East meets West on the stage of jazz improvisation when the Walker Art Center presents Rez Abbasi’s Invocation ensemble in the McGuire Theater on Thursday, February 25. For this project, Pakistani guitarist Abbasi melds modern jazz and South Indian Carnatic traditions with support from a cast of internationally renowned artists–saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, pianist Vijay Iyer, […]
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A few days ago, I tried out the Austrian concert grand Bösendorfer piano that Crooners Lounge recently acquired after hearing a concert by pianist Bill Carrothers and it was amazing…It is a great spot to hear music with beautiful lighting, tons of windows, and yes, that spectacular Bösendorfer. — Steven Hobert Among creative Twin Cities musicians, guitarist Dean Magraw […]
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…expertly infused seductively narcotic writing with a mixture of brooding melody and rich texture. — Peter Margasak (New York Winter Jazz Fest, 2014) It was intended as a one-off at the 2014 New York Winter Jazz Fest, but the Ches Smith Trio generated too much buzz to ignore the potential for future collaboration. A few […]
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“Avant garde” jazz, or more generally “avant garde music” can be a scary label, one that can send mainstream ears scurrying for cover amid fears of harsh dissonance and incomprehensible, formless sound effects. The suggestion of “spontaneous improvisation” can generate similar discomfort — without planning, how do we prevent a train wreck? In my early […]
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The first St. Olaf College music ensemble to perform in Cuba, the Jazz Band directed by Dave Hagedorn received an invitation from the Cuban Ministry of Culture to present concerts in Havana and Matanzas, March 20-25. To help raise funds to offset expenses, there will be a fundraising afternoon of music at Crooners Lounge on […]
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