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St. Paul's Artists Quarter may be fading into history and the Dakota Jazz Club is still preparing to open a music venue in its space, but local musicians aren't waiting for a dominant club to come to the rescue.


A flurry of jazz concerts are in the works in the Twin Cities, efforts that aim to showcase the region's wide variety of talent. Among them is 


The schedule put together by trumpeter Steve Kenny includes 10 ensembles that play original compositions. He will take the stage with the Illicit Sextet tonight.


I recently spoke to Kenny about the show, which aims to show that local jazz is alive and kicking. Here's part of our conversation:

: What made you want to put the All Originals series together?

: I am a founding member of this concert series' host ensemble, The illicit Sextet. That group has always been a Jazz composer collective. Back in the late 1980's, as the Sextet began its rise to prominence on the local scene, we were the only active jazz ensemble around that played exclusively original material. It was our calling card, and it was a risky proposition for a group looking to get booked in those days. Now, after a long hiatus, as the band reemerged five years ago, we noticed that what once was an isolated trait for a local jazz ensemble -- that characteristic of being highly focused on original material -- had seriously become the norm, and that we were not alone anymore. Not by a long shot. This series was created to celebrate that there are so many great local groups playing original material.
 

: Is the focus of these groups mostly on original music and if so do you think the era of "standards" is ebbing?
 

: The groups selected for this round of the series are either exclusively playing original material, day-in-day-out, or have enough of an originals focus that they are going to play original material for their concert in this series. It is safe to say that the bulk of the local buzzworthy, on-the-scene, rehearsed and active jazz ensembles are heavily into composing and playing their own material. I believe the reason for this is that the original material is a way for groups to assert their originality within the framework of the genre of modern small group jazz. The influx of new compositions diversifies the vocabulary a jazz player can use for improvisation and it increases the palette available to jazz composers for the different concepts of melody, form, and groove. This allows the jazz art form to feed on itself in a positive way, so it is relieved of needing to express newness and individuality by always deconstructing itself in a never-ending struggle to be "the next new thing." Instead, new compositions and new composers and new originals-focused jazz ensembles can cloud-seed the whole genre, so it remains new without constantly forcing the need for fundamental-transformation upon its practitioners to remain relevant. 


The era of standards is never dead, because some of the tunes being newly composed presently become the standards of the future. 
 

: How would you assess the state of jazz in the Twin Cities?

: Here's the good news: The overall quality of players and the number of unique and well established active ensembles is better right now than it ever has been. As an audience member, if you can find your way to a Jazz performance any night of the week in the Twin Cities, you are going to hear some great music. This is a testament to the health of the jazz scene.  By this measurement, things are remarkably good right now.


Having said that, I am aware that there have never been fewer individuals making a living solely playing jazz in the Twin Cities as there are right now.  Jazz performance is far, far less of an occupation than it once was. We also, right now have fewer full-time Jazz clubs operating than at any time I can remember. The one venue remaining that can be considered a jazz club is Jazz Central Studios in Minneapolis. They are holding-down-the-fort as far as being a place that has jazz almost every night. Monday through Friday, you can always hear an amazing performance at Jazz Central. That is what a jazz club is supposed to be. Meanwhile, individual nights of compelling jazz have been organized at different venues that collectively allow for several options every night of the week for audiences. This includes the Monday Jazz Implosion series at the Icehouse restaurant in Minneapolis, and in the fall, a "Saturday Night Jazz" series will be launched at the Black Dog Cafe in St. Paul.

: Does this help fill a void that exists with the Artists Quarter space still not up and running?

: The Artists' Quarter is gone, and until another jazz-focused club is organized to take its place, there will remain a void. The live music restaurant that is being opened in the basement of the Hamm building will not fill the Artists' Quarter void because it is not slated to have the same curatorial slant as did the Artists' Quarter. The new venue is a welcome addition to the overall state of live music, but it can only incrementally add to availability of live jazz in our area.  


The "All Originals" jazz series will help increase the overall amount of jazz performance happening in the area, and it continues to introduce audiences to Studio Z, which is a very cool performance space for jazz. It is a stop-gap solution until additional regular weekly series can get established and be maintained at places like The Black Dog, and other new venues.

: There seems to be a strong audience for the music - on occasion. What are your thoughts on how musicians can more frequently lure people to shows?

: Local jazz musicians and ensembles are in the business of self-promotion, especially in markets that are outside of the world-wide jazz meccas like New York City. I believe that proactive brand building and brand awareness activities will help to draw more people to shows. Audiences like to have an idea that what they are going to hear is going to be good and worth their time and money. They also like to know they are going to hear "somebody" or that the group they are going to hear is "something.". As the notoriety of individual players and active ensembles increases, so will their ability to attract audiences. This activity needs to be constant, and its results are cumulative. Patience is a virtue here.


Where: Studio Z, 275 E. Fourth Street, Suite 200, St. Paul


When: 8 p.m. Thursdays, from tonight through Sept. 11

Arts and Culture

David Cazares

Author

St. Paul's Artists Quarter may be fading into history and the Dakota Jazz Club is still preparing to open a music venue in its space, but local musicians aren't waiting for a dominant club to come to the rescue.


'All Originals' jazz shows to highlight vibrant Twin Cities scene

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