Blues, Jazz, or Both

The fourth annual Famous Dave’s BBQ & Blues Festival kicks off at noon on Saturday, June 7, at Peavey Plaza in downtown Minneapolis with performers on two separate stages. The music is free, and it is always a rollicking showcase for both national and Twin Cities-based blues acts. Ron Thompson and his Resistors headline the main stage, along with Smokin’ Joe Kubek & Bnois King.

Later in the month, the Twin Cities Jazz Festival launches into the stratosphere with a special performance by the legendary 1970s jazz/rock fusion group Return to Forever, featuring the classic lineup of Chick Corea on keyboards, Al Di Meola on guitar, Stanley Clarke on bass, and Lenny White on the drums. The tour will be the first time in twenty-five years these guys have played together, so it’s going to be a phenomenal reunion, particularly for those of us old enough to remember them in their prime.

The rest of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival happens in Mears Park in St. Paul on June 20–21 and moves to Peavey Plaza in downtown Minneapolis June 27–29.