Minnesota Jazz Legends returns for its 11th Year
This year’s Minnesota Jazz Legends event, hosted at the Minnesota History Center on Sunday, April 13, from 2 to 4 pm, offers more than just music — it’s a deeply intentional celebration of legacy, memory and sound. Set during National Jazz Appreciation Month and presented in partnership with Jazz88, the Minnesota History Center, and the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, the event honors four titans of the Twin Cities jazz scene: drummer Jay Epstein, pianist and Walker West co-founder Grant West, Dixieland trombonist Art Katzman, and the late vocalist Debbie Duncan.
Each year the honorees are carefully selected for their musical impact and dedication to the art form. This year’s lineup reflects the diversity within jazz itself:
- Jay Epstein, a drummer whose journey began with an early ‘aha’ moment, will share his story and perform live.
- Grant West, co-founder of St. Paul’s Walker West Music Academy, will reflect on his personal history and the legacy of building an institution rooted in community and jazz education.
- Art Katzman, a Dixieland trombonist and longtime member of the Barbary Coast Dixieland Band, will bring a touch of New Orleans sound and humor to the stage.
- Debbie Duncan, the beloved vocalist who passed away in 2020, will be honored through video, testimony, and a celebration of her powerful, genre-crossing voice.
“Debbie was Ella Fitzgerald personified,” said Patty Peterson. “She could switch to the blues or pop with such ease. She’s missed terribly. Honoring her is incredibly personal for me.”
Peterson, an award-winning jazz vocalist and radio host with Jazz88, knows firsthand how rich Minnesota’s jazz history is — and how fragile. “I come from a musical family known originally as the ‘First Family of Jazz,’” she explained.
“We were raised on show tunes and jazz standards — Gershwin, Cole Porter, Basie. That was the music of our household. But we’ve also played everything from jazz fusion to country. Jazz is what we cut our teeth on.”
At the event, backing the honorees will be the Phil Aaron Trio, featuring Graydon Peterson on bass and Phil Hey on drums, all of whom have deep roots in the Minnesota jazz scene.
“Why should people come to this event?” Peterson said during a recent interview. “Because it’s not just music. It’s a story. It’s preservation. And it’s heart.”
Asked how she defines a “legend,” Peterson didn’t hesitate: “A legend is someone who has made a life choice to play music, even when it meant simplifying their life to stay true to their art,” she said. “It’s someone who’s been the cream of the crop in our local scene — backing national acts, saying no to fame in favor of artistry, and still playing with passion.”
The idea for Minnesota Jazz Legends was born in 2011 when Peterson witnessed a performance featuring Irv Williams, Percy Hughes, Cliff Brunzell, and her mother, Jeanne Arland Peterson — all in their nineties. “I remember sitting there thinking, ‘Why is no one documenting this?’”
That moment lit a spark. By 2013, the idea had blossomed into a collaboration with the Minnesota History Center and Jazz88, supported by a grant from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Now, in its 11th year (with time off during Covid), Minnesota Jazz Legends has become a cornerstone event for the jazz community — blending live performances, intimate storytelling, and historical preservation into a single afternoon.
Christian Bell, public program associate of the Minnesota Historical Society, emphasized how seamlessly the event aligns with their mission. “We’re here to serve all the people of Minnesota and create a powerful engagement with history,” he said. “What Patty’s doing brings history alive in such a dynamic way. You’re not just reading about it — you’re in the room with it.”
While the event celebrates the past, it also invites younger audiences into the fold. “I’ve noticed a gap between generations when it comes to jazz,” I shared during the interview. “But I’ve also seen younger folks showing up at places like The Dakota. I think showing up to events like this actively helps shift the narrative that jazz is only for older audiences.”
Peterson agreed. “Jazz morphs. It’s not stuck in the past. Blues can be jazz, fusion can be jazz, funk can be jazz. It’s expressive. It’s alive.”
And with venues like the Dakota, Crooners, Jazz Central, and even the legacy of the now-closed Artists’ Quarter, the Twin Cities remain fertile ground for live jazz.
This year’s Minnesota Jazz Legends is more than a concert — it’s a communal memory, a documentary in real time, and a love letter to Minnesota’s jazz roots. Attendees will laugh, cry, sing along, and, more than anything, walk away with a renewed sense of appreciation for the artistry that continues to shape the state’s cultural rhythm.
To learn more or stream past Jazz Legends radio specials, visit Jazz88.fm or search “Minnesota Jazz Legends” online.
Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.