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Whatever instrument you are playing, you should study the history of the instrument from the very beginning. Many drummers think jazz drumming started with Elvin Jones and Jeff Watts. You have to find out where theses people learned from and go upstream from there. You can’t put student before the teacher. You have to start at the origin. Listen to Roy Haynes with Lester Young and Bud Powell. Listen to Art Taylor comp with his left hand like Bud Powell. - Joe Farnsworth
 
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 Thursday, 08 January 2009
Free and Cheap Jazz in the Twin Cities: Easy to Find! Print E-mail
Written by Andrea Canter, Contributing Editor   
Wednesday, 06 August 2008

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Charmin Michelle at Rossi's © Andrea Canter
Too often I hear complaints from would-be jazz fans that it’s too expensive to go out and hear live music in the Twin Cities. They will cite Orchestra Hall or downtown clubs that they perceive as offering hefty ticket prices and often expensive parking. And indeed, concert hall tickets can cost $45 and up; ramp parking downtown can run $8 a pop (or more for “event parking”). But in truth, the vast majority of jazz performances in the Twin Cities are not taking place at Orchestra Hall or Ordway; even downtown clubs have many bargain nights and many of the ramps offer reduced rates in the evenings. Additionally, more and more jazz is appearing at neighborhood and suburban venues where parking and usually the admission are free. So where is all this “free and cheap” jazz in the Twin Cities, and how do you learn about it?

Learning about jazz offerings, free and otherwise, is pretty easy online. Check out Jazz Police of course! But also check out the Twin Cities Jazz Society home page, venue websites (The Dakota, Artists Quarter, Rossi’s, Times, Crave, Maude and more have frequently updated sites with music calendars); MinnPost (Pamela Espeland provides a weekly set of recommendations along with an interesting view on one of upcoming events—often a free or cheap one); MPR’s Mary Ann Sullivan has a weekly set of suggestions via an electronic newsletter, as does the Twin Cities Jazz Society E-News. Want print? There are listings every Friday in the Star and Tribune’s Scene section as well as a few highlights in City Pages.


The following is not an exhaustive list of area venues catering to jazz as well as entertainment budgets, but provides a listing of venues that routinely can fill your needs for bop and more without requiring a significant investment. And remember that, once summer finally arrives, there will be more options for outdoor music, including the free Twin Cities Jazz Festival in June.

Artists Quarter (408 St Peter Street, St Paul; www.artistsquarter.com)

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The Out to Lunch Quintet at the Artists Quarter © Andrea Canter
The AQ is beloved by musicians and fans alike for its cozy, neighborhood-bar friendliness and terrific jazz six (sometimes seven) nights per week. Monday, you can hear the trio Green and open mic poetry readings for no cover at all; Tuesday-Thursday the cover rarely exceeds $5 for such popular jazzers as The Tuesday Night Band, Laura Caviani, Phil Hey, Peter Schimke, Fat Kid Wednesdays, the X-Tet, Lucia Newell, Debbie Duncan and more. And on weekends, the cover generally is $10-12. Even if a big name national act comes to down, which averages monthly, the cover will be far lower than what you would pay elsewhere—rarely exceeding $20 for such monster musicians as Eric Alexander, Jim Rotondi, Ari Hoenig, Lee Konitz or Mose Allison. No food although you can order in from adjacent Great Waters or Wild Thymes; the bar has all the basics at neighborhood prices as well. Parking? Find a spot on the street after 6 for no charge or use the Macy’s Ramp at 6th and Wabasha (one block from the AQ) for $3 after 6 regardless of any area events. And on Sundays the ramp is free. Except for Mondays (7 pm) and usually Sundays (8 pm), the music starts at 9 pm.

Café Maude (5411 Penn Av South, Minneapolis; www.cafemaude.com)

Since opening in spring 2007, Maude has become one of the hot neighborhood spots for the younger generation, but also a destination for serious jazz listeners. Of course listening is challenging up til about 10:30 pm on weekends, but particularly on Friday nights, the stage will feature the best of cutting-edge jazz (Michael Lewis, Chris Thomson, Chris and JT Bates, James Buckley, Adam Linz, Dean Granros, Bryan Nichols and more) and the music goes on til midnight. Come earlier if you want to sample Maude’s eclectic and reasonable menu and long list of interesting beverages—but only with a reservation because there just won’t be a table otherwise. But expect a din. For music, come late, you will probably find a table and you’ll be able to hear. No cover. Free on-street parking although you might need to walk a block on a weekend night.

Cavé Vin (5555 Xerxes Av South, Minneapolis; www.cavevin.com)

An established neighborhood bistro in southwest Minneapolis, Cave Vin recently added jazz to its Wednesday night menu. This winter and spring, entertainment (free) is provided by singer Rhonda Laurie and veterans of the Twin Cities Hot Club, Reynold Philipsek and Gary Schulte, often joined by bassist Jeff Brueske. Music from 6:30 – 9:30 and you can sit at the adjacent bar or grab a table in the alcove with the musicians. The menu, if you wish, is light French, moderate priced, and with a wide range including such appetizers as French Onion Soup, mussels and froglegs. Or just get a glass of their very reasonable wine. Small parking lot and on-street parking. Reservations for dinner recommended.

Clown Lounge at the Turf Club

Below the Turf Club off University and Snelling in St Paul sits a little cavern for experimental and very modern music. Monday nights, it’s often the site for bands like Fat Kid Wednesdays. Music starts late, usually 9:30, and cover is usually $5. Parking? On the street.

Crave at Galleria (70th and York, Edina; www.cravemn.com)

One of the most well-intentioned music spaces in the south metro, Crave fills the old Sidney’s space at Galleria. Which means it was never built as a music venue. But poor acoustics and a teeny performance space locked in by a fireplace and booths notwithstanding, Crave brings great music to an eclectic restaurant setting. With masterful pianist Laura Caviani curating the jazz, you can count on her elegant trio most Friday nights, and usually one of the area’s top vocalists—Lucia Newell, Patty Peterson, Maud Hixson, Dorothy Doring, Arne Fogel…And when Laura takes the night off from Crave, you may find Mary Louise Knutson or Phil Aaron cramped over the electric keyboard instead. The music is close to the bar and the sound dim unless you are right across from it, but come after 10 when the crowd thins out, find a table or booth close to the band, and you can enjoy some intimate, very classy music… and some reasonable munchies as well. No cover, free parking in the Galleria lots. Music from 8:30-11:30 pm.

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Cue at the Guthrie with Steve Pikal and Rick Carlson © Andrea Canter
Cue at the Guthrie (818 S. Second Street, Minneapolis; www.cueguthrie.com)

As close as we can come to the view and ambience of the famed Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola in Manhattan. The view is not Central Park but the gentrified Theater District, the lights of the city blinking through the glass backdrop at Cue, the Guthrie Theater's flagship restaurant and bar on street level. Happy hour and pre-theater specials are only the beginning of an inventive menu. But you are coming for jazz, right? On Friday and Saturday nights from 8 pm til midnight, enjoy such acclaimed locals as Maud Hixson, Arne Fogel, Charmin Michelle and Dean Brewington. You won't find a classier bar or better music for that special weekend outing or just an end-of-the-week unwinding. Swank, not stuffy. And no cover. (Note, January 2009 jazz is on hiatus)

Dakota County Steak House (Nicollet and County Rd 42 in the Burnsville Holiday Inn; http://www.hiburnsville.com/all_that_jazz/index.cfm)

In its second year as a major weekend jazz destination, the music café within the steakhouse has a small stage, comfortable bar, and adjacent dining room. Jazz usually is scheduled on Friday nights and often again on Saturday nights, and never a cover charge or bar minimum. You can just come in and listen to some of the best area vocalists backed by the best area rhythm sections—here Vicky Mountain, Dorothy Doring, Katie Gearty, Lee Engele, Arne Fogel, Maud Hixson and more. And if you want a snack or dinner, the bar and dining room menus offer great variety at reasonable prices, from huge crabcakes for $9 to prime rib and other steaks at $15 and up. Reservations for the dining room recommended on weekends. Park in the free hotel lot. Music usually from 8-11 pm.

Dakota Jazz Club (1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; www.dakotacooks.com)

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Christine Rosholt, Jay Epstein and Dave Karr at the Dakota © Andrea Canter
It looks incredibly pricey and it can be, but often it’s a bargain. One of the most acclaimed jazz clubs in the country and known for its schedule of national jazz and blues acts as well as for its kitchen, the Dakota is a glittering gem on the Mall that draw visitors like a magnet. National acts tend to fall on weeknights and can run anywhere from $15 to over $50 per ticket. But the late sets are always cheaper, and on nights without national touring artists you can hear some of the best in the region (Debbie Duncan, Arne Fogel, Bruce Henry, Katie Gearty, Christine Rosholt, Connie Evingson, Pete Whitman, Tanner Taylor, Laura Caviani, Mary Louise Knutson, Dave Karr) for $5—and never a minimum food or drink order. Weekends are pricier but usually $10; there’s free Happy Hour on Thursday and Friday afternoons (4:30-6:30 pm) with great food bargains and music from either Travis Anderson (Thursday) or Jazz by Fosse with Irv Williams (Friday). And if you are a night owl, you can hear the best in modern and avant garde jazz for a $3 cover from 11:30 pm – 1:30 am on Fridays and Saturdays. Parking? After 4 pm, the adjacent Target Ramp is $4, no special event rates. And after 6, you might find a free spot on the street. Reservations recommended for national acts, weekends, and special local shows.

Fireside Pizza (67th and Penn, Richfield; 612-869-4040)

What’s one of the best vocalists in the Upper Midwest doing with a weekly gig in a little Richfield pizza parlor? Singing her heart out, of course. Charmin Michelle has been a Monday night (and sometimes Wednesday night) favorite here for the past few years, usually in the company of Denny Malmberg. The “stage” is a tiny space not even built for two, but the songs are buttery renditions of standards that go quite well with pepperoni and beer. No cover and the pizza is a good deal any night. Music 6:30-8:30 pm.

MacPhail Center for Music (501 S. Second Street; www.macphail.org)

The new digs of the region’s largest community music school also include several beautiful performance spaces and there’s an unending array of free and inexpensive music throughout the year. You can hear MacPhail faculty or student recitals, a Thursday night jazz series (four per year at either no charge or $5); master classes in all genres (usually $5 for nonstudents). Parking at meters or adjacent ramps.

The Times Bar and Café (201 E. Hennepin, Minneapolis; www.timesbarandcafe.com)

Once a stalwart venue downtown, the Times moved east and north a few years ago and continues to offer some of the best free music in town, every night of the week. There are regular gigs, like the Wolverines and a vocalist at Sunday Brunch, Twin Cities Hot Club on Sunday nights, Lori Dokken’s showcases and tribute shows on Tuesday nights, the Wolverines Trio (with a vocalist) on Wednesday nights, Salsa Del Soul on Thursdays, and a variety of hot ensembles on the weekends (Katie Gearty, Bruce Henry, Sue Tucker, Arne Fogel, Maud Hixson). The cozy bar sits on one side, the dining, dancing and stage area on the other. You can get a salad, sandwich or go all out on entrees at wide range of prices. Or just sit down with a drink or cup of coffee and enjoy. Parking is less fun in this area but weeknights you can usually find a meter (but pay til 10 pm!) or else the covered parking just west of the Times at moderate rates—remember the music is free!

And More!

For more jazz in your neighborhood, check out the following for calendars as jazz (free!) is often on the calendar:

  • Club Saratoga--331 Canal Park, Duluth; 218-727-7865
  • Hat Trick Lounge--134 East 5th Street, St Paul; 651-228-1347
  • Ingreidents Cafe --4725 Hwy 61 North, White Bear Lake;www.ingredientscafe.com
  • Jensen’s Supper Club--3840 Sibley Memorial Hwy, Eagan; 651-688-7969; www.jensenssupperclub.com
  • Jitters--201 E. Hennepin, Minneapolis (lower level of The Times); www.timesbarandcafe.com
  • O’Gara’s -- 164 N. Snelling, St. Paul; www.ogaras.com (Big bands every week)
  • Sage Wine Bar--730 Main Street, Mendota Heights; www.thesagemarket.us
  • The Nortons-- W. 7171 135th Avenue, Bay City, WI; 715-792-2464
  • Trygs--3118 W. Lake St., Minneapolis; 612-920-7777; www.trygs.com
  • Wabasha Street Caves--215 Wabasha Street, South St. Paul;651-224-1191; www.wabashastreetcaves.com
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