Morgan James
2026-03-24 21:00 - 23:00 (America/Chicago)
“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.
Meet the band:

Sam Stauning (tenor saxophone)
Dominique Paguyo (alto saxophone)
Peter Sullivan (piano)
Basil Saathoff (piano)
Finn Bergstrom (bass)
Zach Minkin (drums)

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. 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 is deeply committed to transforming lives through the power of music. He continues to perform in jazz, rock, and classical settings and has collaborated with artists including Marvin Hamlisch, Geoffrey Keezer, and Michael Cain.

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.

Chucho Valdés Royal Quartet
2026-04-28 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-04-28 21:00 - 23:00
“A pianist of imperial command, possessed of a dazzling, deceptively casual virtuosity” – New York Times

Chucho Valdes, piano
Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, drums
Armando Gola, bass
Roberto Vizcaino Jr., percussion
Cuban pianist, composer, and arranger Chucho Valdés is the most influential figure in modern Afro-Cuban jazz. Here, in a rich career spanning sixty years, he has won seven Grammy and seven Latin Grammy Awards. Moreover, Chucho pushes boundaries in pursuit of new expressions in Afro-Cuban music. Additionally, his influence in the genre is immeasurable, establishing the standard by which younger generations create their own.
Chucho received musical education through formal studies and countless nights on the best stages in Cuba. There, he performed with his father, Bebo Valdés, and his orchestra Sabor de Cuba, and with the seminal Orquesta Cubana de Música Moderna. Chucho is acclaimed as the founder, pianist, and main composer and arranger of Irakere, a landmark ensemble in Cuban music. Also, Chucho led Irakere for more than thirty years, but since 2005 he has focused on his personal career. Here, he showcases his piano prowess with small ensembles, like the Afro-Cuban Messengers, Jazz Batá, and his acclaimed Royal Quartet.
Chucho has been named an NEA Jazz Master. Additionally, he earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Also, he was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, and received a DC Jazz Festival Lifetime Achievement Award. There, he joined an illustrious list that includes Kenny Barron, James Moody, Ellis Marsalis, George Wein, and Dave Brubeck.
Valdés is a restless visionary forever evolving Afro-Cuban music. Further, he is as creative and playful as ever on his Grammy-nominated, Latin Grammy-winning release, 2024’s Cuba & Beyond.
Recommended for fans of Arturo Sandoval, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Alfredo Rodriguez and Nachito Herrera.

Joey Alexander
2026-04-29 19:00 - 21:00
“seemingly limitless technique… dazzling” – NPR

Joey Alexander is one of the most exciting voices in contemporary jazz. He is a Grammy-nominated jazz pianist and composer from Bali, Indonesia. He has released seven acclaimed albums, and performed at the White House, Carnegie Hall, and the Grammy Awards.
Alexander burst onto the global jazz scene in 2015 with his debut album My Favorite Things. Since then, he has released seven albums, earning widespread acclaim and three Grammy Award nominations. There, My Favorite Things was nominated for Best Instrumental Album, and he also earned Best Jazz Solo noms for “Giant Steps” and “Countdown.”
His albums My Favorite Things and Countdown both reached Number One on the Billboard Jazz Charts, while Eclipse climbed to Number Three.
Joey has performed for President Barack Obama at the White House and President Bill Clinton at the Arthur Ashe Learning Center Gala. Additionally, he has appeared at the Grammys, The Grand Ole Opry, the Apollo Theatre and Carnegie Hall. Furthermore, he performs at major jazz festivals, clubs, and concert halls worldwide.
TV show 60 Minutes has profiled him, and The New York Times has featured him. Here, this solidifies his reputation as a prodigious talent and a leading figure in modern jazz.
Recommended for fans of McCoy Tyner, Ahmad Jamal, Brad Mehldau and Keith Jarrett.

VIP Event: Al Di Meola: Guitarchitect
2026-05-01 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-02 16:00 - 17:00
Click the links below for show tickets!
Al Di Meola: MAY 1 • 6:30pm performance
Al Di Meola: MAY 1 • 9:00pm performance
Al Di Meola: MAY 2 • 6:30pm performance
Al Di Meola: MAY 2 • 9:00pm performance

Upgrade your evening with an exclusive VIP Meet & Greet experience with Al Di Meola. This limited opportunity offers fans an intimate behind-the-scenes look before the show begins.
Invitation to pre-show experience with Al Di Meola, including:

Pre-show soundcheck
Pre-show meet & greet with Al Di Meola

IMPORTANT: This is not a ticket to the show.

“a terrifyingly dexterous electric guitarist… a remarkable acoustic shredder.” – Premier Guitar

Al Di Meola is one of the top guitarists of our time. Here, he has enjoyed a celebrated career that has spanned more than four decades. His fascination with complex rhythmic syncopation, provocative lyrical melodies, and sophisticated harmony are at the heart of his music. Among his myriad critical accolades are multiple Grammys and Grammy nominations. Additionally, twelve awards from polls conducted by Guitar Player magazine, which inducted Di Meola into its Gallery of Greats.
A bona fide guitar hero and prolific composer, Di Meola has created more than thirty albums as a leader. Furthermore, he has collaborated on about a dozen others. These include fusion supergroup Return to Forever (with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, and Lenny White). Also, the celebrated acoustic Guitar Trio (featuring fellow virtuosos John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía). Further, the Rite of Strings trio (with Clarke and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty). Here, his dazzling technique has made him a hero to fretboard fanatics. However, the depth of Di Meola’s writing, along with the soulfulness and inherent lyricism of his expressive playing, have won him a worldwide fanbase beyond the guitar aficionado set.
Recommended for fans of Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucia and Wayne Shorter.

Al Di Meola: Guitarchitect
2026-05-01 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-05-01 21:00 - 23:00, 2026-05-02 18:30 - 20:30, 2026-05-02 21:00 - 23:00
VIP Meet & Greet Add-On. Click the links below for tickets!
Al Di Meola: MAY 1 • 4:00pm VIP Meet & Greet
Al Di Meola: MAY 2 • 4:00pm VIP Meet & Greet

“a terrifyingly dexterous electric guitarist… a remarkable acoustic shredder.” – Premier Guitar

Al Di Meola is one of the top guitarists of our time. Here, he has enjoyed a celebrated career that has spanned more than four decades. His fascination with complex rhythmic syncopation, provocative lyrical melodies, and sophisticated harmony are at the heart of his music. Among his myriad critical accolades are multiple Grammys and Grammy nominations. Additionally, twelve awards from polls conducted by Guitar Player magazine, which inducted Di Meola into its Gallery of Greats.
A bona fide guitar hero and prolific composer, Di Meola has created more than thirty albums as a leader. Furthermore, he has collaborated on about a dozen others. These include fusion supergroup Return to Forever (with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, and Lenny White). Also, the celebrated acoustic Guitar Trio (featuring fellow virtuosos John McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía). Further, the Rite of Strings trio (with Clarke and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty). Here, his dazzling technique has made him a hero to fretboard fanatics. However, the depth of Di Meola’s writing, along with the soulfulness and inherent lyricism of his expressive playing, have won him a worldwide fanbase beyond the guitar aficionado set.
Recommended for fans of Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucia and Wayne Shorter.

Isaiah Collier: Collier Plays Coltrane
2026-05-03 19:00 - 21:00
“heir apparent to both the Chicago lineage and the post-Coltrane sax tradition” – New York Times

One of today’s most exciting saxophonists celebrates John Coltrane’s centennial!
Isaiah Collier is a musical virtuoso in the truest sense of the phrase. He began playing saxophone at age eleven, and his intuitive proficiency earned him attention early on. Ever since, his band Isaiah Collier and The Chosen Few has been turning ears.
In 2025 he was featured on NPR’s “Jazz Night in America”, and graced the cover of Downbeat Magazine. Additionally, Chicago Tribune named him 2024’s Jazz Artist of the Year. New York Times selected his album The Almighty as one of the Top Ten Jazz Recordings of 2024. Furthermore, The New York Times 2024 Fall Arts Preview featured him. Downbeat selected him as one of twenty-five for the future in 2024’s Ninetieth Anniversary issue. Also, he won the Rising Star Award in Downbeat Magazine’s critics poll for tenor saxophone (2023), and soprano saxophone (2024). Then, he was named a Steve Jobs Fellow.
There’s a regal, elegant manner to Isaiah’s stage presence: he’s over 6 feet tall, thin, deep brown, with high cheekbones. When not playing, he is patiently waiting. Not contemplating his next move, but listening to the musicians who accompany him, listening to their stories. Here, he explains that he’s never really hearing himself, he’s hearing others play: some people have fire, others have air.
Isaiah Coller’s sound is a dynamic flurry of metaphors, yet he can hold back when necessary. Thus, he plays his influences, which he describes as a “sonic time machine; you can’t really put a time or destination on it.” As far as he where he plans to take his music, Collier says, “I reach backwards, and forwards simultaneously when creating art and what is ahead of me is the past.”
Recommended for fans of John Coltrane, Kamasi Washington, Pharoah Sanders and Wayne Shorter.
📸: Johanna Brinckmann

The Beatles Reimagined
2026-05-05 19:00 - 21:00
“known for his (Jeff Perry) hip reimagining of songs.” – Star Tribune

Jazz musicians have covered and reinterpreted songs by The Beatles for the past fifty years. With the Beatles Reimagined show, three of Minnesota’s most prominent guitarists build on this tradition. Here, they display their own “hip retooling” (Star Tribune) of classic songs by the Fab Four. Hear guitarists Tim Sparks, Zacc Harris, and show curator Jeff Perry, with bassist Matt Blake and drummer Bob Johnston. Moreover, the frequent rotation and pairings of the guitarists makes for an exciting, fast-paced show. Also, their imaginative approaches brings you Beatles classics like you’ve never heard them before.
Jeff Perry has been described as “fabulous… one of the Twin Cities’ best” by the Dakota. Furthermore, over many years Perry developed a proven repertoire that includes beloved songs from across the musical and generational spectrum. Jeff Perry performs high-quality music that connects with people from many generations and backgrounds.
Tim Sparks has been redefining the acoustic guitar repertoire for decades. He won the National Fingerpicking Championship in 1993 with a ground-breaking arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. Further, Sparks’s extraordinary ability has garnered an international reputation as one of the most innovative guitarists working today.
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.
Recommended for fans of The Beatles.

Women Who Cook - A Mother’s Day Reunion
2026-05-10 16:00 - 18:00
This legendary MN band reunites for Mother’s Day!

Women Who Cook will grace the Dakota stage this Mother’s Day, in their first full show since 2002. Forty-four years ago, some of the Twin Cities most accomplished women musicians were assembled for an episode on TPT‘s NightTimes Variety, originally conceived by Marian Moore and Prudence Johnson as an all-star band of women from many genres of music. The group went on to create epic, sold-out shows at the Guthrie, the State, O’Shaughnessy, and the Ordway, and their historic Soviet Peace Tour of 1988.
Singers Jearlyn Steele, Ginger Commodore, Mary Jane Alm, Kathy Mueller, Gwen Matthews and Prudence Johnson come together once more. They will be backed by Women Who Cook veterans Jane Henderson on keyboards and Jane Aleckson on bass, Laurie Glaser on trumpet, and Sue Roberts on trombone. Coming on board for this reunion show are saxophonist Sue Orfield, pianist Mary Louise Knutson and drummer Sheila Earley. There will be a special tribute to former members Jeanne Arland Peterson and Kathy Jensen.
Women Who Cook distinguishes itself with its phenomenal musicianship and intricate vocal arrangements, and the beautiful energy and warmth that come from its all-woman lineup. This brilliant formation is known for associating themselves with social issues and they are excited to offer their genuine gift of love and peace through music as our community heals.
Recommended for fans of Moore By Four, Manhattan Transfer, The Steeles and Prince.
