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The New, The Hip - “Jazz Apres-Midi” – Real Swingin’ Cats at the Black Dog

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“I am convinced that all art has the desire to leave the ordinary,and to say it one way, at a spiritual level, a state of the exaltation at existence. All art has this in common. But jazz, the world of improvisation, is perhaps the highest, because we do not have the opportunity to make changes. It’s as if we were painting before the public, and the following morning we cannot go back and correct that blue color or change that red. We have to have the blues and reds very well placed before going out to play. So for me, jazz is probably the most demanding art.” - Sonny Rollins from a recent interview for the Catalan magazine Jaç

Friday, 09 January 2009

The New, The Hip - “Jazz Apres-Midi” – Real Swingin’ Cats at the Black Dog

Written by Press Release

Sunday, 10 December 2006

We are happy to announce the resurrection of Jazz Soirees in the new and improved form of Jazz Apres-midis. We have moved from Dunn Bros Coffee in Uptown, Mpls, to The Black Dog Café and Wine Bar in Lowertown, St Paul and are playing from 4 to 7 PM on three Sundays in December - 12/3, 12/10, 12/17. We are describing these gigs as "Real Swingin' Cats at the Black Dog Cafe". Soon we will be able to show you a great "graphic" highlighting this theme. We intend to have a fourth and final gig on 1/7/07 - for the 2006/07 series. Details of this last gig will be forthcoming.

When you come out you will hear the same kind of "first call", high quality musicians playing that you did three years ago at the Jazz Soirees. In fact you will see many returnees. This time we are calling the gigs "Jazz Apres-midis with "Central Standard Time"". The Gary Berg Quartet will be doing the honors, pleasing you with their swinging sounds - accompanied by a different special guest each Sunday. Thus the "Gary Berg Quartet plus One" becomes "Central Standard Time".

The musicians will be led by "Mr. Zen", Gary Berg, on saxes. The rhythm section is Jay Epstein on drums, Mikkel Romstad on piano and Pooch Heine on bass - with Terry Burns stepping in on bass on 12/3. We will complete the group with the following very special "special guests" - Dave Graff on trombone 12/3, Morris Wilson on saxes 12/10 and "David Roos on guitar plus Steve Kenny on trumpet 12/17. These are great combinations of musicians, so don't miss them...

The guys in Central Standard Time will be playing jazz standards. That, and the fact that the gigs are now at the very sophisticated and convenient time of 4-7 PM, should encourage you to come out for all of them. I know you will appreciate the fact that the gigs are still in a nonsmoking environment and that you can now chose wine and beer and an interesting assortment of modestly priced and delicious salads, sandwiches, soups, pizzas and desserts, as well as very good coffee and muffins, to complete your Sunday afternoon voyage toward a relaxed Sunday evening.

As a bonus, the picture windows at The Black Dog will allow you to look out over a great section of downtown St Paul and the interior decor should also please you very much. You will be in a warm and welcoming place, beautifully restored without losing its authenticity, surrounded by wonderful art - beautiful wall hangings and great photo art postcards, etc. - all available for purchase in a price range that should please the most thrifty person as well as real connoisseurs.

In case you need to know more about The Black Dog, its owners have already shown how serious they are about music by developing a festival called Minnesota sur Seine. The third annual “sur Seine” festival took place in October, 2006. The festival was conceived to bring well known and respected French musicians to the twin cities to interact and perform with good regional musicians, according to one of the owners of The Black Dog.

We are all planning to have a lot of fun, and I know you want to do that too, so we WILL see you there, right???

Date: 12/3/06

“Jazz Apres-midi” with “The Gary Berg Quartet + Dave Graff" aka "Central Standard Time"
at the Black Dog Café in St Paul from 4 – 7 PM
308 Prince Street (4th & Broadway), St Paul, MN 55101 651-228-9274
Free
Music = Jazz Standards
12/03/06 (Sunday) from 4 - 7 PM

Group: Gary Berg on saxes, Terry Burns on upright bass, Jay Epstein on drums, and Mikkel Romstad on piano.
With special guest Dave Graff on trombone

Furue Dates

Date: 12/10/06

“Jazz Apres-midi” with “The Gary Berg Quartet + Morris Wilson” aka "Central Standard Time"
at the Black Dog Café in St Paul from 4 -7 PM
308 Prince Street (4th & Broadway), St Paul, MN 55101 651-228-9274
Free
Music = Jazz Standards
12/10/06 (Sunday) from 4 - 7 PM

Group: Gary Berg on saxes, Jay Epstein on drums, Bruce “Pooch” Heine on upright bass, and Mikkel Romstad on piano.
With special guest Morris Wilson on saxes

Date: 12/17/06

“Jazz Apres-midi” with “The Gary Berg Quartet + David Roos and Steve Kenny” aka "Central Standard Time"
at the Black Dog Café in St Paul from 4 -7 PM
308 Prince Street (4th & Broadway), St Paul, MN 55101 651-228-9274
Free
Music = Jazz Standards
12/17/06 (Sunday) from 4 – 7

Group: Gary Berg on saxes, Jay Epstein on drums, Bruce “Pooch” Heine on upright bass, and Mikkel Romstad on piano.
With special guests David Roos on guitar and Steve Kenny on trumpet