Doug Little- Photo by Andrea Canter

Mercedes Benz Main Stage on Peavy Plaza

12:45- 2 pm, Bobby Commodore. Well known as the sound guy at many area clubs including the Dakota, Bobby Commodore is also a veteran drummer. See Bobby and his trio (Lee Blaske, piano and Mark Weissberg, bass), with special guest, vocalist (and Moore By Four member) Ginger Commodore, as they kick-off a hot afternoon on Peavy Plaza.

2:45-3:45 pm, MITY. The Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth Jazz Bands program is a concentrated study of jazz music and performance for students interested in jazz performance. MITY instructors include Scott Carter (jazz director at Minneapolis South High School), Jeff Levine (freelance trumpter and band director at Bloomington Jefferson High School), Corey Needleman (freelance percussionist and band director, Minneapolis Olson Middle School), and Chris Thomson (former band director and saxophonist with the Jazz Is Now! Orchestra and Kelly Rossum Quartet). This performance will feature one of the MITY big band ensembles. Check out the future of big band performance!

Photo by Andrea Canter

6:00-7:00 pm, The Peterson Family. Led by matriarch Jeanne Arland Peterson through three more generations of accomplished and up-and-coming musicians, Minnesota’s First Family of Music will entertain with instrumentals and song. From Jeanne’s still-hot piano to Billy’s big bass, to Patty's cool vocals and the multi-instrumentals of Tommy and Jason—and who knows how many other Petersons, this is great family entertainment and music of the highest caliber.

7:30-8:30 pm, Yohannes Tona. A hit at last summer’s Freedom Jazz Festival, the Yohannes Tona Band brings their soul/fusion chops to a diverse repertoire from Coltrane and Davis to Kenny Garrett and Donny Hathaway, as well as offering their own original “Afro-Jazz Funk.” Ethiopian-born bassist Tona studied at the Berklee College of Music before moving to Minneapolis where he has played with gospel groups as well as jazz artists.

9:15-10:30 pm, Seven Steps to Havana. Local saxophonist/educator Doug Little may be best known for his work with his quartet, but his new Cuban-influenced septet had an exciting debut at the Dakota last fall. Combining Cuban rhythms with modern jazz, Little’s ensemble includes St. Paul native (and Manhattan School of Music student) Greg Paulus on trumpet, Departure Point trombonist Jeff Rinear, Cuban pianist/vocalist Viviana Pintado, veteran area bassist Jim Anton, Little’s long-time drummer Kevin Washington, and conguero Leo Walters.

Millennium Hotel Lounge (13^th and Nicollet Mall)

Get a head start on Jazz Night Out, starting with Happy Hour. The Millennium Stage tonight primarily will feature young artists who are poised to make a big splash on the Twin Cities jazz scene, an innovative band of local veterans, and a top New York vocalist:

4- 5:30 pm, Round Trip. Celebrating the music of avant garde sax legend Ornette Coleman, this quartet of local virtuosos includes Pat Moriarty on sax, Kelly Rossum on trumpet, Tom Lewis on bass, and Phil Hey on drums. Challenging listeners in the 50s and 60s, Coleman eschewed accepted harmonic and chordal structures, and his innovations set the stage for successive generations of experimenters. Four decades later, his music continues to redefine the boundaries of modern music.

6:00-7:00 pm, Second Nature. Second Nature is a quintet of teens who are already working on their second recording. Said Tom Surowicz, (Star Tribune, 04/23/04), “The members of Second Nature may not be old enough to hang out in nightclubs, but they are savvy enough to deliver the kind of hard jazz that makes club-hopping a joy. Precocious teenagers with terrific taste...”

8:00-9:30 pm, Teri Roiger and John Menegon. Teri Roiger started out as a church organist and ensemble singer here in the Midwest. “Discovered” by Minnesota’s stride master, Butch Thompson, the two worked as a duo in the US and Europe in the early 1980s. After relocating to New York, Roiger found plenty of work with such artists as Kenny Barron, Bruce Barth, Kenny Burrell, Jimmy Cobb, Robin Eubanks, Jack DeJohnette, Fred Hersch, David "Fathead" Newman, Dewey Redman, and Roswell Rudd, among others. Said Vince Garbarini in Playboy, “Roiger has a voice like the finest bittersweet chocolate, full of rich, dark contradictory flavors that miraculously blend to create one of the most original vocal instruments in decades.” Roiger is joined at the Millennium by bassist John Menegon.

10:00 – 11:00 pm, Chris Graham Trio. Young Chris Graham recently graduated from St. Paul Central High School, but has been working on the Twin Cities jazz scene for a while. From performances with the Dakota’s J-Train program for jazz education to gigs around town—most recently at Lula’s Café, Graham is not only an accomplished performer but also composer.

Jazz Night Out (Thursday 8 pm- Midnight)

The following music venues are participating in the 2005 Jazz Night Out—your $25 pin gives you free admission, free trolley transportation, and some food and drink specials. All proceeds from the pin sales will benefit Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity focusing on home ownership and Project for Pride in Living (PPL) focusing on rental housing. Purchase pins at the Festival booth on Peavy Plaza.

• American Mission Kitchen (77 S. 7^th St, IDS)—featuring pianist Larry McDonough and his quartet

• Babalu (800 Washington Av N) – featuring jazz/rock/R&B vocalist Wain McFarlane

• Bar Lurcat (1624 Harmon Place) –Doug Little Quartet

• Bunkers (761 Washington Av N)—featuring the New Congress

• Café Havana (119 Washington Av N) –music TBA

• Dakota (1010 Nicollet Mall) –featuring Jerry Weldon (see above)

• Fine Line (318 St Av N)—featuring three bands: Charlez Newman, Nothing Static, and Shaking Tree

• Keegans (16 University NE) – featuring Don King

• Luxx (1101 LaSalle) –featuring the seductive baritone of Dennis Spears

• Millennium Hotel (1313 Nicollet Mall) –featuring Teri Roiger and John Menegon (see above)

• Nochee (500 Washington Av S) – featuring the smooth sax of Dan Kusz

• Nordic Home (219 2^nd St N) -- featuring Mad Jazz

• Shout! House (600 Hennepin Av) –featuring Dueling Pianos

• Times (201 E. Hennepin) –featuring the Latin vibes of Salsa del Sol

• Vic’s (201 Main St. SE) – featuring the vocal duo of Mira and Tom Kehoe

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!