Paquito D'Rivera©Andrea Canter

Nation-wide, April is Jazz Appreciation Month. And at the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis, there’s a lot of jazz to appreciate, from the iconic pairings of Chick Corea and Bela Fleck; John Scofield and Mike Stern; and Paquito D’Rivera and the Assad Brothers, to the high energy of the Doc Severinsen Big Band to the Ray Charles songbook delivered by Madeleine Peyroux.

Vinnie Rose©Andrea Canter

Recently, the jazz trio Triosé (Vinnie Rose, Jeremy Boettcher and Adrian Suarez) released their debut album, a collection of tunes drawn from live performances at Shanghai Bistro in Hudson and Eau Claire. The Eau Claire connection was vital, given that all three musicians are UW-Eau Claire alums. Now that Eau Claire connection extends even further as New York-based trumpeter, UW-EC grad John Raymond, joins Triosé for a live recording session at the Artists Quarter on April 4th.

Billy Holloman©Andrea Canter

“The Legend” returns to his old stomping ground; a New York favorite visits for a weekend; a Minnesota transplant visits from New York; Source Code ramps up with some new faces; KBEM launches its new Jazz Noir radio series; and Jazz Appreciation Month means no covers for students on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays through April.

Dave King Trucking Company©Andrea Canter

Having launched his Dave King Trucking Company in 2010, Dave King's schedule reads much like his famed drumming---nonstop! Aside from touring and performing with The Bad Plus, Happy Apple, and Halloween Alaska, King took time to form a trio with Bill Carrothers and Billy Peterson. In 2011, the Trucking Company released their first CD (Good Old Light) and toured on both sides of the Atlantic; they have appeared at the Walker Art Center, Artists Quarter, Studio Z, Dakota, and Icehouse in the Twin Cities; and last fall, laid down tracks for a second recording to be released later this year. Featuring Brandon Wozniak on saxes, Erik Fratzke on guitar, Adam Linz on bass, and of course King on drums, the concept of the Trucking Company sound, according to Dave, is as “if the great Nashville bands of the '60s and '70s could improvise and were Coltrane fanatics.” In other words, roots music meets sheets of sound?  Hear it for yourself this weekend (March 29-30) when the Dave King Trucking Company rolls into the Artists Quarter.

Bela Fleck and Chick Corea

At first glance, pairing piano master Chick Corea with banjo titan Bela Fleck might seem a bit far-fetched. But consider that both artists are among the living legends on their respective instruments; that Fleck was inspired by hearing Return to Forever—featuring Chick Corea; that both musicians have had significant affiliations with bassist Stanley Clarke. In 2007, these two artists came together to record The Enchantment, which went on to win a Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition (Fleck’s “Spectacle”) and prompted a successful tour. Now, five years later, the magic returns as Corea and Fleck bring their “enchantment” to the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis for one night, two sets, April 1st. This is no April Fooling!

Adam Meckler Orchestra©Andrea Canter

The line-up at Jazz Central this week (March 25-29) boasts considerable diversity from the newly launched to rising stars to long-time anchors on the Twin Cities scene and a recently transplanted veteran. There’s live music at Jazz Central at least four nights per week, from Monday night “shake ups” and jam sessions, Tuesday night Big Bands, and Thursday’s Vocal Nights. Wednesday anything goes, with Chris Bates curating a once-monthly improvisation and various other innovators taking the stage the rest of the month. And, this week, there’s also a special gig scheduled for Friday night.

Mac Santiago©Andrea Canter

On Sunday, March 24th from 2-3:30 pm, Twin Cities jazz veteran drummer and co-manager of Jazz Central, Mac Santiago, will lead an instructional  “Listening to Jazz” session at Jazz Central Studios. With pianist Ted Godbout and bassist Matt Peterson, the musicians will deconstruct two classic forms in jazz music, Blues and "Rhythm Changes," with the objective of giving the casual but curious jazz listener more of a handle on what's going on when musicians perform this great American art form. Prompted by non-musician and avid supporter of Jazz Central, Diego Ramallo, this workshop provides an opportunity to increase the casual listener’s appreciation and understanding of jazz through a somewhat non-historical, non-theoretical approach. Please come and enjoy this unique opportunity to learn more about jazz music and experience Jazz Central Studios.

Topics covered include the basic elements of jazz; hearing form and structure; groove, style and layers; composed versus improvised music, the solo, and an open Q&A. The workshop takes place at Jazz Central Studios (407 Central Av SE, Minneapolis). Suggested donation, $20 ($10 students).

Nakatani©Andrea Canter

Tatsuya Nakatani is a mystic of percussion. A native of Osaka based in Easton, PA, he’s not only a master of the standard trapset, but a genie who summons other worlds from a formidable arsenal of intended and unintended “instruments” – gongs, cymbals, sticks, mallets, bowls, boxes, bows – pretty much anything one can hold and hit, rub or scrape. My first two encounters with Nakatani were at the Rogue Buddha Gallery in northeast Minneapolis, a long narrow space that easily accommodated a three-sided array of gongs. In solo, Nakatani began at one end and gonged around the perimeter and back, like a thunderstorm that began with a low rumble, reached a peak of intensity in a shower of rain, and receded into mist.