City Newspaper Archives - 2/2008
MUSIC: Exodus to Jazz expands to new venues
Published by Jen Graney on Feb 15, 2008
The Exodus to Jazz series, which has brought national jazz acts to town since October 2006, will soon change venues. Until now, shows have been held at Venu Resto-Lounge & Nightclub in the St. Paul Quarter. To accommodate growth, upcoming shows will be moved downtown to the Clarion Riverside Hotel and the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The change will be effective with the Freddy Cole Quartet concert on March 14.
Jose DaCosta, president of Exodus to Jazz Productions, told City via e-mail that full houses during the recent Mulgrew Miller-Johnny O'Neal piano duel show "underscored the need for more capacity."
In addition to more space, the move also solves other issues for the series. DaCosta says he had an agreement with Venu that shows would be finished by 11 p.m. "This requirement," he says, "eliminated the opportunity of spontaneous extensions of the second shows that frequently occurs following a rousing jazz show." Post-show jam sessions will be possible when Exodus to Jazz makes the move to the Clarion and Hyatt hotels, DaCosta says.
This spring's line-up of concerts will all take place at the Clarion Riverside. In addition to the Cole show, the schedule includes the Helen Sung Quartet (March 28), Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio (April 12), Cyrus Chestnut Trio (April 25), Bobby Watson & The Live and Learn Sextet (May 16), and the Andy Bey Quartet (May 23). The fall 2008 schedule will include shows at the Hyatt Regency.
DaCosta says he's working with the hotels to create "jazz value" packages that will include hotel rooms at reduced rates.
For more information on the series, visit exodustojazz.com.
