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| The Visger Road Leads to the Dakota, Late Night on January 6th by Andrea Canter,Jazz Police One of the Twin Cities' most successful staging of modern jazz has been the "Later at the Dakota" series at the downtown Minneapolis jazz club, under the direction of Jeremy Walker. Now into its second year, this weekend nightcap of new artists, experimental, and avant garde jazz proves that there really is life in the city after midnight! Starting at 11:30 pm and running til 2 am with happy hour-type bar specials, a mere $3 cover will guarantee you the most exciting live music of the week. This weekend, a very special booking reunites three native Detroit musicians as the Visger Road Drum Band takes the late spot on Saturday night, January 6th. Featuring drummers Leonard King and Kevin Washington with saxophonist Donald Washington, this marks the local debut of the Visger Road Drum Band, yet each of these musicians has already made his mark on the Twin Cities jazz scene. Leader Leonard King is perhaps best known nationally as the drummer for the James Carter Organ Trio, and with this ensemble he has appeared on the Dakota stage twice in the past 18 months. Growing up in Detroit, King was given a phonograph when he was just two years old, and began his music career as a singer, emulating Chuck Berry, Jackie Wilson and Frankie Lyman. But Leonard was also drawn to the exciting rhythms of drummers such as Art Blakey, Gene Krupa, Cozy Cole, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, and Louie Bellson. "I would use anything that was available in our house to make rhythm sounds including spoons, rulers, paint cans, and chairs. Once I started making dents in the chairs then my parents asked if I wanted to take drum lessons and I said 'yes'." With his brothers, he soon formed Leonard King and the Soul Messengers, a band that lasted ten years. Over his career, King has played with such artists as Donald Byrd, Paquito D'Rivera, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Johnny Griffin, David Murray, T-Bone Walker, Bobby Watson, Roy Brooks' Aboriginal Percussion Choir, Eddie Jefferson, Herb Ellis, and Alvin Batiste, in addition to his current stint with fellow Detroit marvel James Carter. In addition to Visger Road Drum Band, King is co-founder of the Proportioned Orchestra with bassist Rodney Whitaker. A recent graduate of the Union Institute and University with a BA in music, in Detroit King has taught through Art Center Music School and the Center for Creative Studies, and worked as a music therapist. Since relocating to the Twin Cities, King has been on stage with the James Wallace Quartet and leading a percussion ensemble at the 2006 Freedom Jazz Festival. Saxophonist Donald Washington was a well-known educator and performer in his native Detroit. He is probably best known nationally as the "musical father" of multi-reed virtuoso James Carter, with whom young James studied as a teenager, and locally as father of monster drummer Kevin Washington. Moving to Minneapolis, the elder Washington continued his career as a jazz educator, and at the 2006 Freedom Jazz Festival, was honored, along with wife/flautist Faye Washington, as the recipient of the Sam Favors Award. And whenever James Carter is in town, you can usually count on a guest appearance by Donald Washington on tenor or bari sax. Thirty-one year drummer Kevin Washington launched his musical career in his native Detroit at age five, performing at the Detroit Jazz Festival, his first of many festival appearances in Detroit, Chicago, Alabama and Connecticut. He moved to Minneapolis when he was thirteen, and later studied at the New School for Social Research in New York where he also taught at the Harlem School for the Arts. Back in the Twin Cities, Kevin has been one of the area's busiest drummers, particularly with Moveable Feast, the Doug Little Quartet, Seven Steps to Havana, Anthony Cox, and the Andres Prado Quartet. Following in the footsteps of his parents, Kevin is also a devoted educator, teaching through the Twin Cities Jazz Workshop. In addition to his local gigs, Kevin has performed with Reggie Workman, Rodney Whitaker, Roscoe Mitchell, Antonio Hart, Chico Freeman, James Carter, Roy Brooks, the David Murray Big band, Craig Taborn, and others. Indeed, as King notes in his press release, the Visger Road Drum Band will bring "drums and sax—up close and personal." And this threesome will deliver an incendiary late night knock-out punch! Have an extra cup of coffee and stick around for the late show, this Saturday night, January 6th, at the Dakota. The Dakota is located at 1010 Nicollet Mall, in downtown Minneapolis; www.dakotacooks.com. Later at the Dakota starts at 11:30 pm and continues til closing at 2 am. You can hear Leonard King on Friday, January 5th with the James Wallace Quartet, also on the Later at the Dakota schedule. For more on "Professor" Leonard King, visit www.leonardkingdrums.com write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page |