Jay Young©Andrea Canter

With the Twin Cities Jazz Festival’s guest artists and jams barely behind us, the Artists Quarter continues in the spirit of celebration with an all-star line-up for July. With at least 87 of 97 festival acts sporting local musicians (and can we count Jon Weber as local? How about the Bad Plus?), it’s clear that the Twin Cities boasts one of the most vibrant local jazz scenes in the country; and one needs to look only at the Artists Quarter’s monthly line-up for confirmation. July is a good case in point, a cavalcade of local talent bolstered just a bit by two imports, one a Minnesota native, another a Minnesota college alum. So if you are still in festival mode, you’re in the right place.

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

Note that the Artists Quarter is closed for vacation from July 4-8.

John Raymond©Andrea Canter

July 15, Tribute to Elliot Fine (7 pm). The life of acclaimed percussionist/educator Elliot Fine will be celebrated with music from the Marv Dahlgren Quartet, Wolverines, and Milo Fine, among others. Fine passed away last month, leaving behind many former students who will share memories with their music.

Dan Cavanagh and Dave Hagedorn©Andrea Canter

July 20-21, Laura Caviani Quartet with Pete Whitman. We see a lot of both Laura and Pete at the Artists Quarter, but rarely together outside of the X-Tet. But adding a saxophone to a top-notch piano trio is never a bad thing. (Just ask The Bad Plus!) Laura’s playbook is filled with exciting original compositions as well as arrangements of her favorites, like Monk, Horace Silver, Mary Lou Williams, and even Debussy and Bach.

July 27-28, Jay Young and the Lyric Factory, Music of Herbie Hancock and Earth, Wind and Fire ($12). Too often a sideman rather than leader in his own right, bassist Jay Young brings his Lyric Factory back to the Artists Quarter for a night of music from two of the giants of modern music. Last year he presented the music of Stevie Wonder, and it was a wonder! With cohorts like Kevin Washington and voices from McNally Smith, the Lyric Factory successfully straddles jazz, fusion, and R&B with amazing energy. And Jay plays a mean bass, acoustic or electronic.

Laura Caviani©Andrea Canter

Weeknights at the AQ typically mean local music and low covers—two things that make the AQ the hotspot for jazz in the metro area. Check the AQ online calendar for a few late scheduled gigs.

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 Chris Gray on drums. Soap Boxing Slam on July 2 at 8 pm ($5).

Tuesdays, Cory Wong Quartet (7 pm, no cover). Weekly B-3 Organ Night has ended but the early show at 7 pm with the Cory Wong Quartet continues, followed by a local favorite (9 pm, $5). Plan to come down early for one of the hottest young guitarists in the region and stick around for the rest of the fun.

Pete Whitman©Andrea Canter

July 3, Zacc Harris Quartet. The busiest musician in town? Zacc leads numerous bands, including the Atlantis Quartet, Zacc Harris Trio, Vital Organ, and more, and when he is not leading a band he turns up on bandstands throughout the metro. The quartet – with Bryan Nichols, Jeremy Boettcher and Greg Schutte—is surely one of the most exciting small ensembles in the region.

July 10, Lulu’s Playground Featuring Adam Meckler. An ensemble with a unique configuration—trumpet (Adam Meckler), cello (Cory Grossman), accordion (Steve Hobert), and guitar (Evan Montgomery)—traces its origins to Lawrence University’s Music Conservatory. Eclectic in many ways, the band has worked in jazz, salsa, orchestra, improvisation and hallway jam contexts, continuing their own brand of mayhem in the Twin Cities.

July 11, Kristin Sponcia Quartet. On the faculty at McNally Smith College of Music, pianist/vocalist/arranger Kristin Sponcia offers unique interpretations of jazz standards and contemporary favorites. A regular soloist at the Nicollet Island Inn, she has accompanied local vocalists like Arne Fogel and Lee Engele, performed at Carnegie Hall with the Phil Mattson Singers, and spent three months in Shenyang, China as a pianist/vocalist.

July 12, Dave Karr Quartet. A monthly fixture at the Artists Quarter, Dave was on the Sixth Street Stage with Lucia Newell during festival weekend, showing off his talents on both tenor sax and flute. Dave’s a long-standing member of the JazzMN Orchestra, Pete Whitman X-Tet, and a favorite among local vocalists. Aside from his monster bebop chops, Dave has a flair for stand-up comedy and never misses a chance for a wisecrack.

July 17, Zack Lozier and Chris Lomheim Trio. Here's a new pairing, trumpeter Zack Lozier (Jack Brass, Chris Bates Quintet, Adam Meckler Orchestra) and veteran pianist Chris Lomheim. Both are extremely versatile, making their set list hard to predict and easy to enjoy.

July 18, Valve Meets Slide.  Two virtuosic trombonists, Dave Graf on slide, Brad Bellows on valve, and a steady rhythm section to keep it all in line.

July 24, Framework. Framework is an innovative trio, with guitarist Chris Olson, bassist Chris Bates and drummer Jay Epstein. Surowicz says it best: “Chamber jazz that is both cerebral and visceral, electric and acoustic, with sublime compositions, enviable empathy and …a distinct sound that's always very melodic and sometimes gutsy and rock-inflected.”

Miguell Hurtado&Andrea Canter

July 26, X-Tet ($8). It’s not a big band, it’s not a small chamber group—it’s ten of the most original voices in local jazz, led by saxophonist Pete Whitman. They take the bandstand at the AQ nearly monthly, spilling into the first row of tables with such dominant jazz forces as Laura Caviani, Dave Hagedorn, Dave Milne, Phil Hey, Adam Meckler and more.

July 31, Phil Hey Quartet. It’s the Modern Jazz Quartet configuration but the similarity pretty much stops there. With pianist Phil Aaron, bassist Tom Lewis, vibes master Dave Hagedornm and leader/drummer Phil Hey, the PHQ is rewriting the post-bop songbooks of Miles, Ornette, Wayne Shorter and more.

Coming Soon!

• August 2, TCJS Young Artists new season, Emerson Hunton Jazz Experience
  

• August 3, Pat Mallinger
• August 4, Atlantis Quartet

• August 9, Joann Funk Tribute to Blossom Dearie
  

The Artists Quarter is located at 408 St Peter Street in downtown St Paul, lower level of the Hamm Building; 651-292-1359; www.artistsquarter.com Park on-street (free after 4:30 pm) or in the Macy’s Ramp ($3 after 5 pm).

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