Saturday, February 17th - sets start at 4:30pm

St. James Hotel - Victorian Dining Room

(Food and Bar Available)

The Big Turn Music Festival is proud to announce the second annual 2024 Big Turn Jazz Club, an event which expands the genre represented by our festival.  It will feature fantastic artistic quality by presenting some amazing groups based out of the Twin Cities.  The Big Turn Jazz Club is made possible by local sponsorship support from The Behrens Family Foundation and Keller/Baartman Properties.

2024 Big Turn Jazz Club – Saturday, February 17, 2024

Victorian Dining Room – St. James Hotel – 406 Main St. – Red Wing

(Food & Bar Available)

SET ONE 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Connie Evingson with the Parisota Hot Club (see below)

SET TWO 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

The Travis Anderson Trio  (see below)

SET THREE 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Doug Haining Quintet  (see below)

SET FOUR 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM

The Ginger Commodore Quartet  (see below)

SET ONE 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM

Connie Evingson with the Parisota Hot Club

You do not want to miss this opening set.

Minnesota born-and-raised, Connie Evingson has a catalog of acclaimed albums that run a wide spectrum of genres. From jazz to Broadway standards, to covering Peggy Lee or The Beatles, the Twin Cities-based singer has an adventurous spirit that, like her music, knows no boundaries. Her ten albums released through Minnehaha Music have all charted in the Top 50 in the United States and Canada, and can be heard on radio stations around the globe.

Evingson has toured worldwide, with appearances at concert halls, theaters and festivals in the U.S., Europe and Japan. Memorable performances include:  being a guest artist at Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis, Michael Feinstein, and Vince Giordano; multiple performances on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion; and collaborations with the Minnesota Orchestra and Toronto Symphony conducted by Doc Severinsen

You can’t beat Connie’s beautiful jazz voice and the artistic quality from her accompanying Parisota Hot Club.

Parisota Hot Club

Robb Henry – Guitar

Tom Schaefer – Violin

Matt Senjem – Bass

Parisota Hot Club was the first Hot Club group to appear on the Minneapolis/St. Paul music scene with a devotion to the jazz stylings of Dajango Reinhardt and violinist Stephan Grappelli.  It has since become the longest running Hot Club in the Twin Cities.

SET TWO 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

The Travis Anderson Trio

What a lively, great jazz trio to experience during your Big Turn dinner hour.

The Travis Anderson Trio is a Minneapolis-based ensemble giving a modern twist to classic jazz and pops favorites.  Led by fleet-fingered pianist Travis Anderson, this creative group brings electric energy and fresh interpretations to music of all sorts, touching everything from Disney, jazz classics, TV themes and even video game music.

Travis Anderson – a mainstay on the Twin Cities jazz scene for over fifteen years – has wowed audiences everywhere from intimate jazz clubs to 2,000-seat concert halls.  With a stylistic nod toward legendary trios like those by Oscar Peterson and Erroll Garner, Travis loves putting fresh twists on familiar tunes.  Whether it’s music from the Great American Songbook, Pixar, Super Mario or Studio Ghibli, Travis is always seeking to bring new audiences to jazz.  Completing the trio are Steve Pikal and Nathan Norman.  Pikal is a top-of-the-list Twin Cities bass player.  Playing a unique slap-style bass, he is one of the most exciting bass players to watch on stage.  Norman is a first-call Twin Cities drummer who has laid down the beat for many legendary performers.  He is an amazing and sensitive jazz drummer.

Travis Anderson – Piano

Steve Pikal – Bass

Nathan Norman – Drums

SET THREE 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Doug Haining Quintet

What a wonderful way to start the early evening at our Big Turn Jazz Club.

Doug Haining:  Doug has been delighting audiences for over three decades, working in Twin Cities area bands, including The Explosion Big Band, The Wolverines Big Band, The Mouldy Figs, Clearwater Hot club, JazzMN Orchestra and many others.  He has also backed many national performers such as Steve Allen, Don Rickles, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Joan Rivers and has played for both touring and locally produced Broadway shows. 

Pete Enblom:  Peter has been playing trombone professionally for 45 years both in Minnesota and in New York City.  He currently performs with Brass Lassie, Maryann and the Money Makers, JazzMN Orchestra, The Explosion Big Band and many others.  Pete is also a fantastic arranger and has contributed charts to the quintet.

Phil Aaron:  As a pianist, Phis has recorded five CDs under his own name and has appeared on many others.  He has performed with many national and international musicians, including Lee Konitz, Eric alexander, Delfeayo Marsalis, Byron Stripling, Bob Sheppard and John Patitucci.  As a composer, Phil’s work is featured in numerous local and national TV shows, documentaries and feature films.  His TV credits include scores and title themes for the Travel Channel, the History Channel, TPT and PBS.  Phis has won regional Emmys for his work with PBS and ABC.

Steve Pikal:  Between the bass and the trombone, Steve keeps very busy musically.  He has played with the likes of Bob Hope, Artie Shaw and Margaret Whiting, to name a few.  Steve is a first-call bassist for many national groups, and he spends time traveling the country to perform.

Trevor Haining:  Trevor is one of the best young cat drummers in the Twin Cities.  He plays all styles, including classical, jazz and rock-and-roll.  Trevor studied in his formative years with Elliot Fine and at Indiana University with Steve Houghton.  Trevor has quietly gained the respect of Twin City musicians because of his ability to set any type of groove on the drum kit.

Doug Haining – Sax

Pete Enblom – Trombone

Phil Aaron – Piano

Steve Pikal – Bass

Trevor Haining – Drums

SET FOUR 9:00 PM – 10:00 PM

The Ginger Commodore Quartet

What an amazing and energetic vocalist to top off our last set for the evening at Big Turn Jazz Club.

Ginger Commodore is a singer, songwriter and actress who enjoys an illustrious history in the Twin Cities and the national music scene.  Beginning her musical career, she joined the three-time Grammy Award winning Sounds of Blackness, touring across the United States and opening shows for the Jackson Five, Roberta Flack and the Pointer Sisters.  Ginger was an original member of the female group, Women Who Cook.   Ginger is also a founding member of the Twin Cities jazz ensemble, Moore by Four, which toured the country performing at universities, concert halls and renowned jazz festivals.  She has also been a featured soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra Pops Series.  Her theatrical credits include performances from the Minnesota Opera Company to the Chanhassen Dinner Theater and so many more.  Ginger is also a teaching artist with the VocalEssence “Witness” School Program and Success Beyond the Classroom Young Authors Conference.

Ginger Commodore – Vocals

Brian Ziemniak – Piano  

Jay Young – Bass

Brandon Commodore – Drums