Jazz in Roseville to Soothe the Soul

When I joined the Roseville Visitors Bureau six years ago they were in the planning stages for the Roseville Winter Jazz Blast. The first one kicked off on Saturday January 12, 2008 and was billed as a non-competitive jazz festival designed to create a positive musical and educational experience for high and middle school, college jazz ensembles and vocal groups. About 280 students participated that year.

Since that first one we have refined the jazz blast and word of mouth has spread its popularity. Band directors and students love the excellent location,   Maranatha Hall   on the campus of Northwestern College and the caliber of adjudicators (judges) working with the students.

From the very start we have worked with Dr. Doug Snapp, professor of music/director of Jazz Studies Minnesota State University, Mankato as well as artistic/executive Director JazzMN Jazz Arts Organization Minneapolis/St. Paul www.jazzmn.org . Doug set the schedule for the day and Jerry Swanberg, past president of Twin Cities Jazz Society makes sure we have all of the necessary volunteers in place to direct the crowds, promote future JazzMN Big Band concerts and help with publicity.  

Next year, we will celebrate our fifth year and we will have a record breaking 19 bands and more than 400 students performing. The day long festival is free and open to the public.  Roseville Winter Jazz Blast .  The evening concert is a ticketed event and will feature award winning guitarist Mike Stern www.mikestern.org

This year we are working with the  Ramsey County Library and offering some free jazz events in order to educate enlighten and entertain anyone musically inclined at the Roseville Library! We kick off at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8 with The Northwestern College Jazz Ensemble. Directed by John S. Herlihy, the group performs with excellence the highest level of jazz and big band repertoire available. The 20-member ensemble repeatedly demonstrates the ability to rise to the high demands of this challenging art form.

At 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 9 we invite you to learn about ‘Jazz Around the World’ from our very own Jerry Swanberg. He will discuss the history of Big Bands; highlight the Big Band era, WWII and the modern era. He will talk about the bands and artists that topped the charts. It is a fascinating discussion that you will not want to miss and one Jerry is well versed to lecture on. 

Jerry currently hosts Big Band Scene, a bi-weekly radio show on Jazz 88 that plays Big Band music from around the world, as well as local and college acts. You can find out more about Jerry’s show and Minnesota’s jazz scene online at www.jazz88fm.com

Roseville’s own Granite City Food & Brewery's  Chef Jamz Johnson will be tantalizing the taste buds when he whips up Jambalaya at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. New Orleans is famous for a lot of different meals – chief among them is the traditional rice dish known as Jambalaya. While various ingredients in Jambalaya can vary from chicken, sausage, seafood or any mixture of the three, the bold flavor and perfect spice is always present. The Dictionary of American Food and Drink states that the dish was born late one night when a traveler arrived at a New Orleans Inn long after dinner had been served.

According to the story, the inn’s cook, a man named Jean, was told to “balayez,” or “throw something together” to feed the man. The results were delicious and the name later evolved to “Jambalaya.”

 Making Sense of Jazz, on Tuesday, December 13, at 7 p.m. Mary Louise Knutson has been called "one of the most exciting and innovative artists to happen to jazz piano in quite some time. “Making Sense of Jazz is designed for non-musicians and musicians alike. Learn the answers to your jazz questions and more in this lecture/concert designed to help listeners gain an understanding and appreciation for America's original art form.

Mary Louise Knutson’s long-awaited new CD, "In the Bubble", was just released in October 2011 and is currently ranked in the Top 50 on the national JazzWeek chart. www.marylouiseknutson.com . You won’t want to miss this program!