Dewey Redman © Howard A. Gitelson

The Hot Summer Jazz Festival turns up the heat Saturday with music rising from four stages within a two-block segment of Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis. The bad news is that this creates significant dilemmas for jazz fans seeking to take in all of the free sounds of these accomplished local and national artists as well as previewing the future of jazz presented by student musicians. The good news, of course, is that there are so many choices, you can’t miss! And with overlapping set times, a careful planner can cover much of the schedule:
[ Click here to generate and print your custom festival schedule with the Jazz Police interactive schedule planner -ed]

Nicollet Stage (Nicollet Mall and 10^th Street)

Noon-1:15 pm, Trumpet Summit with David Young, Kelly Rossum, and Dave Jensen. A visiting virtuoso from Chicago meets up with the two hottest trumpeters in town. Young does double duty this week, appearing with Frank Morgan Friday night to “warm up” for today’s Summit conference. A graduate of Northwestern who turned down an invitation to join Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra to finish his degree, Young is described as a “potentially major jazz artist” by the Chicago Tribune. Already major artists in the Twin Cities and beyond, Rossum and Jensen will challenge Young note for note. Both have been on the bandstand with Pete Whitman’s Xtet; Rossum has also appeared with Jazz Is Now!, Nachito Herrera, the Eric Dolphy “Out to Lunch” Quintet and his own Quartet projects. Dave Jensen holds a trumpet chair with the JazzMN Big Band and the brass quintet Hornheads, and frequently appears with the Kathy J Band and on bandstands whenever a visiting artist needs his topnotch chops. Literally, this Summit will be a blast!

Dave Jensen © Andrea Canter

Vicky Mountain © Andrea Canter

3-7 pm, Student Stars. The Nicollet Stage presents the future of jazz with three sets starting at 3 pm. First up, the IAJE Mid-Level State Honor Jazz Ensemble (middle school students), directed by Jazz MN Big Band director and Mankato University professor, Dr. Doug Snapp, followed by one of our area high school big bands at 4:30 and Minnesota’s IAJE All Star Band with Vicky Mountain on vocals at 6 pm. The talent pool in Minnesota runs as deep among teens as among older musicians—hear for yourself.

7:30 pm-dark, Swing Dance with Mood Swing and Laurie Trach. The 2005 HSJF included several popular swing dance activities, including a swing dance contest at the Dakota. This year, swing returns with Mood Swing and Laurie on stage. There should be plenty of room so be sure to bring your dancing shoes!

Kenny Hosrt © Abrea Canter

Skyscape Stage, Nicollet Mall and 11^th Street

2-3 pm, Kenny Horst Quartet. For the HSJF, drummer Kenny Horst escapes duties as owner/manager at the Artists Quarter in St. Paul and leads his own quartet with some hard bop magic. Kenny’s played with just about every visiting artist who landed at the AQ. A musician’s musician, Horst played with Jimmy McGriff, Azar Lawrence and the Edwin Hawkins Singers, did some road work with Harlem Review and a brief tour with Al Hirt, and spent three years locally with keyboard great Bobby Lyle. This afternoon set will include three of Kenny’s favorite compatriots at the Artists Quarter.

3:30-4:30 pm, Jim Marentic and the Coltrane Connection Sextet. Tenor sax veteran Jim just returned to the Twin Cities last year after a long stint in New York. Some might remember him from his days in the house band at the South of the Border Key Club in Minneapolis in the 50s! Jim was a featured soloist on George Avaloz’s 2004 release, The Highest Mountain. Since his return home, Jim has been playing at the AQ and Dakota, keeping the Coltrane Connection alive!

6-7 pm, Jon Weber and Jerry Weldon.

Jerry Weldon © Andrea Canter

8-9 pm, Connie Evingson and Debbie Duncan. In a very rare pairing, two of the Twin Cities most distinctive and distinguished voices appear together. From Moore by Four to hot club swing, Connie Evingson has become the symbol of tasteful and creative arrangements of everything from Peggy Lee to the Beatles to Django Reinhardt. Next month she’ll be celebrating the release of her sixth recording, Stockholm Sweetnin,’ which will be available Saturday night. Minnesota’s “First Lady of Song,” Debbie Duncan has been drawing crowds since her performances with Rupert’s Orchestra in the late 80s and her more recent work with The Girls. Her most recent recording, I Thought About You, demonstrates that Debbie is not only a knock ‘em dead blues and soul singer but can pull at your heartstrings with a ballad. Hear two incredibly versatile voices.

Mercedes Benz Main Stage (Peavey Plaza, 11^th and Nicollet Mall)

4:30-6 pm, Norman Simmons Quintet. HSJF gives Norman a mere 2 hours recycling time between this gig and his earlier set with Vicky Mountain on the Nicollet Stage. The Chicago native, New York resident pianist (see above) will be joined for the instrumental set by drummer Sheila Earley and tenor saxophonist Anton Denner. A native of nearby New Richmond, WI and former St. Paul resident, Sheila Earley now works in New York where she has performed with Marlena Shaw, Rufus Reid, Tom Harrell, David Hazeltine, Greg Tardy, Houston Person and Virginia Mayhew, as well as with Norman Simmons. New Yorker Anton Denner studied with Lee Konitz and Joe Lovano, and has played in the company of Ray Charles, Rosemary Clooney, Clifford Jordan, Mel Lewis, Al Foster, Brad Meldau, Bill Carrothers, Larry Goldings, Terell Stafford, Dave Stryker, and Bill Stewart, and of course Norman Simmons.

7-8 pm, Air Force Falconaires Big Band. One of Friday night’s headliners provides an encore! One of the premeire ensembles of the U.S. armed forces, the “Falcs” will treat festival patrons to a mixture of swing era favorites, jazz classics, and original compositions.

9-10:30 pm, Dewey Redman. There’s not enough space here to provide an adequate profile of this tenor sax legend. Yes, he’s the father of modern lion Joshua Redman, but Dewey was, and is, a singular artist with a very different style than his offspring. Growing up in Ft. Worth Texas, he was initially discouraged from playing the trumpet (his brother told him “your lips are too big”) so began

Dewey Redman © Howard A. Gitelson

Millennium Hotel (1313 Nicollet Mall)

6-7 pm, Tom Wegren. A professor of piano at UMD, Chicago native Tom Wegren has performed solo at Carnegie Hall, the St. Paul Civic Center and throughout the U.S. As a pianist/arranger, he has worked with the likes of Helen Reddy, Johnny Mathis and the band Chicago.

7:30-8:30 pm, Butch Thompson. Always a popular HSJF performer, Thompson is well known for his appearances on Prairie Home Companion. Over his 40+ years on the piano bench, Thompson has proven himself the master of ragtime, stride and classic styles, leads his trio and New Orleans Jazz Originals band, and appeared on the Verve recording, Doc Cheatham and Nicholas Payton.

9-10:15 pm, Larry McDonough. St. Paul Legal Aid attorney by day, Larry McDonough turns standards inside out and performs original tunes marked by odd-ball meters and beautiful melodies. And he can sing, too! Larry’s quartet recently released Simple Gifts.

Jon Weber © Andrea Canter

10:45-midnight, Jon Weber and Jerry Weldon. The dynamic duo of the HSJF are at it again! If you missed them earlier tonight (see above), and even if you were there, this is one hot way to end the evening!

One More Day of HSJF!

Only one more day: MacPhail students and faculty combos, Jerry Weldon and Jon Weber, Schubert Club Jazz Piano Scholarship winners on the Nicollet Stage; Alicia Renee, Yohannes Tona, and the Phil Hey Quartet on the Skyscape Stage; the Twin Cities Jazz Vocal Coalition’s annual showcase at the Millennium; and the JazzMN Big Band and Nachito Herrera on the Mercedes Benz Main Stage.

Full schedule and more information about the Hot Summer Jazz Festival are available at www.hotsummerjazz.com. The stages are all on Nicollet Mall: Main Stage on Peavy Plaza at 11^th and Nicollet; Skyscape stage across the street at 11^th and Nicollet; Nicollet Stage down the block at 10^th and Nicollet; and the Millennium Hotel Stage at 1313 Nicollet. Visit Jazz Police for daily updates.