St. John's Block Party, Rochester. Call it Taste of Southern Minnesota. On the second day, a half-dozen Twin Cities buzz bands (Solid Gold, Romantica, Rogue Valley, Belfast Cowboys) met in this stellar, relaxed hang. KOWZ (100.9 FM), Blooming Prairie/Owatonna, Minn. Mainstream classics and long-lost surprises are programmed with surprising taste. Even the dinosaurs sound better on this delightful commercial-pop jukebox.
Farmington American Legion. Granted, last weekend's Lorrie Morgan gamble flopped, but slick area groups and heavy mock-rockers are packing them inside -- and out -- at this shiny new hall that was once a black hole for bands.
JIM MEYER, FARMINGTON
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Max Weinberg Big Band, Dakota. The crisp, potent, 15-piece horn-dominated group was delightfully aggressive on classics associated with Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, the Beatles, old TV series and Weinberg's main boss, Bruce Springsteen. "Born to Run" was clever sans guitars and vocals; "Kitty's Back" was terrific, moving from moody melancholy to swinging intensity.
Trombone Shorty, Minnesota Zoo. The charismatic showman/jazzman delivered a wildly entertaining mix of classic New Orleans music, combined with James Brown funk, Marvin Gaye soul and Michael Jackson moonwalking.
Prince, "Lay Down." This track from his Europe-only album "20Ten" finds him doing a talk-sing that borders on rapping. The rhythms of this funk workout definitely have a hip-hop vibe. Prince calls himself "Purple Yoda," for reasons besides rhyming with "Minnesota."
JON BREAM, STAR TRIBUNE
