Twin Cities Jazz Festival announces 2010 schedule
Guitarist John Scofield, getting the mail
When the Twin Cities Jazz Festival opens its three-day run from June 17 to June 19, it'll be bringing a pair of jazz heavyweights to St. Paul: tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and guitarist John Scofield.
As a player, Lovano comes straight from the burly, muscular boss tenor school, with a tone that's big and rich, but he's also shown off a striking avant-garde sensibility in his work with drummer Paul Motian and guitarist Bill Frisell. He'll be appearing at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival on the Mears Park Main Stage on June 18 with Us Five, with whom he recorded his most recent record, 2009's Folk Art.
Scofield is bringing his Piety Street Band along for his set in Mears Park on June 19. Their recent record Piety Street found Sco working with New Orleans vets George Porter Jr. (The Meters) and Jon Cleary on traditional gospel tunes. Although he's hewed closer to jam-friendly festivals than serious jazz gigs recently, his playing remains tasteful and solid.
The afternoons of June 18 and 19 will feature sets by ensembles from two Twin Cities music schools, McNally Smith College of Music and Walker West Music Academy. If you're the type who likes to talk about seeing Joe Mauer play for Cretin-Derham back in the day, you should get down to Mears Park and catch some of these young, young lions.
For the full schedule, check out twincitiesjazzfestival.com.
