by Will Shapira

Plainsong: We're glad so many of you are happy with the new website RAG™. We'll keep doing our best to give you what you want. We deeply appreciate your support and, as always, we welcome your feedback.

You probably know Impulse Records as the label that gave us most of John Coltrane's works, but in his excellent new book The House That Trane Built (W.W. Norton Co., $29.95 U.S.), Ashley Kahn reminds us that a number of people oriented to earlier jazz styles also were involved in the Impulse story, including Red Allen, Louis Armstrong, Albert Ammons, Pearl Bailey, Bix Beiderbecke, Ruby Braff, Henry Butler, Benny Carter, Duke Ellington, Stephane Grappelli, Lionel Hampton, Coleman Hawkins, Art Hodes, Dan Morgenstern, Albert Nicholas, Red Nichols, Hugues Panassie, Django Reinhardt, Jimmy Rushing, Pee Wee Russell and Willie "The Lion" Smith, among others. Kahn, who also is a commentator on National Public Radio, is as good a historian as he is a writer, which means this book is doubly good. His dedication to jazz and to jazz journalism reflects "a love supreme." www.wwnorton.com.

Glad to report Minnesota vocalist Patty Peterson has resumed performing after undergoing emergency heart surgery a year ago. February, "Heart Health Awareness Month" finds her doing extra duty on behalf of her favorite cause.

Jazzers in the St. Paul-Minneapolis, Minn. area may wish to write grant proposals to ArtsLab which says it serves organizations with $75,000-$400,000 budgets, (612) 341-0755.

Having moved into its new location in downtown Minneapolis and conducted a swingin' celebration, it's back to the books and axes for the faculty and students of MacPhail Center for Music. Trumpeter/Jazz Coordinator Kelly Rossum recently told us by e-mail that "many different jazz styles" are taught. Of special interest to RAG readers: an adult dixieland combo course and a jazz book club currently covering Stomping the Blues by Albert Murray; Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece by Ashley Kahn; Beneath the Underdog by Charles Mingus and Lush Life, a biography of Billy Strayhorn by David Hajdu. Details from Rossum.Kelly@MacPhail.com.

There's a new (at least, to me) venue for traditional jazz in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul Minn. The Nomad bar in Minneapolis' West Bank (University of Minnesota) district is hosting an open stage jam for trad jazzers each second Sunday. More info for musicians and fans from proprietor Brent Bartz, (612) 338-6424.

Tony Balluff of Minnesota's Southside Aces and other trad bands says he has approached new and very popular South Minneapolis jazz bar and restaurant Cafe Maude about Sunday afternoon concerts which would fill some downtime for Maude , provide another new venue for musicians and give us fans another place to go during daylight hours when we can bleeping see to drive!

You can get started right now and make plans to attend the 100th anniversary of Bunny Berigan's birth at the Bunny Berigan Festival May 16-18, Fox Lake, Wisc., where the famed trumpeter was raised. Talent includes the Bunny Berigan Memorial Band under Rev. Al Townsend of La Crosse, Wisc., and other musicians with Wisconsin ties including Don Cheeseboro of Wisconsin Rapids and former Wisconsinites Bob Hirsch and Bob Schultz, now Californians, among others, www.bunnyberiganjazzjubilee.com

New Orleans trumpeter Nicholas Payton and trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis will open a three-concert series at Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, April 17 with a program dedicated to the life and legacy of Louis Armstrong. The second concert June 26 will feature a number of "rising young stars" selected by Downbeat magazine and will be part of the annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival. The third concert July 31 will spotlight trumpeter Terence Blanchard , his quartet and the Minnesota Orchestra in a program entitled "Jazz at the Movies," (612) 371-5656. (Orchestra Hall and Ted Mann Concert Hall, Minneapolis, and Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and the Fitzgerald Theatre in St. Paul, among other local venues, would do well to consider regular Sunday afternoon programs of trad jazz, ragtime, swing, big band and other musics favored by seniors. Bookers fail to realize how starved we are for such live music!)

The Central Ohio Hot Jazz Society kicks off its 2008 schedule with Dave Greer's Classic Jazz Stompers Feb. 17, then The West End Jazz Band April 6, Byron Stripling May 18 and the annual Fall Harvest of Bands Nov 16, www.cohjs.org

Cornet Chop Suey, Jean Kittrell and the St. Louis Rivermen, The Cakewalkin' Jass Band and After Midnight are the marquee talent for the 20th annual Capital City Jazz Fest April 25-27, Madison, Wisc., sponsored by the Madison Jazz Society, www.madisonjazz.com.

Volunteers are needed for the annual Bix Fest July 25-27, says the Catfish Jazz Society of the Quad Cities (Iowa-Illinois), catfishjazz@yahoo.com

Members of the La Crosse, Wis. Jazz Society are planning the Great River Jazz Fest Aug. 8-10 and recently held a "rent party" fund raiser featuring Rev. Al Townsend's Wonderful World Jazz Band.

The February issue of Notes to You, newsletter of the Illiana (Illinois-Indiana) Club of Traditional Jazz, previews the club's Johnnie Faren concert Feb. 17, other near-future events in the heartland and ICOTC's 35th anniversary bash Oct. 24-26 spotlighting Bill Allred's Classic Jazz Band, plus numerous other first-rate, world-class musicians, JazzEddy@aol.com. (Newsletter editor Eddy Banjura recalls he and his wife, Gloria, built a darkroom in their basement after they got married. My question: why would you need one after you got married?)

Dean Sorenson, head of jazz studies at the University of Minnesota/Minneapolis, has written a song, "Shines for All to See," in honor of Minnesota's sesquicentennial. I was very young when my lifelong home state was founded, but, as I recollect, there wasn't much jazz back then. Meantime, the U of M's 2008 Jazz Festival is set for March 8, featuring guest trumpeter Al Hood and clinics for young musicians, www.music.umn.edu/jazzfest/ or (612) 624-2334 or soren048@umn.edu.

Eclectic Minnesota broadcaster Ed Jones has begun a new series of programs, "Reel Jazz," about jazz in films on Minnesota's only jazz station, KBEM, www.jazz88fm.com

As good as his word, retired Minnesota Public Radio jazz broadcaster Leigh Kamman, 85, says he has begun researching a book on the history of jazz broadcasting.

Who would ever name a baby Jazz? Find the Pickles comic strip for January in your local newspaper or online and you'll find out.

Baby, please send me your news by the fifth of the month preceding publication:, baby: Will Shapira, 5644 Morgan Av. S., Minneapolis MN 55419; wshapira@aol.com, no attachments. Thanks. Later.

February 2008 issue | © 2008 The Mississippi Rag

P.O. Box 19068, Minneapolis, MN 55419.