Jazz in Les Fields Hall: Gate City Jazz Band at The Castle

During the Castle’s Grand Opening in February 2019, Castle Community and Threshold Arts dedicated the third floor event hall to Les Fields – one of Rochester’s most iconic musicians who has been bringing some of the best jazz musicians in Southeast Minnesota together for more than fifty years.

Beginning in April, Threshold Arts will host a monthly series, Jazz in Les Fields Hall, featuring Les Fields and the Turkey River All Stars and a visiting guest band.

Doors open: 1:00 PM
Les Fields & the Turkey River All Stars: 1:30 PM
Gate City Jazz Band: 2:40 PM
All Ages – General Admission

Tickets: $5 in advance / $8 day of show
Advance tickets are available online via My Town • My Music or at The Art Store on the Castle’s second floor.

Future guest bands include:
May 12 – John Paulson Jazz Quartet
June 9 – Jazz Singer LaSonya Natividad

LES FIELDS AND THE TURKEY RIVER ALL STARS
Named after the river that ran through his Cresco, Iowa hometown, Les organized the Turkey River All Stars Band in 1968. The group has had some high-profile gigs over those many years, including performing as the welcoming band for five U.S. Presidents: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, George Bush, Sr. and George Bush, Jr., and one presidential hopeful, Ross Perot. The Rochester group was the official Minnesota band at the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans. In 2005, the group was named to the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.

GATE CITY JAZZ BAND
The Gate City Jazz Band is a popular eight-piece Dixieland band from Winona, MN. They’ve been part of the Minnesota music scene since 1978. The band is led by Ken Bloom on Trombone and vocals and also includes Dr. Dan Barr (piano), Dr. Frank Bures (clarinet), Mike Snustead (trumpet), Fred Dodd (banjo), Steve Kulas (drums), Time Gleason (tuba), and Margaret Cassidy (washboard and vocals). The band concentrates on traditional jazz emanating from New Orleans. With the three man front of trumpet, clarinet and trombone, and a rhythm section composed of banjo, piano, drums, and tuba, they strive to bring alive music made famous by Louie Armstrong, Kid Ory, and Bix Beiderbecke. Female vocals round out the sound of many Gate City numbers. Members of the band have performed in Europe, Canada, and Korea. The band has a standing monthly gig at Jefferson Pub and Grill in Winona.

The band has been part of festivals that celebrate steamboats, fish, flowers, and the 4th of July, and they’ve played at everything from funerals to football games, but their forte is Mardi Gras Beads and second line umbrellas.