Chris Bates Red 5 (or 6?) Joins Eden Prairie High School for Prairie City Limits, April 19
“We are going in….full throttle, no holds barred improvisation at its finest,” notes Red 5 leader and bassist, Chris Bates. On hiatus for much of the past year,...
Gypsy in Her Soul — Connie Evingson Swings at the Jungle Theater, April 17
She’s sung it all, from Ella to Ringo, but Connie Evingson is perhaps best known for Django– the music of Django Reinhardt and the swinging “gypsy jazz” styles...
Saturday Night Jazz at the Black Dog: Free Range Jazz, D’Sievers Quartets, April 16
There’s new blood coming to the jazz scene in Lowertown this weekend, as Saturday Night Jazz at the Black Dog presents the debut performance of the Free Range Jazz...
“Ellington at Night” With Nancy Harms: Midwest Tour and Minnesota CD Release, Dunsmore Room on April 25
“Nightlife is cut out of a very luxurious, royal-blue bolt of velvet. It sparkles with jewels, and it sparkles in tingling and tinkling tones.” — Duke Ellington “Both jazz-...
Friday Night “Jazz in Exile”: At Jazz Central with Ancia Quartet, Rare Medium on April 15
Friday Night Jazz, aka at The Nicollet, aka at Reverie, soon to be Thursday Night Jazz at Reverie…. it’s been a bit confusing over the past year but there...
The Roots of American Music: “A Weaving of Traditions” at Sundin Hall, April 15th
Before jazz became part of traditional American culture, Native American music was a thriving art form. Bringing these styles together, KBEM Jazz 88 presents A Weaving of...
Walker West’s 8 O’Clock Jump Series Features the Atlantis Quartet, April 15
Well into a highly successful first season, Walker West Music Academy’s Eight O’Clock Jump concert series continues this weekend with the Atlantis Quartet, on Friday, April 15 (8 pm)....
From Peru to Minnesota: Andres Prado Brings “Mississippi” to the Dunsmore Room, April 12
For a few years, Lima native guitarist/composer Andres Prado augmented the Twin Cities jazz and global music scene, becoming a favorite performer at the Artists Quarter, Dakota, KBEM Winter...
David Sanborn and Electric Band with Ricky Peterson at the Dakota, April 10-11
“The most influential saxophonist of pop, R&B, and crossover players of the past 20 #8221; — Scott Yanow (All ) Long associated with the best of “contemporary” jazz, Grammy-winning...
Joyce Lyons Remembers Carmen McRae, April 10 in the Dunsmore Room
“It’s about the words. My voice teacher told me, ‘Your job is not to be the best singer in the world—there’ll always be someone better. Your job is...
Jazz at Studio Z Presents Zacc Harris’ American Reverie, April 9
Last summer, prolific bandleader and guitarist Zacc Harris debuted a new trio, American Reverie, featuring Harris, Matt Peterson and Lars-Erik Larson. On Saturday, April 9, Harris brings American Reverie...
Pippi Ardennia Showcases New Band, New Music at The Bedlam, April 8
Now five years into her artistic and entrepreneurial work with her PipJazz organization, vocalist/songwriter/educator Pippi Ardennia will introduce a new band of young musicians–the VIP Sound Collective–as well as...
Dave Graf Quartet at Jazz Central, April 8
Friday nights at Jazz Central Studios typically focus on a local “master,” and few are as masterful as trombonist Dave Graf. Graf brings a star-studded quartet to Jazz Central...
Illicit Sextet Returns to Saturday Night Jazz at the Black Dog, April 9th
One of the most area popular ensembles of the late 1980s and early 90s, the Illicit Sextet was dubbed “the Cadillac of local jazz” by critic Jim Meyer. In...
Friday Night Jazz in Exile: Dakota Combo, NuSkein Ensemble at Studio Z, April 8
For the past year, trumpeter Steve Kenny has curated a Friday Night jazz series at The Nicollet, now rebranded as Reverie Bar and Cafe. Starting in May, the series...
Lila Ammons and her Quad at Jazz Central, April 7
Not all legacies live up to their heritage, but Twin Cities vocalist Lila Ammons stands tall with the likes of Ravi Coltrane, John Pizzarelli and Marcus Gilmore. The granddaughter...
Easy Prediction: First Tuesdays, Three Stars at the Black Dog, April 5
The music of jazz is characterized by its unpredictability–shifts in rhythm, dynamics, time signatures, melodies that give jazz its forward motion and that element of surprise that keeps your...
Eight of the Best: SFJAZZ Collective Returns to the Dakota, April 3-4
“The octet boasts as much or more collective talent, firepower and critical acclaim than any other jazz ensemble going…” — DownBeat One of the most acclaimed modern jazz ensembles,...
Courageous Endeavors Reunites at the Black Dog, April 2
The best measure of the vitality of the Twin Cities jazz scene is the increasing number of young musicians studying in the area and/or coming home or moving to...
What Would Doris Do? Maud Hixson Celebrates Doris Day at the Schneider Theater, April 2
On April 2, Twin Cities songbird Maud Hixson and the Wolverines Trio (Rick Carlson, Keith Boyles and Jendeen Forberg) celebrate Doris Day in a new show just in time...