Jazz

“Sweet singer with a thrilling vibrato…” — Burlington Post   “Jennifer Grimm Sings Judy Garland” is an energetic and exciting concert celebrating the music and showmanship of Judy Garland. Join Jennifer and her eleven-piece band, including seven horns. Here, she sweetly sails through Garland classics like “You Made Me Love You”, “Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart”. Also, of course, “Over the Rainbow”. Rediscover the music and magic of the Judy Garland era as sung by Jennifer Grimm, a similarly Minnesota-born artist. Also, she grew up traveling and singing with her showbiz family, bringing showmanship and love of entertainment throughout the region. Some of Jennifer’s credits include performing at Carnegie Hall, and the Johnny Mercer Songbook Series at The Ordway. Also, Steerage Song at the Fitzgerald Theater; earning the #2 spot on Aruba’s year-end top 100 countdown. She has performed in New York City with shining press in The Village Voice. Additionally, she opened for Oleta Adams at the St. Vincent Blues Festival. Grimm was featured on Garrison Keillor’s (creator of A Prairie Home Companion) Rhubarb Show. She has also shared performance events with Huey Lewis and The News, Michael Buble, and Martina McBride. Then, she starred in the Ordway’s production of My Way, A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra. Further, she was the voice of the World Figure Skating Champions Tour theme song. Recommended for fans of Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Julie Andrews.

“fantastic Django Reinhardt-inspired melodies” – Baby Blue Arts   The Red Hot Django Peppers are a fiery Twin Cities–based hot club band. They are devoted to keeping the spirit of Django Reinhardt alive while adding their own spark to the tradition. Also, the group is led by guitarist Ryan Picone, an acolyte of world-renowned guitarist Stéphane Wrembel. Also, they feature the dynamic interplay of guitarist Ian Stenlund, the soaring violin of Daniel Lentz, and the driving pulse of bassist Sean Roderick. Together, they create a sound that’s at once timeless and fresh, blending dazzling virtuosity with irresistible swing. In 2024, The Peppers made history as one of the first hot club bands to play the legendary Blue Ox Festival. There, they quickly became the talk of the festival. Their momentum continues in 2025 as they join an international lineup of world-class players at the prestigious Midwest Gypsy Swing Fest. The Red Hot Django Peppers’ audience grows with each performance. Here, they are not just torchbearers of Django’s legacy, but innovators bringing new energy and excitement to hot club jazz. Hot Club Mania features an exceptional stylistic dimension with prodigious improvisation – a group not to be missed. Experience a spontaneous, vivid performance by some of Minnesota’s most stellar artists played in the Django Reinhardt French swing tradition. The ensemble includes the unmistakable mastery of jazz violinist Gary Schulte, plus the diverse guitar styling of Glen Helgeson. Also, tasty, refined bass work by acoustic bassist Steve Pikal and accomplished jazz drummer Jay Epstein.  Hot Club Mania is the creation of longtime bandleader and guitar stylist Glen Helgeson. Helgeson is a true jazz ambassador, bringing diverse styles to people, and manifesting an unusual ability to write in those genres. Recommended for fans of Django Reinhardt, Stephane Wrembel, Dorado Schmitt and Bireli Lagrene.

“One of jazz piano’s most brazenly virtuosic players.” – New York Times   Jazz piano phenomenon Hiromi has seamlessly shifted from one spellbinding project to the next in her two decade-plus recording career. In the process, she’s earned a reputation as one of the most explosive live performers in jazz history. Furthermore, she has become a global ambassador for the art form. Her many triumphs include an NPR Tiny Desk Concert that has racked up 2 million views. She also had the opportunity to represent her native Japan with a performance at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She won the 2024 Best Music Score for the animated feature film Blue Giant (Award of the Japanese Academy). Finally, a Grammy award for a collaboration with fusion hero Stanley Clarke. Her artistry is — to borrow a descriptor The New Yorker favored — “dazzling.” She released Sonicwonderland in 2023, debuting perhaps the most expressive, dynamic and versatile working band of her career. Featuring Hadrien Feraud on bass, Gene Coye on drums and trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, the group furthered Hiromi’s distinctive musical alchemy. Here, she melds the spirit of classic jazz-rock fusion with classically rooted virtuosity, entrancing funk, pop flourishes and, through O’Farrill’s trumpet, acoustic jazz’s state of the art. The album also did a remarkable job of capturing Hiromi’s mastery as a live entertainer. As The Guardian noted, “Sonicwonderland is perhaps the closest thing to Hiromi’s onstage exuberance.” But that was only the beginning. Sonicwonder has continued to tour and work together consistently, advancing their deep chemistry and fearless sense of interplay. The results can be heard on Hiromi’s new album, 2025’s Out There. Here, the group’s powerful rapport meets the pianist’s astonishing abilities as a composer on equal footing. Recommended for fans of Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock and Weather Report. 📸: Mitsuru Nishimura

“One of jazz piano’s most brazenly virtuosic players.” – New York Times   Jazz piano phenomenon Hiromi has seamlessly shifted from one spellbinding project to the next in her two decade-plus recording career. In the process, she’s earned a reputation as one of the most explosive live performers in jazz history. Furthermore, she has become a global ambassador for the art form. Her many triumphs include an NPR Tiny Desk Concert that has racked up 2 million views. She also had the opportunity to represent her native Japan with a performance at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. She won the 2024 Best Music Score for the animated feature film Blue Giant (Award of the Japanese Academy). Finally, a Grammy award for a collaboration with fusion hero Stanley Clarke. Her artistry is — to borrow a descriptor The New Yorker favored — “dazzling.” She released Sonicwonderland in 2023, debuting perhaps the most expressive, dynamic and versatile working band of her career. Featuring Hadrien Feraud on bass, Gene Coye on drums and trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, the group furthered Hiromi’s distinctive musical alchemy. Here, she melds the spirit of classic jazz-rock fusion with classically rooted virtuosity, entrancing funk, pop flourishes and, through O’Farrill’s trumpet, acoustic jazz’s state of the art. The album also did a remarkable job of capturing Hiromi’s mastery as a live entertainer. As The Guardian noted, “Sonicwonderland is perhaps the closest thing to Hiromi’s onstage exuberance.” But that was only the beginning. Sonicwonder has continued to tour and work together consistently, advancing their deep chemistry and fearless sense of interplay. The results can be heard on Hiromi’s new album, 2025’s Out There. Here, the group’s powerful rapport meets the pianist’s astonishing abilities as a composer on equal footing. Recommended for fans of Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock and Weather Report. 📸: Mitsuru Nishimura

“flawlessly replicate the sound of classic New Orleans” — Prairie Uprising   Southside Aces are celebrating twenty years of performing the repertoire of the Jazz Age greats and beyond. From the early New Orleans of Jelly Roll Morton to the world-changing joys of Louis Armstrong. The barrel house sounds of Preservation Hall to the Crescent City rhythms of rock and roll pioneer Fats Domino. Treat yourself to a century’s worth of New Orleans jazz.  The band first began as the brainchild of clarinetist Tony Balluff and sousaphone player Erik Jacobson. Their whispers and rumors materialized in Tony’s foyer in South Minneapolis, in August 2003. Since their first gig on a flatbed truck in Apple Valley, the Aces have released eight albums, including their most recent —2022’s Minneapolis Bump— fifteen original songs inspired by the Jazz Age. In New Orleans, the jazz tradition thrives off a wide array of styles. The Aces possess a diverse repertoire, with a roll call that includes the names of Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Hoagy Carmichael, Duke Ellington, and Bix Beiderbecke. Plus Crescent City classics like “Bourbon Street Parade”, “Just A Closer Walk With Thee”, and “St. James Infirmary”. And let’s not forget the funky rhythms of brass band powerhouses like “Mardi Gras in New Orleans” and “Palm Court Strut”! The Southside Aces have performed at Dakota, Icehouse, Crooners Supper Club, Vieux Carre, Twin Cities Jazz Fest, Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival, and Minnesota Orchestra Sommerfest, to name a few. They’ve driven dancers to a frenzy at national dance competitions and led second-line parades through the streets of the Twin Cities. And they’ve played events in Denver, Omaha, Chicago, Des Moines, and all across the great state of Minnesota — which, if you’re keeping score, makes them a “territory band.”  Recommended for fans of Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Tuba Skinny, Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller. 📸: Paul Udstrand  

“the best organ trio of the last decade.” – New York Times   New York Times described Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, and Bill Stewart as “the best organ trio of the last decade.” The trio, which has played together for over thirty years, is recognized for charting new ground. Here, they do this through synergistic playing and thoughtful music. Moreover, they display their distinctive sound on over a dozen recordings. Additionally, they sound at home whether exploring the depths of jazz standards or playing their own original compositions. Of 2018’s Toy Tunes, Downbeat said, “The whole album subtly subverts organ-trio cliches, offering not chicken-shack party stomps but instead some hip after-hours atmospherics”. Larry Goldings is hailed worldwide for his signature Hammond organ style and versatility on many keyboards. Moreover, he has traversed not only the wide spectrum of jazz where he is perhaps best known, but also the worlds of funk, pop, and electronic music. For example, Goldings has worked closely with John Scofield, Michael Brecker, Jim Hall, Maceo Parker, and Madeleine Peyroux. Also, Pat Metheny, James Taylor, and John Mayer. Jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein has been a part of the jazz scene in New York and abroad since 1989. There, he contributed to over 200 recordings. As a leader, Peter released twelve albums and a DVD. Further, Bernstein was discovered by alto saxophone legend Lou Donaldson and was a crucial part of his final great band. Drummer/composer Bill Stewart made his name as the rhythmic force behind guitarist John Scofield. Now, he is one of the most sought-after jazz drummers in the world. Also, Stewart has toured extensively with Pat Metheny, Maceo Parker, Joe Lovano, Joshua Redman, Charlie Haden, Joe Henderson and more. Recommended for fans of John Scofield, Joey DeFrancesco, Eric Harland and Pat Metheny.

“fresh and classic at the same time” – Jon Bream, Star Tribune   Singer/pianist Andrew Walesch encapsulates the sophistication of a cosmopolite and the self-effacing charm of a country boy, like many before him. Leading his all-star big band, showman Walesch kidnaps the Blue Eyes tradition and makes it his own. With this ten-piece band, Walesch embodies both a traditionalist and an iconoclast with his jazz-bent Sinatra revue. Walesch is busy and versatile. Here, he composes and arranges, appearing in settings ranging from solo artist to big band. Moreover, this St. Cloud native is as respectful of his predecessors as he is ready to chart a new course. Andrew routinely jams venues all over the Midwest and beyond with a uniquely cross-generational audience. Walesch’s fans include jazz enthusiasts of a certain age, as well as a younger crowd compelled by his down-home insouciance. Also, all are drawn in by the knowing irreverence of a tried-and-true American nightclub entertainer. “Although they are my idols, I don’t attempt to imitate the great pop and jazz artists of the 50s and ’60s,” says Andrew, “but I go for broke when we do our shows – vocally and musically – which is what they all did best and why they were in a class of their own.” He possesses fine vocal and piano chops, along with a keen sensibility to find and interpret a great lyric. These have led to some great opportunities for Walesch. He has appeared on the nationally syndicated NPR broadcast Mountain Stage. Additionally, he performed at the 33rd Annual Cabaret Convention at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. Walesch resides in Phoenix, AZ, where he has been elected as the new Artistic Director for the world-famous Musical Instrument Museum. Recommended for fans of Michael Bublé, Harry Connick Jr., Kurt Elling and Diana Krall.