Steve Adams of Minnetonka:

1 Stacey Kent, the Dakota. Outside of New York City and Europe, the Twin Cities area is one of the few places the warm vocalist and her husband, saxophonist Jim Tomlinson, grace with their smart interpretations of standards.

2 Maria Schneider, Hopkins High School. After directing the JazzMN Orchestra in a performance of her works, the Grammy-winning jazz star (and Windom, Minn., native) gave an hourlong talk about the serendipitous arc of her career. Her observations regarding her apprenticeship with her idol, Gil Evans, were hilarious and illuminating.

3 John Pizzarelli, the Dakota. The veteran jazz guitarist brought his top-notch combo and storytelling skills for what has become an annual visit.

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Jon Bream of the Star Tribune:

1 "Piano and a Microphone" (Jan. 21, 2016) movie, Paisley Park. After watching the video of what I felt at the time was the most important and revealing Prince concert I'd seen, the stranger who sat next to me on that night came up to me during Celebration. It's a small world.

2 New Power Generation, Paisley Park. Keyboardist Morris Hayes put together a collection of Prince players from various eras and brought an unexpected spirit and crackle that united the Purple fans.

3 RIP, Jonathan Demme. The Oscar-winning "Silence of the Lambs" director truly understood music. He made noteworthy videos with Bruce Springsteen, New Order and others, quirky films with Neil Young and the landmark concert film "Stop Making Sense" with Talking Heads. Brilliant.