Jazz Police, Author at Twin Cities Jazz Festival

A trio of decades: Goldings, Bernstein and Stewart

December 16, 2022 •

By Dan Emerson In the creative, improvised music world, it’s often true that familiarity breeds success – as measured in artistic achievement, not necessarily commercial success. That’s certainly true of the longstanding trio of organist Larry Goldings, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart, who played to a receptive audience on Tuesday night, December 13 […]

Montreal, Beyond the Festival – Art in the Cathedral

December 7, 2022 •

Matt Herskowitz and Mademoiselle Balladin © Kevin R. Mason Professor Norman Cornett ©Kevin R. Mason The Montreal Jazz Festival, officially titled Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, fills the city with so much music, that it spills over beyond the Festival itself. One of the most notable events was a series of concerts/art exhibitions hosted […]

Ahmad Jamal – Emerald City Nights: Live at the Penthouse

December 3, 2022 •

by Don Berryman This year we have a treasure trove of previously unreleased live recordings by some of the giants of jazz from the 60’s and 70’s including Ahmad Jamal, Charles Mingus, Elvin Jones, and Mal Waldron. This is the first of four reviews of those releases. Ahmad Jamal – Emerald City Nights: Live at […]

The 2022 Montreal Jazz Festival – The Music is Back!

November 11, 2022 •

The Manhattan Transfer © Kevin R. Mason The past couple of years have certainly been a strange time, and the music industry has been adapting to these pandemic circumstances. Live music events have returned, and this summer, the Montreal Jazz Festival, officially called Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (FIJM) was completely live once again. […]

Elling, JazzMN Orchestra swing at Crooners

October 26, 2022 •

Kurt Elling with the JazzMN Orchestra in the Belvedere at Crooners By Dan Emerson Two-time Grammy winner Kurt Elling is renowned for his formidable vocal instrument which made him an ideal choice to sing and swing with the world-class JazzMN Orchestra at Crooners in Fridley, Minn. on Sunday, October 23. Given the problematic economics of […]

Four hands, one music

October 19, 2022 •

By Dan Emerson One of Cuban-born piano virtuoso Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera’s stated ambitions is to combine his wide-ranging musical influences into one music. With the help of violin virtuoso Karen Briggs, a kindred spirit, Herrera continued his pursuit of that all-in-one ideal, October 16th at the Dakota jazz club in Minneapolis. The perfectly matched duet […]