Maud Hixson©Andrea Canter

“The Moon Belongs to Everyone,” and that includes jazz musicians! On Thursday, April 26th, Earth and Moon will be perfectly aligned as two of our most celestial musicians, vocalist Maud Hixson and guitarist Dean Magraw, join host Parke Kunkle at the Como Planetarium for an evening “gazing at the sky in American pop culture.” The program is cosponsored by the U of M Bell Museum of Natural History.

One of the Twin Cities’ most popular songbirds, Maud Hixson has attracted a wide following as a talented interpreter of the great American songwriters. From her long-running duo with Arne Fogel to frequent appearances with the Wolverines and particularly in duo with husband Rick Carlson, Maud has brought the lyrics of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and more to life at the Dakota, Artists Quarter, Hell’s Kitchen, Loring Pasta Bar and more.

The St. Louis Park native, named Best New Voice at the 2003 Hot Summer Jazz Festival, was selected to participate in the famed Cabaret Conference at Yale University in 2006. This opened the door to a project funded through grants from the Minnesota Arts Board—a solo cabaret show, Mickey and Maud: The Songs of Michael (Mickey) Leonard, presented in December 2008 at New York City’s oldest cabaret, the Duplex. She returned to the East Coast in early 2011, appearing with trumpet star Warren Vaché at Shanghai Jazz in New Jersey and as part of an all-star Mickey Leonard tribute at the Metropolitan Room in Manhattan. And she returns to New York in October 2011 to perform in a gala revue at Rose Hall, part of the New York Cabaret Convention.

Maud’s first recordings included the demo Small Batch and the duo recording with Arne Fogel, Let’s Not Be Sensible. In late 2007, Maud and Rick Carlson released a CD of favorite and newly discovered tunes in the intimate context of just voice and piano, Love’s Refrain, which topped many area “best of the year” lists. In addition to her frequent duo and trio appearances on club stages, and with the ensemble French 75, Maud’s recent activities have included teaming with Erin Schwab to bring “Coward’s Women” to life on the Guthrie stage; joining Lucia Newell and Arne Fogel in a salute to Rodgers and Hart at the Hopkins Center for the Arts; pairing with Lee Engele for the 2-gal show, Chanteuse Diaries, at the Black Box Theater at the Burnsville Performing Arts Center; sharing the stage for Jazz @ St Barney’s with Jason Richards in a salute to Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormet; appearing this season with Arne Fogel at the Bloomington Center for the Arts (“The Crosby Clooney Story;” “Frankie Went to Hollywood”); and performing in the new jazz series at The Lexington.

Dean Magraw©Andrea Canter

Dean’s first solo recording, Broken Silence, won the NAIRD 1994 Best Acoustic Instrumental Album of the Year. Dean released Seventh One in 1998, the solo album Heavy Meadow in 2004, Raven with John Williams in 2006, and appears on Claudia Schmidt’s 2006 release, Live at the Dakota with his quintet. In 2007, Dean and his trio with Jim Anton and JT Bates released the acclaimed Unseen Rain, the music filled with ethereal lines, wandering melodies and global influences. In 2008, Dean released a set of solo compositions (Foxfire) and in 2009 released his collaboration with Bruce Kurnow (stringed harp and harmonica) on Healing. A year later, he joined tabla player Marcus Wise to release When The Light Gets In. With Red Planet, he released Space Dust (2009).

Songs that reference the moon will be featured. Reservations ($10) are required at 612-624-9050 or www.eventbee.com. The Como Planetarium is located at 780 W. Wheelock Parkway, St. Paul. Showtime 7 pm.

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