Music producer and DJ Akko digs into his rich crates of vinyl and digital tracks to blend a narrative across jazz, funk, house, and boogie. Andrew Koalska (aka Akko) is a music producer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist from St. Paul, MN. With roots stretching back to classical piano and guitar, he started producing his own records in 2011. […]

Zach Miller Guest Performer, Competition Judge and Clinician Zach Miller has been a professional drummer and teacher living in Minneapolis since 2000. His diverse career spans from touring with recording artists Sara Groves and Jason Gray to performing with the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra. Beyond being a sideman for many songwriters, he writes for his own experimental […]

Multi-instrumentalist Nick Bhalla will perform one set of improvised solo piano. Then, he will be joined by Matt Beachey on bass and Ben Ehrlich on drums for a jazz trio set. Nick is highly active in the Minneapolis music scene, contributing to projects including Dusty Forever, Harlow, Neopolitan, Steady Range, and his trio Big Blue […]

An Evening of Straight Ahead Jazz The Harry Scott Trio performs a collection of Jazz standards and original songs about spring. With tunes such as I’ll Remember April, Spring is Here, and Aguas de Marco, this music is inspired by the season of new beginnings. An Easter’s Eve night of joy and jazz. Harry Scott: […]

World-class Steinway Artist Nachito Herrera returns to his musical home! Here, he presents a special show titled “The Last of the 50s” to celebrate his upcoming sixtieth birthday. Expect music from all over the world, including of course music from his home country of Cuba! Also, he will play a wide range of songs, from classical to […]

Join us for an evening of music and learning with pianist Javier Santiago, drummer Corey Fonville, and bassist Zach Brown. The night will begin with a short trio performance, followed by a workshop-style conversation about what goes into playing as a group—how they listen, make choices, and shape the music in real-time.

Fuzzy Math has been a fixture on the Twin Cities scene for nearly 15 years, led by keyboardist-composer Mark Vandermyde and featuring some of the finest players around (Andrew Schwandt on tenor sax, Matt Peterson on bass and Haralds Bondaris on drums).  They have released 5 CDs, each offering a new iteration their uniquely eclectic […]

Bassoonist Garrett Jones, pianist Patrick Adkins, bassist Greg Byers, and drummer Adam Harder Nussbaum will perform two sets of music, featuring original compositions from Jones’ previous releases, Tributaries (2023) and Vestiges (2022), as well as unreleased material. Garrett Jones is a Minneapolis-based bassoonist and composer known for his cross-genre bassoon techniques and jazz bassoon recordings. His […]

Here is sound from the heart embodying Wonder and Mystery - seeking to create hypnotrance that fires up imaginations.  This musical spirit - rooted in spontaneity - dazzles audiences with sincerity and playfulness.   Featuring: Steven Hobert - piano Sue Orfield - tenor saxophone John Croarkin - flutes, baritone saxophone Kevin Rowe - bass Jay Epstein - drums