Pippi Ardennia©Andrea Canter

The PipJazz Sundays concert series at St. Paul’s Landmark Center continues on Sunday, December 4, with guest vocalist Esera Tuaolo and student guest artist, 16-year-old violinist Zosha Warpeha.  This series, headed by Chicago transplant Pippi Ardennia, features Ardennia on vocals and the “house band” of  pianist Peter Schimke, guitarist Jimi Behringer, bassist Billy Peterson and drummer Glenn Swanson. What is PipJazz? Coined by her fans in Chicago—she relocated to the Twin Cities about two years ago—Pippi notes that “PipJazz simply means ‘good music that makes you feel good.’” 

Pippi Ardennia has been singing publically since she was 13 years old, and has performed at many of Chicago's historic jazz venues, including the Burning Spear, High Chaparral, Capitol Theater, Mr. Kelly's, Rosebud on Rush, Redhead, Green Dolphin, Tavern Club and Symphony Center, as well as the Taste of Chicago. In Minneapolis, Pippi has performed at the Dakota Jazz Club, FACES, and the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. She’s sung for President Clinton, Chicago’s Mayor Daley, Tony Bennett and Liza Minnelli, and shared the stage with Freddie Hubbard, George Freeman, Billy Branch, Johnny Taylor and more. “I used to think of myself as a ‘song stylist,’ rather than a jazz singer,” says Pippi. “I was a storyteller more than a technical singer. But after forty years, I think of myself as a real singer. But it’s about the emotion, the feeling.”

Pippi’s forthcoming CD, Love So Good, provided the impetus for the concert series. Landmark Center had the right ingredients for a monthly venue—a beautiful theater within an historic building in the heart of St. Paul, with nearby restaurants, museums, park spaces—family-friendly.  Supported by a private donor, the first show on June 12th featured Pippi with special guest vocalist, Rockie Robbins. The audience response was everything she had hoped for, said Pippi, and particularly she noted that “kids were inspired by the music.” Since the first concert, Pippi has welcomed guests singer/actress Jamecia Bennett, vocalist Patty Peterson, violinist Gary Schulte, and saxophonist Irv Williams. At the November concert, PipJazz initiated a new component of the program featuring youth musicians. Three students, ages 13-17, performed as the guest artists on November 13th, and going forward, each concert will feature a student guest on at least one tune. The youth program is cosponsored by the Twin Cities Jazz Society and Walker West Music Academy. 

Esera Tuaolo

Esera Tuaolo

Tualolo sang the National Anthem for each of his five NFL teams and, in 1996, participated in two recording projects pairing NFL stars with music stars, yielding the albums NFL Country and NFL Jam. “I was paired with Ritchie Rich from the Dog Pound production and Jizsum from the Whoo Tang Clan, as well as Lari White and Bryan White.” On his own, Esera’s self-titled first album draws from pop, rock, R&B and hip hop, flavored by his Samoan heritage. “I worked with producer and songwriter David Kellogg for this project,” says Esera, “which will hopefully help to break the stereotype that football players cannot sing.” And for certain, his performance on Sundy at Landmark Center will end that stereotype once and for all! 

Zosha Warpeha

Zosha Warpeha©Andrea Canter

PipJazz Sundays concerts begin at 5 pm in the Weyerhauser Auditorium at Landmark Center, 75 West 5th Street in downtown St. Paul. Tickets and information at www.pipjazz.com. The 2012 PipJazz Sundays concert season begins March 11, 2012 and runs through December. 
 

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