Jazz fans and the jazz-curious have three opportunities to sample top talents from the local and international scene in the coming month, and the music is all free! The 27th annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival starts the “parade” June 20-21 with headliners Emmet Cohen & the Four Freshmen, Catherine Russell with Sean Mason, Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans, and LA Buckner. Two weeks later (July 4-6), 300 miles south, it’s the 34th annual Iowa City Jazz Festival featuring Stefon Harris and Blackout. And the following weekend in Northfield (July 12-13), it’s the second annual Northfield Jazz Festival featuring Miguel Zenon/Luis Perdamo in a much-anticipated duo performance, with a who’s who of area jazz giants filling out the weekend.
27th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival, June 20-21, Mears Park and Beyond, St Paul. From its single stage beginnings on Peavy Plaza back in 1999 through its various transitions from downtown Minneapolis to a true Twin Cities venture and its most recent St. Paul-centric weekend, the annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival has been one of the Upper Midwest’s highlights of free and outstanding music. Following Steve Heckler’s 25-year run, Executive Director Dayna Martinez took the reins in 2024, and returns with another outstanding and diverse line-up of artists, noting “I look forward to welcoming everyone to Mears Park for the biggest Jazz Party of the year!”
The party, with AARP again the primary sponsor, officially runs June 20-21 with the Jazz 88 Main Stage at Mears Park. Expanding across the metro, jazz is also featured from Crooners in Fridley to The Cedar Cultural Center in south Minneapolis, to the St Paul Hotel downtown, and to Schmitt Music in Bloomington, as well at new venues this year, including The Berlin in the Minneapolis’ “North Loop,” Zamboni’s on 7th, and Lowertown’s White Squirrel. Dayna Martinez also notes the addition of Great River Passage Conservancy: “We’re partnering with Great River Passage Conservancy on a River Stage in Upper Landing Park, which is right across Shepard Road from the Science Museum. It will be a stage with the Mississippi River in the background. Great River received a Cultural STAR grant from the City of St Paul to produce a River Stage for the Jazz Fest, and then they will have another concert there in August.”
The full schedule, including preview events on Thursday, June 19 and a couple more on Sunday, June 22, can be found on the festival website at www.twincitiesjazzfestival.com . In addition to headliners on the Jazz 88 Main Stage at Mears Park and a variety of jazz performances at other venues, note student performances on two youth stages this year (Metronome Brewery and Walker West Youth Stage at Saint City), including master classes by headliners Catherine Russell and Doreen Ketchens. Another new feature this year, actually through the full month of June, is the juried exhibition “Art of Jazz” at the Dow Art Gallery on University Ave (St Paul). The reception for this diverse show of local jazz-inspired art will be held on June 12 (4-7 pm), but the exhibit continues during business hours through June 30.
Headliners and Main Stage Acts
Adi Yeshaya Jazz Orchestra Featuring Jennifer Grimm (Friday June 20, 4 pm, Jazz 88 Main Stage at Mears Park). A long-time mainstay on the Twin Cities and national jazz scenes as pianist, arranger, composer and bandleader, Israeli native Adi Yeshaya recently re-launched his acclaimed jazz orchestra, featuring top musicians from the metro and featuring one of our most in-demand vocalists, Jennifer Grimm. Their talents have gained national attention with a performance last fall at New York City’s Birdland, where they will return in September.
Doreen’s New Orleans (Friday, June 20, 6 pm, Jazz 88 Mainstage at Mears Park). When asked what she was most looking forward to this year, Executive Director Dayna Martinez noted that “I’m especially excited to have Doreen Ketchens and her band as headliners on the Jazz88 Main Stage. Doreen is a clarinet virtuoso direct from New Orleans and has been featured on 60 Minutes and, most recently, opened up CBS Sunday Morning, playing the iconic theme song for their episode that was focused on the art and culture of NOLA.” As the quartet has done throughout the world, Doreen’s Jazz will bring the history, energy, and fun of New Orlean’s jazz to Mears Park. (See a Jazz Police review of Doreen’s Jazz from Dan Emerson at http://www.jazzpolice.com/archives/18160.)
Emmett Cohen with the Four Freshmen (Friday June 20, 8:30pm, Jazz 88 Main Stage at Mears Park). Barely into his 30s, pianist Emmett Cohen may soon rival Jon Weber for most Twin Cities Jazz Fest appearances, having led his trio at Mears Park in 2018, 2019 ,2021, 2022, growing his local fan base each time. Emmet launched a weekly jazz set from his apartment throughout COVID (still going!) which has further increased his market value, as has his series of recordings with “Masters” like Ron Carter and Tootie Heath. A true prodigy, Cohen is now acclaimed internationally as performer and educator. A finalist in the 2011 Monk International Piano Competition, he was the 2019 American Pianists Award winner. With his trio, he makes “virtuosic breathtaking music carefree and entertaining.” a “visceral proof of early-jazz greatness” (Gary Fukushima, Downbeat). Emmet’s trio includes renowned bassist Yasushi Nakamura and explosive drummer Kyle Poole. Joining Emmet at Mears Park will be one of the longest running vocal groups in jazz, The Four Freshmen. From their origins in 1948 as a popular ensemble with a big band and barbershop quartet sound, the current edition includes two Twin Cities-based musicians probably known more for their instrumental talents—trumpeter Jake Baldwin and guitarist Tommy Boynton. Ryan Howe and Bob Ferreira round out the quartet.
Patty Peterson’s Jazz Women All-Stars (Saturday, June 21, 4 pm, Jazz88 Main Stage at Mears Park). Created and directed by esteemed vocalist, producer and radio personality Patty Peterson, the JWAS launched at the 2016 Twin Cities Jazz Festival and has been a mainstay of Twin Cities ensemble jazz ever since. While the cast is somewhat fluid, the core musicians (Patty Peterson on vocals, Mary Louise Knutson on piano, Sue Orfield on sax, Sheila Earley on drums) join vocalist/pianist Linda Peterson, bassist Karen Quinn, and vocalist Ginger Commodore this weekend.
LA Buckner and Big Homie (Saturday June 21, 6 pm, Jazz88 Main Stage at Mears Park). One of the most creative drummers and bandleaders in the area, Arthur “LA” Buckner fuses gospel, R&B, Hip Hop, African Rhythms and jazz with explosive results. His band includes a list of area all-stars, including David Feily, David Smith, Jovan Williams, Ethan Yeshaya, and Jamani Buckner. Tighten your seatbelts.
Catherine Russell with Sean Mason (Saturday June 21, 8 pm, Jazz88 Main Stage at Mears Park). Vocalist Catherine Russell has an all-star jazz lineage as the daughter of the late Luis Russell (legendary pianist/composer/bandleader and Louis Armstrong’s long-time musical director) and Carline Ray (a pioneering vocalist/guitarist/bassist who performed with International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Mary Lou Williams, and Sy Oliver).But this artist has earned her star status on her own, including winning the Prix du Jazz Vocal 2012 (Vocal Album of The Year) by the Jazz Academy in France, a 2016 Grammy nomination for her album Harlem on My Mind, another nomination for 2019’s Alone Together, and yet another for 2024’s My Ideal. The latter also featured pianist/composer Sean Mason. On the Jazz88 stage, Russell and Mason will be joined by guitarist Matt Munisteri, bassist Tal Ronen, and drummer Domo Branch.
At Crooners: Voted one of Downbeat’s top 100 jazz clubs in the world for three years running, Crooners offers a north suburban alternative for high flying jazz during JazzFest. Starting Thursday night (June 19), hear internationally acclaimed pianist Jon Weber all evening in Maggie’s Lounge (free); on Friday June 20, New York vocalist Teri Roiger celebrates the music of Abbey Lincoln in the intimate Dunsmore Room (6 pm), while Jon Weber returns to Maggie’s Lounge with vocalist Colleen Raye (8-10 pm); and on Saturday June 21, big bands rule with the Explosion Big Band in the Belvedere tent (4:30 pm) and the Joe Pulice Jazz Orchestra saluting Buddy Rich on the Main Stage (7:30 pm). Cover charges apply to shows other than Maggie’s Lounge.
See full calendar, artist bios, and other information on the Twin Cities Jazz Festival website, www.twincitiesjazzfestival.com
34th Annual Iowa City Jazz Festival, July 4-6, Downtown Iowa City. I admit to a long-running bias favoring this festival, as it takes place in my home town practically on the lawn of my alma mater, the University of Iowa. A few blocks where my parents met 85 years ago. I didn’t become a regular festival attendee until about 20 years ago but have missed very few since. Compared to the Twin Cities festival, the ICJF is quite compact, with one main stage that is scheduled without competition and a small side stage boasting “local” bands during main stage breaks. It seems part jazz fest and part street fest, taking place adjacent to the centerpiece of a Big 10 campus with two streets of food and merch vendors, and of course a Beer Garden. The main stage has seen the likes of The Bad Plus, Fred Hersch, Chris Potter, Matt Wilson, Ingrid Jensen, Dave Holland, Danilo Perez, Kurt Elling and more, as well as young upstarts just starting up, soon to be big stars themselves (Kneebody, Ambrose Akinmisure, Immanuel Wilkins, Cory Wong). Part of the season-long Summer of the Arts, the Iowa City Jazz Festival provides a weekend of diverse music, usually under lots of sunshine, with all the ambience of a college town. And some of the best holiday fireworks to boot! It’s an easy 5-hour drive from the Twin Cities.
Headliners on the Strauss Community Main Stage this year include Stefon Harris and Blackout, the Mark Lettieri Group, Allysa Allgood, and the Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra with Joel Frahm. Notes Summer of the Arts Director Lisa Barnes, “I’m really looking forward to the Mark Lettieri Group. I think he is going to rock the stage and bring something a little different to the Iowa City Jazz Festival. I’m also looking forward to the Alyssa Allgood Quartet because I really enjoy vocalists.”
Alyssa Allgood Quartet (Friday July 4, 6 pm). Vocalist and bandleader Alyssa Allgood was named Rising Star Female Vocalist” in the 2024 Downbeat Magazine Critics Poll and Best Individual Jazz Musician in the 2024 Chicago Reader Poll. A fearless vocalist known for her confident musical interaction, fierce improvisation, and vulnerable expression, Chicago-based Allgood won the inaugural Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Voice Competition (2017). She was cited by Downbeat for her “boldness, swagger, and surefooted musicianship,” while the New York City Jazz Record has recognized her “force, clarity and jazz integrity.” (Note that Allgood will perform at The Berlin in Minneapolis on July 5.)
Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra with Joel Frahm (Friday July 4, 8 pm). Saxophonist Ryan Middagh is equally skilled as a soloist, collaborator and band leader. Middagh performs at jazz festivals around the world, including tours and performances on behalf of the U.S. State Department. While at home, he is a top-call studio musician in Nashville, leads his own jazz small groups, directs the jazz program at Vanderbilt University, and leads the Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra. Saxophone soloist Joel Frahm worked with icons such as Maynard Ferguson, Betty Carter and Dewey Redman, as well as Lee Konitz, Pat Martino and Andrew Hill. He has also worked with modern stars including Steve Wilson, Larry Goldings, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ben Allison, Ingrid Jensen, Dena DeRose, and Kyle Eastwood.
Jocelyn Gould (Saturday July 5, 4 pm). 2021 Juno Award-winning guitarist Jocelyn Gould has captivated audiences around the world with her infectious passion for music and unique ability to connect with audiences. She cites Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Joe Pass, and Kenny Burrell as primary influences. Her recordings have garnered three Juno Award nominations including her win in 2021.
Mark Lettieri Group (Saturday, July 5, 6 pm). Five-time Grammy-winning guitarist Mark Lettieri is known internationally as a member of bands Snarky Puppy and Fearless Flyers. In addition to extensive performing credits and teaching, Mark is a developer of instruments, equipment, and electronic components, including a signature model Fiore electric guitar, the MeLody overdrive pedal, the NewWave chorus pedal, and collaborated with Apple on a downloadable package of guitar loops for Logic Pro and GarageBand. The Mark Lettieri Group includes Lettieri on guitar and baritone guitar, Wes Stephenson on bass, Daniel Porter on keyboards, and Jason JJ Thomas on drums.
Stefon Harris and Black Out (Saturday, July 5, 8 pm). Stefon Harris has been heralded as “one of the most important artists in jazz” (Los Angeles Times), as well as “Best Mallet Player” eight times by the Jazz Journalists Associatoin and Downbeat Critics’ Poll. A recipient of the prestigious Doris Duke Artist Award and the Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center, Harris has performed with The Classical Jazz Quartet, Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Lewis Nash, the SFJAZZ Collective, Joe Henderson, Wynton Marsalis, Milt Jackson, Lionel Hampton, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Hutcherson, Cassandra Wilson, Diana Krall, Max Roach, Chaka Khan, Kurt Elling, Buster Williams, Dianne Reeves, Common, and Pablo Zeigler. Harris and his band, Blackout, have released the Grammy nominated Urbanus and Sonic Creed, the Station WBGO jazz album of the year. Their performances promise an electrifying fusion of tradition and innovation.
The presenting sponsor of the Iowa City Jazz Festival is Green State Credit Union. Full schedule, artist bios and more at https://summerofthearts.org/sota-events/iowa-city-jazz-festival/
The Second Annual Northfield Jazz Festival, July 11-13
Now in its second year, the Northfield Jazz Festival takes place in another college town, this one a mere 35-40-minute drive from the Twin Cities. Produced and directed by acclaimed trombonist/bandleader/educator JC Sanford, the Northfield fest this year boasts a state arts board grant with support from the Northfield Arts Guild, allowing Sanford to bring in the exciting pairing of international stars Miguel Zenon and Luis Perdamo (El Arte Del Bolero), along with a stellar list of metro-area talents.
After funding the inaugural festival last summer through a Southeast Minnesota Arts Council grant, Sanford notes that “This year I was able to coordinate with the Northfield Arts Guild to secure even more funding through SEMAC, so I was able to add an additional day of performances and artists, including the internationally-acclaimed El Arte Del Bolero (Miguel Zenon and Luis Perdamo). We were also able to add an opening night swing dance featuring the Northfield community. And of course there’s the jazz jam session in the evening at Imminent Brewing, hosted by Jack Schabert and his Blue Ox Trio.
The expanded festival will expose more people to more music. While Sunday’s music again takes place at Way Park, Saturday’s festival activities cover a wider swath of central Northfield, including performances at the public library, the Arts Guild Theater, and the United Church of Christ, “so folks who weren’t even aware of the festival might stumble onto it,” notes Sanford. “There will also be a Latin percussion workshop hosted by Hot Spot Music, a local music community center and performance space, led by Dave Hagedorn.”
Sanford is particularly pleased the he was able to bring El Arte Del Bolero to Northfield. “I had planned to bring in a much higher-profile artist for this year’s festival with the additional funding. Our headlining venue is the United Church of Christ, which not only sounds great for classical chamber music, but has an excellent piano… I thought a small chamber-like group would best fit the space. I know Miguel a bit through our connection to the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers (ISJAC) and lots of mutual friends, so I immediately thought of this duo with Luis Perdomo as the perfect vibe to present in that room.”
The Festival Line-Up
Opening Night Jazz Party and Swing Dance (July 11, 6-9 pm, Grand Events Center). A night of fun and music featuring the Strawberry Jazz Collective).
Percussion Workshop With Dave Hagedorn (July 12, noon, Hot Spot Music). Vibes master and retired director of jazz at St Olaf College, Dave Hagedorn leads this workshop for percussion students and performers of all ages.
Mary Louise Knutson Trio (July 12, 1 pm, Northfield Public Library). A stellar performer and composer, Mary Louise brings her trio (with Chris Bates on bass and David Schmalenberger on drums) to the heart of Northfield.
Lucia Newell and Joan Griffith (July 12, 4 pm, Guild Theater). This long-running duo of voice and guitar features two of the best on the Twin Cities jazz scene, with a special flair for Brazilian music.
El Arte Del Bolero with Miguel Zenon, saxophone; Luis Perdamo, piano (July 12, 7:30 pm, United Church of Christ). Saxophonist Miguel Zenon has performed around the world as well as with his own ensembles and with the famed SF Jazz Collective. He’s a Grammy winner, Doris Duke Artist Awardee, and recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship and MacArthur “Genius” Grant. Pianist Luis Perdamo has enjoyed long associations with Ravi Coltrane and Ray Barretto as well as leading his own acclaimed quartet. The duo won the Grammy in 2023 for Best Latin Jazz Album (El Arte del Bolero volume 2). Notes JC Sanford, “They will be playing songs they have known and loved deeply from the Latin-American Songbook, and the Bolero in particular. It will be a set charged with rhythm and emotion, I can assure you!”
Sophia Kickhofel Quartet (July 13, Way Park, 1 pm). Back (briefly) in the Twin Cities area after completing studies at Juilliard, saxophonist Sophia Kickhofel brings her New York quartet back “home”. A graduate of Apple Valley High School and the Dakota Combo, Sophia is an inspired performer and composer who has performed with the likes of Dee Dee Bridgewater, Sean Jones, Victor Goines and more. She was a special guest of Kandace Springs at the 2024 Twin Cities Jazz Festival.
Abinnet Berhanu’s Ahndenet with Genet Abate (July 13, Way Park, 2:30 pm). A first-call drummer based in the Twin Cities, Abinnet joins forces with Ethiopian jazz specialist, singer Genet Abate, shortly after their debut at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival in June
Lila Ammons (July 13, 4 pm, Way Park). Lila has been on top of the jazz vocal scene in the Twin Cities ever since relocating from 13 years in New York and her native Chicago. Her credits include two albums and significant periods touring Europe as well as performing at Twin Cities venues including The Dakota and Crooners. Her band includes pianist Dale Alexander, bassist Ted Olsen, and drummer Jay Epstein.
Jam Session with Jack Schabert (July 13, Imminent Brewing, 6 pm). Drummer, composer and bandleader Jack Schabert leads the festival jam with his Blue Ox Trio. Since graduating from St Olaf, Jack has led and composed for big bands and organized youth programs. He will be heading to the Masters of Music program at the University of Denver this fall.
For more information about the Northfield Jazz Festival, visit https://www.facebook.com/northfieldjazzfestival
