Jazz pianist David Benoit, percussionist Dan Schnell, vocalist Courtney Fortune, and bassist Roberto Vally played the Dakota Jazz Club last night in Minneapolis, MN. Last night’s performance at The Dakota traces back to a television show from 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas. The music for that animated special – the first to

Trumpeter Chris Botti and his all-star lineup played at the Dakota Jazz Club last night, with five more shows to come over the weekend. For those who are shy and introverted, the lockdown isolation of the early-stage COVID-19 Pandemic was tolerable, perhaps even welcome. But for someone like Chris Botti, who

Album art for the Relief jazz album dropping November 12. A unique jazz album is about to be released: Relief, a compilation of previously unreleased music, is an unusual joint product of many of the best-known jazz labels: Blue Note Records, Verve Label Group, Warner Music Group, Nonesuch Records, Mack Avenue Music

Clock-wise from upper left: saxophonist Charles Lloyd, pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Harish Raghavan, and drummer Eric Harland. The foursome comprise the Charles Lloyd Quartet, returning the Dakota Jazz Club this evening for the second half of a 4-show set. Original photos by D Darr and Devin DeHaven. Charles Lloyd – the 83-year-old

A promotional photo of Jimmie Vaughan, who played a sold-out show at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis on Tuesday evening. Jimmie Vaughan’s website proclaims that “he's dedicated his life to making sure the blues not only stays alive, but remains full of life and an inspiration to all who listen.”

Cuban pianist Nachito Herrera at the piano. Photo by Sheilxa Ryan Photography. When I told a friend that Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera’s performance with the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra at Orchestra Hall would feature Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, my friend was surprised. She knew that Herrera was one of the area’s foremost

John Fogerty (photo by Myriam Santos) performed at the Mystic Lake Casino & Hotel on July 4, 2021. Music fans of a certain age know John Fogerty’s story starts as the lead singer of Creedence Clearwater Revival. For two years, at the end of the 1960s, CCR dominated the American scene. 

The legendary pianist-composer and bandleader Eddie Palmieri played at The Dakota Jazz Club on February 9. Photo courtesy of Uprising Music NYC. Eddie Palmieri is 83 years old, has won numerous Grammy awards, and has over 50 albums released over 50-plus years of recording. In 2013, what everyone knew was made

Musician Aaron Neville returns to the Dakota Jazz Club this evening. Photo by Sarah A. Friedman. We lost Allen Toussaint in 2015, Fats Domino in 2017, Charles Neville in 2018, Dr. John this past June, and Art Neville in July.  Aaron Neville may be that last great New Orleans voice of

Left: Jean-Willy Kunz standing amongst organ pipes (photo by Koralie Woodward); Branford Marsalis (photo by Palma Kolansky); and Jean-Willy Kunz at an organ console (photo by Antoine Saito). If politics has its First Families, so does music. Branford Marsalis is a well-known member of the "First Family of Jazz", a group