Music on the Mind

Summer is right around the corner--and that means outdoor music season! Grand Old Day ushers in summer on Sunday, June 3, with "the first parde of the summer" and 30 blocks of food, art, and live entertainment along Saint Paul's historic Grand Avenue. This year, the entertainment district features six beer festival gardens and extended hours for more live music. Get your wristbands online in advance! Then, later in June, the Twin Cities Jazz Festival celebrates it's 20th year with 3 days of headline acts on multiple public stages in and around Mears Park, plus performances at local clubs, bars and studio venues. This year's headliners include vocalist and 2017 NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater; seasoned tenor saxophonist Houston Person with the Emmet Cohen Trio; Beyonce collaborator and saxophonist Tia Fuller; jazz innovator Aurora Nealand with pianist Tom McDermott; and up-and-coming jazz vocalist Nayo Jones. Admission to concerts on the main stages remains free due to the support of many generous sponsors and supporters. In July, the Twin Cities' largest, free blues festival—with an extra dose of funk—returns to Mears Park. The Friday night lineup at the Lowertown Blues and Funk Festival includes the Ohio Players, High & Mighty, and Free and Easy. Saturday’s blues lineup includes Marcia Ball, Chubby Carrier, Toronzo Cannon, Crow, Scottie Miller Band, and Mae Simpson Band on the Main Stage. Finally, in August, the Oratorio Society of Minnesota celebrates the 100th birthday of Leonard Bernstein, one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, on August 4th. Performed by the Society’s Summer Chorus, a festival chorus of 150 singers, world-class soloists and a professional orchestra and conducted by Artistic Director Matthew Mehaffey, the concert features both classical and theatrical music by Bernstein.