March Into Spring at the Dakota
Thirteen will be a lucky number for Dakota patrons in March-thirteen nationally acclaimed touring artists will be on stage from the first to last of the month, with a variety of first-rate local performers in-between.
National Touring Artists
Reservations highly recommended for ticketed shows. …
Two sets per night, 7:00 and 9:30 pm unless otherwise noted. Prices vary (see www.dakotacooks.com for prices and online reservations).
March 1, Charlie Hunter . A virtuoso on 7 and 8-string guitar, Hunter has been praised for his fusiony, funky chops and ability to handle basslines, rhythms and melodic lines simultaneously. His collaborators have included Stanton Moore, Bobby Previte, Will Bernard and more. His most recent trio has included Curtis Fowlkes on trombone and Eric Kalb on drums, who appear on Hunter’s latest recording, Gentlemen, I Neglected to Inform You You Will Not Be Getting Paid (Spire Artist).
March 2-3, Angelique Kidjo . Perhaps the most popular African vocalist despite her New York residence for the past 20 years. A Grammy winner and international star.
March 7, Marcia Ball. Always entertaining, this singer/songwriter/pianist is a perennial Dakota favorite, with her southern boogie woogie and roadhouse blues that sets the keyboards afire.
March 8-9, Hiromi, Solo Piano . Since she first played the Twin Cities in 2004, we’ve been dazzled by this young Japanese ball of keyboard fire. With her trio and later Sonicbloom quartet, Hiromi gained popularity for her ferocious chops on both acoustic and electronic pianos, proving to be as funky one moment as she was lyrical the next. With such mentors as Oscar Peterson and Ahmad Jamal, she found an increasing fan base as she released one acclaimed recording after another. But in 2009, Hiromi branched out further, recording double piano duets with Chick Corea and recording and touring with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White, all-acoustic outings that brought new appreciation for her finesse as well as volcanic power. Now Hiromi goes it alone, touring in support of Place to Be , her first solo CD and quite possibly her best effort to date, revealing the technical aplomb of Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson and the artistic heart of Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett. She might break a string and she might make you cry. With the same note.
March 14, Joe Henry. Acclaimed producer who is gaining popularity as a jazz/pop singer, Joe Henry’s career has taken him along with such diverse artists as the Jayhawks, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Ornette Coleman.
March 16-17, Larry Coryell and Bombay Jazz. His audiences have included John Coltrane and Roland Kirk; his collaborators have included Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Stephane Grappelli, Gary Burton and Sonny Rollins. Now recognized as one of the living legends of jazz and fusion guitar, Larry Coryell comes to the Dakota with a new project, Bomby Jazz, featuring multi-reedman George Brooks, flautist Ronu Majumdar and tabla master Aditya Kalyanpur performing at the intersection of Indian classical music and jazz.
March 18, Matt Haimovitz and Jello Slave . What better way to celebrate Bach’s 325th Birthday than with this Schubert Club presentation of masterful/eclectic cellist Matt Haimovitz and the locally brewed classical/jazz fusion of Jello Slave? Haimovitz is known for taking classical music into nightclubs and bars, and a few months ago brought an edgy electronic project to the Dakota. Jello Slave is also familiar to local audiences, an unusual ensemble featuring Greg Schutte on drums, Gary Waryan on tablas, and Michelle Kinney and Jacqueline Ultan on cellos. Cello is thus the uniting theme here, but beyond that, the music could go from Bach to Bjork.
March 19-20, Mike Doughty . A fun weekend with indie/alt.rock singer/songwriter/guitarist Mike Doughty, known for his band Soul Coughing in the 90s and 00s, now an acclaimed solo artist.
March 21, Cowboy Junkies . Canadian folk/pop quartet features siblings Margo, Michael and Peter Timmins and pal Alan Anton. For 20 years, they have been collecting Juno nominations and lots of fans.
March 22-23, Arturo Sandoval . Winner of Grammy, Billboard and Emmy Awards, the king of Latin trumpet is also a classical and jazz virtuoso and a pretty fair pianist as well. A prot g of Dizzy Gillespie, Sandoval has ignited crowds at the Dakota in the past-so reserve early!
March 28, Gil Scott-Heron. Legend of modern R&B and hip hop returns! Scott-Heron’s early work in poetry, spoken word and music helped fuel the modern hip-hop and neo-soul movements; due to the theme of political activism that pervades his work, he’s variably been dubbed the Godfather of Rap, Father of Political Rap, and the Black Bob Dylan.
March 29-30, Eliane Elias . You can take the singer/pianist out of Brazil but you can’t take Brazil out of Eliane Elias. An inventive improviser, composer and interpreter, Elias has been based in New York for 20 years but her heart remains in her native Sao Paulo. Her resume includes work with Steps Ahead, Randy Brecker, Herbie Hancock, Bob Brookmeyer and husband, bassist Marc Johnson. She recently released Bossa Nova Stories .
March 31-April 1, Bobby “Blue” Bland . Sometimes called the Lion of the Blues, Bland mixes his blues with gospel and R&B. He’s been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, Rock Hall of Fame, and was presented with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Listen Locally, Enjoy Globally
There’s music at the Dakota every night, and if there is no national touring artist on the bandstand, then you’ll find the best of local artists. Not ticketed but club reservations will guarantee a table, especially needed on weekends. Cover Sunday-Thursday usually $5 with 7 pm start time; weekends $10-15 with 8 pm start.
March 4, Mary Jane Alm . An eclectic singer honored with 15 Minnesota Music Awards to date.
March 5-6, Bruce Henry . The silky baritone returns “home.” Now living in Chicago, Henry was a mainstay of the Twin Cities jazz scene for nearly 30 years. Fortunately he returns often, and each time, there’s a new revelation.
March 11, Debbie Duncan . Divine diva, Debbie bring you to your feet with joy, sock you down with the blues, or crack you up with a quip often within a few minutes. A flexible voice and uncompromising rapport with her audience make Debbie one of the most popular Twin Cities’ singers of all time.
March 12, Ronn Easton’s All Star Soul Revue . Motown in the Minneapple.
March 13, Patty Peterson . Radio personality, a core musician in the Peterson Family, and very popular vocalist, Patty will bring a crowd to the Dakota for a festive evening.
March 24, Adam Meckler Quintet . Young trumpeter released a remarkable debut CD in 2009 ( For Dad ) and leads a stellar band, with Brandon Wozniak, Zacc Harris, Adam Linz and Greg Schutte.
March 25, Connie Evingson . Hot off her three-night Beatles revue at the Jungle Theater, vocalist Connie is back on stage with a more eclectic program of great jazz standards and covers, perhaps throwing in some Peggy Lee, Dave Frishberg, and a little hot club pizzazz?
March 26-27, Nachito Herrerra . His monthly party is always a keyboard tsunami, washing the blues away with the hottest delivery of son, samba, rhumba and more, blended with classical and post bop sensibilities. OK, the piano will need tuning after Nachito cools down but it’s worth it to feel the burn.
Late Night at the Dakota
Every Friday and Saturday night from 11:30 pm- 1:30 (or so) am, some of the newest and most imaginative music takes center stage at the Dakota, complete with a small cover ($5) and happy hour-type food and drink specials.
March 5, East Side. Bop meets hot club and more as harmonica, guitar, bass and percussion make beautiful and very interesting music together. Clint Hoover on harmonica with Reynold Philipsek (guitar), Matt Senjum (bass) and Michael Bissonnette on all sorts of percussion, some hand-made.
March 6, Zacc Harris Quartet . The best in the innovation business, with guitarist Zacc, pianist Bryan Nichols, bassist Chris Bates and brother/drummer JT Bates.
March 12, Small City Trio : Led by pianist/composer Jeremy Walker.
March 13, Nick Haas Trio : Guitarist Nick is joined by bassist Peter Susag and drummer Eron Woods.
March 20, Jack Brass . Minnesota’s only true New Orleans style brass band.
March 26, Jake Baldwin Quartet . Young trumpet king on the rise. Just a freshman at the New England Conservatory of Music, Minnetonka High School grad Jake is home on spring break, as are his “long-time” cohorts Joe Strachan (piano), Cory Grindberg (bass) and high school senior, Cam LeCrone (drums.) These guys were bandmates in the Dakota Combo last year, and have been gigging on their own with considerable skill.
March 27, Black Blondie . Described as neo-R&B pop sensations . Whatever they do, they get raves.
Coming Soon!
April 6-7, Brad Mehldau Trio
April 12-13, Madeleine Peyroux
April 16-17, Chick Corea and Gary Burton
April 20, Anoushka Shankar
April 25, Anat Cohen with Benny Green
May 16, Jazz Piano Competition Finals (see www.schubert.org