Photo by Andrea Canter

Jon Weber is no stranger to the Hot Summer Jazz Festival—in fact he is unofficially the house pianist at the Millennium Hotel every June and last summer brought his incendiary quintet to the Peavy Plaza stage. As a toddler in Milwaukee playing a toy organ, it was soon apparent that Weber had both perfect pitch and memory; by age 6 he had memorized 2,000 songs from his grandmother’s old piano rolls. Says his mother: "When he wasn't riding his bike, solving math problems, or memorizing things, he was in the breezeway replaying Dr. Suess and Bugs Bunny records…He'd invent a different arrangement each time he played a tune, improvising, quoting, shuffling the deck. It was always like a game for him." A self-taught musician, Weber took off two years from piano during his teens to develop counterpoint in his left hand by playing guitar. Returning to the piano, Weber and his quintet opened for Pat Metheny, Buddy Rich, Freddie Hubbard, and Stanley Turrentine at major summer jazz festivals. Moving to Chicago in 1987, his career has since sent him around the world and into the recording studio.

In addition to his remarkable chops, Jon Weber is well known for his incredible music knowledge. He has been profiled by CNBC, Black Entertainment TV, Bravo/Arts, National Public Radio, and Voice of America. After wowing audiences as a guest on Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz, Warner Brothers commissioned Weber to transcribe "Portraits," a book containing 23 of McPartland’s improvised piano solo compositions. His most recent release “Simple/Complex” (Second Century Jazz, 2004) has received rave reviews, including comments from the Australian Age: "The tunes are mind-bendingly complex with overlapping time signatures, accent shifts, and rhythmic feels that swerve from Cuban montunos to Indian tabla patterns to straight-ahead jazz at the blink of an eye.”

Dubbed "one of the most distinctive and cohesive groups on the scene" by Down Beat, the collaboration of diatonic harmonica ace Chris Michalek and multi-instrumentalist/bassist Christopher Strone has produced an exciting, eclectic mix that is “at once dynamic, melodic and flowing” (CD Baby). Michalek is considered one of only a handful of harmonica players to truly explore the subtleties of the instrument, drawing on a diverse set of influences, from Indian to gypsy and jazz. Wrote Phil Duncan for the American Harmonica Newsmagazine, “He plays chromatically using the diatonic harmonica. What you get is an amazing musical ability to expound on a melody. He articulates every note, nothing is ghosting. It is all there. Whether he is playing in major or minor keys just doesn't matter. It is presented with musical taste. His approach is abrupt and well executed. He stretches the possibilities of the harmonica using a melodic expression.” Christopher Strone is equally eclectic in his explorations of everything from Bach to raga and fusion, exhibiting a melodic sensibility that elegantly supports Michalek. Together, “...their music climbs up the Blue Ridge and down to the Bayou and back up the Himalayas” (Washington Post). The band has released several recordings, which have featured Jon Weber and Minneapolis guitarist Dean Magraw.

Suburban jazz fans will get a chance to sample these artists’ many talents at the Hilde Performing Arts Center Ampitheater in Plymouth (June 22), no charge. Jon Weber performs from 5:30 – 8 pm; Michalek and Strone take the bandstand from 8:30 – 9:30 pm. In the heart of festival in downtown Minneapolis, you can see Weber and special guests each night for a late set, Thursday-Saturday (June 23-25 at 10:45 pm) in the lounge of the Millennium Hotel. Michalek and Strone will also be on stage at the Millennium on Saturday, June 25, 6:00- 7:15 pm. All Millennium events are free.

The Hilde Performance Center is located at 3400 Plymouth Blvd in Plymouth, west of downtown Minneapolis. For a full schedule and other information about the Hot Summer Jazz Festival (June 12-26), visit www.hotsummerjazz.com