If the partnership between a young Twin Cities' vocalist and Chicago pianist delivers anything close to the combustion of their August weekend at the Dakota, expect smoke detectors to be activated within a mile of downtown. The pairing of rising supernova Alicia Renee and the always-inventive, encyclopedic sage of the keyboards, Jon Weber, is a logical culmination of the careers of two child prodigies born a generation apart, meeting at the Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival about five years ago. Still in high school, Renee impressed Weber and ultimately worked with him on her debut recording (Wait for Me, Summit), released in 2002.

Now 21, Alicia Renee (her middle name) moved from South Dakota to Minneapolis as a young child, and grew up listening to music and her father's jazz band. "I don't remember a time not loving music, not singing," she says. Even before starting school, she was singing standards with perfect pitch. She studied voice, piano, and composition throughout her school years in St. Paul, participated in music programs at Como Park High School and Walker West Music Academy. At 17 she attended a Berklee College of Music summer program in Boston, where she won a songwriting contest. After graduating from high school, she has continued her music studies, working as a singing server at a downtown restaurant, performing a tribute to Judy Garland, and captivating audiences at such venues as the Artists' Quarter and Dakota. Renee's pure tone and ability to draw out a phrase or just belt it out as best suits the material will be sure to please any fan of good music.

Jon Weber had a two decade headstart, but similar prodigious beginnings. As a toddler in Milwaukee playing a toy organ, it was soon apparent that he had both perfect pitch and memory; by age 6 he had memorized 2,000 songs from his grandmother's old piano rolls. A self-taught musician, Weber took off two years from piano during his teens to develop counterpoint in his left hand by playing guitar. Returning to the piano, Weber and his quintet opened for Pat Metheny, Buddy Rich, Freddie Hubbard, and Stanley Turrentine at major summer jazz festivals. Moving to Chicago in 1987, his career has since sent him around the world and into the recording studio. In addition to his remarkable chops, Jon Weber is well known for his incredible music knowledge. His most recent release, Simple/Complex (Second Century Jazz, 2004), has received rave reviews, including comments from the Australian Age: "The tunes are mind-bendingly complex with overlapping time signatures, accent shifts, and rhythmic feels that swerve from Cuban montunos to Indian tabla patterns to straight-ahead jazz at the blink of an eye."

On hand to aid and abet the fire will be bassist Gordy Johnson, drummer Kevin Washington, and young guitarist Jack Callahan. Although best known throughout the region for his sublime acoustic bass, Gordy Johnson graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a major in flute. He toured with Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen, and the Paul Winter Consort, has appeared on over 50 recordings, and has kept time for most local and many visiting artists, including his recent appearance with Bill Carrothers at the Dakota. Johnson has released two albums featuring trios with different combinations of pianists and drummers (Trios, Volumes 1, 2) and will be releasing a magnificent Trios, Version 3.0 at his CD Release Party at the Dakota on Sunday, January 16^th.

Kevin Washington has emerged one of the area's most inventive and versatile drummers, whether subtly supporting a vocalist, lifting the roof with incendiary solos, or engaging in a rhythmic duel with bass or keyboards. With shimmering rides, crashing accents, rapidly rolling snares, and an almost melodic bass, he draws from a wide sonic palette, full of dynamic surprises.

Fourteen-year-old Jack Callahan, from suburban Orono, MN, started out on trumpet, picking up the guitar about five years ago. In 2003 he was one of a handful of youthful musicians to land on NBCs America's Most Talented Kid, and for a while gigged weekly with guitar teacher, Clay Moore, at Fireside Pizza in Richfield.

It might be January, but expect a re-creation of that August heat wave when Alicia Renee, Jon Weber and company return to the Dakota, Friday and Saturday nights at 8 pm.

For information and full schedule, visit www.datakotcooks.com. The Dakota is located in downtown Minneapolis at 1010 Nicollet Mall.