The Twin Cities Jazz Society is pleased to announce its 2010-2011 concert season, “Jazz from J to Z.” Ten concerts will present music ranging from the Big Band Era to the avant garde, from hot club swing of Parisian cafes to the sambas of Brazil, from Astor Piazzolla to Alec Wilder, from full jazz orchestra to small chamber ensemble.

As in the past, TCJS will collaborate with the Bloomington Center for the Arts, Hopkins Center for the Arts and University of Minnesota, and will present for the first time at the Women’s Club of Minneapolis and Studio Z in St. Paul.  

TCJS ‘Jazz from J to Z’  2010-11 Concert Series 

September 26, 2010 , 2 p.m. 
“She’s Big in Egypt” CC Septet 
Bloomington Center for the Arts   
The CC Septet includes musicians connected one way or another to Century College in White Bear Lake: Tim Lackas, piano; Greg Stinson, bass; Brett Smith, drums; Ralph Brindle, trombone; Paul Peterson, tenor sax; Larry Neumann, alto sax; and Scott Snyder, trumpet. A spirit of team creativity is fundamental to their longevity and the success of their second CD, “She’s Big in Egypt,” original compositions that unfold at varying tempos and moods, yet all hanging together like an elegant tapestry. 

October 10, 2010 , 2 p.m.  
Butch Miles and the Wolverines Big Band with vocalist Judi Donaghy 
Bloomington Center for the Arts 
Drum legend Butch Miles was a big hit for the Bloomington venue last season with the Wolverines Trio and Big Band, and they wasted no time booking him for another round, again with the Wolverines Big Band and again with one of the area’s favorite vocalists, Judi Donaghy. Miles rose to fame with the Count Basie Big Band, also performing with Mel Torme, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman and more. The night will swing! 

October 14, 2010,  7:30 p.m. 
“Music of Bob Brookmeyer” University of Minnesota Jazz Ensemble I, directed by Dean Sorenson 
Led by Dean Sorenson, the University  of Minnesota’s top jazz ensemble will perform its annual fall concert, this year honoring the music of famed arranger/composer/valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer. In a career covering much of the history of jazz, Brookmeyer has been associated with Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Jimmy Giuffre, Clark Terry, Jim Hall and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, and counts among his former students Maria Schneider and Jim McNeely. The Grammy nominee continues to perform, compose and arrange with his New Art Orchestra and teaches at the New England Conservatory of Music. 

November 21, 2010, 1:00 p.m. 
“Something (Vo) Cool”  Rhonda Laurie, Connie Olson and Tommy Bruce 
Woman’s Club, Minneapolis 
When California jazz of the early 1950s met up with New York bebop players and merged their styles, “Cool Jazz” was born. When you say “cool jazz,” singers a/k/a/ “Vo-Cool,” Julie London, June Christy, Chet Baker, Anita O’Day, Mel Torme, and Peggy Lee come to mind. In this November concert, the “cool jazz” vocalist trio of Rhonda Laurie, Connie Olson, and Tommy Bruce will be accompanied by Phil Aaron on piano, Keith Boyles on bass, and Nathan Norman on drums.  

January 23, 2011, 2 p.m. 
“From Miles to Astor” East Side 
Bloomington Center for the Arts     Black Box Theater 
Jazz guitarist Reynold Philipsek and chromatic harmonica player Clint Hoover, together with percussionist Michael Bissonnette and bassist Matt Senjem, fuse 1960s era Blue Note jazz with tango and other Latin styles. Performing in the group East Side, these musicians forge their own brand of improvisational music, drawing from diverse sources from Piazzolla and Miles through Ravel and Jobim, where the melodic wistfulness of Europe and South America meet the pulse of truly American jazz.  

February 20, 2011, 2 p.m. 
“Songs of Alec Wilder”  Laura Caviani and Friends 
Bloomington Center for the Arts   
One of the most accomplished jazz pianists/composers in the region, Laura Caviani brings together an all-star cast to salute the music of Alec Wilder. Wilder’s compositions tend to meld jazz and classical styles, providing an ideal opportunity to bring diverse artists together to perform music that is fresh and beautiful. Caviani’s cohorts for this concert include Gordon Johnson (bass), Phil Hey (drums), and Gwen Anderson (French horn). 

March 3, 2011, 7 p.m.  
“Evening of Bossa Nova, Samba and Brazilian Jazz”Ticket to Brasil   
St. Paul Central High School 
These popular genres of Brazilian music meld American jazz, European classical music, West African music, and music of Indigenous people of Brazil, ranging from folkloric and sultry popular sounds to sophisticated and complex jazz compositions. Ticket to Brasil, led by guitarist Pavel Jany, presents the evolution of this music from the early 20th century to the present, through the works by renowned Brazilian composers such as Pixinguinha, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Baden Powell, Luiz Bonfa, and Djavan, as well as original music. In addition to Jany, the ensemble includes Lidia Berman (percussion, vocals), Rose Rinder (flute), Dan Weston (bass) and Will Kemperman (drums, percussion). The opening set feautures the St. Paul Central High School Jazz Band, directed by Matt Oyen. 

March 20, 2011, 7 p.m. 
Milo Fine (Two Trios) 
Studio Z, St. Paul 
Pianist/percussionist Milo Fine has been at the heart of experimental music in the Twin Cities for more than three decades. Best known for his Free Jazz Ensemble, Fine has been a fixture at Homewood Studios and the West Bank School of Music. Leader of many ensembles, Fine will bring two trios to Studio Z, featuring his trademark spontaneous improvisation, well suited to the intimate space of Studio Z in Lowertown and to be enjoyed by anyone with a spirit of adventure.  

April 3, 2011, 4 p.m. 
“Beyond the Sea: Jazz from the Continent”  French 75 with Maud Hixson 
Artsists Quarter,  St. Paul

French 75 is a continental jazz sextet, performing songs that got their start abroad, and some from there that were popular here. Named for the cocktail. Illuminating the British, French and other foreign-born repertoire from the Great American Songbook, French 75 performs new arrangements by clarinetist Tony Balluff and vocalist Maud Hixson. Also featuring saxophonist Gus Sandberg, bassist Steve Pikal, guitarist Robert Bell and drummer Nathan Norman.

 May 14, 2011, 7:30 p.m. 
Brubeck Brothers Quartet featuring Dan & Chris Brubeck  
Hopkins Center for the Arts 
Brothers Dan and Chris Brubeck (sons of jazz legend Dave Brubeck) are joined by guitarist Mike DeMicco and pianist Chuck Lamb to create the dynamic and creative Brubeck Brothers Quartet. Although rooted in straight-ahead jazz, they reveal an inherent ability to explore and play odd time signatures while naturally integrating the influences of funk, blues and world music. 

The Twin Cities Jazz Society has presented its annual “Jazz from J to Z” concert series since 1991, bringing the diverse genres of jazz from Dixieland to swing and bop to avant garde to venues throughout the metro area. FFI, visit the TCJS website, <www.tcjs.org>. and watch for “J to Z” details in “Jazz Notes.”