We’ve had some legendary funk bands come to town in the past year with The Headhunters and Cymande.
And now we have another: Azymuth, the Brazilian samba funk band that has been writing music for half a century.
They’re a prolific band that just put out their 32nd LP a few weeks back.
Azymuth’s visit to Amsterdam Bar in Saint Paul this Friday is the latest from Jazz is Dead aka Jazz Está Morto, the record label and live music project founded by Ali Shaheed Muhammad (of A Tribe Called Quest) and composer/producer Adrian Younge.
The original trio that became Azymuth in 1975 actually formed in 1973. Their 32nd studio album is called Marca Passo. Seekers of funky psychedelic soul will love it — the song “Belenzhino” has the feel of a song that was produced 40 or 50 years ago.
Of the original trio, only guitarist/bassist Alex Malheiros still lives (and remains a member). Ivan Conti, the band’s original drummer and percussionist, passed in 2023 at age 76.
Keyboardist José Roberto Bertram died in 2012 and Kiko Continentino joined the band in 2015 in that role.
TUESDAY
Gary Clark, Jr., headlines Saint Paul’s Palace Theatre with Lamont Landers opening. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. 18+ show.
Now seems like a good time to recall Clark Jr.’s 2019 song “This Land.”
WEDNESDAY
TWINE’s Wednesday night Bunkers residency (affectionately known as TWINEsdays) has been gaining steam each week. The residency has passed the six-month mark, since taking over the humpday slot from Dylan Salfer. There’s so much experience in this jam band that continues to write new tunes and add new covers to their catalog.
TWINEsday at Bunkers. PHOTO BY JAVIER SERNA/@jaminthestream
Enormous Quartet has a reunion show at the Icehouse’s Starlight Room. The jazz quartet features guitarist Park Evans, saxophonist Chris Thomson, drummer Joey Van Phillips and bassist Chris Bates, brother of drummer JT Bates.
They had a 10-plus year run on the Twin Cities jazz scene, and frequented JT’s Jazz Implosion in its early years in the Turf Club’s lower level Clown Lounge.
The band has originals and also has a range of covers from which to draw, including jazz standards and arranged jams from artists such as Thom York, Bjork, Sting, and the Flaming Lips. The show is at 8 p.m.
The Big Wu’s Mark Joseph will be at Charlie’s on Prior with Jess Larson and Stanley Behrens out in Prior Lake for a free 5:30 p.m.
THURSDAY
I can’t speak for Greer, the band headlining Fine Line on Thursday. Their brand of alt rock might not be my jam, but I was excited to discover that Chinese American Bear is opening for them.
Chinese American Bear is a poppy, electro psych duo from Seattle, and I do very much love their song “Magic Number,” and a couple of their songs have made their way into my Spotify.
Tickets will put you back about $33 (after fees), which might be more than I want to spend solely for an opener. But First Avenue Gold members (I bit that bullet this year) can attend this show along with a friend for no additional charge.
FRIDAY
Icehouse is committed to jazz. The Eat Street venue has an event called Talkin’ All That Jazz. It’s billed as an “immersive live experience celebrating the influence of jazz in the realms of spoken word, poetry and hip hop.” The doors open at 6, with a DJ set kicking off at 7 p.m.
Hosted by Drunken Monkee, there are performances by Sole2Dotz, Miss Mari, Righteous Emcee, Se’anna on da mic and Joe Davis & The Poetic Diaspora.
In Your Eyes: The Peter Gabriel Tribute plays a free show at Day Block Brewing downtown starting at 7 p.m. TWINE’s Will Effertz and Doug Christianson are members of the band.
SATURDAY
Minneapolis jamgrass band Buffalo Galaxy has an outdoor gig at The Rugged Spruce Golf Club, which is in Mahtowa, midway between Moose Lake and Cloquet. The music starts at 7 p.m. and is part of the golf club’s Blue Umbrella Patio Music Series.
Amsterdam Bar hosts “Twin Cities Psyche-Out” headlined by Twin Citizen and supported by Valors, Moonlit Mushroom and Uff-Da. The show starts at 8 p.m.