On Monday night, I had the privilege of hearing the Tanner Taylor Trio, with jazz vocalist Arne Fogel, at the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant in downtown Minneapolis.
Listening to Arne Fogel and the Tanner Taylor Trio perform "Frank, Bing and More" is a lot like climbing into a time machine. Fogel throws a switch and you're back four or five decades in no time. The crowd wasn't all baby boomers like me, but they were enthusiastic and appreciative. Arne and the Trio drew an impressive turnout on a cold midwinter Monday night!
Photo above: Left to right, Keith Boyles (bass), Arne Fogel (vocal), Dick Bortolussi (drums). Photo courtesy of Arne Fogel.
Fogel's tribute to the music of composers such as Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein was backed by some of the finest musicians in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul area. Tanner Taylor is a gifted young jazz pianist with fingers to spare. Bassist Keith Boyles is solid as a rock. Drummer Dick Bortolussi is as good as they get. "Borto" is a friend and colleague of mine on the Twin Cities Musicians' Union Board of Directors. Arne also brought jazz singer Nancy Harms onto the stage for a brief guest appearance midway through the evening.
The Dakota is a great venue for jazz! I've played backup there myself a couple of times, with vocalist Connie Evingson. The atmosphere is comfortable and charming. The menu is more than respectable, but you forget about food and wine when the Trio and Fogel start to do their stuff!
CitySearch lists the Dakota among their "Top Ten Jazz Clubs in America", alongside celebrated venues like the Blue Note in New York, Chicago's Velvet Lounge and the Village Vanguard.
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It sounds like Minneapolis has a vibrant downtown which is great. Being from NY I'm genetically programmed to believe that you HAVE to be in a place like NYC to have access to big name entertainment. I've been spoiled over the years with the proximity of Manhattan. BUT you had to go to Manhattan to get to the entertainment. Now, the arts in my immediate area are growing in leaps and bounds with Itzahk Perlman becoming artistic director of the Westchester Philharmonic. Once people realize the cultural amenities are there - the area becomes sn increasingly popular place to live.