Debbie Duncan was one of the greatest jazz vocalists in the Twin Cities. She performed with many local and national acts. The Wolverines Jazz Quartet, featuring Rick Carlson, Jendeen Forberg, and Steve Pikal, leads this tribute to the legendary Ms. Duncan. Also, featured vocalists Judi Vinar and Dennis Spears will share songs and stories. Dennis Spears was […]

Bassist Calvin Caron and pianist Patrick Adkins will perform a 60-minute set of cerebral, elegant modern jazz. Then, bantu-jazz musician and composer Nyttu Chongo will perform his own hour of original works, accompanied by renowned percussionist Tim O'Keefe. This show is an official Twin Cities Jazz Festival event! Patrick Adkins is an inventive, empathetic Minneapolis-based pianist […]

Formed in 2005 as an off-shoot project between three Minneapolis-based musicians and friends, The New Standards has grown into a globe-spanning adventure—filling theaters and clubs around the world and spawning several CDs, videos, cartoons, and dance and theater projects that have charmed and delighted an ever-multiplying legion of faithful fans.

Experience Jazz is a genre-bridging music ensemble program for instrumentalists, vocalists, rappers, DJs and other aspiring musical artists. Launched in 2017 by Minnesota Jazz Education (formerly Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education), this innovative program is an incubator for middle and high school musicians to learn, play and compose new music together.

At Walker West, we believe that jazz music has the power to bring people together and inspire creativity and self-expression. We are committed to providing a supportive and inclusive environment where students can learn, grow, and thrive as musicians. Join us and discover the joy of jazz music! We offer jazz ensembles for students of […]

MacPhail’s elite Dakota Combo features some of the top high school talent in the state.  This group is an audition-based jazz combo made up of the region’s top high school jazz musicians. Additionally, musicians are offered scholarships for a year of serious extra-curricular jazz study and performance.

Inspired by the concept of community, the string ensemble of Walker West was created to perform works that reflect the cultural diversity of the string students and families in our program.  Kamoinge is a Kikuyu (Kenya) word meaning a group working together, unforced and unconstrained, to do good for the community.

When the artistry of vocalist Jennifer Grimm met the mastery of composer-arranger Adi Yeshaya, a new sound was born. Don’t miss this thirteen-piece jazz orchestra in a night of compositions and new arrangements of jazz and pop favorites. Composer, arranger and jazz pianist Adi Yeshaya was born and raised in Israel. A graduate of Berklee College of Music, […]