Young emerging artists playing songs they love.    Featuring: Elliot Vap - tenor saxophone Felix Hyde-Owens - guitar Tristan Khler -bass Henry Mrotz - drums

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.

Minnesota’s star composer, arranger, Jazz Orchestra Leader, pianist, teacher and all-around great guy. Look for his recordings with Jennifer Grimm and the Adi Yeshaya Jazz Orchestra, on YouTube

Michael O'Brien holds a B.A from the University of Minnesota with a major in the Spanish language. He studied bass under Anthony Cox, and West African and Haitian percussion under Marc Anderson. He has been performing and composing Internationally for over a decade with such notables as Harry Connick Jr., Ruben Blades, Toninho Horta, Gil […]

This 16 piece band boosts having been on-going for the last 35 years . Originally under the musical direction of arranger/ composer Steve Devich, they have built a library of big band music containing over 450 charts!

With her voice students from around the world, her work with Bobby Mcferrin, Lori Dokken & the Girls, Rick Carlson , many special song presentations, Judi is a regular Crooners and Dakota performer.

A husband. A wife. An astonishing duo built on love, family, faith, culture and community. These are the things that power The Baylor Project featuring Jean Baylor and Marcus Baylor. This enticing collaboration is steeped in the heart and soul of jazz. As the children of pastors, Marcus’ and Jean's musical roots were planted deep […]

Naturally 7 is unlike any vocal ensemble you’ve ever heard. No less than Quincy Jones has called them “the best a cappella group in the world”! They are known worldwide for their extensive tours with Michael Bublé and as guests with Coldplay and Diana Ross. Moreover, the New York-based septet is a band in the classic […]

Led by chief detonators Doug Haining, sax, and Scott Agster, trombone, the Explosion Big Band draws from the area’s finest musicians. The EXPLOSION is ready to detonate with the classic sounds of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and more modern sounds of Thad Jones, Clare Fischer, Pat Metheny & others.

The Steve Kenny Quintet celebrates the release of their latest recording, Blue Chunks. The album is a compositional concept where bite-sized jazz situations are grouped into suites and performed as a larger work. Each suite is a charcuterie of small ideas, where individually, they can be solemn or exciting or brash. However, when combined, they form complete […]

Sophia Kickhofel is a 20 year old multi-instrumentalist and composer from Apple Valley, Minnesota. She has performed around the world at venues including Jazz at Lincoln Center Shanghai, Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress, Dizzy’s Club, the Dakota and New World Center for the Arts. Furthermore, Sophia studies jazz performance at the Juilliard School under […]

Pianist, composer, and sideman Javier Santiago is one of the most promising voices in the international music scene today. He is also an accomplished producer/beatmaker, arranger and educator. Further, Santiago has become a notable force in both the beat and hip-hop scenes as well as in jazz. Santiago is an alumnus of the Herbie Hancock Institute of […]