John Weber, whose versatile pianism is matched only by his encyclopedic knowledge of jazz history (which he eagerly shares), has become the “house pianist” for the festival. On Thursday, June 24^th, Jazz Night Out patrons were treated to the trio of Weber, Keith Boyles (bass) and Phil Hey (drums), with Hey truly making “waves” on Jobim's “Wave” and Weber taking “Rhythm-a-ning” at break-neck speed, throwing in quotes as diverse as “Peter Cottontail” and “Dixie.” The trio later backed vocalist Dorothy Doring, scheduled to perform with Donald Thomas who was ill.

After a long trolley ride I reached Keegan's Pub in time for the last few bars of Papa John Kolstad's set, grabbed a beer, and headed back to the Millenium in time for the last half of Chris Lomheim's set. I should have just stayed put as Lomheim is one of my favorite local pianists, and in the company of Gordy Johnson (bass) and Phil Hey (drums), the trio offered sublime and swinging reflections of their 2002 Artegra CD, The Bridge.

I got back to the Millenium (and out of the drizzle) on Sunday to catch up with the Eggz. I first saw these teen wonders two years ago when, still in middle school, the quartet had its first performance at the old Dakota, bravely covering the likes of Charlie Parker and Wayne Shorter. I next heard them perform at the 2003 festival and appreciated the growth in their playing although the performance repertoire was essentially unchanged. I was therefore doubly impressed with the progress reflected in their performance this year—not only has each of the three remaining original musicians made a quantum leap in virtuosity, but the set reflected more sophisticated interpretations of a more varied playlist, including “Ornithology,” “Giant Steps,” and a slick take on “Seven Steps to Heaven.” And they are still but fifteen and sixteen years old. Headed by Owen Nelson on alto sax, the Eggz include Micah Fitch on piano, Miguel Hurtado on drums, and newcomer Brian Hawthorne on acoustic bass; for several numbers they were joined by youthful vocalist Berit Ulseth. With the Eggz, she turned in nicely phrased renditions of “All of Me” and “When I Fall in Love.” Each of these kids bears watching and collectively give Twin Cities jazz fans plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future of jazz. This hope was further reinforced on the MacPhail Clinic and Jam Stage a few doors down the Mall (see below).

Although I missed most of it, save Sue Tucker's opening numbers on Thursday, the Millenium attracted a good crowd throughout the festival for its Singer's Showcase. With such local talents as Alicia Renee, Christine Rosholt, Debbie Duncan, Lucia Newell, Connie Olson and others, the Millenium lounge was a feast of song throughout the long weekend.

MacPhail Clinic and Jam Stage

Perhaps one of the more unique features of the Hot Summer Jazz Festival is the opportunity afforded student musicians to perform and learn, and to anyone interested to observe master demonstrations and jam sessions featuring some of the festival headliners in a more intimate and informal setting. The small Clinic and Jam Stage on the Mall offered sessions throughout Saturday and Sunday (June 26-27), featuring MacPhail jazz faculty, the Dakota's education arm J-Train scholarship awards and performances, and mini-workshops and conversation sessions with mainstage performers including Ira Sullivan, Butch Thompson, Zora Young, Von Freeman, Jimmy McGriff, and David Newman. I thoroughly enjoyed the two sessions I attended on Sunday. Von Freeman can tell a good story with or without his sax, and he entertained with his humorous discourse about learning jazz “in the hood,” offered advice to beginners (“practice, practice, practice”), and discouraged wannabee jazz legends seeking the fame and fortune of a Kenny G. He then demonstrated the importance of finding one's own voice, comparing the vibrato of Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins, and jammed a while with MacPhail students.

David “Fathead” Newman's clinic session was equally compelling, responding to audience questions on topics as diverse as the potential for jazz/hip-hop fusion and the essentials of improvisation. Re hip-hop, Newman noted that while he regarded it artistically as “poetry in motion,” the vulgarity and disrespect for women reflected in its lyrics were antithetical to jazz. On improvisation, he advised that “it's not how many notes that's important, but following the chord structure.” He gave substance to his words, jamming with a high school group on guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums.

From Mears Park to the Minneapolis venues and particularly the Dakota J-Train and MacPhail stage, the commitment to jazz education was a resounding festival theme and the payoff will surely be a highly talented pool of local musicians for decades to come.