Jazz! That’s the name of the music game this weekend as the 2009 Grand Marais Jazz Festival kicks off with local jazz musicians performing in a variety of places on Friday night.
Chris Gillis is the first up, playing at Sivertson Gallery from 4-6 p.m. Friday evening. Other local jazz musicians performing on Friday night include “One Note, Two Notes,” at East Bay Suites from 6-8 p.m.; the Mike Debevec Duo at Moguls, Caribou Highlands Lodge, 7-9:30 p.m. and the Clearwater Hot Club, GunFlint Tavern, 7-9:30 p.m.
Here’s a clip of the Clearwater Hot Club playing at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis.
Saturday is the official beginning of the ticketed concert schedule with jazz vibraphonist Joe Baione playing the Summit Chalet at Lutsen Mountains from 11 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.
He’ll also be presenting a vibraphone workshop at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts from 3-5 p.m. that afternoon.
The open admission events continue on Saturday with the opening reception for the Spring Art Underground Show at Betsy Bowen’s Studio from 1-4 p.m. with Chris Gillis. Gillis and Max Bichel will play at the Pie Place that evening from 6-8 p.m., and the Mike Debevec Duo will again perform at the Moguls at Carbibou Highlands from 6-8 p.m.
The Clearwater Hot Club makes a return visit to the Tavern as well on Saturday night starting at 9 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Jazz Festival headliner, Melissa Walker, performs at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts at 7 p.m.
Also on Saturday, Michael Monroe will be “Scattin’ in the Woods,” in a special jazz night at his Log Cabin concerts. The reception is at 7 p.m., the concert at 8 p.m. Call 218-387-2919 for tickets or e-mail mm@michaelmonroe.info.
Sunday is also a jazz day with a Jazz Brunch at Naniboujou Lodge with the Denise LaGrassa Trio from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the Bluefin Bay Resort in Tofte with the Randy Lee Trio from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunday afternoon is an art crawl in galleries throughout the county. Gordon Thorne plays at the Last Chance Gallery in Lutsen from 2-5 p.m.
Also on Sunday, Chris Gillis plays for a Jazz Dinner at Lutsen Resort from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The Jazz Festival concludes with jazz guitarist Larry Coryall playing at Papa Charlie’s on Sunday night from 8-10 a.m. followed by We Is with Rolando Matias.
