by Jerry Swanberg

It will be a fantastic summer for Big Bands! Twenty four different Big Bands will perform 85 FREE summer concerts in 43 different parks. Leading the parade is three way tie for first place with nine concerts (Bend in the River BB / Jazz on the Prairie BB / Brio Brass), followed by a two way tie for fourth with five concerts (Stan Bann BB / Roseville BB), and a three way tie for sixth with four concerts (Classic BB / Brady’s BB / Southside BB). The busiest spot this summer is the Como Park Lakeside Pavilion with 15 concerts.  Next is the Lake Harriet Bandshell and Centennial Lakes Park in Edina with eight concerts. Following is the entire list.

• Tues, 5/26 – Roseville Big Band - Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM
• Sun, 5/31 – Paula Lammers & Cloud Nine - Como Park Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM

• Tues, 6/02 – River City Jazz Orchestra - Como Park Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM
• Wed, 6/03 - Bend in the River Big Band – Centennial Lakes Park, Edina – 7 PM
• Thurs, 6/04 – Jazz Hounds Big Band– City Square Park Gazebo, Waconia– 7 PM
• Sun, 6/07 - Roseville Big Band – Central Park Bandshell, Roseville – 7:45 PM
• Mon, 6/08 – Mpls Police Swing Band - Como Park Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM
• Wed, 6/10 - Good News Big Band - Centennial Lakes Park, Edina – 7 PM
• Thurs, 6/11 – Red Rock Swing Band - Como Park Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM
• Sat, 6/13 – Brady’s Big Band – Blaine Sports Center – 5 PM
• Sun, 6/14 – 19^th Annual Minnesota Jazz on the Prairie Festival
• Staring Lake Amphitheatre, Eden Prairie
• 2 PM – Just Friends Big Band 3 PM – River City Jazz Orchestra 4 PM – Good News Big Band 5 PM – Bend in the River Big Band 6 PM – Stan Bann Big Band 7 PM – Jazz on the Prairie Big Band
• Mon, 6/15 – Southside Big Band - Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls -7:30 PM
• Mon, 6/15 – Execs Big Band - Centennial Lakes Park, Edina – 7 PM
• Tues, 6/16 - Roseville Big Band – Central Park Bandshell, Roseville – 7:30 PM
• Wed, 6/17 - Zuhrah Shrine Flames Big Band – Minnehaha Falls, Mpls – 7 PM
• Thurs, 6/18 - Classic Big Band & the Nostalgics - Como Park, St. Paul – 7 PM
• Sat, 6/20- Good News Big Band– Emerson Congregational Ch., Richfield – 6 PM
• Sun, 6/21 – Brio Brass – Minnetonka Civic Center Amphitheater – 7 PM
• Mon, 6/22 – Mpls Police Swing Band – Hilde Performance Center, Plymouth – 7 PM
• Tues, 6/23 - Jazz on the Prairie Big Band - Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls -7:30 PM
• Wed, 6/24 - Bend in the River Big Band – Wayzata Depot – 7 PM
• Wed, 6/24 – Zuhrah Shrine Flames Big Band- Centennial Lakes Park, Edina – 7 PM
• Thurs, 6/25 – Brio Brass – Augsburg Park, Richfield – 7 PM
• Sun, 6/28 - Stan Bann Big Band - Centennial Lakes Park, Edina – 7 PM
• Mon, 6/29 – Brio Brass - Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM
• Tues, 6/30 - Bend in the River Big Band – Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls -7:30 PM
• Tues, 6/30 – Brio Brass – Lakeside Park, Forest Lake – 7 PM

• Wed, 7/01 - Zuhrah Shrine Flames Big Band - Lake Harriet, Mpls -7:30 PM
• Thurs, 7/02 - Jazz on the Prairie Big Band – Hopkins Downtown Park – 7 PM
• Sat, 7/04 – St. Croix Jazz Orchestra – Pioneer Park, Stillwater – 7 PM
• Sat, 7/04 - Jazz on the Prairie Big Band – Round Lake, Eden Prairie – 5:30 PM
• Sat, 7/04 - Roseville Big Band – Central Park Bandshell, Roseville –7:30 PM
• Sat, 7/04 - Red Rock Swing Band – Ojibway Park Bandshell, Woodbury – 7 PM
• Sun, 7/05 – Beasley’s Big Band - Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM
• Tues, 7/07 - Classic Big Band & the Nostalgics – Lake Harriet, Mpls – 7:30 PM
• Wed, 7/08–Grand Band with Chad Magnuson – Eagan Marketfest, Cent. Pk – 8 PM
• Thurs, 7/09 – Bend in the River Big Band – Hopkins Downtown Park – 7 PM
• Thurs, 7/09- Jazz on the Prairie Big Band –Downtown Park, Chanhassen – 7 PM
• Sat, 7/11 - Paula Lammers & Cloud Nine – MN Landscape Arboretum - Noon
• Sun, 7/12 - Stan Bann Big Band - Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM
• Mon, 7/13- Jazz on the Prairie Big Band - Centennial Lakes Park, Edina – 7 PM
• Tues, 7/14 - Classic Big Band & the Nostalgics – Boerboom Park, Osseo – 7 PM
• Tues, 7/14 - River City Jazz Orchestra - Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls -7:30 PM
• Thurs, 7/16 – Acme Jazz Company – Hilde Performance Ctr., Plymouth – 7 PM
• Thurs, 7/16 – Steam Heat Big Band – Lakefront Park, Prior Lake – 7 PM
• Thurs, 7/16 – Grace BB – Bethel Lutheran Church, 4120 17^th Ave., Mpls – 7:30 PM
• Sun, 7/19 - Jazz on the Prairie Big Band - Staring Lake, Eden Prairie – 7 PM
• Sun, 7/19 - Minnesota Jazz Orchestra - Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls -7:30 PM
• Tues, 7/21 – Stan Bann Big Band – Normandale Lake Bandshell, Blm. – 7 PM
• Tues, 7/21 – Brio Brass – City Hall Amphitheater, Minnetonka – 7 PM
• Wed, 7/22 – White Bear Big Band – St. Andrews Village, Mahtomedi – 7 PM
• Thurs, 7/23 - Paula Lammers & Cloud Nine – Minnehaha Falls Band Stand– 7 PM
• Thurs, 7/23 – Brady’s Big Band – Marketfest, White Bear Lake – 6 PM
• Sat, 7/25 - Jazz on the Prairie Big Band – MN Landscape Arboretum – 1:30 PM
• Tues, 7/28 – Stan Bann Big Band – Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls -7:30 PM
• Tues, 7/28 - Bend in the River Big Band – Como Park Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM
• Tues, 7/28 - Roseville Big Band – Central Park Bandshell, Roseville –7:30 PM
• Wed, 7/29 - Paula Lammers & Cloud Nine – Civic Center Park, Burnsville – 7 PM
• Thurs, 7/30 - Bend in the River Big Band – Excelsior Commons Bandshell – 7 PM
• Thurs, 7/30 – Brio Brass – Downtown Park, Hopkins – 7 PM

• Sat, 8/01 – Brady’s Big Band – Spooner Park, Little Canada - 8 AM
• Mon, 8/03 - Southside Big Band - Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM
• Thurs, 8/06 - Classic Big Band & the Nostalgics – Maple Grove Pavilion – 7 PM
• Thurs, 8/06 - Bend in the River Big Band – Central Park, Faribault – 7 PM
• Thurs, 8/06 - Minnesota Jazz Orchestra - Hudson Lakeside Bandshell
• Thurs, 8/06 – Swingbeat Big Band - Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM
• Thurs, 8/06 – Brio Brass – Huber Park, Shakopee – 7 PM
• Sat, 8/08 - Jazz on the Prairie Big Band – Carver County Fair, Waconia – 4 PM
• Sun, 8/09 - Acme Jazz Company, Nicollet Commons Park, Burnsville – 7 PM
• Mon, 8/10 – Southside Big Band - Centennial Lakes Park, Edina – 7 PM
• Wed, 8/12- Bend in the River Big Band–Shoreview Community Ctr. Pavilion – 7 PM
• Wed, 8/12 – Moonlight Serenaders Big Band -Centennial Lakes Park, Edina – 7 PM
• Thurs, 8/13 – Brio Brass – Vadnais Heights Community Park – 7 PM
• Sat, 8/15 – Brady’s Big Band – Rush City Community Park – 10 AM
• Sat, 8/15 – Brio Brass – Classic Car Show, Kellogg Park, DT St. Paul – 6 PM
• Wed, 8/19 - River City Jazz Orchestra - Centennial Lakes Park, Edina – 7 PM
• Thurs, 8/20 - Moonlight Serenaders – Fillebrown House, White Bear Lake – 6 PM
• Sun, 8/23 - Moonlight Serenaders Big Band - Como Park Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM
• Tues, 8/25 - Acme Jazz Company - Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM
• Sun, 8/30 – Johnny Owen Big Band – Como Park Lakeside Pavilion, St. Paul – 7 PM

• Sat, 9/05 - Red Rock Swing Band – DNR Stage, MN State Fair – 10 AM –9 PM
• Sun, 9/13 – Southside Big Band – St. Odilia Parish, Shoreview - 12:30 PM
• Sun, 9/13 – Just Friends Big Band – James Hill Days, Wayzata Depot - Noon
• Sat, 9/26 - Minnesota Jazz Orchestra – Hudson Lakeside Bandshell – 5 PM