Dakota Jazz Club, December 5th

November 14, 2009. The 2009-2020 edition of the elite high school jazz ensemble, the Dakota Combo, announces their annual performance at the Dakota Jazz Club in downtown Minneapolis, December 5^th, featuring guest artist, saxophonist Tia Fuller. The Dakota Combo is a septet of exceptional student musicians, selected through open auditions, who rehearse and perform throughout the school year under the direction of Adam Linz, Jazz Coordinator for the MacPhail Center for Music. The Dakota Combo, a program of the MacPhail in partnership with the Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education, held its first auditions and performances in fall 2006. Graduates of the program have moved on to study at the nation’s top music programs, including the Berklee College of Music, Brubeck Institute, The Juilliard School, New School, and New England Conservatory of Music.

On Saturday evening, December 5^th at 8 pm, the Dakota Combo with Tia Fuller will perform on the club stage (1010 Nicollet Mall). This is always a well-attended event and seating will be limited―contact the Dakota for reservations as soon as possible. On Sunday, December 6^th, from 1:00 – 2:30 pm, Tia Fuller will lead a FREE open clinic/jam at MacPhail (501 S. Second Street, Minneapolis). All middle and high school student musicians are invited to participate, no pre-registration—just bring your instruments.

Guest artist Tia Fuller leads her own quartet and has performed with such ensembles as the T.S. Monk Septet, Jon Faddis Jazz Orchestra, Sean Jones Quintet, and Gerald Wilson Orchestra. Her recordings include 2005’s Pillar of Strength (Wambui) and her 2007 Mack Avenue debut, Healing Space with special guest, trumpeter Sean Jones. Her next Mack Avenue release (Decisive Steps) is due out in early 2010. Although her own direction is modern jazz, Ms. Fuller may be best known as saxophonist for Beyoncé, with whom she has toured for the past three years. A native of Denver, she graduated from Spelman College and earned a master’s degree in Jazz Pedagogy and Performance at the University of Colorado. A leader/instructor of numerous jazz camps, clinics and master classes for young children, public schools and college students, Ms. Fuller performed at the Dakota with her quartet in July 2009.

The Dakota Combo for 2009-2010 includes: Ann Buchholz, alto saxophone, Stillwater High School; Danny Hupp, saxophones, Minneapolis Southwest High School; John Cushing, trombone, Minnetonka High School; Zosha Warpeha, violin, Princeton High School; Quentin Tschofen, piano, Lighthouse Program (Spring Lake Park); Caitlin Keliher, bass, Minneapolis Southwest High School; Cameron LeCrone, drums, Minnetonka High School.

Read all about the new Dakota Combo at http://jazzink.com/index.php?url=/Youth/dakota_combo_fourth_Edition.php

For more information about the student clinic, contact Adam Linz at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . For reservations for the evening performance at the Dakota, call 612-332-1010; cover $10.. The Dakota Foundation for Jazz Education is a 501c (3) organization dedicated to the promotion of jazz education and student performance.