National Touring Artists (shows at 7 and 9:30 pm unless otherwise noted) 

April 6–7, Judy Collins. Remember the 60s? Remember “Both Sides Now,” “Send in the Clowns,” and “Suzanne?” Even if you don’t remember folksinger Judy Collins, you are undoubtedly close to someone who does. Bring him or her along to the Dakota and recall the golden era of singer/songwriters. 

April 8, Alex Cuba (7 pm only). Growing up near Havana, as Alexis Puentes, Alex “Cuba” studied guitar, percussion and particularly bass until he won a national songwriting competition at 18. Even then, he continued primarily as a bassist with such leaders as Roberto Fonseca. Relocated to British Columbia in 1999, he recorded original compositions with his twin brother, receiving a nomination for Canada’s Juno Award in 2001. Ultimately he moved away from traditional Cuban music to a hybrid world music, and with the Alex Cuba Band won the Juno in 2006 for World Music Album; switching to electric guitar, his music continued to evolve, and he picked up another Juno in the World Music category in 2008. 

April 11, Marco Benevento (8 pm only).  Acoustic piano turned inside out! Named a 2009 Artist to Watch by the LA Times, Berklee graduate Marco Benevento fuses deconstructions of indie rock hits with true jazz chops. Based in New York, Benevento had a long-running residency at Tonic and fruitful collaboration (on organ and electric piano) with jam band artist Joe Russo. On his latest recording, Benevento’s arsenal included amplified distorted acoustic piano, circuit bent toys, Mellotron and Optigan. Little wonder his trio recently opened for the Bad Plus! 

April 12, John Scofield’s Piety Street Band. Forget those Easter Egg hunts! This holiday night you can enjoy a little gospel from one of modern music’s most innovative guitarists, joining forces now with Bonnie Raitt/New Orleans’ blues pianist Jon Cleary, Meters’ bassist George Porter, Jr., and Bonnie Raitt drummer Ricky Fataar. Notes Don Berryman, “The resulting rich, bluesy, down-home gospel sound is atypical for Scofield, but his mastery of the music is evident and his characteristic guitar styling fits so well it sounds like he's been playing this music forever.” (Click here for a brief review of the new release, Piety Street.) 

April 14, Lionel Louke. (7 pm and 10:30 pm). Winner of the 2008 Downbeat Rising Star Guitar (Critics’ Poll), Lionel Loueke brings more than guitar chops to his music—he sings, and simultaneously produces clicking mouth percussion over his syncopated chords. The native of Benin in West Africa did not pick up guitar until he was 17, although he grew up listening to his older brother play. But a George Benson CD steered him away from reliance on the Afro-pop music he heard growing up, and he soon worked his way into a jazz program in Paris, then earned a scholarship to Berklee in Boston. After Berklee he was accepted in the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles; mentors included Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Terence Blanchard, with whom he began touring. Currently he tours with Hancock and leads his own trio; his most recently release (Karibu) includes both Hancock and Shorter. 

April 15-16, Sara Watkins. (7 pm only).  An alum of the Grammy-winning acoustic trio Nickel Creek, singer/songwriter/fiddler Sara Watkins recently launched her solo career including her debut recording. Also proficient on ukulele and guitar, Watkins appears on five studio albums with Nickel Creek. 

April 17-18, Bruce Henry (8 pm only). We have to count him as a national touring artist these days, ever since silky baritone Bruce Henry moved back to his native Chicago last summer. Fortunately he comes “home” frequently and usually makes a stop at the Dakota where he reunited with his sympathetic band. Bruce has an elegant and elastic voice, an inherent sense of swing, and an on-stage presence that is at once commanding and electrifying. 

April 21-23, Steve Tyrell. One of the most successful musicians in the business, Grammy winner and Emmy nominee Steve Tyrell has proven his mettle not only as a singer but also as a producer, songwriter and music supervisor. A teen prodigy as an R&B singer, he moved to New York at 19 and soon was launching his career through a long-time alliance with the team of Bacharach and David. He continued in film music after moving to LA and joining forces with Barry Mann. Rediscovered as a singer in the early 1990s, he released a number of albums, most importantly Back to Bacharach in 2008. 

April 24-25, Robin McKelle (8 pm only). With two CDs on her resume, singer Robin McKelle traces her “jazz, blues and soul” influences to Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Donny Hathaway and Marvin Gaye. Jazziz noted that she “gives the words lilt, meaning and swing.” This tour finds her taking the stages at Cleveland’s Nighttown, Washington’s Blues Alley, and Indianapolis’ Jazz Kitchen in addition to the Dakota. 

April 26-27, Ben Sidran. A member of the Steve Miller Band and composer of the hit “Space Cowboy,” pianist/vocalist/composer/producer Ben Sidran has over two dozen solo recordings to his credit as well as hosting NPR’s Jazz Alive and VH1’s New Visions. Sidran has produced projects for Van Morrison, Diana Ross, Mose Allison and Jon Hendricks and wrote the score for the film Hoop Dreams. Although he holds a doctorate in American Studies and has authored two books about jazz, Sidran has largely concentrated on performing throughout his long career. A night with Ben Sidran is always entertaining, and here he is joined by Ricky Peterson, Billy Peterson and Gordy Knudtson. 

April 28, Kelley Johnson (7 pm only). Seattle-based vocalist Kelley Johnson has served as a Jazz Ambassador—her quartet was chosen by Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2007 and by the Kennedy Center in 2004 for lengthy tours for the US State Department. Winner in 2003 of the International Jazzconnect Vocal Competition, Kelley’s Live at Birdland was listed as a Blue Chip jazz vocal album for 2004 by the Jazz Education Journal. Kelley’s career was jump-started in the late 1980s when she was mentored by the great Mark Murphy. Impressed with her talent, Murphy noted that “In a world of noise, yahoo, and recorded B.S., the first thing you hear here is none of that. It’s because this girl knows she is a jazz singer and doesn’t have to do anything else!” Since then she has released a number of recordings with such stars as Fred Hersch, Geoffrey Keezer, Steve Wilson, Larry Grenadier, Lewis Nash and Ingrid Jensen. Click here for a brief review of her 2008 release, Home. 

Locally Sustainable Jazz and More (7 pm; 8 pm Friday/Saturday unless otherwise noted; most covers $5). 

April 1, Debbie Duncan. No April Fooling.... Debbie is one of the best jazz singers you will hear at the Dakota or anywhere else....from anywhere. It’s always a good night to hear Debbie. 

April 2, Benny Weinbeck. Benny seldom has time for a club gig so enjoy this rare treat from one of the area’s top pianists. 

April 3, Davina and the Vagabonds. Soul, pop, blues..... Davina and company are as entertaining as they are skillful. 

April 4, Alison Scott. Another rising star vocalist with a pop and soul bent. 

April 5, The Girls (6 pm). A quartet of great voices and cheerful banter, with Lori Dokken, Judy Donaghy, Erin Schwab and Patty Peterson. 

April 9, Snowblind. A brass quintet with bass and drums and some of the most exquisite horns around—Shilad Sen, Scott Agster, Adam Rossmiller, Graydon Peterson and Reid Kennedy. 

April 10, Druscilla Abernathy & BKS Vine. A quartet that will burn and bake with jazz, gospel and R&B. 

April 13, Christine Rosholt. A singer who keeps reinventing her repertoire, keeping the songs fresh and sassy.  

April 19, Hot Club Sunday with Connie Evingson (6 pm). In addition to her two acclaimed hot club recordings, Connie has performed recently in Seattle with Pearl Django and will soon debut with the Hot Club of Detroit at Nighttown in Cleveland. But we get to hear her often at the Dakota, usually with either the Twin Cities Hot Club or Parisota Hot Club.  

April 20, Nachito Herrera and Kelly Rossum. Take one firecracker, light both ends! Cuban transplant and pianist extraordinaire Nachito Herrera recently returned from a two-month tour with the Afro Cuban All-Stars. Eclectic and creative trumpeter Kelly Rossum will take his talents to New York come fall, leaving gaps in such bands as the Pete Whitman X-Tet and Out to Lunch Quintet. Put these two MacPhail instructors on the same stage and we likely will see our fire insurance canceled. A rare opportunity to enjoy this duo. 

April 29, The Dakota Trio. A great house band for a great house—Tanner Taylor, Gordy Johnson and Phil Hey light up the night. 

April 30, Prudence Johnson. From Edna St. Vincent Millay to Hoagy Carmichael, Prudence has covered the gamut of American song and lyric. It’s been a while, so let’s welcome her back to the Dakota in style. 

Late Night at the Dakota (Friday/Saturday, 11:30 pm–1:30 am)

One of the best reasons to stay out late—the new, experimental and often edgy ensembles of Late Night!  

• April 3, Little Black Blondie
• April 4, Nick Haas Trio
• April 10, Tampered Seals
• April 11, Gutbucket
• April 17, Maya Azucena
• April 18, Counterclockwise
• April 24, Monk in Motian
• April 25, Patrick Harrison Trio

 

Coming Soon!

• May 3, Brad Mehldau
• May 5–6, Eric Bibb
• May 12–13, Delfeayo Marsalis
• May 17, Jazz Piano Scholarship Competition (finals)
• May 19, Janis Siegel
• May 24, Rondi Charleston
• May 29-30, Estaire Godinez
• June 21–22, Hiromi
• July 5-6, Roseanne Cash

 
 

The Dakota is located at 1010 Nicollet Mall, in downtown Minneapolis. Information and online tickets at www.dakotacooks.com