Jeanne

Although she began playing the piano at age three, Jeanne Arland Peterson did not take a formal lesson until she was 15—shortly before she had her first paying gig.  From then on, her career as a pianist/vocalist was on star trajectory, her approach heavily influenced by the great Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson. Jeanne was the organist for the Minnesota Twins from 1969-71, taking over for husband Willie following his death from cancer. Over the years, Jeanne built a resume that included work with Perry Como, Bob Hope, Dianne Carroll, Sonny Stitt, Roy Eldridge, Bud Shank, and George Benson; she spent 22 years performing on WCCO radio as well as around town on club stages and in recording studios, releasing five solo recordings over her career.  She’s also appeared on Marian McPartland’s acclaimed NPR broadcast, Piano Jazz. 

Along with Judy Garland, Jeanne is one of only two women in the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, and two Minnesota governors—Rudy Perpich and Arne Carlson—each declared days in her honor. Additionally, Jeanne was the first woman to receive the prestigious Arts Midwest Jazz Masters Award for excellence in jazz musicianship (1977), and in 2005 was named a Minnesota Jazz Legend at the KBEM Winter Jazz Festival. In 2009, Jeanne was inducted into the Mid-America Music Hall of Fame. Also in 2009, in honor of her then-88 years, Jeanne release 88 Grand, a two-volume retrospective covering her recordings from the 1940s and 50s through the present. Jeanne continues to perform with her family including a Mother’s Day duo with daughter Patty last May. 

Cliff

Violin virtuoso Cliff Brunzell performed with the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (now the Minnesota Orchestra) from 1948 to 1955, and is now best known for his leadership of the Golden Strings, a popular ensemble that has been performing for nearly 50 years. With the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, Cliff traveled all over the globe, including Baghdad and Belgrade. With The Golden Strings, Cliff was on the bandstand of the Flame Room in the old Radisson Hotel in Minneapolis for 18 years, entertaining such notables as Yogi Berra and Nat “King” Cole (who sang, impromptu, with the Strings). Cliff is a member of the Minnesota Jazz Hall of Fame and the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in New Ulm. He was recently on the bandstand of the Artists Quarter paying tribute to the late Elliott Fine. 

Irv

The elder statesman, even in this company, Irv Williams in the past decade has persevered through multiple health crises, “final” recordings and “retirement” parties, only to resurface time and again on club bandstands and in recording sessions. 

Raised in Cincinnati and Little Rock, Williams started out on violin, switched to clarinet at age 11 to counter the effects of bronchitis, and soon moved on to saxophone. Early in his career, he played in bands behind Ella Fitzgerald, Fletcher Henderson, Mary Lou Williams, and  Billy Eckstine at  such venues as the Apollo Theater and the Howard Theater. Irv first performed in the Twin Cities as a clarinet and sax player with the Navy during Word War II. Turning down invitations to play with Count Basie and Duke Ellington, he stayed in the Twin Cities where he taught in the St Paul Public Schools and played with the late Reginald Buckner. And here at home, Williams has played at every jazz venue, past and present, including the old Flame Bar where he was often back to back with such stars as Sarah Vaughn, Dizzy Gillespie, and Johnny Hodges. The first jazz musician to have his own “Irv Williams Day” granted by the State of Minnesota (1984), he has been inducted into the Minnesota Jazz Hall of Fame and was pictured on the “Celebrate Minnesota” official state map in 1990. At the KBEM Winter Jazz Festival in 2005, Irv was one of three recipients of Lifetime Achievement Awards. Throughout his seven-decade career, Williams has focused on the Great American Songbook and the tenor sax as a solo vehicle. His knowledge of the idiom is legendary and fellow musicians marvel at his ability to play any song in any key. Noted Matt Peiken (St. Paul Pioneer Press), “Veteran saxophonist Irv Williams has always been about sweetness not power, and he's still gigging strong.” And despite his most recent retirement party (at the Dakota last spring), Irv can be heard almost weekly during the Dakota’s Friday “Happy Hour,” usually paired with Peter Schimke and Billy Peterson. Ah yes, that Peterson! 

Party!

It’s a party whenever any one of these three legends comes to the Artists Quarter. And it’s a rare triple delight to celebrate birthdays with all on Thursday, August 30th. They will be joined by bassist Billy Peterson, AQ owner/drummer Kenny Horst, and other local luminaries. Now, where will they get a cake to hold all those candles? 

The Artists Quarter is located at 408 St Peter Street in the lower level of the Hamm Building in downtown St. Paul. Note start time is 7:30 pm, cover $10. www.artistsquarter.com