This coming week-end Minnesotans get a chance to hear some of the premier jazz groups working in the Cities today, top notch musicians who have been honing their skills and exploring music in studios and venues around town. These are not pick-up-bands, but teams of talented musicians who have worked together perfecting a body of work. If you been scoping out the best in local music, these are the bands you've been seeing. If not, here is your chance. You can hear them in the daylight with no-cover charge, no minimum, no excuses. The Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival is showcasing the best music around - free for the listening.

Three Fives at Four

At 4:00 PM for three consecutive days, you can catch three inovative quintets all organized by three area drummers, each with distinctive styles.



Photo by Andrea Canter
• Roundtrip appears on Thursday, June 23 from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. at the Millennium Stage. Roundtrip, saluting the music of Ornette Coleman, features Dave Hagedorn (vibes), Pat Moriarty (sax), Phil Hey (drums), Kelly Rossum (trumpet) and Tom Lewis (bass). Ornette Coleman closed out the 1950s by re-defining the parameters of jazz. The saxophone innovator's avant-garde approach to music, which followed it's own muse and logic rather than accepted chordal and harmonic structures, puzzled and fascinated listeners. His early work, with similarly independent giants like Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell, created influential music that is still advanced today. Coleman has continued his musical exploration for over four decades.
• The Five appears on Friday, June 24 from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. at the Millennium Stage. The Five returns after a long absence from the scene. Formerly known as M.A.C. Music V, The Five celebrates the role of jazz as a modern American chamber music. Continuing the spectrum of instrumental acoustic jazz that was spawned by the styles of Art Blakey, the MJQ, early Herbie Hancock and others, The Five focuses on original compositions, many of them by drummer Kenny Horst. The Five formed in the early-mid 90s with about a year of weekly rehearsals intended to explore the music with no master plan for gigging. Once out of the basement, The Five captivated audiences with this vibrant form of group expression. The "team players" making up The Five are, in alphabetical order, Kenny Horst (drums), Dave Karr (reeds, flute), Steve Kenny (trumpet), Tom Lewis (bass) and Mikkel Romstad (piano).
  

  Photo by Howard A. Gitelson
• Source Code featuring Eric Kamau Gravatt appears on Saturday, June 25 from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. at Peavey Plaza. Eric Kamau Gravatt is known around the globe for his incredible drumming work with Weather Report, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner (with whom Eric recently toured again) and many others. Eric was raised in Philadelphia, and the Twin Cities are very fortunate to have him living (and performing) in our midst. The powerful Source Code interprets the works of artists like Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane and Jackie McLean. In addition to Eric Kamau Gravatt on drums, Source Code reads Dean Brewington on sax, Ron Evaniuk on bass, Dave Hagedorn on vibes and Dave Leigh on trombone.

Photo by Andrea Canter

Two Trios on Thursday

• Red Planet appears on Thursday, June 23 from 4:20 to 5:30 p.m. at Peavey Plaza. Red Planet with Dean Magraw (guitar), Chris Bates (bass) and Jay Epstein (drums) is creative jazz for the 21st Century, inviting you to put one ear on the launching pad of neo-bop Trane/Hendrix/Monk burn, and your other ear on the celestial weightlessness from the musical cosmos.
• Bobby Commodore Trio appears on Thursday, June 23 from 12:45 to 2:00 p.m. at Peavey Plaza. Once again the Hot Summer Jazz Festival is proud to present this wonderful trio Lee Blaske (piano), Mark Weisberg (bass) and Bobby Commodore (drums) as the festival opening main stage act. This fine ensemble will bring us jazz in the more traditional piano trio concept. This year's performance promises to deliver more great arrangements as well as some original composition. The trio is excited to have the always exhilarating Ginger Commodore as special guest. Ginger Commodore is one of the premier jazz vocalists in the upper Midwest. Whether performing with her own quartet (GCQ) or as a member of the internationally known vocal jazz quartet Moore By Four, Ginger is one singer you will soon not forget.

Two More with More

• Seven Steps to Havana appears on Thursday, June 23 from 9:15 to 10:30 p.m. at Peavey Plaza. Seven Steps to Havana is a dynamic Latin jazz septet led by veteran twin cities saxophonist Doug Little. The ensemble combines the rhythmic intensity of Cuban music with the harmonic richness and improvisation of American jazz for their cross-cultural sound. Joining Doug Little (sax, flute, bass clarinet) are Greg Paulus (trumpet), Jeff Rinear (trombone), Viviana Pintado (piano, vocals), Jim Anton (bass), Leo Walters (congas) and Kevin Washington (drums)
  

  Photo by Andrea Canter
• Mulligan Stew appears on Saturday, June 25 from 1:45 to 3:00 at the RBC Dain Rauscher Stage. Mulligan Stew features top twin cities musicians performing the music of the giant of the baritone saxophone, Gerry Mulligan. Mulligan was a master of the big horn, whether playing with Miles Davis on Birth of the Cool or leading bands on his own compositions like "Bernie's Tune." The tribute CD, Mulligan Stew: Cookin' at the Hot Summer Jazz Festival, was recorded at the 2004 Festival. Dave Karr (baritone sax) is not only brave enough to take on the Mulligan songbook, he has the fluid, lyrical chops to nail it. With Dave Graf (trombone), Phil Hey(drums), Gordon Johnson (bass) and Tanner Taylor(piano), this group is stacked with talent.

ED- To help you catch as much of the great music as you can, Jazz Police offers two great printable tools for festival planning. The Day-At-A-Glance concert calendar (Click here to view) and the intertactive personal calendar generater (Click here to use). This is a great civic event - go out and enjoy it!