Eric Kodner, Lake Minnetonka Homes & Madeline Island Real Estate

On Monday night, I had the privilege of hearing the Tanner Taylor Trio, with jazz vocalist Arne Fogel, at the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant in downtown Minneapolis.

Listening to Arne Fogel and the Tanner Taylor Trio perform "Frank, Bing and More" is a lot like climbing into a time machine. Fogel throws a switch and you're back four or five decades in no time. The crowd wasn't all baby boomers like me, but they were enthusiastic and appreciative. Arne and the Trio drew an impressive turnout on a cold midwinter Monday night!

Photo above: Left to right, Keith Boyles (bass), Arne Fogel (vocal), Dick Bortolussi (drums). Photo courtesy of Arne Fogel.

Fogel's tribute to the music of composers such as Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein was backed by some of the finest musicians in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul area. Tanner Taylor is a gifted young jazz pianist with fingers to spare. Bassist Keith Boyles is solid as a rock. Drummer Dick Bortolussi is as good as they get. "Borto" is a friend and colleague of mine on the Twin Cities Musicians' Union Board of Directors. Arne also brought jazz singer Nancy Harms onto the stage for a brief guest appearance midway through the evening.

The Dakota is a great venue for jazz! I've played backup there myself a couple of times, with vocalist Connie Evingson. The atmosphere is comfortable and charming. The menu is more than respectable, but you forget about food and wine when the Trio and Fogel start to do their stuff!

CitySearch lists the Dakota among their "Top Ten Jazz Clubs in America", alongside celebrated venues like the Blue Note in New York, Chicago's Velvet Lounge and the Village Vanguard.

In its 34^th season, the Twin Cities Catholic Chorale continues to provide beautiful choral music for the Latin High Mass at the Church of Saint Agnes. The Chorale is joined by a professional chamber orchestra which includes former and present members of the Minnesota Orchestra and area freelance artists [all instrumentalists are members of Local 30-73, American Federation of Musicians]. Professional vocal soloists include Patricia Kent (soprano), Jocelyn Kalajian (contralto), Adam Gedde (tenor) and Jon Nordstrom (bass). Mary LeVoir is the organist. Gregorian chant is sung by the Saint Agnes Schola Cantorum, under Paul LeVoir.

Following is the schedule (for the remainder of the 2007-08 season) of Masses with orchestral accompaniment. Mass performance times are at 10:00 A.M. Sundays, unless indicated otherwise below:

• February 3, 2008: Haydn Lord Nelson Mass
• March 2, 2008: Mozart Piccolomini Mass, K258
• March 23, 2008 (Easter Sunday): Mozart Mass in C, K337
• March 30, 2008: Schubert Mass in B flat
• April 6, 2008: Mozart Missa Brevis in D, K194
• April 13, 2008: Haydn Schopfungs Mass
• April 20, 2008: Herzogenberg Messe, Op. 87
• April 22, 2008: Mozart Requiem Mass, K626 (Mass in Memory of Monsignor Richard J. Schuler)
• April 27, 2008: Mozart Missa Longa
• May 4, 2008: Rheinberger Mass in C, Op. 169
• May 11, 2008: Schubert Mass in C
• May 18, 2008: Mozart Trinitatis Mass, K167
• May 25, 2008: Schubert Mass in G
• June 1, 2008: Haydn Little Organ Solo Mass

The Church of Saint Agnes is located at 548 LaFond Avenue, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, about one mile west of the Minnesota State Capitol building.

Last season was an unqualified success for Saint Paul's Ordway Center for the Performing Arts.

The Ordway enjoyed a boost in total attendance, with 359,000 patrons for 2006-07. And the Ordway also reported a surplus of $422,000 for the season.

The three principal tenants for the Ordway included the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Opera and the Schubert Club. The Center also presented a number of touring Broadway shows and productions, including Irving Berlin's "White Christmas", "Rent", "Chicago", "Love, Janis" and Matthew Bourne's"Edward Scissorhands".

The Irving Berlin production alone brought in over $5.5 million in a six-week run at the Ordway.