Jack Barrett (piano) and Charlie Bruber (bass) are kindred musical spirits. And during the pandemic they found their way back to creativity by doing brisk, low-pressure sessions with Ben Ehrlich and Jake Baldwin bright and early in the morning. These sessions grew into the record that they are releasing as the Jack Barrett Quartet on Wednesday night at Icehouse.

On August 21, 1904 Count Basie was born in Red Bank, NJ. In his seventy-nine years on planet earth he contributed immense amounts to the development of jazz. And the legendary orchestra that he led for the majority of his life continues on to this day under the tutelage of Scotty Barnhart. Rick Carlson, a Twin Cities pianist who holds an after hours residency at Crooners, was raised on the piano work of Count Basie and was nice enough to come through Jazz88 to talk about Count Basie's importance in the world of music.

The Selby Avenue Brass Band does a lot of performing with singer Thomassina Petrus. On Sunday, August 27, the whole group performs during a church service. It’s part of the Gospel According to jazz project, and this performance will be during the 11AM worship service at the Liberty Community Church, 3700 Bryant Avenue in Minneapolis. The Selby Avenue Brass Band is led by Tom Wells who writes and arranges a lot of Selby Avenue Brass Band music. When Tom talked to Phil Nusbaum, Tom told of his favorite writing scenario.

The greatness of the pop group the Beatles might just be in the musical possibilities inherent in the group’s songs. This Saturday night at 6:30 at Crooners Supper Club in Fridley, four Minneapolis guitarists explore Beatles music. They are Jeff Perry, Tim Sparks, Joel Shapira and Zach Harris, with bassist Gary Raynor and drummer Bob Johnston. Phil Nusbaum went to a Beatles Reimagined rehearsal and filed this report.

Jamecia Bennett took time out of her busy schedule to chat with Jazz88 in advance of her headlining show at the Art and All That Jazz Festival this weekend in Burnsville. Ms. Bennett, well-known for her long tenure with Sounds of Blackness, is bringing her critically acclaimed solo show to Nicollet Commons Park and already planning out further performances later in the year at the Ordway.

Deedles, aka Diane Schuur, is making her way back to the Twin Cities for two shows on Saturday, August 12 with the JazzMN Orchestra. She'll be exploring the Count Basie songbook, something she's been doing since the mid 1980s. Diane was joined for this interview by her feline partner, Puss Puss. This interview was edited by Ben Ere’imul.

Celebrated pianist and MacPhail instructor Michael Cain spent about a decade working with Jack DeJohnette from '90-'99. He was nice enough to swing through Jazz88 and talk about his love of Jack DeJohnette. He also reflected on DeJohnette's larger importance in the music world at large.

Award-winning pianist Isaiah J. Thompson is navigating life as a rising star in the jazz world, an in-demand sideman touring the world with John Pizzarelli and a newly-wed! It's a lot to balance but Thompson finds a way to that and also serenade his mother's old Volvo in song form.

JT Bates is preparing for a show on Monday August 14 with Todd Clouser and John Medeski. JT Bates connected with Sean from the Afternoon Cruise to talk about what it's like to play with Medeski and Clouser and what they plan to bring to the stage of Icehouse on Monday, August 14.

Ted Godbout is a consumate sideman supplying the needed support on the keys for many of the greats in the Twin Cities and beyond. But on Wednesday August 9 Godbout will be stepping out as a leader to bring his sounds to the plaza of the Capri Theater. Check out the conversation between Ted and Sean McPherson from the Afternoon Cruise.