Dakota

CANDY-OH! – The Cars Tribute
2025-10-30 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Chicago)
“Let the Good Times Roll” with Candy-Oh!, the premier tribute to the music of The Cars.
Join us for this polished show that nails the sound of one of the most popular bands of the ’80s with an incredible array of great songs known by all. Hits like “Just What I Needed,” “My Best Friends Girlfriend,” “(Let The) Good Times Roll,” “Shake it Up,” “Magic,” “Drive,” “Touch and Go,” “You Might Think ” and many more make this an incredible feel-good show.
It’s like the ’80s all over again! From Live Aid to MTV, The Cars were everywhere, selling over 23 million records. So grab your RayBans and join this group of tribute show veterans for one of the most fun concerts of the season!

Tab Benoit at Pantages Theatre
2025-10-29 19:30 - 21:30
“Benoit is a muscular player, one heck of a string bender with aggressive vibrato.” – Rock & Blues Muse

I Hear Thunder marks the long-awaited return of four-time Grammy-nominated artist Tab Benoit. Benoit is a captivating figure in the roots music world. He is renowned for his distinctive guitar tone and Otis-Redding-esque voice.
Benoit’s personal growth and advancement as a songwriter and musician have culminated in a benchmark recording. 2024’s I Hear Thunder testifies to the fiery exuberance that first marked his career in 1992. The record not only showcases his artistic brilliance but also his profound commitment to environmental advocacy. Here, this legacy extends beyond the stage into the heart of the land that inspires his bluesy soul.
On Benoit’s forthcoming tour, fans will hear new songs alongside selected tracks from his vast catalog. Furthermore, Benoit does more than play the blues; he defines its future while paying homage to its rich past.
Tab Benoit is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and guitarist who has built a remarkable thirty-plus year career. Here, he has accomplished this on the foundation of his gritty and soulful Delta swamp blues. Thus, he has acquired a devoted legion of fans along the way. Further, Benoit has won five Blues Music Awards, including B.B. King Entertainer of the Year (twice). Also, he was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
He has worked with Junior Wells, George Porter Jr, Dr. John, Willie Nelson, and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux. Also, Billy Joe Shaver, Maria Muldaur, James Cotton, Cyril Neville, Kenny Aronoff, Allen Toussaint, Kim Wilson, and Charlie Musselwhite. Tab’s accomplishments as a musician are matched only by his devotion to the environmental health of his native Louisiana wetlands.
JD Simo’s talent has no boundaries. His love of music is just that – a love of ALL music – and he has mastered every genre he’s explored. His remarkable talent led to recording sessions with Beyoncé, Dolly Parton, Tommy Emmanuel, Jack White, and more. Further, JD was chosen to flesh out and perform every single guitar note on the soundtrack to Baz Lurhman’s film Elvis.
Recommended for fans of Tedeschi Trucks Band, Keb’ Mo’, JJ Grey & Mofro and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.
📸: Jean Frank

Adi Yeshaya Jazz Orchestra feat. Jennifer Grimm
2025-10-29 19:00 - 21:00
“wonderful arrangements” – Aretha Franklin

When the artistry of vocalist Jennifer Grimm met the mastery of composer-arranger Adi Yeshaya, a new sound was born. Don’t miss this thirteen-piece jazz orchestra in a night of compositions and new arrangements of jazz and pop favorites.
Composer, arranger and jazz pianist Adi Yeshaya was born and raised in Israel. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Adi has been active as a musician and educator for nearly four decades. He has arranged and orchestrated shows for many artists. These include Prince, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Lena Horne and Burt Bacharach. Also, Adi has arranged for the Swiss Jazzaar Jazz Festival and NBC’s The Voice. As a resident of the Twin Cities, he served as a pianist and musical director for Debbie Duncan for nearly three decades until her passing. Moreover, he has performed and arranged for the Minnesota Orchestra with conductors Sarah Hicks and Doc Severinsen. Further, he’s worked with countless singers and ensembles like Bruce Henry, Cookie Coleman, the Guthrie Theater and Jack McDuff. Also, he plays with JazzMN Orchestra and of course his own Big Band. Adi is an active educator, as well. To that end, he has taught at the University of Minnesota, McNally Smith College of Music and Berklee College of Music.
Jennifer Grimm was born into one of America’s last-standing traveling vaudeville families. She continues to choose music and entertainment as her profession. Moreover, she regularly appears in concert halls, theaters, jazz clubs, and performing arts centers nationwide.
Jennifer has landed many TV spots for her original music: whether singing, songwriting or producing. Additionally, she works in the voiceover industry and has been the voice of many national companies and numerous audiobooks.
Recommended for fans of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Thad Jones and Maria Schneider.

Flor de Toloache
2025-10-28 19:00 - 21:00
“Flor de Toloache stuns at the crossroads of fusion and mariachi girl magic.” – NPR

Flor de Toloache is a Latin Grammy-winning and two-time Grammy-nominated group lead by Mireya Ramos and Shae Fiol. Here, this duo has revolutionized mariachi with fearless artistry, magnetic vocals, and genre-blending brilliance. They founded the group in 2008 as New York City’s first all-women mariachi band. Then, the group began with traffic-stopping performances in subways, dive bars, and music clubs. Moreover, they quickly rose to national acclaim with appearances on NPR’s Tiny Desk, the White House, and the Kennedy Center.
Known for fusing tradition with modernity, Flor de Toloache has collaborated with many legendary artists. These include Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, Alicia Keys, John Legend, Miguel, Mon Laferte, and Natalia Lafourcade. Their genre-defying sound has electrified audiences at iconic festivals such as Coachella, Austin City Limits, Osheaga, Montreal Jazz Festival, Newport Folk Festival, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Their magnetism also garnered them a recurring role as themselves on Apple TV’s “Little Voice”. There, they performed original songs on the J.J. Abrams-Sara Bareilles creation, and brought mariachi to mainstream television.
Internationally, their tours have spanned the U.S., Mexico, Colombia, India, Belgium, Spain, Germany, France, Lithuania, Japan, and New Zealand. There, they share mariachi with the world while challenging expectations at every turn. Also, their discography has earned accolades from Pitchfork, Billboard, Rolling Stone, NPR, and Oprah Magazine. With Las Caras Lindas, they became the first all-women group to win Best Ranchero Album at the Latin Grammys. Then, they became the only independent act nominated in the Best Música Mexicana Album category at the 2024 Grammys.
Through bold storytelling, virtuosic performance, and unapologetic creativity, Flor de Toloache doesn’t just honor mariachi. Moreover, they propel it forward with unstoppable force, captivating audiences across borders and generations.
Recommended for fans of La Santa Cecilia, Marissa Mur, Adrian Quesada and Debi Nova.

Brandee Younger Trio
2025-10-27 19:00 - 21:00
“modern harp traditions… with such strength, grace and commitment” – New York Times

Brandee Younger is revolutionizing the harp’s role in modern music. She has worked relentlessly over the past fifteen years to stretch boundaries and limitations for harpists. In 2022, she made history. Then, she became the first Black woman to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition. That same year, she also earned an NAACP Image Award nomination. Later, she won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album for her latest, Brand New Life. Also ever-expanding as an artist, she has worked with Common, Lauryn Hill, John Legend, Pharoah Sanders and Christian McBride.
Her original composition “Hortense” was featured in the Netflix concert-documentary, Beyoncé: Homecoming. Also, Brandee performed her original music for Quincy Jones and Steve McQueens’ “Soundtrack of America”. Here, Brandee stands on the shoulders of the very women who ushered in the harp as a clear and distinct voice in jazz & popular styles. These include Detroit natives Dorothy Ashby & Alice Coltrane.
Her latest album, Brand New Life, builds on her already rich oeuvre, and cements the harp’s place in popular culture. As the title of the album suggests, Brand New Life is about forging new paths–artistic, personal, political, and spiritual. Younger imbues her music with a sense of purpose and respect of legacy. There, she creates a larger platform for the harp to reach newer and wider audiences than ever before. Additionally, Younger serves on the faculty at New York University, Steinhardt School and The New School College of Performing Arts.
Recommended for fans of Alice Coltrane, Dorothy Ashby, Gregoire Maret and Ravi Coltrane.
📸: Erin O’Brien

Johnnie Brown
2025-10-26 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.
Recommended for fans of The O’Jays, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson.

Chris Botti
2025-10-25 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-10-25 18:30 - 21:00, 2025-10-24 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-10-24 18:30 - 21:00, 2025-10-23 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-10-23 18:30 - 21:00
“A jazz-pop powerhouse” – The New York Times

Chris Botti – Trumpet
Lee Pearson – Drums
Daniel Chmielinski – Bass
Anastasiia Mazurok – Violin
John Splithoff – Vocals
Julian Pollack – Piano
Veronica Swift – Vocals
With a solo career spanning two decades, Chris Botti is the highest-selling instrumental artist in the United States. His success has crossed over to audiences usually reserved for pop music. Additionally, his ongoing association with PBS has led to four Number One jazz albums, as well as multiple Gold, Platinum and Grammy Awards.
He performs worldwide and sells millions of albums. Further, his form of creative expression is rooted in jazz and expands beyond the limits of any single genre. Over the past three decades, Botti has recorded and performed with the best in music. He’s worked with Sting, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Josh Groban, Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Bublé and Paul Simon. Also, Joni Mitchell, John Mayer, Andrea Bocelli, Joshua Bell, Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and even Frank Sinatra.
Furthermore, his touring schedule is ambitious, often on the road for as many as 300 days per year. The trumpeter has also performed with many of the finest symphonies and at some of the world’s most prestigious venues. Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl to the Sydney Opera House and the Real Teatro di San Carlo in Italy. His live performances are inspiring and moving.
However, his recorded output has firmly established him as a clarion voice in the American contemporary music scene. Moreover, his recordings highlight his uniquely expressive sound and soaring musical imagination.
Botti also showcases his softer side, in a warm, intimate celebration of melodic balladry. The Chris Botti experience can be felt on recordings, in concert with his band, or with a symphony orchestra. Botti has thoroughly established himself as one of the important, innovative figures of the contemporary music world.
Recommended for fans of David Sanborn, Kenny G, Rick Braun and Boney James.

Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap
2025-10-22 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-10-22 19:00 - 21:00
“[Bridgewater] has a technique and musicality that bests most performers of her generation.” – Guardian

“Charlap is masterful… rollicking stride piano, bebop virtuosity and harmonically opulent modernism.” – New York Times

Effortless. Spontaneous. Inimitable. The convergence of two of jazz’s most legendary forces of nature.
Moreover, their virtuosic interpretations traverse the musical spectrum. For example, they draw on the canons of luminary composers: Ellington, Porter, Sondheim, LeGrand, Simon, and others. Here, they range from intimate ballads to soulful grooves, delivered with daring expression born of their musical chemistry.
Each performance is a sublime tour-de-force.
2017 NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater is a restless explorer. Moreover, she has collaborated with master musicians of Mali, interpreted the cabaret of Kurt Weill and embraced the hard bop of Horace Silver. Here, she is joined by Grammy-winning pianist Bill Charlap for these intimate duo performances featuring jazz classics and songbook standards.
Dee Dee Bridgewater first gained recognition in the early 1970s with the great Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. Since then, she has thrived wherever she’s landed. On Broadway, she earned a Tony Award for her work in the original production of The Wiz. Then in Paris, she spent more than a decade as France’s greatest champion of jazz.
Pianist Bill Charlap is a consummate soloist and bandleader. Additionally, he is known for work with Tony Bennett, Phil Woods, Barbra Streisand, and his own superb trio. Further, Charlap is one of the most respected keyboardists in jazz and leader of one of its great piano trios. His newest release, Street of Dreams, was released in 2021.
Recommended for fans of Dianne Reeves, Bill Evans, Cassandra Wilson and Benny Green.

An Evening with Herbie Hancock
2025-10-22 19:00 - 21:00
“Herbie Hancock stands as our greatest living jazz artist.” – Washington Post

Herbie Hancock – Keys
Terence Blanchard – Trumpet
James Genus – Bass
Lionel Loueke – Guitar & vocals
Jaylen Petinaud – Drums

Now in the seventh decade of his professional life, Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: at the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. Herbie Hancock has been an integral part of every popular music movement since the 1960s. As a member of the Miles Davis Quintet that pioneered a groundbreaking sound in jazz, he also developed new approaches on his own recordings, followed by his work in the 70s — with record-breaking albums such as Headhunters — that combined electric jazz with funk and rock in an innovative style that continues to influence contemporary music. Rockit and Future Shock marked Hancock’s foray into electronic dance sounds; during the same period, he also continued to work in an acoustic setting with V.S.O.P.
Hancock received an Academy Award for his Round Midnight film score and 14 Grammy Awards, including Album Of The Year for River: The Joni Letters, and two 2011 Grammy Awards for the globally collaborative album The Imagine Project.
Hancock serves as Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and as Institute Chairman of the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. In 2011 Hancock was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and in December of 2013, received a Kennedy Center Honor. His memoirs, Herbie Hancock: Possibilities, were published by Viking in 2014, and in February 2016 he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Hancock is currently in the studio at work on a new album.
Recommended for Fans of Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins and Miles Davis.
📸: Danny Clinch

Pat Donohue & Prairie All-Stars
2025-10-21 19:00 - 21:00
“one of the greatest fingerpickers in the world.” – Chet Atkins

From swing to jazz to bottleneck blues to folk, Grammy-winning acoustic guitarist Pat Donohue plays it all. He does this with a flourish of artistry and melodic inspiration. Chet Atkins called Pat one of the greatest finger pickers in the world today; Leo Kottke called his playing “haunting.”
Pat is certainly one of the most listened-to finger pickers in the world. He was the guitarist for the Guys All-Star Shoe Band of Minnesota Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion. There, Pat got to show off his savvy licks and distinctive original songs to millions of listeners each week.
His decade-long association with Prairie Home Companion led to some unusual gigs. There was the after-show club date in Berlin when Wynton Marsalis showed up to sit in with Pat and the Prairie Home band. Or playing music on camera for the Prairie Home Companion movie with director Robert Altman and stars Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Kline, John C. Reilly, Woody Harrelson and Tommy Lee Jones. Additionally, Pat plays nationwide and teaches at such popular music camps as Augusta Heritage Center and Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp.
Pat’s musical tastes are eclectic. Though he considers himself foremost a folk guitarist, Pat’s influences are rooted in bluesmen Blind Blake, Robert Johnson, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters and Miles Davis. He manages to blend jazz and blues with folk, and the mix is seamless.
Honors include a 2005 Grammy for his participation on Pink Guitar, a compilation of Henry Mancini tunes on acoustic guitar. Also, several Minnesota Music Awards, and the title of 1983 National Finger Picking Guitar Champion. His original tunes have been recorded by Chet Atkins, Suzy Bogguss and Kenny Rogers.
Recommended for fans of Leo Kottke, Chet Atkins, Michael Johnson and A Prairie Home Companion.

Private Event
2025-10-20 00:00 - 23:59
We will be closed on OCT 20 for a private event. BOOK YOUR EVENT HERE:

Davina and The Vagabonds
2025-10-19 19:00 - 21:00
“Davina and the Vagabonds combat heartache with sugar and sass.” – Downbeat

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.

Kenny Garrett
2025-10-18 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-10-18 19:00 - 21:00
“genre-blurring, spiritually deep sounds” – Glide Magazine

Kenny Garrett’s latest release, 2021’s Sounds from the Ancestors, is a multi-faceted album. The music, however, doesn’t lodge inside the tight confines of the jazz idiom. Here, this is not surprising: the alto saxophonist and composer acknowledges Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye as significant touchstones. Miles Davis’ seminal LP, On the Corner, subverted its main guiding lights – James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone. Then, Davis crafted his own unique, polyrhythmic, groove-laden, improv-heavy universe. Thus, Sounds from the Ancestors occupies its own space with intellectual clarity, sonic ingenuity and emotional heft.
“The concept initially was about trying to get some of the musical sounds that I remembered as a kid growing up. Sounds that lift your spirit, like John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme”, Aretha Franklin’s “Amazing Grace”, Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”. And the spiritual side of the church,” Garrett explains. “When I started to think about them, I realized it was the spirit from my ancestors.”
Indeed, Sounds from the Ancestors reflects the rich jazz, R&B, and gospel history of his hometown of Detroit. More important though, it also reverberates with a modern cosmopolitan vibrancy. Notably the inclusion of music coming out of France, Cuba, Nigeria, and Guadeloupe.
Garrett is easily recognized as one of modern jazz’s brightest and most influential living masters. His illustrious career includes hallmark stints with Miles Davis, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, Donald Byrd, and Freddie Hubbard. Also, Woody Shaw, and the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Moreover, he has enjoyed a heralded career as a solo artist that began more than thirty years ago. And with the marvelous Sounds from the Ancestors, the Grammy-winning Garrett shows no signs of resting on his laurels.
Recommended for fans of Joshua Redman, Chris Potter, Branford Marsalis and Miguel Zenón.

Andrew Walesch & His Orchestra
2025-10-17 19:00 - 21:00
“fresh and classic at the same time” – Jon Bream, 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 has been elected as the new Artistic Director for the world-famous Musical Instrument Museum.
Recommended for fans of Michael Bublé, Harry Connick Jr., Kurt Elling and Diana Krall.

Dylan Salfer Band
2025-10-16 19:00 - 21:00
“young Midwest virtuoso” – Adventures in Americana

The Dylan Salfer Band is a dynamic six-piece from Minneapolis, led by guitarist/vocalist Dylan Salfer. Dylan cut his teeth playing with legends like Buddy Guy, Bobby Whitlock, James Cotton, & Bernard Allison. Salfer had a vision to assemble the city’s top talent. Thus, he formed a band featuring sax, bass, keys, & not one, but two drummers!
The band has quickly emerged as one of the most exciting new acts on the scene. Here, they are becoming known for their captivating and emotionally charged live performances.
Recommended for fans of Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, B.B. King and Bernard Allison.

A Tribute to Connie Francis Feat. Diane & Emy Miller
2025-10-15 19:00 - 21:00
Step back into the golden era of American pop!

Mother–daughter duo Diane and Emy Miller bring the timeless music of the late Connie Francis to life.
From “Who’s Sorry Now” to “Where the Boys Are,” Connie Francis was the voice of a generation. Also, she would blend heartbreak, romance, and joy with a sound that defined the late ’50s and ’60s. With Diane and Emy’s undeniably heartwarming harmonies, this tribute captures both the nostalgia and the enduring magic of Connie’s catalog.
Expect a night of unforgettable melodies, tender ballads, and lively hits. Moreover, these classics will be performed with heartfelt reverence and a unique family harmony that makes this show one-of-a-kind.
Diane and Emy have been singing on big stages together for over twenty years. Also, this includes The New Standards’ Holiday Showcase at the State Theater in 2023.
Diane (Miller) is a dynamic Minneapolis-based vocalist, songwriter, guitarist, and radio personality. Further, she is known for her eclectic talent and deep connections to the local music scene. Diane’s standout year as an interviewer, radio host, and musician led to a recent feature in Mpls.St.Paul Magazine. Additionally, she has earned her praise for her “rock solid” contributions across multiple platforms. From hip-hop and rock ‘n’ roll to folk, Diane has consistently brought a wide range of genres to life throughout the Twin Cities.
Some of Diane’s career milestones include performing the national anthem for both the Minnesota Twins and Lynx, Also, sharing the stage with punk icon Tommy Stinson at First Avenue and the Dakota. And, interviewing movie star Timothée Chalamet at the Minneapolis premiere of A Complete Unknown. As a prominent radio host, Diane is the voice behind The Local Show, a staple of Minnesota music programming on The Current.
Leslie Vincent is a prolific songwriter and jazz vocalist. She is equally at home singing the Great American Songbook, musical theater, and contemporary rock and pop. Thus, she has quickly become one of the most notable voices to emerge in the vibrant Minneapolis music scene. Here, Vincent is hailed for her joy-filled performances and her “fun, human, beautiful interpretations” (Levi Weinhagen).
Recommended for fans of Connie Francis, Guy Lombardo, Peggy Lee and Doris Day.

Goldings/Bernstein/Stewart Organ Trio
2025-10-14 19:00 - 21:00
“the best organ trio of the last decade.” – New York Times

New York Times described Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, and Bill Stewart as “the best organ trio of the last decade.” The trio, which has played together for over thirty years, is recognized for charting new ground. Here, they do this through synergistic playing and thoughtful music. Moreover, they display their distinctive sound on over a dozen recordings. Additionally, they sound at home whether exploring the depths of jazz standards or playing their own original compositions.
Of 2018’s Toy Tunes, Downbeat said, “The whole album subtly subverts organ-trio cliches, offering not chicken-shack party stomps but instead some hip after-hours atmospherics”.
Larry Goldings is hailed worldwide for his signature Hammond organ style and versatility on many keyboards. Moreover, he has traversed not only the wide spectrum of jazz where he is perhaps best known, but also the worlds of funk, pop, and electronic music. For example, Goldings has worked closely with John Scofield, Michael Brecker, Jim Hall, Maceo Parker, and Madeleine Peyroux. Also, Pat Metheny, James Taylor, and John Mayer. Jazz guitarist
Peter Bernstein has been a part of the jazz scene in New York and abroad since 1989. There, he contributed to over 200 recordings. As a leader, Peter released twelve albums and a DVD. Further, Bernstein was discovered by alto saxophone legend Lou Donaldson and was a crucial part of his final great band.
Drummer/composer Bill Stewart made his name as the rhythmic force behind guitarist John Scofield. Now, he is one of the most sought-after jazz drummers in the world. Also, Stewart has toured extensively with Pat Metheny, Maceo Parker, Joe Lovano, Joshua Redman, Charlie Haden, Joe Henderson and more.
Recommended for fans of John Scofield, Joey DeFrancesco, Eric Harland and Pat Metheny.

Moore By Four
2025-10-13 19:00 - 21:00
“Their high-energy stage presence, distinctive voices, close harmonies makes Moore By Four a must-see-and-hear.” – MinnPost

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.

Judith Hill
2025-10-12 21:00 - 23:00, 2025-10-12 19:00 - 21:00
“pure soul… she’s bad to the bone.” – No Depression

Judith Hill has established herself as one of the most dynamic and versatile artists in music. Her breakout appearance on The Voice earned her a dedicated fan base. Also, her collaborations with legends like Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Prince garnered critical acclaim. Her music effortlessly blends elements of soul, funk, R&B, and pop, creating a sound that is uniquely her own.
‍Hill’s latest release, 2024’s Letters From A Black Widow follows 2021’s Baby, I’m Hollywood!. Baby offered a rowdy coming-of-age tale of a mixed-race child of bohemian California. However, Letters from a Black Widow is a formidable battle cry – a soul/funk/gospel passion play. Further, it is spectacularly written, arranged, and performed by Hill.
Here, Hill plays many of the instruments, including electric guitar, which she taught herself to play since her last album. This project, though, is not a strictly solo endeavor. It’s built on the unshakable musical foundation she has enjoyed for most of her life. Thus, Hill’s band includes her parents, bassist Robert “Peewee” Hill and keyboardist Michiko Hill.
Letters presents a riveting story – from private pain to communal transcendence – becoming her most soul-baring work to date. Anyone who’s followed Judith Hill’s story will recognize Letters from a Black Widow as one jaw-dropper of an album title. The tabloid-coined phrase “Black Widow” arose after the overdose deaths of her two star-making collaborators, Michael Jackson and Prince. It became a term of abuse that internet trolls hurled at the celebrated artist, driving conspiracy theories and shame campaigns. Then, Hill experienced trauma that nearly ended a career that includes a Grammy for her role in the documentary “20 Feet from Stardom.”
Recommended for fans of Jon Batiste, Esperanza Spalding, Musiq Soulchild and Prince.

The Belfast Cowboys
2025-10-11 19:00 - 21:00
“conjures up the spirit and the songs of Ireland’s greatest export” – Chicago Tribune

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.

Sarah Morris: Say Yes Album Release
2025-10-10 19:00 - 21:00
“Sarah soars with ease… Wow.” – Americana Highways

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.

Terence Blanchard
2025-10-09 21:00 - 23:00
“Blanchard’s body of work is one of the broadest and most imposing of any living jazz musician.” — New York Times

Eight Grammy Awards
Two Emmy Nominations
Two Oscar Nominations
2024 NEA Jazz Master
Terence Blanchard has been a consistent artistic force for making powerful musical statements concerning painful American tragedies – past and present. A true Renaissance man, Blanchard stands tall as one of jazz’s most-esteemed trumpeters. Moreover, he defies expectations by creating a spectrum of artistic pursuits. Boundary-breaking and genre-defying, Blanchard is recognized globally as a dazzling soloist and a prolific composer. Additionally, he has written for film, television, opera, Broadway, orchestras and for his own ensembles. In fact, leading theater magazine TheaterMania recently cited Blanchard as “the most exciting American composer working in opera today.”
Blanchard is an eight-time Grammy winner and twice Oscar-nominated film composer. In 2022, he became only the second African American composer to be nominated twice for an Oscar in the original score category. There, he duplicated Quincy Jones’ feat from 1967’s In Cold Blood and 1985’s The Color Purple. Blanchard’s work has placed him at the forefront of giving voice to human rights, civil rights, and racial injustice. Further, this includes the 2015 album Breathless, an elegy for Eric Garner, who was killed by police. Garner’s words, “I can’t breathe,” became a civil rights rallying cry.
Blanchard is also heralded as a two-time opera composer. His Fire Shut Up in My Bones premiered at the Metropolitan Opera to open their 2021-22 season. Here, it became the first opera by an African American composer to premiere at the Met in its 138-year history. The recording of those performances received a Grammy award for Best Opera Recording. Furthermore, The New York Times heralded Fire as “inspiring,” “subtly powerful” and “a bold affecting adaptation of Charles Blow’s work.”
Recommended for fans of Wynton Marsalis, Art Blakey, Joshua Redman and Esperanza Spalding.
📸: Cedric Angeles
