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James Samuel “Cornbread” Harris Sr. is a Twin Cities legend. His earliest influences were in country music, citing Hank Williams Sr. and Gene Autry among his favorites. Cornbread began learning piano at the age of 13, but he quickly grew tired of having his hands slapped with rulers by "the nuns" and he quit. He hit the piano once again in his early twenties, but this time around it was all about the Blues and he just kept on playing.

Now in his nineties, Cornbread is more active than ever in the local music scene.  He plays several regular weekly and monthly gigs, and now incorporates jazz into his vast repertoire.  He can be seen solo, backed up or playing with Cadillac Kolstad or other musicians.

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Whether it's something as menial as a pair of shoes, an oddly named Missouri town or a major life change like death and divorce, this smiley and warmly voiced Twin Cities Americana singer has a knack for writing songs that are easily relatable, lightly humorous and undeniably sweet. On his new album "Too Late at Night," he also now has an ace band to lay down stylish twang behind the tunes, including two Gear Daddies members.

- (Mpls) Star Tribune

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Old School Jazz With an Unforgettable, Feel-Good Vibe

Courtney Burton has been a cherished performer in the Twin Cities jazz scene for over 25 years, enchanting audiences with her rich, velvety voice and heartfelt delivery. With her band, Court's In Session, she breathes new life into jazz standards and classics from the Great American Songbook, performed in the tradition of the jazz era—with a touch of blues and a wealth of soul.

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Nikki Matteson and Rich Rue are a musical duo from Minnesota, based in Minneapolis. They were the core members of the group, Nikki & The RueMates. Music from the 1950s and 1960s, as well as blues music, especially country blues and female blues, inspires their songwriting and these are the sounds upon which their live performances and recordings are based. When they perform in front of an audience, Rich’s blistering slide guitar and Nikki’s melodious singing create an intimate and joyful musical experience.

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Sarah Morris has a habit of missing the forest. From the day the Minneapolis based singer-songwriter picked up a guitar, armed with the bone-deep memory of her parents’ well-loved record collection and rooted in the storytelling fire of a Mary Chapin Carpenter tune, she’s been too busy crafting love letters to the details of the trees. Sarah’s endearingly honest, expertly penned songs encourage audiences to pull away from the big picture and get caught up in the magic of our everyday minutia, the rainy day ache in her sunlit voice granting us permission to escape into stories at once hauntingly familiar and uniquely her own.

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Award-winning horn player Steve Clarke leads this classic swing combo through lively and energetic renditions of the jazz-era classics as well as smartly crafted originals.

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“After twenty-plus years, Minneapolis singer-songwriter Dan Israel has proven himself an expert at navigating the wide-open field between power pop and roots rock....spreading his wings has led Israel to his best album yet” - Michael Toland

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Brilliant Colors Jazz Trio features (3) experienced jazz musicians well known and respected throughout the twin-cities and region, including: Glen Helgeson - guitar, Jim Chenoweth - bass and Nathan Norman - drums

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Mark Joseph has supported and worked with Samantha Fish, Marc Brousard, Greg Koch, Robby Kreiger, Whey Jennings, The Dire Wolves, Nicholas David, The Guess Who, WAR, Shred Is Dead, Keller Williams, Robert Randolph, The Travelin' McCourys, Leftover Salmon, Sherwin Linton, Merle Haggard and countless others. 

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Joel Shapira is a top performing classical and jazz guitarist based in the Twin Cities. His educational background includes studies with some of the world's greatest players and teachers including jazz legends Joe Pass, Tal Farlow and Gene Bertoncini, as well as master classical instructor Alan Johnston. A native of St. Paul, Joel attended Berklee School of Music in Boston and The Mannes School of Music in New York City where he lived, performed and taught for eight years.

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Iowa-raised, Minneapolis-based Ben Cook-Feltz is a singer, songwriter, drummer and self-taught pianist. Combining observational, sometimes quirky lyrics with melodies that hearken back to the classic sounds of the 60′s and 70′s, he has been entertaining audiences throughout the Midwest as a dynamic performer, whether playing solo, with his crackerjack band, or backing up some of the finest regional talent. His most recent record, BCF, was released in September 2018.

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Jon Rodine is a singer and songwriter, based in Minnesota. Drawing on sources like Dan Penn, Doug Sahm, Bob Dylan and beyond, his music is song-driven, a blend of Americana, groove-oriented rock’n’roll, and country soul.

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The Roe Family Singers are a Good-Time, Old-Time Hillbilly band from the Mississippi-headwaters community of Kirkwood Hollow, MN. Led by wife & husband Kim Roe (Best Female Vocalist, City Pages/Village Voice) and Quillan Roe (Accident Clearinghouse), the band blends characteristic old-time sound with rock & roll urgency and influence.

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Musicians from the Midwest have a knack for reinventing tradition. Jeff Ray is no exception. Go to any one of his performances and you’ll hear his fans say the same thing, “his music sounds old and new at the same time”.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Ray left home at the age of 17 to cut his teeth in Memphis. It was through those travels that he developed his unmistakable “East-meets-West” Bluesy Americana sound.

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St. Paul roots-rock singer-songwriter Mary Cutrufello has been a mainstay in the Americana scene here and in Texas for thirty years. She's performed on The Tonight Show and Austin City Limits, and toured in all 50 states and several European countries. Hailed by USA Today as "a fierce guitarist with with a blistered-throat voice," Cutrufello mixes original songs and classics of American music (think Willie Nelson and Steve Earle) into a captivating, heartland-proud musical stew at once timeless and immediate.

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The Dang Ol' Tri'ole is a 5 person bohemian folk group from the Twin Cities. With nearly 15 years of playing together, they have honed their skills to demonstrate their fluency at their respective instruments through tight vocal harmonies, complex melodies, dense compositions, and improvisational soloing with a dynamic & cohesive presentation. Their unique experiences, and common bonds, have helped spawn their own sound that borrows from an array of styles including: Traditional Folk, Progressive Rock, Salsa, Blues, Ska, Gypsy, and Classic Rock.

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“After twenty-plus years, Minneapolis singer-songwriter Dan Israel has proven himself an expert at navigating the wide-open field between power pop and roots rock....spreading his wings has led Israel to his best album yet” - Michael Toland

FREE

Jon Rodine is a singer and songwriter, based in Minnesota. Drawing on sources like Dan Penn, Doug Sahm, Bob Dylan and beyond, his music is song-driven, a blend of Americana, groove-oriented rock’n’roll, and country soul.

FREE

James Samuel “Cornbread” Harris Sr. is a Twin Cities legend. His earliest influences were in country music, citing Hank Williams Sr. and Gene Autry among his favorites. Cornbread began learning piano at the age of 13, but he quickly grew tired of having his hands slapped with rulers by "the nuns" and he quit. He hit the piano once again in his early twenties, but this time around it was all about the Blues and he just kept on playing.

Now in his eighties, Cornbread is more active than ever in the local music scene. Don’t let his age fool you, Cornbread is full of life and is always hopeful about the future.

FREE

Sarah Morris has a habit of missing the forest. From the day the Minneapolis based singer-songwriter picked up a guitar, armed with the bone-deep memory of her parents’ well-loved record collection and rooted in the storytelling fire of a Mary Chapin Carpenter tune, she’s been too busy crafting love letters to the details of the trees. Sarah’s endearingly honest, expertly penned songs encourage audiences to pull away from the big picture and get caught up in the magic of our everyday minutia, the rainy day ache in her sunlit voice granting us permission to escape into stories at once hauntingly familiar and uniquely her own.

FREE

Legendary local musician Doug Otto, from Bloomington, and captivating blues singer Hilary Thavis, who hails from Italy, have come together as a duo, serving country, blues, and folk hits as well as inspiring and entertaining originals. This multi-generation crowd-pleasing duo is one you won’t want to miss!

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Nikki Matteson and Rich Rue are a musical duo from Minnesota, based in Minneapolis. They were the core members of the group, Nikki & The RueMates. Music from the 1950s and 1960s, as well as blues music, especially country blues and female blues, inspires their songwriting and these are the sounds upon which their live performances and recordings are based. When they perform in front of an audience, Rich’s blistering slide guitar and Nikki’s melodious singing create an intimate and joyful musical experience.

FREE

"Genre-blending everything from blues & soul to hoodoo-hinted rock, these songs slip stealthily past your emotional defenses and melt your heart" - ROCK & BLUES MUSE

You can hear the nurturing root sounds of American R&B, New Orleans Rock 'n' Roll, Country-Driven Gospel and the Soul Music of the Spirit and the Church in Nicholas David (aka "the Feelin”). The soulful bearded songsmith known to the world in 2012 as he endured the intense scrutiny of hit-making judges and a major television audience during "The Voice".

David and his Feelin Band toured coast to coast headlining and playing support bills with national acts ranging from the Avett Brothers to Rusted Root to the BoDeans to name a few. Among many notable musicians David met during the 14-month-long-trek across the globe was guitarist and singer Samantha Fish. That meeting led to an invitation to come to New Orleans and record David's latest release Yesterday's Gone.

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The Roe Family Singers are a Good-Time, Old-Time Hillbilly band from the Mississippi-headwaters community of Kirkwood Hollow, MN. Led by wife & husband Kim Roe (Best Female Vocalist, City Pages/Village Voice) and Quillan Roe (Accident Clearinghouse), the band blends characteristic old-time sound with rock & roll urgency and influence.

FREE

Dan Rumsey is a soulful and bluesy folk-based singer and guitarist/piano player. His song bag includes songs he has written and choice covers from the 1920’s on up. Backbeat Harris is an in-demand drummer & percussionist extraordinaire. He is an intuitive artist who feels and propels the spirit of all styles of music. These musical soulmates mix it up and lay it down with percolating rhythms, soulful sounds and messages of encouragement and joy.

FREE

Musicians from the Midwest have a knack for reinventing tradition. Jeff Ray is no exception. Go to any one of his performances and you’ll hear his fans say the same thing, “his music sounds old and new at the same time”.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Ray left home at the age of 17 to cut his teeth in Memphis. It was through those travels that he developed his unmistakable “East-meets-West” Bluesy Americana sound.

FREE

Iowa-raised, Minneapolis-based Ben Cook-Feltz is a singer, songwriter, drummer and self-taught pianist. Combining observational, sometimes quirky lyrics with melodies that hearken back to the classic sounds of the 60′s and 70′s, he has been entertaining audiences throughout the Midwest as a dynamic performer, whether playing solo, with his crackerjack band, or backing up some of the finest regional talent. His most recent record, BCF, was released in September 2018.

FREE

Molly Maher resides on the border of Americana/Roots music and moves beautifully between them, blending simmering guitars and cutting lyrics. After traveling the roads of the American music tradition she has returned to sing about it with an authentic and sage voice. To see her perform live is an unforgettable experience. An incomparable singer and songwriter with compelling depth and soul backed by an all star band. With songs that ring true, her singing is a fine balance of deep and soulful, somewhere between Lucinda Williams and Bonnie Raitt. Twangy and lament-filled spirit, guitar driven country-folk-jam with a blues swagger.

FREE

Joel Shapira is a top performing classical and jazz guitarist based in the Twin Cities. His educational background includes studies with some of the world's greatest players and teachers including jazz legends Joe Pass, Tal Farlow and Gene Bertoncini, as well as master classical instructor Alan Johnston. A native of St. Paul, Joel attended Berklee School of Music in Boston and The Mannes School of Music in New York City where he lived, performed and taught for eight years.

FREE

Whether it's something as menial as a pair of shoes, an oddly named Missouri town or a major life change like death and divorce, this smiley and warmly voiced Twin Cities Americana singer has a knack for writing songs that are easily relatable, lightly humorous and undeniably sweet. On his new album "Too Late at Night," he also now has an ace band to lay down stylish twang behind the tunes, including two Gear Daddies members.

- (Mpls) Star Tribune