St. Paul, Minnesota: Where a jazz festival is still a jazz festival

The 13th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival starts today. And guess what: It’s an actual jazz festival. Not just in name, but in the artists booked to perform. And not just the artists who will play on the main stages, but those being featured at other downtown St. Paul clubs during the festival. 

It seems that everyone is on board with the idea of throwing a real jazz party, not a so-called jazz party fronted by rock-and-roll bands. Our headliners are Danilo Perez (playing with John Patitucci and Adam Cruz) and Gary Burton (Scott Colley, Antonio Sanchez, Julian Lage). Heavy hitters and respected jazz musicians.

It’s our own little miracle. If I were wearing a hat, I’d tip it to festival president/executive director Steve Heckler and his board. Since I’m not wearing a hat, I’ll blow them all kisses.

Admittedly, ours is a small festival. Just one weekend in a small city park (Mears Park is the size of a city block). And yet, it must have been tempting to the festival organizers to see what big names outside of jazz might be available. Why not? Everybody’s doing it. The Montreal Jazz Festival recently added Prince to its lineup and announced it would give this year’s Spirit Award to Robert Plant.

2011 Iowa City Jazz Festival is worth the drive

Each year, quite a few jazz fans from the Twin Cities drive to and from Iowa City over the Fourth of July weekend for the Iowa City Jazz Festival. Depending on who's performing, it's worth the drive (about 600 miles round trip) for this free festival that often books top talent.

Over the years, featured artists have included John Scofield, Paquito D’Rivera, Joe Lovano, Kenny Garrett, Roy Haynes, Dave Douglas, Bill Frisell, Joey de Francesco, Charlie Hunter, Greg Osby, Cubanismo, Pat Martino, Paul Motian, Don Byron, Andrew Hill, Carla Bley, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Roswell Rudd, Steve Swallow, Yellowjackets, Patricia Barber, Sex Mob, and Stefon Harris.

This is a good year. Saturday brings New York/LA-based jazz-rock band Kneebody, followed by the Josh Roseman Unit. Roseman is a trombonist who studied under Lester Bowie and has played with people like Muhal Richard Abrams, John Zorn, Dave Holland, Dave Douglas, Oliver Lake, and Medeski, Martin and Wood.

If you can go for just one night, make it Sunday. John Ellis and Double-Wide, who wowed last year’s Twin Cities Jazz Festival, will play at 4. They’ll be followed at 6 by Ambrose Akinmusire, who currently has the hot new trumpet CD, When the Heart Emerges Glistening. At 8 the great pianist/composer and NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston will take the stage. When he plays “High Fly”—which he probably will; it’s a signature song for him, and it’s on his latest CD, The Storyteller—the crowd sprawled and seated on the lush green lawn of the Pentacrest will sigh the leaves off the trees.

Randy Weston

2011 Iowa City Jazz Festival

Friday, July 1–Sunday, July 3

Full schedule here.