Bobby Z (Star Tribune photo by Tom Wallace)

 

It was Valentine's Day and they had the balcony at the Dakota Jazz Club all to themselves during a performance by the Steeles.

The three couples were Mr. and Mrs. Larry Graham, Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Z and Prince and his girlfriend.

Inquiring minds want to know if Bobby Z discussed the possibility of Prince showing up Sunday night at First Avenue for a reunion of the "Purple Rain"-era Revolution (a benefit for the American Heart Association).

Said Z: "It was just old friends having dinner."

He indicated that the Revolution reunion -- featuring Wendy Melvoin, Lisa Coleman, Mark Brown, Dr. Fink, Z, Dez Dickerson and Eric Leeds -- is pressing on with the assumption that Prince will not be participating. But organizer Z, who suffered a near-fatal heart attack in February 2011, is leaving the door open for Prince to show up.

Prince's old backing group, which disbanded in 1986, has reunited only once before -- a cameo performance at a Los Angeles charity gig organized by Sheila E.

Melvoin hasn’t been to the Twin Cities since 2007, when Prince summoned her to sit in during his three concerts on 7/7/07.  Coleman hasn’t been here since 1988.

“Really? That’s hard to believe. That’s a lifetime,” Melvoin said during a conference call with Coleman to discuss Sunday's show.

The Los Angeles-based composing duo — who now compete for Emmys, not Grammys, making music for such TV shows as “Nurse Jackie” — last saw Prince three months ago when they were working at the same L.A. studio complex.

“He was very cordial and sweet, but very brief,” Melvoin said.

Look for a video interview with Z on this website later today. And see Sunday's Star Tribune for a longer discussion of Prince & the Revolution with Wendy & Lisa, Z and Questlove of the Roots.

The musical director of "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" -- a huge fan of Prince & the Revolution -- will DJ the afterparty at First Avenue, where they made their breakthrough movie "Purple Rain" nearly 30 years ago.