There will be an early show at 7 with the Alternates, an amalgam of talented high school jazz musicians from the Twin Cities.  They all have rich musical backgrounds and are prime players in their age group.  Their set includes tasty originals, fresh arrangements, and standards played from the perspective of the next generation. The players: Caleb McMahon (Perpich Center for Arts Education), trumpet; Peter Nyberg (St Paul Central HS), sax; Chris Misa (Perpich Center for Arts Education), piano; Cory Grindberg (Minneapolis South HS), bass; and Rob Fletcher (Eden Prairie HS), drums.

For over 50 years, saxophonist/flutist/clarinetist/composer Dave Karr has been performing with many of the best national and Twin Cities jazz artists.  The NYC native grew up seeing the great jazz legends like Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, and he got the bug.  Karr moved to the Twin Cities in his twenties, and has long established himself as one of the best-loved characters in the jazz scene.  Whether he’s in the orchestra of a touring Broadway hit, providing flourishes to the shows of top Twin Cities singers, leading his Gerry Mulligan tribute band on baritone sax or fronting his own quartet, Karr is a standout.  “[Dave's] fluid style is both exciting and elegant,”  JazzPolice.com. Check out this video of Dave  performing "Zoot Walks In", or this one of Dave playing "Oleo"  at the AQ. The come down to the club and see why everybody, I mean everbody, digs Dave.

 An early set at 7 p.m. features "The Tesfa Quintet" with Dejen Tesfagiorgis on Saxophones, Adam Meckler on Trumpet, Jesse Mueller on Piano, Adam Tucker on Bass, and Jaky Nyberg on Drums.

At 9 pm the Reid Kennedy Trio performs music from Reflections, the debut album from Minneapolis drummer Reid Kennedy.
Featuring Chris Lomheim on piano, Graydon Peterson on bass, and Reid Kennedy on drums, this album represents the culmination of a meaningful relationship between three musicians. Composing and navigating this music has allowed these three Twin Cities jazz musicians to develop a deeper understanding of each other’s individual artistic intentions, thus refining their collaborative capability.  Through this process they have cultivated a body of original repertoire, a reflection of their collective identity.  The emotional content captured on this recording documents that identity through musical expression and interaction. Come and dig this music as we celebrate the release of this great CD.

 The Artists' Quarter's hottest night opens with an exciting band featuring Zach W. Schmidt, Cory J. Wong, Cassie Meyer, Andy Schuster and Dan M. Musselman starting at 7:00 P.M. These young, talented musicians provide the perfect prelude to the AQ's longest standing engagement. Check this video www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqdCItgxmAY

Then, for the main event sample some 'organic cookin' with the Tuesday Night Band. Hammond B-3 organ lovers have been flocking to the AQ on Tuesday nights for over a decade to get a soulful dose of funky jazz.   The Tuesday Night Band features "Downtown" Bill Brown (Hammond B-3), Billy Franze (guitar), and Kenny Horst (drums) + guests!  Anything can happen - and frequently does.  Check out these videos:  "Soulful Drums" www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGnLyYYPspE  and  "Rock Candy":   www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcoIeG7RkAM  - then come on down and join the fun. It's nothing but a party every Tuesday night. There's no stopping the groove.

Open mic is really open. Come do your thing - read your poetry, sing, tell jokes whatever. Your 15 minutes of fame awaits. No cover charge.