Joey DeFrancesco © Andrea Canter

Over the few years, KBEM Radio and the Hot Summer Jazz Festival have combined forces to sponsor a one-day midwinter jazz festival. Over time the festival has moved from the old Dakota in St. Paul to the Millennium Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, finally to the west metro Doubletree Inn in March 2006. Finally, the winter jazz extravaganza returns to St. Paul as part of the first (hopefully annual) St. Paul Music Festival, February 23-25, centered around the historic Landmark Plaza in the center of downtown at 5^th and Market Streets. Three days of music should appeal to everyone’s taste—Rock Night on Friday, a full day of blues on Saturday, and a day-long jazz celebration on Sunday. Tickets are sold separately for each event (see below), with a discount for advance purchase.

Main events will take place in the heated “freespan” tent on Landmark Plaza, with seating for 500 and concessions (food, soft drinks, beer and wine). But the music doesn’t end there as festival tickets allow free entry to additional entertainment later each evening—more rock on Friday night at the 4^th Street Station, and a blues and jazz jam with the Tuesday Night Band at the Artists Quarter, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Detroit Women

Rock Night (Friday, February 23; 6-10 pm; $8 advance/$10 door)

Bill Crutcher © Andrea Canter

A night of hot grooves from rockers White Iron Band (“honky-tonk chops…with their pedal steel flourishes, wicked guitars, excellent harmonies and take-no-prisoners approach to the drinking song”) at 7 pm and God Johnson (led by former Big Wu guitarist/songwriter Jason Fladager) at 8:30 pm, along with an opening from Shakey Jake Neuman (6 pm). Catch the late show at 4^th Street Station (201 E. 4^th Street) from 10 pm til closing, free with Festival ticket.

Blues (Saturday, February 24; 1:15 -10 pm; $22 advance/$25 door)

A day and night of the best of Midwest blues:

• 1:15 pm, Leo Hawkins & Friends, Tribute to Curtis Mayfield.

• 2:45, Big George Jackson

• 4:45, Big Walter Smith (recipient of Lifetime Achievement Award)

• 6:30, Detroit Women with the Motor City Express. Led by Kate Hart, Detroit Women won Detroit Music Awards three years straight, 2004-06. See www.detroitwomen.org for more!

• 8:30, Terry Evans—gospel laced southern soul and R&B. See www.terryevansmusic.com

• Late night at the Artists Quarter (408 St. Peter Street) from 9 pm, featuring B-3 Organ Night’s weekend blues and jazz jam with the Tuesday Night Band led by Downtown Bill Brown. Free with Festival ticket.

Tanner Taylor © Andrea Canter

Jazz Fest (Saturday, February 25, 1:00 -8:30 pm; $22 advance/$25 door)

This version of the Winter Jazz Festival features performers on multiple stages: a big band blowout in Landmark Center, an acoustic stage at the St. Paul Hotel, youth stage and Jazz Jam at the Artists Quarter, and main stage attractions on Landmark Plaza with national headliner and organ master, Joey DeFrancesco.

Landmark Plaza:

• 1:00 pm, Bill Crutcher. A master of vibes, flute and congas, Bill Crutcher’s Work in Progress sextet covers it all, from Straight Ahead jazz to Blues, Latin and R&B.

• 2:30 pm, Tanner Taylor’s Tribute to Oscar Peterson. He might be one of the youngest keyboardists on the active jazz scene in the Twin Cities, but he is also one of the best. This Iowa transplant is often seen comping for area vocalists as well as fronting his own trio. If anyone can do justice to the great Oscar Peterson, it’s Tanner.

• 

  Dan Kusz © Andrea Canter
  4:00 pm, Ronny Loew with the Dan Kusz Band. Once a hot commodity on the local scene, jazz/funk saxophonist Ronny Loew left five years ago—and now he’s back for a special appearance with the young king of smooth, soprano sax monster Dan Kusz. Kusz was popular act at the last Hot Summer Jazz Festival.

• 6:00 & 7:30 pm, Joey DeFrancesco. A child prodigy in his native Philadelphia, Joey D followed in dad (Papa John)’s footsteps, appearing with Miles Davis while still in his teens. Now regarded as the ringleader of the revival of interest in the B-3, Joey has headlined several popular appearances at the Dakota in recent years. Two sets, this gig is sponsored by the Hot Summer Jazz Festival (see www.joeydefrancesco.com)

Joel Schapira © Andrea Canter

Big Band Blowout at Landmark Center

You can attend as a separate event for $10, free with a Festival ticket. Three area big bands in the Landmark Center atrium:

• 1:30 pm, Nova Jazz Orchestra

• 3:00 pm, Southern Minnesota Real Band

• 4:30 pm, Bellagalla Big Band

St. Paul Hotel, Acoustic Stage

• 4 pm, Joel Shapira. One of the area’s premiere practitioners of acoustic guitar.

• 6 pm, Chris Lomheim. A devotee of Bill Evans, Chris is the poet laureate of the keyboard.

Artists Quarter

Youth Band at the AQ Stage © Andrea Canter

• 3 – 6 pm, Youth/Student Stage. The Twin Cities boasts one of the most active urban jazz education scenes. Our kids have gone on to such prestigious programs as the Brubeck Institute, Manhattan School of Music, Berklee College in Boston, the New School, and more. Catch tomorrow’s stars today.

• 8 pm, Jazz Jam with the Tuesday Night Band (led by Downtown Bill Brown). A Sunday edition of B-3 Organ Night; $10 or free with festival ticket. The Tuesday Night Band includes 'Downtown' Bill Brown on the Hammond B3 organ, Gary Berg on sax, Billy Franze on guitar, and drummer Kenny Horst.

For advance tickets to any or all of the St. Paul Winter Music Festival events, visit www.tcwinterfest.com or contact Ticket Works at 651-209-6689; 800-762-6353. Festival Hotline is 612-343-5943.

The St. Paul Music Festival is presented by Hot Springs Events, which provides production services for the Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival, Famous Dave’s BBQ & Blues Festival and the Uptown Row Django Festival.

Down-town Bill Brown and the Tuesday Night Band © Don Berryman