Irv Williams 90th Birthday

Help Irv celebrate 90 years, with Special Guests The Steeles!

Irv Williams celebrates his 90th birthday doing what he does best-by playing a two hour concert. Chances are good he will have the youngest musical ideas on stage.
Irv Williams played his first paying gig on saxophone in the mid-1930s. It was in his native Arkansas. He was 15. “I got 75 cents. And I’ve been making money off it ever since.”

Over the decades Williams has had a lot of high profile jobs, including playing in female jazz pioneer Mary Lou Williams’ band and with Billy Eckstine. But he has chosen to stay in Minnesota rather that re-locate to New York’s musical scene, and we’re the richer for his choice.

Age is a state of mind, and Irv’s comes through in his horn – in a clear mellow, richly burnished tone as he plays music that defies any age.

Irv was named an Arts Midwest Jazz Master in 1995 – when he was only 76.

Gospel powerhouse family The Steeles will open the festivities in style. This group has garnered every major music award the state of Minnesota has to offer. Jevetta, Jearlyn, JD, Fred, and Billy grew up in Gary, Indiana. They sang together regularly as children, but took individual paths to get to Minneapolis, where they exploded onto the scene in the 80’s along with Prince, Jimmy Jam, and Morris Day. Their musical “The Gospel at Colonus,” developed with Morgan Freeman, took them to Broadway in 1988 and around the world soon after. Individual work in commercials and theater engagements has kept the family in the local and national spotlight, but the family rarely gets together en masse.

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