Roy Hargrove©Andrea Canter

“There’s a physical electricity to Hargrove’s performance that is not terribly common in jazz.” –David Adler

After Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove is probably the best known trumpeter on the planet today. And at only 36, his output as a recording artist (13 sessions as leader) is almost as remarkable as his chops. His most recent project, RH Factor, created a lot of buzz by merging R&B and hip-hop mainstream with jazz, but his past and current efforts are decidedly more Dizzy than Ice-T. As noted by Christopher Jones following a Hargrove Quintet performance at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley in Seattle, this is “straightforward, no-nonsense modern jazz…with integrity and conviction.” Hargrove brings that conviction – along with his quintet—to the Dakota in downtown Minneapolis for a welcome return engagement, September 7-8.

Dean Magraw©Andrea Canter

“Dissolving the individual ‘I’ in the dynamic liquid of the collective ‘us,’ a new entity is unleashed, capable of seeking ever-higher levels of expressions unavailable to the isolated player. You know...... a band.” –Dean Magraw 

One of the most prolific and popular musicians based in the Twin Cities, guitarist Dean Magraw is also one of the most eclectic, with a thirty-year career spanning genres and cultures, from blues to classical to folk and jazz, from Japanese and Indian to Celtic and middle American. On Labor Day, Dean and his organ trio (Mikkel Romstand, Kenny Horst) mark the opening of the Republican National Convention with a special holiday gig at the Artists Quarter in downtown St. Paul. Knowing Dean’s tendencies toward somewhat liberal ideas, this might be an interesting counterpoint to the political rhetoric down the street at the RNC!

Roy Hargrove©Andrea Canter

Save a few late sets during the RNC, it’s business as usual at the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis. And that business is to present an eclectic mix of music, jazz and beyond, from talented local performers to seldom-seen-in-clubs touring artists, from the top of the Mississippi to the delta, east coast and west coast, seven nights per week. September highlights include the early return of one of the most tantalizing pairs to grace the Dakota stage, Benny Green and Bucky Pizzarelli, back now for a live recording date. Roy Hargrove also returns on the heels of his latest CD release; and the Dakota welcomes back Duke Robillard, John Boutte, Maria Muldaur and Jaqui Naylor. Appearing for the first time at the Minneapolis location are guitar legend Earl Klugh and Grammy winning singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin. There will also be hot local talent including two appearances by Debbie Duncan and one-nighters with Connie Evingson, Connie Olson,  Christine Rosholt, Ginger Commodore, Nichola Miller, with Davina and the Vagabonds leading off the month. 

Jon Weber©Andrea Canter

Even before the RNC leaves St. Paul, there will be congestion and revelry on the Seventh Place Mall as jazz artists and fans congregate at the Artists Quarter. And making it more pleasant, the AQ is offering Minnesota residents with ID free cover during the RNC, September 1-4! Kicking off the festivities on Labor Day, the Dean Magraw Trio will offer their alternative view on life and music (and not necessarily free of political commentary!); favorite touring artist Jon Weber returns from New York for a midweek display of pyrotechnic pianism and bionic recall of jazz trivia, and young piano monster Tanner Taylor closes out Convention night (September 4th) with his own daring “keynote” address. More excitement extends well beyond the RNC, with a return visit from Stephanie Nakasian and Hod O’Brien; a reprise of Rick DellaRatta’s “Jazz for Peace” fund raiser; a rare appearance of Dave Karr’s Mulligan Stew; the much anticipated CD releases from Joan Griffith/Laura Caviani and the Kelly Rossum Quartet, and a jazzy tribute to Jazz Image legend Leigh Kamman. As always, there’s lot of jazz all week long. 

National Acts and Weekend Headliners (9 pm unless otherwise noted) 

September 3, Jon Weber (8 pm, $5). One of our favorite entertainers and jazz artists returns for just one night! Pianist-in-residence for the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, the unique Jon Weber will distract you from the traffic jams and rhetoric of the nearby RNC with his witty and scholarly commentary as he pulls his trio (Gordy Johnson and Kenny Horst) through a boundless repertoire. He can burn through Scott Joplin and Fats Waller, turn on a dime and set off through Jerome Kern or George Gershwin, hang a left in midphrase to explore bop or introduce his own compositions. Along the way, see how many of Jon’s quotes you recognize! He barely fits his long legs under the piano, but there’s always room for one more quote, one more trivial fact, one more standing ovation. A lot more fun than a night of political analysis! And at $5, this is surely the best bargain of the week. 

© Howard A. Gitelson

"There's a small subgenre of bands right now that are making a tricky but inevitable connection: the combustible energy, sardonic attitudes and harsh, crackling timbres of indie rock and the musicianship, improvisational logic and humanism of jazz. ... [ The Peace Between Our Companies (2005)] comes in like a lion with 'Starchild Cranium,' but that full-on clank has nothing to do with the serenity of the winding ballad 'Ella by Nightlight,' near the end. It's nice to hear a band with such radically different dispositions". - New York Times