Freda Payne©Andrea Canter

Sometimes I realize there is no point lamenting that we live in the Midwest rather than New York. True, if I was in or near Manhattan on any given night, I would have at least a dozen top-flight jazz clubs to choose from, and most likely at least 4-5 gigs that would really tempt me. And this does not include Carnegie Hall, Rose Hall, or any of the other major concert halls. Nor am I throwing into the mix Broadway and off-Broadway shows, dance companies, and the rest of the live entertainment scene. The Twin Cities pales in comparison. But as my mother says, you can only go to one thing at a time. And even here in the Twin Cities, conflicts arise almost daily—do I go to the KBEM jazz film series or to the Artists Quarter to hear the Phil Hey Quartet? Do I go to the Dakota for Bruce Henry or to the AQ for the Out to Lunch Quintet? Do I go hear one of my favorite singers at the Times or one of my favorite pianists at Crave? 

Sometimes the conflicts are irrelevant: the local talent will be around next week but a touring artist may not return for a year, two years, maybe a decade. In the past week, the Twin Cities has welcomed the best voices in the business, if jazz is your business. Or even if jazz is something you rarely notice. First, Karrin Allyson came to town, as she tends to do annually, and gave us what was arguably her best show ever (see Jazz Police review). On May 2nd, Dianne Reeves filled Orchestra Hall. And two nights later, the rarest treat of all, Freda Payne donned her jazz chops for an Ella Fitzgerald tribute at the Dakota. 

VoicesIowa

On May 12th, the Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church near downtown Minneapolis will host one of the nation’s premier vocal jazz groups, VoicesIowa. Recently named DownBeat’s Vocal Jazz Group of the Year, the ensemble will present selections from their new recording,  “Songs of Love,” under the direction of Grammy nominee and leading vocal jazz educator Phil Mattson. Twin Cities audiences might recall VoicesIowa from their summer 2007 performance honoring Duke Ellington at HAUM.  

VoicesIowa includes six students and alumni of the Southwestern Community College School for Music Vocations in Creston, IA. Phil Mattson created the curriculum for the School, and directs the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers and VoicesIowa in addition to classroom teaching. Previsouly, Mattson taught at Pacific Lutheran University (WA), served as Director of Choral Activities at Foothill College (CA) and Gonzaga University (WA), and created the Phil Mattson School for Vocal Musicians in Spokane (WA), leading the Grammy-nominated P.M. Singers. Mr. Mattson has published more than 70 choral and vocal jazz arrangements and compositions and has been nominated twice for Grammy awards for arrangements and performance. Each summer, Mattson directs the Phil Mattson Vocal Jazz/Choral Workshops in the US and Canada, and each February heads the Southwestern Vocal Jazz Festival. He is active as a conductor, pianist, arranger and clinician, and writes for professional vocal groups including the Four Freshmen, the Real Group, Chanticleer, Beachfront Property, the Dale Warland Singers and Manhattan Transfer.

Karrin Allyson courtesy of the Concord Jazz Festival

[May 1, 2008]  Karrin Allyson always gives us a good show. A native Kansan and short-term Twin Cities resident before relocating to Kansas City and then New York a decade ago, Karrin seems to enjoy her return “home” every year, usually on the heels of a new release on Concord, her label throughout her fabled career. (Even her first, self-produced release ended up reissued by Concord when they signed her as a relative newbie back in 1992.)  

But sometimes the stars and planets are in perfect alignment, and the event not only lives up to its hype but reaches far beyond expectations. There was a nearly sold-out club and dining room, pretty rare for the first of a four-set, two-night booking. And this audience included Karrin’s husband Bill McLaughlin, frequent touring partner/pianist Laura Caviani, and Karrin’s mom (who lives in Minneapolis) and other assorted friends and relatives. But a lot of credit goes to this band, surely the most elegantly supportive ensemble she has brought to the Dakota yet: Long-term collaborator/guitarist/arranger Rod Fleeman; Chicago-based bassist Larry Kohut; acclaimed vibes magician and Dave Holland partner, Steve Nelson; and our own master of percussive eloquence, Phil Hey. Each contributed mightily to the whole and as a soloist, and the vibes provide unique colors and textures seldom heard with a vocalist. This time Karrin is not touring with a keyboardist, handling piano duties on a number of the songs herself. And that’s not dumbing down the accompaniment. Not at all. As Gary Giddens once wrote, “she plays a mean piano.” Actually Karrin plays a lyrical and songful piano.  

Out to Lunch Quintet © Andera Canter

One of the top events in local music in 2006—in my opinion—was the release of The Out to Lunch Quintet: Live at the Artists Quarter. Produced by Don Berryman (Jazz Police) and featuring five of the most creative jazzers in the Midwest, the recording took the seminal 1964 work of saxophonist Eric Dolphy and presented it with a 21^st century glow. The very fact that this music was performed at all was in itself a major event in jazz. This weekend, May 9-10, the OTLQ returns to the Artists Quarter to continue its mission—honoring the music of Dolphy through recreations of his compositions and original works.

On his liner notes, Don Berryman provides an informative summary of the short life of Eric Dolphy, a masterful composer, arranger and performer on multiple reeds. He was a favorite of Mingus and Coltrane, but perhaps best known as the composer of avant-garde compositions using odd time signatures further pushed outside by his dissonant and unpredictable blowing style. Notes Berryman, “Out to Lunch influenced a generation of jazz players…and is regarded not only as Dolphy’s finest recording, but as one of the greatest jazz recordings.” Tragically Dolphy died at age 36 in June 1964, a few weeks before Blue Note released his seminal recording.

Erin Bode © Andrea Canter

The Twin Cities has long been a wellspring of vocal talent. Much of that talent remains in the area, but a few have found success outside the Minneapple. Count Erin Bode among them. Transplanted to St. Louis in her teens, Bode now has two MaxJazz recordings and plenty of accolades to her credit. This week, Erin returns to home territory with a two-night stand at the Dakota Jazz Club (May 7-8) and an appearance at the Grand Marais Jazz Festival this weekend (May 10th).

Bode spent much of her childhood in the Twin Cities, the youngest of three children of a Lutheran minister and surrounded by music for all occasions, from celebrations to funerals. Encouraged to participate in music