by Jerry Swanberg

The Twin Cities Jazz Society and “Big Band Scene,” a radio program on KBEM/Jazz 88, will host “A Big Band Christmas” Dec. 27, at 7 p.m. The concert will be held at the St. Barnabas Center for the Arts, St. Barnabas Lutheran Church, 15600 Old Rockford Road, Plymouth, MN 55446. Two big bands will perform: the Good News Big Band, directed by Brian Richter, and the KC Gospel Orchestra, directed by Kevin Mills. Tickets are sold at the door for $10 ($7, TCJS and KBEM members). There is plenty of free parking. The concert is also part of the “Jazz@St. Barneys” concert series.

The Good News Big Band will perform favorite Christmas music done in the big band style, such as: “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “O Holy Night,” and “Jingle Bells” and also newer arrangements like “Hot Chocolate” and “Rockin’ On Top of the World” (from the movie The Polar Express). These tunes will feature arrangements from Gordon Goodwin, Chris McDonald, Jeff Anderson, and Tom Kubis.  Featured soloists include Teresa Jackson, vocals; Pete Davis, trumpet; Scott Leung, tenor sax; Ed Smith, guitar; and Stephan Sylvander, drums.

As a part of the University of Minnesota’s 2008-2009 Jazz Series, Jazz Ensemble I is pleased to present “Brass Attacks,” featuring trumpeter Charles Lazarus. The concert will be held at Ted Mann Concert Hall on Dec. 8, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.
The first half of the program will feature Charles Lazarus as a soloist with Jazz Ensemble I, directed by Dean Sorenson. The second half of the program will feature Lazarus with his band as they perform selections from their new CD, Zabava.

Charles Lazarus is known for his distinctive blend of lounge/exotica and funk fired jazz. The trumpeter/composer’s eclectic career has been met with acclaim from critics worldwide. Lazarus made his main stage Carnegie Hall solo debut with the New York String Orchestra at the age of 19 while still a student at The Juilliard School in New York. He has been a member of the Dallas Brass, Meridian Arts Ensemble, Canadian Brass, and currently the Minnesota Orchestra. He has been on the trumpet faculties of Princeton University and St. Olaf College, and has performed and taught master classes in every US state, Canada, South America and throughout Europe and Asia.

by Andrea Canter

Chris Thomson © Andrea Canter

Thomson describes the ensemble as “a modern jazz quartet playing music as influenced by the sounds of new music of any style and genre as it is by the great jazz heritage of the past.  All four musicians have a unique and inspired approach to playing songs as well as improvising.” For this performance, Bells and Whistles features a Midwest collaboration of Thomson on saxes, Bryan Nichols on piano, and Chicago-based musicians Kurt Schweitz on bass and Andre Beasley on drums.

Chris Thomson studied classical and jazz music, and began composing and leading his own bands during the short-lived run of the Brilliant Corners club in St. Paul. Turning to more adventurous use of electronics a few years ago when a bike accident temporarily restricted his ability to use his saxophone, Thomson began investigating “new sonic territory” via his laptop, and has been more seriously “delving into the infinitely deep and ever-changing world of computer music, finding new influences in the various styles of electronic music that friends have been exposing me to.” Recently Chris has been recording and/or performing with many of the Twin Cities most creative artists, including J.T. and Chris Bates, Anthony Cox, Dean Magraw, the Chris Morrissey Quartet, Dave King, Spaghetti Western String Co., Dosh, Jay Epstein, Bryan Nichols, Tanner Taylor, Michael Lewis, Adam Linz, Alden Ikeda, Tim Glenn, Greg Schutte, Adam Levy, Kelly Rossum, Yawo Attivor, and many others. His music can be heard regularly Cafe Maude, the Kitty Cat Klub, and as curator of the iQuit Music Series at the Rogue Buddha Gallery in NE Minneapolis. In addition to Bells and Whistles, he performs with the Enormous Quartet, Shovel and the Jazz Is Now! Nownet, and in a solo laptop and AV show.