Minnesota’s eighth annual Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival is set to run Friday, June 16 through Sunday, June 25.
This year’s festival includes performances at downtown St. Paul’s Mears Park (June 16-17) and Peavey Plaza, as well as at three other nearby stages in downtown Minneapolis (June 22-25). All outdoor performances are free.
Headlining the Mears Park performances are legendary piano and vocal great Mose Allison (pictured) and the innovative Latin jazz percussionist Bobby Sanabria. Local favorites such as George Avaloz, Nachito Herrera and Salsa del Soul are also set to perform. Featured performers at the Peavey Plaza stage include versatile saxophonist Dewey Redman, songbird Barbara Morrison, the Air Force Falconaires Big Band, pianist Norman Simmons, horn stars Frank Morgan and David Young, pianist Jon Weber, sax-man Jerry Weldon, the Phil Hey Quartet, vocalists Debbie Duncan and Connie Evingson, the Andres Prado Quartet and many more. This year’s lineup is sure to have fans dancing in the streets.
In addition, the festival will include the popular Jazz Night Out club crawl, hitting several downtown Minneapolis clubs on Thursday, June 22 (proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity and Project for Pride in Living). Student organizations will also be featured throughout the festival, igniting a passion for jazz in the next generation of music fans.
For more information, visit the festival’s Web site at hotsummerjazz.com or call (612) 343-5943. Mears Park is located at 5th and Sibley St. in downtown St. Paul. Peavey Plaza is located at 11th St. and Nicollet Mall, right outside Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis.
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