One of the top pre-bop pianists to be active during the past 30 years, Butch Thompson's piano playing stretches from Jelly Roll Morton and James P. Johnson to swing; he is also an excellent (if occasional) New Orleans-style clarinetist. In 1962, he joined the Hall Brothers New Orleans Jazz Band in Minneapolis, an association that lasted over 20 years. This concert features solo jazz piano versions of all your holiday favorites recorded before a live audience at McPhail Center for Music.

In this year's edition of his annual "Yulestride" show, recorded at MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis on December 11th, 2011, pianist Butch Thompson presents his unique take on the traditional holiday repertoire, tells us a few stories about his childhood in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, and presents Santa Claus in his only Twin Cities appearance this season as a jazz cornetist. 

KBEM presents a celebration of the well-remembered Hall Brothers Jazz Band, and its long run at the Emporium of Jazz in Mendota. Much of the original band was on hand that night at The Cedar Cultural Center. Founded in 1958, the band had a mission: Rehearse and play classic New Orleans Jazz. Butch Thompson took over the clarinet chair in 1962. The Emporium of Jazz opened in 1966, and the doors finally closed in 1991. The formula was simple: The "Emp", as many people called it, was a place to listen and dance and was an important tour stop for the top names in traditional jazz. 

Dave Brubeck, whose father was of Medoc descent, was one of the most active and popular jazz musicians in the world. His experiments with odd time signatures, improvised counterpoint, and a distinctive harmonic approach were the hallmarks of his unique musical style.

In 1959, the Dave Brubeck Quartet popularized jazz with the group's most memorable tune “Take Five” – making “Time Out” the first jazz album to sell a million copies.

Brubeck's popularity and musical acumen gained him recognition throughout his career.

In 1954 he became the first jazz artist to grace the cover of Time magazine. He was named a National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Master in 1999 and was declared a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress in 2003.

Playing alongside Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry was instrumental in the development of both avant-garde and free jazz; epitomized by the albums “The Shape of Things to Come” and “Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation.”
In the 1970s he became a pioneer of world fusion music, incorporating Middle Eastern, African and Indian instruments and music in his playing. Cherry paid tribute to his Native roots by playing a Native American flute on the title track of Blue Lake, which he recorded in 1971.

Miles Davis, of Cherokee ancestry, cut his teeth on bebop, playing with the likes of Charlie Parker, and quickly moved on to headline his own groups, becoming a major influence in almost every sub-genre of jazz.
Davis helped define cool jazz with the release of “Birth of the Cool” and instigated hard bop with the  more rhythmic and emotional music of "Walkin'".
He moved on to explore modal jazz with “Milestones” and “Kind of Blue” (which has sold more copies that any other jazz album).
He extended the boundaries of post bop jazz with “Nefertiti” and “Sorcerer” and popularized jazz fusion with “In a Silent Way” and “Bitches Brew.”
Up until his death, Davis continued to stretch the boundaries of jazz – exploring the union of jazz and hip-hop with his final studio recording, “Doo-Bop.”

Along with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie defined bebop; transforming jazz from dance to listening music. Gillespie was a complex player and harmonically he was ahead of everyone in the 1940s, including Parker. His precisely articulated rhythms and dissonance influenced the future of jazz.
Through his collaborations with Cuban percussionist Chano Pozo, Gillespie helped popularize Latin jazz. Infusing jazz with Afro-Cuban rhythms, their tune “Manteca” is often regarded as the quintessential representation of Latin jazz.

Being classically trained, John Lewis' piano style was different from that of most of his contemporaries. As a soloist he depended as much on space and silence as he did on notes to get his message across; and as an accompanist he was likely to play fuguelike counter lines rather than the staccato chords that were standard bebop procedure.
Lewis' favorite form was the fugue, and his compositions commonly combined the element of classical form with collective improvisation. 

Famous for his unique phrasing and economy of notes, Thelonius Monk had a distinctly quirky and percussive sound, contemporizing the stride piano style with bebop.
As a composer, Monk created a new architecture for his music. Rather than writing new melodic lines over popular chord progressions, he composed music in which harmony and rhythm melded seamlessly with the melody. 

Encouraged by Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry, Jim Pepper began experimenting with mixing Native American music and jazz. His most famous tune, “Witchi Tai To” (which has been covered by countless jazz, pop, folk and “world music” musicians) is based on a Native American peyote ritual chant he learned from his grandfather.
Pepper had a soulful and penetrating sound, conveying an emotion of intense spirituality.
And his style influenced other saxophonists, including Jan Garbarek, David Sanborn, Michael Brecker, Dave Liebman, and Joe Lovano. 

Influenced by drummer Kenny Clarke, Max Roach developed an unconventional approach to the drum set establishing himself among the most imaginative and the most influential drummers in modern jazz. Instead of keeping time with the bass drum, as swing drummers did, he kept time on the ride cymbal, creating a lighter, more propulsive feel, and providing him space to create elaborate rhythmic accompaniment.
He saw his role not just as a supporting player but as a full-fledged member of the front line. By paying as much attention to the song's melody as to its beat, Roach was able to interact with fellow musicians in an open-ended conversation while maintaining a rock-solid pulse.

It is commonly held that jazz developed out of a synthesis of European and African music. However, few people are aware that jazz was also influenced by Native American music. A Weaving of Traditions is a tribute to jazz musicians with Native American roots. The concert took place on Friday, April 15, 2016 at Hamline University’s Sundin Music Hall. The concert includes music of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk and other jazz musicians with Native roots arranged for Native American style flute by Bobb Fantauzzo. Joining Bobb in this performance are Lyz Jaakola, an enrolled member of Fond du Lac band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, who returns to add traditional Anishinaabe vocals and percussion, world-class bassist Anthony Cox, virtuosic pianist Javi Santiago, and versatile drummer/percussionist Mac Santiago. Veteran saxophonist Irv Williams will be making a special guest appearance. 

It is commonly held that jazz developed out of a synthesis of European and African music. However, few people are aware that jazz was also influenced by Native American music. A Weaving of Traditions honors jazz musicians with Native roots, including Thelonious Monk (Tuscarora), Miles Davis (Cherokee), and Dave Brubeck (Modoc), among others.

Fantauzzo, on Native American style flute, is backed by virtuosic pianist Javi Santiago, who won the Schubert Club Jazz Piano Scholarship Competition in both 2006 and 2007 and performed with The Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet in 2008 and 2009; versatile drummer/percussionist Mac Santiago, who has toured with Badfinger and performed in the pit orchestras of the Guthrie Theater and the Minnesota Opera as well as with the likes of Grover Washington Jr. and Doc Severinsen; and Jeff Bailey, the Department Head of Bass at McNally Smith College of Music, who has performed in a wide variety of musical settings as a musician, composer, and producer.

Adding traditional Anishinaabe vocals and percussion is Lyz Jaakola, an enrolled member of Fond du Lac band of Lake Superior Ojibwe.

A Weaving of Traditions is made possible through funding provided by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Leigh speaks with tenor saxophone titan Bob Rockwell when Bob was visiting from his home in Copenhagen Denmark.  He and Leigh talk about how he got to Copenhagen and the differences between the U.S. and Europe jazz scenes.

Irv Williams talks to Leigh about his beginnings in music and how he became a tenor saxophonist.  He also tells Leigh about the first time he saw Duke Ellington and the impression that the band and Johnny Hodges in particular made on him.

Manfredo Fest was one of the great Bossa Nova innovators in Brazil when he immigrated to Minnesota in 1965. Leigh Kamman recorded this interview in 1991 and speaks with Manfredo about his career in jazz.

Guitarist Mike Elliott became a Minnesotan in 1965 and was soon an important part of the jazz scene in Minneapolis and St. Paul.  In 1972 he founded the legendary group Natural Life and started the music room at the Longhorn Bar in Minneapolis which programmed international jazz artists for several years before becoming a rock club. Leigh conducted this interview after a gig at the Longhorn by guitarist Howard Roberts in 1975.

Shirley Witherspoon was a jazz and blues vocalist in Minneapolis and St. Paul who had a few gigs with Duke Ellington and became known locally for her tributes to Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday. In this interview from 2000 she tells Leigh about her first experience hearing Holliday and the influence Billie had on her own music and style.  

Chris Olson is a dedicated jazz educator as well as performer. Since earning a master’s degree in jazz studies/performance from the University of North Texas, he’s taught guitar, jazz history and improvisation as well as directing jazz ensembles at UW-Stevens Point (where he earned his undergraduate degree), Wausau Conservatory of Music, UW-Marathon County, and Inver Hills Community College. He also teaches guitar lessons and jazz combos at the MacPhail Center for Music and summer programs at the Shell Lake (WI) Arts Center; he serves on the Board of the Minnesota Guitar Society. Chris has performed with Bob Mintzer, Louis Bellson, Terry Gibbs, Ira Sullivan, and Bobby Vinton, and has appeared frequently at the Black Dog, heading his monthly “Chris Olson Project” as well as performing in other ensembles such as Framework.

In a world and time of differences, music has the power to bring us together, to unite us through a shared experience. Music knows no boundaries. It transcends that which keeps us apart.

Music Without Boundaries is a live recording of a concert performed on April 26, 2018 at Urban Arts Academy in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Performing on self-made hand drums, students from Urban Arts Academy join Douglas R. Ewart (didgeridoo, flutes, and other instruments), Bobb Fantauzzo (Native American style flutes), Mankwe Ndosi (vocals), Davu Seru (percussion) and Jacqueline Ultan (cello) in a unique experience celebrating the oneness of humanity through music.

This program features music that goes beyond the boundaries of established musical genres. It's a music of texture and expression – created in the moment by improvisers listening intently to one another, feeling the music as it evolved and being open to possibilities. This program was made possible through funding provided by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.