JONATHA BROOKE
November 21 at 7pm – Click Here For Tickets
“Charming and very funny. A seasoned musician with a beautiful voice, Brooke rocks it.” – New Yorker
“Jonatha Brooke immerses us in her world through beautiful storytelling…” – The Key (WXPN)
Jonatha Brooke has written songs, made records and toured since her days in Boston with The Story. The Story released two albums, Grace in Gravity andThe Angel in the House, on Elektra Records. In 1995, Jonatha releasedPlumb, the first of two solo albums on MCA/Universal, followed by Ten Cent Wings in 1997.
JEFF LORBER, MARLON MCCLAIN, SHAUN LABELLE, STOKLEY WILLIAMS
November 30 at 7 & 9pm – Click Here For Tickets
A special show featuring four of the biggest names in contemporary jazz and R&B! Keyboardist/composer/producer Jeff Lorber is one of the primary architects of the style known as jazz fusion – a marriage of traditional jazz with elements of rock, R&B, funk and other electrified sounds. Lorber is well known to national and international audiences through a relentless touring schedule, with music featuring his now signature complex harmonies, unconventional time signatures and compelling rhythms. Lorber has been just as prolific and innovative in the new century as he was in the last, with several new recordings and the reformation of the Jeff Lorber Fusion.
NACHITO HERRERA AND THE UNIVERSALS
FEAT. KAREN BRIGGS, MIKE PHILLIPS, CHEIKH NDOYE, AND RAUL PINEDA
December 20 – 21 at 7pm – Click Here For Tickets
In his performances and in his life, Nachito Herrera strives to demonstrate that music is truly a universal language, transcending cultural, political, and even generational borders. This new ensemble, the Universals, is further testament to this mission. Featuring musicians from three different countries and several different musical worlds, The Universals present a stunning cross-genre musical journey.
Jon Bream reviewed the Universals’ premiere performance at the Dakota in July 2015
NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS
Midnight show ticket includes music, bubbly, $20 dinner voucher
December 31 at 6:30pm & 10:30pm – Click Here For Tickets
“She purrs and growls, whispers and wails. Sweet and seductive one moment, she’s in your face the next, and then she makes you laugh. Her voice is a complex, expressive, flexible instrument made of sugar and grit.” – Pamela Espeland, MinnPost
“Davina Sowers is a one-of-a-kind performer whose singing… has a sassiness bearing some comparison to that of heart-thumping blues queens Ma Rainey and Ida Cox.” –Downbeat
“There is a timeless quality about this band that sets them apart from the masses but, perhaps more than anything else, there is an honesty here that is refreshing beyond belief. This band loves what they do and they do it well.” – Bill Wilson, Reflections in Blue
“Two things remain consistent at all her shows though: her throaty but cushiony voice, which has a sort of hard-mattress comfort to it that’s part Bonnie Raitt, part Etta James and a little Amy Winehouse; and her band’s rollicking New Orleans flavor, driven home by dueling horn players and a bayou-thick standup bass.” –Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune
AMERICAN ROOTS REVUE
W/ LARRY LONG, ROBERT ROBINSON, JD STEELE, TONIA HUGHES
January 14 at 7 & 9pm – Click Here For Tickets
American Roots Revue works from the core of America’s richest musical traditions of First Nation, gospel, blues, folk, rock and R&B. This January, the revue returns to its roots with its original line up that includes acclaimed gospel vocalist and community leader JD Steele! JD joins musicians that will also include the show’s producer, award-winning singer-songwriter, Smithsonian Records recording artist and community builder Larry Long, with powerhouse gospel and soul singer Tonia Hughes, and the American Roots anchor artist — the “Pavarotti of Gospel” — Robert Robinson.
Join these marquee talents — backed by an incendiary all-star band that features guitarist Cory Wong, who recently sat in with the Rolling Stones’ Charlie Watts at the Dakota for his 74th birthday in 2015!
STEVE COLE SUPER BAND
feat. Patty & Ricky Peterson
January 27 at 7 & 9pm – Click Here For Tickets
Saxophonist Steve Cole is one of the most celebrated players in contemporary jazz.
The Chicago native exploded onto the scene in 1998 with the album “Stay Awhile” that was produced by fellow Chicagoan Brian Culbertson. The disc scored two #1 hits and earned Cole the Oasis Smooth Jazz Award for best new artist shortly before his sophomore set, “Between Us,” was released in 2000. His catchy singles made him an instant radio favorite and he cranked them out with regularity on subsequent albums “NY LA” (2003), “Spin” (2005) and “True” (2006).
SMITHEREENS & MARTHA AND THE MOTELS
March 17 at 7 & 9pm – Click Here For Tickets
Best known for writing and playing catchy 1960s-influenced power pop that inspired countless alternative rockers including Kurt Cobain, The Smithereens gained popularity with “11” the album the spawned the hits “A Girl Like You,” “Blood and Roses” & “Blue Period.”
Whether you were there when The Motels first burst onto the music scene, or are just discovering them now, 2014 became a year of rediscovery for this iconic artist, which saw more Motels shows than in any year since 1985. Martha began writing songs at the age of 15 and has always known that the songs she writes are her mark. Born and raised in Berkeley, California, she moved to Los Angeles in the early ‘70s, along with the first incarnation of The Motels. The band reformed in 1978 and was immediately signed to Capitol Records.