Bill Carrothers©Andrea Canter

The Artists Quarter is closed for the Fourth of July weekend, but there will be plenty of fireworks this month as the AQ presents jazz most every other night. Special highlights in July include Bill Carrothers and his European Trio, making their first stop of a three-city tour that ends with a week at the Village Vanguard in New York. Also on the schedule—the long awaited reunion of the Illicit Sextet, CD release from the Zacc Harris Trio, and a rare AQ appearance from Chris Morrissey.  

Special Performance, Bill Carrothers’ European Trio, July 9 (9 pm, $10)

After Edina native Bill Carrothers relocated to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, he began accumulating frequent flyer miles by criss-crossing the Atlantic, performing throughout Europe, often in the company of Belgian bassist Nic Thys and drummer Dru Pallemaerts. And it’s a most comfortable association, with the trio recording I Love Paris in 2005 (Pirouet).  In addition to his own long discography and frequent appearances at European venues and festivals, Bill has played with many of the best—Joe Beck, Curtis Fuller, Eric Gravatt, Lee Konitz, Dewey Redman, Bill Stewart and more. His winter 2008 visit recreated his acclaimed epic Armistice 1918, one of the outstanding music events of the year. But perhaps it is in the trio setting that one can most appreciate his quirky sense of humor, creative approach to the piano (inside and outside), Evanescent touch, and constant reinvention of every melody, even his own. First the AQ, then the Green Mill in Chicago, and then the legendary Village Vanguard in Manhattan. See them here first!

Weekends (9 pm, $10 cover unless otherwise noted)

Debbie Duncan©Andrea Canter

July 17-18, Pete Whitman Quartet. Thank Pete for reuniting one of the most powerful rhythm sections in town last February—Peter Schimke, Jeff Bailey and Kevin Washington! He once toured with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, but in the Twin Cities we think of Pete Whitman as the horn behind the X-Tet and leader of woodwinds at McNally Smith. Of course his credentials go far beyond, including a long tenure with the JazzMN Big Band and musical associations with Andres Prado, Laura Caviani, Lucia Newell and more. A graduate of jazz studies at North Texas State University, Pete’s credits on tenor, alto and flute also include performing with Randy Brecker, Jack McDuff, and the Woody Herman Orchestra. With the X-Tet he released Where’s When. And “Where” is the AQ and “When” is 9 pm! 

Illicit Sextet (1993)

July 31-August 1, Chris Morrissey Quartet ($12).  Equally adept at indie rock and jazz, Chris Morrissey has the chops on both bass and vocals. While he has appeared with Haley Bonar, Andrew Bird and Mason Jennings, perhaps this quartet will prove to be the most electrifying of all—with Michael Lewis, Bryan Nichols and Dave King. 

Weeknights (9 pm, $5 cover unless otherwise noted)

The AQ has jazz six nights per week and sometimes on Sundays. 

Chris Morrrissey©John Whiting

Other Mondays, Headspace (7- 9 pm), Open Poetry With Live Jazz (9 pm) (no cover). Replacing the long running Green, some of the faces will look familiar. Headspace features Rob Dewey on piano, Nick Haas on guitar, Rich Casey on bass and Spencer McGinnis on drums. 

Tuesdays with the Tuesday Night Band (early set—7 pm, no cover with Schmidt/Wong/ Meyer/Mussleman/Pena). B-3 Organ Night with the Tuesday Night Band features “Downtown” Bill Brown on Hammond B-3, along with Billy Franze on guitar 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. (No cover after 11 pm). Tuesday night expands with an exciting band featuring Zach Schmidt, Cory Wong, Dan Musselman and Andy Schuster playing an early show at 7 pm (no cover). These young, talented musicians provide the perfect starter for AQ's longest-standing engagement.  

Wednesdays, early set, Tefsa Quartet (7 -9 pm, no cover). Super student band includes Dejen Tesfagiorgis, saxophones; Adam Meckler, trumpet; Jesse Mueller, piano; Adam Tucker, bass; and Jaky Nyberg, drums. A perfect warm up to whatever comes next! 

July 1, Oz Night ($8) 

July 2, Joe Smith Quartet. Veteran saxman will blow you away. 

July 8, Atlantis Quartet (8 pm). Four of the area’s strongest improvisers will take you on journeys near and far. Featuring Brandon Wozniak on sax, Zacc Harris on guitar, Chris Bates on bass and Pete Hennig on drum. 

July 15, How Birds Work. One of the AQ’s most popular creative bands, How Birds Work is the collaboration of four well-known area musicians—guitarist Dean Granros, bassist Chris Bates, pianist Peter Schimke, and drummer Kenny Horst. Sophisticated, often subtle, always working toward the edge from a firm foundation, How Birds Work offers multiple layers of challenge to the listener. 

July 16, Phil Hey Quartet. Put four eclectic and electrifying musicians on stage—pianist Phil Aaron, bassist Tom Lewis, vibes master Dave Hagedorn and drummer/ leader Phil Hey—and you get volcanic activity. A former student of Ed Blackwell and Marv Dahlgren, Phil has toured with Dewey Redman and more recently, Stacey Kent, including a gig at Birdland in Manhattan in May. Phil manages the trapsets for the Out to Lunch Quintet, Pete Whitman X-Tet, and small ensembles led by the area’s top bandleaders. But his own quartet is where Phil shines most, and the PHQ’s release Subduction garnered Best of the Year awards in 2006. 

Zacc Harris©Andrea Canter

July 23, Dave Karr Quartet. We love to see Dave bring out the big bari, show off his (always) red socks, and wisecrack his way through a set, but most of all, we just love Dave’s music, a “fluid style [that] is both exciting and elegant” (Don Berryman, Jazz Police). Whether playing with the JazzMN Big Band, Pete Whitman’s X-tet, backing vocalists like Connie Evingson or Christine Rosholt, gathering steam with his Mulligan Stew, or on stage with his quartet, Dave is always a consummate entertainer.  

Pete Whitman©Andrea Canter

July 30, Pete Whitman X-Tet ($8). Two doses of Pete Whitman in one month! Saxophone titan Whitman brought ten musicians together for a single recording session in 2002 (Where’s When), and the rest is history. Nearly every month you can find the X-Tet performing at the AQ. Wrote reviewer Bret Rudolph (Music Tap), “The music is something of a puzzle that waits for the listener to put the pieces together…The chords are well defined and exceptionally detailed allowing the listener to not only experience the excitement but hear the synergy between the different instruments and musicians alike.” And it’s a who’s who of Twin Cities jazz that spills off the AQ stage into the first row. So sit in the second row and enjoy! 

The Artists Quarter is located at 408 St. Peter Street in the lower level of the Hamm Building; www.artistsquarter.com or 651-292-1359. 
 

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