This artist-friendly setting was the genesis of the quartet, How Birds Work, a collaboration of four well-known area musicians—guitarist Dean Granros, keyboard specialist Peter Schimke, bassist Billy Peterson, and AQ owner and drummer Kenny Horst. Hot off the fall release of their first recording, Live at the Artists Quarter, HBW continues to hone its craft with at least monthly gigs at the AQ. If you have never heard this quartet live, make the most of the opportunity on Wednesday, January 19, on stage at the AQ.

Peter Schimke is one of the busiest keyboard virtuosos in the Twin Cities today, appearing frequently at the AQ, Dakota, and just about anywhere else that requires first class comping and soloing on piano or Fender Rhodes. With How Birds Work, Schimke also displays his skills as a composer and adds vocals to the mix. Notes Don Berryman (Jazz Police), "When he is comping behind a soloist, he is engaged in a subtle dialog, listening and responding with harmonies and rhythms that sometimes represent a suggestion or even a challenge to the soloist." And when he takes off in a leading role, Schimke blazes new trails and challenges others to keep up.

Billy Peterson grew up as a member of the legendary Peterson family of musicians. He was singing national commercial spots at age 9 with his sister, Linda Peterson, but soon he was trying his hand at a variety of instruments—drums and keyboards while in junior high school. He discovered the electric bass first, then the acoustic upright and played jazz with his father's bands. He was asked to tour with the Righteous Brothers at 16 and eventually formed his own bands, working in pop and rock—and landing on Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks. Other projects have included a stint with the Steve Miller Band and arranging for Prince, David Sanborn, and Ben Sidran, as well as numerous appearances and recordings with fellow family musicians Bobby, Linda, Patty, and Jean Arland Peterson. Jazz has always been a calling, be it performing with legends like Benny Carter, Clark Terry or Phil Woods, or with local talent.

Kenny Horst isn't busy enough running the Artists' Quarter, he also tends the drum kit with many of the AQ's visiting and local artists, and still manages to perform now and then at other venues. Says Don Berryman (Jazz Police), "Great hard-bop, soul jazz, and fusion chops and the sweetest guy you could meet." He serves double duty on the HBW recording as both drummer and producer.

So what happens when this veteran foursome joins forces? Sophisticated, often subtle, always working toward the edge from a firm foundation, How Birds Work offers multiple layers of challenge to the listener. Live at the AQ is an ambitious recording, with tough covers for a first outing, including well-known classics of master composers, Coltrane's "Equinox," Hancock's "Maiden Voyage," and Shorter's "Footprints." These have been performed many times by legendary artists—with the bar set so high, this could be a dangerous play list, but these guys are up to the challenge, and throw in three originals to boot. And according to CD Baby, "It's jazz. Some of it is out there, some if isn't. Some of it has a little bit of a rock tinge. A lot of it doesn't."

How Bird Work follows in some large "footprints" of modern jazz, often teetering toward the outer limits but nevertheless accessible. Catch their inventive musings when they return to their home stage at the Artists Quarter!

The Artists Quarter is located in the lower level of the Hamm Building at St. Peter and 7^th Place in downtown St. Paul. See www.mnjazz.com or call (651) 292-1359. More information about the band and CD is available at http://www.howbirdswork.com/