but by clumsy interactions with the crowd and interruptions to the musicians.

They closed the show with a familiar and appropriate tune, Guantanamera, perhaps the most well known Cuban song, which really was charming. And just to round out our Cuban experience, have a listen to Celia Cruz doing it while strollingthe streets of Havana.

THEN

Concert Review: Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera

Saturday, April 23, 2005

This show was my first experience in a jazz club, and “Nachito” had the perfect presentation for me to have a flashy, cinematic experience. I went with my sister, who is recently 21, and quite a jazz enthusiast, so it was the perfect venue to show me a bit of the big city, and her a bit of the bar.

We came after a break, so we sat on the balcony level, which gave us a good view of the whole band, and the whole bar. The main area was full with the dinner crowd, and Herrera engaged them quite a bit. The stage was central and surrounded on all sides by seating, even above, so the whole atmosphere had a lot of energy.

Herrera headlined the group on piano, with Gordy Knudson on drums, Jorge Bringas on bass, and percussionist Shai Hayo, who played mainly congas and sang. His pamphlet and website state that the band usually includes a saxophonist, Rodolfo Gomez, but we didn’t see him play. This group differs from the artists found on his recent featured album, Bembé En Mi Casa.

Herrera has been a musician and performer from a very young age, playing Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 with the Havana Symphony Orchestra at age 12. He studied with Cuban masters such as Rubén González, who played with the Buena Vista Social Club, Jorge Gomez Labraña, and Frank Fernández. He earned his master’s degree in Music from the Superior Institute of Art in Havana in 1990. He became the musical director at the famous "Tropicana" in Cuba where his site says he “continued to deepen his repertoire.” I think this is worded a little funny, because the Tropicana is a huge club and cabaret show in Havana. But with a lot of music for a lot of dancers over many performances, he did have the perfect opportunity to create his stage presence. His experience there is very evident in his current show. He later joined Cubanismo, recording a couple cds as a featured pianist, and later leading the group. He has performed and toured with musicians such as Michel Camilo, Michael Tainer, Tata Quines, Carlos de Puerto, Tito Puentes, Oscar de Leon, Emilio del Monte, Jesus Alemany, and the Yellowjackets. He is now living in Minneapolis and working with his current project, Puro Cubano.

Herrera did a wonderful job of flowing from song to song, and not letting the energy drop, but I didn’t catch most of the song titles he announced. The first I caught was a chart called “Dirty Bird” and defiantly took its theme from “Birdland” which was written by Joe Zawinul for his group Weather Report in 1977 for the Album Heavy Weather. (Ginell) Stylistically it was very different than Birdland, but the places that the tune actually came through were in the bass parts, which my sister noted were “Jaco-y.” Bringas, the bassist, really brought his playing to the front, and managed a smooth, fretless sounding style, that really did reflect Weather Report’s bassist, Jaco Pastorius. As a personal note: he played in this manner throughout the gig, which I thought wasn’t fitting in a lot of the tunes, especially when it shadowed the piano. It was perfectly balanced and appropriate for “Dirty Bird” though. Tanner, Megill and Gerow give mention to “Latin Jazz Fusion” that was in fact pioneered by artists like Zawinul, Airto Moreira, Chick Corea, and Miles Davis in the 70s. (Tanner 319) Indeed, I think this category fits Puro Cubano very well, especially noting the artists that Herrera has performed with and no doubt drawn influence from.

Herrera played a piece with Hayo (on congas) called “Something I Love,” and it was a beautiful ballad. He introduced it as a very famous piano tune, but I can’t find it anywhere in English or Spanish.

One song I recognized (they didn’t play all originals, there are several standards on the albums Herrera has made) was "Night in Tunisia." Of all the standards, this is perhaps another perfect one to reflect their style considering the influence Dizzy Gillespie had on Afro-Cuban/Latin jazz. He added conga player Chano Pozo to his orchestra as early as 1947 and integrated complex polyrhythms into his music. (Yannow) Herrera’s group played this one truer to the original than the Birdland rendition, but without a horn player (or some other voice than that smug bass player), I felt it couldn’t build very well. It was bright and fast and impressive though, and they caught some familiarity from the crowd, so it was really fun.

Overall, I had a really amazing experience, and I found a really accessible, fun way to take in jazz. This club, along with going to Basie’s for a show, reassured me that I will be seeing live jazz well beyond my graduation, and that even after school, clubs like this continue to educate and expose people to musicians from across the globe.

Works Cited

Nachito Herrera. FS Productions, Inc. 2005. 3 May 2005.

Tanner, Paul, David W. Megill, Maurice Gerow. Jazz. Ninth Edition. McGraw-Hill: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, 2001. New York.
Varela, Jesse. “Nachito Herrera: Puro Cubano.” Latin Beat Magazine. June/July 2003. 3 May 2005.

Yanow, Scott. “Dizzy Gillespie.” All Music Guide. 3 May 2005.

Ginell, Richard S. “Joe Zawinul.” All Music Guide. 3 May 2005.

Tuesdays at the Nicollet

2011-12-26T12:04:00.000-08:00

Scenes from a typical Tuesday night at the Nicollet Coffee House on the corner of Nicollet and Franklin. Live music, dancing, conversation, people with laptops, friends greeting each other.

On stage, L to R: Doug Haining, Kristin Sponcia,
Rhonda Laurie, Maryann Sullivan, Trevor Haining

What began in August has become a going thing. Maryann Sullivan and Rhonda Laurie are co-curating the music, and owner Jeremy Konecny is hoping to score a beer and wine license before too long, which should help make the place even more of a destination.

I like how it feels--warm and welcoming. High ceilings, big windows on two sides, creaky wood floors, random furniture including some overstuffed chairs. Not that I'm hoping for snow, but it seems the Nicollet will be a perfect place be on nights with fat, fluffy flakes drifting by.

Both Maryann and Rhonda happened to be performing on the night these photos were taken (Dec. 20), but they're bringing in a variety of Twin Cities musicians and groups. So far: Reynold Philipsek, Christine Rosholt, John Penney, Bob Fantauzzo (who now has his own monthly Saturday night gig with his group JazZen), Emily Green and Chris Lomheim, Vicky Mountain, Dorothy Doring, the Phil Mattson Singers, the Graydon Peterson Group, Three Flights Up, Joel Shapira, James Allen, and more.

Related: A new jazz series starts Tuesday at The Nicollet

This week's jazz picks

2011-12-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

The Bad Plus come home for Christmas for the 12th year in a row. Their holiday residency at the Dakota is now a tradition. Dave King told the Strib's Chris Riemenschneider that the trio will debut new compositions from their second all-original recording, due out next year. In his blog, Do the Math, Ethan Iverson calls the successor to 2010's Never Stop "definitely one of our best records." 7 and 9 p.m. tonight (Friday, Dec. 23), Sunday, and Monday. $40.

Tonight in St. Paul, the Artists' Quarter hosts a Holiday Bash with pianist Phil Aaron and special guests. Get a free CD with paid admission--and there are many to choose from; several fine CDs have been recorded live at the AQ. Great music, that warm AQ vibe, drink specials, and more. Say "I'm a friend of Donny" at the door and take half off the cover price. 9 p.m., $10.

Going into the week between Christmas and New Year’s: Bassist Chris Morrissey is back in town from New York for the holidays; you can hear him at Café Maude on Tuesday night (7 p.m., no cover). Nichola Miller sings at the Loring Pasta Bar on Monday (7 p.m., no cover) and the Aster Café on Wednesday (8 p.m., $5).

Connie Evingson brings her stellar band—Adi Yeshaya on piano, Gordy Johnson on bass, Phil Hey on drums—to the Dakota on Tuesday (7 p.m., $7). Hey heads to the AQ on Wednesday with his quartet featuring vibes master Dave Hagedorn (9 p.m., $5). Hagedorn returns to the AQ on Thursday with his former student, pianist Dan Cavanagh (9 p.m., $5). On Friday, the wonderful NYC-based pianist Rick Germanson plays a trio date at the AQ (9 p.m., $15), then returns the next night, New Year’s Eve, to join Carole Martin and friends at the club's New Year's Eve party (9 p.m., $45).

You can find live music all over the Twin Cities on New Year's Eve, from intimate duos to big bands. If you'd rather not stay out late (some people don't like the traffic), here are two shows that will get you home in time for your own champagne in front of your own fireplace. At the Black Dog, Todd Harper, Nathan Hanson, Cory Grossman, and Pete Hennig will play from 6–8:30. No cover. At Honey, vocalist Maud Hixson and her pianist husband Rick Carlson will perform for a cabaret dinner show starting at 6:30. $15 cover. If you want to stay out kind of late and hang with a bunch of musicians, Jazz Central opens at 9 for a New Year's Eve jam.

New radio series reveals St. Paul’s lively musical side

2011-12-22T14:05:00.000-08:00

Larry Englund

A lot of Minnesotans, especially those of us who live in Minneapolis, think that St. Paul rolls up its sidewalks at night and plays dead.

Not so, says Larry Englund, producer of “St. Paul Live!,” a radio series that features live music performances recorded in several venues around the city. The series airs on KBEM starting January 2.

“That’s exactly the reason I’m doing this series,” Englund says. “A few years back, I thought—there’s more going on in this city than people realize.

“I approached Joe Spencer, the director of arts and culture for St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, and he encouraged me. He’s a big supporter of live music. Then I sat down with Kevin Barnes and Michele Jansen at KBEM and got down to brass tacks. We wrote a Cultural STAR grant and it was approved.”

St. Paul’s Cultural STAR program promotes economic growth in the city by strengthening the arts and cultural sector, and by supporting downtown St. Paul as a vital cultural center.

The series also received underwriting support from Oak Grove Capital, a national mortgage lender based in St. Paul.

Englund and his wife, Liz, have lived in St. Paul since December 1997. He served as a member of the Downtown District Council for 10 years. “This project allowed me to take my interests in music and in promoting St. Paul and put them together,” he says.

Englund began recording live performances for the series during the summer. Over the next several months, he recorded more than 100 musicians in 24 groups performing in 11 different venues, as well as the 10th annual Selby Avenue Music Festival.

“Most of the recordings are jazz—there’s a lot of jazz going on in St. Paul,” Englund says. “But we decided to expand a bit beyond jazz, into roots, blues, and R&B.”

Recordings took place at the Artists’ Quarter, the Black Dog, Studio Z, the Hat Trick Lounge, the Lobby Bar of the Saint Paul Hotel, the Wabasha Street Caves, O’Gara’s, the Minnesota Music Café, the Turf Club, Amsterdam Bar & Hall, and outdoors in the Selby and Rondo neighborhoods.

Englund is known as the host of the “Rhythm and Grooves” radio program on KBEM's sister station KFAI, but he doesn’t host “St. Paul Live!” Students do—some from the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts, some from Minneapolis’s North High School, home of KBEM. “We thought people might get confused if they heard me on two stations,” Englund says. “Plus KBEM is involved with young people, teaching communication arts, so it made sense to have students do the announcing.”

The 13-week series will air each Monday from 7–8 p.m. on KBEM, then repeat for a total of 26 weeks. It will also be made available to outstate radio stations in the AMPERS network of independent community radio stations in Minnesota. Most shows are two half-hour segments, each featuring a different artist or group.

Looking back on recording the series, what were the high points for Englund? “Lucia Newell’s performance, simply because she’s such a good singer. Going to the Wabasha Caves and seeing people swing dance. Dave Karr. And Julie Johnson and the No-Accounts. She plays the flute and bass flute. Her vocalist, Doug Otto, has a voice straight out of the 1930s in terms of tiredness and hopefulness. She was a real discovery.”

Here’s the broadcast schedule, with brief comments by Englund about each performance.

January 2, 2012: Lucia Newell (recorded at the Artists’ Quarter): “One of the finest, if not the finest, jazz singers in town.” Pete Whitman’s X-Tet (also recorded at the Artists’ Quarter): “Great energy. A terrific improvising jazz band.”

January 9: Butch Thompson and Spider John Koerner (Artists’ Quarter): “Both take traditional music—for Butch, ragtime/stride, and for Spider John, early acoustic music—and give it life.” Jack Brass Band (Hat Trick Lounge): “Able to go from traditional New Orleans-style brass band music into modern-day R&B. Lots of fun.”

January 16: The JoAnn Funk Trio (Saint Paul Hotel Lobby Bar): “JoAnn is a charming singer and a great piano player, able to carry on despite the many distractions of a hotel lobby.” The Dave Karr Trio (Artists’ Quarter): “This was a very special night. Dave was supposed to have a quartet, but the piano player couldn’t show up. So Dave did extended blowing—long songs. Bassist Billy Peterson and drummer Kenny Horst rose to the occasion.”

January 23: Peter Lang (Turf Club): “A good storyteller and a really fine fingerpicker.” Dean Magraw and Davu Seru (Black Dog): “The communication between them is amazing. You never know quite where they will go.”

January 30: Pippi Ardennia with Irv Williams (Landmark Center): “Pippi’s stage personality is so welcoming, and she takes fun chances with melody lines. Irv was amazing that particular day, blowing terrific lines.” Moonlight Serenaders with Lee Engele (Wabasha Caves): “They’ve got the big band book down well. The swing dancers sure enjoy them.”

February 6: Willie Walker (Minnesota Music Café): “The Twin Cities’ original soul man. He can take any soul song and make it his own.” Atlantis Quartet (Artists’ Quarter): “Twenty-first century jazz. Great improvisers, lots of energy, and something that reminds me of rock-and-roll.”

February 13: Zeitgeist Cabaret: Zeitgeist, Anti-Gravity, Julie Johnson and the No-Accounts (Studio Z): “The Cabaret is an annual event, featuring many performers over three nights. We have a delightful piece from the Zeitgeist new music group, and selections from the performance by the improvising music group Anti-Gravity, which is fascinating for the use of Steve Goldstein’s laptop percussion. Julie Johnson and her group play old folk songs, specifically from the Minnesota area.”

February 20: Debbie Duncan and the Tuesday Night Band (Artists’ Quarter): “The band is just so tight. And Debbie Duncan, another great jazz singer, goes wherever she wants to go.” Jef Lee Johnson and Friends (Black Dog): “The only non-Minnesota performer; Johnson is from Philadelphia. Very innovative. Guitarists have asked me for a copy of this show.”

February 27: Illicit Sextet (Artists’ Quarter): “All original music. Great stuff, good energy, terrific soloing.” Seven Steps to Havana (Studio Z): “Marvelous Cuban music. They played some numbers with horns only.”

March 5: Jack Brass Band (Hat Trick Lounge): More from the performance heard on January 9. Beasley’s Big Band with Christine Rosholt (O’Gara’s): “This 18-piece band regularly brings 50–60 people to O’Gara’s on the first Tuesday of the month.”

March 12: Pete Whitman’s X-Tet (Artist’s Quarter): More from the performance heard on January 2. Insurgent (Studio Z): “Pat Moriarty on saxophone, Ellen Lease on piano, Phil Hey on drums. They’ve known each other for 30 years, and the interplay between them is magical.”

March 19: Mary Cutrufello Duo (Amsterdam): “In the late 1990s, Mary was a rocker out of Texas who was being compared to Springsteen and folks like that. Now she works mostly as a solo acoustic guitarist, doing bluesy, folksy music. The night we recorded her, she had Greg Schutte on drums.” Butch Thompson and Spider John Koerner (Artists’ Quarter): More from the performance heard on January 9.

March 26: Walker West’s Urban Legends, Salsa del Soul (both recorded at the Selby Jazz Festival): “Walker West’s Urban Legends is Donald Thomas, Lincoln Berry, Felix James, and a number of young people. Salsa del Soul was hot that night, getting people up and dancing. This is perhaps not a perfect live recording, but it’s a perfect example of a live neighborhood music festival.”

Hear "St. Paul Live" every Monday at 7 p.m. for 26 weeks starting on January 2. In the Twin Cities, tune to 88.5 fm on your radio dial. Or stream online at jazz88fm.com.

The Bad Plus: A Christmas tale

2011-12-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

Ethan Iverson, Reid Anderson, and Dave King--collectively known as The Bad Plus--will play three nights at the Dakota starting this Friday, Dec. 23, skipping Christmas Eve, returning on Christmas night and again on Monday the 26th, for two sets each night at 7 and 9 p.m.

This will be their twelfth Christmas at the Dakota. According to club owner Lowell Pickett, here's how the tradition began. (Note: Dave King is from here and still lives here. Reid Anderson grew up in Minneapolis; Ethan Iverson is from Menomonie, Wisconsin.)

Dave called me in 2000 and said he had two friends coming into town for the holidays to record some stuff. He wanted to know if they could play a couple of nights. I ran an ad for "Dave King and Friends" and we charged $5.

Dave saw the ad and called me and said, "Can we change that to The Bad Plus?" Who was The Bad Plus? Nobody knew, so I changed it to "The Bad Plus Featuring Dave King and Friends."

Recorded in Minneapolis on December 28, 2000, the trio's eponymously titled debut was released the following summer on the Spanish label Fresh Sound New Talent.

Pickett:

When the record came out, they were going to do two CD releases, one in New York City at a bar that Reid knew about, and one at the Dakota in September. But then 9/11 happened and everything was cancelled. We said we'd do the holiday thing again.

That December, Ben Ratliff of the New York Times included their CD in the Top 10 Jazz CDs of 2001. In 2002, they played at the Village Vanguard and signed with Columbia. The next year, they played the Newport Jazz Festival.

Writing about Newport for The Boston Phoenix, Ted Drozdowski noted, "The jury's out on whether they're the next Medeski Martin and Wood or just a flash in the pan." One never knows, do one?

Pickett:

What endeared me to those guys was, Ethan and Reid were both at the Dakota for our very first McCoy Tyner show in 1988, when Louis Hayes was playing drums. They didn't know each other at the time. We weren't full, by the way. The following fall, we had a show called the Timeless All-Stars--Cedar Walton, Harold Land, Bobby Hutcherson, Buster Williams, Billy Higgins. An amazing band. Reid and Ethan came to that, too. Ethan told me it was his dream to play the Dakota someday.

Doug Haining's hat

2011-12-19T14:47:00.000-08:00

Doug Haining, known around these parts (and others) as quite the saxophonist and leader of the Twin Cities Seven, seems pleased with his Hats for Cats hat. Trombonist Dave Graf prefers the term "Bebopified cap." Graf recently posted this on Facebook:

"Bebopified caps--they are the only brand that keeps heat and awesome improv ideas from escaping out the top of your head."

Hats keep rolling off the needles in my quest to warm the heads of jazz musicians whose music I enjoy, and others associated with jazz whose efforts I appreciate. In November, I saw Miguel Zenon in New York, at the Jazz at Lincoln Center listening party for his remarkable new CD Alma Adentro (which is appearing on end-of-year Best Jazz Albums lists everywhere, and topped Patrick Jarenwattananan's at NPR's A Blog Supreme). Afterward, I thanked him for speaking and mentioned that I'd made him a hat a while back, and he introduced me to his lovely wife, Elga Castro.

Here's the latest list of cats with hats:

Reid Anderson • Paul Aschenbrenner • Ysaye Barnwell • Chris Bates • JT Bates • Leah Beach • Tim Berne • Don Berryman • Brian Blade • Walter Blanding • Leon “Chocolate” Brown • Andrea Canter • James Cammack • George Cartwright • Laura Caviani • Larry Clothier • Pat Courtemanche • Chris Crenshaw • Dan Cunningham • Joe Doermann • John Economos • Craig Eichhorn • Dan Eikmeier • Michael Ekhaus • Kurt Elling • Jay Epstein • Douglas Ewart • Milo Fine • Arne Fogel • Scott Fultz • Larry Fuller • Vincent Gardner • Alvester Garnett • Rick Germanson • Ted Gioia • Dave Graf • Benny Green • Doug Haining • Roy Hargrove • Patrick Harison • Eric Harland • Nancy Harms • Carlos Henriquez • Ruth Hiland • Maud Hixson • Laurence Hobgood • Kenny Horst • Ethan Iverson • Ali Jackson • Ahmad Jamal • Patrick Jarenwattananan • Willard Jenkins • Gordy Johnson • Sean Jones • Stanley Jordan • Jason Jungbluth • Stefan Kac • Dave King • Mary Lewis • Michael Lewis • Wendy Lewis • Adam Linz • Christian McBride • Dean Magraw • Wynton Marsalis • Charnett Moffett • Kristen Mors • Bryan Nichols • Tim Orr • Phil Palombi • Lowell Pickett • Marcus Printup • Joshua Redman • Hank Roberts • Justin Robinson • Reuben Rogers • Christine Rosholt • Kelly Rossum • Maria Schneider • Lilly Schwartz • Davu Seru • Jaleel Shaw • James Singleton • Greg Skaff • Tim Sparks • Maryann Sullivan • Chris Thomson • Deborah Upchurch • Jeremy Walker • Marsha Walker • Jon Weber • Pete Whitman • John Whiting • Davis Wilson • Brandon Wozniak • Miguel Zenon

Photo by John Whiting

And here's a recent shot of guitarist/composer Dean Magraw in his hat, taken at the Artists' Quarter during a performance by Red Planet. That's Chris Bates in the background.

This week's jazz picks

2011-12-16T09:36:00.000-08:00

This weekend, it’s all about St. Paul.

Tonight (Friday, Dec. 16) and tomorrow at the Artists’ Quarter, you can hear the great singer Debbie Duncan, who once told me that if she doesn’t mean it, she doesn’t sing it. 'Tis the season, so she'll probably draw from her CD, It Must Be Christmas. 9 p.m., $10.

Tonight at the Black Dog in Lowertown, the Community Pool: Deep End series of improvised music continues with a rare performance by Brad Bellows on valve trombone and Donald Washington on saxophone. Brian Roessler on bass, Pete Hennig on drums. 8 p.m. Tip jar.

Tonight at Studio Z, down the road from the Black Dog, Todd Clouser’s A Love Electric will debut new material for its next CD, 20th Century Folk Selections, due in February on Royal Potato Family Records. The band is Clouser on electric guitar, Adam Meckler on trumpet, Chris Bates on bass, Jason Craft on B3, Greg Schutte on drums—and artist Tim Nyberg, who will paint in acrylic on canvas to the music he hears, seeking to create moments where sound and color meet. 8 p.m., $10.

On Saturday at Studio Z, the Jazz at Studio Z series, curated by guitarist Zacc Harris, continues with Bryan Nichols’s We Are Many, a nine-piece group that has played in public only ~~once~~ twice before, at MacPhail and the Clown Lounge in 2010. The band includes Nichols on piano, JT Bates on drums, Mike Lewis and Brandon Wozniak on saxophones, Eric Fratzke on electric bass, Adam Linz on bass, and Jeremy Ylvisaker on guitar. 7 p.m., $10. Earlier that day, at 1 in the afternoon, you can attend an open rehearsal/workshop for free. (Thanks to Dean Lambrecht for the corrections.)

Singer and pianist JoAnn Funk and bassist Jeff Brueske have a regular weekend gig in the elegant lobby of the St. Paul Hotel. The hotel is across the street from Rice Park and the Ordway, both lit up for the holidays. (St. Paul is especially beautiful at this time of year.) Curl up in a comfortable overstuffed chair, have a cocktail, and enjoy JoAnn's unique way with a song. The music starts at 7 p.m. No cover.

Across the river, in Minneapolis, the Peterson Family celebrates Christmas at the Dakota on Sunday in two shows, one at 4 p.m. and one at 7 p.m. $23. On Tuesday, Rhonda Laurie and Maryann Sullivan sing Christmas songs at The Nicollet Coffee House on Tuesday starting at 7 p.m. Tip jar. On Wednesday, the George Maurer Big Band plays its very popular annual holiday show at the Dakota. Sold out, but try for the second set. 7 p.m. $12. Also on Wednesday, you'll find Wailing Ships at the Eagles Club. Improvised music by Luke Polipnick on guitar, Josh Granowski on bass, and Davu Seru on drums. For the second set, they’ll be joined by Scott Fultz and Brandon Wozniak on saxophones, and Park Evans on guitar for a tribute to drummer Paul Motian, who recently passed away. 9 p.m. $5.

Make those reservations: On December 23, 25, and 26, The Bad Plus settles into the Dakota for their annual Christmas residency. From here, they'll go to the Village Vanguard and close out the year.

Check the live jazz calendar on KBEM's website or at the right for details about these events and many more. If want your gigs listed, send an email to jazz88calendar@gmail.com.

Aakash Mittal Quartet wins CMA/ASCAP Jazz Ensemble Award

2011-12-15T17:46:00.000-08:00

The Aakash Mittal Quartet at the Dakota by John Whiting

From Chamber Music America and ASCAP:

Five presenters and three ensembles will be recognized with CMA/ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming at the 34th Chamber Music America National Conference on Sunday, January 15, 2012. The ceremony will take place at the Westin New York at Times Square (207 W. 43rd Street) in New York City. Cia Toscanini, vice president of concert music, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), will present the awards.

Established jointly by Chamber Music America and ASCAP, the annual awards recognize U.S.-based professional ensembles and presenters for distinctive programming of new music composed in the past 25 years. The recipients were chosen by an independent panel of judges, who evaluated the applicants on the basis their programming of recent works and innovations in attracting audiences to new music performances...

The Aakash Mittal Quartet (Boulder, CO) will receive the jazz ensemble award. Led by saxophonist Aakash Mittal, the group performs its members’ original works and draws heavily on the improvisational vocabulary and compositional aspects of the North Indian classical raga tradition. Mittal’s Videsh Suite takes the listener on a journey to India through the use of post-bop, raga music, serialism and electronic samples.

I've enjoyed this quartet since their debut independent release, Possible Beginnings (2008) and had the pleasure of hearing them play Videsh (2009) from start to finish at a Dakota late-night show in 2010. They've been to the Dakota three times and played the 2010 Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Most recently, in October, they gave a combined performance and clinic at Walker West Music Academy.

Related: Larry Englund's March 12, 2011 interview with Mittal.

The top 10 Twin Cities jazz CDs of 2011

2011-12-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

In alphabetical order:

Atlantis Quartet, “Lines in the Sand”

Recorded live at the Artists’ Quarter over two nights in May, 2011, the fourth CD by the Atlantis Quartet features five songs from earlier releases, but live is always fresher and edgier. The mix of instruments, the strength of the all-original compositions, and the skill and imagination of the players—Zacc Harris on electric guitar, Brandon Wozniak on tenor sax, Chris Bates on bass, Pete Hennig on drums—gives this group its own distinct sound. “Lines in the Sand” is stuck in my head, and “Ballad for Ray” haunts my dreams.

John Devine, “A Little o’ That”

A fixture on the Minneapolis music scene, co-founder with Michelle Kinney of the now-legendary IMP ORK improvisational ensemble, saxophonist/composer Devine gathered a few of his friends (Jon Pemberton, Michelle Kinney, Brock Thorson, Alden Ikeda, William Reed Lang, and others) for a joyous, sometimes ferocious exploration of 11 originals and a Monk cover. It’s jazzy, bluesy, funky, and free, with robust playing by a regional sax master. Devine recently suffered a stroke but is recovering sufficiently that he’s promised to play a benefit in February.

Doug Haining Quintet, “Last Man Swinging”

Put Doug Haining, Dave Graf, Rick Carlson, Steve Pikal, and Dick Bortolussi in a room, and this is what you get: jazz standards that swing coolly, effortlessly, light on their feet. All five men have played around the Twin Cities for years, part of the backbone of our jazz community and co-conspirators in Haining’s Twin Cities Seven. For their latest CD, they met at Wild Sound studio with a few sketches and a couple of lead sheets and laid down a bunch of first takes. From “It Ain’t Necessarily So” to “Jitterbug Waltz” to Ferde Grofé’s “On the Trail,” this is how it’s done.

Kip Jones, “Hallazgo”

Violinist/composer Kip Jones is a restless spirit; at this writing, he’s en route to Laos from Vietnam. Composed during a 14-month trek through South America, Hallazgo features Jones alone on voice (singing in English, Spanish, and Korean) and violin (strung with viola strings to better match his voice). He calls his music “traditional fiction”—music from people or regions that don’t exist. It defies categorization, but not in a self-conscious way. You get the feeling that he’s going wherever his mind and his heart are leading. From the opening track, the utterly unexpected “Darn That Dream,” Hallazgo (which means “finding” in Spanish) is a journey without boundaries.

Prudence Johnson, “A Girl Named Vincent”

I wrote a lengthy review of this CD in April and wouldn’t change a word, except to add that it gets even better on repeat listenings—and stays with you. Taking the water taxi from Wall Street’s Pier 11 to Brooklyn’s IKEA earlier this year, I found myself singing phrases from “Recuerdo,” about riding back and forth, back and forth all night on the ferry. Rich, expressive lyrics (all poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay), wonderful music (original compositions by Laura Caviani, Joan Griffith, Michelle Kinney, and Gary Rue), and gorgeous singing by Johnson add up to a CD that deserves to become a classic.

Dave King Trucking Company, “Good Old Light”

Given the band members—King on drums, Erik Fratzke on electric guitar, Adam Linz on bass, Chris Speed and Brandon Wozniak on saxophones—you'd expect a big, bashy outing, not this tuneful, thoughtful band that King describes as his “Americana group.” It begins with King on piano (you read that right), pairs two fine saxophonists, and ventures into swing, gospel, and rock in eight original compositions, seven by King and one by Fratzke. Listen once or twice and you can hum along. Don’t worry; King puts plenty of muscle into the sticks (and Fratzke breaks all hell loose in his “Hawk Over Traffic” solo). But there’s a lot of sweetness and melody here, and a sense of something weighty and new.

Mary Louise Knutson, “In the Bubble”

Pianist/composer Mary Louise Knutson is an admitted perfectionist, one reason she made us wait 10 years for her second CD as a leader. (Geez, Mary Louise!) Turns out it’s perfect, from the music (well-chosen standards and elegant, sometimes playful originals, including one based on her phone number) to the musicians (most often with her excellent trio mates Gordy Johnson on bass, Phil Hey on drums) and the recording (crystalline). Knutson’s playing has a carillon quality, clean and clear and true. This is timeless, classic piano trio music, right up there with Bill Evans and Bill Charlap.

Dean Magraw’s Red Planet, “Space Dust”

This CD was due to come out in 2010, but the official release was delayed until May of this year when guitarist Dean Magraw became seriously ill, so I’m counting it for 2011. Magraw can be the tenderest of pluckers, but here he’s Rock God Dean, lighting Coltrane’s “Africa” on fire, channeling Hendrix’s “Little Wing,” blazing through several original compositions. Even the slower ones smolder. Chris Bates is marvelous on bass, ditto Jay Epstein on drums and cymbals. Nobody plays the cymbals like Epstein.

Bryan Nichols Quintet, “Bright Places”

Pianist/composer Bryan Nichols gets more intriguing with each new venture: forming bands small (the Bryan Nichols Trio) and large (We Are Many), backing out-of-the-box singers like Kendra Shank and Nancy Harms, going solo at MacPhail. His debut CD features his quintet—Michael Lewis and Brandon Wozniak on saxophones, James Buckley on bass, JT Bates on drums—on nine original compositions that share five qualities: improvisation, exploration, interaction, emotion, and a keen intelligence.

Jerry O’Hagan Featuring Charmin Michelle, “Dance Time Volume 1”

The ink is barely dry on this one, which came out about a minute ago and totally won me over. A tight big band, a terrific singer, and a track list chosen by fans who go to the Cinema Ballroom in St. Paul on Sundays to dance to this music live. (This is Volume 1 because the band has a big book.) Michelle is class and sass on songs including “Big Spender” and “That Old Black Magic.” Her voice is silky and sure; she lands the notes, even the high ones, the fast ones, and the far-apart ones.

Honorable mentions (because lists are supposed to stop at 10):

JazZen, “Bounce Off the Moon”

“Afro Blue” and “Footprints” played on dizi and xiao (Chinese flutes)? Add electric cello and drums and you could get New Age woo-woo, but that's not what happens in JazZen. Flutist and leader Bobb Fantauzzo (who also plays Native American flutes, bawu, and spring drum) keeps things jazzy for this collection of covers and originals.

JoAnn Funk, “Pick Yourself Up”

Here’s a review from March of this year. Soothing, teasing, up-close-and-personal songs by a pianist/vocalist who performs each weekend in the Lobby Bar at the St. Paul Hotel. With Jeff Brueske on bass, Nathan Norman on drums, and a taste of Greg Lewis’s trumpet.

The George Maurer Group, “Twisted”

I’m a little too close to this one—my husband, John Whiting, took the photographs for the CD booklet, and I helped with the liner notes—but I can say that a George Maurer Group recording is a party in a jewel box. “Twisted” captures the fun, camaraderie, eclecticism, and musicality of their live performances. What’s next for Maurer? An opera.

“Minnesota Beatle Project Vol. 3”

Not jazz, but I love these Minnesota Beatle Project CDs. I heard Tapes ‘n Tapes do “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” on the radio and called the Fetus to reserve my copy. I should have gotten vinyl.

The Jana Nyberg Group, “Fever”

Jana Nyberg has a big, elastic voice, and she knows how to use it—and when to bring it down to a sigh for songs like “The Nearness of You.” Her band includes her husband, the in-demand trumpeter Adam Meckler, whose arrangement of the title track shakes off the cobwebs and gives Janna room to play.

Reynold Philipsek, “Tales from the North Woods.” If it’s Tuesday, the tireless and prolific guitarist/composer Reynold Philipsek must be releasing another CD. “Tales” looks back to his childhood in northern Minnesota—songs he heard as a boy, a melody inspired by a painting that hung in the family home, tunes informed by his Czech and Polish heritage. Philipsek is a first-call accompanist for many singers around town; he deserves to be heard on his own, just a man and his acoustic guitar.

Joel Shapira Quartet, “Open Lines”

For their debut recording, this fine foursome—Joel Shapira on guitar, Pete Whitman on tenor sax, Tom Lewis on bass, Dave Schmalenberger on drums—delivers standards by Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Ornette Coleman, Bill Evans, Tom Jobim, and more. A swinging, sophisticated outing where everyone shines.

Irv Williams, “Duke’s Mixture”

At 92, saxophonist Irv Williams, a.k.a. “Mr. Smooth,” may be the Twin Cities’ most senior working musician. He still plays Friday happy hours at the Dakota, and he’s still recording, though he has stopped with the teaser titles (2004’s “That’s All?”, 2007’s “Finality”). His latest, an affectionate collection of standards and songs written for his kids (and his dog, Ditto), features longtime friends Peter Schimke on piano, Steve Blons on guitar, Billy Peterson on bass, and Jay Epstein on bass. It’s worth buying just to hear Williams sing “Until the Real Thing Comes Along.”

Kate Nordstrum is hired by the SPCO

2011-12-15T10:13:00.000-08:00

Good news for Twin Cities music heads: Kate Nordstrum, formally of the Southern Theater, will join the SPCO as Producer, Special Projects. Her position will be funded by the New York-based Augustine Foundation, and her job will be to create new projects at SPCO Center, an excellent and underused space in the Hamm Building.

From today's press release:

Nordstrum will work with SPCO staff to develop projects that provide new access points to a broad range of audiences for experiencing and learning about classical music. Her work will include planning a new series for SPCO Center focused on introducing contemporary classical composers and musicians to the Twin Cities, capitalizing on the flexibility of the Music Room to serve as a comfortable, casual and intimate performance setting for artists and audiences.

Kate's work at the Southern (and subsequently) has broadened and deepened my musical world, and for that, I'm grateful. She's been my introduction to artists including Nico Muhly, Gabriel Kahane, Alisa Weilerstein, Nadia Sirota, and, most recently, the fascinating sad sack Corey Dargill. I'm overdue to hear Accordo, the Minnesota-based chamber group she presents in league with the Schubert Club and Northrop Concerts and Lectures.

Congratulations, Kate. I'm looking forward to what comes next.

Best Music Writing to be independently published starting in 2012

2011-12-12T20:32:00.000-08:00

My copy of Best Music Writing 2011 arrived in today's mail. I look forward to this book each year, knowing I'll read writers I admire and those I've never read from publications famous and obscure on music I know and don't.

For music writers, and aspiring music writers, this annual compilation is a banquet of styles and opinions, personal responses and approaches to a topic that's almost impossible to put into words. How can you write about sound and emotion? About rhythms that change your breathing and heartbeat, and melodies, notes, lyrics, or moments in time that make you want to dance with joy, scream with rage, join a revolution, burst into tears, laugh out loud, confess everything, change your life, kill yourself, or kiss someone?

The series editor is Daphne Carr. This year's guest editor is Alex Ross, esteemed author of The Rest Is Noise. (A short list of past guest editors: Greil Marcus, Robert Christgau, Matt Groening, Nick Hornby, Jonathan Lethem, Peter Guralnick.) The 312-page book includes writing by Nate Chinen, Sasha Frere-Jones, Ann Powers, Nancy Griffin, and Kelefa Sanneh. Topics range from Beethoven to Duke Ellington, Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Parliament-Funkadelic, the vocoder, and program notes. I can't wait to dive in.

Stack-in-progress

Meanwhile, Jazz Journalists News reports that as of 2012, this annual anthology—which has been called "one of the most eagerly awaited annuals out there," "music journalism at its finest," "as close as rock scribes get to the Oscars," and "a holy grail for music nerds and writers alike"—will no longer be published by Da Capo Press but instead "will be independently published."

Carr has launched a fundraising campaign. $15 gets you a digital copy of the 2012 edition. $30 gets you print and digital copies.

I'll be sad if this book goes away. I'd love to know the backstory. Is Da Capo losing money on it? Aren't enough libraries and individuals buying copies? Do Carr et al. really believe that the "new editorial structure" will "better serve the music writing community and create a more dynamic, wide-reaching book for music fans"? Can it be better? Will it survive? I'll send my $30. I want a print copy.

This week's jazz picks

2011-12-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

Friday, Dec. 9: Most of us know that Tchaikovsky wrote a ballet called The Nutcracker, and we’ve probably heard the Nutcracker Suite, a greatest hits version, but how many of us know that Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn wrote a jazz version? In 1960, the two collaborators reinvented Tchaikovsky’s classical ballet as a jazzy, brassy, classy melting pot of musical styles. Writing for CD Review in 1998, Steve Schwartz noted: "They don't just put a jazz beat behind Tchaikovsky's ballet...they extend Tchaikovsky's basic ideas and harmonies in new and surprising ways....I consider this one of the great American scores, and you'll probably never hear it at your local symphony."

But you can hear it tonight, when the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Dave Milne comes to the historic and elegant Landmark Center in St. Paul. It's a three-part event: reception at 6, music at 7, swing dance at 8. I imagine the Landmark Center has been dressed up for Christmas. Tickets are available at the door, and if you're a student, you get in free with ID. (That's true for any student, not just those attending UW-RF.) $25.

Friday–Saturday, Dec. 9–10: Also in St. Paul (and very near the Landmark Center): the trio Red Planet plays the Artists' Quarter. Red Planet is Dean Magraw on guitar, Chris Bates on bass, and Jay Epstein on drums, performing original compositions, “deep-space tributes” to Coltrane and Hendrix, and a terrific cover of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Chris says that this time they’ll play songs from their latest recording, Space Dust, and a new Coltrane medley, plus some Monk and more. 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the AQ in St. Paul. $10.

Friday and Sunday: On Friday at 8 and Sunday afternoon at 2, the apparently immortal Doc Severinsen plays his annual holiday concert, "Jingle Bell Doc," at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. At 84, Doc is still dancing across the stage, playing like a much younger man (on a trumpet of his own design), and dressing up in jackets that will blind you. Expect red satin and rhinestones. Doc was music director of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for more than 25 years. He made his Minnesota Orchestra debut in 1965 and served as the Orchestra’s Pops Conductor for many years. If you haven’t ever seen him live, seriously, go if you can. He performs with the Minnesota Orchestra. Tickets $25–$55.

Saturday: At the Bloomington Center for the Arts, Arne Fogel and Maud Hixson will channel Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, the perfect musical team; think White Christmas. Frequent singing partners Fogel and Hixson will bring back the spirit of this great duo in a program called “Fancy Meeting You Here: The Crosby-Clooney Story.” Like every Arne Fogel joint, it will include some history and stories and background on the music and the artists. The Bloomington Center for the Arts on Old Shakopee Road, 7:30 p.m. Tickets $22. Box office 952-563-8575.

Monday: Trumpeter and composer Adam Meckler premieres his Music for Large Ensemble project at O’Gara’s Bar and Grill on Snelling in St. Paul. Think modern big band. Dean Sorenson and Adam will lead the band, which will include some of our best area players: Pete Hennig, Bryan Nichols, Chris Bates, Zack Lozier, Brandon Wozniak, and many more. They’ll play all original music by Meckler. This will be fun. 8 p.m., O’Gara’s. $5 at the door.

Tuesday: A new band called Boxcar makes its debut at the Dakota. Boxcar is alto saxophonist Wessell “Warmdaddy” Anderson, who played with the Wynton Marsalis Septet in the 1980s and 1990s, bassist Anthony Cox, drummer JT Bates, and pianist/composer Jeremy Walker. A lot of people are really looking forward to this. 7 p.m. at the Dakota. $15.

Wednesday: The delicious Jose James comes home to Minneapolis, where he grew up and went to South High, where his music teacher was Denny Malmberg, who plays accordion every Monday and Wednesday at Fireside Pizza. Jose is now an international star, probably better known in Europe than he is here. He doesn’t bother with musical boundaries; he sings jazz, he sings R&B, he sings soul and hip-hop in a baritone that will kill you dead. Most recently, he was on tour with McCoy Tyner and Chris Potter. He’ll perform here with pianist Kris Bowers, winner of the 2011 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. 7 and 9 p.m. at the Dakota. $20.

A note to jazz artists who are playing holiday gigs: Send an email with the details to jazz88calendar@gmail.com so we can get you on the live jazz calendar on KBEM's website (and here).

This week's jazz picks

2011-12-02T14:28:00.000-08:00

Note to jazz artists who are playing holiday gigs: Send an email with the details to jazz88calendar@gmail.com so we can get you on the live jazz calendar on KBEM's website (and at the right).

Tonight (Friday, Dec. 2), trumpeter Chris Botti performs at Orchestra Hall. Botti is the top-selling American jazz instrumental artist (take that, Kenny G), with four #1 jazz albums, several Grammy nominations, and a close relationship with PBS. He tours more than 250 days out of the year. To some, he’s too much on the smooth/pop side; to others, he’s exactly the kind of jazz they want to hear. Tickets are very tight—maybe nonexistent by now—but you can always stop by the box office and hope for turnbacks. His band includes the excellent Geoff Keezer on piano. 8 p.m., $25–$100.

Tonight and tomorrow at the Artists’ Quarter, trumpeter Steve Kenny, bassist Billy Peterson, pianist Peter Schimke, and drummer Kenny Horst ponder the question, What Would Monk Do? as they play music by a man who still shapes the sound of jazz. Thelonious Sphere Monk was born in 1917, the grandson of slaves; he died in 1982 at age 64. Hearing one of Monk's compositiions on the radio many years ago made me fall in love with jazz. Four devotees will play his brilliant, angular music full of twists, turns, unexpected pauses, and beautiful melodies. 9 p.m., $10.

On Sunday, the Dakota is hosting a benefit for its longtime bartender Karl Schwartz. Karl was robbed and severely beaten at a bus stop after work earlier this month. The medical bills are mounting, and Karl’s friends—he has many—are gathering on Sunday to help him out. People like Davina and the Vagabonds, Lucia Newell, Debbie Duncan, Dennis Spears, Ginger Commodore, and more will be on hand to perform, and all cover charge donations will go directly to Karl. 7 p.m., suggested donation $10.

On Monday, back at the Dakota, you can hear vocalist Catherine Russell. I confess—I’ve never seen her live, but after a few YouTube videos—including her take on Bessie Smith’s “Kitchen Man”—I’m intrigued. She’s been described as “classy, lusty, charismatic, dynamic, sassy, smart, and historically minded.” Her father led Louis Armstrong’s band; her mother worked with Mary Lou Williams. This could be a don’t-miss show. 7 p.m., $25.

On Tuesday, Café Maude presents the Dirty Wontons. Not the food, thank goodness, the band: Greg Schutte on drums, Jacob Hanson on guitar, Jim Anton on bass. 7 p.m., no cover.

The Jack Brass Band now has a regular Tuesday-night gig at the Driftwood Char Bar. If you enjoy New Orleans party-style music—foot-tapping, get-up-and-dance, third-line sounds—this is for you. New Orleans is the band’s home away from home; they have played together for 12 years, and they recently realeased a new CD, Fourth Movement. Nine-ish, no cover. Musicians, bring your axes.

On Wednesday, the Zacc Harris Quartet will play the Black Dog in St. Paul. We don’t often hear jazz at the Dog on Wednesdays. And some of us heard this quartet just a couple of weeks ago at Studio Z. I’m guessing they’re playing out as much as they can before heading into the studio to make their first album, which, by the way, is being funded by contributions to Kickstarter. This is a fine quartet—Zacc on guitar, Bryan Nichols on keys, and the fabulous Bates Bros., Chris and JT, on bass and drums. 8 p.m., no cover.

Check the jazz calendar to the right or at KBEM for many more choices, then get out there, people.

Update on Vijay Iyer's performances at the Walker in March

2011-11-29T16:04:00.000-08:00

News from the Walker. A terrific opportunity to see an important pianist in four different configurations, and solo (twice). Iyer was just appointed director of the Banff International Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music. I only wish we could squeeze Craig Taborn and Rudresh Mahanthappa in here somewhere.

On Thursday, March 1, Program A will feature:
Wadada Leo Smith + Vijay Iyer Duo
Vijay Iyer - Solo
The Vijay Iyer Trio (Marcus Gilmore, Stephan Crump, Vijay Iyer)

Experimental visionary jazz artist trumpeter/composer Wadada Leo Smith joins Iyer for a world premiere duo. The Vijay Iyer Trio (with Stephan Crump on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums) will perform several new works as well as selections from their Grammy-nominated "Historicity" and from "Tragicomic."

On Friday, March 2, Program B will feature:
Mike Ladd + Vijay Iyer Duo
Vijay Iyer - Solo
Tirtha (Nitin Mitta, Prasanna, Vijay Iyer)

Paris-based Mike Ladd, a hip-hop MC and spoken word singer/musician collaborates with Iyer in what JazzTimes calls "a tour de force… steeped in the language of South Asian and pan-African culture but trafficking in universal impulses…." South Asian global chamber trio Tirtha features Indian-American tabla/percussion master Nitin Mitta and innovative Indian electric guitarist Prasanna.

Both evenings will feature solos from Iyer, including both original compositions as well as some inspired reimaginings of both classic jazz and modern pop songs from the likes of Michael Jackson, MIA, and A Tribe Called Quest.

Tickets for both programs are available for $38 ($32 Walker members).

Jazz picks for Minneapolis-St. Paul: Nov. 26-Dec. 2, 2011

2011-11-26T16:52:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the tardiness of this posting. I've spent the past couple of days cooking, entertaining, and cleaning up. I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving and are ready to hear some jazz.

This just in: Tomorrow morning, Sunday, Nov. 27, at Plymouth Congregational Church in Minneapolis, the Rev. James Gertmenian will preach "in conversation" with jazz saxophonist Nathan Hanson at the 10:30 service. According to an article in today's StarTribune, "Gertmenian says he will speak about a reading from Isaiah for a few minutes, then Hanson will respond with a musical interpretation for a couple of minutes. The two of them will go back and forth in this manner for the length of the sermon, about 20 minutes." I haven't heard Gertmenian preach, but Hanson is a soulful, intuitive player who communicates on his instrument as clearly as the rest of us speak English (if we're lucky). It's a good reason to go to church. 1900 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis.

Tonight, Saturday, Nov. 26, at the Artist's Quarter in St. Paul: The Pat Mallinger Quartet will play the second night of an engagement that began yesterday. Mallinger, a man of many saxophones, was born and raised in St. Paul. He now lives in Chicago, where he has a regular Saturday-night gig at the Green Mill. His latest CD, Home on Richmond, features the excellent pianist Bill Carrothers, who was supposed to be with him at the AQ except his manager booked him dates in Switzerland. So we’ll hear Bryan Nichols instead—no complaints from me about that—along with Graydon Peterson on bass and Kenny Horst on drums. I’ve been listening to Home on Richmond and I like it a lot. Lively, tuneful, creative, engaging music. I hope they play their version of Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile.” 9 p.m., $15.

Monday, Nov. 28, at the Guthrie in Minneapolis: The great acoustic guitar stylist Leo Kottke will perform his annual Thanksgiving show – with a twist: he’ll be joined by sax master Dave Karr. Kottke’s music blends folk, pop, jazz, and classical influences into his music, creating a sound all his own. Over the years, he has worked with stars including Lyle Lovette, T-Bone Burnett, Rickie Lee Jones, John Williams, and Joe Pass. He’s made more than 30 studio albums, some of which I still have on scratched-up, overplayed LP. Dave Karr is a much respected jazz saxophonist, part of the Twin Cities music scene for 50 years, and a McKnight fellow. Two musicians’ musicians. 7:30 p.m., $43/$38.

Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the Dakota in Minneapolis: Pianist/composer Mary Louise Knutson celebrates the release of her latest CD as a leader, In the Bubble. That’s her phrase for “in the sweet spot, where only good can come to you.” The whole CD is a sweet spot of wonderful tunes—standards like “It Could Happen to You” and “Bluesette,” plus several originals. For most of the songs on the CD, her bassist is Gordy Johnson and her drummer is Phil Hey. Both will be with her at the Dakota. Mary Louise had a CD release in St. Paul last week, on Thanksgiving Eve. If you missed that, here’s a second chance. 7 p.m., $5.

Thursday, Dec. 1, at the Dakota in Minneapolis: Christine Rosholt will release her latest CD, Pazz, with British songwriter Kevin Hall. It’s called Pazz because it’s a combination of pop and jazz, probably a bit heavier on the pop side. The songs are all originals by Hall, who happened to catch one of Christine’s shows at the Dakota in 2008. He felt he had found the perfect vocalist for several original songs he was working on back in the UK. I’ve heard this CD, and Christine sings beautifully. Many fine Twin Cities musicians appear on the CD and will show up for the CD release, including the Hornheads, J.D. Steele, Graydon Peterson, Mac Santiago, Zacc Harris, Vinnie Rose, Randy Sabien, Lucia Newell, and more. It’s going to be a party. 7 p.m., $15.

Friday, Dec. 2, at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis: The return of Chris Botti, the top-selling American jazz instrumental artist, a man with four #1 jazz albums, multiple Grammy nominations, and an ongoing relationship with PBS. His latest CD/DVD, Chris Botti in Boston, features guests including Yo-Yo Ma and Sting. He tours more than 250 days out of the year. To some people, he’s a little on the smooth/pop side; to others, he’s exactly the kind of jazz they want to hear. He can certainly play the trumpet and he’s a great audience favorite. 8 p.m., $25–$70. Limited availability.

Check the jazz calendar at right or at KBEM for many more choices, then get out there, people.

This week's jazz picks for Minneapolis-St. Paul: Nov. 18-26, 2011

2011-11-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

Fridays and Saturdays: Benny Weinbeck Trio. This classic trio of seasoned, swinging—and, I might add, well-dressed—jazz pros returns to their regular gig at the D’Amico Kitchen at the Chambers hotel in downtown Minneapolis. Benny Weinbeck on piano, Gordon Johnson on bass, Phil Hey on drums. A classy trio in a classy but casual restaurant in a boutique hotel. Very New York. Occasionally one or more members has another gig that takes him away from the Chambers—for example, Gordy Johnson tours with England’s Stacey Kent when she’s in the States—but most of the time you can count on all three being there. Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30-11:30. No cover.

Saturday, Nov. 19: Jazz at Studio Z: The Zacc Harris Group. Guitarist Zacc Harris (Atlantis Quartet, Monk in Motian, Vital Organ, Counterclockwise) has put together a series with a bonus feature: At 1:00 in the afternoon before each concert (the concerts start at 7), you can attend an open rehearsal for free. A jazz band is not an orchestra; they don’t play a program from a score. At a rehearsal, you can observe decisions being made on the spot and gain more insight into what happens during a live performance. (Even a little knowledge makes any type of music more enjoyable.) The third concert in the Jazz at Studio Z series features the Zacc Harris Group, with Bryan Nichols on keys and Fender Rhodes, Chris Bates on bass, JT Bates on drums, and guest saxophonist Brandon Wozniak. Saturday, 7 p.m., Studio Z in St. Paul's Lowertown. $10; 13 and under free.

Harris has just launched a Kickstarter project to fund his group's first recording. Other Kickstarter projects I like: Nathan Hanson and Brian Roessler's Selenographia. Jeremy Walker's 12 Psalms. John Raymond's debut CD.

Saturday, Nov. 19 and Sunday, Nov. 20: Regina Marie Williams in "Nina...I Put a Spell on You." Ivey Award-winning actor and singer Regina Marie Williams performs the music of Nina Simone at the Capri Theater. This is the first concert in this year’s Legends Series, whose artistic director is Dennis Spears. I spoke with Regina the other day for a story that appears in today's MinnPost. If you love Nina Simone’s music—songs like “I Put a Spell on You,” “Black is the Color of My True Love’s Hair,” “I Loves You, Porgy,” and “My Baby Just Cares for Me”—this is for you. You may remember seeing Regina in Dinah Was, about Dinah Washington, at the Penumbra or the Ordway a few years back. She has been in several plays at the Penumbra, the Guthrie, and other theaters; at the moment, she’s also in On the Spectrum at the Mixed Blood, where she’ll go after finishing Sunday’s concert at the Capri. Shows are at 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. $25.

Wednesday, Nov. 23: Two CD releases. On Thanksgiving eve, while your turkey is brining and your cranberries are setting, you can attend a pair of CD releases, one in St. Paul and the other in Minneapolis.

In St. Paul at the Artists’ Quarter, pianist/composer Mary Louise Knutson will play songs from her second CD as a leader, In the Bubble. That’s her phrase for “in the sweet spot, where only good can come.” The whole CD is a sweet spot of wonderful tunes—standards like “It Could Happen to You” and “Bluesette,” plus several originals. For most of the songs on the CD, her bassist is Gordy Johnson and her drummer is Phil Hey (see Benny Weinbeck Trio above). Gordy and Phil will both be with her at the AQ. 7:30 p.m., $5.

In Minneapolis at Jazz Central, you can hear the Doug Haining Quintet play songs from their brand-new CD, Last Man Swinging. Another excellent collection played by old friends who have spent a lot of time together: Doug Haining on alto sax and clarinet, Rick Carlson on piano, Steve Pikal on bass, Dick Bortolussi on drums. On Wednesday night, trombonist Scott Agster will step in for Dave Graf, who has a commitment elsewhere. 8:30 p.m. No cover, but respect the tip jar.

I like both of these CDs very much. Both are seriously swinging—the kind of swing that feels effortless and natural.

If you don’t want to go anywhere on Thanksgiving Eve, tune into Maryann Sullivan’s “On the Local Corner” program on KBEM starting at 7 p.m. and you’ll probably hear many of the people mentioned here.

As always, there's a lot more live jazz happening in the Twin Cities this week. Learn about it on the Live Jazz Calendar at the right or on KBEM's website. Send information about your gigs (who, what, where, when, $) to jazz88calendar@gmail.com.

Jazz at Lincoln Center goes global

2011-11-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

This just in from JALC:

New York, NY (November 16, 2011) - St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (NYSE: HOT), and Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) announce today an unprecedented global partnership, bringing two New York icons together to concept and create a series of jazz clubs around the world in St. Regis hotels. With a shared ambition to open five jazz clubs in the next five years, St. Regis and JALC will open the first jazz club at The St. Regis Doha in April 2012.

The press release goes on and on. Actually, it's one of the most boring press releases I've ever read, probably because it was a joint effort between JALC (which usually does a pretty good job at these things) and St. Regis, "the unrivaled icon of five-star luxury," according to its own brochure. There's something about how the St. Regis in NYC has hosted a lot of jazz musicians over the years, about jazz being "an innate part of the St. Regis legacy," about "beyond expectation guest experiences," and about how "the opening of Jazz at Lincoln Center Doha and The St. Regis Doha further solidify Qatar as an emerging center of culture, commerce and leisure in the Middle East." (That seems a bit hyperbolic for a city whose Museum of Islamic Art was designed by I.M. Pei.)

Writing for the New York Times, James C. McKinley Jr. notes that the new club will be modeled on Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola in Manhattan, and that the deal carries little risk for JALC, whose executive director, Adrian Ellis, says that the revenue from the Doha club will help support the organizations' educational programs. Wynton Marsalis considers this an opportunity to spread American culture and to introduce new audiences to jazz. Ellis further says that "if we are careful not to bite off more than we can chew, it could transform our business model." No kidding.

I haven't yet ventured into the blogosphere to read what's being said about this, but I suspect there's a lot of carping going on. Speaking only for myself, I don't have a problem with JALC establishing a presence in Qatar. In our own current political/cultural climate, where politicians curry votes by vowing to end the NEA and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and where more and more jazz clubs are "broadening" their offerings to include pop and nostalgia simply to keep their doors open, why not go where the money is? The musicians of JALC (I'm thinking specifically of Marsalis and the members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra) have long served as cultural ambassadors and are good at it. And who knows what might happen when Qatar gets a taste of real American jazz? American jazz musicians moving to Israel (Arnie Lawrence; Walter Blanding, who later joined the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra) helped to create a vibrant jazz scene there which brought many fine musicians to the States (check out the 3 Cohens, if you haven't already). Will we someday see Qatari jazz musicians?

Jon Weber tapped to host new version of NPR's Piano Jazz

2011-11-11T09:12:00.000-08:00

For those who love pianist, composer, and musical savant Jon Weber--and there are many, many of us in the Twin Cities, where Weber has been a regular at our annual jazz festival and a favorite at the Artists' Quarter--the news could not be better: Starting in January, Weber will host National Public Radio's "Piano Jazz Rising Stars," successor to "Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz," the longest-running jazz show on NPR.

An affable, entertaining, authentically modest genius, Weber once claimed to know 20,168 songs. He wasn't kidding. He can also name the composers and their birth dates. He can play any of those songs in any key. And in any given live performance, he'll quote from several of them.

I interviewed Weber in 2008 (was it really that long ago?) and talk with him whenever I can. I'm delighted he's been given this opportunity--that more people will have the chance to hear him and know him. Writing last week about Weber's new post, the Chicago Tribune's Howard Reich noted, "It's hard to imagine a better choice for this plum assignment than Weber, considering his rare combination of gifts: brilliant technique, photographic memory, enormous repertory of songs and the ability to read perfectly at sight virtually any score placed before him." Read Reich's article here.

This couldn't happen to a nicer guy, or a more deserving one. Congratulations, Jon!

This week's jazz picks for Minneapolis-St. Paul: Nov. 11-17, 2011

2011-11-11T07:14:00.000-08:00

I'm back from almost a week in NYC, during which I heard as much jazz as I could: Henry Butler at the Standard, the Three Cohens at the Vanguard, Miguel Zenon discussing his new CD with Phil Schaap at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Blue Note for Chick Corea and Bobby McFerrin, and a little place on the Lower East Side called the Rockwood Music Hall. Midwest expat bassist Chris Morrissey sent me a message on facebook telling me he was playing there at midnight on Wednesday, so I went to hear him. He has a lot of fans. We had to squeeze in.

Jazz news

Beloved area sax player John Devine is in the hospital. On Monday, October 24, he suffered what his doctors are calling a hemorrhagic stroke and was rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center for surgery. He is currently doing well but has a long recovery ahead of him. If you’ve enjoyed his music at the Loring Pasta Bar or the Birchwood Café, or the old Loring Café, where he used to play from the roof of the outdoor courtyard, you can send him some love and stay in touch at johndevineline.com. You can also listen to some of his music while you’re there.

This Sunday’s showing of Music According to Tom Jobim at the Latin Jazz Film Festival has been cancelled. (As was Tuesday’s.) That’s the bad news on the jazz film scene. The good news is, a second showing of 1959: The Year That Changed Jazz has been added. Made for the BBC, first shown in 2009, this film from director Paul Bernays explores the impact on jazz of four albums released in 1959: Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue, Dave Brubeck’s Time Out, Ornette Coleman’s The Shape of Jazz to Come, and Charles Mingus’s Mingus Ah Um. View a clip here. See the whole thing at the Trylon Microcinema, the intimate screening room on Minnehaha Ave. in Minneapolis. Reserve online at jazz88fm.com. Click on “Jazz88 REEL Jazz” under News and Event Calendars on the home page.

I spent some time in NYC with singer Nancy Harms. She moved there a year ago and has been getting busier and busier, performing with trumpeter Wycliffe Gordon, singing at clubs like Dizzy’s and Small’s, the Bar Next door, Zinc, and Kitano. If you’ve been wondering what Nancy is up to, you can visit her website or like her page on facebook.

Live jazz this week

Tonight (Friday, Nov. 11) at the Dakota, the John Jorgenson Quintet performs. This acclaimed gypsy jazz group played at the Hopkins Center for the Arts in very early October, as guests of Connie Evingson. What goes around comes around, and for their Dakota gig, they have invited Connie to be their guest. That starts at 8 p.m. tonight at the Dakota. $15.

Tomorrow night (Saturday, Nov. 12) at Studio Z in St. Paul's Lowertown, it’s the return of Insurgent, that troublemaking free jazz trio featuring Pat Moriarty on alto saxophone, Ellen Lease on piano, and Phil Hey on drums. This performance will be recorded for Saint Paul Live!, a new radio series being produced by Larry Englund that will air on KBEM starting in January. If you haven’t dipped your toe into improvised music, this is a great place to start. Insurgent is a very tuneful trio of top players who can do that read-each-other’s-minds thing so important to improvised music. The music starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday. $10/$8 Twin Cities Jazz Society members/$5 students.

Also in St. Paul on Friday and Saturday, at the Artists’ Quarter in the basement of the Hamm Building, tenor sax monster Sue Orfield joins the members of the Tuesday Night Band for music that may knock you off your bar stool. The Tuesday Night Band—so named because they perform at the AQ every Tuesday, the club's longest-running gig—is Downtown Bill Brown on Hammond B-3 organ, Billy Franze on guitar, and Kenny Horst on drums. That starts at 9 on Friday and Saturday. $10.

Over at the Dakota at 11 p.m. on Saturday, the Small City Trio returns for a late-night set. Small City is a piano jazz trio led by Jeremy Walker, another Minneapolis expat now living in NYC, with Jeff Brueske on bass and Tim Zhorne on drums. $5.

On Tuesday at the Nicollet Coffee House at Nicollet and Franklin, it’s the Graydon Peterson Group. Bassist Graydon Peterson is usually seen at the back of the stage, most often supporting a singer, but now he has his own band, playing his own original music. I saw this group at Jazz Central recently and liked it a lot. 7 p.m. No cover.

On Wednesday, this week’s very big name: Al Jarreau performs at the lovely Pantages Theatre at 7:30. $53.50–$63.50. If you want tickets, go straight to the Hennepin Theatre Trust website. Resellers are asking $150. Ticketmaster will gouge you, but not that badly.

This week's jazz picks for Minneapolis-St. Paul...

2011-11-04T19:47:00.001-07:00

...will return next week.

This week's jazz picks for Minneapolis-St. Paul: Oct. 28-Nov. 3, 2011

2011-10-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight (Friday, Oct. 28) at Orchestra Hall: Herbie Hancock, solo. Need anyone say more? He’ll play the Fazioli piano they’re bringing in just for him (he has promised that the sound will make us cry) and probably a lot of electronics, if his performance earlier this month at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia is at all prophetic. 7 p.m., $70-$40.

Tonight and Saturday at the Artists’ Quarter in St. Paul: Atlantis Quartet. Zacc Harris on guitar, Brandon Wozniak on saxophone, Chris Bates on bass, Pete Hennig on drums. They’re releasing their live CD, Lines in the Sand, which they recorded at the AQ several months back. Hearing them play their own music is reason enough to go, but because this is Halloween, there’s a bonus: Every Halloween for four years now, they have played a classic album from start to finish. In 2008 it was Coltrane’s A Love Supreme; in 2009, Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, in 2010, Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy, and this year it’s Sonny Rollins’s The Bridge. 9 p.m. $10.

On Tuesday, Nov. 1, the great guitarist John Scofield plays one night only at the Dakota. He was here not that long ago, in February of this year, but nobody is complaining. Scofield is on tour with his latest CD, a luminous collection of ballads called A Moment’s Peace. He’s bringing Michael Ekroth on piano, Ben Street on bass, and Greg Hutchinson on drums. 7 and 9 p.m. $40/$30.

On Wednesday, Nov. 2, at MacPhail’s lovely Antonello Hall, the fiery, thundering Cuban pianist Nachito Herrera will give a program and workshop called “Reflections on Rachmaninoff.” He’ll be joined by Manny Laureano, principal trumpet for the Minnesota Orchestra. 7:30 p.m. $5; free for MacPhail and Minnesota Youth Symphonies students.

CANCELLED. Bummer! The Community Pool: Deep End series of music at the Black Dog, regularly on Fridays, moves to Thursday, Nov. 3, to accommodate the visiting trio Das Kapital. Based in France, it includes German saxophonist Daniel Erdmann, Danish guitarist Hasse Poulsen, and French drummer Edward Perraud. Their current CD, Conflicts and Conclusions, continues to explore the music of German composer Hanns Eisler, a journey begun on their previous CD, Ballads and Barricades. Briefly: Eisler studied with Arnold Schoenberg, was banned by the Nazis, fled to the United States, was blacklisted as a Communist, and got deported back to Germany, where he soon drew the eye of the Stalinists. The music—melody plus improvisation, idealism and subversion—starts at 8. No cover, but please find the tip jar.

Free tickets now available for the next (last?) NEA Jazz Masters Awards Ceremony and Concert

2011-10-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

From the NEA via Jazz at Lincoln Center:

Washington, DC - Tickets for the National Endowment for the Arts 2012 Jazz Masters award ceremony and concert will be available to the public on Tuesday, November 1, 2011. The award ceremony and concert that each year recognizes the newest members of this elite group of jazz artists and will also celebrate 30 years of honoring the best of jazz.

The NEA Jazz Masters awards recognize outstanding musicians for their lifetime achievements and significant contributions to the development of jazz. The 2012 NEA Jazz Masters are drummer, keyboardist, and composer Jack DeJohnette; saxophonist Von Freeman; bassist, composer, and educator Charlie Haden; vocalist and educator Sheila Jordan; and educator, trumpeter, flugelhorn player, composer, and arranger Jimmy Owens, recipient of the 2012 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy.

The concert will be held on January 10, 2012 at 7:30pm at Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center. In addition to the performances and award presentations, the evening will feature video tributes to each of the 2012 NEA Jazz Masters.

Tickets are free and can be reserved beginning November 1, 2011 either online at jalc.org/concerts or in person at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office, located at Broadway at 60th Street, ground floor. The box office is open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm, as well as Sundays, 12pm to 6pm. Limit two tickets per person.  

"We are pleased to be able to share what promises to be a sensational evening of jazz with audiences around the world," said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. "The webcast and radio broadcast will extend the event far beyond the concert hall, connecting these Americans legends to millions of listeners."

"Bringing together our community to celebrate the 2012 NEA Jazz Masters as well as the 30th anniversary of the nation's highest honor in jazz is a great privilege for Jazz at Lincoln Center," said Adrian Ellis, Executive Director, Jazz at Lincoln Center. "We hope jazz fans and newcomers alike will join us in this fantastic evening of music to honor those who have dedicated their lives to it. This event will be like no other."

Those unable to attend in person can enjoy the performance via live webcast at arts.gov and jalc.org at 7:30pm EST. The concert will be broadcast live on WBGO Jazz 88.3FM and SiriusXM Satellite Radio's Real Jazz Channel XM67. A video archive of the concert will also be available at arts.gov following the event.

This week's jazz picks for Minneapolis-St. Paul: Oct. 21-27, 2011

2011-10-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Friday, Oct. 21, at the Black Dog in St. Paul's Lowertown, the Community Pool: Deep End series of improvised music continues with Todd Harper’s Full Moon Rabbit. Bassist Brian Roessler, who curates this series with Nathan Hanson, describes Harper’s music as coming out of the Sun Ra tradition: jubilant, funny, beautiful, messy, and real. Eight-ish, no cover.

Tonight at First Avenue in Minneapolis—not a venue we get to mention too often here—Troy Andrews, aka Trombone Shorty, performs with his group Orleans Avenue. They're on tour with their new CD For True, which I'm listening to right now, and believe me, typing is the last thing you want to do when that music is playing. The CD features guests like Jeff Beck, Kid Rock, Ivan Neville, and Ledisi, but you won't miss them when Shorty takes the stage. It's going to be a high-energy, on-your-feet show of jazz, funk, R&B, pop, and New Orleans street-party music. Doors at 8, $25.

Tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 22, back in Lowertown, the Jazz at Studio Z series returns with Seven Steps to Havana, Doug Little’s septet of musicians from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Africa. Salsa meets jazz in a performance that Larry Englund will record for Saint Paul Live, his new radio series that will air on KBEM/Jazz88 starting in January. 7 p.m., $10.

Also tomorrow, at the Hopkins Center for the Arts, the great Grammy-winning saxophonist and composer Joe Lovano performs with his group Us Five, featuring Esperanza Spalding on bass and two drummers: Oscar Brown III and Francisco Mela. 8 p.m., $28.

On Friday and Saturday, St. Paul native Matt Slocum, a drummer and composer now living in NYC. comes home to the Artists' Quarter to celebrate his latest CD, After the Storm. He’ll be here with Sam Yahel on piano and Massimo Biolcati on bass. 9 p.m., $15.

Veering off the jazz path and stepping into the Tardis: On Sunday, Oct. 23, at the Artists' Quarter, stride pianist Butch Thompson meets blues guitar picker Spider John Koerner. The two played together in the '60s on Minneapolis's West Bank and they will take us back. 7 p.m., $10.

Also on Sunday, Milo Fine—the ultimate I’ll-go-my-own-way musician—presents one of his special extra performances at Homewood Studios, this time with husband-and-wife team Paul Metzger on stringed instruments, Elaine Evans on violin and pocket trumpet. Improvised music at its most improvisational. Starts promptly at 7 p.m., $5 (unconfirmed, but the usual door for Milo's events).

On Monday night, Oct. 24, the sax-heavy sextet Dead Cat Bounce performs at Studio Z. This highly original group invokes Charles Mingus and the World Saxophone Quartet. One writer noted their “compulsive, seething grooves and brawling saxophones.” Four saxes/reed instruments, drums, bass. Trivia: Dead Cat Bounce is a Wall Street term that refers to a small, brief recovery in the price of a declining stock. 7:30 p.m., $10.

On Tuesday, Oct. 25, the brand-new Graydon Peterson Quartet performs at Jazz Central in Minneapolis. Bassist Peterson has written the music and invited friends from his college days at Eau Claire—Adrian Suarez on drums, Adam Meckler on trumpet, Vincent Rose on guitar—to play it. 8:30 p.m., no cover but please visit the tip jar.

On Wednesday, Oct. 26, pianist Bryan Nichols gives a solo performance at MacPhail’s lovely Antonello Hall. Recently, Bryan played with the Minnesota Orchestra as part of their season opener. He also released his first CD of original music, Bright Places, and was a named a McKnight Artist Fellow. You can hear him play around town with other musicians, but rarely solo, and to hear him at Antonello on that marvelous Steinway will be special. 7 p.m., free.

Heads up: Next Friday, Oct. 28, at Orchestra Hall, Herbie Hancock gives a solo piano/keyboard performance, playing the Italian Fazioli piano that’s being brought in especially for him.

Please check the jazz calendar at the right or on KBEM's website for details about these and many more live jazz performances in and around the Twin Cities.

New José James single released, forthcoming CD announced

2011-10-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

Jazz fans in the Twin Cities feel kind of proprietary about José James. He's our homie. He grew up here, went to school here (DeLaSalle, South High), had his life turned around by a teacher here (Denny Malmberg), started performing here (at Fireside Pizza with Malmberg), prepared here for 2004 Thelonious Monk competition (which he didn't win), and leaped from our fertile, springy ground into the wide world. Today he's a star on the international scene, as versed in hip-hop and R&B as he is in jazz. His Facebook fans keep up with his dizzying schedule: gigs with Robert Glasper and Taylor McFerrin, tours of Europe and China with McCoy Tyner, guest performances with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (a Billy Strayhorn tribute), reviews in multiple languages from cities where he has performed. He's a comet streaking across the sky.

This just in from NYC music marketer Giant Step:

***

José James has released his new single, "Trouble," from the forthcoming 2012 album No Beginning, No End. From the world of Jazz where he is surrounded by the genre's most respected players and into the realm of R&B and soul, José provides listeners with an intimate and inspiring sound.

José explains, "'Trouble' is the story of a man trying to love a woman, his world and himself. My hope is that it inspires people to keep strong and enjoy the beauty of their own lives. I wrote it with Marvin 'Trouble Man' Gaye in mind - he's my favorite singer and inspires a lot of my music. A lot of his songs were inspired by jazz and he sang with so much passion and truth. I wanted to sing something that showed a more playful and sensual side to my singing, something with a killer horn section and a sexy bassline. I'm blessed to have Pino Palladino lay down that groove!"

Los Angeles' KCRW premiered the track this month after several of the station's DJs placed his previous album, Black Magic, in their 2010 top 10 lists and Music Director Jason Bentley ranked José's live performance on Morning Becomes Eclectic among his top 10 of the year.

"Trouble" gets a remix courtesy of underground hip-hop artist/producer Oh No. "I was also inspired by Madlib's beats - everything fits but somehow feels off at the same time and sometimes life is like that," says José. "His brother, Oh No, did the remix and really brought out the darkness and the beauty of the struggle to do right."

José performs at the CMJ Future Now Showcase alongside Taylor McFerrin and The Robert Glasper Experiment in New York City before heading overseas with McCoy Tyner.

"Trouble" Credits:

Produced by José James

Written by José James + Scott Jacoby

Remix by Oh No

José James - vocals

Takuya Kuroda - trumpet + flugelhorn

Alistair White - trombone

Grant Windsor - Fender Rhodes + Hammond B-3 organ

Pino Palladino - bass

Richard Spaven - drums

Horn arrangement by Takuya Kuroda

***

Related:

Listen to "Trouble" on SoundCloud
Read my 2010 interview with James
While you're on SoundCloud, view all and check out James's version of "Lush Life" with Belgian pianist Jef Neve. Killer.

Jazz films on the horizon: Take five

2011-10-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

Despite the star power of Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton Play the Blues (reviewed here), only a handful of people attended the screening we saw at the Showplace Icon in St. Louis Park. (Among them was Susan Smoluchowski, executive director of the Film Society of Minneapolis-St. Paul, so we were in good company.) I learned about the film from a Jazz at Lincoln Center press release but suspect it was poorly advertised. Or maybe people decided to wait for the DVD and watch it at home. Too bad for them, because seeing it on a humongous screen in HD with surround was awesome.

Theatrical screenings of jazz films are few and far between, and I try to call attention to the ones I hear about. Which led to today's MinnPost piece, "Jazz at the Movies: Five weeks, five films."

Thanks to the Metropolitan Opera's "Live in HD" series, you can also see live-from-the-Met opera performances at your local movie theater, streaming in real time. The 2011–12 season starts tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 15, with Donizetti's Anna Bolena. Visit the website FMI.

This week's jazz picks for Minneapolis-St. Paul: Oct. 14-20, 2011

2011-10-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight and tomorrow (Friday–Saturday, Oct. 14–15) at the Artists’ Quarter in St. Paul, you can experience the Good Life. Good Life is the name of a new quartet of four area musicians, all with big followings around the Twin Cities: Brandon Wozniak on saxophone, Peter Schimke on piano, Billy Peterson on bass, and Kenny Horst on drums. Each has a lot of history and musical knowledge to share. The music starts at 9 tonight and tomorrow at the AQ, St. Paul’s legendary basement jazz club. $10.

If you live in or near Plymouth, I hope you know about the Jazz@St.Barney’s series, held at St. Barnabas Center for the Arts on Old Rockford Road. On Saturday, Oct. 15, singer Connie Evingson will be joined by pianist Mary Louise Knutson in a rare duo performance. This family-friendly event starts at 7. $10 adults, $7 TCJS members, $5 students (free for SBCA students).

On Saturday at the Southern Theater at Seven Corners, the great poet Amiri Baraka will give a special performance of his Wise Why’s Y’s, an epic journey through the history of Africans in America that questions and answers broad themes of history and identity. Presented by Tru Ruts’ FreestyleTheatre, this will be an evening of spoken word, jazz, and dance. 8 p.m. Saturday. $7.

More choices on Saturday: Patty Peterson and Friends will be at the Dakota starting at 8. $12. Over at the Nomad World Pub in Cedar Riverside, Mama Digdown’s Brass Band—a New Orleans-style brass band with a street beat— will record their live show for the band’s next CD. MDBB is based in Milwaukee but has a big following in the Twin Cities and the Crescent City. That starts at 9. No cover.

Five jazz films are coming to the Twin Cities in the next five weeks—two this week. (Read about all five on MinnPost.) On Sunday, Oct. 16, at 1 p.m. at the Trylon Microcinema on Minnehaha, you can see a film called In My Mind, featuring pianist/composer/MacArthur fellow Jason Moran and his Big Bandwagon, revisiting and interpreting Thelonious Monk’s historic 1959 Town Hall concert. Some of you may remember seeing this program at the Walker back in 2009. KBEM’s Kevin Barnes will introduce the film. $10.

On Thursday, Oct. 20, Kevin will be back at the Trylon for the next installment of his REEL Jazz film series. This will be an evening with local film collector, preservationist, and historian Bob DeFlores, who has accumulated a lot of jazz films over the years, especially big-band films. He’ll bring some good ones to show and talk about. That starts at 7:30 at the Trylon. $10.

Also on Sunday, Oct. 16, Soul Café returns to Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church. Soul Café combines jazz, poetry, and improvisation in a beautiful setting—the church’s art gallery, where you’re surrounded by big, beautiful paintings. This time, the theme is resilience: the capacity to embrace all that life brings. With Steve Blons on guitar, Laura Caviani on piano, Brad Holden on sax, Daryl Boudreaux on drums, Lucia Newell on vocals, and Jay Young on bass. 7 p.m. Sunday night. $10 requested donation.

On Monday, Oct. 17, at Jazz Central, trombonist, mensch, and Zen master Dave Graf will take the spotlight. If you haven’t been to Jazz Central, I encourage you to give it a try. It’s rapidly becoming the place to go for jazz and jam sessions in Minneapolis on Monday nights. The music begins at 8:30. No cover, but please show some love to the tip jar.

If it’s Tuesday, it must be Jazz Night at The Nicollet, the bright, airy, high-ceilinged coffee house at the corner of Nicollet and Franklin. This weekly series has legs—and a dance floor. This week, you can hear vocalist Vicky Mountain with Chris Lomheim on keys. Enjoy the music and have a cup of Jazz Standard coffee, freshly roasted for the occasion. Starts at 7. No cover.

Big doings on Wednesday, Oct. 19, back at the Artists’ Quarter: The Wallace Roney Quintet, one night only. The great trumpeter Roney was mentored by Miles Davis after Miles heard him in 1983 in Carnegie Hall, and later joined Miles on stage at Montreux in 1991. He’s bringing his own band, which includes brother Antoine on saxes and young pianist Araun Ortiz. This is a don’t-miss no-brainer. Two sets, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. $22. Reservations recommended.

Also on Wednesday, Sophia Shorai will be at the Dakota with Bryan Nichols, Cody McKinney, and Greg Schutte. Starts at 7. $5. Over in Cedar-Riverside, the Nomad Jazz Series features bassist Anthony Cox.

For details about these and many more live jazz performances in and around the Twin Cities, simply check the jazz calendar at the right or on KBEM's website.

Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton Play the Blues: Concert film review

2011-10-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton Play the Blues was shown in theaters across the country just once, shortly before it was released on DVD. (A CD soundtrack is also available.) It’s what a concert film should be: up close and personal with the musicians on stage, beautifully filmed, great sound, and no silly panning of adoring audience members.

Filmed during live performances in the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center, the film features Marsalis and Clapton (who have been friends for years) and six members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra: Dan Nimmer (piano), Carlos Henriquez (bass), Ali Jackson (drums), Marcus Printup (trumpet), Victor Goines (clarinet), Chris Crenshaw (trombone and vocals). Also on stage: New Orleans banjo master Don Vappie, Clapton’s keyboardist Chris Stainton, and (later) special guest Taj Mahal.

Marsalis explains the instrumentation in the liner notes: “We combined the sound of an early blues jump-band with the sound of New Orleans jazz to accommodate the integration of guitar/trumpet lead and to give us the latitude to play different grooves…. We decided to use the instrumentation of King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band plus two (electric guitar and piano) because they transformed the world of music with a set of 1923 recordings and, with performances like ‘Dipper Mouth Blues,’ forever established the blues as a centerpiece of jazz.”

These were highly anticipated, big-deal, sold-out concerts, but the film feels like a relaxed and easy evening on someone’s porch, except everyone is wearing a suit. The setlist—songs chosen by Clapton and arranged by Marsalis—includes Louis Armstrong’s “Ice Cream,” “Careless Love,” “Joe Turner’s Blues,” and a smoldering “Layla” that opens like a NOLA-style funeral march. (It was Henriquez who suggested “Layla.") The whole set is infused with Crescent City sound and swing. It swings hard. How could it not, with these players? Taj Mahal, a mountain of a man, comes out near the end for a soul-stirring “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” and his signature song, “Corrine, Corrina.”

Even with two superstars front and center (between them, Marsalis and Clapton have won 29 Grammys), this is a group effort. Everyone solos, everyone shines. Goines’ soaring, dancing clarinet is especially delicious. The cameras bring us near enough to see the nods and smiles of appreciation among the musicians, to hear the occasional “Yeah!” and laughter. They’re having a good time, and so are we. It’s a bonus to be able to follow Clapton’s fingers on the strings and the horn players’ on the keys, to look over Nimmer’s shoulder and stand before Henriquez’ bass.

There are occasional moments of rehearsal footage, and a few words from Marsalis, but Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton Play the Blues is mostly about the music: traditional, still vital and wide open to interpretation.

The music is available on Spotify.

Clapton’s YouTube channel has video clips. One catches Chris Crenshaw in rehearsal, wearing his Hats for Cats hat.

Monterey magic: Memories of the 54th Monterey Jazz Festival

2011-10-07T15:35:00.000-07:00

Sonny Rollins by John Whiting

A press release sent yesterday, announcing that the Monterey Jazz Festival had received a $300,000 grant from California’s James Irvine Foundation, made me nostalgic for this year’s festival. Has it really been three weeks since we walked through the gates on opening day to hear Robert Glasper? Even less since we walked out for the final time, the sound of Sonny Rollins’ saxophone still hot in our ears?

I wrote about MJF54 for NPR’s A Blog Supreme, including a recap with Patrick Jarenwattananon. But I haven’t yet written my personal impressions—the time-stood-still moments I’ll remember from three days and nights of jazz on the California coast. So, as they say, without further ado.

Robert Glasper Trio. The perfect opener for a jazz festival with a history and a future. Glasper’s music, his band, and his whole demeanor say, “Don’t worry, jazz fans, I know my stuff, I can play the standards—but it’s 2011, jazz is changing, let’s go.” His music merges jazz with soul, R&B, hip-hop, pop, quiet storm, Mos Def and J Dilla. High points: a soulful groove that made room for “In a Sentimental Mood.” The playful wave of Glasper's hand whenever a plane flew over. (The festival site is on a direct flight path to the Monterey airport.) Watching young drummer Chris Dave play. Learning that a new Robert Glasper Experiment CD is due out on Blue Note in 2012, this one with guests including Lupe Fiasco, Erykah Badu, Bilal, Meshell N’Degeocello, and Stokley Williams.

Richard Bona and Raul Midón. OMG this was gorgeous. Guitar (Midón) and electric bass (Bona), beautiful voices, touching lyrics (“I have waited all my life for you/But I didn’t know it…”), Latin and African beats. Midón has been to the Dakota in Minneapolis at least twice in the past few years and I’ve missed him every time, probably because I'm an idiot.

“First Family of Cool”: John Pizzarelli Quartet with special guests Jessica Molaskey and Bucky Pizzarelli. I felt like I was sitting in their “deluxe living room high atop Lexington Avenue,” not in an open-air arena among thousands of people. Pizzarelli and his band—including the marvelous Larry Fuller on piano—and Pizzarelli’s wife, Molaskey, put us immediately at ease with their warmth, professionalism, and banter. Jessica joked that she kept her name after marrying John because “changing from Molaskey to Pizzarelli was a lateral move.” She introduced “I Want to Be Happy” (combined with “Sometimes I’m Happy, Sometimes I’m Blue”) as “a meditation on codependence.” It was a superbly swinging, enormously entertaining, smooth-as-silk show—and then the icing: the father-son duo of Bucky, now 85, and John, alone on stage. John told Bucky to “just press down hard and strum,” and the two played “Body and Soul.” Monterey magic.

Helen Sung. What an elegant, intelligent, expressive pianist/composer she is. A wonderful trio—Reuben Rogers on bass, Marvin “Smitty” Smith on drums—and new compositions inspired by unexpected sources: a poem by Dana Gioia, the repeat ostinato favored by Philip Glass. I loved Sung’s approach to Monk’s “Bye-Ya.” She took an already thorny rhythmic proposition, cut it into ribbons, then wove them back together into something elastic and spacious, with extra beats and flourishes. “Monk is one of my heroes,” she told us. “He never sounded like anyone but himself, which takes a lot of courage.” Her whole final set: “Hope Springs Eternal,” an original composition; “Touch,” the Dana Gioia piece; “Bye-Ya;” “Glasswork,” after Philip Glass; “In Walked Bud;” “The Song Is You;” “H-Town,” an original, a tribute to her hometown of Houston.

Sarah Wilson. A new discovery for me. (Isn’t that in part what jazz festivals are about?) I went mostly to hear Matt Wilson on drums but ended up being very taken by Sarah (no relation). Wearing a sleeveless print dress, cowboy boots, and glasses, the young composer/trumpeter/anthropologist looked like a punk professor. Her music was colorful and lively, with a narrative quality, as if it contained stories and movement. I later learned why: Wilson spent years with the Bread and Puppet Theater in Vermont, then served as musical director and composer for Lincoln Center’s puppet program. Her most recent CD is called Music for an Imaginary Play. She played selections from that, and sang in a girlish, rather reedy voice. I liked her.

Geri Allen and Timeline. Allen was this year’s Monterey commission artist; her brand-new, world-premiere piece was “The Dazzler,” a tribute to Sammy Davis Jr. With Allen at the piano, Kenny Davis on bass, Kassa Overall on drums, and Maurice Chestnut in tap shoes, it was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Chestnut was amazing to watch—fluid, graceful, precise. He was a second percussionist, the music made by his feet joining that of Overall’s drums. (The great pianist McCoy Tyner occasionally performs with tap dancer Savion Glover. That’s something I’d walk through hot coals to see.) It wasn’t a lengthy piece, but the audience dug it.

Bill Carrothers. I’m a longtime fan of this reclusive, self-effacing, eccentric pianist for the simple reason that his music pulls me in and won’t let me go. He has the softest touch of any pianist I know. When he plays four notes, they sound like twenty. (Go listen to Excelsior, his CD of solo improvisations, and weep.) This was his MJF debut, and though I’ve seen him several times in Minneapolis and St. Paul, I wasn’t going to miss him at Monterey. With his sympatico trio of Drew Gress on bass and Bill Stewart on drums, Carrothers played “George’s Dilemma” (from their 2010 release on Pirouet, Joy Spring); a ballad that morphed into “Puttin’ on the Ritz;” a Carrothers original, “Church of the Open Air,” written for a friend who died; another original, “Snowbound” (which Carrothers, a resident of Michigan’s sparsely populated Upper Peninsula, introduced by saying “This is something I know a lot about”); and the ineffably tender “Our House.” Each year, my affection for the festival’s Coffee House venue—a small, intimate listening room—is reinforced by performances like this one.

Sonny Rollins. What can I say about the Saxophone Colossus that hasn’t already been said? That except for his walk, he seemed ageless—and then, near the end of a two-hour set, he danced? That he blew with the strength of 10,000 men? That his music got hotter the longer he played? How about this: Now 81 and a frequent Monterey artist—he played the first MJF in 1958, then returned in 1972, 1994, 1997, 2005, 2007 (MJF’s golden birthday), and again this year—he ended his set with “See you next time! Long live Monterey!”

A few more, briefly:

A taste of the Saturday night set by Scott Colley, Chris Potter, and Antonio Sanchez. If only I could have been in two places at once. What I heard was blazing and explosive. Chris Potter rocks.

A few moments of Tia Fuller’s searing, powerful, take-no-prisoners saxophone during her Saturday afternoon set on the open-air Garden Stage. If Fuller doesn’t emerge as one of the most important and in-demand musicians of her generation, there is no justice in jazz.

Talking our way into Benny Green’s rehearsal with Donald Harrison, Ben Wolfe, and Kenny Washington, then catching part of their Monk set later that night. To all those pianists out there who are mainly about technique and pyrotechnics, I have two words: Benny Green. He really feels it. After I tweeted about the rehearsal, Matt Wilson tweeted back: “Benny is such a beautiful soul and I love him dearly. Allow Benny and welcome the loving flow. Love to BG w/ all of my heart!” Amen.

Strawberries. As everyone who goes to Monterey knows, the food court is a serious place. Whether they’re serving Korean BBQ or pizza, samosas or ribs, plantains or tamales, these vendors are not messing around. Most stay open late, wanting to catch the crowd on its way out. And some stay open very late, having the kind of food that won’t last until morning. On Saturday, after the music ended, plump, ripe strawberries glowed red under white mounds of whipped cream—with or without shortcake, chocolate or no. “Two for one,” said the strawberry man. Who could resist? Sweet strawberries 'round midnight in the nearly-empty food court, the final few stragglers of the night walking by.

I just now checked my email to find a press release from Tim Orr about next year’s festival. Talk about timing. MJF55: September 21–23, 2012. Artist-in-residence: Ambrose Akinmusire. Commission artist: Bill Frisell.

This week's jazz picks for Minneapolis-St. Paul

2011-10-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

If you missed last week's Minnesota Orchestra season opener and the world premiere of TimePiece for Jazz Soloists and Orchestra by St. Paul composer Stephen Paulus and his son, Greg Paulus, you can download a recording of a live performance at the Orchestra's website for just $1.29. Listen for Bryan Nichols on piano, Greg Paulus on trumpet and electronics, Michael Lewis on saxophone, Adam Linz on bass, JT Bates on drums, and maestro Osmo Vänskä on clarinet; he improvises with JT at the start of the third movement. $1.29! What a bargain.

Tonight, Friday, Oct. 7, at the Black Dog in St. Paul’s Lowertown, the Community Pool: Deep End series of improvised music continues with a stellar trio: Nathan Hanson on saxophones, Pete Hennig on drums, and Douglas Ewart on saxophones, clarinet, bassoon, flute, hand drums, didgeridoo, and Lord knows what else; he makes musical instruments, often from found objects including pot lids and crutches. No cover; starts at eight-ish. This is St. Paul Art Crawl weekend, so Lowertown will be a busy place. Read an interview with Ewart here.

If you’re in Hudson, Wisconsin tonight, stop by the Shanghai Bistro. Bassist Graydon Peterson, who’s most often heard backing singers including Christine Rosholt, has started his own quartet, playing all original music by him. They’re trying it out tonight and you can be one of the first to hear. No cover, 6:30 p.m.

This weekend at the Artists’ Quarter marks the return of Red Planet. This is one of my favorite groups, featuring Dean Magraw on guitar, Chris Bates on bass, and Jay Epstein on drums. A magical, sympatico trio, Red Planet performs original compositions and what they call “deep-space tributes” to Coltrane and Hendrix, plus an unforgettable cover of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $10.

Guitarist Reynold Philipsek just returned from playing gigs in Paris, and you can ask him what that was like when he performs at the Mendoberri Café and Wine Bar tomorrow night, Saturday, Oct. 8, in Mendota Heights. The Mendoberri is the former Sage Wine Bar, for those who keep track of these things. Reynold will be joined by Matt Senjem on bass, and the music begins at 7:30. No cover.

On Sunday, Oct. 9, a very special event: our own Wolverines Big Band welcomes guest Butch Miles. Miles was the drummer for the Count Basie Orchestra for 15 years; he has performed with Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, and Ella Fitzgerald, and you can hear him on more than 100 recordings. He’s Basie’s living legacy. Hear him at the Bloomington Center for the Arts at 2 p.m. Vocalist Judi Donaghy will also be part of the party. $20.

Monday, Oct. 10, at the Guthrie finds two unusual, some might say quirky singer/songwriters on the same bill: Madeleine Peyroux and Nellie McKay. Peyroux made a splash a few years back with her recording Careless Love, which won France’s jazz Grammy and got a lot of airplay. She reminded people of Billie Holiday, which is not a bad thing. Her latest album, Standing on the Rooftop, goes the organic/American roots route. McKay is adorable, unpredictable, and outspoken, a big fan of animals and Doris Day. One of her latest projects is a musical biography of Barbara Graham, a convicted murderer and the third woman to die in the gas chamber at San Quentin. Out there, but right up McKay's alley. 7:30 p.m., $33–$35.

On Wednesday, Oct. 12, Firebell—Park Evans on guitar, Graydon Peterson on bass, Jay Epstein on drums—plays Café Maude starting at 7. No cover. The lovely and enchanting Lucia Newell sings at the Artists’ Quarter at 9, $5. And the James Buckley Trio plays the Nomad World Pub in Cedar Riverside starting at 10:30. No cover. You can actually catch all three, says someone who has.

On Thursday, Oct. 13, pianist/composer/singer/songwriter Patricia Barber makes a one-night, two-sets stop at the Dakota. It seems we haven’t seen her for ages—too long. For years, Barber has had a regular Monday night gig at the Green Mill in Chicago, which was also Kurt Elling’s home before he moved to NYC. She has recently released Live at the Green Mill, Vol. 2. And a new DVD of a two-piano concert she and Kenny Werner played at Northwestern University. I like to think of Patricia Barber as passionate cool. Lean in to hear her smoky voice, and her provocative lyrics. 7 and 9 p.m. $25–$20.

Please check the jazz calendar on jazz radio station KBEM's website (full-page, month-at-a-glance version) or at the right (vertical version) for details about these and many more live jazz performances in and around the Twin Cities.

Blues on a sunny afternoon

2011-10-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

Paul Metsa by John Whiting

Yesterday afternoon, at a "private-public" event in a tree-filled backyard in Edina, Minnesota, the musician, songwriter, and raconteur Paul Metsa signed copies of his new book, Blue Guitar Highway, and sang a few songs--solo and with his friend Willie West, who had driven down from St. Cloud for the occasion. Willie's wife stayed home and worked his shift so he could attend the event.

Other people came from faraway places including Paul's friend Joe, whose last name I forgot but will have to ask Paul about because he, too, is writing a book about music, forthcoming from SUNY Press. Photographer Darin Back was there, and Paul's lovely girlfriend, Amy, who has a farm where Paul finished writing his book and where his dog, Blackie, now prefers to stay, returning only reluctantly to Paul's apartment in Northeast Minneapolis.

Music promoter Sue McLean stopped by, and Paul thanked her for giving him his first gig at the Guthrie—the old Guthrie, which he had futilely tried to save from demolition in the mid-2000s. (He writes about that in his book, in a chapter called "Slings and Arrows.") We had scandalous early-afternoon cocktails and talked with our friends Jon Tevlin and Ellen Hatfield.

Paul Metsa by John Whiting

Paul read a bit from his book, a memoir of his life in music, and told us that when he was starting to write it, he warned his father, "Some parts will be painful for you to read." His father replied, "Tell the truth, son," thereby setting him free. Later, he plugged in his guitar on the patio and sang "Virginia" and "Jack Ruby" and "Slow Justice," then invited his friend Willie to join him.

While Paul played guitar, Willie sang Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower," his voice rising into falsetto quavers (oo-oo-oo-ooh) and making the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

With the sun filtering through the leaves, some now russet and golden with fall, and a bit of gin in me, I suddenly knew that "Watchtower" is the greatest song ever written, its lyric a perfect fit for an event celebrating the publication of a frank and honest memoir by a man who's been around:

So let us not talk falsely now
The hour is getting late.

Paul Metsa and Willie West by John Whiting

Paul Metsa and Sue McLean by John Whiting

***
Blue Guitar Highway by Paul Metsa, foreword by David Carr of the New York Times, has just been published by the University of Minnesota Press. Here's a schedule of upcoming readings and performances. The official launch party takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 19, at the Ritz Theater in Northeast Minneapolis at 7 p.m.

An interview with Wynton Marsalis, and a look ahead at fall

2011-09-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

I spoke with Wynton Marsalis earlier this month. The interview appears in today's Minneapolis StarTribune. Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra come to Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis on Sunday.

My editor at MinnPost asked for a post on jazz coming up this fall in the Twin Cities. She probably got more than she bargained for, simply because there's so much going on. To borrow words from Davis Wilson at the Artists' Quarter, I continue to be pleased and flipped at the quantity and especially the quality of live jazz available to us in flyover land. We're not New York City, but we surely are Minneapolis-St. Paul.

The MinnPost piece replaces my usual This Week's Jazz Picks post.

Behind the scenes of Arne Fogel’s radio series “Minnesota’s Voices—Certain Standards”

2011-09-29T22:58:00.000-07:00

Arne Fogel by John Whiting
ALL PHOTOS BY JOHN WHITING FOR KBEM

If you listen to public radio or frequent Twin Cities jazzclubs, you know singer, musician, actor, writer, producer, recording artist,and storyteller Arne Fogel. His radio series “The Bing Shift,” featuring themusic of Bing Crosby, airs Saturdays at 7 p.m. CST on KBEM. Fogel is anacknowledged expert on Crosby; he wrote the liner notes for the first Americanrelease of Crosby’s 1975 album A SouthernMemoir and the text for the radio section of the official Bing Crosby website.

For 12 years, he produced and hosted “Arne Fogel Presents”for Minnesota Public Radio. With Connie Evingson, he co-hosted “Singers &Standards” on KBEM from 2002–05. You can read more about Fogel on his website.

He’s a busy guy, an idea man, and when he has a good thought,he doesn’t let it go. There’s a Post-it on the wall in his home office on whichhe has written two words: “Certain Standards.” It’s been there for years. Anold file on his computer describes a radio show of songs from the GreatAmerican Songbook and the stories behind them.

Tanner Taylor

“Minnesota’s Voices—Certain Standards” premieres on KBEM onMonday, October 3. Written, produced, and hosted by Fogel, this 13-week program features songs from the Great AmericanSongbook performed by Fogel and four of Minnesota’s top jazz vocalists: Debbie Duncan, Connie Evingson, Nancy Harms (who began her career as a jazz singer inMinnesota but now lives in New York City), and Maud Hixson.

Each song is introduced by Fogel. Pianist Tanner Taylor, whoaccompanies all of the singers but Hixson, served as music director for theseries. (Hixson's pianist was her husband, Rick Carlson.) Fogel choseTaylor because the two have worked together extensively and, in Fogel’s words,Taylor “embraces this music.” The series was recorded by Matthew Zimmerman atWild Sound Studio for KBEM and funded by the Minnesota Arts andCultural Heritage Fund.

Each episode—there are 65 in the series—lasts 3 minutes 30seconds. (As long as an episode of “The Engines of Our Ingenuity,” which also airs on KBEM.) That’s not a lot of time. And when you hear one, you may think it doesn’t soundlike a lot of work. Fogel introduces the series, talks about the song, we hearthe song, Fogel goes through the credits, and it’s over. Easy-breezy, right?

Matthew Zimmerman

Not exactly. For each singer, there were two three-hourrecording sessions (that’s 30 studio hours), followed by another three-hourmixing session (another 15 hours). Then came hours of recording Fogel’sscripts, and still more hours to link all the pieces together. The series theme—anew waltz arrangement by Fogel and Taylor of “In the Indigo,” an originalcomposition written by Nancy Harms, Robert Bell, and Fogel—had to be recorded. Andwe haven’t even mentioned the out-of-studio work: determining the singers andthe songs (the singers chose their own songs; interestingly, there was nooverlap), preparing to record them, writing the scripts, and the myriad other tasksof which I’m not even aware.

If you’re thinking of producing a radio show, you might wantto clear your calendar.

Thanks to Fogel’s and Zimmerman’s gracious hospitality andthe musicians’ benign tolerance of our presence, photographer John Whiting andI were able to observe several sessions at Wild Sound studios beginning lastOctober. Following are notes, images, and impressions of what turned out to be anintriguing and illuminating experience. We had fun; we learned something. Aswill you, when you hear “Minnesota’s Voices—Certain Standards.”

Monday, October 11,2010: Nancy Harms

This is my first time in a recording studio, and I don’t yetknow I’ll be writing about this series; that decision comes later. Today I’mhere out of curiosity.

It’s fascinating to hear the various takes, stops andstarts, Fogel’s precise and incisive comments, the performers’ decisions, andthe results of Zimmerman’s work at the console. He turns two takes into one andthe seam is indistinguishable. The studio’s speakers make my home speakerssound like tin cans.

Because this is Fogel’s show, “Certain Standards” has atleast two meanings. Obviously, it applies to the songs he and the other singershave selected, all American standards from the golden age of song (roughly themid-1920s to the mid-1950s). But it also applies to how he chose the singers,and it applies to how they approach the music. Harms treats each songwith the respect it deserves, then puts her own stamp on it.

Nancy Harms, Tanner Taylor

I’ve heard her debut CD, Inthe Indigo (2010), and have seen her perform live on several occasions, butthe studio experience is a whole different thing. Start, stop. Do it again. Dothis part over. Do the whole thing over. Listen, assess, decide—is it goodenough, or can it be better? How’s the time? To leave room for the intro,outro, and story, each song can be no longer than two minutes, or two minutes30 seconds at the outside. Yet each must sound complete and intact. Jazzsingers are more accustomed to taking their time with a lyric, spinning out averse or a chorus. Harms sounds as if she has all the time in the world.

These are the songs Nancy Harms sings for “Minnesota’sVoices—Certain Standards,” accompanied by Tanner Taylor on piano:

Nancy Harms

“I’ve Got the World on a String”

“If I Were a Bell”

“At Last”

“On a Clear Day”

“Autumn Leaves”

“A Kiss to Build a Dream on”

“Beautiful Love”

“I Could Write a Book”

“The Days of Wine and Roses”

“How High the Moon”

“Almost Like Being in Love”

“Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise”

“Cry Me a River”

Monday, November 1,2010: Maud Hixson

Rick Carlson, Arne Fogel, Maud Hixson

Maud Hixson is not happy with her latest take of “Laura.”She makes that abundantly clear with words never heard in a Johnny Mercer song.

It’s one of several funny moments during this afternoon’ssession at Wild Sound. Recording is hard work, but there’s an easy, relaxedfeel to this group: Hixson at the mic, her husband, Rick Carlson, at the piano,Zimmerman at the board, Fogel beside him.

When Hixson sings, it’s like she’s whispering in your ear.There’s a profound intimacy to her style and interpretation. Also a deliciouscoolness; think Chet Baker in a dress. Rick is known as a singer’s pianist.He’s tuned in and receptive, a true partner in making the music, simultaneouslyweaving a safety net and expressing his own complex, lyrical ideas. Both arestudents of this music and experts at performing it.

For “All My Tomorrows,” take 1 is too long. Fogel calls fortake 2 and suggests, "More salooney." Take 3 is magical. Throughoutthe session, he listens, then asks for more of this, less of that—time, tone,legato, rubato, attack, mood. Zimmerman works his juju, at one point patchingin a four-word phrase Fogel has asked Maud to sing several times.

Arne Fogel, Maud Hixson

The last song of the day, “I Wanna Be Around,” includes somedevilish intervals. Maud, the purist, sings the original chart. I thought Iknew that song, but the chart seems different. As it happens, the version Iknow (and most people know) is Tony Bennett's Top 40 hit from the 1960s. Backedby strings and tinkling piano, it swings hard. Maud has Frank Sinatra's versionin her head, those intervals are waiting to trip her up, plus this is the finalrecording in a grueling session already running overtime. She nails it.

These are the songs Maud Hixson sings for “Minnesota’sVoices—Certain Standards,” accompanied by Rick Carlson on piano:

“Nice ’n’ Easy”

“I Got Rhythm”

“I See Your Face Before Me”

“I Fall in Love Too Easily”

“Young at Heart”

“Look for the Silver Lining”

“I Wanna Be Around”

“Laura”

“The More I See You”

“I’m All Smiles”

“All My Tomorrows”

“Love for Sale”

“For All We Know”

Tuesday, November 23,2010: Debbie Duncan

Although it’s late November, it might as well be spring. Aswe arrive at the studio, Debbie Duncan is singing the Oscar-winning Rodgers andHammerstein classic “It Might As Well Be Spring” with so much warmth that shecould melt the snow on the ground.

Her voice breaks on an interval near the end of “Spring,” soshe sings the phrase over twice, then takes a different approach. If somethingdoesn’t work for her, she has a hundred more choices in her pocket. She alsoknows what she wants from pianist Taylor. When she hears a chord she doesn’tlike, she asks for a do-over, Fogel concurs, and Zimmerman punches it in.

Arne Fogel, Debbie Duncan

On the ballad “Where or When,” she and Taylor do twocomplete takes, one faster, the other more laid back and swinging. The gorgeous firstrecording of “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” turns out to be too long; thesecond is shorter, yet somehow more touching and wistful.

With Duncan, songs are all about feeling and expression,honesty and truth. Rhythm and melody are malleable and open tointerpretation. While some vocalists are introspective and perfectionistic, Duncanprojects and takes chances—whatever it takes to communicate emotion.

Her final song, the one she’s been working up to over twodays in the studio, is not officially a Great American Songbook tune, but Duncanwants it in and Fogel says okay. “I’ve Gotta Be Me” was firstsung by Steve Lawrence in 1968, but it took Sammy Davis Jr. to loosen it up andmake it a hit. Duncan sings an arrangement she did with bassist Gary Raynor; Taylorplays a walking bass line. It's simple, passionate, and convincing. The thirdtake, fast and swinging, is the winner and a wrap.

Duncan explains why the song matters to her. “It’s kind of amantra for me. All the lyrics are good. ‘Do it now, do it righteous. Live,don’t just survive.’ It used to be my theme song, and when I sing it, I reallymean it.”

These are the songs Debbie Duncan sings for “Minnesota’sVoices—Certain Standards,” accompanied by Tanner Taylor on piano:

“Where or When”

“There Will Never Be Another You”

“I Loves You, Porgy”

“I Concentrate on You”

“September in the Rain”

“This Can’t Be Love”

“The Gentle Rain”

“I’ve Grown Accustomed to her Face”

“I Thought About You”

“Cheek to Cheek”

“Alfie”

“It Might as Well Be Spring”

“I Gotta Be Me”

Tuesday, December 7,2010: Arne Fogel

Arne Fogel

“Minnesota’s Voices—Certain Standards” is Arne Fogel’s show,but that doesn’t mean he’s easier on himself than he is on any of the othersingers. In fact, he’s harder on himself. For “Dancing on theCeiling,” he insists on several takes of the final phrase, “just for my love.”Even then, he’s not satisfied.

On “Day In, Day Out,” he’s unhappy with the key, unhappywith the results. He thinks he’s singingtoo high because he has to belt, and belting with the piano sounds silly, andthere’s pressure involved in bringing it down too much, and maybe it’s too loud for aradio series, and now he has 20 minutes left in this session to record two moresongs and there’s a sense of urgency on top of everything else.

“Day In, Day Out” doesn’t make the final cut.

As Fogel works through “You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me”at the mic on the other side of a closed door, John and I learn a bit aboutZimmerman. He’s a musician who studied piano as a child, played drums in aband, and worked for a while in a music store, so he plays many instruments “alittle.” For a time, he had his band, his recording studio, and his marriage,and his wife suggested that he pick two. Bye-bye band.

“Isn’t This a Lovely Day” is an upbeat end to the day’ssession. You can hear Fogel smile his way through the lyrics; “Let the rain pitter-patter”sounds positively sunny. He’s been singing for two days straight, three hourseach day. It must feel good to wrap things up.

These are the songs Arne Fogel sings for “Minnesota’sVoices—Certain Standards,” accompanied by Tanner Taylor on piano:

“Dancing on the Ceiling”

“The Very Thought of You”

“ ’Deed I Do”

“It Could Happen to You”

“I’ll Never Stop Loving You”

“You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me”

“Embraceable You”

“The Second Time Around”

“Personality”

“Pennies from Heaven”

“You Took Advantage of Me”

“Skylark”

“Isn’t This a Lovely Day (to be Caught in the Rain)”

Tuesday, January 11,2011: Connie Evingson

Connie Evingson, Tanner Taylor

Connie Evingson is a class act and no stranger to therecording studio. Her latest, Little DidI Dream, features songs by Dave Frishberg. Lately she’s been interested inthe songs of Norman Gimbel, and we expect a new CD before long. (Gimbel wrotethe English lyrics to “Girl from Ipanema” and the lyrics to Roberta Flack’shuge hit “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” among many others.)

At Wild Sound, she’s singing “Old Devil Moon.” It’s a longsong. She swings hard, adding a bit of lilt and growl to the lyrics.

As Maud Hixson discovered new things in the original chartof “I Wanna Be Around,” Evingson realizes she’s been singing “You’d Be So Niceto Come Home To” differently until today. While many jazz singers know parts and pieces of theGreat American Songbook, they may not mine it that often, and even if they doin live performance, their opportunities to record these tunes are few. Fogel’sseries is doing a service by giving us new takes on classic Americansongs.

As Evingson sings “You’d be so nice/You’d be paradise,” hervoice is lush and velvety. “Someone to Watch Over Me” is lovely but too long.It won’t make the series. (Each singer comes prepared with a few extra songs, incase one or two of their main choices don't work out.) “On the Street WhereYou Live” exudes happiness; Evingson inhabits the storytold in the lyrics. When the time signature changes from 3/4 to 4/4, she andTaylor are in perfect step, like dancers.

The “ooh ooh ooh” in “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” isEvingson’s alone, a reminder of how many ways there are to handle a singlephrase in a song everyone knows. After two takes of this song, the session isover, and all of Evingson’s songs have been recorded.

These are the songs Connie Evingson sings for “Minnesota’sVoices—Certain Standards,” accompanied by Tanner Taylor on piano:

“Old Devil Moon”

“Come Rain or Come Shine”

“Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered”

“Body and Soul”

“On the Street Where You Live”

“After You’ve Gone”

“Close Your Eyes”

“What a Little Moonlight Can Do”

“Let’s Face the Music and Dance”

“Get Out of Town”

“All the Things You Are”

“Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby”

“You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To.”

Thursday, April 14, 2011:Mixing

Yougot a song that just won’t swing

Lordknows, you’ve tried just about everything

Don’tworry about it, baby,

’Causewe can fix it in the mix.

—Kevin Mahogany, “Fix It in the Mix”from Another Time Another Place(Warner Bros., 1997)

Whenever artists talk about mixing a record, I hear KevinMahogany’s voice in my head singing, “Don’t worry, baby, we can fix it in themix.”

Today Fogel and Zimmerman are working on Nancy Harms’ recordings.Not that they need fixing. This is more about perfecting and polishing, aboutgetting precisely the sound Fogel wants.

“Let’s give her a fuller voice, a bit of an echo, aconcert-hall feel,” Fogel says. “I want it to sound live, like old-time radio.”

Matthew Zimmerman

Zimmerman describes an old-school mixing trick he’s using.“It’s all about the relationship between piano and voice,” he says. “I want tomake sure it sounds as good on a car speaker as it does on good speakers. I’lltest it later on really bad speakers and a boom box…. We’re trying to make thissound like the records we love. The old equipment did that naturally. Withdigital equipment, we have to add it.”

“Each label used to have its own sound,” Fogel adds. “Youcould tell labels apart like you could tell cars apart. The Capital Recordssound was dry and crisp, with a sparkling clarity.”

Matthew Zimmerman

He explains, “Nancy’s singing is all about subtlety, and Iwant to hear that.” He asks Zimmerman to bring out the special moments in Harms’voice—the occasional buzz, growl, and catch. He calls these “the essences ofjazz and swing; the ebb and flow of the physics of swing; the tiny vibratoconnected to swing.”

There’s talk of the Steinway in Zimmerman’s studio thatTaylor (and Rick Carlson) play during the recordings (“Steinways have morecolor than other pianos,” Zimmerman says), and of the special equipment andexperience he has accumulated over time. Zimmerman has made hundreds ofrecords.

Listening to “Almost Like Being in Love,” Fogel notices ahalf-step difference between Harms’ voice and Taylor’s piano. In seconds,Zimmerman brings them together. But he isn’t satisfied. “There’s too muchchocolate,” he says. “I want a little more pepper.” He lifts Harms’ voice upand brings it forward without losing a note or embellishment on the piano.

When I ask, “How long does it take you to set up for arecording session?” Zimmerman says, quite seriously, “Eighteen years.”

Tuesday, August 16,2011: Adding the Words

Arne Fogel, Matthew Zimmerman

Each episode in “Minnesota’s Voices—Certain Standards” lasts3 minutes 30 seconds, and each has four parts: a spoken intro over the themesong, a story, a song, and a two-part spoken outro, ending over closing music.

The spoken intro (“Minnesota’s voices, setting the standardsfor new interpretations of great American standard songs…”) was recorded once,then reused for every show. The first part of the outro was recorded five timesbecause there are five different singers. (Example: “Debbie Duncan, with TannerTaylor at the piano.”) This is followed by the credits (“ ‘Minnesota’sVoices—Certain Standards’ is a KBEM/Jazz 88 production….”) mixed with the thememusic.

Two versions of the credits were recorded, fast and slow, toallow for variations in story and song length. “If we’re tight for time,” Fogelsays, “you hear me racing through.” Each episode ends with a slight arpeggiochord from Taylor’s piano.

“It’s modular,” Fogel explains. “There’s a nine-second introand a thirteen-second outro—twenty-two seconds of business. The songs areanywhere from two minutes to two minutes thirty seconds long. The rest of thetime is the script—the story. There was no prerequisite that any song have a story. Butit turns out that every song does.”

Fogel wrote and speaks all the words. Each story is unique.Which means that in addition to producing 65 songs with five singers (includinghimself), Fogel is researching and writing 65 scripts. How many hours does thatadd up to?

Today at Wild Sound is about recording scripts. Fogel workedfor many years as a copywriter and broadcast producer, so he knows all aboutfitting words into temporal spaces. He and Zimmerman get busy.

Here’s the script Fogel wrote for “Embraceable You,” one of thesongs he recorded:

The show Girl Crazy was a smash hit for tunesmiths George and Ira Gershwinin 1930. And though it was introduced to post-market-crash audiences, it hadsomething of the heady, carefree, frothy feel of pre-crash, Jazz-ageentertainment. That doesn’t mean the songs provided by the Gershwins werewithout depth, however.

One of the pair’s most poignantsongs was written for this show, the timelessly tender “Embraceable You.”Lyricist Ira Gershwin once claimed that he viewed his brother’s melodies as“rather mosaic-like.” Ira’s challenge was to fit words to these textured,occasionally uneven melodies, adding a quaint and witty cohesion to theseidiosyncratic creations.

With “Embraceable You,” Ira tookadvantage of the tune’s odd rests and pauses by crafting playful rhymes thatstraddled rather than avoided these rests. Today, after decades admiring thismarvelous creation, it’s hard for us to imagine the song any other way.

Here’s “Embraceable You.”

“I love the modular aspect so much,” Fogel says weeks later.“I was inspired by Crosby’s radio shows of the 1950s with Buddy Cole, when theyfirst perfected the use of tape. They recorded dialogue and songs separatelyand made them work together.”

Hear “Minnesota’sVoices—Certain Standards” starting Monday, October 3, on KBEM/Jazz 88, 88.5 FM in Minneapolis/St. Paul,streaming live on the web at jazz88fm.com. The series runs for 13 weeks, andthis is the order of the singers: Connie Evingson (Mondays), Nancy Harms(Tuesdays), Arne Fogel (Wednesdays), Maud Hixson (Thursdays), Debbie Duncan(Fridays). Each episode airs twice daily, at 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Allow for a few minutes on either side, depending on the day and the show host.

Program announced for JazzMN's concert with John Clayton

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Grammy-winning bassist/composer John Clayton is the JazzMN Orchestra's special guest as Minnesota's premier big band launches its 2011–12 season on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Judi Donaghy is guest vocalist.

JazzMN's artistic director Doug Snapp has announced the evening's program.

First half:

"And Thad Ain't Bad." An unpublished work Dr. Snapp recently received from jazz composer Bill Holman.
"Hidden Agenda." Composed and arranged by Eric Richards, recorded by the US ArmyJazz Ambassadors, this "world music" piece was inspired by the music of Argentine tango master Astor Piazzolla.
"Greetings and Salutations." A kind of funky jazz piece composed by Thad Jones.
"Whisper Not." An arrangement of the Benny Golson tune by Alan Baylock (US Airforce Airmen of Note), featuring Judi Donaghy on vocals
"Bluesette." Arranged by Eric Richards as a Latin chart in 4/4. With Judi Donaghy.
"Girl Talk." Featuring Mary Louise Knutson on piano.
"Rhythm-a-ning." Another unpublished arrangement Snapp calls a "burning fast swinger."

Second half:

Seven arrangements by John Clayton: "Eternal Triangle," "Heart and Soul," "For All We Know," "Jody Grind," "I Be Serious 'Bout Dem Blues," "Squatty Roo," "Mood Indigo."

The concert takes place on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Hopkins High School Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $27/$29 advance, $29/$31 door, $10 student rush. Order online or call 1-866-811-4111.

Behind the scenes of "TimePiece for Jazz Soloists and Orchestra" by Stephen Paulus and Greg Paulus

2011-09-26T23:37:00.000-07:00

Greg Paulus (l) and Stephen Paulus
All rehearsal photos by John Whiting

In 2007, St. Paul composer Stephen Paulus went to a chamber music concert where Minnesota Orchestra music director Osmo Vänskä was playing clarinet. Stephen stuck around after to talk with the maestro and mentioned maybe writing something with his son, jazz and electronic musician and composer Greg Paulus. A work for jazz soloists and orchestra, perhaps. What would Vänskä think about that?

According to Stephen, Vänskä’s response was immediate: “That’s just exactly what we need to do with the orchestra.”

Four years in the making, composed partly over Skype (Greg is now based in Brooklyn but tours the world with his electronic production team No Regular Play), TimePiece will have its world premiere at the Minnesota Orchestra’s season opener this weekend. Joining the orchestra on stage will be Greg Paulus on trumpet, Michael Lewis on saxophone, Bryan Nichols on keyboards, Adam Linz on bass, and JT Bates on drums.

A few words about relationships: Stephen served as composer-in-residence for the Minnesota Orchestra from 1983–87. Stephen and Greg are, as noted above, father and son. Michael Lewis, Adam Linz, and JT Bates are known collectively as the trio Fat Kid Wednesdays, though each is involved in numerous other projects. Lewis, Linz, Bates, Greg Paulus, and Nichols have known each other since they were teenagers.

(l2r) Stephen Paulus, Bryan Nichols, Greg Paulus, Adam Linz,
Michael Lewis, JT Bates

In late August, I had the opportunity to attend a rehearsal of TimePiece at MacPhail, where Linz runs the jazz program and both Linz and Nichols teach. This was their third rehearsal. The first had been at Stephen’s home in St. Paul, the second (five hours, I was told) at Lewis’s house in Minneapolis.

At MacPhail, they rehearsed to a MIDI track, which was minus the percussion. The music was present enough for the musicians to play along with, and for me to get a sense of how it will sound. I missed the first movement, “Rain (all day),” but heard the other three: “Everything Happens to Me,” “Anxiety’s Edge,” and “A Night at the Cosmos,” following along with a spare copy of the orchestral score.

What I heard was beautiful, lush and descriptive, and I could only imagine what it will sound like with the enormous depth, breadth, and palette of a live symphony orchestra—strings and woodwinds, brass and drums and bells. The jazz—part composed (mainly short themes), mostly improvised—weaves in and around the orchestral sections. There are times when the quintet is heard without the orchestra, but with far less of a church-and-state separation than I’ve heard in similar efforts.

Stephen Paulus (l), Bryan Nichols

There seems to be more focus these days on putting jazz and classical musicians together. For jazz musicians, I suspect this offers significant benefits: broadening their audience, giving them much larger stages to play on, offering the rare chance to play with many other musicians and instruments they wouldn’t normally interact with. (Jazz orchestras and other large ensembles are expensive to put together and costly to run. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is supportedby a massive nonprofit organization.) I’m not sure how classical musicians feel about playing with jazz musicians. It would be fun to find out sometime.

Stephen left ample room for improvisation; it wouldn’t be jazz otherwise. At one point, he turned to Nichols and joked, “I liked what you were doing. Don’t change a note.”

Greg will bring electronics into the performance: prerecorded passages, loops, digital delays. The first movement, “Rain (all day),” which I didn’t hear, begins with a field recordingof cars, trucks, and rain, processed through effects, that is gradually subsumed by the orchestra. “A Night at the Cosmos” will bring in the loops and delays, created by Greg on the spot. “The orchestra will play against itself,” Stephen explained, “and listen to itself while playing.” It will be interesting to see how that goes. Classical violinists don’t like being miked. Feedback is bad.

“TimePiece is about time, literally, and mixed meters,” Stephen said. “It’s sort of programmatic. ‘Rain (all day)’ is about the pulsating feel of a rainstorm. ‘Everything Happens to Me’ doesn’t quote the tune [a jazz standard], but it’s a jazz-oriented title. ‘Anxiety’s Edge’ is a scherzo, edgy and fast, with opportunities for consonance and dissonance. ‘A Night at the Cosmos’ is a nod to ‘A Night in Tunisia.’” Reportedly, Vänskä will play clarinet at the start of the scherzo.

“The overall idea was to use people’s strengths,” Greg added. “Jazz musicians are some of the best improvisers in the world, and orchestras are some of the best readers and players in the world.”

Michael Lewis (l), Greg Paulus

“A lot of sections [of the score] were left totally open,” Stephen said. “We’re using our rehearsals to figure out what we as a group think is best.” During the rehearsal I attended, all of the jazz musicians were reading from the whole orchestral score. “It’s obvious these guys are doing anything but winging it,” Stephen pointed out.

One complaint about jazz-classical hybrids is they leave the orchestra sitting in silence for long periods of time. (Some people felt that way about Brad Mehldau’s performance last year of his composition HighwayRider with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra at the Walker Art Center.) About TimePiece, Greg said, “We were conscious to keep everyone in the orchestra active, with interesting parts. The idea was to create the best possible sound from the front.”

How was it to work together as father and son?

Greg: “It was surprising how easy it was. We had similar ideas of harmony and melody, and we were able to be honest with each other.”

Stephen: “It was surprisingly collegial to work together. Hearing Greg play all those years [growing up inS t. Paul] infused the sound and steered the ship in a certain direction."

What has it been like to work with the Minnesota Orchestra?

Stephen: “Osmo is a consummate musician, and he obviously has a very open mind. It’s a world-class ensemble. We’re working with great people. Out of this may come an idea for another project.”

(l2r) Lewis, Paulus, Paulus, Nichols, Linz

Amiri Baraka comes to the Southern for an evening of spoken word, jazz, and dance theater

2011-09-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

From Tru Ruts Freestyle Theater, a chance to see the great poet/playwright/activist Amiri Baraka live and in the company of many fine Twin Cities artists including Kevin Washington, Anthony Cox, and J. Otis Powell. Tickets are available online. Easy-breezy; order, pay, print them out.

Here's the press release, abbreviated:

E.G. Bailey adapts Amiri Baraka's Wise Why's Y's, an epic journey through the history of Africans in America, and a perfect blend of avant-garde poetry with the griot consciousness. Paying homage to Langston's Ask Your Mama, William Carlos William's Patterson, and Melvin B. Tolson's Liberia alike, it attempts to articulate the history of a people or a place. Wise Why's Y's questions and answers broad themes of history and cultural identity.

Tru Ruts' Freestyle Theatre presents this evening of provocative Spoken Word, Jazz and Dance. The event will be held on Saturday, October 15th at the Southern Theater, 1420 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55415. 8:00pm. Tickets are $7 in advance. More information at www.truruts.com.

'To appreciate 'Wise', you've got to know some history or else the references will be too arcane to figure out....Baraka is in his Monk mode playing all he knows by playing less.' - Kalamu Ya Salaam

Internationally renowned poet, playwright, musician, jazz critic and novelist, Amiri Baraka, along with a collective of dancers, musicians, and spoken-word artists, perform at the Southern Theater in this fresh adaptation by Bailey of his book Wise Why's Y's, a provocative yet honest conversation about race, class and identity. Baraka is widely recognized as one of the most important artists of the 20th century, contributing to not only poetry, music, theatre and fiction but also as a tireless activist for change.

Bailey collaborates with choreographer Aneka McMullen. The dance ensemble also includes Leah Nelson and Julie Warder. The musicians include Kevin Washington, who leads an ensemble of Chris Cox (Trombone), Anthony Cox (bass), and Truthmaze (percussion). Set design contributions provided by dynamic Twin Cities visual artist, Ta-Coumba Aiken. Also performing with Baraka will be J. Otis Powell, a stalwart of the spoken word community.

Concert review: Theo Bleckmann at Macalester

2011-09-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

Theo Bleckmann
by Susie Knoll

From what planet does Theo Bleckmann come, and what century? His music is both otherworldly and timeless—not in a never-gets-old way, butin a Time Lord/Highlander way of someone who moves from era to era easily,casually, like the rest of us cross the street.

In solo performance Friday night in St. Paul, part of Macalester College’s annual New Music series, the singer/composer took us back to theFrench courts of the 14th century and forward to a day in the future when a song like his surrealistic version of “I Remember You”—with a small talking bear squeaking “Ilove you! Kiss me!”—might conceivably top the pop charts.

I’ve read about Bleckmann, watched some YouTube videos,listened to him online (and friended him on Facebook), but nothing compares to seeing and hearing him make music on the spot. (I went with a friend who’d seen him three timesbefore, and he said this night was completely different than the others.) Therewere moments of haunting, heart-rending beauty, Bleckmann’s pure, clear voicelooped, layered, and soaring. (That the performance took place atMacalester-Plymouth Church upped the ethereal factor.) The music was inspiringand disturbing, serious and funny, provocative, strange, and utterly absorbing.

He began by striking a small turning fork, raised it brieflyto his ear, then broke into what sounded at first like a yodel, a wordlessvocalization that dipped into ohs and mms and clicks in the back of his throat.His inhalations were notes. Repeated patterns and rhythms formed a structure, asolid footing for the mind; this wasn’t just noise. “Duet for One,” an originalcomposition.

He prefaced “Static Still” by explaining its origins:writing down all of his thoughts, pages and pages, during a long, sleepless night. He used every part of his voice and all the spaces inside hisbody, turning air into whoops, yowls, and gurgles. He played a toy instrumentthat sounded like a thumb piano, turning a pair of handles to work it, as hesang the sort of lyrics we come up with in the middle of the night: “Am I all Ican be and just don’t see?”

“Wa-lai-O,” a Meredith Monk composition, was celebratory andjoyous. Bleckmann worked with Monk as a core ensemble member for 15 years. Ashis voice climbed and fell, he brought his body into play, gesturing andbending. This piece had moments of real delight: “Lai-lo, lai-lo, lai-lo…mmmmm!Mmmmm! mmmmm!”

For “Douce Dame Jolie” by Guillaume de Machaut (c.1300–1377), Bleckmann quickly laid down track after track of his voice, his ownrhythmic breathing, and a light, high whistle, creating a thick carpet ofrhythmic, repeated sounds over which he sang the lyrics (in French, if memoryserves). Medieval and modern. His voice is a remarkable instrument, rubbery, rich,and precise, with a gorgeous vibrato, a range that seems limitless (from bass tochoirboy high), and no problem with intervals of any size.

My favorites were his singular versions of “IRemember You” and “Comes Love.” For “I Remember You,” he brought out a toy bearthat talked and giggled (“Let’s play!” “ ’Scuse me!”), then made his own voiceskip like a scratched record (“I remember too a d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-distantbell”). No jazz standard has ever sounded like this. More loops, layers, andbeauty amid the chaos, then back to the bear. (A version of this song appearson Origami, the CD Bleckmann recordedwith bassist Ben Monder.)

Lew Brown’s “Comes Love” (“Comes a headache, you can lose itin a day/Comes a toothache, see your dentist right away/Comes love, nothing canbe done”) could be music for a horror film. Bleckmann put something in hismouth that made his voice kazoo-ish (and his face a bit like Hannibal Lecter's),played a small hand-held instrument with a ratchety, creaky-door-opening,dogs-barking-in-the-distance sound, and turned the song inside-out. The message, if there is one: When lovecomes, run. (Thanks to Nate Chinen for identifying the instrument: an Indonesian frog buzzer.)

He introduced “Dayo” (not the Harry Belafonte song) as hisattempt “to create three sounds at the same time without any electronic help.”Breath and whistle, rhythm and hum. For a time, he put what looked like atrumpet mute in front of his face.

“If only” featured lyrics by Sappho (Bleckmann mentionedthat he had studied Greek scales), during which he shook strings of goats’toenails and small bells and layered his voice, creating a lush, grassy fieldfor the tender words: “If only I were my beloved’s ring, encircling her fingerfine….”

“Channel Surfing/anteroom” was more layers, rising up intothe church’s high ceiling, dreamy and transporting in this resonant space.“Free4all” began with a brief explanation: “The last one went up; now I’mcoming back down.” It included fierce scatting and an unnerving section inwhich he appeared to be singing—screaming, pleading—but made no sound.

“Lilli Marleen” was the only song Bleckmann sang in German,his native language; he was born there in 1966 and moved to New York at 23after meeting jazz vocalist Sheila Jordan at a workshop in Graz, Austria. Forthis, he used prerecorded vocal tracks which he embellished with more. Thewords floated above, around, and through the layers. One mystery of his liveperformance (there are many): How does he keep such a firm hold on a song, itswords and especially its melody, with so many other sounds happening simultaneously?It must be like standing in the middle of NYC traffic and singing.

He introduced “Lilli Marleen” by saying, “Thank you forcoming out tonight to the Church of Crazy.” But it wasn’t crazy. Or maybe I’mcrazy. I didn’t want it to end. This was real music, performed with feeling, commitment, and passion. It’s what Ihope for when I go out to see an artist new to me: to be touched, surprised,shaken, and changed.

One more thing: As weird as this performance might haveseemed to some people in the audience (I saw a lot of quizzical looks beingexchanged), no one left before the end.

This week's jazz picks for Minneapolis-St. Paul

2011-09-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

Tonight (Friday, Sept. 23), the famously inventive singer/composer Theo Bleckmann comes to town, thanks to Macalester College. I totally forgot to mention this on the air with Ed Jones this morning; smacking self now. I've been looking forward to Bleckmann's performance ever since learning about it in late August. He'll do a solo show at Macalester-Plymouth United Church--no band, just Bleckmann and his array of low- and high-tech toys. Here he is singing Kate Bush's "And Dream of Sheep." I do hope he sings some Kate Bush. 1685 Lincoln Ave., St. Paul, one block south of Grand, one block west of Snelling, adjacent to the Macalester campus. 8 p.m. Free.

Tonight and tomorrow (Friday–Saturday), New York-based alto saxophonist Jim Snidero heads downstairs to the Artists’ Quarter. He has performed with the Frank Sinatra Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band,Sting, Billy Joel, and other stars; his latest CD, Interface, featuresPaul Bollenback on guitar. Snidero plays standards and originals basedin bop. Should be two swinging, solid nights at the AQ. 9 p.m. ($15)

A new monthly jazz concert series starts on Saturday, with a bonus. Jazz at Studio Z,curated by guitarist Zacc Harris, features large-ish ensembles starting withthe Dave King Trucking Company: King on drums, Eric Fratzke on guitar, Brandon Wozniak on saxophone,Adam Linz on bass. The concert starts at 7 in Studio Z in the NorthwesternBuilding in St. Paul’s Lowertown. The bonus is an afternoon workshopearlier that day—a rehearsal of what the band will be playing that night,free and open to the public. People will be able to ask questions and get aninsider’s perspective on the music. That starts at 1 p.m. Concert $10, rehearsal free.

Another series is underway in St. Paul, at the Khyber Pass Café. Owner Emel Sherzadhas long been a huge supporter of improvised music in the Twin Cities. Now manymusicians are giving back by performing at a series of fundraisers to help thecafe through rough times. Tonight (Friday): Davu Seru and Dean Magraw. OnSaturday, Merciless Ghost, with George Cartwright, Josh Granowski, and DavuSeru. On Sunday, Charcoal with Anthony Cox, Milo Fine, and Davu Seru. The musicstarts at 9 every night on Grand Ave. in St. Paul. Go online to check the schedule, and please come prepared to make a donation.

Summer is drawing to an end, and Ticket to Brasil is saying adeuswith a concert of bossa nova, Latin jazz, and samba at the Como Park Lakeside Pavilion in St. Paul this Sunday. They’re inviting other local artists who specializein Brazilian music to participate, including Viva Brasil, Xibaba, andpercussion ensemble Batucada do Norte. Should be fun and will be magical in thelovely pavilion on the parkway. Sunday at 4 p.m. ($10, kids free)

On Monday, vocalist Christine Rosholt presents a program of Shakespeare sonnets and poems set tocompositions by John Dankworth, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, and ArthurYoung. I saw the original version of Christine’s Shakespeare show a few years backand enjoyed it immensely. She's a terrific entertainer with a fabulousband: Tanner Taylor on piano, Graydon Peterson on bass, Jay Epstein on drums,Dave Jensen on trumpet and flugelhorn, and the legendary Dave Karr on sax andclarinet. See and hear them jazz the Bard at the Jungle Theater on Monday startingat 7:30 ($25). Nice coincidence: the Jungle's current production is Hamlet.

On Monday and Tuesday at the Dakota, a celebration of Lionel Hampton with an all-star lineup: JasonMarsalis on vibes, Diane Schuur on voice, Fred Wesley on trombone, Red Holloway on saxophone, and more. I can't quite get my head around how that's going to sound, but it won't be dull. Sets at 7 and 9 p.m. ($50/$40)

The Minnesota Orchestra's 2011–12 season begins on Thursday with the world premiere of a newjazz work commissioned by the orchestra, written by St. Paul composer Stephen Paulus and his son, jazz trumpeter Greg Paulus, and featuring Bryan Nichols,Greg Paulus, Mike Lewis, JT Bates, and Adam Linz performing with the Minnesota Orchestra led by Osmo Vanska. This is a Very Big Deal. Next Thursday, Friday, andSaturday (Sept. 29 and 30, Oct. 1) at Orchestra Hall. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. ($26–$84)

For NPR's A Blog Supreme: Monterey Jazz 2011: A Recap

2011-09-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

Sonny by Johnny
(Sonny Rollins by John Whiting)

Patrick Jarenwattananon and I had an iChat late Monday night about this year's Monterey Jazz festival and the music. It was his first time there, my sixth, but we both thought it was pretty great. I'll probably follow later with a few more thoughts/memories of my own. Someone needs to mention the strawberry man.

Uh...for sale?

2011-09-22T08:58:00.000-07:00

Discovered during one of those web self-searches we all do during idle moments, like while waiting for our coffee to cool or sitting on hold on the phone.

Photo: JazZen at The Nicollet

2011-09-21T16:08:00.001-07:00

JazZen (l2r): Bobb Fantauzzo, Native American flutes;
Aaron Kerr, electric cello; Derrin Pinto, drums.
Photo by John Whiting.

In performance at The Nicollett, September 20, 2011.

Click here FMI about JazZen.

Photo: James Farm at the Dakota

2011-09-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

James Farm (l2r): Aaron Parks, Joshua Redman,
Matt Penman, Eric Harland by John Whiting

Second set, September 20, 2011, Dakota.

Donny McCaslin Passes the Blindfold Test

2011-09-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

(More from the 54th Monterey Jazz Festival, September 17-19)

Donny McCaslin (L) and Dan Oullette (R) by John Whiing

It was the perfect day for a mid-coast California outdoor festival.Blue skies, bright sun, but not too hot. A crowd turned out for "AnAfternoon in Treme" in the Arena at 1 p.m., and even more came later forHuey Lewis & The News at 3 (a soulful, rocking good time). In between, arespectable number of aficionados (okay, jazz nerds) made their way to Dizzy'sDen at 2 for the annual live DownBeat Blindfold Test.

Begun by Leonard Feather in the 1940s for Metronome magazine, theBlindfold Test is now one of DownBeat's most popular features. In simplestterms, a jazz journalist plays a series of recordings for a jazz musician, andthe musician identifies (or tries to identify) who's playing. Saxophonists areasked about saxophonists, trumpeters about trumpeters, and so on.

Jazz writer Dan Ouellette is a frequent Blindfold Test contributorand has for many years hosted the live version at the Monterey Jazz Festival.Under Ouellette's hand, the test is more than an aural/oral exam. It's afreewheeling conversation about music, and a rare opportunity to hear amusician think out loud about what he or she is hearing.

This year, tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin was in the hot seat.After joking that his friends in the audience should feel free to text him theanswers, he settled in and listened intently as Ouellette lobbed musicalhardballs. He answered in threes—"It could be David Murray, Von Freeman,or Charles Lloyd"—and explain why he thought each was a possibility. He prettymuch nailed the test. We saw how much he enjoyed listening to the music(responding with "Yeahs!" and "Mmmms!") and learned that helooks for the feeling of a piece and the humanity of the player. Commenting onwhat turned out to be a Von Freeman track (appropriately named "Never Fear, Jazz Is Here"), he noted the freedom of the player,and his devil-may-care attitude.

Commenting later on Stanley Turrentine: "Youfeel it in your body when he's playing."

"That Turrentine track is from an album called 'Don't Mess withMr. T.,'" Ouellette tells McCaslin.

"I won't mess with him," McCaslin says.

It would be messing with the test to give more away—what was played,what McCaslin said—because the print version will be published later thisyear in DownBeat magazine.

Khyber Pass Cafe Music Series

2011-09-20T10:49:00.000-07:00

Noted in last Friday's jazz picks, the Khyber Pass Cafe in St. Paul needs our help. It's holding a series of music-fueled fundraisers, and some of the Twin Cities' best musicians are stepping up.

The Khyber Pass is Emel Sherzad's place. Emel is an artist and a great supporter of improvised music. His art is inspired by improvised music, and he hosts a weekly radio show on KFAI called Radio Duende (formerly International Jazz Conspiracy), heard Mondays from 10 p.m. 'til midnight.

Here's the latest schedule. I've added these events to the live music calendar and will continue updating as news is made available. Watch the website for more.

Friday, Sept.23: Davu Seru and Dean Magraw
Saturday, Sept.24: Merciless Ghost (George Cartwright, Josh Granowski, Davu Seru)
Sunday, Sept.25: Charcoal (Anthony Cox, Milo Fine, Davu Seru)
Thursday, Sept.29: Jelloslave (Jacqueline Ultan, Michelle Kinney, Greg Schutte, Gary Waryan)
Friday, Sept.30: Dave King Trucking Company
Saturday, Oct.1: Andrew Broder
Sunday, Oct. 2:Joan Griffith and Clea Galhano

For NPR's A Blog Supreme: Interview with Bill Carrothers

2011-09-19T17:33:00.000-07:00

Bill Carrothers by John Whiting for NPR

I've seen Bill Carrothers perform several times. Despite being "overlooked" and "underrated," he's well known and highly respected in the Twin Cities. It was great to see him at the Monterey Jazz Festival, and I jumped at the chance to interview him.

For NPR's A Blog Supreme: Interview with Helen Sung

2011-09-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

Helen Sung by John Whiting

Spur of the moment, on the fly: A late-night interview with Chinese-American pianist and composer Helen Sung. She's delightful to talk to. She emits sparks of pure energy, and her conversation is punctuated with exclamations and laughter—“Wow!” “Ha!”“Oh my goodness!” And she plays the piano beautifully. I can't wait to hear her new poetry project.

New jazz concert series starts at Studio Z

2011-09-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Zacc Harris by John Whiting

What was once a bare box on the second floor of theNorthwestern Building, a neoclassical high-rise artists’ cooperative in St.Paul’s Lowertown, has been transformed into a gem of a listening room, thanksto the Zeitgeist new music ensemble, whose performing space it is.

Over time,they have added drapes, color, sound baffles, and risers to create an intimate,welcoming place to hear some of the most inventive music the Twin Cities offers—notonly their own, performed throughout the year, but also that of guests who rentit.

Since I first discovered Studio Z in 2009, when I went tohear the Ellen Lease/Pat Moriarty Jazz Quintet, I’ve returned often—for GeorgeCartwright’s GloryLand Ponycat and “Bonanza: The Musical,” Trio Raro, Antigravity, the Consortium of Symphonic Transients, Milo Fine.

Startingin September, it’s home to a new monthly jazz concert series, sensibly named Jazz at Studio Z.

Curated by guitarist Zacc Harris, the series featureslarge-ish ensembles beginning with the Dave King Trucking Company on September24.

Formed in the winter of 2009, the Trucking Co. debuted atthe Walker Art Center in March of 2010 during the Walker’s “King for Two Days” mini-festival for drummer King, member of a million bands. (Kinglaunched two new bands just that weekend, the other being Golden Valley Is Now withCraig Taborn.) Their first CD, Good OldLight, came out on Sunnyside this July.

The CD release show at the Artists’Quarter on July 29 was terrific. King (or someone) flew in saxophonist ChrisSpeed from New York City, who plays on the CD, to join the other members of thegroup, who live here: Eric Fratzke on guitar, Brandon Wozniak on saxophone,Adam Linz on bass.

The September 24 show at Studio Z will be a quartet, not aquintet (Speed won’t be here), and Luke Polipnick will step in for Fratzke. Notto worry. Actually, I look forward to hearing this group in a differentconfiguration. We’ll still get King’s thorny, tuneful compositions and surrealistic stories.

The series continues in October with Seven Steps to Havana,Doug Little’s Latin jazz septet. In November, the Zacc Harris Group (Harris,Bryan Nichols, Chris Bates, Wozniak, JT Bates) will play, in Harris’s words,“new compositions in the vibe of Miles Davis’s 1960s quintet.” In December,pianist/composer Nichols will bring his nine-piece band We Are Many (Nichols,JT Bates, Mike Lewis, Fratzke, Jeremy Ylvisaker, Wozniak, and others TBA). Thatgroup debuted at MacPhail in March 2010, as part of its Jazz Thursdaysconcert series, performing original compositions by Nichols.

Jazz at Studio Z is scheduled through May 2012, but thelater concerts haven’t yet been added.

So—why this series? I asked Harris earlier this month.

“The whole idea is to provide another venue for jazz,” hesaid. “Over the last couple of years, there’s been a tightening and a lesseningof places for jazz musicians to play. A big part of this series is trying toconnect with the community more, especially with younger audiences.”

A special feature is the workshops—free and opento the public—that will be offered before each performance, in the afternoon.“These are workshops, not jam sessions,” Harris explained. “It will be up tothe individual artists how they present them. The idea is to have an openrehearsal, with people able to ask questions in a respectful way. What will bereally cool about it—and I’ve attended many workshops—is it won’t just besomeone standing there talking. The rehearsal format creates a much betteropportunity for people to see what happens.”

Saturday, September24: The Dave King Trucking Company

Saturday, October 22:Seven Steps to Havana

Saturday, November19: The Zacc Harris Group

Saturday, December17: Bryan Nichols’s We Are Many

Workshops at 1 p.m. (free), concerts at 7 p.m. ($10). Ticketsat the door.

Studio Z

Northwestern Building

275 East Fourth St., Suite 200

Saint Paul, MN 55101

www.jazzatstudioz.org

(Look for the big red neon Z in the window)

Jazz at Studio Z is made possible by a grant from the MetropolitanRegional Arts Council (MRAC) through the Minnesota Arts and Cultural HeritageFund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from thevote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008. (Thank you, people ofMinnesota.) Its mission is to promote jazz music by creating a new setting forjazz education and performance. The program runs from September 2011 throughMay 2012.

For NPR's A Blog Supreme: A game plan for the Monterey Jazz Festival

2011-09-16T17:55:00.000-07:00

Assignment #2: What to see and hear at this year's Monterey Jazz Festival starting tonight, if you're here for the whole weekend with Arena passes, unflagging energy, and catholic tastes.

Monterey before the crowds

2011-09-16T15:23:00.001-07:00

How the Monterey Jazz Festival grounds looked around noon today, when we went to pick up our press credentials.