Dean Magraw©Andrea Canter

Familiar faces from near and far headline the Artists Quarter’s May line-up. Favorites Red Planet, Bruce Henry and the Out to Lunch Quintet start out the month, while sax titan Eric Alexander—this time with acclaimed pianist David Hazeltine—returns for his now annual Memorial Day weekend. And short-term Minnesota resident Andres Prado returns from Lima for a rare “homecoming” with his Twin Cities quintet to close out May in a very warm note. Of special interest at the AQ and various venues across the Twin Cities is the Minnesota Sur Seine Festival, which the AQ hosts on May 21st.

Weekends at the AQ (9 pm unless otherwise noted)

May 2-3, Red Planet ($10). Led by guitarist Dean Magraw, with blazing support from bassist Chris Bates and drummer Jay Epstein, Red Planet has been a popular act at area jazz festivals and Twin Cities clubs. Straddling jazz, folk and bluegrass, Dean has performed with and/or recorded with Ruth McKenzie, Claudia Schmidt and Greg Brown, among others; he has explored his Celtic heritage performing with Celtic accordionist John Williams. Magraw’s first solo recording, Broken Silence, won the NAIRD 1994 Best Acoustic Instrumental Album of the Year; his 2007 release, Unseen Rain, has garnered similar accolades. Chris, with his brother, drummer JT, grew up with jazz, sons of trumpeter/bandleader Don Bates. A member of the Motion Poets, Chris Bates has focused more on composing (he was a 1999 McKnight Composer Fellow) and playing regularly with Low Blow, Framework, How Birds Work, the Kelly Rossum Quartet, and more ensembles covering mainstream and experimental music. Jay can be found behind the trapset across the Twin Cities, often in the company vocalists (Christine Rosholt, Connie Evingson) and top instrumentalists (Mary Louise Knutson, Gordy Johnson, Bill Carrothers). He had a long-standing gig with the Phil Aaron Trio and released a highly acclaimed recording, Long Ago. Put these guys together and you have spontaneous combustion!!

May 4, Face Candy Trio with Eyedea (8 pm, $10). Put drummer JT Bates and bassist Casey O’Brien together with hip-hop emcee Eyedea and you have a collision—free jazz and freestyle! Each of these artists is an ingeneous improviser, so imagine the possibilities when they meet on stage. Casey’s studied with the likes of Anthony Cox and Jim Anton and plays experimental music with the similarly minded Carbon Carousel. JT, also a member of Carbon Carousel, might be more known to AQ audiences for his efforts with Fat Kid Wednesdays and the Kelly Rossum Quartet, as well as his first-call status with bands that frequent the Minnesota Sur Seine Festival. St. Paul native and freestyle battle champion/rapper/emcee Eyedea (aka Michael Larsen) has most notably toured and recorded in the duo Eyedea & Abilities, along with Carbon Carousel. Not your usual Sunday night!

Out To Lunch Quintet©Andrea Canter

May 16-17, Bruce Henry ($10). Few vocalists in the Midwest generate the loyal following of baritone Bruce Henry. Whether he is singing standards, African hymns or original tunes, Bruce brings both a jazz and world music sensibility to the stage, as well as a band of true artists. His most recent release is Connections, and his most recent project is Freedom Train, dedicated to bringing the African American experience to diverse audiences. Don’t miss Bruce this spring as he’ll soon be relocating to Chicago, with promises of frequent return visits.

Eric Alexander©Andrea Canter

Andres Prado©Andrea Canter

Weeknights, Cool Nights (9 pm unless otherwise noted)

Mondays, Green (7 pm)/Open Poetry (9 pm), no cover; and First Monday Poetry Slam (8 pm, $5). The explosive post bop quartet Green features Rob Dewey (piano), Rich Casey (bass), Zack Lozier (trumpet), and Scotty Schultz (drums). Green has been the Monday night band at the AQ for the past three years. Rob is a noted improviser who has performed with Test Type Trio and Streets of Acid; busy Scotty works with Ross William Perry among other projects; Rich can be heard with Javier Trejo. Newest addition Zack has focused on bringing traditional New Orleans jazz to the Midwest, and performs regularly with the Jack Brass Band. Following their sets, open mic poetry reading gets underway at 9 pm. No cover! First Mondays feature the monthly Poetry Slam—following an hour of Green, a special guest poet convenes the “slam” at 8 pm. On May 5th, the slam features Soap Boxing.

Tuesdays, B-3 Organ Night with the Tuesday Night Band. The Tuesday Night Band features “Downtown” Bill Brown on Hammond B-3, along with Billy Franze on guitar, Gary Berg on saxes, and Kenny Horst on drums. A weekly tradition at the AQ, you never know who might sit in—Joey DeFrancesco usually appears whenever he’s in town. Last fall, Tuesday night expanded with an exciting new band featuring Zach Schmidt, Cory Wong, Cassie Meyer, Patrico Toledo and Dan M. Musselman playing an early show at 7pm. These young, talented musicians provide the perfect starter for AQ's longest-standing engagement. And catch the monthly KFAI live broadcast on May 13th!

May 1, Gary Berg Quartet ($5). Multi-instrumentalist Gary Berg swings on tenor, alto, and soprano sax as well as the chromatic harmonica. Well known among the AQ crowd for his weekly appearances with the Tuesday Night Band and his tributes to Stan Getz, Gary is also an in-demand sideman, adding steam to a number of local releases including those from Carole Martin, Paula Lammers and George Avaloz. Notes Don Berryman, “He lets the bop riffs ride on the groove in a way that’s true to the music and the feeling.”

May 7, Chris Lomheim Trio ($5). Any comparison of Chris Lomheim to his hero Bill Evans is wholly appropriate. A prodigious talent as a teen whiz on organ and piano, St. Paul native Chris evolved virtuoso chops as composer and improviser in the key of Evans, yielding two elegant trio recordings to date. Former keyboardist for the Illicit Sextet and a long-time favorite at the AQ and Dakota Jazz Club, as well as a first-call keyboardist for area vocalists, Chris has a regular gig for Happy Hour on weekends at the St. Paul Hotel and recently appeared at the AQ with Jon Pemberton’s salute to Lee Morgan. But the piano trio—this trio—is his first born.

May 8, Phil Hey Quartet ($5). Phil Hey Quartet’s repertoire includes the tunes of Kenny Wheeler, Bobby Hutcherson, John Coltrane, and Wayne Shorter, as well as original compositons. A former student of Ed Blackwell, Phil teaches jazz drum at Macalester College and the U of M, toured with the late Dewey Redman, and recently toured with vocalist Stacey Kent. He’s joined by long-time bandmates Dave Hagedorn on vibes, Tom Lewis on bass, and Phil Aaron on piano. The PHQ’s debut recording, Subduction, was one of the best CDs of 2005. Their weekend gig at the AQ last month was worthy of Carnegie Hall.  

May 14, Twin Cities Hot Club ($5). Gypsy swing at its best, the TCHC recently released a live DVD. Catch them across the river from their weekly gig at the Times Bar and Café, and bring your dancing shoes.

Tony Hymas©Bryan Aaker

May 21, Minnesota Sur Seine Festival, Tony Hymas, Bruno Chevillion and JT Bates Trio (8 pm, $12). Every year, the AQ hosts at least one night of the acclaimed Minnesota Sur Seine Festival, a collaboration of Minnesota and European artists favoring the avant garde and experimental approach to jazz and improvisation. The trio of pianist Tony Hymas, bassist Bruno Chevillion and local drummer JT Bates have all worked with famed French multi-instrumentalist Michel Portal, both in the US and in Paris. Hymas and Bates appear on the award-winning Portal CD, Birdwatcher. This trio performed together for the first time at l’Ermitage in Paris last November, and their second outing should prove that lightning indeed strikes twice. Persian zarb (percussion) artist Pablo Cueco opens the evening.

May 22, Tanner Taylor Trio ($5). Iowa’s latest gift to the Twin Cities jazz scene is young Tanner Taylor, a pianist of monstrous skill and imagination who is always a delight to watch and hear, be it in the company of area vocalists like Christine Rosholt, handling keys for Mulligan Stew, or fronting his own hot trio. Boogie woogie, bop or blues, Tanner covers the keyboard with never-ending ideas.

Tanner Taylor©Andrea Canter

May 29, Pete Whitman’s X-Tet ($8). One of several projects led by veteran sax performer, composer, and arranger Pete Whitman, the X-Tet brings together the best artists in the region: Whitman, Dave Karr and Dave Milne (reeds); Kelly Rossum and Adam Rossmiller (trumpets); Jeff Rinear or Dave Graf (trombone); Dave Hagedorn (vibes), Gordy Johnson (bass), Phil Hey (drums), and Laura Caviani (piano). Head of Woodwinds and Brass at McNally Smith College, Whitman has performed with Randy Brecker, Jack McDuff, and the Woody Herman Orchestra, in addition to leading his X-Tet and and working regularly with the Jazz MN Big Band. This is one of the most popular monthly gigs at the AQ, so come early and stay late!

The Artists Quarter is located at 408 St. Peter Street in the lower level of the Hamm Building in downtown St. Paul. Visit www.artistsquarter.com for full calendar and news.