Agartha
A tribute to Electric Miles! Luke Polipnick, guitar (Madison, WI) Paul Krueger, trumpet (Lincoln, NE) Patrick Breiner, saxophone (Madison, WI) Bryan Nichols, keyboards Chris Bates, bass J.T. Bates, drums Enough has already been said about Miles Davis’s influence on the jazz world. For decades Davis stayed just on the cusp of what was new and [...]
Ben Vereen
Ben Vereen is unquestionably one of the giants of American theater. His appearances on Broadway and in films have become definitive performances, and he has taken his one-man shows all over the world. On Broadway, Ben Vereen has appeared in Wicked, Fosse, I’m Not Rappaport, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Pippin, Grind, Jelly’s Last Jam, and [...]
Epstein.Nichols.Boettcher
Bryan Nichols, piano Jeremy Boettcher, bass Jay Epstein, drums Minneapolis native Bryan Nichols moved back home a few years ago, and the scene hasn’t been the same since. While living in Chicago, he worked regularly with Von Freeman and Maurice Brown, among others. He was selected to be a resident at the Kennedy Center in [...]
Kelly Rossum Quartet-Farewell Weekend
Kelly Rossum, trumpet Bryan Nichols, piano Chris Bates, bass J.T. Bates, drums Kelly Rossum has singlehandedly engineered countless rewarding musical experiences to people of all ages in the Mpls/St. Paul area over the last 15 years. Sadly for us, the time has come for Rossum to explore the musical possibilities in the “Jazz Capital of [...]
Debbie Duncan and Dennis Spears
Two of the area’s most dynamic vocalists join for one swinging night! Debbie Duncan, the Twin cities “First Lady of Song” as she is so often referred to by media people, club owners and dj’s, is a stunning and versatile vocalist who captivates audiences and jazz musicians. Minneapolis Star Tribune reports, “She’s superb on funky [...]
Karrin Allyson shares her secrets at the Dakota
“A performance by vocalist and pianist Karrin Allyson is less a concert, more an exchange of confidences.” starts Pamela Espelund’s review, what follows is a great explanation of Karrin’s appeal, “It’s a warm and intimate experience and, if you happen to be there with your sweetheart, very romantic. She’s there to tell you all about [...]
Suzanne Vega
with special guests The Pines Suzanne Vega is one of the most brilliant songwriters of her generation. She single-handedly ignited the contemporary folk revival of the early 1980s with her acoustic guitar and clear, distinctive voice. Her performances steer clear of dramatic histrionics but are still emotional experiences, allowing listeners to focus on her masterful [...]
Benny & Bucky – Live At The Dakota
Benny & Bucky – Live At The Dakota Written by Mario Carrington Jazz musicians are among the most accomplished individuals in the art of “in the moment” conversations which require superior listening skills. This is most apparent in small group combinations, unless you are Bill Evans and able to have eloquent “Conversations With Myself.” In [...]
Hiromi leaves the Dakota awestruck
Hiromi leaves the Dakota awestruck Andrea Swensson wrote a review of Hiromi’s Sunday night performance in a City Pages Blog, saying, “The show was so stupendous that it’s nearly impossible to talk about her performance without treading in hyperbole.” She goes on to talk about the band members and their awesome contributions before pointing out, [...]
Monk In Motian
The music of Thelonious Monk played with the same twoguitar instrumentation as Paul Motian’s Electric Bebop Band. Zacc Harris, guitar Park Evans, guitar Scott Fultz, saxophone Chris Thomson, saxophone Chris Bates, bass J.T. Bates, drums Monk in Motian debuted as part of the Late at the Dakota series of weekend, after-hours performances by the area’s [...]