Dakota

Rogue Valley
2025-07-17 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago)
Rogue Valley is an Americana band based in the Twin Cities. Here, the blend of urban development and natural landscape converge along the shores of the Mississippi River. The band raced onto the local scene a little over a decade ago, with four full-length albums in a single year. Then, in 2016 the band followed up with the anthemic, twangy surf-rock collection radiate/dissolve. However, since then it’s been mostly sporadic social media posts claiming, “Coming Soon.”
Individually, the band members have all remained occupied. Vocalist Linnea Mohn shares the stage with singer-songwriters Aby Wolf and Jonatha Brooke. Drummer Luke Anderson and guitarist Peter Sieve have joined up with the Iowa-based Lissie. Also, bassist Cody McKinney continues to push boundaries with his compositions and collaborations. Since Rogue Valley’s last release, songwriter-vocalist Chris Koza has released three solo albums (Sleepwalkers Part 1 & 2, and the instrumental On Horseshoe Lake). Additionally, in 2022 he joined the legendary Gordon Lightfoot on a run that would become his final Midwest tour.
Now the hum of optimism surrounding new music is beginning its tangible crescendo. The new album, 2023’s Shell Game, is a nod to natural and created structures that both contain and obscure.
A cocoon yields a butterfly; a riverbed holds a story; a body houses a soul. A shell mirrors the meditative drone of an ocean crashing onto itself. For every journey, there are moments and minutiae in between as bright or dark as any greater narrative. Shell Game roams familiar territory and also furthers the idea of Americana and the Rogue Valley aesthetic.
LSD is a Minneapolis trio blending acoustic warmth, bluesy electric guitar, and reed-organ harmonium into a “living room eclectic” sound. Their debut EP, I Prefer LSD, drops September 2025.
LSD is a new project from Minneapolis-based multi-instrumentalists Lisa Hirst Carnes, Sean Broderick, and David Carnes, veteran musicians who’ve been part of the city’s music scene since the 1990s through projects like Snuggle Bunny Death Train, Mayaflyer, Sweet Stache, Liminal Phase, and A Ghost Revival.
Blending rich acoustic textures with atmospheric electric tones, LSD describes their sound as “living room eclectic.” It’s an intimate vibe, with fireside guitar foundations layered in creamy, blues-inflected electric riffs, haunting vocals, and organic textures from harmonium, and subtle synths. Imagine a sonic intersection where Pentangle meets Fleetwood Mac with a hint of Iron & Wine—soulful, and evocative.
In recent months, LSD has been generating buzz with standing-room-only performances in Minneapolis. They’re currently in the studio working on their debut EP, I Prefer LSD, slated for release in September 2025.
Recommended for fans of Lissie, Jeremy Messersmith, José Gonzalez, and Rogue Wave.

Keiko Matsui
2025-07-16 19:00 - 21:00
Acclaimed pianist, composer and humanitarian Keiko Matsui’s transcendent and haunting melodies have long sought to build bridges. Her sonic cultural exchange has reached the hearts and minds of fans throughout the world. Also, it has fostered collaborations with icons like Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Hugh Masekela and Bob James.
“I have this dream where we can each cherish our own happiness and learn to accept and care for one another.” This declaration is a tall order but if anyone can pull it off, Matsui can. There is a reason why the stunning, soft-spoken, and petite powerhouse with such a commanding presence at the piano has amassed a devout following through the years. “When I tour around the world and witness how my music cuts through our differences and connects everyone, it makes me feel euphoric!” exclaims Keiko. Furthermore, she has lent her voice to raise awareness for causes like The Daniel Pearl and Susan G. Komen Foundations.
Keiko harnesses this joy on her thirtieth recording, 2023’s Euphoria. Keiko is joined by her touring band, bassist Rico Belled, guitarist JP Mourao and drummer Jimmy Branly. Then, she credits them for making the rigors of touring bearable. However, Euphoria promises to be a watershed moment for Keiko. Here, she has poured her heart and soul into this project and the result is an utterly inspiring, epic statement. Keiko declares, “At the core of this album are beauty, strength, energy, love, and hope. These are all the things in life that we need to move forward on a new path. This music is dedicated to a new era.”
Recommended for fans of David Sanborn, Oleta Adams, Brian Culbertson and Bob James.
📸: Raj Naik

The Baylor Project
2025-07-15 19:00 - 21:00
A husband. A wife. An astonishing duo built on love, family, faith, culture and community. These things power The Baylor Project featuring Jean Baylor and Marcus Baylor.
This enticing collaboration is steeped in the heart and soul of jazz. Furthermore, Marcus’ and Jean’s musical roots were planted deep within the church: both are the children of pastors. There, the influence of jazz, gospel, blues and soul made its mark on the young artists. In 2017, their debut CD The Journey reached Number Eight on the Billboard Jazz Chart. Then, the album garnered two Grammy nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Traditional R&B Performance.
Two years later during one of the most challenging years in recent history, The Baylors released their single, “Sit on Down”. Here, this earned them a third Grammy nomination, solidifying The Baylor Project as an undeniable force. Additionally, their second album, 2021’s Generations, earned the duo its first NAACP Image Award and its fourth Grammy nomination.
Their first live album, The Evening: Live at APPARATUS garnered The Baylors two more Grammy nominations. A collaboration with Adam Blackstone and Russell Ferrante earned them a seventh Grammy nomination for the original song “Vulnerable (Live)”. Also, this song appears on the live recording Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn.
Most recently, The Baylor Project received their eighth Grammy nomination. Here, they recorded an impromptu live, in-studio performance of the age-old spiritual “Walk With Me, Lord.”
The Baylor Project pays homage to their wide-ranging musical influences. In doing so, they generate an eclectic sound whose overall effect is spiritual, buoyant, feel-good music.
Soulful. Melodic. Authentic. The Baylor Project.
Recommended for fans of Jazzmeia Horn, Jamison Ross, Ravi Coltrane and Matthew Whitaker.

📸: Matthew Placek

Sarah Morris
2025-07-14 19:00 - 21:00
Sarah Morris has a habit of missing the forest. From the day the Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter picked up a guitar, she’s been too busy crafting love letters to the details of the trees. Morris’ endearingly honest, expertly penned songs encourage audiences to pull away from the big picture. Then, we are invited to get caught up in the magic of our everyday minutia. Morris grants us permission to escape into stories at once hauntingly familiar and uniquely her own.
2023’s Here’s To You, her fifth album of original material, sees Morris shedding some country swagger. Thus, this album favors a lusher, more celestial sound. With layers of harmonies and synths orbiting her band’s guitar, bass and drums, Morris’ clarion voice shines brightly. Whether they’re celebration songs, grief songs, or gift songs, you feel devotion to her craft in every line. Dave Franklin of The Big Takeover declared Here’s To You “a triumph. An album of space and restraint, any note played, every word uttered feels perfectly and purposely placed”.
In addition to being a 2018 Kerrville New Folk winner, she recently earned third place at the 2023 Songwriter Serenade. Also, Morris was chosen as a finalist for Telluride Troubadour. Additionally, she took second place at the 2016 MerleFest Chris Austin Songwriting Competition.
Morris is deeply committed to the Twin Cities’ life-giving music community. Here, she hosts an online interview program called “Hey, I Miss You” to amplify the work of her peers. As a writer, lover, mother, and witness, Morris invites us to join her in missing the forest for the trees. There, her songs count and celebrate the glorious details of our messy, magical, everyday lives.
Recommended for fans of JD Souther, Suzy Bogguss, Teddy Thompson and Mary Chapin Carpenter.

Carolyn Wonderland
2025-07-13 19:00 - 21:00
Carolyn Wonderland has more than earned her reputation as a fiercely independent artist. Fans love her for her dynamic guitar playing, formidable songwriting, and pure Texas vocals. Wonderland plays original, bluesified, cosmic soul music, mixed with heavy doses of Tex-Mex and riff-fueled rock ‘n’ roll. Moreover, she has been performing professionally since age fifteen and has led a colorful and adventurous life. She has spent her entire career on the road, playing with icons from Townes Van Zandt to Levon Helm. Also, she’s worked with Buddy Guy, Hubert Sumlin, Bob Dylan and John Mayall, all while writing her own story.
On her new album, 2025’s Truth Is, Wonderland reflects on the world with honesty and righteous conviction. Here, she does this with vividly detailed, instantly memorable songs. Wonderland’s bold and insightful songs tell common-sense truths that, in her words, “need to be told.” They are driven by her sometimes savage, sometimes gently melodic guitar fingerpicking, along with her full-throated yet still vulnerable vocals. Also, Wonderland explains the album’s brutally honest subject matter. “There’s always hope and we’re still here for each other, but at some point, you have to sing about the elephant in the room.”
Truth Is is a timeless album for these times. Over the course of the album’s twelve songs, Wonderland and her band create lasting musical magic. Wonderland stakes her claim among the most influential roots music voices today. Further, her courageously empowering music packs an emotional wallop. Here, every track on the album radiates a rare intensity that is welcoming and ultimately uplifting. “She’s something else,” Bob Dylan once told Ray Benson. “She should be nationwide.”
Recommended for fans of Marcia Ball, Aaron Neville, Susan Tedeschi and Delbert McClinton.

📸: Mary Bruton

Lissie
2025-07-12 19:00 - 21:00, 2025-07-11 19:00 - 21:00
Lissie’s latest, 2022’s Carving Canyons finds the acclaimed singer-songwriter digging deep to carry on through life’s many uncertainties. Her fifth album is her most personal expression yet. Her songs chart the ripples caused by heartbreak and loneliness, and what happens when the soul perseveres amidst pain. Carving Canyons is as deeply felt as Lissie’s music has ever been.
Carving Canyons came about at Lissie’s own pace, following 2018’s Castles and the piano-based retrospective When I’m Alone (2019). “It wasn’t a time where I felt like I had a lot to say,” she recalls, “and each record typically comes from a shift in my life where I need to share things.” As the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world, Lissie was also dealing with an impactful breakup on her Iowa farm. “It was such a heavy time—not just for me but for the world, of course—and I needed love, support, and connection,” she says. “Because there was so much isolation, it was an important period of time for me to explore some of my dark places and process it all.”
Lissie took in the nature and observed the seasons changing around her and within her. Then, the songs that would make up Carving Canyons started to flow from her. Carving Canyons is about looking within while dealing with the uncertainty of the future. Here, she finds hope in personal and worldly adversity, no matter what the forecast might say. “Some days it was so terrifying that I didn’t know how to carry on—and then I realized, ‘How exciting. What a gift,’” Lissie recalls while discussing her frame of mind while making the record. “The road in front of me is wide open.”
Recommended for fans of Ellie Goulding, Neko Case, Brandi Carlile and Patty Griffin.

Toronzo Cannon
2025-07-10 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-07-10 19:00 - 21:00
“exceptionally gifted… man, he can play” – Blues Blast

“I want my songs to be heard and experienced, not just listened to,” says cliché-defying, internationally beloved Chicago bluesman Toronzo Cannon. Cannon is on the cutting edge of today’s contemporary blues scene. Further, critics hail him as one of the genre’s most creative artists. Fans love him for his richly detailed, truth-telling original songs, blistering, inventive guitar work and impassioned vocals.
Here, his heroes inspire his sound. For example, Hound Dog Taylor, Muddy Waters, Elmore James, Albert King, Son Seals and Jimi Hendrix. Moreover, on his latest release, 2024’s Shut Up And Play!, Cannon blazes his own path with eleven emotionally charged originals. Thus, his powerful, cathartic guitar solos and his soulfully authoritative voice fuel his imaginative songs.
Shut Up And Play! features Cannon, a former Chicago bus driver, delivering timeless stories of common experiences. Further, his lyrics are set ablaze by his passionate and focused guitar playing. Here, Cannon sings of the heartbreak of lost love, the humor of daily life, and the pain of feeling invisible. Chicago’s New City declared, “Toronzo Cannon spins the innate human capacity of misery and regret into a kind of furious ecstasy.”
“I write what I know, what I feel,” Cannon says. “Listen to the lyrics. I am a Black man in America. These are NOT protest songs. I try to create honest, common sense understanding with my songs.”
Cannon has earned ten Blues Music Award nominations. Further, as his fan base expands, so do his friendships with famous musicians. Gary Clark, Jr. declared, “Toronzo is a beast. He lights the room up.” Also, Joe Bonamassa rightly pronounced, “Toronzo’s a great guitar player, excellent vocalist and an amazing personality.”
Recommended for fans of Lonnie Brooks, Walter Trout, Bernard Allison and Corey Stevens.
LEARN MORE: https://toronzocannon.com/home

Johnnie Brown: "Let the Music Play" -
2025-07-09 19:00 - 21:00
Johnnie Brown was born in Mississippi. He began singing as a child in his father’s church choir. As an adult, Johnnie’s sibling and friends encouraged him to take singing more seriously.
Brown decided to take his vision as a performer to the next level and formed a band. Since, he has established a reputable name for himself and performs locally around the Minneapolis area. He attributes his love of music to many great legends of R&B, soul, pop and the great “sounds of Philadelphia”.
Brown performs regularly at the Dakota, Crooner’s Supper Club, Ordway, and Chanhassen Dinner Theater. Additionally, he has played Chicago’s Epiphany Center for the Arts, the Ujamaa foundation, community benefits and other celebrations. Furthermore, Johnnie continues to strive to make a difference in the entertainment community.
Brown is lauded for his tribute performances, shows that honor the legendary performers who inspired his singing career. Additionally, he aims to enhance the substance of music and its relevancy, to develop and broaden a more diverse audience. Then, he connects with audiences on an emotional level, leading them on a musical journey they can relate to.
After several sold-out performances, Johnnie brings his Barry White tribute performance, “Let the Music Play” to the Dakota. Here, Brown’s debut tribute performance to the music of the legendary Barry White will be a soulful experience. Then, he reimagines White’s music, detailing the life and time of an amazing artist of our time.
Barry Eugene White was an American singer, songwriter, and producer who was active from the 1950s to the 2000s. People knew him for his bass voice and romantic image, and his greatest success came in the 1970s.
Recommended for fans of Barry White, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson.

Bonerama
2025-07-08 19:00 - 21:00
Bonerama is a force of nature. In many ways, the band defies categorization. A funky rock band with brass… a funky brass band that rocks. Bonerama is a New Orleans-based band that fuses everything that has made that city’s music famous into a genre-defying gumbo. The band takes elements of rock, soul, fusion, pop, jazz, funk, brass, gospel and blues to forge its unique sound.
Formed in 1998, Bonerama is in their twenty-seventh year. They are Mark Mullins (founding member, trombone, electric trombone and lead vocals), Greg Hicks (trombone/vocals), Chris Butcher (trombone). Also, Bert Cotton (guitar), Matt Perrine (sousaphone) and Eric Bolivar (drums). Here, Bonerama is one of the funkiest and most unique bands to ever come out of New Orleans.
Their original songs are extraordinary. Additionally, they deliver blistering covers by Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Allman Brothers, Jimi Hendrix, and Black Sabbath. Thus, Bonerama’s style is distinctive, inimitable, genuine, one-of-a-kind sound is unmatched, high-energy, fun, dynamic and bold.
Over the years, Bonerama has joined forces with many prominent musicians on stage or in the studio. For example, R.E.M., Little Feat, OK Go, Nicole Atkins, George Porter Jr., The Radiators, Ivan Neville, Galactic and many more. Moreover, whoever Bonerama teams up with gets an interesting and personal take on Bonerama’s style. There, they infuse a piece of their own genetics into the band vibe of whoever they are joining. Furthermore, Bonerama’s sound is a mélange unlike anything else. By placing the trombones front and center stage as the lead instrument, Bonerama is different in the best possible way. Here, it is drenched with the New Orleans DNA that flows through the veins of the band’s members.
Recommended for fans of Trombone Shorty, Rebirth Brass Band, Soul Rebels Brass Band and Galactic.

📸: Marc Pagani

Moore By Four
2025-07-07 19:00 - 21:00
Feat. Sanford Moore, Ginger Commodore, Connie Evingson, Dennis Spears, and Ashley Commodore
Moore By Four quickly established themselves as a fixture on the Twin Cities music scene upon their 1986 inception. There, they started out at Ruby’s Cabaret in Minneapolis. The group performed sold-out concerts at the Guthrie and Fitzgerald Theaters and went on to tour Europe and Japan. Then, they shared concert billing with Harry Connick, Jr., Joe Williams, Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan and Dizzy Gillespie. Further, they performed at concert halls and jazz festivals around the world. They’ve sung for the U.S. Olympic Committee, the Super Bowl, the Minnesota Twins, Vikings and Timberwolves. Also, former President and Mrs. Clinton, Mikhail and Raisa Gorbachev, Czech Republic President Vaclav Havel, the King and Queen of Sweden. Additionally, they’ve played countless special events, benefits, corporate functions, colleges and universities, concert halls and festivals in the U.S., Europe and Japan.
The harmonies put forth by the four vocalists immediately invoke thoughts of Manhattan Transfer. They do this with their precise vocal control and polish, pulsating rhythms and innovative arrangements. However, the individuals’ grounding in gospel, jazz, pop and theater provides a far broader range to the group’s musical offerings.
The group’s repertoire, arranged by Director Sanford Moore, originally specialized in music from the swing era. Moreover, it has broadened to also include contemporary jazz, original compositions and new arrangements of great standards. They pull tunes from Broadway, Hollywood and the Cotton Club period. Then, they perform these songs in what has become known as the signature style of Moore By Four.
Recommended for fans of Manhattan Transfer, New York Voices, The Four Freshmen and Take 6.

JT Bates, Zacc Harris, Chris Bates Trio
2025-07-06 19:00 - 21:00
Drummer JT Bates grew up at the Dakota. He experienced being in the same room as many drummers who created the language of the modern drumset. For example, Billy Higgins, Ben Riley, Elvin Jones, Max Roach, and on from those depths.
To share a stage shared by so much music from far and wide is an honor. Here, JT is joined by brother Chris Bates on bass, and Zacc Harris on guitar.
Currently residing in Minneapolis, JT is most often holed up in a studio making drum tracks for many recording artists. He has recently contributed tracks to Maya Hawke, Taylor Swift, and Ed Sheeran. However, growing up in a jazz-oriented family has never left his core. Thus, he can be seen semi-regularly in the Twin Cities performing creative music in multiple capacities.
Bates has worked with artists from both ends of the spectrum. He has toured with fellow improvisers Tony Malaby, Anthony Cox, John Medeski, and Craig Taborn. Also, The Lowest Pair, Big Red Machine (with Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner), Jenny Lewis, Bonny Light Horseman, and LULUC. Additionally, he was a part of the Bon Iver Tu Dance project at The Palace.
Bates has played alongside some of his personal favorite singer/songwriters. These include Pieta Brown, Phil Cook, Erik Koskinen, Dead Man Winter, and The Pines. He made his first solo recording, Open Relationships, in 2015. JT is a lifelong member of Fat Kid Wednesdays (w/Adam Linz and Michael Lewis), and Alpha Consumer (w/Jeremy Ylvisaker and Michael Lewis). He also fronts Grain, a Hammond B3 organ trio.
Recommended for fans of The Bad Plus, Nate Smith, LA Buckner and Dosh.

The Belfast Cowboys
2025-07-05 19:00 - 21:00
The Belfast Cowboys is a nine-piece, horn-driven band from Minneapolis that specializes in the music of Van Morrison. Entering their third decade, they are adept at mixing rock, blues, roots and soul sounds. Led by veteran songwriter/guitarist Terry Walsh, the Cowboys have flourished in the renowned Minnesota music scene. They have consistently packed houses and wowed crowds since 2002.
Terry Walsh got his start playing in various Twin Cities rock bands. He toured as Slim Dunlap’s bass player in 1997, opening for Son Volt. In 2001 Terry hit upon the idea of forming a Van Morrison tribute band. Terry spent the rest of the year learning Van songs and building an all-star band. The band played their first show at the old 400 Bar on Saint Patrick’s Day 2002.
Many musicians have played with the band, but the ‘A’ team was soon established. It includes Dan Kowalke (guitar, vocals, Joe Baumgart (bass), Dave Kirby and Dave Haugen (drums, backing vocals), Joe Loskota (keyboards, backing vocals). The horn section includes Paul Gronert (sax), Matt Hanzelka (trombone), Tim Martin (trumpet), Vic Volare (sax, flute). Bandleader Terry Walsh (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano).
The band has expanded its content over the years to include rock and soul covers. Terry’s own originals have become fan favorites. Now a beloved staple in Minnesota, the 9-piece Belfast Cowboys averaged over 120 shows a year before the pandemic. The bar-tested troubadours are known for playing epic sets at their weekly Minneapolis gigs and drawing crowds to outdoor festivals. Occasionally they’ll venture beyond the Midwest to play Ireland, Phoenix, and New York’s Times Square. Once they opened for the band Chicago in front of 15,000 people.
Recommended for fans of Bruce Springsteen, G.B. Leighton, Tina and the B-Sides and Van Morrison.

Closed for the holiday
2025-07-04
We will be closed on JUL 4 for the holiday.
BOOK YOUR EVENT HERE:
https://www.dakotacooks.com/private-events/

T. Mychael Rambo & Ginger Commodore
2025-07-03 19:00 - 21:00
“[Rambo is a] local theater legend” – Music in MN

“Ginger possesses some of the sweetest and most clarion pipes in town.” – City Pages

David Smith, keyboards
Tony Axtell, bass
Ke’Andre Mack, drums
Solomon Parham, trumpet
Kathy Mueller, synth, flute, vocals
Peter Vircks, saxophone
Geoff Jones, vocals
Chreese Jones, vocals
A three-time Emmy Award-winning actor, vocalist, arts educator and community organizer; T. Mychael Rambo is a long-standing Twin Cities arts community pillar.
T. Mychael has made an indelible mark in the Twin Cities. Here, he has performed principal roles at such theaters as the Guthrie, Ordway Theatre, Illusion Theatre, and Mixed Blood. Also, Park Square Theatre, Ten Thousand Things, Children’s Theatre and Minnesota Opera among others. His Penumbra Theatre credits alone include: Black Nativity, Don’t Bother Me I Can’t Cope, Dinah Was, Last Minstrel Show, Jitney, Spunk, Gem of the Ocean, Ain’t Misbehavin, Piano Lesson, and Ballad of Emmett Till to name just a few.
Nationally and internationally his stage credits include Carnegie Hall and performances abroad in Africa, Europe and South America. He has appeared in local and national television commercials. Also, feature films (The Cure, Justice, Crossing the Bridge, Wooley Boys) HBO mini-series (Laurel Avenue, Equinox), and other television programming. T. Mychael is an accomplished residency artist (COMPAS, Young Audiences, MN State Arts Board, VocalEssence). Further, he is an affiliate professor in the College of Liberal Arts, Theatre Arts and Dance at University of Minnesota.
A member of the Midwest music scene for many years, Ginger Commodore is a regular visitor to the Dakota stage. Classically trained, gospel-influenced, and jazz-inspired, Ginger’s musical foundation is a true amalgam of musical styles presented with her unique delivery.
Recommended for fans of Stevie Wonder, Peabo Bryson, Marvin Gaye and Vanessa Williams.
LEARN MORE:
https://www.instagram.com/rambotmychael/
https://www.gingercommodore.com

Charanga Tropical - Latin Sounds of Summer
2025-07-02 19:00 - 21:00
Founded in 2006, Charanga Tropical performs with instrumentation that dates back to the roots of Cuban music featuring a sizzling Latin rhythm section, three violins, vocalists, and flute. The music is rich in harmony and melody, fantastic for listening and superb for dancing.
In 2015 Charanga Tropical became the first and only North American group ever to perform at Havana’s International Danzón Festival. Over eight hot summer days, the band played at elegant dance halls, grand theaters, rural fiestas, and on national Cuban radio.
Smooth strings, Caribbean beats, and a sound that inspires visions of Old Havana at sunset. This is Charanga Tropical.
Recommended for fans of Ray Barretto, Willie Colón, Machito and Orquesta Broadway.

Recommended for fans of Ray Barretto, Willie Colón, Machito and Orquesta Broadway.

Travis Anderson Trio: The Music of John Williams
2025-07-01 19:00 - 21:00
With energy and chops to burn, The Travis Anderson Trio brings fresh interpretations to standards and more – from Chopin to Mario Bros – they swing like there’s no tomorrow while saluting the great trios of yesterday.
Travis Anderson has been delighting audiences with his dazzling piano technique and inventive arrangements since 2003. Additionally, he has taken his unique piano style all over the metro area and beyond.
Steve Pikal is one of the most in-demand bassists in the region. Adept at many genres, his joyous stage presence and buoyant playing add an exciting element to every show.
Nathan Norman is a first-call drummer in the Twin Cities. Also, he has collaborated with many of the area’s finest artists, including Bruce Henry, Debbie Duncan, Charmin Michelle, and more.
Recommended for fans of Oscar Peterson, George Gershwin, Art Tatum and Vince Guaraldi.

Salin
2025-06-30 19:00 - 21:00
Salin is a Thai-born, Canada-based drummer, and a Juno-nominated producer and composer. Her current music explores the enchanting sounds of Northeast Thailand and marries it with the 70’s psychedelia of West Africa. Here, she does this through the lens of modern soulful production.
She released her debut album Cosmic Island in 2021. Then, she appeared at a variety of festivals, including the beloved Montreal International Jazz Festival.
The following year, Salin traveled to Northeastern Thailand. There, the local culture, music and instruments sparked an idea for her next project. She sought to bridge traditional Thai instruments and Isan music with the rhythm and groove of soul & funk and 70’s West African Afrobeat. Working with both local Thai as well as Canadian musicians, Salin is bringing together elements of East and West. Salin released her second full-length album, Rammana, in April 2025.
Rammana is a groundbreaking album that merges afro-jazz, funk and indigenous Thai instruments. Thus, Salin coined the genre “Afro Thai Funk.” This unique blend highlights shared global music traditions and reminds us that music is a universal language. Here, it transcends borders and unites us all in a shared experience of joy and creativity. Furthermore, she is the only female drummer, producer, and composer promoting this genre. Thus, Salin stands out as an innovative voice and a pioneer in the world and jazz music scenes.
Salin ponders themes of identity, spirituality, and humanity (all paired with a dose of fun) through her music. Then, she creates a unique sonic journey for her listeners. She divides her time between her Canada-based studio and stages across the globe.
Recommended for fans of Butcher Brown, Fela Kuti, The Meters and Marquis Hill.

Spyro Gyra
2025-06-29 20:30 - 22:30, 2025-06-29 18:00 - 20:00
In 2024, Jay Beckenstein and band started its observation of the fiftieth anniversary of the band. What started as a diversion, something that was just for fun (and twenty-five cents at the door) continues its evolution into 2025. It began inauspiciously when Beckenstein and a few musician friends in Buffalo, NY organized a get together on their shared night off from working in bands that actually made money. It was a simple, humble idea with a name that was likewise simple and humble, “Tuesday Night Jazz Jam”.
Fast forward fifty years and this jazz super-group has released over thirty albums, garnering gold and platinum along the way. They’ve played over 10,000 concerts on six continents. Further, Spyro Gyra has maintained its standards of excellence. Thus, these standards have sustained them on the “A list” of live attractions in jazz for fifty years. Renowned bass player Will Lee once referred to the ensemble as a “well-oiled road machine” as a tribute to their daunting schedule, bringing their music to fans around the globe.
Fans of the band are familiar with the group’s rise to international prominence from humble beginnings in Buffalo, New York. That’s when a few area musicians arranged for a weekly gig of playing less commercial music on everyone’s night off. Soon the word got around; the core group was joined by many musicians to come and have fun. And customers started showing up, too, prompting the club owner to press Beckenstein for a band name. Beckenstein offered up this late night, tipsy answer, “You can call it ‘spirogyra’”, algae he had studied once. The next week, he came back and there it was, misspelling and all, and so it began in 1974.
Recommended for fans of Return to Forever, Yellowjackets, David Sanborn and Brecker Brothers.

📸: David White

Sinatra – By Request: Andrew Walesch & His Orchestra
2025-06-28 19:00 - 21:00
You bring ‘em, they play ‘em! Spend an evening calling the set list with singer and pianist Andrew Walesch and his orchestra. Relish in the vast catalogue of Frank Sinatra – songs of romance, levity, unrequited love and more. It’s a night all about the audience, so come taste the wine, come to the cabaret.
Like a good many before him, singer and pianist Andrew Walesch manages to encapsulate the sophistication of a cosmopolite and the self-effacing charm of a country boy. Leading his all-star ten-piece big band, showman Andrew Walesch is a traditionalist and an iconoclast rolled into one. “The Sinatra-loving entertainer is both fresh and classic at the same time – and always swingin,” raves Star Tribune critic Jon Bream. “Expect some Basie, Bublé and Bennett mixed in with a little Ol’ Blue Eyes.”
“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.”
His vocal and piano chops, along with his keen sensibility to find and interpret a great lyric, have led to some great opportunities for Walesch. He has appeared on the nationally syndicated NPR broadcast Mountain Stage and more recently, an invitation to perform at the 33rd Annual Cabaret Convention in the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Recommended for fans of Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé and Bing Crosby.

Stanley Jordan & Mimi Fox
2025-06-27 19:00 - 21:00
“resonant mix of pop, jazz, blues, funk, and Americana that reaffirms Fox’s remarkable artistry” – Jazz Times

Guitar virtuoso Stanley Jordan’s career took flight in 1985 with commercial and critical acclaim. Since then, he has consistently displayed a chameleonic musical persona of openness, imagination, versatility and maverick daring. Here, he displays bold reinventions of classical masterpieces or soulful explorations through pop-rock hits. Also, blazing straight ahead jazz forays and ultramodern improvisational works, solo or with a group. Thus, Jordan can always be counted on to take listeners on breathless journeys into the unexpected.
“Jordan’s revolutionary approach to the instrument [is] shocking.” – All Music
Key to Jordan’s fast-track acclaim is his mastery of a special technique on the guitar’s fretboard. Instead of conventional strumming and picking, Jordan’s innovative “touch technique” is an advanced form of two-handed tapping. While a handful of others use similar techniques, Stanley’s fluid, multi-layered textures and sheer virtuosity raise the bar for excellence. However, his technique, though impressive, is always a means to a musical end.
Guitarist Mimi Fox presents a new project, honoring the 100th anniversary of Wes Montgomery’s birth. Here, she features her original pieces and well-crafted arrangements of Montgomery’s famous compositions. Fox has worked with organ masters Joey DeFrancesco and Barbara Dennerlein, and she imbues the iconic B3 sound in her show. Also, Fox runs the gamut from greasy blues and funk, to luscious ballads and blazing bebop, all with dazzling virtuosity.
Fox has been hailed by Guitar Player Magazine as “a prodigious talent who has not only mastered the traditional forms but has managed to reinvigorate them.” Additionally, the internationally acclaimed guitarist and composer has won six consecutive DownBeat Magazine critic’s polls.
Recommended for fans of Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny, Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin.

Stanley Clarke N•4EVER
2025-06-26 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-06-26 18:30 - 20:30, 2025-06-25 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-06-25 18:30 - 20:30
Stanley Clarke has attained “living legend” status during his over fifty-year career as a bass virtuoso. He is an NEA Jazz Master and four-time Grammy winner. Also, he is the first bassist in history who doubles on acoustic and electric bass with equal ferocity. Moreover, he is the first jazz-fusion bassist ever to headline tours, selling out shows worldwide. A veteran of over forty albums, he won the 2011 Best Contemporary Jazz Album Grammy for The Stanley Clarke Band. Clarke co-founded the seminal fusion group Return to Forever with Chick Corea and Lenny White. Then, in 2012 Return to Forever won a Grammy Award and Latin Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Forever.
In definitive innovator fashion, jazz legend Stanley Clarke reimagines the genre with his 2025 double album Last Train to Sanity. Here, he created this album as a gift for his fans. Last Train to Sanity encompasses music Clarke has been sharing around the world with his newest band Stanley Clarke N•4EVER.
This new band was originally formed out of a desire to honor Clarke’s longtime friend and collaborator Chick Corea. However, 4EVER has quickly become a fusion force all its own, furthering the tradition of cultivating the cutting edge. True to the evolution of jazz fusion, 4EVER brings a powerful combination of jazz harmony and improvisation with rock, funk, R&B, hip-hop and electronic music influences.
Clarke will release Last Train to Sanity as a double-CD/vinyl package. Also, he will release a deluxe package that features collectors‘ items. He will also release the record in conjunction with an exclusive coffee-table book. This is filled with rare clippings, photographs, and stories from Stanley’s illustrious journey in music to date.
Recommended for Fans of Jaco Pastorius, Marcus Miller, Victor Wooten and John Patitucci.

📸: Matt Lorentzen

Pedrito Martinez
2025-06-24 19:00 - 21:00
Pedro Pablo “Pedrito” Martínez was born in Havana, Cuba. Here, he grew up in the Cayo Hueso neighborhood, where rumba is played all day long. Then he began his musical career at age eleven, with a foundation in the rumba and Afro Cuban Yoruba traditions. Since settling in New York in 1998, Pedrito has recorded or performed with Paul Simon, Wynton Marsalis, and Paquito D’Rivera. He has also worked with Bruce Springsteen, Ruben Blades, Eddie Palmieri, Dave Matthews, and Sting. Moreover, he has contributed to over seventy-five albums.
Martinez is a consummate master of Afro-Cuban folkloric music and the batá drum. Furthermore, he is also the world’s first-call rumbero—playing, singing, and dancing with dozens of Cuban rumba groups. Pedrito was a founding member of the highly successful Afro-Cuban/Afro-Beat band Yerba Buena. With them, he recorded two albums and toured the world in the mid-to late-90’s.
Mr. Martínez’s career as a leader began in 2005 with the formation of The Pedrito Martínez Group in New York. He has recorded four solo albums, the first of which was nominated for a Grammy in 2013. It was also chosen among NPR’s Favorite Albums for 2013 and The Boston Globe Critics’ Top Ten Albums.
Pedrito and Eric Clapton recorded a newly arranged version of Clapton’s song, “My Father’s Eyes,” for Martínez’s 2021 album Acertijos. The two performed the song together on Clapton’s Crossroads Festival in Dallas. Pedrito was involved in streaming projects Play On for CBS TV with Jon Batiste, and the NEA Awards at SFJazz. Also, he has been named Jazz Percussionist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association seven times in the past nine years.
Recommended for fans of Poncho Sanchez, Chucho Valdés, Afro-Cuban All Stars and Eddie Palmieri.

📸: Danny Clinch

The English Beat
2025-06-23 19:00 - 21:00
The English Beat is a band with an energetic mix of musical styles and a sound like no other. The band’s unique sound has allowed it to endure for nearly four decades and appeal to fans, young and old, all over the world.
When The English Beat rushed onto the music scene in 1979, it was a time of massive social and political unrest. This also created economic and musical upheaval. This set the stage for a period of unbridled musical creativity. Thus, artists like The Beat were able to speak out and speak their mind on the news of the day.
The Beat first came to prominence as founding members of the British Two Tone Ska movement. Also, their classic first album Just Can’t Stop It fits squarely in that genre. Along with their contemporaries The Specials, The Selecter, and Madness, the band became an overnight sensation. The Beat became one of the most popular and influential bands of that movement.
However, band leader Dave Wakeling never felt constrained by the movement. The band crossed over fluidly between soul, reggae, pop and punk, and from these disparate pieces they created an infectious dance rhythm. The band’s sound continued to evolve over their three studio albums. Further evolution came through the General Public era (a band formed by Dave with The Beat’s toaster, Ranking Roger). Finally, it continues its evolution with 2018’s Here We Go Love, the band’s first album since 1982’s Special Beat Service.
Consummate showman that he is, Dave Wakeling continues to keep The Beat alive and strong. They tour the world as The English Beat with an amazing all-star ska backing band. Further, they play the hits of The Beat, General Public, and songs from the new album.
You just can’t stop The English Beat!
Recommended for fans of The Specials, Madness, General Public and Elvis Costello.

Shawn Mullins
2025-06-22 19:00 - 21:00
After a series of indie releases and growing buzz in the Atlanta music scene, Shawn Mullins broke through in 1998. Then, he shot to critical and commercial acclaim with album Soul’s Core on the strength of Grammy-nominated Number One hit, “Lullaby”. Also, he followed this with AAA/Americana Number One hit “Beautiful Wreck” from 2006’s 9th Ward Pickin’ Parlor. His song “Shimmer” was selected to promote the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Also, it was included on the Dawson’s Creek soundtrack. His co-write “All in My Head” from 2008’s Honeydew was featured in episode one of the hit TV sitcom Scrubs. Furthermore, Mullins also co-wrote the Zac Brown Band’s Number One country tune “Toes.” In early 2002, he formed supergroup The Thorns with Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge. Fans and critics regard “No Blue Sky”, from the resulting album, a modern-day classic.

For the twentieth anniversary of his breakthrough album, Shawn revisited the music of Soul’s Core. Here, he recorded two new versions of the album. Then, he calls this Soul’s Core Revival. However, this is not a remix or a remaster of the original. Rather, he made brand-new recordings with new arrangements of the songs. Thus, one album is stripped down solo performances, some on guitar, some on piano and maybe one a cappella. The second is a new studio recording with his full band, Soul Carnival.
Recommended for fans of Del Amitri, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Shawn Colvin and The Wallflowers.

📸: David McClister
