Anthony Cox©Andrea Canter

Heard all too seldom these days, one of Twin Cities’ international jazz stars leads a new band at the Artists Quarter this weekend. Bassist Anthony Cox makes a welcome return August 10-11, heading what he promises to be just one of several new ensembles, "Lex" with Solomon Parham (trumpet), Peter Schimke (piano) and Eric Kamau Gravatt (drums).

Growing up in suburban Minneapolis, Anthony Cox was not particularly interested in jazz as a teenage guitarist, preferring Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles to John Coltrane and Charles Mingus. But his parents played jazz records and soon a Mingus concert and listening to Return to Forever’s Stanley Clarke led him to switch to the bass. Anthony studied bass at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, playing in both jazz and classical ensembles. After graduation, he headed to New York, building a reputation that took him on tour with Stan Getz. In the early 90s, he returned to the Twin Cities but his career has hardly been limited by his residence. Over the years, Cox has worked and/or recorded with Bobby Previte, Dewey Redman, Geri Allen, Arthur Blythe, and Uri Caine, playing upright acoustic, electric and Spanish acoustic bass. Locally he has played with Andres Prado, Chris Lomheim, Debbie Duncan and more; held an adjunct faculty appointment at the University of Iowa, and has participated in residencies and master classes at schools and arts agencies around the world. With Bill Carrothers and Jay Epstein, he has performed and recorded as Easy Company. He was curator of the Music Series at the Illusion Theatre in Minneapolis.

Trumpeter Solomon Parham began his music career in Detroit at age 12, joining his middle school band and later participating in all aspects of instrumental music in high school. He began his college studies at Kentucky State, completing his degree at Wayne State University in Instrumental Music Education. He then became Director of Bands in the Lansing (MI) School District. He also served as mentor/member of the Civic Jazz Orchestra (CJO), a jazz education youth outreach program funded by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Solomon has performed at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge in Detroit, with Delfeayo Marsalis’ Jazz for Kids, " at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival, Dakota and Jazz Central. He currently teaches and directs jazz ensembles at Walker West Music Academy.

Pianist Peter Schimke is a popular performer at the Artists Quarter and one of the busiest keyboardists in the Twin Cities. A member of How Birds Work, leader of his own trio, long-time member of Bruce Henry's ensembles, and frequently collaborating with Billy Peterson and Kenny Horst, Schimke is a favorite of local and visiting vocalists and instrumentalists. He can be heard monthly with the PipJazz Sunday band at Landmark Center.

An alum of Weather Report and the bands of McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Blue Mitchell and others, Eric Kamau Gravatt essentially has had two careers in jazz with a couple decades of separation. He turned down an offer from Miles Davis to follow Wayne Shorter into Weather Report,  later to the Twin Cities and the fusion band Natural Life (with Bobby Peterson and Bob Rockwell). Demands of family and a desire for financial stability took Gravatt out of fulltime music and into fulltime work as a guard at the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Lino Lakes. After retiring from Lino Lakes about ten years ago, Gravatt returned to his calling, touring with McCoy Tyner and performing locally with his band, Source Code.

Anthony Cox and friends perform Friday and Saturday (August 10-11) at 9 pm at the Artists Quarter, 408 St Peter Street (lower level of the Hamm Building) in downtown St Paul; www.artistsquarter.com

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