Photo by Andrea Canter

From Cajun tinged R&B to second generation Coltrane to “chamber blues,” the Dakota’s March line-up covers all definitions of jazz and more. There’s something for everyone in downtown Minneapolis’ slice of New York on the Mall, from national touring artists to local legends and new generations of all-star talent. Seven nights per week—and some Sunday afternoons—there’s live music, great food, and plenty of urbane ambience.

National Headliners

Kaki King/Matt Wilson’s Arts and Crafts (March 1-2, 7 & 9:30 pm). An interesting pairing of artists, the first offering of March is a double bill, with young acoustic guitar wizard Kaki King opening for the explosive drummer Matt Wilson and his Arts and Crafts quintet. Raised in Atlanta, King played guitar and drums throughout childhood, and studied drums at New York University before moving full-tilt to guitar. She has opened for Marianne Faithful, David Byrne, Keb Mo, Soulive, and Charlie Hunter; performed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and has toured internationally, particularly with the 2004 release of Legs to Make Us Longer. NPR’s Liane Hanson notes, “She does amazing things with the simple six-string: she slaps the wood, rubs the strings and hammers her fingers over the frets. In short, she treats her guitar like a percussion instrument, creating a sound that one reviewer describes as ‘somewhere between funk and flamenco.’”

Photo by Andrea Canter

Matt Wilson has been immersed in drums and percussion since third grade, moving up the ranks from school bands to the drum program at Wichita State University and then on to the east coast. Wilson has performed or recorded with a wide array of artists, including Dewey Redman, Ray Anderson, Bill Mays, Janis Siegal, Cecil McBee, Leni Stern, Fred Hersch, Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, Ravi Coltrane, Mark Taylor, Sheila Jordan, Lee Konitz, Rufus Reid, Ted Rosenthal, Mario Pavone, Joanne Brackeen, Denny Zeitlin, and many others. He leads two acclaimed bands, The Matt Wilson Quartet and Arts and Crafts. His new recording with Arts and Crafts, Wake Up! (Palmetto), has been named one of the top jazz records of 2004 by the Village Voice, iTunes, Jazziz, ejazznews, All About jazz, the Providence Phoenix and the Sacremento Bee. In describing Arts and Crafts, Michael Renner (St. Louis Post Dispatch), noted their “innovative, original compositions, beautifully executed standards and arresting musicianship…Wilson, a polyglot on the drums, spoke the languages of bop, Latin, avant-garde and straight-ahead jazz rhythm with equal command. His ballad work erased any distinction between traditional and avant-garde or modern.”

Vinicius Cantuária (March 7-9, 7 & 9 pm). The music of Vinicius Cantuaria bridges classic bossa nova and the hip 21st Century variations on the Tropicalia sound coming out of Rio De Janiero, New York City, and Tokyo. Born in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, Cantuaria moved to Rio at age 7. Spanning several genres of Brazilian music, the work of this singer, songwriter, guitarist and percussionist has been described as “post-electronica acoustic.” Currently, Cantuaria’s band includes jazz bassist Paul Socolow, Steely Dan trumpeter Michael Leonhart, and rotating Brazilian percussionists--Nanny Assis, Mauro Refosco and legendary drummer Paulo Braga, playing sets that typically include Jobim and Gilberto Gil, as well as Cantuária’s own compositions. Says BBC World News, “Vinicius Cantuária is arguably the current master of the subliminally sensual.”

Marcia Ball (March 13, 7 & 9 pm). Growing up on the Louisiana/Texas border, Marcia Ball absorbed the music traditions of country, blues, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, rockabilly, and Gulf Coast “swamp pop.” After attending Louisiana State University, Ball was popular as a singer/pianist/songwriter on the progressive country scene in Austin, then moved on to Gulf Coast R&B. Her recording Sing It! (Rounder, 1998) was nominated for both a Grammy and Handy as “Best Contemporary Blues Album.” She has also been a featured singer with Cajun country legends the Hackberry Ramblers. After releasing a stellar series of recordings for Rounder, Ball signed on with Alligator Records, and has released two highly acclaimed recordings in the past three years—Presumed Innocent and So Many Rivers. Of her 30-year career, Mark Bialczak (Syracuse Post Standard) wrote, “Ball's one of the most flamboyant keyboardists in blues, as well as one of the most talented." And The Boston Globe noted, "Marcia Ball is a firecracker, combining killer piano with throaty-to-tender vocals. She delivers a hot kick that lingers."

Ravi Coltrane (March 14, 7 & 9 pm). As the son of John and Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane has managed to fight off comparisons to his father even while exploring John Coltrane’s music and making a career playing the same instrument. Only two years old when his father died, the younger Coltrane grew up listening to the music of the 1970s and 80s--James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, but did not really examine his father’s music until much later. Now in his late 30s, Ravi Coltrane is a major force on tenor and soprano sax and as a player, bandleader and composer. He has fronted a variety of jazz lineups, recorded three critically acclaimed albums as leader, worked as sideman for jazz luminaries such as Elvin Jones, Jack DeJohnette and Geri Allen, and founded an independent record label. He was also part of the McCoy Tyner residency at Yoshi’s in 2004 and 2005. Coltrane recently released In Flux (Savoy), his playing described by DownBeat as displaying a “quiet yet sinewy lyricism… [with] groping improvisations with upper-register cries and hushed, inward melodies.” His bandmates on the recording, and on his current tour, include pianist Louis Perdomo, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer E.J. Strickland. Considering his career, Ravi Coltrane notes, “When I decided to pick up the saxophone, it was because I was falling in love with the music. It wasn’t because I felt that I needed to do this or because of other people’s expectations. Or that it’ll be cool because my name is Coltrane.”