Jazz Police

© Andrea Canter Folky-jazzy vocalist and songwriter Claudia Schmidt has performed at least a few times in the past decade at the Dakota with local guitar hero Dean Magraw. Both inclined to infuse their eclectic music with humor, it’s a pairing that is guaranteed to please a wide audience. Add in pianist Bryan Nichols–here the […]

  © Andrea Canter Five nights per week (Tuesday-Saturday), you can hear not just one great band, but two at Vieux Carre in downtown St. Paul. The opening set is usually a solo or duo showcase, and often the spotlight is on one of the veteran artists of the Twin Cities jazz scene. This no-cover […]

“The PHQ is a true, seasoned ensemble laying down a musical vision with common purpose.”—Pat Courtemanche © Andrea Canter Twin Cities jazz fans may not always appreciate our great fortune—to live in a community blessed with some of the finest musicians in the country, artists who have played with such legends as Charlie Rouse, Kenny […]

© Andrea Canter ‘No one sounds quite like Barth. His solos are characterized by robust swing, his ability to tell a story, and by his rich, beguiling sound.” –Zan Stewart, Newark Star Ledger   A favorite of Tony Bennett, pianist for the likes of Stanley Turrentine and Terell Stafford, and long-time faculty at Temple University, […]

© Andrea Canter It feels cold again but really it just normal February in Minnesota! Our options in jazz are perhaps even warmer than normal this week, which might cause some frustration as we can’t be in two venues at once. We have some amazing talents visiting (Ben Allison Trio, Jack DeJohnette, Ravi Coltrane, Matthew […]