The 2010 Minneapolis Underground Film Festival opens tonight at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, with a schedule of 62 films over the next three days. Many are world premieres and, in some cases, the filmmakers will be on hand to talk about their work.

Many are short — four or five minutes. Others run 80 or 90 minutes, or more.

The opening film tonight at 7 p.m. is the premiere of “Macumba” by Greg Yolen. The 17-minute film looks at a young American couple starting a new life in a Costa Rica, not realizing that powerful dark forces of black magic surround them.

A big draw at 8:30 p.m. tonight is the  “Minneapolis Project 2010,” produced by John Koch, and billed as "a cinematic panorama of life in Minneapolis consisting of 24 new original short films created by 20 Minnesota filmmakers with each filmmaker developing and producing a narrative film (or films) dedicated to a different Minneapolis neighborhood, landmark or unique place. The mission is to exhibit a cross-section of life and stories on film, and to collectively create a cinematic portrait of Minneapolis."

There's an opening night party tonight at Jasmine 26, at Nicollet and 26th.

All films will be shown at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, 2501 Stevens Ave. S., Minneapolis.

Individual show tickets are $9; festival pass is $49.

The Grammy nominations were announced last night, and among the jazz artists were several who have performed in the Twin Cities this year. Most notably, bassist/singer/composer Esperanza Spalding, nominated for (drum roll) Best Artist of the Year. Will she beat out Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence & The Machine, and Mumford and Sons? She has such broad appeal — and so much talent and personal charm — that it’s entirely possible.

This has been a big week for Spalding. On Tuesday we learned that PBS has asked her to host a new program called “Find the Beat.” She’ll join a group, band or solo musician to explore the roots of their music, cultural connections and music history.

Other jazz nominees: Stanley Clarke (seen at the Dakota earlier this year), Trombone Shorty (at the Minnesota Zoo last summer), Dee Dee Bridgewater (comes to Orchestra Hall on Dec. 17), Danilo Perez (at the Ted Mann last April), Dave Holland (returns to the Dakota in January), John Scofield (played the Twin Cities Jazz Festival), Poncho Sanchez (the Dakota in July), Ted Nash of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (Orchestra Hall last March). Find a complete list of jazz nominees here.

Best jazz bets for the weekend and into the week:

Friday-Saturday: Jon Pemberton Trio. I’ve heard Pemberton play trumpet; I wasn’t aware until recently that he’s also a pianist who studied with the late and legendary Bobby Peterson. He recently recorded his first piano trio CD, “On the Edge,” with Gary Raynor on bass, Jay Epstein on drums. Billy Peterson will step in for Raynor during this weekend’s CD release. Friday-Saturday, Dec. 3-4, 9 p.m., Artists’ Quarter, in the basement of the Hamm Building in St. Paul ($10).

Saturday: The Dakota Combo with guest artist Johnathan Blake. Now in its fifth year, the Dakota Combo features young jazz musicians still in high school, chosen by audition and worked hard by MacPhail’s jazz coordinator Adam Linz. Combo grads have gone on to prestigious college programs at the Brubeck Institute, Berklee College of Music, Juilliard School and New England Conservatory. This year’s combo features students from Minneapolis Southwest High School, Minnetonka High School, the Lighthouse Program in Spring Lake Park, Apple Valley High School, Mineapolis South High School and St. Paul Conservatory. It’s a tradition for each year’s combo to perform at the Dakota with a guest artist. On Saturday they’ll be joined by drummer and Grammy nominee Johnathan Blake, a member of the Mingus Big Band who currently tours with Kenny Barron, Russell Malone, and Tom Harrell. Come hear the kids play. Saturday, Dec. 4, 6 p.m., Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis ($10).

Monday-Tuesday: Ravi Coltrane Quartet. Big doings at the Dakota this week, as the venerable Minneapolis (formerly St. Paul) jazz club celebrates its 25th anniversary. Son of saxophone legend John Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane brings his sterling quartet to town — Luis Perdomo on piano, Drew Gress on bass, E.J. Strickland on drums — for what are certain to be two nights of exciting jazz. Monday-Tuesday, Dec. 6-7, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis ($35/$20). Tickets by phone (612-332-5299) or online.

Wednesday-Thursday: McCoy Tyner Trio with Gary Bartz. Thunderous pianist Tyner was the first famous jazz artist to play a new jazz club called the Dakota 25 years ago. He has been a frequent visitor ever since. The NEA Jazz Master will be joined by Bartz on saxophone, Gerald Cannon on bass and our own Eric Kamau Gravatt on drums. Wednesday-Thursday, Dec. 8-9, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis ($50-$40/$45-$30). Tickets by phone (612-332-5299) or online.

Plan ahead — here come the holiday shows:

• The Capri Big Band, “Home for the Holidays,” at the Capri Theater (Saturday, Dec. 11, 7 p.m.).
• Russ Peterson’s Big Band, “Swinging All the Way,” at the Old Log (Monday, Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m.).
• Doc Severinsen, “Jingle Bell Doc,” at Orchestra Hall (Thursday, Dec. 16, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 19, 2 p.m.).
• Dee Dee Bridgewater and Irvin Mayfield with the Minnesota Orchestra, “Yuletide Jazz,” at Orchestra Hall (Friday, Dec. 17, 8 p.m.).
• George Maurer’s Big Band Christmas at the Dakota (Wednesday, Dec. 22, 7 p.m.).
• Connie Evingson’s Holiday Songbook at the Jungle (Sunday, Dec. 26, 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.).

You could start as early as tonight at the Lake Harriet Spiritual Community, 4401 Upton Ave. S. in Minneapolis, when Debbie Duncan performs her holiday show starting at 7 p.m.

Pamela Espeland keeps a Twin Cities live jazz calendar, blogs about jazz at Bebopified and tweets about jazz on Twitter.

Jazz is, for the most part, a boys’ club. (A straight boys’ club, but that’s another topic.) Women have been involved with jazz from the start, but the spotlight has been on the men. The majority of jazz artists today are male. When we think of women in jazz, it’s singers who come to mind, or piano players. It’s still so rare to see women play other instruments that when the great pianist Kenny Barron came to the Dakota in mid-November, much of the buzz was about his band, which included Linda Oh on bass and Kim Thompson on drums.

This week brings two rising jazz stars to town, both women. One is a vocalist, but a most unusual vocalist. The other plays violin and also sings. Both are thoroughly modern, drawing influences and ideas from everywhere. The bad news is, both are performing on the same night, Thursday.

Born in France of French and Beninese parents, Mina Agossi studied theater and traveled extensively before landing in a swing and New Orleans-style jazz band that played in France and Ireland. Drawn to modern jazz, she quickly developed a unique style that’s intensely personal and seems utterly unselfconscious. Her whole body is an instrument. She’s best when her band is simple and stripped-down — double bass only, or drums and double bass — although her latest CD, “Just Like a Lady,” for which she’s currently on tour, also features keyboard, guitar, steel pans, electronics and percussion.

If you prefer a singer who stands up straight, smiles and puts all the notes where they belong, Agossi probably isn’t for you. But if you’re up for an unpredictable journey, unexpected sounds and rhythms, and real passion and emotion, check her out. Like many young artists today, she’s a true world musician, performing originals, pop covers and standards, colored by blues, rock and hip-hop, improvising freely and taking risks.

My favorite cuts on the new CD are a mesmerizing “Waters of March” that starts off simple (bass, voice) and builds to a searing rock-and-roll finish (take that, Jobim!), and a wistful, almost funereal take on Lennon and McCartney’s “And I Love Her.” Here’s Agossi’s version of the Jimi Hendrix tune “Voodoo Child.”

At the Dakota, she’ll perform with her trio and guests Christopher Shillock, poet, and Daniel Furuta, cellist.

Mina Agossi, Thursday, Dec. 2, 7 p.m., Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall ($20). Tickets online or call 612-332-JAZZ (612-333-5299).

November began with Regina Carter at the Dakota; December will start with Jenny Scheinman at the Walker. The two violinists couldn’t be more different. While Carter’s latest project, “Reverse Thread,” is immersed in the history of the African Diaspora, Scheinman is all about right now, this minute.

A folk/country/rock/jazz musician/composer, Scheinman has worked with a broad spectrum of artists including Bill Frisell, Lou Reed, Jason Moran, and Lucinda Williams. Her band, Mischief and Mayhem, includes guitarist Nels Cline (Wilco), bassist Todd Sickafoose (Ani DeFranco), and drummer Jim Black (AlasNoAxis, Laurie Anderson).

Scheinman describes M&M as “a swarmy passionate lyrical rocking band.” The tracks I’ve heard (“Junius Elektra,” “The Mite”) are thrilling, part lyricism, part noise, exuberant and improvisational. Listen to a clip from “Junius Elektra” on the Walker’s website (see under Related Audio/Video).

This is the final show in the Walker’s three-part “New Jazz” miniseries, which began with Dave Douglas and Keystone in October and continued with Brad Mehldau and the SPCO in early November. Both are high on my list of the year’s most provocative and intriguing performances.

Jenny Scheinman’s Mischief and Mayhem, Dec. 2, 8 p.m., McGuire Theater, Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis ($22/$18 members). Tickets online or call 612-375-7600.

If you’re curious to know more about the history of women in jazz, NPR has produced a two-part program for its “Jazz Profiles” series that’s worth your time. Here’s part 1 and here’s part 2.

Pamela Espeland keeps a Twin Cities live jazz calendar, blogs about jazz at Bebopified and tweets about jazz on Twitter.

A tough economy cut into fundraising, but the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra reports this week that it achieved a balanced budget.

It took some effort, though.

Anticipating a reduction in revenue, the SPCO said it reduced expenses by 9 percent, "by reducing the size of the administrative staff by 17 percent; freezing the salaries of the remaining administrative staff and not making contributions to administrative staff retirement accounts; reducing senior management compensation by 10 percent; and canceling a planned European Tour. In addition SPCO musicians agreed to a 12 percent reduction in contracted compensation for 2009-10."

Still, the SPCO had highlights, said Sarah Lutman, president and managing director, including engaging and interesting concerts, low ticket prices and convenient concert locations, maintaining education programs and building broadcast and Internet activity.

This is the seventh consecutive balanced budget for the SPCO, which also has no accumulated deficit and no external debt.

"Our culture is that we balance our budget and we don't push problems downstream," said Dobson West, chair of the SPCO Board of Directors. "Without a doubt, sacrifices were required this year — shared sacrifices. Organizations prove their mettle in hard times. That we've been able to deal with this economic downturn in a collaborative and constructive manner and succeed in achieving our goals is testament to the strength of the SPCO organization."

Imagine Aaron Neville singing “Silent Night.” If ever there was a song tailored for the fragile flutter of Neville’s hummingbird-like hovercraft vocals, delicate and yet suffused with reverent intensity, it is that softest of Christmas carols.

Neville has always been the odd man in, the gentle giant among the funk and syncopation of The Neville Brothers ensemble. While his siblings engaged in the irresistibly catchy second-line rhythms of nuggets such as “Fiyo On the Bayou,” there was Aaron, his trademark eyebrow mole, subdued tattoos and pierced earring atop his bursting, body-builder physique, standing there ready to cut loose with. ... the voice of an angel.

That unmistakable falsetto first arrested our attention on the hit ballad from the Sixties, “Tell It Like It Is,” urging someone to “forget your foolish pride.” Over the decades, as Aaron increasingly embraced religion, that sense of sweet surrender became more pronounced in his work. His solo material was enmeshed in gospel songs and Christmas fare. To hear him unscroll a spiritual like “Mary Don’t You Weep,” which kicks off his 2000 CD, “Devotion,” is to hear the path of righteous time in effortless revelry.

Seven years earlier, the self-explanatory “Aaron Neville’s Soulful Christmas” was released, complete with the aforementioned “Silent Night” along with kindred lullabies like “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “White Christmas,” “O Holy Night,” and Mel Torme’s “chestnuts roasting ...” ballad, “The Christmas Song.”

Neville will probably warble them all tonight in the intimate confines of the Dakota, backed by his older brother Charles Neville on saxophone and other instruments. He may also offer up more spirituals from his latest gospel release, “I Know I’ve Been Changed,” including  “I Am a Pilgrim” and a rollicking version of “You’ve Got to Move.” A year shy of his 70^th birthday, the man hasn’t lost his distinctive vocal caress. He floats like a butterfly and stings like a ... woolly caterpillar, nuzzling its way down your cheek to the nape of your neck. He’ll bring the Christmas season in on the cat feet the poet Carl Sandburg once described. What a wonderfully soothing opening salvo for this December.

Here is Neville with Linda Ronstadt singing “Silent Night.”

Here he is at the same concert performing “Please Come Home for Christmas.”

Christmas with the Aaron Neville Quintet, featuring Charles Neville, tonight and tomorrow night, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, at 7 p.m.; tickets are $55-$90 and nearly sold out for both shows.

Last night, during a reception for members of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Roseville native and Taylor dancer Robert Kleinendorst talked of his delight in being able to perform — at last — with the premier modern-dance company on the home stage, Northrop. This evening, the iconic dance company, which the legendary choreographer began in the 1950s, will perform two canonical works from its repertory, as well as Taylor’s newest piece. Now 80, the last living member of the pantheon that created America's indigenous art form, modern dance, shows no sign of slowing down.

One of Taylor’s signatures is the tremendous variety — in tone, subject matter and style — of his works. Tonight’s program is no exception. The audacious “Cloven Kingdom” (1976) examines the primal underpinnings of our most sophisticated personas. To music by Arcangelo Corelli, Henry Cowell and Malloy Miller, the dancers (men in tuxes, women in ball gowns) gradually dispense with their outward trappings of civility to reveal the animalistic urges lurking beneath.

In “Brief Encounters” (2009), Taylor wittily costumes his dancers in black underwear to emphasize the sensuality and sexuality of the performers’ intermittent interactions. As if commenting on our 21^st-century information overload, our decreasing attention spans, and transient lack of commitment to place and people, Taylor choreographs his dancers in ever-shifting patterns of interaction against the ephemeral music of Claude Debussy.

At long last, “Esplanade” (1975) comes to the Northrop stage. A work of tremendous beauty and grace (with a centerpiece exploring the dark heart of such lyricism), “Esplanade” contains virtually no “dance” movements; rather, as the story goes, Taylor was inspired by everyday movement, particularly after watching a young woman running to catch a bus. Set to music  by Johann Sebastian Bach, the piece continuously and exuberantly flows with leaps and catches, runs and skips, turns and reaches in choreography underpinned with breathtaking athleticism.

It’s a piece in which to bask, in which to let oneself go as the dancers offer up the best and brightest of their abilities. “Taylor only asks that you bring your spirit to the work,” Kleinendorst said. The company, he added, “is a great place to be an artist.”

For more insights into Taylor’s work, visit my students’ blog posts, which they’ve written in conjunction with the class I’m teaching at the University of Minnesota, “Covering the Arts: New Media, New Paradigms from Criticism to Communications.”

Paul Taylor Dance Company. 7:30 tonight. Northrop, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Tickets $35-$58. 612-624-2345. At 6:45 tonight there will be a free pre-performance talk with Bettie de Jong and Andy LeBeau — former Taylor dancers and current rehearsal directors — in Room 4 at Northrop. 

Despite what some people think, the adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” seldom has applied to the Guthrie Theater’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol.”

Back in 1975, a Guthrie employee named Barbara Field contrived a way of putting the Charles Dickens novella on its feet, making it a ghost story narrated by Dickens himself with clever use of direct quotations from the book.  Revisions — sometimes small, sometimes great, sometimes inspired, sometimes flaccid — took place over the years, many involving Field’s own hand. I haven’t kept track, but I’ve seen at least a dozen or more productions at the Guthrie and some have been wonderful and others endured.

This year, after 35 years, the Guthrie is putting up an entirely new version that is adapted by British writer Crispin Whittell and staged by Artistic Director Joe Dowling.

I suspect it will be welcomed by some and denounced as sacrilege by others, and I’m not going to parse a judgment for either extreme.

Nonetheless, it’s clear that Whittell set out to unhinge the Guthrie’s annual holiday show from its past while still delivering the story that continues to bring in seasonal crowds. His adaptation is less literary in tone and sometimes almost contemporary-sounding, though he still mines some of the iconic lines (“humbug,” “God bless us every one,” etc.) and he’s eliminated (though not entirely, as it turns out), the narrative voice.

Overall, this production is less ghostly, though the three spirits all “fly” in. Once arrived, however, the ghosts of past and present seem much more corporeal — and, in fact, there are a few incongruities. For instance, the Ghost of Christmas Past (Kate Elfrig looking a little like Saint Lucy) takes Scrooge on a tour of his life, yet seems surprised by some of the things she’s showing the old sinner. The Ghost of Jacob Marley (Lee Mark Nelson) makes a great entrance, but he’s more affable than scary, turning his ghostliness into a hey-look-I’m-dead sort of joke.

And then there’s Scrooge. As written by Whittell and performed with restraint by Daniel Gerroll, he’s not a fellow who will be “scared straight” by spirits. His crankiness is droll and his conversion does not erupt into out-of-control giddiness. On one hand, I welcome this because the idea of Scrooge being frightened into goodness should not be the message of the play. On the other hand, Whittell has given Scrooge a litany of snarky comments to utter during his journey of revelations and he comes close to being something of an annoying guest.

Dickens was a social moralist and in “Christmas Carol” the epitome of his moralizing comes in the moment where the Ghost of Christmas Present (Nic Few) explains the appearance of two young children: a boy representing ignorance and a girl representing want. Both are called the “children of man” and a threat — especially the boy — to civilization itself. This scene is tossed off with a brief moment in Whittell’s adaptation and replaced, I think, by an emphasis best expressed by Fred, Scrooge’s nephew, when he visits the Cratchits in a future Christmas to express condolences on the death of Tiny Tim.

“We have each other,” Bob Cratchit (Kris L. Nelson) says, and Fred (Noah Putterman) expresses what seems to be this play’s theme: “It is all one has, ultimately, but all one needs also.”

That sentiment aside, the new “Christmas Carol” is a handsome holiday machine. Walt Spangler’s set is a big Victorian street scene that is mostly a backdrop. Scrooge lives above his counting house, in a room with a skylight that is open to ghostly invasions. Those who come to this show for a holiday spectacle will not be disappointed. The crowd scenes with kids and carolers flash through in what ultimately is a well-paced show, and the Fezziwig ball is a terrific, folksy dance interlude, attributed to Joe Chavala as the production’s “movement” specialist.

Whittell also has given us some memorable new characters: a boozy schoolmaster named Mr. Sykes (Nathaniel Fuller) and, especially, Scrooge’s laconic, cynical housekeeper, Merriweather (Angela Timberman in a hilarious turn). Whittell also combines all the final Christmas-day scenes into an appealing roundup at Bob Cratchit’s house. There is, however, no effective way to end the show without retreating back into a narrative format, and Dowling’s staging goes to it with a kind of “Return of the Jedi” sort of ending, bringing back all the characters, living and dead, including the ghosts.

Some may find this odd, but it works for me.

“A Christmas Carol” continues through Dec. 30 at the Guthrie Theater.

One of the more heartwarming phenomena to occur over the past decade has been successful young musicians honoring their legacy by producing records for the elders who have unwittingly influenced them. Some of these pairings have been odd bedfellows indeed, such as Jack White of Detroit's White Stripes producing the coal miner's daughter from Kentucky, Loretta Lynn, or Rick Rubin of thrash and hip-hop music fame with Johnny Cash, and folkie Joe Henry providing a big boost to the renaissance of soul man Solomon Burke.

You can add ex-Uncle Tupelo and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy's work with the gospel-soul singer Mavis Staples to that list. Their collaboration, "You Are Not Alone," released in September, is an excellent primer on the 71-year old singer, who will forever be known as the animating voice behind The Staples Singers' enduring classic, "I'll Take You There." Here is the single.

And here is a stupendous version from the TV show "Night Music," featuring Mavis with Dr. John and scatting with a plucking bassist. 

Producer Tweedy understands that his job is to showcase the prismatic colors in Staples' multigenre career, from down-home gospel to wrought-iron blues, from chooglin' pop rock to gently bestirred soul. He contributes two songs to the project, including the companionable title track, a paean to loyalty that provides a steadfast presence without dramatic declarations.

The gospel songs are superb, far from understated but sung with the notion that rapture is the end of a stage in the process, that discovery and affirmation are equally vital to the testimony. Most of these tunes are traditionals — "Wonderful Savior," "Creep Along Moses," "In Christ There Is No East or West" — but Allen Toussaint's "Last Train" blends blues and gospel and "We're Gonna Make It" melds topical political concerns in with religious faith the way Mavis and her Staples family did so righteously during the civil-rights movement.

Of course the great thing about a concert is that the catalog is wide open. As we're still not sure we're going to dig out of the greatest recession since the Depression, and income disparity continues to widen into Banana Republic levels, Mavis has a satchel of songs that will alternately salve your pain and resurrect the memory of when dignified protest was both a necessary and effective course of action. Show up on Sunday, and she'll take you there.

Here is Mavis singing "Wonderful Savior" and "Only The Lord Knows" at Lollapalooza this summer.

Here she is playing "You're Not Alone" with Tweedy at the same gig.

Mavis Staples at the Cedar Cultural Center, Sunday at 8 p.m.; tickets $35 in advance, $40 day of show.

The fifth of Johann Sebastian Bach's six Brandenburg Concertos is renowned for bringing the harpsichord out of the supportive shadows into a lead role, to the point where many regard it as a seminal work in the development of the keyboard concerto. It is thus a natural fit as the centerpiece for a program organized by conductor and harpsichordist Laurence Cummings this weekend in his first appearance with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Cummings, the music director of both the Tilford Bach Society and the London Handel Festival in England, has surrounded the Bach performance with concerto works from the Baroque era. There are two pieces by Arcangelo Corelli that appear on either side of the Brandenburg. Daniel Fesenfeld's program notes describe the opening Concerto grosse in D, Op. 4, No. 6,  as "a quintessential example of the Roman approach to the concerto; this is the 'agree or work together' variety, in which the soloists and sections contribute different colors to a combined, unified sound. The effect is not unlike the chiaroscuro technique popular with painters of the day, in which strong contrasts of light and dark intensify a single image."

Fesenfeld contrasts that agreeable approach to the "fight or dispute mode" of a lead instrument pitted against the established strings, as occurs in the ensuing piece, Alessandro Marcello's Oboe Concerto in C Minor, which will be played by the SPCO's Kathryn Greenbank. After the Brandenburg, a second Corelli concerto  and Vivaldi's Concerto for Four Violins, Cello and Orchestra will be performed, the latter done in the "fight or dispute mode" among the violins. Cummings returns to Bach for the program finale, Orchestral Suite No. 4.

I haven't found any direct explanation for why the Brandenburg Concertos have become synonymous with the holidays, but the easiest answer is their festive quality, the lilt and pomp and accessible melodies that seem consonant with the spirit and traditions of the holidays.

Listen to this opening to the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 and you'll hear what I mean.

And for that matter, the Vivaldi piece on the program has a kindred festivity.

Laurence Cummings and the SPCO play Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, 8 p.m. Friday at the Wayzata Community Church, 8 p.m. Saturday at the United Church of Christ in St. Paul, and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Ted Mann Concert Hall. Tickets are $10-$25 Friday and Saturday and $10-$40 on Sunday.

Once the last plate has been put away and the leftovers Tupperwared, then what? Many area artists are staying in town and playing out this weekend. If you’re free tonight,  you can get an early start.

Tonight: Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub. Not jazz, but I have a solid excuse for including it here: the presence of jazz drummer Brian Blade, who’s part of this astonishing band. Led by Daniel Lanois —guitarist, composer, and record producer for artists including Dylan and U2 — Black Dub’s sound is (in Lanois’ words) “kind of a rock thing, steeped in the Jamaican culture of dub.” Blade has his own band, The Fellowship (with Kurt Rosenwinkel), and is part of Wayne Shorter’s quartet. The New York Times has called him “the most imaginatively supple drummer in jazz.” With Trixie Whitley (Chris Whitley’s daughter) on vocals, Jim Wilson on bass. Lanois protégé band Rocca Deluca (he produced their second album) will open. Here’s Black Dub performing “Silverado” from their self-titled debut. Passionate, rootsy, gutsy, haunting. Wednesday, Nov. 24, 8 p.m. (doors at 7), Cedar Cultural Center, 416 Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis ($22). Tickets online or call 612-338-2674 ext. 2.

Want jazz tonight? Head to St. Paul for the Phil Hey Quartet’s monthly appearance. With Dave Hagedorn on vibes, Phil Aaron on piano, Tom Lewis on bass, and Hey on drums. Satisfying, straight-ahead excellence. Here they are playing Charles Mingus’ “East Coasting.” Wednesday, Nov. 24, 9 p.m., Artists’ Quarter, in the basement of the Hamm Building in St. Paul ($5).

P.S. Most of the locally-filmed videos I link to are courtesy Don Berryman, whose jazz video channel, Jazzarazzi, is nearing 1 million hits. Check it out to see live performances from the AQ, the Dakota, MacPhail, Studio Z, and other venues around town.

Thursday-Friday: Davina and the Vagabonds. Jazz, blues, soul, rock, roots, cabaret, New Orleans: Davina Sowers and her band play them all with flair and gusto. This is one of the busiest bands in town, and one of the most fun. They’re becoming regulars at the Dakota for their proven ability to draw big crowds. Here they are on TPT’s “Minnesota Original.” Thursday, Nov. 25, 7 p.m. and Friday, Nov. 26, 8 p.m., Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis ($10).

Friday: JoAnnFunk. It’s the perfect way to end Black Friday: in the classy lobby of the St. Paul Hotel, sipping a cocktail, enjoying the music of JoAnn Funk on piano and vocals, Jeff Brueske on bass. Their book includes classics by Blossom Dearie and Nat King Cole plus newer tunes by Norah Jones and James Taylor. Friday, Nov. 26, 7 p.m., The St. Paul Hotel, 350 Market St., St. Paul (no cover).

Saturday: Josh Rawlings. Born in Wisconsin, keyboardist/composer Josh Rawlings grew up in the Twin Cities and moved to Seattle as a teen, where he studied at the Cornish College of the Arts and launched his performing career while still a student. He currently plays in several Seattle-based bands, heads his own trio, and has performed at Seattle’s prestigious Earshot Jazz Festival. Rawlings returns to his former stomping grounds for three shows starting Saturday at the Dakota. On Tuesday you can catch him at the Clown Lounge, on Wednesday at the Festival Theatre in St. Croix Falls, WI. He’ll be joined by Adam Meckler on trumpet, Graydon Peterson on bass, and Pete Hennig on drums. Saturday, Nov. 27, 11:30 p.m., Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis ($5).

Sunday: Patty and the Buttons. Sunday brunch with live jazz is like turkey with gravy. Button accordionist/vocalist Patrick Harison and his group (Tony Balluff on clarinet, Mark Kreitzer on guitar, Eric Johnson on sousaphone) will fill the lovely and intimate Aster Café with the sounds of New Orleans traditional jazz. Let someone else do the cooking. Sunday, Nov. 28, 11 a.m., Aster Cafe at St. Anthony Main, 125 SE Main St., Minneapolis (no cover). Or see Harison in a rare solo performance later that day at the Red Stag starting at 9 p.m.

Coming next week: A preview of Jenny Scheinman at the Walker and Mina Agossi at the Dakota, both on the same night (#$%^&!!!).

Pamela Espeland keeps a Twin Cities live jazz calendar, blogs about jazz at Bebopified and tweets about jazz on Twitter.