The Twin Cities Jazz Festival opens today with a broad array of music from national and regional musicians on old and new stages. Festival headliners include Grammy winners Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves and Melissa Aldana, winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. Musicians from Minnesota list them among their must-see shows, along Read more →
This year’s headliners include saxophonist Branford Marsalis, who performs at 8:30 p.m. Friday on the Mears Park Main Stage. On Saturday, saxophonist Melissa Aldana takes the stage at 6 p.m., followed by singer Diane Reeves at 8:30 p.m. Read more →
“It’s really about bringing international visionaries to the Twin Cities,” Performing Arts Curator Philip Bither said of the season he is announcing today. Read more →
Jazz bassist Chris Bates is a whirlwind of energy on stage, and increasingly in the recording studio. A member the Atlantis Quartet, Red Planet, Framework and other modern jazz ensembles, Bates is a vibrant collaborator. He’s also emerging as a leader, as anyone who has seen his group Red 5, would surely testify. For his Read more →
Among the Minnesotans who are making strong contributions to improvisational music is Duluth native Tom Matta, a trombonist, composer and arranger who teaches at DePaul University in Chicago. The Tom Matta Big Band’s recording “Components” was one of the notable albums from Minnesotans in 2013, with strong compositions, polished arrangements and artful solos. The tunes Read more →
With the end of the year comes the season of lists, among them expert recommendations for the best of jazz. I’m not sure I listened to enough music in the last 12 months to offer my picks for the most worthy jazz recordings nationwide, though I will say that saxophonist Wayne Shorter, singer Gregory Porter Read more →
With only a few weeks before St. Paul’s Artists’ Quarter closes its doors, jazz musicians in the Twin Cities plan a benefit this weekend to help raise money for owner Kenny Horst’s closing costs. Horst, a jazz drummer, announced in October that the club’s nights would come to an end on New Year’s Eve because Read more →
Anyone who knows singer Jana Nyberg won’t have to guess which season suits her best. An avid skater, skier and long-distance runner, she loves the winter. Read more →
Losing St. Paul’s Artists’ Quarter jazz club is devastating, says guitarist Zacc Harris. Read more →
Foreign Motion, a new jazz fusion ensemble with a diverse and international vibe, plays tonight and Saturday at St. Paul’s Artists’ Quarter. Read more →
David Cazares
Euan Kerr