Weeknight Gigs

Green/Open Poetry (every Monday night). The piano trio Green has been a weekly mainstay at the AQ for nearly two years, performing every Monday night at 7 pm. Featuring Rob Dewey on piano, Paul Kammeyer on bass, and Scotty Scultz on drums, Green is followed by an open mic poetry reading starting at 9 pm. No cover!

Billy Holloman and the Tuesday Night Band (every Tuesday night, 9 pm). For nine years, organ master Billy Holloman has been the center of a standing gig at the AQ and "a genius at manipulating the sweet sound of the B3" according to Don Berryman. The regular Tuesday Night Band, featuring Holloman, Horst, and multi-saxist Gary Berg recently released its first recording, This is Organ Night. Notes Don Berryman, "Under Holloman's control, [the organ's] sound can be sweet and thick as molasses, or it can cut through the room like sharks' teeth." If you're lucky, Holloman might add some vocals!

Chris Lomheim Trio (February 2, 9 pm). One of the foremost piano talents on the Twin Cities jazz scene and a regular performer at the Artists Quarter and Dakota, Chris Lomheim started organ studies at age 7, moved on to piano and was into R&B in the 1980s. He was featured at the West Bank School of Music Composer's Forum in 1991 and nominated as top pianist in the 1997 Minnesota Music Awards. Jeremy Walker of Brilliant Corners called Lomheim "the most sensitive and romantic player you will hear around the Twin Cities' scene. He has prodigious piano technique and an individual ear for harmony." Often compared to Bill Evans, Lomheim has made two acclaimed trio recordings, And You've Been Waiting? (1994, IGMOD) and The Bridge (2002, Artegra). Lomheim's regular trio includes multi-talented bassist Gordy Johnson and elegant drummer Phil Hey.

How Birds Work (February 9, 9 pm). One of the most popular regular attractions at the AQ, How Birds Work is the collaboration of four well-known area musicians—guitarist Dean Granros, bassist Billy Peterson, pianist Peter Schimke, and drummer Kenny Horst. Playing at least monthly at the AQ, the quartet recently made a live—and lively-- recording here. Guitarist Dean Granros "blends the vocabulary of bebop, acid rock, and delta blues into a delightful and potent cocktail that may leave you shaken or stirred" (Don Berryman, Jazz Police). Bassist Billy Peterson grew up as a member of the legendary Peterson family of musicians, appeared on Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks, toured with the Steve Miller Band, and has arranged for Prince and David Sanborn. And drummer Kenny Horst is a "great hard-bop, soul jazz, and fusion chops and the sweetest guy you could meet" (Don Berryman). In his role with How Birds Work, pianist Peter Schimke also displays his skills as a composer and adds vocals to the mix. Sophisticated, often subtle, always working toward the edge from a firm foundation, How Birds Work offers multiple layers of challenge to the listener.

Phil Hey Quartet (February 10, 9 pm). Given AQ owner Kenny Horst's own talents as a drummer, it is no surprise that Phil Hey and his Quartet are regular features. Joining Hey are Dave Hagedorn (vibes), Phil Aaron (piano), and Tom Lewis (bass). A "no-nonsense, uncompromising band of local jazz greats" (Don Berryman, Jazz Police), the quartet's repertoire includes the tunes of Kenny Wheeler, Bobby Hutcherson, John Coltrane, and Wayne Shorter. A former student of Ed Blackwell, Phil Hey is one of the busiest drummers in town (he plays with everyone!) and teaches jazz drum at Macalester College. Vibist Dave Hagedorn "brings an integrated knowledge of complex harmony and rhythm that never fails to swing or to move anyone with ears" (Don Berryman, Jazz Police). Tom Lewis is another busy sideman throughout the Twin Cities, a "straight-ahead, hard bop, and bebop bassist and he swings like anything" (Don Berryman). He performs regularly with pianist Phil Aaron, who holds forth weekly at the Hotel Sofitel. Aaron draws inspiration from Bill Evans, Cedar Walton, Tommy Flanagan, and Keith Jarrett, and "can swing hard or wax romantic at the keyboard" (Minneapolis Star Tribune).

Low Blow (February 16, 9 pm). This exciting quarter features Dave Hagedorn and brothers Chris and J.T. Bates. Vibist Dave Hagedorn directs the jazz bands and percussion ensemble at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. His performance schedule includes jazz gigs as well as percussion duties with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Minnesota Opera. Hear his CD, Solid Liquid, released last year on Artegra Records (see above). Chris and JT Bates grew up with jazz, sons of trumpeter/bandleader Don Bates. Chris began bass studies in 4^th grade and progressed to jazz studies at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire before returning to the Twin Cities to study with Anthony Cox. A member of the Motion Poets, Chris Bates has focused more on composing (he was a 1999 McKnight Composer Fellow) and playing regularly with Low Blow and the guitar trio, Framework. Chris' brother J.T. Bates is one of the busiest drummers in the Twin Cities, on and off the bandstand. He was a member of Motion Poets, has played and recorded with Doug Little, and recently has worked with a variety of Latin, electronic, and experimental ensembles, including his Fat Kid Wednesdays band. Low Blow will blow you away!

Dean Granros Trio (February 17, 9 pm). Guitarist Dean Granros "blends the vocabulary of bebop, acid rock, and delta blues into a delightful and potent cocktail that may leave you shaken or stirred" (Don Berryman, Jazz Police). Granros worked with the band Curlew beginning in the late 1970s; more recent credits include FKG with Scott Fultz and Dave King (of Bad Plus and Happy Apple fame) and Siamese Fighting Fish with King and all-star bassist Anthony Cox.

Dave Karr Quartet (February 23, 9 pm). Multi-instrumentalist Dave Karr and his quartet can warm up the coldest Minnesota night. Most often heard locally on tenor, flute, and clarinet, Karr also breaks out the baritone for his Gerry Mulligan tribute band, Mulligan Stew. A native New Yorker, Karr has been a fixture on the Twin Cities jazz scene for nearly 50 years, and has appeared on multiple recordings with local artists, ranging from vocalists (Connie Evingson) to small bands (Pete Whitman's X-Tet). Dave blows a sweet horn and is always in the company of the best area musicians.

The Pete Whitman X-Tet (February 24, 9 pm). The X-Tet is one of several projects led by veteran sax performer, composer, and arranger Pete Whitman. His credits include performing with Randy Brecker, Jack McDuff, and the Woody Herman Orchestra, in addition to leading his X-Tet, sextet Departure Point, and Quintet in the Twin Cities, and working regularly with the Jazz MN Big Band. A graduate of jazz studies at North Texas State University, Whitman heads the Woodwind and Brass Department at St. Paul's Music Tech. The 10-piece X-Tet is a virtual Who's Who in local jazz, with Whitman, Dave Karr, and Dave Milne (reeds), Steve Wagner and Dave Jensen (trumpets), Jeff Rinear (trombone), Dave Hagedorn (vibes), Gordy Johnson (bass), Phil Hey (drums), and Laura Caviani (piano).

See the full AQ calendar at www.mnjazz.com. The Artists Quarter is located in downtown St. Paul in the lower level of the Hamm Building, St. Peter St and 7^th Place.