June 28, St Paul Central Library, Jack Brass Band (90 W. 4th Street, 11:30 am).

This year the festival teamed with the St Paul Libraries to bring four bands into the community to stir up interest in jazz and the festival. The final library gig kicks off this long day of music, taking the New Orleans sounds of our own Jack Brass Band outside on library grounds. Jack Brass has been entertaining not only Minnesota audiences, but those in Crescent City and Europe. They’re playful, joyful, and very skillful musicians who will have your feet tapping from the first notes.

 

June 28, Mears Park, Pippi Ardennia and PipJazz (Sibley and E. 5th Street, 6-9 pm)

In conjunction with Music in Mears, Mears Park is again the scene of festival eve jazz, this year featuring vocalist Pippi Ardennia and her PipJazz Band (pianist Peter Schimke, keyboardist Brian Nielsen, bassist Billy Peterson, drummer Glenn Swanson and special guest, saxophonist Jason Peterson DeLaire). For the past year, Chicago native Pippi has presented a monthly series of Sunday evening concerts at Landmark Center, showcasing not only her wide-ranging jazz and blues chops but a diverse list of guest musicians, including outstanding youth artists. At Mears, Pippi joins forces with one of her favorite recent guests, blues singer Barbara Lashoure, and several of her young stars—violinist Zosha Warpeha, trumpeter DeCarlo Jackson, saxophonists Devante Jackson and Jack Breen, trumpeter Alex Grothe, and pianist Jordan Anderson.

 

June 28, Artists Quarter, Jon Weber with Connie Evingson (408 St. Peter Street, 9 pm; $5 cover).

For the past 8 years, pianist Jon Weber has been a fixture on keys during the festival, often appearing in solo and trio at the Artists Quarter and/or in various configurations across the festival. He’ll be on the piano bench for three nights, starting with tonight’s first set duo with acclaimed local vocalist Connie Evingson, followed by another instrumental set. But that describes Weber too simply – the New York based pianist with the encyclopedic recall of jazz trivia is part showman, part virtuoso, part comedian—and the whole is greater than the sum of those parts. And Evingson, of course, is one of the most lauded vocalists in the region, with nine superb recordings to her credit now, including her very recent Sweet Happy Life, the songs of Norman Gimbel. This will be the first pairing of Connie and Jon, and it promises to be a “sweet happy set.”

 

June 28, Mancini’s, Arne Fogel and Maud Hixson (531 W. 7th Street, 8 pm- Midnight)

One of the busiest vocal duos for many years, Arne and Maud still get together now and then, in clubs and on theater stages, their voices fitting together perfectly as they mine the Great American Songbook. Separately, they have loyal followings and share a scholarly bent that allows them to enhance every performance with stories and intriguing facts about great songs and great songwriters. Arne has made his mark with popular radio broadcasts (like the Bing Shift) and productions on area stages, while Maud is often on stage with her life duo partner, pianist Rick Carlson as well as fronting the swinging French 75 ensemble. Both are first-call singers with the Wolverines Trio. Their Jazz Night Out gig at Mancini’s is becoming a welcome tradition!

 

June 28, St. Paul Hotel (Lobby Bar), Joann Funk Trio (350 Market Street, 7-11 pm).

A long-time fixture in the Lobby Bar, pianist/vocalist Joann Funk, with bassist Jeff Brueske and drummer Nathan Norman, takes you deep into the Great American Songbook as well as more contemporary sources of inspiration. Always a pianist (and classically trained), JoAnn began adding vocals to her performances about ten years ago, recognizing the charms of mixing piano and voice. Drawing influences from the likes of Blossom Dearie, Diana Krall and Norah Jones, JoAnn has evolved her own vocal style, to which she adds her own arrangements and a growing repertoire of beloved and less familiar, often quirky songs from the diverse books of Dearie, Krall, Jones, Nat King Cole, Otis Redding, Bob Dorough, Tony Bennett, Patsy Cline, Leonard Cohen and Boz Scaggs. (Catch Joann weekly in the Lobby Bar starting up again in September.)

 

June 28, Black Dog Café, Coriolis Effect (308 Prince Street, 9:30 pm)

The youngest ensemble around town tonight, Coriolis Effect is a quartet mostly connected to the U of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s award-winning jazz program. Led by saxophonist and recent grad Tyler Anderson, the band includes UW-EC students pianist Cody Peterson and bassist Jordan Jenkins, and recent Manhattan School of Music grad, drummer Miguel Hurtado. In addition to leading the Coriolis Effect, which has played at the Dakota and Artists Quarter, Anderson has been heard recently with the Adam Meckler Orchestra. Hurtado leads his own ensemble, plays often with Davina and the Vagabonds, and when geography permits, has collaborated with Javier Santiago, Jake Baldwin and John Raymond.

 

June 28, The Lexington, Connie Olson (1096 Grand Av, 7:30-10:30 pm).

A bit off the festival path, The Lex offers a relaxing evening – perfect enroute to Mears Park or the Artists Quarter, or perfect for a final set after club hopping in Lowertown. Vocalist Connie Olson brings a sunny slant to standards and pop influenced songs. She’s presented the songs of Doris Day at a variety of venues, has worked in Los Angeles, and keeps busy as a private voice instructor/coach.

 

June 28, Studio Z, Zeitgeist with Nirmala Rajasekar (7:30 pm) and Zacc Harris Group (9 pm).

An intriguing double feature at Studio Z! A new addition to the festival venue list last year, Studio Z is the performance home of one of the nation’s most innovative experimental music ensembles, Zeitgeist. This foursome (piano, bass clarinet and 2 percussionists) now joins forces with Nirmala Rajasekar, one of the foremost talents on the Carnatic veena and esteemed educator specializing in South Indian traditional music. This set will be repeated here on Saturday night. The second set features one of the area’s most prolific young bandleaders, guitarist Zacc Harris, and his “Group” with keyboardist Bryan Nichols, bassist Chris Bates and drummer JT Bates—an A List if there every was one. Their first release, The Garden, should be on the “Best of Year” lists for local recordings. (Catch Zacc and Chris tomorrow on the Sixth Street Stage with the Atlantis Quartet!)

 

June 28, Minnesota Music Café, McNally Smith College of Music (499 Payne Av)

In partnership with the McNally Smith College of Music, the Minnesota Music Café presents students, instructors, and friends of McNally Smith starting at 8 pm. Performers tonight include the Charlie Christenson Trio (8 pm), McNally Smith Vocal Faculty Quartet (9:30 pm), and Framework (11 pm), the acclaimed guitar trio featuring McNally Smith instructor Chris Olson, bassist Chris Bates and drummer Jay Epstein.

 

June 28, Amsterdam (6 W. 6th Street, 5 pm – 11 pm)

New on the music circuit, Amsterdam has been hosting a wide range of music on its large stage.

 5:00, Ticket to Brasil. Rio is alive and well in Minnesota, thanks to Pavel Jany and his fellow virtuosos. Dancing allowed.

 6:30 pm, Chris Lomheim. As lyrical and artistic as any pianist you will hear. Bill Evans is a favorite source of inspiration.

 8 pm, Mary Louise Knutson. Yet another outstanding pianist and composer, MLK will likely play some tunes from her highly regarded new recording, In the Bubble.

 9:30 pm, Joyce Lyons. A recent transplant to Minnesota, Joyce swings with her Ella-esque interpretations of great songs.

 10:00, Nichola Miller. Sassy as can be, Nichola swings hard and dazzles with every note.

 10:30 pm, Jazz Central All-Stars and Jam, Tanner Taylor, Mac Santiago and friends who have been keeping the jazz fires burning at Jazz Central will strut their stuff and host a late jam session

 

Additional venues on June 28th include The Bulldog (237 E. 6th Street), the Hat Trick Lounge (134 E. 5th Street), Senor Wong (115 E. Kellogg Blvd), Station 4 (201 E 4th Street), and Wild Thymes (33 W. 7th Place). More listings on the festival website. The festival officially opens at Mears Park at 4 pm Friday, June 29th and continues until the finale with The Bad Plus/Joshua Redman on the night of June 30th. On Friday and Saturday, enjoy music on the Mears Park Stage, the adjacent Sixth Street Stage, the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education Youth Stage on Prince Street (Saturday only), and throughout the area’s clubs, bars and concert venues. Check this Jazz Police site for day by day details.