6-7pm Mike Cramer Mike Cramer <https://mikecramermusic.com/> is a stylistically versatile multi-instrumentalist. An active musician in the Twin Cities, he is a member of several fine ensembles including the bluegrass group The Barley Jacks and Cafe Accordion Orchestra. He also leads his own jazz trio and the roots/Americana trio, 43 Degrees. His award-winning flatpicking arrangements have been […]

This 16 piece band boosts having been on-going for the last 35 years . Originally under the musical direction of arranger/ composer Steve Devich, they have built a library of big band music containing over 450 charts!

Adam Wolff is a jazz pianist based in San Diego, California. He plays with a strong groove/blues element, in the style of Gene Harris. Ahmad Jamal is also a strong influence- while living New York City for many years, he had the good fortune to study and record with two of Jamal’s drummers. His travels […]

Django Reinhardt’s unmistakable cool and jumping joie de vivre have made him an icon. Many guitar luminaries cite his inspiration, including guitar greats Carlos Santana and Eric Clapton. Moreover, Jimi Hendrix named his Band of Gypsys in tribute to Reinhardt. Willie Nelson adopted his influence in playing country swing. The star musicians of the Django Festival Allstars have grown […]

With guest drummer Joe Pulice Like a good many before him, singer and pianist Andrew Walesch manages to encapsulate the sophistication of a cosmopolite and the self-effacing charm of a country boy. Leading his all-star big band, showman Andrew Walesch kidnaps the Blue Eyes tradition and makes it his own in his jazz-bent Sinatra revue. […]

Vocalist Aby Wolf returns to Berlin with piano virtuoso Kavyesh Kaviraj and first-call drummer Pete James Johnson to present a collaborative set of originals and select covers (arranged by Johnson and Kaviraj) for the Twin Cities’ brilliant Laurels String Quartet. This stellar supergroup convenes once in a blue moon. Don't miss it. Band Members: Erica […]

Take That Back started as the meeting-of-the-minds of two veteran musicians, Joan Hutton and Sue Orfield. Drawn together by a passion for original music, both bandleaders are composers and improvisers, each with her own unique musical voice. Joan Hutton plays bass clarinet and alto sax, and Sue Orfield plays the tenor sax. The group released […]

Kenny Garrett’s latest release, 2021’s Sounds from the Ancestors, is a multi-faceted album. The music, however, doesn’t lodge inside the tight confines of the jazz idiom. Here, this is not surprising: the alto saxophonist and composer acknowledges Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye as significant touchstones. Miles Davis’ seminal LP, On the Corner, subverted its main guiding lights […]

Kenny Garrett’s latest release, 2021’s Sounds from the Ancestors, is a multi-faceted album. The music, however, doesn’t lodge inside the tight confines of the jazz idiom. Here, this is not surprising: the alto saxophonist and composer acknowledges Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye as significant touchstones. Miles Davis’ seminal LP, On the Corner, subverted its main guiding lights […]

Davina Sowers and the Vagabonds have created a stir on the national music scene. Their high-energy live shows feature level-A musicianship, sharp-dressed professionalism and Sowers’ commanding stage presence. Also, their influences range from Fats Domino and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Aretha Franklin and Tom Waits. Moreover, the band is converting audiences one show at […]

Musical masters Bruce Henry (vocals) and Dean Magraw (guitar) celebrate the release of their new acoustic album A New Song with a special concert, welcoming Bruce back to his former Twin Cities home. Although the two artists have collaborated over the years, this is their first duo project and reflects an unexpected musical alchemy. Rooted […]

Led by chief detonators Doug Haining, sax, and Scott Agster, trombone, the Explosion Big Band draws from the area’s finest musicians. The EXPLOSION is ready to detonate with the classic sounds of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and more modern sounds of Thad Jones, Clare Fischer, Pat Metheny & others.