Bobby Peterson

February brings the end of the Winter Carnival, Valentine’s Day, and plenty of great jazz to the Twin Cities. At the Artists Quarter, enjoy the return of The Five, the 4th annual Bobby Peterson Memorial Piano Showcase, our at-least-annual visit from pianist Rick Germanson, the always enjoyable “raw bones” encounter of Slide Versus Valve, a special Sunday of “Carnival” in Rio, a Valentine’s Day with Music by Lovers, and a CD release/homecoming with young rising star drummer Matt Slocum. 

Weekends (Sets at 9 pm, $10 unless otherwise noted)

February 5-6, The Five. The Five give local audiences a glimpse of the best of bebop and beyond, bringing together a quintet of purveyors of modern chamber jazz a la Blakey, MJQ and early Herbie Hancock. The repertoire is largely original works, many penned by AQ owner Kenny Horst. These guys don’t get together that often so this weekend is a rare treat indeed, with Horst, Dave Karr, Steve Kenny, Tom Lewis and Mikkel Romstad. On a scale of one to five, indeed these are The Five! 

February 12-13, 4th Annual Bobby Peterson Memorial Piano Showcase. Probably there is no area pianist who influenced so many others in the Twin Cities. When Bobby Peterson passed away in 2002, we lost a great musician, teacher and friend. He started out on keys for the Buddy Rich Orchestra at only 21, and when he returned home, he was regularly on the piano bench at the AQ. Now in its fourth year, this annual event showcases six of the area’s best, with Laura Caviani, Chris Lomheim and Tommy O’Donnell on Friday night, followed by Jimmy Hamilton, Mikkel Romstad and Peter Schimke on Saturday night. 

February 14th, Music by Lovers—4 Romantic Duos (7 pm; $15, $25/couple). Led by Lisa Wenger and Billy Larson, this evening brings romantic combinations to the stage to help make this an unforgettable Valentine’s night. 

Matt Slocum

February 21, Joan Griffith, Lucia Newell and Friends Celebrate Brazilian Carnival (7 pm). Long–time collaborators Joan (guitar and mandolin) and Lucia (vocals) always conjure the warm breezes and rhythms of Brazil. It’s been 15 years since they released Enter You, Enter Love, but the intervening years have been filled with stellar performances of classic standards and original music, as well as partnerships with other area musicians who share a flare for the sounds of Rio and beyond. Get into the carnival mood with a Sunday night of intimate, tropical music. 

Rick Germanson©Andrea Canter

Week Day Nights of Locally Sustainable Jazz (9 pm, $5 unless otherwise noted)

Mondays, Headspace (7- 9 pm), Open Poetry With Live Jazz (9 pm) (no cover). Headspace features Rob Dewey on piano, Nick Haas on guitar, Rich Casey on bass and Spencer McGinnis on drums. First Monday (February 1) is Soap Boxing Poetry Slam at 8 pm. $5 cover. 

Tuesdays with the Tuesday Night Band (early set—7 pm, no cover with the Cory Wong Quartet). 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 gets an early st art 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.  

Joan Griffith©Andrea Canter

February 3, Slide versus Valve. Slide trombonist Dave Graf goes head to head with valve trombonist Brad Bellows as the two hornmen and their rhythm section reunite for an exciting night of bop and beyond. 

February 4, Tanner Taylor Trio. Tanner Taylor left his native Iowa about 7 years ago and the Twin Cities Jazz scene has not been the same since. Despite his first-call status for area vocalists and visiting stars, fronting his own trio allows Tanner to truly break free and reveal the power and finesse that brought him gigs back in his early teens. 

February 10, Dan Musselman Quartet. Young piano whiz teams up with equally exciting saxman Brandon Wozniak, bassist Adam Linz and drummer Jay Epstein for an evening of original compositions and inventive covers. 

February 11, How Birds Work. One of the AQ’s most popular and 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.

February 17, George Avaloz Quartet. Native of West St. Paul, drummer George Avaloz always assembles a fiery band, including saxman Jim Marentic, bassist Ron Evaniuk and pianist Mikkel Romstad. 

February 18, 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.  

Gary Berg©Andrea Canter

February 25, Gary Berg Quartet. Hard bopper on all saxes and chromatic harmonica, Gary is the real deal! Notes Don Berryman (Jazz Police), “He lets the bop riffs ride on a groove that’s true to the music and the feeling.” Gary’s long been heard on recordings of area artists including Carole Martin, Billy Holloman, Paula Lammers and George Avaloz; he often sits in with the Tuesday Night Band and leads his own quartet on rare nights like this. 

Coming Soon!

• March 6, a special night with Matt Wilson’s Arts and Crafts
• March 21, a Twin Cities Jazz Society “Jazz From J to Z” concert with Pooch’s Playhouse

The Artists Quarter is located at 408 St. Peter Street in downtown St. Paul; www.artistsquarter.com  
 

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