© Andrea Canter Five nights per week (Tuesday-Saturday), you can hear not just one great band, but two at Vieux Carre in downtown St. Paul. The opening set is usually a solo or duo showcase, and often the spotlight is on one of the veteran artists of the Twin Cities jazz scene. This no-cover […]
Anna Buchholz A few days into the start of 2017 I had the opportunity to attend my first-ever Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference (newly renamed Association of Performing Arts Professionals) in New York. As one of the largest gatherings of performing artists, managers, arts administrators, and venue programmers, we met and gathered at professional […]
© Andrea Canter One of the Midwest’s top jazz programs is in our backyard at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Alums include trumpeter John Raymond, bassist Graydon Peterson, and saxophonist Aaron Hedenstrom. Saturday Night Jazz at the Black Dog highlights past and current talents at UW-EC on February 11, with the student ensemble Surreal McCoy […]
© Andrea Canter Folky-jazzy vocalist and songwriter Claudia Schmidt has performed at least a few times in the past decade at the Dakota with local guitar hero Dean Magraw. Both inclined to infuse their eclectic music with humor, it’s a pairing that is guaranteed to please a wide audience. Add in pianist Bryan Nichols–here the […]
“The PHQ is a true, seasoned ensemble laying down a musical vision with common purpose.”—Pat Courtemanche © Andrea Canter Twin Cities jazz fans may not always appreciate our great fortune—to live in a community blessed with some of the finest musicians in the country, artists who have played with such legends as Charlie Rouse, Kenny […]
© Andrea Canter It feels cold again but really it just normal February in Minnesota! Our options in jazz are perhaps even warmer than normal this week, which might cause some frustration as we can’t be in two venues at once. We have some amazing talents visiting (Ben Allison Trio, Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane, Matthew […]