Art Blakey, Art Tatum, Art Pepper, Artie Shaw, Art Farmer, Art Davis, Art Taylor, Art Lande, Art Hirahara. ART ART ART.

It’s all about that art dang it. What kind of art? Well, in the case of these ‘Arts’ it’s jazz but there’s a lot of other art too. Why do we create art? Why do we perform art? Why do we consider the practicing of art to be the sacrifice of normalcy? Why do we soldier on even after years of wage freezes and diminishing public interest? (Talk to any freelancer and they’ll tell you they’ve all been getting the same or similar wage for ‘jazz’ gigs for 40 years or more while playing at many of the same venues for a rotating cast of managers and owners). What business model can be built on that concept? Why has it somehow become even more shocking to be a full time artist? Well, I have no idea actually. I can’t even begin to explain on many levels why I continue to do it. To play music for a living. I seem to be able to keep on pushing the stone ever so slowly up the hill towards the next project, the next gig, the next thrilling improvisation. Somehow making it to the next gig makes me feel lucky. There is an immense satisfaction in winning the lottery. I’ve never won a financial lottery but, I won the happiness and joy and communal fellowship lottery.

I win it every time I play.

Everyone likes a winner.

Come watch me push the ART stone up a few hills this month!

Tuesday Dec 2nd

8:30pm  $10 donation  All Ages

Bill Simenson Orchestra @ Jazz Central

Friday Dec 5th

7:30pm  $10 donation  All Ages

Kenny Horst and friends play the Bridge Series@ Jazz Central

(Kenny, CB, Zacc Harris, Brandon Wozniak)

For fans of all things Artists Quarter!

Saturday Dec 6th – Doubleheader

5:30pm Workshop @ Studio Z

7:00pm  $10  All Ages

Babatunde Lea Quartet @ Studio Z

Babatunde Lea, Zacc Harris, Phil Aaron and CB.

8:30pm  $10 donation  All Ages

Atlantis Quartet plays Saturday Night Jazz @ the Black Dog

We’re fresh off our mini tour and raring to go. 2 sets of music!

Sunday Dec 7th

8:00pm  Open to the public!

Atlantis Quartet plays with MacJazz & Doug Little

Macalester College

Tonight we are debuting three big band arrangements of Atlantis originals. This is a new adventure for us and we hope you will join us for this concert.

Tuesday Dec 9th

7:30pm  Donations  All Ages

Framework plays @ Black Dog

CB, Chris Olson and Jay Epstein

Wednesday Dec 10th

8:30pm  $10 donation  All Ages

BASS SUMMIT @ Jazz Central

I’m inviting Casey O’Brien, Charles Fletcher, Chris Hunnicut, Brian Roessler and others to have a Merry Bass-Mas in the Bass-Ment. With Jt Bates and Martin Dosh on drums. Get down on it!

6 basses, 2 drum kits. What’s not to like??!?!

Saturday Dec 13th

8:30pm  $10 donation  All Ages

Chris Bates’ Red 5 plays Saturday Night Jazz @ the Black Dog

So excited to be playing with my quintet again!!! This is only our third gig this year and I’ve got some new tunes in the works so come check it out!

CB, JT, Brandon Wozniak, Zack Lozier and Chris Thomson.

Tuesday Dec 16th

8:00pm  $10  21+

Kevin Kozol Trio & Atlantis Quartet @ The Jazz Showcase

Please send your Chicago friends out to see us!

Wednesday Dec 17th

7:00pm  FREE

Zacc Harris trio @ Cafe Maude

Friday Dec 19th

7:30pm  $10 donation  All Ages

Dean Granros Quartet w/ Zacc Harris, Jay Epstein and CB @ Jazz Central

This quartet is really refreshing and is gearing up to record in 2015. Look out!

Saturday Dec 20th

8:00pm  $10 donation  All Ages

Twin Cities Jazz Sampler CD release party @ Jazz Central

Atlantis Quartet, Good Vibes and Steve Kenny’s Group 47 will play.

Come support the release of this cd showcasing so many amazing TC improvisors!!

Friday Dec 26th

7:30pm  $10 donation  All Ages

Good Vibes trio @ Jazz Central

Merry Christmas from Phil Hey, Dave Hagedorn and CB.

This months gigs are truly an embarrassment of riches. I’m playing with almost all of my closest musical allies at two places that have provided an outlet for improvisors in the wake of the AQ closing – Jazz Central and the Black Dog. So all in all it’s been a great year and I’m finding that there are many folks who are now following the music around town. Thank you all for your support. Your actions and participation go a long way towards proving that old quote from Mike Damone in Fast Times “…act like wherever you are, that’s the place to be.”

Have a cool yule and a frantic first everyone! – cb