Versatility can be rewarding but some music just feels like home. Vocalist Prudence Johnson returns to her jazz roots with the Halcyon Jazz Quartet, following their sparkling debut at Crooners last spring. With an "off the beaten path" approach to repertoire and featuring the amazing Dave Hagedorn on vibes, and top-shelf rhythm section Joe Pulice […]

Rising saxophonist Laeton Olaleye will play two sets of original songs and jazz standards with bassist Callum Schultz and drummer Christian Swenson. Expect an evening filled with powerful energy and harmonious melodies. ⊹ Saxophonist Laeton Olaleye is a rising talent in the Twin Cities jazz scene. Born and raised in Burnsville, Olaleye is an intriguing […]

For over two decades, Southside Aces have been playing the repertoire of the Jazz Age greats and beyond. Here, they play the early New Orleans of Jelly Roll Morton and the Chicago joys of Louis Armstrong. The evocative compositions of the young Duke Ellington to the barrel house sounds of Preservation Hall. Even the early rock and […]

The Boys are back!!!! Here some free free jazz with the Twin Cities dynamic quartet. Magraw, Bates, Kaviraj, Epstein

The Bill Simenson Orchestra is a 17 piece big band (5 saxes, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, guitar, piano, bass, and drums). Since June of 2012 the band has performed the first Tuesday of every month at Jazz Central Studios.

You’ve likely seen this guitar guy named Toivo playing around town. You might’ve asked yourself, “When is he gonna book his own band?” Well, it happens once a year, and it’s usually really fun. It features Tarek Abdelqader on drums, Alma Engebretsen on bass, Jake Baldwin on trumpet, and Peter Goggin on alto saxophone. Sonically, […]

The Cherry Pit presents an open jam for musicians and music lovers in the Twin Cities. It’s a social hub for Twin Cities creatives, a training ground to refine musicianship, and a vehicle for high-vibrational improvisation. This is not a free-form basement jam or strictly a jazz jam. Our goal is to find an equilibrium […]

Legendary jazz vocalist Carmen McRae’s famous tribute recording of all Thelonious Monk tunes is brought to life by local chanteuse extraordinaire Charmin Michelle. Joining her are two acclaimed Twin Cities veterans: Joel Shapira guitar, and Larry McDonough piano. Shapira and McDonough open the show with selections from their Bill Evans/Jim Hall tribute “Intermodulating Undercurrents”. Charmin […]

The Legendary Cornbread Harris! James Samuel Cornbread Harris Jr- or just plain Cornbread; pianist, local legend and a founder of the “Minneapolis Sound” returns with his brand of blues, jazz and original music on the Main Stage of Crooners. He brings with him his six piece backup band of “friends” who have supported him these many years for a […]

On her remarkable debut album, 2025’s Escape, Peruvian-American saxophonist/composer Lucia Sarmiento emerges as a rising star in modern jazz. Here, she delivers playful yet intricate melodies. “When I play the saxophone, I love that feeling of danger,” says Sarmiento. With a powerful tenor sound and an effervescent personality, she explains, “I’m drawn to music filled with […]

Beloved Twin Cities jazz singer Thomasina Petrus is proud to present the work of NOAMZ, a rising alt-soul talent from southern Wisconsin. Petrus will perform with her band, then pass the stage to NOAMZ. Thomasina Petrus is a professional jazz singer, songwriter, and Equity actor who has cultivated her many talents through study, mentorships, and […]