Jazz Vocalists of Minnesota at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. (L-R) Sharon Tenney, Connie Dusseau, Rhonda Laurie and Donna Wilson © Andrea Canter

The Jazz Vocalists of Minnesota opened the MacPhail/Dakota Foundation stage on the final Sunday afternoon of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival last month. Ten of the organizations singers participated in a song-packed set of solos, duets and all-cast performances, from Jobim to Cole Porter. Earlier in the month the JVM held a farewell bash for founding President and Twin Cities popular vocalist Bruce Henry, who has relocated to Chicago. Bruce gave his final public performance as a Minnesotan at the Dakota Jazz Club on June 27^th. We expect he will nevertheless return often to the Twin Cities to perform and lead his Freedom Train project.

Public gigs for JVM members in July:

Roxy Cruz

• July 19, 7pm with Joe Cruz (guitar) at The Potter's Shed (Shell Lake, WI)

Lee Engele

• July 5, 8-11 pm, with Reynold Philipsek on guitar, and Jeff Brueske on bass at Bella Sera (Maple Grove)

• July 12, 7-10 pm with Joel Shapira and Jason McLean at Sage Wine Bar (Mendota Heights)

•  July 17, noon, with Phil Aaron, Graydon Peterson, Jay Epstein and Doug Haining at the Summer Music Series at Northrop Plaza (Minneapolis) 

• July 18, 7:30-9:30 pm, with Joel Shapira at Thistles Great American Bistro (Robbinsdale)

• July 23, 7 pm with the Lee Engele Quintet at Wednesdays on Main (Lakeville)

Arne Fogel

• July 11, 9 - 10:30 pm, with The Batch (Barry Thomas Goldberg, Gary Paulak) on "Radio Rumpus Room" for Fresh Air Radio, "LIVE" on KFAI-FM Radio 90.3 (Minneapolis) & 103.7 (St. Paul).

• July 12, 7 – 11 pm at the Dakota County Music Café (Burnsville) 

• July 18, 8 pm – Midnight at Cue at the Guthrie (Minneapolis)

• July 23, 7 – 8 pm: at the Veteran's Memorial Amphitheater, Wolfe Park (St. Louis Park), 3700 Monterey Drive, St. Louis Park, 952-924-2540

• July 26, 9:30pm to 12:30 am at The Times Bar & Café (Minneapolis)

Nancy Harms

• July 1, 7 to 11 pm with Tanner Taylor, Graydon Peterson, and Spencer McGinnis at the Dakota (Minneapolis)

• July 5, 8-10 pm with Kristin Sponcia at Rudy's (Lakeville)

• July 18, 9 pm -1am with Rick Carlson, Matt Senjem, and Nathan Norman at Rossi’s (Minneapolis)

• July 19, 9 pm -1 am with Phil Aaron, Matt Peterson, and Spencer McGinnis at Rossi’s (Minneapolis)

Gregg Marquardt

• July 10, 7-10 pm with the Minnesota Jazz Orchestra at the Wabasha Street Caves (St. Paul)

Lucia Newell

• July 23, 9 pm, with quartet at the Artists Quarter (St Paul)

Christine Rosholt

• July 1, 7:30-10 pm with Beasley’s Big Band at O’Gara’s (St. Paul)

• July 2, Noon- 1 pm, with the Tanner Taylor Quartet on Northrop Plaza (U of M, Minneapolis)

• July 6, 7-8:30 pm with the Tanner Taylor Quartet at Como Park Pavillion (St Paul)

• July 7, 7-11 pm with the Tanner Taylor Quartet at the Dakota (Minneapolis)

• July 8 & 22, 8-11 pm at Babalu’s (Minneapolis)

• July 11 & 25, 7-10 pm with Tanner Taylor at Stones (Stillwater)

• July 17, 2008, 7-10 pm with Beasley’s Big Band (swing dance) at the Wabasha Street Caves (St Paul)

• July 18, 8-10 pm with the Chris Lomheim Trio at The Norton’s (Red Wing)

• July 19, 5:30 -7:45 pm & 9:45-11:45 pm with the Tanner Taylor Trio at Peavey Plaza Sommerfest (Minneapolis, Orchestra Hall)

• July 26, 1- 4 pm with the Tanner Taylor Trio outdoors at 50^th and France (Edina)

Aaron Keith Stewart

• Every Wednesday in July (2, 9, 16, 23, 30), Camp Bar (St. Paul)

• July 12 at Stones Restaurant & Lounge (Stillwater)

• July 19, 9:30 pm- 12:30 am at the Times Bar & Café (Minneapolis)

• July 20, Stones Restaurant & Lounge (Stillwater)

Donna Wilson

• July 4, 7 pm on the Minnesota Zephyr (Stillwater) 

• July 6, Noon on the Minnesota Zephyr (Stillwater)

• July 18, 8-11 pm, at Bella Sera (Maple Grove)

• July 19, Noon, on the Minnesota Zephyr (Stillwater)

• July 25, 8-11 pm with Paula Lammers and the Cloud Nine Orchestra at Knights of Columbus Hall (Bloomington)

• July 27, Noon on the Minnesota Zephyr (Stillwater) 

Venues

• 50^th and France – Edina; 952-922-1524; http://www.50thandfrance.com/home.html

• Artists Quarter – 408 St. Peter St, St Paul; www.artistsquarter.com

• Babalu’s - 800 Washington Ave N; 612-746-3158

• Bella Sera - 12730 Elm Creek Blvd., Maple Grove; www.bellaseramn.com

• Como Park Pavillion - 1199 Midway Parkway, St. Paul

• Cue at the Guthrie - 806 Second Ave., Minneapolis; 612-225-6499

• Dakota County Music Café - 14201 Nicollet Ave. So.(Holiday Inn), Burnsville; 952-435-2100

• Dakota Jazz Club – 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis; 612-332-1010; www.dakotacooks.com

• Knights of Columbus Hall - 1114 American Blvd. W, Bloomington

• Northrop Plaza - 84 Church Street SE, University of Minnesota Campus, Minneapolis; http://www1.umn.edu/umato/summer08_july.html

• O’Gara’s - 164 North Snelling Avenue, St Paul; 651-644-3333; www.ogaras.com

• Peavey Plaza – Minnesota Orchestra Hall, 11^th and Nicollet, Minneapolis; www.minnesotaorchestra.org

• Rossi’s Blue Star- 80 S. 9^th Street, Minneapolis; www.bluestarjazz.com

• Sage Wine Bar - 730 Main Street, Mendota Heights

• Stones - 324 S. Main St., Stillwater; www.stonesstillwater.com

• The Potters’ Shed – Shell Lake, WI; http://www.thepottersshed.com/the_potters_shed_shell_lake

• Thistles - 4168 West Broadway, Robbinsdale; 763-504-254

• The Times Bar & Café - 201 East Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis, 612-617-8098

• Veteran's Memorial Amphitheater, Wolfe Park, 3700 Monterey Drive, St. Louis Park; 952-924-2540

• Wabasha Street Caves – 215 S. Wabasha Street, St Paul; www.wabashastreetcaves.com

• Wednesdays on Main - Pioneer Park Plaza, 208th St W and Holyoke Av, Lakeville; http://downtownlakeville.com