Archived Events

If you missed our holiday concert, enjoy this sample

Podcast interview of guest vocalists Connie Evenson and Bruce Henry with KBEM JAZZ 88 radio host Patty Peterson… Plus audio clips of JazzMN Orchestra and snippets of Connie‘s and Bruce’s favorite songs.

JazzMN plays the Minnesota Orchestra Symphony Ball

With Special Guest Vocalists Connie Evingson and Andrew Walesch

Sat May 2, 2026 – 9:00PM

Doors at 8:30PM

Two orchestras for the price of one!

The MN Orchestra performs a jazz-themed concert under the direction of Thomas Sondergard at 9:00 p.m. Then JazzMN plays the Gala after party for listening and dancing pleasure.

JazzMN Orchestra Presents Swinging in the Season

Where: Chanhassen Dinner Theatre

When: Monday, December 8th

Time: 7:30 pm (dinner seating starts at 5:30 pm)

JAZZMN CELEBRATES The Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra

Featuring Joe Pulice on Drums

Where: Dakota

When: One Show Only – May 21

Time: 7:00 pm

JazzMN presents the ever-popular Morgan James

Singing the Nina Simone songbook, with the rich, full sound of the JazzMN big band

Where: Dakota

When: February 27th – 2025

Time: Two shows 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm

JazzMN Orchestra Presents Swinging in the Season

Monday, December 9, 2024

Dinner – 5:30pm
Show – 7:30pm

Delfeayo Marsalis

Grammy winning trombonist, composer and producer

Sun Sep 22, 2024

4PM – DOORS 3PM
7PM – DOORS 5:30PM

Don’t miss the blistering trumpet skills of this legendary jazz trumpet and flugelhorn virtuoso with our own JazzMN Orchestra.

JAZZMN ORCHESTRA AT: CROONERS

With Guest Vocalist Jennifer Grimm

As part of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival

Saturday, June 22, 4:00

JAZZMN ORCHESTRA PRESENTS: JOHN PIZZARELLI

MAY 11 Two shows 6:00 & 8:30PM

SWINGING IN THE SEASON

Enjoy an unforgettable night of classic and contemporary holiday music to welcome the season, with special guest vocalists Connie Evingson and Bruce Henry.

Grammy Award Winning Composer & Trumpet Legend

Randy Brecker
Joins the JazzMN Orchestra

Monday, October 2 at

Dinner – 5:30 pm    |   Show – 7:30 pm

See our Concerts tab for more information about this and upcoming concerts.

JazzMN presents

A Night of Count Basie

featuring two-time Grammy winner Diane Schuur

Relive the magic of that iconic pairing whose album topped the billboard charts for 31 weeks as JazzMN Orchestra plays the Count Basie song book with the incomparable Diane Schuur.

One night only… Two shows. Saturday, August 12.

6:30 pm

8:30 pm

See our Concerts tab for more information about this and upcoming concerts.

To celebrate our 25th season, JazzMN founder Doug Snapp returns to join the trumpet section for this concert

JazzMN Celebrates Louis Armstrong and The Sounds of New Orleans

Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023
Dinner – 5:30pm
Show – 7:30pm

Featuring the acclaimed Byron Stripling

JazzMN is Swinging in the Season at the Dakota

December 20th 7:00pm

With guest vocalists Ginger Commodore, Jearlyn Steele and Andrew Walesch.

JazzMN with Kurt Elling!

October 23 6:00pm in the Belvedere at Crooners

Two-time Grammy winner Kurt Elling has been called “the standout male vocalist of our time” by the New York Times. Elling’s use of scat and vocalese, his original lyrics for such masterpieces as Coltrane’s “Revelation,” and his interpretations of such great instrumental works as Dexter Gordon’s sax solo on “Body and Soul” have put him at the creative apogee of modern jazz artists.

The two-time Grammy winner has received an unprecedented 15 nominations (out of 17 albums to date), won three Prix du Jazz Vocal (France), two German Echo Awards, two Dutch Edison Awards, and is a perennial “Jazz Vocalist of the Year” in readers and critics polls (Downbeat, Jazz Times, Jazz Journalists Association, etc).

We expect this to be a sellout. So don’t miss the exciting JazzMN Orchestra with the incomparable Kurt Elling.

2022 Twin Cities Jazz Festival

Special guest vocalist Lila Ammons

Mears Park, St. Paul
June 24 4:00 Main Stage

FREE

Also live streamed at https://www.twincitiesjazzfestival.com

Crooners Outdoor Stage Show

Live Streamed from the Belvedere at Crooners! JazzMN Orchestra with Ricky Peterson, Bob Mintzer and more!

This was a big band show like no other. In addition to the world-class JazzMN Orchestra, special guests included Minnesota’s own Ricky Peterson (Prince, David Sanborn) on organ and voice, with Paul Peterson (Wings) bass, Joe Elliot guitar, and Gene Lake drums.  Joined by legendary saxophonist, composer, and arranger Bob Mintzer (Yellowjackets), who arranged the music for this program, this concert marks the return of the full 17-piece JazzMN Orchestra to live performance since the start of the pandemic.Featuring charts from the breakout recording “Drop Shot” with Ricky Peterson and the WDR Big Band, this is the first time any of this music was performed in Minnesota and only the second time in the US.

ICONS OF THE JAZZ SEXTET

The JazzMN Sextet, members of the larger JazzMN Orchestra, recreated classic sextet favorites from the ’40s, ’50s, and beyond with songs by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Horace Silver, Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Art Farmer & Benny Golson’s Jazztet, and more.

The JazzMN Sextet includes JC Sanford, trombone and director; Pete Whitman, saxophones; Adam Rossmiller, trumpet; Mary Louise Knutson, piano; Jeff Bailey, bass and Phil Hey, drums.

AARP MN & the Twin Cities Jazz Festival Present Jazz Fest Live Featuring the JazzMN Quintet

The musicians of the JazzMN Quintet are all members of the JazzMN Orchestra. They present a historical view of various artists that employed this instrumentation beginning with its infancy in the swing era, into its standardization in bebop, through its heyday of the hard bop era, and more modern explorations in the 1960s and beyond.

The presentation was moderated by JC Sanford, JazzMN Orchestra’s Artistic Director.

Pete Whitman – saxophones
Adam Rossmiller – trumpet
Mary Louise Knutson – piano
Jeff Bailey – bass
Phil Hey – drum

Watch for more exciting concerts with more guest artists…
including a star-studded holiday concert at the Dakota, December 20th.