Delfeayo Marsalis©Andrea Canter

The 14th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival officially launches at 4 pm on Friday, June 29th, with Mears Park hosting headliners Francisco Mela Cuban Safari and the Delfeayo Marsalis Sextet. But that’s just two of ensembles that will provide nearly nonstop jazz from Lowertown to Downtown at no less than 13 venues. And with a few club exceptions, it’s all free. Even before the music begins, there’s free clinics with Mela and Marsalis at McNally Smith College of Music, open to the public. All venues are located in St. Paul. Full line-up, schedules, artist bios and more information can be found on the festival website. Remember, you can hear live broadcasts from the festival on KBEM, Jazz 88.5 fm.

June 29, Free Clinics at McNally (19 E. Exchange Street)

Charmin Michelle and Doug Haining©Andrea Canter

 2:30-3:30 pm, Drum Clinic with Francisco Mela

 4-5 pm, Clinic with Delfeayo Marsalis and Mark Gross

June 29, Mears Park Main Stage (E. 5th Street and Sibley)

4 pm, Twin Cities Seven with Charmin Michelle. One of the most popular jazz acts in the area, the Twin Cities Seven is a swinging ensemble led by multi-reedman Doug Haining, with an all-star line-up including Rick Carlson, Steve Pikal, Dick Bortolussi, Kent Saunders, Dave Graf, and Steve Wright, along with star vocalist Charmin Michelle. In the traditions of the great swing bands of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday, the TC 7 might get you up on your feet dancing in the park! What a start to a great weekend of music!

Francisco Mela©Andrea Canter

8:30 pm, Delfeayo Marsalis Sextet. A middle brother of the Marsalis Clan, Delfeayo largely stayed in the background through the first part of the new century, playing sideman to the late Elvin Jones and others, and concentrating on an impressive career as a Grammy-nominated record producer. Growing up in New Orleans, Delfeayo initially tried the drums before settling on trombone at age 13. After attending high school at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Marsalis went on to the Berklee College of Music to study performance and production. He received additional classical training through the Eastern Music Festival and Tanglewood Institute; and he earned an MA degree in jazz performance from the University of Louisville. Marsalis’ early touring experiences included stints with Ray Charles, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Max Roach, and Abdullah Ibrahim, as well as Elvin Jones' Jazz Machine, and he has produced over 100 recordings, but only in the past ten years has he stepped out front as a bandleader. In 2011, with father Ellis and brothers Wynton and Branford, Delfeayo received the honor of Jazz Master from the National Endowment for the Arts. His current touring sextet includes acclaimed saxophonist Victor Goines.

June 29, Sixth Street Stage (236 E. 6th Street)

5 pm, The Atlantis Quartet. One of the most creative and daring bands in the Twin Cities, the musicians of Atlantis—Zacc Harris, Brandon Wozniak, Chris Bates and Pete Hennig—are consummate composers and improvisers. Named Best Jazz Artist for 2011 by City Pages, the quartet has released three exciting recordings to date. “The compositions range in style from multi-meter grooves to complex harmonic explorations; from fusionistic rhythms to free and timeless tone poems, all filled with world class improvisation that is both organic and volatile” (More Cowbell).

Jon Weber©Andrea Canter

June 29, Artists Quarter (408 St Peter Street)

9 pm, Maud Hixson with Jon Weber. It’s a Weber doubleheader, starting out with songbird Maud Hixson. The pair performed together in the past year in New York, and tonight they will reprise some of that material as well as some favorite songs. Maud is at her best in an intimate club setting with just piano, a format she fully and frequently exploits with husband/pianist Rick Carlson. Like Rick, Jon is a deep swinger in any key, at any tempo. After an afternoon and early evening in the hot sun of Mears Park, this is the perfect way to unwind and chill out.

10 pm, Jon Weber. The “house pianist” of the jazz festival year after year, the AQ welcomes back Jon Weber for a set of amazing solo feats, encyclopedic and entertaining trivia, and audience requests—what tune, what key, what style? The host of NPR’s new Piano Jazz: Rising Stars is the ultimate jazz entertainer. He returns tomorrow night—he never runs out of music or commentary.

June 29, Studio Z (275 E. 4th Street, 2nd floor)

Todd Clouser and Bryan Nichols©Andrea Canter

9 pm, George Cartwright. One of the leading purveyors of improvised music, Mississippi native saxman George Cartwright has performed with Ornette Coleman, Carei Thomas, Adam Linz and more. He’s received composer grants from McKnight and the Jerome Foundation and is a past winner of City Pages’ Jazz Artist of the Year. His ensemble Gloryland Ponycat remains one of the most acclaimed of area experimental ensembles.

June 29, In the Clubs and Bars

Check the full schedule for the line-up at the Amsterdam, Black Dog, Hat Trick, Mn Music Café, Heartland, Senor Wong, St Paul Hotel Lobby Bar, Trattoria and Wild Thymes, featuring such acts as Rhonda Laurie, Clearwater Hot Club, Red Planet, Pete Whitman, Joanne Funk, Café Accordion and more.

The Twin Cities Jazz Festival continues on Saturday, June 30th, with more music from Mears Park, the Sixth Street Stage, Artists Quarter, Youth Stage (on Prince Street) and another long list of clubs. See Jazz Police for Saturday highlights and visit the festival website for more.

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