Ahmad Jamal
During the past month at the Dakota, that glistening jazz gem in downtown Minneapolis, audiences were treated to a seemingly endless line-up of the world's top musicians---from the sublime voice of Madeleine Peyroux to the ethereal futuristic rhythms of Sweden's E.S.T., from the samba sizzling Brazilian piano of Eliane Elias to the Indian/African spirituality of Charles Lloyd's tribute to Billy Higgins, from the clavé beat of Los Hombres Calientes to the bop magic of  the Cannonball Legacy Band and the relaxed swing of Houston Person. And as always, we had our share of the hottest local talents, from Nachito Herrera and his Cuban All-Stars to the cream of the vocalists, Connie Evingson, Bruce Henry, Patty Peterson, T. Mychael Rambo, and The Girls.

Given the month past, what could possibly be in store for December? How about Ahmad Jamal, Barbara Morrison, and the Bad Plus?  Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza, or the solstice, there will be plenty of music to fuel your soul and set a festive mood. Come downtown early, catch the perennial Holidazzle Parade as it marches right by the Dakota on Nicollet Mall, then come inside for the best in jazz and dining. Reservations are available for the national shows and selected local shows as noted below. Highlights:

National Headliners

December 1 (7 and 9 pm). Catch the last sets from Toots Thielemans, Kenny Werner, and Oscar Castro-Neves. The world's greatest harmonica player, Belgian octogenarian Thielemans always gives a joyful performance; with sublimely inventive pianist Kenny Werner and the gifted Brazilian guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, expect pure musical magic.

December 7-9 (7 & 9 pm).  Of the living legends of jazz piano, perhaps none has exerted such wide influence on the genre as Ahmad Jamal.  Now in his 70s, Jamal has been cited as a key muse by pianists as diverse as McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Kenny Barron, Cedar Walton, and Mulgrew Miller; echoes of Jamal can be found in the playing of a younger generation including Eric Reed and Jacky Terrasson; and trumpet legend Miles Davis was so impressed by Jamal's approach that he repeatedly sought pianists who could incorporate that sound in his early bands. Although he has primarily concentrated on the trio format over the years, Ahmad Jamal was heavily influenced himself by the big bands, and particularly Ellington, Basie, Strayhorn, and Mandel, as well as the orchestrations of Ravel.  As a child prodigy growing up in Pittsburgh, young Jamal heard Fritz Reiner conduct the Pittsburgh Symphony, was inspired by the great big bands of the 1930s, and later the trios of Tatum, Garner and Cole.

Listening to Ahmad Jamal and his trio (bassist James Cammack and drummer Idris Muhammad) is like listening to a full orchestra as he covers a large sonic palette of complex harmonies and widespread dynamics. Noted fellow pianist, Harold Mabern, "Every time I hear Ahmad, I leave inspired. He plays a three-chord masterpiece before he even sits down on the stool... It's his sound, his knowledge of chords, the way he orchestrates from the bottom of the piano to the top." Don't miss the rare opportunity to hear this living legend.

December 13-15 (7 & 9 pm). Last winter, soulful songstress Barbara Morrison recorded a live gig at the Dakota, and now it's time to celebrate the release of the CD (Live at the Dakota). Featuring Junior Mance, Houston Person, Earl May, and Jackie Williams, the recording includes soulful ballads and standards, and over these three nights, we can expect a good sampling. For nearly 30 years, Barbara Morrison has performed with a virtual "who's who" in jazz and blues, including Dizzy Gillespie, James Moody, Ron Carter, Etta James, Jimmy Smith, Johnny Otis, Dr. John, Kenny Burrell, Terence Blanchard, Joe Sample, Cedar Walton, Nancy Wilson, Mel Torme, Joe Williams, and Tony Bennett. She's appeared on more than 20 recordings from mainstream jazz to blues to gospel and pop. She can belt out the blues, torch a torch song, and squeeze the soul out of soul, and along the way, she's a dazzling entertainer and comedienne. Said Rob Adams in the Glasgow Herald, "She makes an audience feel good, like we're all round at her place and she's feeding us in the kitchen."

December 27-29 (7 & 9 pm).  The Bad Plus is a totally original, daring, and—above all—increasingly sophisticated melding of high talent and hot combustion. Bringing a surreal yet symphonic approach to an original and "borrowed" repertoire, this acoustic trio features Ethan Iverson's gorgeous, percussive piano, Reid Anderson's often-melodious, never laid-back acoustic bass, and the incredible resumé of rhythm and sound from Dave King's drum menagerie, all united in the spirit of true collaboration. Their Midwest roots run deep--Anderson and King grew up in Minneapolis and played together as teenagers; Iverson is a Wisconsin native. While Anderson and Iverson have been finding plenty of outlets in New York, King has maintained a high profile here in the Twin Cities, including holding the drum chair for "youth oriented" Happy Apple.

Riding on another year of packed performances from festivals to concert halls, as well as back-to-back chart-busting recordings for Columbia (These Are the Vistas and Give), The Bad Plus returns "home" and settles in for three nights. Playing sets that typically include originals from all three musicians (sometimes including works in progress), as well as covers of tunes from all reaches of the musical universe, from Ornette Coleman to Black Sabbath to the Pixies, The Bad Plus generates plenty of buzz and controversy—Is it jazz? Is it rock? Is it just a lot of volume? In their four sold-out, whiz-bang shows at the Dakota last December, and again at the Guthrie Theater in March, the trio demonstrated the elements of playfulness, invention, and surprise that rocketed them to the top of jazz charts nationwide and pulled in a multi-generational audience. "By any standard, jazz or otherwise, it is moving, mighty music—bad in all the right ways" (Rolling Stone).