Whether the fare is cool jazz, torch songs, or country and folk ballads, she sings with a warmth and élan that often seem intimate and effortless."

-- Tom Surowicz, Minneapolis Star Tribune

One of the hottest duos in local jazz, eclectic vocalist Prudence Johnson and keyboard wizard Dan Chouinard bring Gershwin and more to the Dakota stage on Thursday night, February 3^rd. While one can expect to hear tunes from their acclaimed 2003 release, ‘S Gershwin, almost anything is possible given the wide ranging repertoire that these veteran performers bring to the stage.

The Cincinnati Enquirer noted that "Prudence Johnson is a quartet ... a jazz singer, a country songbird, a polished ballad interpreter and an urban folkie." And indeed this Moose Lake, MN native has covered quite a lot of territory in her career, from coffee houses in St. Cloud to tours of Russia, musical theater, regular appearances on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion, and even a bit role in Robert Redford's film, A River Runs Through It. But the trajectory of her career has been anything but straight ahead.

The oldest of ten children, music was a central part of Johnson's life in northern Minnesota. Following expectations of her conservative small town upbringing, she married her high school sweetheart and became a mother at 18. Soon divorced, she moved to St. Cloud where she took jobs singing in various country and folk bands. Moving on to Minneapolis, she met guitarist Tim Sparks and formed Rio Nido, which became one of the Twin Cities' hottest ensembles of the 1980s. After ten years and contributing to three recordings with Rio Nido, Johnson left to try a solo career, leading to three albums—her well-received debut, Vocals; next, Songs of Greg Brown, a tribute to the folk music legend; and Little Dreamer--Lullabies for the Young and Old, which earned Johnson a Grammy Award nomination in 1992.

Now married to Twin Cities' guitarist Gary Rue, Johnson tried the music scene in Nashville in the early 1990s (where she and Rue recorded a duo album, Peru), returning to Minnesota after three years. However, "when I moved back, I was doing acoustic venues on the folk circuit, and I was getting exhausted by the music business." After earning a degree in international studies at Hamline University, Johnson (with Rue) purchased a B& B in nearby Taylors Falls, WI, taking occasional singing jobs until a McKnight Foundation grant reinvigorated her music career.

"It was so validating and rejuvenating and affirming," she says. "Getting this grant wiped out a lot of self-doubt, kicked me in the butt and told me to get back to work." And back to work meant a "comeback" recording of the songs of Hoagy Carmichael, Moon Country (Sleeper Music, 2002). Wrote Jim Walsh (St. Paul Pioneer Press), "Armed with the timbre and phrasing that comes from years of experimentation, here's the sound of a true artist hitting her timeless stride." Johnson followed Moon Country with her first musical theater production, Kurt & Bert: The Last Days of Weimer With Weill and Brecht, showcasing the music of Kurt Weill. The show played to critical acclaim at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis in 2003. Next came her leadership of the Millay Project, a multi-instrumental suite that set the poems of Edna St. Vincent Millay to original music; the show was staged at O'Shaughnessy Auditorium in St. Paul and at the Illusion Theater in Minneapolis.

In late 2003, she teamed with Dan Chouinard to record ‘S Gershwin. Of this straight-ahead venture, Johnson notes, "I sing the tunes pretty much how they were written, whereas I would have thought that was boring 15 years ago. I like good jazz improvisers, and I still do a little myself, but I also really like rendering an honest interpretation of the text. Nobody was a better melody writer than Gershwin, so who am I to try to make his songs mine?"

Dan Chouinard has entertained Twin Cities' audiences as a frequent host and accompanying musician for vocal presentations, including guest appearances on Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion. From 1994-2000, he hosted The Singers Voice, a live radio broadcast that earned him an Artist of the Year nomination from the Minnesota Music Academy. The Assistant Director of Music at the Church of St. Joan of Arc in Minneapolis, Chouinard has also played piano (and sometimes accordion) with area musicians such as Peter Ostroushko, with Vern Sutton's "Sopranorama" at the Southern Theater, and with Mandragora, an area Tango band. His accordion can be heard on Connie Evingson's new release, Gypsy in My Soul. In addition to his duo recording ‘S Gershwin with Prudence Johnson, he appeared on Johnson's earlier release, Moon Country.

Warm up your Thursday with a stop at the Dakota in downtown Minneapolis, for a little Gershwin and a whole lot of music.

Sets begin at 7 pm. For more information about the Dakota, visit www.dakotacooks.com.

Prudence Johnson and Dan Chouinard perform at the Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, WI on February 27th (7 pm). Information at www.thephipps.org