Photos by Andrea Canter
Among Twin Cities musicians, multi-reed virtuoso Dave Karr is a true legend. Leading his quartet and his Gerry Mulligan tribute band Mulligan Stew, along with sideman duties with a long list of area big bands and small ensembles, Karr's busy schedule belies his 50+year career. In the next few weeks, we'll have plenty of opportunity to enjoy Dave's many talents, from a quartet gig at the Artists Quarter on February 23 to his appearance with the Pete Whitman X-Tet the following night at the AQ to the long-awaited CD Release Party for Mulligan Stew, again at the AQ, March 11-12.

A native New Yorker, Karr got hooked on jazz listening to some of the great jazz legends, including Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Moving to the Twin Cities in his twenties, Karr has been a fixture on the Twin Cities jazz scene for nearly 50 years, performing, composing and producing music for radio and TV. With Mark Henderson, he formed Mark & Dave Music and Sound Design in 1996. Karr has performed with name bands, symphony orchestras, and Broadway shows. He has played and recorded with many local artists, ranging from vocalists (Connie Evingson, Cookie Coleman, Lucia Newell, and Prudence Johnson) and small groups (The Five) to small bands (Pete Whitman's X-Tet) and the JazzMN Big Band. One of the most beloved traditions in local jazz is Dave Karr's annual Christmas Day show at the Artists Quarter.

Most often heard locally on tenor, flute, and clarinet, Karr also breaks out the baritone for Mulligan Stew. Karr first organized the group in November 2003 to recreate the sound of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, the first performance as part of a Jazz From J to Z concert at the Artists Quarter. An encore performance at the 2004 Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival followed last summer, where the new CD was recorded, featuring such Mulligan standards as "Line for Lyons" and "Walking Shoes." Thanks to the generosity of Friends of the Twin Cities Jazz Society, Mulligan Stew: Cookin' at the Hot Summer Jazz Festival is now ready for release, which will be celebrated at the Artists Quarter March 11-12.

Mulligan Stew features Dave Karr, trombonist Dave Graf, bassist Gordy Johnson, drummer Phil Hey, and young pianist Tanner Taylor. Dave Graf (trombone) has worked in Dixieland, straight ahead jazz, salsa, big bands, and pit orchestras, and has backed legends such as Natalie Cole, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr., Harry Connick, Julie Andrews and Rosemary Clooney. He performs with Percy Hughes' Ellington Echoes in addition to the JazzMN Big Band. A former student of Ed Blackwell, Phil Hey is one of the busiest drummers in town and teaches jazz drum at Macalester College. His quartet frequently performs at the Artists Quarter, and Hey is often found on the bandstand backing touring and local vocalists and small ensembles; he also manages percussion duties for the Pete Whitman X-Tet. Gordy Johnson graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a major in flute, and played electric bass with Maynard Ferguson, Doc Severinsen, and the Paul Winter Consort. Focusing primarily on a 19^th century upright bass in recent years, Johnson has appeared on over 50 recordings with a who's who of jazz and pop artists, and has kept time for most local and many visiting musicians. He's released a sublime set of "Trios" recordings. Pianist Tanner Taylor is a recent transplant from Iowa, and has been burning up the keyboards all over the Twin Cities, backing vocalists from Sue Tucker to Christine Rosholt and appearing at Rossi's, the Dakota, Sophia's, and other venues.

With quartet or Stew, Dave Karr blows a sweet horn that will be the perfect antidote to a long Minnesota winter. Come in from the cold—Dave Karr will definitely improve your sax life.

You can order Mulligan Stew: Cookin' at the Hot Summer Jazz Festival with your credit card through Pay Pal at http://tcjs.org/content/view/58/2/, or mail your CD request (Check, Money Order, Visa / MC Credit Card) to: Twin Cities Jazz Society, PO Box 4487, St. Paul, MN 55104-0487. Proceeds help support the Twin Cities Jazz Society. Catch the Dave Karr Quartet at the Artists Quarter on February 22, 9 pm. The Mulligan Stew CD Release Party takes place on March 11 & 12 , 9 PM, at the Artists' Quarter, 408 St. Peter St., in Downtown St. Paul. See www.mnjazz.com