Saturday, November 22nd, 2014
7:30 p.m.
The Music of Little Big Bands
The Auditorium at Hopkins High School
2400 Lindbergh Dr.
Minnetonka, MN 55305

Little big bands - groups larger than a combo but not a full big band - have existed throughout jazz history, from Miles Davis's "Birth of the Cool", Gerry Mulligan's augmented combos, and Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau, to contemporary groups such as Gordon Goodwin's Little Phat Band, Snarky Puppy or JazzMN saxophonist Pete Whitman's X-Tet. Due to the mid-size and often unorthodox instrumentation, these great charts haven't been played nearly enough, something JazzMN will look to remedy come November.

Sunday, March 15th, 2015
3:00 p.m.
Pete Christlieb
The Auditorium at Hopkins High School
2400 Lindbergh Dr.
Minnetonka, MN 55305

Pete Christlieb is a jazz bebop, West Coast jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist. He is most memorable as the longtime jazz tenor for the Tonight Show Band led by Doc Severinsen. Christlieb has worked alongside artists such as Tom Waits, Louie Bellson, Chet Baker, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Warne Marsh, Bill Holman and Natalie Cole, and he performed the legendary sax solos on the Steely Dan tunes "Deacon Blues" and "FM".

Saturday, April 25th, 2015
7:30 p.m.
Bob Mintzer
The Auditorium at Hopkins High School
2400 Lindbergh Dr.
Minnetonka, MN 55305

Bob Mintzer is an LA-based jazz saxophonist, composer/arranger, big band leader, and member of the storied fusion group, The Yellowjackets. He has has played with a wide variety of artists ranging from Tito Puente, Buddy Rich, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, James Taylor, Art Blakey, Donald Fagen  and Nancy Wilson, to Jaco Pastorius, Mike Manieri, and Randy Brecker. JazzMN will feature the music from his current project, the Bob Mintzer R&Big Band featuring the music of Sly Stone, the Isley Brothers, Sam & Dave, and James Brown.