Jon Weber©Andrea Canter

There are many ingredients to cooking up a successful jazz festival, and every summer Steve Heckler manages to come up with the right recipe for the Twin Cities (Hot Summer) Jazz Festival. One of his perennial ingredients is the always-inventive, encyclopedic sage of the keyboards, Jon Weber. This Friday night (January 22nd) at the Artists Quarter, Jon makes a rare winter appearance, an early kick-off to the next festival season. (Note early start time of 8 pm!)

Illicit Sextet, 1993

The Illicit Sextet, 1987-1997

Co-founders Steve Kenny, Kelly Bucheger and David Roos formed the IS in 1987 with cohorts from the University of Wisconsin River Falls. Their focus was on “bebop, hard bop and ‘straight ahead’ music, an expressive language whose grammatical rules were codified by our mentors and heroes: Miles, Trane, Newk, and others... we tapped into this meaty part of the jazz legacy because it communicated very directly to us, because we wanted to understand more about the music and its practitioners, and because we wanted to see what we could do in that form” (Kelly Bucheger, liner note for Chapter One). A short while later, the band decided to focus on original compositions, bringing more responsibility and challenge, as Buchager explained: “We not only had to be performers within a complex and demanding musical genre, but we also had to compose meaningful music worthy of that genre... the Sextet became an outstanding vehicle for personal and group expression.”

Justin Robinson and 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. Just 40, his output as a recording artist (14 sessions as leader) is almost as remarkable as his chops. His fusiony 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. NPR recently stated that  "when he's on the road touring with his quintet, he's treating audiences to some of the greatest, hardest-swinging bebop in the world." And 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 Minneapolis for a return engagement January 24-25. Their most recent gig here last June was one of the hottest shows of the year. And we seem to say that after every Hargrove appearance!

Bruce Heine©Andrea Canter

What happens when five veteran jazzmen come together for mutual inspiration and free conversation? Welcome to Pooch’s Playhouse, built on a foundation of experimentation and collaboration. The “housewarming” was held in January 2009 at the 318 in Wayzata, and subsequent “open houses” took place at the Dakota and Red Sea. The playspace now moves to the Artists Quarter in St Paul on January 20th at 9 pm. 

Pooch’s Playhouse features Bruce “Pooch” Heine on bass, guitarist Joel Shapira, saxophonist Dave Brittain, pianist Mark Asche and percussionist Dave Schmalenberger. These musicians have a number of interconnections—Shapira and Heine play together in the modern trio, Triplicate; Heine, Asche and Brittain perform together with the Cedar Avenue Big Band; Shapira has played with everyone in one context or another. Notes Shapira, “To me this group was a very natural fit...it felt good from day one and developed rapidly into something special to all members that we want to expand upon in the future...I would describe the music as diversely influenced, adventurous and open-ended, but we are first and foremost a pure jazz group, that is the intention of this band... and we are proud of that fact.” 

Charmin Michelle © Andrea Canter

On Thursday, January 14th, Minneapolis South High School will present its 5^th annual Singer Showcase.  This concert will feature South High’s Jazz I ensemble (directed by Scott Carter) with members of the Pop Singers (directed by Laurie Meyers) performing classic tunes and arrangements from the Big Band library.  Also featured will be South High faculty and special guest, vocalist Charmin Michelle.

Django Reinhardt

Jazz musicians and fans alike will celebrate the 100th birthday of Belgian gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt throughout 2010. In honor of the Django centenary (actually on January 24th), the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis is holding a four-night celebration, opening with a showcase of Minnesota Hot Clubs on January 17th, followed by two nights featuring French gypsy guitarist Dorado Schmitt and a final night with American violinist Mark O’Connor’s Hot Swing Trio.