There’s lots of great live music ahead

Prepare to be amazed

It looks like 2024 is starting with a big bang considering quite a few top jazz artists coming to town, especially at the one-and-only Dakota in downtown Minneapolis (dakotacooks.com).

First, the Blue Note Records 85th Anniversary Tour, which kicked off on January 18, makes a stop in the Twin Cities at the Dakota on Saturday, January 27. They have a 35-date tour.

Yes, the legacy of the “Finest in Jazz since 1939” lives on with an all-star collective that includes pianist Gerald Clayton, vibraphonist Joel Ross, drummer Kendrick Scott, saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, and bassist Matt Brewer.

Clayton, a six-time Grammy-nominated composer and bandleader, leads the band as musical director and pianist. The last time I witnessed his artistry up close and personal was when he played along with Charles Lloyd.

Ross and Wilkins are no strangers to Minneapolis. Both recently performed here in the Mini-Apple at the Walker Art Center. A Houston native, Scott has also performed and toured with Lloyd, among others like Terence Blanchard and Kurt Elling.

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“Blue Note has been such a wonderful home for the community, for incredible musicians, for creativity, for all these years,” says Clayton. “You can’t help but think about all those masters, all those heroes that you’ve grown up listening to. To get a chance to pay tribute and try to carry some of that essence forward is truly just an honor.”

This Blue Note Quintet is not to be missed as they honor the label’s rich history and are among the current roster of artists full of great promise for the future of jazz. Who knows, maybe there’ll be a live recording released later on?

There’s a tradition of rising stars from the Blue Note roster celebrating the label’s legacy. Some may recall The Blue Note 7, for example.

Also making her way back to the Twin Cities and Dakota audiences is vocalist, composer and bandleader Cecile McLorin Salvant. She recently performed at the Walker Art Center as well. Salvant returns to the Dakota on Sunday, January 28.

Her new album, “Melusine,” is as she describes it, a mix of originals and interpretations of songs dating as far back as the 12th century, mostly sung in French along with Occitan, English, and Haitian Kreyol.

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Melusine (Nonesuch/Warner) is nominated for a 2024 Grammy in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category. I once caught her at the Dakota with pianist Aaron Goldberg, which was a treat. She’ll no doubt stun music lovers with her one-of-a-kind artistry.

Next up, on February 6 at the Dakota, is the Joshua Redman Group featuring vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa. As part of the “Where Are We” tour, Redman, a saxophonist who made his debut on the Blue Note label with his new album titled “where are we,” will take listeners on a musical journey across the USA—every track (excluding the title track at the end) references a city or geographic location.

Redman references Minneapolis on the new album with the first track, “After Minneapolis (face toward mo[u]rning).” On this same track, he also references the George Floyd killing with lyrics he wrote that Cavassa sings.

In the liner notes, Redman explains, “On one level, this an album ‘about’ America—at once a celebration and a critique—but it is also, to varying degrees, a ballads album, a standards album, an album of romantic longing, an album of social reflection, an album of melodic invention, an album of improvisational adventure, an album of mash-ups, perhaps even a tribute album of sorts.”

The rest of the personnel for this album include pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Joe Sanders, and drummer Brian Blade. Plus, providing additional instrumentation for the album is Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar, Peter Bernstein on guitar, Nicholas Payton on trumpet, Joel Ross on vibes, and Cavassa also plays guitar.

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My favorite track on the album is “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans” featuring Payton. Redman and Payton have played and recorded together in the past and they sound great together now.

Other live music events for February are coming up in downtown St. Paul.

Jamecia Bennett and Friends: A Night of Jazz, Blues, and a whole lotta soul is happening on Friday, February 23 at the Ordway (Ordway.org, or call 651-224-4222).

The Twin Cities Jazz Festival is showcasing its Winter Jazz Fest on February 24 with featured headliner Cuban pianist Jorge Luis Pacheco. Concerts take place at Park Square Theatre and k.j.’s hideaway. For more information about tickets and all the fest performers, visit twincitiesjazzfestival.com.

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