Earlier this week Jim Walsh shared a piece of his past with his Facebook friends: an article he’d written for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in Jan. 24, 1997, extolling the virtues of cold-weather gig-going. (If you’re not on Facebook you can read it on something called newsmodo.)

It made me feel brave. It made me feel proud. It made me feel like a real Minnesotan. And when I walked down the salt-encrusted stairs of the Hamm Building to the Artists’ Quarter on Wednesday night (the coldest night in four years) to see the Atlantis Quartet, I knew precisely what he was talking about. Inside the AQ it was cozy and warm. The music was extra enjoyable. We — the audience, the musicians, Davis the doorman, David the bartender — were all in this together.

Here’s what’s worth braving the cold for this weekend.

Friday-Saturday, Jan. 16-17: Bruce Henry
Henry gets better every time I see him and that’s saying a lot. Now that he has moved to Chicago, his Twin Cities appearances are fewer and more precious. He’s a passionate singer with a pure, room-filling voice, a skilled songwriter and lyricist ("Africa Cries"), and an electrifying crowd-pleaser. (Hear him sing Langston Hughes’s poem "I, Too, Sing America" on YouTube.) Expect soul, spirit, and a fine band including percussionist Daryl Boudreaux. 8 p.m., the Dakota ($12).

Saturday, Jan. 17: 2nd Annual Roseville Winter Jazz Blast
A whole day of hot jazz starts at 10 a.m. with performances by area high school and middle school jazz ensembles and ends with an evening concert by the Roseville High School Jazz Band, the Northwestern College Jazz Ensemble and the JazzMN Big Band. It’s all indoors at the Marantha Hall on the campus of Northwestern College in Roseville. The school band festival is free and open to the public; the evening show is ticketed. JazzMN Big Band, 7:30 p.m. ($17/$9 seniors/$7 students). Online or call 651-631-5151 or 866-821-5151.

Saturday, Jan. 17: The NOWNet’s Winter Warm-up. The Twin Cities’ own composers’ ensemble will perform new works by Jeremy Walker in the intimate Jones Hall at the Minnesota Opera Center. It’s preparation for their first CD and an upcoming February performance with guest trumpeter Ron Miles, and a window into where they are now — transparency is a big part of what they’re about. See their interactive website for more. 8 p.m., Minnesota Opera Center, 620 N. First St., North Loop, Minneapolis ($10/$7 students).