Saxophone Jazz Shows in Minneapolis–St. Paul

Mumblin’ Drew’s Oldfangled Orchestrators (MOO) are a string band from Minneapolis, MN. Purveyors of novelty, squeezed through a cheesecloth filter of eccentric entertainment, they reanimate the music of the early 20th century. Fiddle, clarinet, and saxophone weave their sound to the fringes of old-time, jazz, jug band, ragtime, and tin pan alley, while guitar and string bass hold down the rhythm. Meet MOO with an open mind, and prepare to be zazzled and zowed! You can find MOO down at the White Squirrel Bar, on W 7th Street in St. Paul, MN the 2nd Monday of every month. https://mumblindrew. com/

$20 (General Admission) 7:30pm Show Get Tickets Heavily influenced by the groove-rich soul jazz of the 1960s and 1970s, guitarist Ross Clowser and organist Mitch Towne pay tribute to the often underrated music of guitarist Grant Green's later career, which often reimagined hits from The Corporation, The Meters, Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, and more. Band Members: Ross Clowser - Guitar Mitch Towne - Organ Toby Ramaswamy - Drums Anna Dolde - Alto Saxophone Jovon Williams - Tenor Saxophone ⊹ Hailing from the prairies of Iowa, Ross Clowser is an American composer, improviser, scholar, and guitarist. He has been performing his original music throughout the Midwest for the past decade, sharing stages with Ohad Talmor and Melvin Butler and opening for the likes of Chad Taylor and Joshua Abrams. His music draws on influences from all over the world, from Jeff Parker and David Bowie to Pauline Oliveros and Fela Kuti. His current projects include the Ross Clowser Quartet, the free improvisation trio Hanson/Hirsh/Clowser, the Interstellar Cowboy Band, and the intermedia/film collective People

Led by chief detonators Doug Haining, sax, and Scott Agster, trombone, the Explosion Big Band draws from the area’s finest musicians. The EXPLOSION is ready to detonate with the classic sounds of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and more modern sounds of Thad Jones, Clare Fischer, Pat Metheny & others.

$15 (General Admission) 7:00pm Show Get Tickets Genre-flexible instrumental groups KG4 and SpectacleCase bring a unique, fun show that traverses gospel, R&B, jazz, funk, classical, experimental, and Nordic folk influences. SpectacleCase Band Members: Mikey Marget - Cello Toby Ramaswamy - Drums Willow Waters - Guitar Christian Rassmussen - Bass KG4 Band Members: Kevin Gamble - Piano/Keys Tarek Abdelqader - Drums Nick Benish - Bass Andrew Tomten - Saxophone ⊹ For as long as he can remember, music has been a part of Kevin Gamble’s life. One of his first experiences with music was playing the piano at his uncle’s church as a kid. Gospel, jazz, funk, country, soul, and hip-hop shaped Kevin’s musical style. After years of sharpening his skills on piano and finishing his music education in 2018, he formed his fusion group, the Kevin Gamble Quartet, in 2019. While playing alongside some of Minnesota’s most talented musicians, Kevin infuses elements of gospel, R&B, jazz, and funk to create a unique and fun sound that everyone will enjoy. Mikey Marget’s music floats between Nordic-influenced f

Doors open at 6:45 for Dinner and Drink Service. Standing on the Shoulders of Giants The Explosion Big Band heats up the Belvedere Stage! The band plays many of your favorite big band chestnuts, plus some I’ll bet you’re not familiar with. Come out and enjoy an evening of big band jazz in the Belvedere room at Crooners! Doug Haining : Leader, Alto Sax Mike Benedict : Alto Sax Stephanie Wieseler : Tenor Sax Brian Handeland : Tenor Sax Connor Carroll : Bari Sax Pete Enblom : Trombone Matt Echols : Trombone Dave Graf : Trombone Brooklynne Audette : Trombone Riley Helgeson : Trumpet Jake Baldwin : Trumpet Steve Wagner : Trumpet Ryan Garmoe : Trumpet Ted Godbout : Piano Chris Olson : Guitar Matt Peterson : Bass Trevor Haining : Drums “I’ve played with a ton of big bands, and this band is right up there with the best of them.” Bijon Watson, Grammy award winning trumpeter www.explosionbigband.com

José James, saxophone (Willie & the Bees, Shangoya, Ipso Facto) Tommy Barbarella, keyboards (Prince, Greazy Meal) Tony Axtell, bass (David... Read More

$15 (General Admission) 7:30pm Show GET TICKETS Calvin Caron is a bassist and composer living in Minneapolis. His American West Quintet project is inspired by the landscapes and people of the American west; his compositions spin up unique musical atmospheres that encourage freedom of expression and listening. Band Members: Calvin Caron - Bass Toivo Hannigan - Guitar Adam Harder Nussbaum - Drums Jackson Peters - Guitar Andy Peterson - Tenor Saxophone ⊹ Calvin Caron is a bassist and composer based in Minneapolis. A graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth with a BFA in jazz studies, he is working as a sideman while composing, recording, and performing music of his own. His writing draws inspiration from the musical styles of jazz, folk, country, and classical traditions. His compositions create unique atmospheres for communal expression. Coming Soon: Featured Jul 12 July 12, 2026 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM 19:00 – 21:30 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM Curated by Aida Shahghasemi: feat. Christopher Rochester & Kavyesh Kaviraj July 12, 2026 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM 19:00 – 21:30 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM $15 GET TICKET

NO COVER 4:30pm Show Mill City Hot Club plays music that was first popularized in the 1930s by Quintette du Hot Club de France with guitarist Django Reinhardt, violinist Stephan Grappelli, and other popular musicians of the day. In keeping with this spirit of collaboration, on some nights, Mill City Hot Club are an acoustic ensemble with guitar, upright bass, and violin; other times, they have electric guitar, clarinet, saxophone, and drums. Many of the Twin Cities’ best musicians come together to play this jazz manouche music, which is eclectic, fun, entertaining, and nostalgic. Band Members: Dean Harrington - Guitar Gary Schulte - Violin Steve Pikal - Upright Bass Coming Soon: Featured Jul 12 July 12, 2026 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM 19:00 – 21:30 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM Curated by Aida Shahghasemi: feat. Christopher Rochester & Kavyesh Kaviraj July 12, 2026 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM 19:00 – 21:30 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM $15 GET TICKETS 7:00pm Show July 12, 2026 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM 19:00 – 21:30 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM Jul 15 July 15, 2026 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM 19:00 – 21:30 7:00 PM – 9:30 PM Ben Cosgrove w/ Liz Draper / C