Blossom Dearie

When does a hotel piano bar become a jazz venue? When the talent belongs to musicians who not only soothe bar patrons with refined artistry, but at the same time can engage jazz cognescenti with their interpretive skills and serious repertoire. Pianist/vocalist JoAnn Funk effectively crosses that line most weekends in the Lobby Bar of the venerable St Paul Hotel in downtown St. Paul, usually in the company of bassist Jeff Brueske, and sometimes with the added pulse of drummer Nathan Norman. On August 8th, JoAnn and the trio take it down the street to the Artists Quarter, paying tribute to one of JoAnn’s most significant muses, Blossom Dearie.

JoAnn Funk©Andrea Canter

Jeff Brueske©Andrea Canter

Washington, DC native Nathan Norman earned a Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music and studied with the Percussion Group Cincinnati at the University of Cincinnati. After teaching at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts back in Washington, he relocated to the Twin Cities in 1988 where he has performed extensively with area artists, including vocalists Debbie Duncan, Connie Evingson and Charmin Michelle. He’s also played and recorded with Bill Banfield, Nancy Bierma, Robert Huntley and more.

Regarding Blossom Dearie, JoAnn notes that she “has had a great influence on my piano playing, singing and choice of songs. In my regular performances for Jazz in The Lobby Bar at The Saint Paul Hotel, I've found that people love, request and recognize her music and so was encouraged to explore it more. I was fortunate to hear her play in 2006. Her musicianship and sense of time is impeccable… Her song choices and interpretations range from wry to witty to heartbreaking but are always deceptively unassuming…Our show spans the length of her career, from the Verve recordings with Ray Brown to her later more pop oriented style.”

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