Emmet Cohen Trio
2026-03-01 20:30 - 22:30 (America/Chicago)
“one of the finest piano players to emerge in decades…” – All About Jazz

Multifaceted American jazz pianist and composer Emmet Cohen has emerged as one of his generation’s pivotal art figures. A recognized prodigy, Cohen began Suzuki method piano instruction at age three. There, his playing quickly became a mature melding of musicality, technique, and concept. Downbeat observed that his “nimble touch, measured stride and warm harmonic vocabulary indicate he’s above any convoluted technical showmanship.” In the same spirit, Cohen has noted that playing jazz is “about communicating the deepest levels of humanity and individuality. It’s essentially about connections,” both among musicians and with audiences. He leads his namesake ensemble, the Emmet Cohen Trio, and is a vibrant solo performer. Furthermore, he is in constant demand as a sideman. Here, he possesses a fluid technique, an innovative tonal palette, and an extensive repertoire, Cohen plays with the command of a seasoned veteran and the passion of an artist fully devoted to his medium.
Emmet Cohen is committed to the intergenerational transfer of artistic knowledge, history, and traditions. His signature undertaking is the Masters Legacy Series, a celebratory set of recordings and interviews honoring legendary jazz musicians. He serves as both producer and pianist for each album in the series. The goal of this ongoing project is to provide musicians of multiple generations with a forum. Thus, they transfer the unwritten folklore that is America’s unique musical idiom. Cohen has observed that playing jazz “is enriched immeasurably by connecting and studying with jazz masters, forging backward to the very creation of the art form.” Volume one of the series features drummer Jimmy Cobb, and volume two spotlights bassist Ron Carter. Future Masters Legacy Series releases will include Cohen’s recordings with Benny Golson, Tootie Heath, and George Coleman.
Recommended for fans of Oscar Peterson, Benny Green, Kenny Barron and Brad Mehldau.

Antonio Rey
2026-03-09 19:00 - 21:00
Two-time Latin Grammy-winner Antonio Rey (Spain) is widely regarded as one of the top flamenco guitarists of his generation. He is lauded for his stunning virtuosity, impeccable tone, and his lush and soulful compositions. Also, he has won many of Spain’s most prestigious guitar competitions and received numerous awards. For example, Spain’s National Guitar Award, shared by the likes of Paco de Lucia and Vicente Amigo.
His 2024 album Historias de un Flamenco won the Latin Grammy for Best Flamenco Album, and was also nominated for a 2025 Grammy. Additionally, he won the 2020 Latin Grammy for his album Flamenco Sin Fronteras.
Antonio regularly tours major theaters, concert halls and festivals around the world. This includes recent homage concerts to Paco de Lucia in Carnegie Hall and Madrid’s Teatro Real. Here, he appeared both as a featured soloist and with Al di Meola along with de Lucia’s nephew Antonio Sanchez.
He has performed with top flamenco legends including maestro Paco de Lucia himself, dancers Farruquito and Antonio Canales. Also, international artists such as Alejandro Sanz, Pablo Alboran and jazz greats including Richard Bona and Al di Meola. Recognized as Paco de Lucia’s successor, Antonio Rey now steps into the spotlight captivating audiences worldwide.
Recommended for fans of Paco de Lucia, Vicente Amigo, Las Migas and Carmen Linares.

Immanuel Wilkins Quartet
2026-03-10 19:00 - 21:00
“improbable balance of ethereal and earthy… sublime” – Downbeat

Award-winning alto saxophonist and composer Immanuel Wilkins burst onto the musical scene in 2020 with his critically acclaimed debut, Omega. October 2024 saw the release of Wilkins’ third album, Blues Blood.
Accolades, awards, and critical acclaim have followed with each of Wilkins’ album releases. Omega was named the best new jazz release by The New York Times and best debut jazz album by NPR. Also, it was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Best Jazz recording. The year ended on an even higher note, with Wilkins winning the prestigious Letter One Rising Stars Award. Two years later, Wilkins released his sophomore album, The 7th Hand. Like his debut, it topped numerous year-end lists including Jazzwise, NPR, The New York Times, The Financial Times, and JazzTimes. In 2023, Wilkins was awarded with three DownBeat Critics Poll Awards. These included Best Alto Saxophonist, Best Rising Star Composer, and Best Rising Star Group. In 2024, German Deutscher Jazz Preis named his quartet best international live act of the year.
Wilkins and his quartet have toured extensively and graced some of the most esteemed stages in the world. Notable performances include Montreal Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz, North Sea Jazz, Pori Jazz, and Newport Jazz Festival. Also, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, SFJAZZ, and Elbphilharmonie.
In addition to touring as a leader, Wilkins continues to record and share the bandstand with both his peers and his longtime mentors. For example, Jason Moran, Kenny Barron, Wynton Marsalis, Bob Dylan, Solange, Joel Ross, Gerald Clayton, and Lalah Hathaway.
Recommended for fans of Joshua Redman, Roy Hargrove, Ravi Coltrane and Charles Lloyd.
📸: Joshua Woods

Los Lobos
2026-03-11 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-12 19:00 - 21:00
“one of the hottest live acts on the planet” – BBC

It’s a matter of time. Fifty years to be exact. And in that time Los Lobos have created an unprecedented body of work, a legacy of greatness. The numbers are staggering: 100+ gigs a year for five decades running, crossing millions of miles to rock millions of fans. And that’s just at the live shows.
They’ve also recorded seventeen studio albums, seven live LPs, three compilations, two EPs, two DVDs, and contributed over forty guest appearances on their friends’ recordings. They have garnered five Grammys, an Austin City Limits Hall of Fame induction and the ALMA Ritchie Valens Pioneer Award.
But beyond all the hoopla and applause (and the source of it all, really) is the tremendous heart. Rather, hearts. Cinco corazones. Five blood brothers who have dedicated their off-stage time to helping others, working for peace and justice. Further, they’ve penned some of the most literate and important music of their time. They transform the hard cries from the East L.A. barrio into songs of hope, tales of common folk finding ways to endure.
The young wolves were weaned on late-night radio’s soul, R&B, and doo-wop. Were cured through the African-American currents of the blues, jazz, and rock ‘n’ roll. An amalgam. As proud Chicanos, their songs have always glistened with the distillation from their Mexican and Latin American roots.
Quite simply, they are one of the tightest, one of the best, one of the most prolific bands ever. And, amazingly, with the original founding members as the pack the entire time. Unprecedented. As their liner notes put it, quite simply: “Los Lobos still are David Hidalgo, Louie Pérez, Jr., Cesar Rosas, Conrad Lozano, Steve Berlin.”
Recommended for fans of Alejandro Escovedo, Roy Orbison, Ritchie Valens and Elvis Presley.
These tickets do not qualify for the A-Train discount.

Davina and The Vagabonds
2026-03-14 19:00 - 21:00
“This music, as retro as it may be at times, feels fun, frisky and alive.” – American Songwriter

Davina Sowers and the Vagabonds have created a stir on the national music scene. Their high-energy live shows feature level-A musicianship, sharp-dressed professionalism and Sowers’ commanding stage presence. Also, their influences range from Fats Domino and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Aretha Franklin and Tom Waits. Moreover, the band is converting audiences one show at a time, from Vancouver to Miami and across Europe.
Much like the music, the story spurns era, expectation and classification. The often unbelievable, sometimes harrowing, and wholly inspiring journey of Davina Sowers gave birth to her eponymous band in 2004. As the tale goes, she grew up in the economically depressed Allegheny town of Altoona, PA. She now describes the town as “awesome in the industrial era, but horrible for high school.” Then, she was adopted by her stepfather when he was in his 80s; he passed when she was just 13. Through him and his Edison phonograph, she first heard the music that would start her journey. For example, The Ink Spots, Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, Louis Prima, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and many others. “Great man. He was my angel and still is,” she says.
On her own, she vividly recalls hours in front of the record player at home. There, she religiously spun Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Simon and Garfunkel records belonging to her folk singer mom.
To this day, Davina still refers to music as “my first and eternal love.” Despite early dalliances with classical piano and guitar, she developed a heavy drug habit in high school. Further, this morphed into heroin dependency, left her homeless, sent her in and out of jail and brought on all manner of trouble. Kicking dope on the streets, she “got clean, started the band and worked [her] ass off every day since.”
Recommended for fans of Pokey LaFarge, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Hot Sardines and Squirrel Nut Zippers.

MMEA All-State Jazz Band
2026-03-18 19:00 - 21:00
Minnesota Music Educators Association is proud to present the All-State Jazz Band at the Dakota. MMEA’s All-State Ensembles are built with 625 accomplished young musicians from 269 programs within the state of Minnesota.
Recommended for fans of Maria Schneider, Dean Sorenson, Libby Larsen and Bob Mintzer.

Cyrille Aimée
2026-03-19 19:00 - 21:00
“a breezy pop flavor, gentle grooves, lovely melodies” – All About Jazz

Cyrille Aimée grew up in a multilingual household full of music where she danced every day. There, her soundtrack featured the Afro-Caribbean sounds from her mother’s native Dominican Republic. The family home was in Samois-sur-Seine, the location of the Django Reinhardt Festival. Often, the teenage Cyrille would climb out of her bedroom window at night to mingle with the players. Thus, this ignited a passion for jazz.
Moving to New York City, her talents quickly earned her a reputation among her peers as a matchless song interpreter. She worked with Roy Hargrove and stole the show in front of the notoriously hard-to-please crowd at the Harlem Apollo. Steven Sondheim invited her to star in a tribute at New York’s City Centre, backed by Wynton Marsalis. Her 2019 album Move On featured versions of Sondheim’s songs which received praise from Sondheim himself. Additionally, she earned a 2019 Grammy nomination for her version of “Marry Me a Little”.
At the height of her New York success, new horizons beckoned. Visiting New Orleans, she fell in love with the energy and diversity of the city and made it her home. Then, she teamed up with producer/multi-instrumentalist Jake Sherman, and together they created her latest album, 2024’s A Fleur de Peau.
The album combines the depth and sophistication of jazz, the immediacy of pop, and the irrepressible dance rhythms of the Caribbean. Furthermore, it’s more intimate and more accessible than anything Cyrille has done before.
Recommended for fans of Stacey Kent, Madeleine Peyroux, Veronica Swift and Cécile McLorin Salvant.

Tina Schlieske Sextet
2026-03-22 19:00 - 21:00
“one of the most potent singers to ever come out of the Twin Cities.” – Star Tribune

Tina Schlieske, a Midwestern rock mainstay, commands a dedicated and passionate following, especially in her hometown of Minneapolis. She’s best known for fronting the band Tina and the B-Sides. Her inaugural jazz recording, 2024’s The Good Life, sees Schlieske embarking on a transformative jazz odyssey. Here, this is her homage to the greats that have paved the way for voices like Tina’s to celebrate. Further, she celebrates giants like Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra. Much like the influential rockers she has emulated, David Bowie, Tina Turner, Tina’s reverence for these giants shines through.
A luminary in the Minneapolis rock and Americana music circuit, Schlieske’s illustrious career spans over four decades. There, she has garnered numerous accolades, including a prestigious star adorning First Avenue’s legendary star wall. Also, she is renowned for her impassioned vocal delivery and magnetic stage presence. Thus, Schlieske’s pivot into the realm of jazz signifies a poignant milestone in her already illustrious career. Her transition into this new territory is a testament to her enduring artistic evolution and an exciting progression for her dedicated audience.
Schlieske has long held an affinity for jazz, but she left it unexplored until recent years. Here, this stemmed from an unanticipated desire to delve into the allure of classic standards within the contemporary musical landscape. “There is a certain simplicity in these complicated songs,” she reflects. “Singing jazz offers me the chance to push the boundaries of my vocal capabilities. It’s a whole new world compared to rock. Here, the voice becomes another instrument. Maintaining the essence of the melody while infusing personal interpretation presents a thrilling challenge that I find truly exhilarating.”
Recommended for fans of Indigo Girls, Etta James, Lucinda Williams and Melissa Etheridge.

Shaun Johnson - The Book of Bublé
2026-03-23 19:00 - 21:00
“his smooth vocals mirror that of a youthful Sinatra and a young Bublé” – The Indie Source

Shaun Johnson believes great songs never go out of style. Further, growing up in small-town Iowa, he fell in love with the kind of music that makes you feel something. There, he fell under the spell of the swing, the soul, the effortless cool. Now, he’s bringing that sound to life in The Book of Bublé – a night of music that’s as smooth as it is electric.
Thus, backed by a seven-piece band with full brass, Shaun reimagines the hits that made Michael Bublé a global phenomenon. Here, every song is delivered with bold new arrangements, boundless energy, and Shaun’s signature charm. Also, hear songs like “Haven’t Met You Yet”, “Everything”, “Cry Me a River” and “Feeling Good”.
Here, in the Book of Bublé, Shaun channels the fire of Sinatra, the elegance of Ella, and the raw energy of Jerry Lee Lewis. Moreover, Johnson is backed by a seven-piece band and bold new orchestrations from Dean Sorenson.
Additionally, this Emmy-winning performer and Billboard Top Five recording artist has performed over 4000 shows throughout the world. However, the book of Bublé is something different. It’s a celebration of style, connection, and the kind of music that fills a room and lifts a heart.
Here, this is not just a tribute. Furthermore, it’s a night of stories, of laughter, and swing – a love letter to the soundtrack of our time.
Shaun Johnson, vocals
Theodore Brown, piano
David Stanoch, percussion
Aaron Moe, saxophone
Aidan Miland, saxophone
Dave Stamps, trombone
Gerard Ahlgren, trumpet
Jeremy Boettcher, bass
Recommended for fans of Tonic Sol-fa, The Manhattan Transfer, Christian McBride Big Band and Rockapella.

Morgan James VIP Experience
2026-03-24 17:00 - 17:30
Morgan James is hosting VIP events prior to the show, giving a chance for fans to get together and celebrate good music in an intimate setting.
VIP attendees will be treated to an exclusive performance, story telling, a question and answer session with Morgan, photo and autograph sessions and everyone will walk away with an exclusive piece of merchandise only available to VIPs at each show.
VIP Experiences include:

Early entrance and crowd-free merchandise shopping
A commemorative piece of merchandise
Individual photo opportunity with Morgan James
Autograph session with Morgan James
Group question and answer session with Morgan James — ask your most burning question!
Private performance by Morgan James

IMPORTANT: This is not a ticket to the show.
You must have a concert ticket in order to purchase this VIP Meet & Greet.

Check-in Time: Please arrive at the venue by 4:45 PM.
After check-in, you’ll be escorted to the VIP area for the meet & greet.

“A phenomenal talent whose feel for classic soul music is bone deep… This woman is on fire.” – New York Times

Morgan James has a voice that needs to be heard. After her grandmother heard her sing, the matriarch paid for James’ voice lessons, positive that her granddaughter had talent. However, despite the often-treacherous terrain of the music industry, James has never tired in her quest. There, she has tussled with unimaginative label executives, covered and owned Beatles songs, and cast a woman as Jesus. Through it all, James has carved out an enviable career, always on her own terms.
James has a particular taste for inserting herself into men’s spaces. Here, she twists hyper-masculine songs to her will, changing their meanings in the process. Furthermore, she brings that feminist lens to the forefront in her most recent project, 2025’s Soul Remains the Same. Moreover, she reinterprets tracks from AC/DC, Stone Temple Pilots, and Pearl Jam. “Something I’ve always loved, and I’ve done throughout my career, is sing songs that are not just written by men, but especially made for men,” she says. “And make them my own.”
Here, Soul Remains the Same transforms testosterone-soaked ‘80s and ‘90s radio classics of her youth into poignant, soulful, deeply personal covers. “I don’t try to change something to be clever. I don’t want to change something that’s already great,” James says. “But sometimes I’ll hear a song and think to myself, ‘This would be amazing with horns, or what would this sound like with a choir or a B3?’” James picked which tracks to cover after a road trip on which she and her husband belted along to some old favorites. Then, she created sexy, bold versions of cuts like Whitesnake’s “Is This Love”. Also, a deliciously moody version of Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight, Tonight.”
Recommended for fans of Nina Simone, Postmodern Jukebox, Pink Martini and Aretha Franklin.

Morgan James
2026-03-24 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-24 21:00 - 23:00
“A phenomenal talent whose feel for classic soul music is bone deep… This woman is on fire.” – New York Times

Morgan James has a voice that needs to be heard. After her grandmother heard her sing, the matriarch paid for James’ voice lessons, positive that her granddaughter had talent. However, despite the often-treacherous terrain of the music industry, James has never tired in her quest. There, she has tussled with unimaginative label executives, covered and owned Beatles songs, and cast a woman as Jesus. Through it all, James has carved out an enviable career, always on her own terms.
James has a particular taste for inserting herself into men’s spaces. Here, she twists hyper-masculine songs to her will, changing their meanings in the process. Furthermore, she brings that feminist lens to the forefront in her most recent project, 2025’s Soul Remains the Same. Moreover, she reinterprets tracks from AC/DC, Stone Temple Pilots, and Pearl Jam. “Something I’ve always loved, and I’ve done throughout my career, is sing songs that are not just written by men, but especially made for men,” she says. “And make them my own.”
Here, Soul Remains the Same transforms testosterone-soaked ‘80s and ‘90s radio classics of her youth into poignant, soulful, deeply personal covers. “I don’t try to change something to be clever. I don’t want to change something that’s already great,” James says. “But sometimes I’ll hear a song and think to myself, ‘This would be amazing with horns, or what would this sound like with a choir or a B3?’” James picked which tracks to cover after a road trip on which she and her husband belted along to some old favorites. Then, she created sexy, bold versions of cuts like Whitesnake’s “Is This Love”. Also, a deliciously moody version of Smashing Pumpkins’ “Tonight, Tonight.”
Recommended for fans of Nina Simone, Postmodern Jukebox, Pink Martini and Aretha Franklin.

Bria Skonberg
2026-03-26 19:00 - 21:00
“If Louis Armstrong and Doris Day could somehow be the same person, they’d be Bria Skonberg” –Wall Street Journal

Bria Skonberg is a Juno-award winning artist, ten-time Downbeat Rising Star, and a Jazz at Lincoln Center Swing! Awardee. Also, she won the 2022 “Legend” Award by the Society for the Preservation of the Great American Songbook. The trumpeter, vocalist, and composer has been called the “shining hope of hot jazz” (New York Times). Also, she is considered “one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation.” (Wall Street Journal)
Bria has stormed onto the jazz scene with her smoky vocals, blistering trumpet, and compelling compositions and arrangements. The Juno Award winner has sung the music of Aretha Franklin alongside Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child. Also, she played with U2 at the iconic Apollo Theater and sat in with the Dave Matthews Band. Additionally, Bria was a featured guest with Jon Batiste and performed as part of The Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour.
Bria continues to solidify her artistry, mastering her signature style as one of the most distinctive artists in jazz. 2024’s What It Means Is a career-defining album, inspired by the sounds of New Orleans jazz. “Pure sonic ebullience is in full display on Skonberg’s latest album What It Means, which mashes traditional jazz sounds and tunes with more modern jazz and even pop styles,” wrote Lee Mergner for WBGO.
Bria has a multitude of new and exciting music in store for audiences, releasing a holiday EP in 2025. Additionally, she will release two albums out in 2026: one trumpet-focused and one vocal-forward. Here, she brings all her new music to the stage with her quintet.
Recommended for fans of Ingrid Jensen, Jeremy Pelt, Stella Cole and Emmet Cohen.
📸: Shervin Lainez

Savion Glover Presents: Project 9
2026-03-29 19:00 - 21:00, 2026-03-30 19:00 - 21:00
“Savion is to tap what Charlie Parker is to jazz” – Herb Alpert

Savion Glover brings his revolutionary Project 9 back to the venue he premiered it at, in October 2024! Glover combines live jazz music and percussive movement for an expressive celebration of sound. Here, Glover acts as lead dancer and drummer! At this performance, he’ll push the boundaries of dance, taking you on an entertaining journey inspired by mythological and ancestral codes of sound.
Savion Glover began as a prodigious student of the great Honi Coles and the late Gregory Hines. It was Hines who called him “possibly the best tap dancer that ever lived.” Glover has been boldly breaking new ground for over a quarter century.
Glover was only eleven when he made his Broadway debut. There, he played the title character in 1984’s The Tap Dance Kid. Then, he received his first Tony nomination at fifteen for 1989’s Black and Blue. Also that year, he appeared alongside Hines and Sammy Davis Jr. in Tap.
By the turn of the 1990s Glover was moving freely between stage and screen. He appeared in Hines’ PBS special Gregory Hines’ Tap Dance in America. Also, he was featured in over forty episodes of the iconic children’s series Sesame Street. Furthermore, he received a 1992 Drama Desk nomination for Jelly’s Last Jam on Broadway.
Glover built on the momentum from this award-winning celebration of Jelly Roll Morton. Then, he became a cultural phenomenon at twenty-three when he co-conceived and starred in the wildly successful 1996 musical Bring in ‘Da Noise/Bring in ‘Da Funk. This was a landmark production tracing the history of Black life in America through tap. The show earned Glover a Tony Award for Best Choreography. Bring in ‘Da Noise/Bring in ‘Da Funk ran for three years at Broadway’s historic Ambassador Theatre, totaling 1,130 performances.
Recommended for fans of Gregory Hines, John Coltrane, Jimmy Slyde and Bunny Briggs.

Mark Lettieri Group
2026-04-01 19:00 - 21:00
“groundbreaking, genre-bending innovative group” – Jazz Guitar Today

Mark Lettieri is a six-time nominated, five-time Grammy winning guitarist, composer, producer, and instructor. He creates acclaimed guitar-based instrumental music and is a member of leading instrumental bands Snarky Puppy and The Fearless Flyers. Also, he is a session musician proficient in a multitude of styles. Thus, he has recorded and performed in virtually every genre of popular music with both independent and major-label artists.
In 2024 Lettieri released his highly anticipated new album, Can I Tell You Something? Here, Lettieri explores the world of instrumental music, blending elements of jazz, funk, rock, and soul. Further, he creates a sound that is distinctly his own. On display is his trademark intricate guitar work, infectious funk, and a range of dynamic compositions that highlight his versatility and creativity.
Mark joined Snarky Puppy in 2008, and his work with the group has resulted in five Grammy Awards. Then in 2018, Lettieri helped form The Fearless Flyers, with Cory Wong, Nate Smith, and Joe Dart. The Vulfpeck-adjacent quartet has four releases to date.
As a sideman, Lettieri has performed and/or recorded with a myriad of artists including Erykah Badu and David Crosby. Also, Kirk Franklin, The Jacksons, Fred Hammond, Tori Kelly, 50 Cent, Ledisi, Tamela Mann, Lecrae, Lupe Fiasco, and Keyshia Cole. Additionally, Xzibit, Anthony Evans, Phillip Phillips, Nelly, Chrisette Michele, Myron Butler, and even alongside comedians Dave Chappelle and Harry Shearer.
Recommended for fans of Snarky Puppy, Cory Wong, Nate Smith and Lettuce.

Andrew Walesch & His Orchestra
2026-04-04 19:00 - 21:00
“Fresh and classic at the same time” – Star Tribune

Singer/pianist Andrew Walesch encapsulates the sophistication of a cosmopolite and the self-effacing charm of a country boy, like many before him. Leading his all-star big band, showman Walesch kidnaps the Blue Eyes tradition and makes it his own. With this ten-piece band, Walesch embodies both a traditionalist and an iconoclast with his jazz-bent Sinatra revue.
Walesch is busy and versatile. Here, he composes and arranges, appearing in settings ranging from solo artist to big band. Moreover, this St. Cloud native is as respectful of his predecessors as he is ready to chart a new course. Andrew routinely jams venues all over the Midwest and beyond with a uniquely cross-generational audience. Walesch’s fans include jazz enthusiasts of a certain age, as well as a younger crowd compelled by his down-home insouciance. Also, all are drawn in by the knowing irreverence of a tried-and-true American nightclub entertainer.
“Although they are my idols, I don’t attempt to imitate the great pop and jazz artists of the 50s and ’60s,” says Andrew, “but I go for broke when we do our shows – vocally and musically – which is what they all did best and why they were in a class of their own.” He possesses fine vocal and piano chops, along with a keen sensibility to find and interpret a great lyric. These have led to some great opportunities for Walesch. He has appeared on the nationally syndicated NPR broadcast Mountain Stage. Additionally, he performed at the 33rd Annual Cabaret Convention at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Walesch resides in Phoenix, AZ, where he is the Artistic Director for the world-famous Musical Instrument Museum.
Recommended for fans of Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé and Bing Crosby.

Tierney Sutton & Tamir Hendelman Duo
2026-04-07 19:00 - 21:00
“A serious jazz artist who takes the whole enterprise to another level” – New York Times

Singer Tierney Sutton and pianist Tamir Hendelman have a musical relationship that goes back over twenty years. Sutton racked up nine Grammy nominations for her fourteen albums as leader. Meanwhile, Hendelman arranged, recorded and performed with Barbra Streisand and Natalie Cole, and led his own trio. Additionally, he was the featured pianist of the Jeff Hamilton Trio and Grammy-winning Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. Moreover, alongside all this, Tierney and Tamir still found time to tour as a duo in Italy, Japan, China and throughout the U.S.
Yet it was the pandemic that cemented and deepened the partnership of these two Los Angeles-based artists. Throughout 2020 and 2021, Tierney and Tamir created and presented live-streamed themed shows. Additionally, they created “By Request” video dedications for fans around the world.
Says Sutton: “This is truly one of my very favorite projects. No pianist in the world swings harder than Tamir and he’s an encyclopedia of songs so I’m able to be so free and improvisational. This project is a joy.”
Recommended for fans of Karrin Allyson, Stacey Kent, Jane Monheit and Emmet Cohen.

Judith Owen
2026-04-08 19:00 - 21:00
“she’s a charmer and a seducer, a rocker and… a jazz chanteuse” – Variety

Judith Owen’s outstanding new album, 2026’s Suit Yourself, can only be described as the full Judith Owen experience. Here, she celebrates all her strengths and everything that has brought her joy throughout her last three releases. It includes the joyous swagger of her wildly successful 2024 album Come On and Get It. There, this was Owen’s high-octane love letter to big band. She also evokes the mesmerizing Judith Owen Swings Christmas, and the live power of Comes Alive. Moreover, she showcases her own emotionally intoxicating songwriting and arrangements.
Suit Yourself is a beautiful blend of jazz, blues, and big band. Above all, it showcases her inimitable sound that seamlessly unites all the tracks. Whether solo at the piano or accompanied by her band, Judith’s rich, mellifluous voice seduces, and her interpretations thrill.
Recommended for fans of Davina and The Vagabonds, Veronica Swift, Blossom Dearie and Peggy Lee.
📸: Steve Rapport

Takuya Kuroda
2026-04-09 19:00 - 21:00
“inspired amalgamation of jazz, funk, hip-hop and neo-soul” – All About Jazz

Kobe-born, Brooklyn-based trumpeter Takuya Kuroda is dedicated, and his eighth studio record, 2025’s Everyday, is proof of that. Kuroda has not missed a beat since the release of 2022’s Midnight Crisp –– a record PopMatters called a “future classic”. Now, the 45-year-old musician desires to achieve the “perfect blend of production and organic performance”. It’s why he continues to throw himself into his daily practice, nearly thirty years into his musical life.
Everyday builds on and dives ever deeper into the hip hop and neo-soul elements of his previous work. Here, it is a deliciously rhythmic enterprise and a triumph of genre-blending modern jazz. Moreover, Kuroda’s playing is sure-footed and pure –– whether on the horn, synth, or Rhodes. He virtuosically dances among infectious rhythms of his own creation.
Kuroda’s twenty-one years in the United States have been fruitful. After studying composition at The New School, he threw himself into work. There, he played with DJ Premier’s Badder Band and Akoya Afrobeat and recorded as a sideman and bandleader. But as Kuroda himself says, “the only way to make the music that I want to make is to work hard, every day.” And so we have Everyday, a title which reflects, as Kuroda puts it, “that simple message.”
Everyday is hyperaware of a panoply of old ideas and a pantheon of old gods. However, as Kuroda engages these tropes and personalities day in and day out, he turns it all around in a style that’s undeniably cool and personal. As Pitchfork put it, “Kuroda’s skill is not drawing influence from so many different forms, it’s radiating joy in doing so.” It’s this sterling dedication that makes Takuya Kuroda and Everyday anything but commonplace.
Recommended for fans of Theo Croker, Kamasi Washington, Karriem Riggins and Robert Glasper.

Arturo Sandoval
2026-04-10 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-04-10 21:00 - 23:00
“one of the best ever” – Barack Obama

2024 Kennedy Center Honoree
2013 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient
10-time Grammy Award winner
Emmy Award recipient
Six-time Billboard Award winner
A protégé of the legendary jazz master Dizzy Gillespie, Arturo Sandoval was born just outside Havana, Cuba in 1949. Just two years prior, Gillespie became the first musician to bring Latin influences into American jazz. Arturo began studying classical trumpet at the age of twelve, but it didn’t take him long to catch the excitement of the jazz world.
With dazzling technique and near-limitless range, he has evolved into one of the world’s most acknowledged guardians of jazz trumpet and flugelhorn. He is also a renowned classical artist, pianist and composer.
Sandoval is one of the most dynamic and vivacious live performers of our time. He has been seen by millions at the Oscars, at the Grammy Awards, and the Billboard Awards.
Arturo can be heard on recordings from Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Woody Shaw, Michel Legrand, Josh Groban, and Tony Bennett. He has also performed with Stan Getz, Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka, Rod Stewart, and Alicia Keys, among many others. He has performed with John Williams with the Boston Pops, and at the Super Bowl with Tony Bennett and Patti LaBelle.
Arturo Sandoval reaches beyond the scope of mere effort. His struggles while in Cuba and since his defection have given him more energy and strength. His inner drive urges him to accomplish and surpass his childhood dreams. Filled with a virtuoso capability, he desires nothing more than to share his gift with others.
Recommended for fans of Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Chucho Valdés.
📸: Jeremy Lock

MacPhail Jazz Night: Dakota Jazz Ensemble
2026-04-13 19:00 - 21:00
MacPhail Jazz Night celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month with a performance by the Dakota Jazz Ensemble, directed by Zacc Harris. Also, acclaimed MacPhail faculty artists Michael Cain, Paul Babcock, and Zacc Harris.
The Dakota Jazz Ensemble at MacPhail Center for Music is a premier, audition-based group. Here, this group features some of the Twin Cities’ most outstanding high school jazz musicians. Additionally, the tuition-free ensemble provides advanced training in improvisation, ensemble performance, and a wide range of jazz repertoire.
The evening highlights the vibrant tradition of jazz in the Twin Cities. Here, rising young artists unite with acclaimed performers and educators who are shaping the artform today. Presented during Jazz Appreciation Month, the concert reflects MacPhail and the Dakota’s long-standing commitment to jazz education and to supporting the next generation of musicians.

Michael Cain is an internationally recognized jazz pianist, composer, and educator. There, his career spans performances with Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, and the World Saxophone Quartet. A longtime MacPhail faculty member, he also serves as Vice President of Music Education. He is known for his innovative approach to improvisation and genre-blending performance.

Paul Babcock is a percussionist, educator, and CEO of MacPhail Center for Music. A professional musician and teaching artist for more than three decades, he has performed internationally and locally across genres. Also, he remains deeply committed to music education and community engagement.

Zacc Harris is a Minneapolis-based guitarist, composer, and educator known for his work with Atlantis Quartet and many other groups. A bandleader and recording artist, his projects explore modern jazz, original composition, and creative improvisation. He is on the faculty at MacPhail Center for Music and directs the Dakota Jazz Ensemble.

Fred Hersch Trio
2026-04-15 19:00 - 21:00
“A pristine pianist with a poet’s soul… truly transcendent.” – Boston Globe

Fred Hersch belongs to jazz’s piano pantheon. He has been an influential creative force for decades as an improviser, composer, educator, bandleader, collaborator, and recording artist. Here, he has been proclaimed “the most arrestingly innovative pianist in jazz over the last decade” by Vanity Fair. Also, he is hailed as “a living legend” by The New Yorker. A seventeen-time Grammy nominee, Hersch has garnered jazz’s most prestigious awards. Here, these include a Doris Duke Artist (2016), Jazz Pianist of the Year from the Jazz Journalists Association (2011, 2016, 2018), and the Jazz Magazine (France) International Artist of the Year (2021). Furthermore, the Fred Hersch Trio was voted the #1 Jazz Group in the 2019 Downbeat Critics Poll.
Hersch is an acclaimed and influential solo pianist. There, he has twelve solo recordings in his catalog including the 2024 release, Silent, Listening. All About Jazz has remarked that “when it comes to the art of solo piano in jazz, there are two classes of performers: Fred Hersch and everybody else”. Also, New York Times simply calls him “a master who plays it his way”.
The Fred Hersch Trio has remained at the pinnacle of modern jazz, venerated for embodying thrilling interplay and dynamic spontaneity. The Wall Street Journal calls the trio “one of the major ensembles of our time.” Also, the New Yorker has applauded it for playing with “high lyricism and high danger.” The Trio has appeared at major jazz festivals throughout Europe and the U.S. Additionally, they have regularly headlined the legendary Village Vanguard since 1977.
Recommended for fans of Brad Mehldau, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and Julian Lage.

Pat Metheny
2026-04-18 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-04-18 21:00 - 23:00, 2026-04-19 17:30 - 19:30, 2026-04-19 20:00 - 22:00
“That liquid, crystalline tone; those airborne, searching melodies.” – NPR

Pat Metheny was born in Lee’s Summit, MO on August 12, 1954 into a musical family. He started on trumpet at the age of eight, then switched to guitar at age twelve. By fifteen, he worked regularly with the best jazz musicians in Kansas City, receiving valuable on-the-bandstand experience. Then, Metheny burst onto the international jazz scene in 1974. Over his three-year stint with vibraphone great Gary Burton, the young player already displayed his soon-to-become trademarked playing style. Here, he blended the loose and flexible articulation customarily reserved for horn players with an advanced rhythmic and harmonic sensibility. Moreover, this way of playing and improvising was modern in conception but grounded deeply in the jazz tradition of melody, swing, and the blues. With his first album, Bright Size Life (1975), he reinvented the traditional “jazz guitar” sound for a new generation.
Metheny’s versatility is nearly without peer on any instrument. He has performed with Steve Reich, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Jim Hall, Milton Nascimento, and David Bowie. Metheny’s body of work includes compositions for solo guitar, small ensembles, electric and acoustic instruments, large orchestras, and ballet pieces and even the robotic instruments of his Orchestrion project, while always sidestepping the limits of any one genre.
Pat Metheny has won twenty Grammy Awards spread out over a variety of different categories. Once, he won seven consecutive Grammys for seven consecutive albums. In 2015 he was inducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame, becoming only the fourth guitarist to be included. In 2018 he was named an NEA Jazz Master, the nation’s highest honor in jazz.
Recommended for fans of Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Wes Montgomery and Bill Frisell.
These tickets do not qualify for the A-Train discount.

Julius Rodriguez
2026-04-27 19:00 - 21:00
“tremendous sense of harmony and virtuosity” – New York Times

Julius Rodriguez is an American jazz pianist, composer, and rising star in the vibrant alternative jazz scene. There, Rodriguez is known for his soulful sound and dynamic playing. He blends a deep understanding of traditional jazz with modern influences, creating a distinctive voice that resonates across genres. His music effortlessly merges elements of jazz, funk, and soul, capturing the essence of both old-school and contemporary styles.
Born and raised in New York, Rodriguez began his musical journey at an early age. Furthermore, he studied piano and drums, developing a love for jazz through the city’s rich musical history. He made a name for himself at eleven years old in the vibrant West Village jazz club scene. Later, he honed his craft at the Juilliard School of Music, where he further shaped his sound and refined his improvisational skills.
Rodriguez’s artistry extends beyond his musicianship. As a composer and bandleader, he brings a unique energy to every performance, seamlessly navigating between melodic inventiveness and intricate rhythms. His debut album, Let Sound Tell All, showcased his ability to craft intricate compositions that push the boundaries of jazz. His most recent album, Evergreen, further demonstrates his growth as an artist. Here, he blends rich, complex arrangements with a deep sense of emotion, continuing to push the boundaries of the genre.
Rodriguez continues to establish himself as one of the most promising voices in contemporary alternative jazz. His work as a collaborator is equally impressive. He has worked with Meshell Ndegeocello, Lianne La Havas, Remi Wolf, Kurt Elling, and Chris Botti. Also, A$AP Rocky, Cautious Clay, and Madison McFerrin. With impeccable technique, musicality, and vision, Julius Rodriguez is poised to become one of the defining voices of his generation.
Recommended for fans of Gerald Clayton, Immanuel Wilkins, Jon Batiste and Julian Lage.
