The Dakota Combo on 3-Minute Egg

Matt Peiken, former arts reporter for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, former managing editor of Walker magazine at the Walker Art Center, is now producing mini-videos called 3-Minute Eggs about the Twin Cities arts scene (as he says, "the Twin Cities arts seen"). The ones I've watched have been terrific--beautifully produced, informative, intriguing, just long enough to make you feel you've learned something and whet your appetite for more.

Recently Peiken made an Egg on the Dakota Combo's performance at MacPhail Center for Music. There doesn't seem to be a direct link to it, but if you go to Peiken's website and scroll down to 28 May 09 you'll find it.

The Dakota Combo is an elite group of area high school musicians, chosen annually by audition, who have spent the past year learning and rehearsing with MacPhail jazz coordinator Kelly Rossum. Now that Adam Linz has been named to lead the jazz program at MacPhail, he'll take over Combo duties.

Hat tip to Tom Trow, who saw David Brauer's piece on MinnPost, which I somehow missed. You can also watch the Egg on MinnPost. Twin Cities Public Television is now airing Eggs. That's great news, except TPT isn't paying Peiken. Can't they pay him something? Really?

Image from Matt Peiken's video.

The Dakota Combo with Delfeayo Marsalis

12/1/07, The Dakota: Co-sponsored by the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education and the MacPhail Center for Music, the Dakota Combo is a group of high-school student musicians who are selected by audition to study with jazz trumpeter and educator Kelly Rossum. Previous Combo members have gone on to the Brubeck Institute, Berklee, Oberlin, and Indiana University.

This year's edition features Jake Baldwin on trumpet, Stephanie Wieseler on tenor sax, Geoff LaCrone on guitar, Jacob Wittenberg on piano, Corey Grindberg on bass, and Matthew Roberts on drums.

Last year's combo performed with guest artist Bobby Watson; this year's rehearsed and performed with Delfeayo Marsalis, the trombone-playing Marsalis. Delfeayo is spending a lot of time in Minneapolis these days. In January he came to the Dakota, in June to Orchestra Hall with his brother Branford, and in August he returned to Orchestra Hall with James Moody. While in town for his June date at Orchestra Hall, he also made a surprise appearance at the Dakota, sitting in on the Trombone Summit show with Steve Turre, Wycliffe Gordon, and Fred Wesley. Four trombones on one stage: That was an amazing night.

Playing music by Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, Miles Davis, Jerome Kern, and original compositions by the students themselves, the Combo more than held their own with Delfeayo and before a club crowded with parents, supporters, and people who didn't know the Combo but came to see Delfeayo. Andrea Canter wrote a terrific blog entry and that's what you should read if you want to know more. I'll also post the link to her review on Jazz Police when it's live.

Photos: The Combo with Delfeayo; Delfeayo digs Stephanie's solo.