JAZZ IN THE TARGET ATRIUM – Feb. 25th 8pm
Bryan Nichols, piano
Brandon Wozniak, saxophone
Jake Baldwin, trumpet
Jeff Bailey, bass
JT Bates, drums
Here’s your chance to revel in music from some of jazz’s biggest, boldest greats from our own time zone—and discover how the spirit in our own city connects with these innovators.
Think Charlie “Bird” Parker. And Lester Young, who cut his teeth in Minneapolis’ clubs in the ’20s. Bix Beiderbecke, whose sound was so pretty, Louis Armstrong himself spoke of its beauty, and whose fluid melodies inspired the Hoagy Carmichael classic, Stardust. And of course the great Ornette Coleman, whose free jazz restored the music’s fundamental spirit at the same time it pointed to the future. In this concert, Minneapolis-based pianist Bryan Nichols returns to the Atrium to lead the AJE through music from Charlie Parker, Ornette Coleman and others—exploring the singular musical contributions of some of jazz’s great iconoclasts.
Jazz in the Target Atrium’s 2015-16 Season: The New Regionalism
This season, Jazz in the Target Atrium celebrates our region’s vibrancy and adds a Twin Cities twist to the story of jazz as written in legendary halls across the country. This great American art form has been nurtured in many ways, from New Orleans and New York to Chicago, Kansas City and beyond. Now the Atrium Jazz Ensemble steps up to take its place among the musicians who guide jazz into the future.
The Atrium Jazz Ensemble—the house orchestra for Jazz in the Target Atrium at Orchestra Hall, led by Artistic Director Jeremy Walker—is a fluid group whose size shifts with the programs. Performing are some of the region’s finest musicians and composers, presenting original music rooted in jazz found anywhere from Texas to our own twin towns.
