Jazz and Movies with the H30 Jazz Trio at the Gray Duck
presented by the Rochester City Jazz Fest

Movies: 2 Chaplin Films, “The Champion” and “The New Janitor”.  
Date: Saturday, November 9th 1-3 p.m.
Location: Gray Duck Theatre – 619 6th Ave NW, Rochester, MN 55901
Cost: $15 for any attendee

This event will include a set of music from the H30 Jazz Trio and then the trio performing a live accompaniment to silent Charlie Chaplin films.

H30 Jazz Trio

H30 Jazz Trio

The father and son’s trio H3O began performing great jazz tunes together when bassist Max Heukeshoven was only 14 years old. Along with older brother Hans on drums and vibes and dad Eric on the piano the group was asked to play for a private pool party and haven’t stopped since!

A. Eric Heukeshoven is an assistant professor of music and director of Jazz Studies at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Hans Heukeshoven is a 2014 graduate of Saint Mary’s with degrees in Music Performance and Computer Science and works as a software engineer. Max Heukeshoven is a 2019 graduate of Saint Mary’s with degree in Music Industry and plans to attend law school.

H3O performs a wide variety of jazz styles including original music. They have worked as the rhythm section for numerous area professionals including Minnesota Music Hall of Fame’s Les Fields, The D’Sievers, and Dr. John Paulson. Recent appearances include Midwest Music Fest, Great River Shakespeare Festival, HBC25’s Artwork Winona, Free Family Concert Series,  Winona County Historical Society, Steele County Historical Society, Minnesota Marine Art Museum, Winghaven Pizza Farm, Salem Glen Winery, Grace Presbyterian Church, Faith Lutheran Church, and numerous other venues. The trio is based in Winona, Minnesota.

4th Annual Rochester City Jazz Fest

Lucia Sarmiento 5tet

Lucia Sarmiento

Lucia is a young Peruvian Saxophonist breaking through the Minneapolis music scene with a huge sound and effervescent personality. From a young age, Lucia has been influenced by the classic jazz cats like John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, as well as the gritty more modern Chris Potter and Michael Brecker.

Lucia has been mentored by Eric Kamau Gravatt (Drummer for Weather Report, McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson) since Summer of 2015 as a permanent member of his Jazz Quintet, Source Code. Together with some of the finest players in the Twin Cities, they explore the depths of free improvisation. In August 2016, Lucia joined New Sound Underground, a jazz fusion/funk band from the Twin Cities that has packed venues including the Dakota, the Icehouse, Paisley Park and Festivals such as South by South West.

Instagram: @lusarmientomusic

LaSonya and 2 O’Clock Jump

LaSonya Natividad

LaSonya Natividad is a Rochester Minnesota based vocal artist hailing from the great state of Louisiana. Her unique sound is a blend of southern gospel and jazz influences. She has vocal range from mezzo soprano to contralto. Some of her vocal influences include the God Mother of Jazz Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, India Arie, Jill Scott and Mahalia Jackson.

She received her music beginning in the church at age six; and singing her first solo in the 3rd grade. She went on to sing in high school in the school choir and for competition in both the girl’s vocal and chorus categories on the regional and state level earning her a superior rating and scholarships to LSU in music.

She continued singing in various community gospel choirs at the local level until college where she took a break from singing except for special occasions to focus on establishing her medical career.
Finally In 2003 she moved to Rochester Minnesota where she could get back to her first love, of singing where it all began, back in church where she became the praise and worship leader and choir director of Vision Church. Shortly thereafter, she began singing for charity events where she caught the attention of a local musician and owner of Spectrum Audio, Daniel Van Hook who encouraged her year after year to get involved in the local music scene and introduced her to Mike King a local guitarist by bringing him to one of her performances. And the rest is history…She went on to sing for competition in Rochester’s Got Talent competition in 2009 earning her 1st runner up and becoming the leading lady with the Jazz Ensemble of 2 O’Clock Jump whose members include Mike Sloane, Mike King, Dave Townsend and Miles Johnston.

She made her solo debut with a trio from 2 o’clock jump at Canadian Honker Restaurant. The following year she partnered with the talented Maurice Toussaint for the annual Juneteenth Festival where they both caught the eye of the band leader of KnuFunk Doug Porter. Later that same year, she collaborated with Doug and Maurice for a stellar performance at the NAACP annual fundraiser banquet. Their love of music kept them together reigniting the band KnuFunk where she has gone on to perform at countless venues in Rochester and surrounding areas.

She has collaborated with many of the amazingly talented artist in SE Minnesota area including Annie Mack, Alex Rossi, Suite, Dianna Parks, After School Special and many others. Most recently, she collaborated with timeless band Incognito to honor the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin and Tony Fuel recording her first musical solo project with his deep Soul house music sounds.

JC Sanford Trio

JC Sanford

Trombonist/composer/conductor JC Sanford is deeply rooted in the traditions of jazz and classical music, yet constantly pushing at their boundaries. A long-time student of the legendary Bob Brookmeyer, Sanford has performed as a trombonist alongside the likes of Danilo Pérez, Matt Wilson, Anthony Cox, and Donny McCaslin. A sought-after conductor of new large ensemble music in NYC, he conducts the thrice-Grammy-nominated John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble, the Frank Carlberg Large Ensemble, the Alan Ferber Nonet +Strings, John Ellis’ jazz opera Ice Siren, and the Alice Coltrane Orchestra featuring Ravi Coltrane and Jack DeJohnette. His compositions and arrangements have been performed by jazz artists such as Dave Liebman, John Abercrombie, Lew Soloff, and Ingrid Jensen, plus non-jazz artists like Japanese koto player Yumi Kurosawa, British singer-songwriter Joy Askew, and Grammy-nominated classical pianist Andrew Russo. His own 2014 JC Sanford Orchestra album Views from the Inside won international acclaim and was awarded the prestigious Aaron Copland Fund for Recording grant. Sanford was recognized as a “Rising Star” trombonist and big band in DownBeat Magazine’s 2019 Critic’s Poll, is a 2018 McKnight Composer Fellow, and received a 2019 MN Sate Arts Board Artist Initiative grant to record his quartet. He was also just named musical/artistic director of the JazzMN Orchestra. His trio will include Chris Bates on bass and Pete James Johnson on drums.

Website: http://www.jcsanford.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jcsanfordmusic/

Constellation Band

Constellation Band

Melding numerous influences into a distinct and unique whole, Constellation Band creates original music to move you. Rooted in group experimentation and committed to playing compositions from all band members, Constellation Band is an ever-evolving force of creativity that reminds you of the possibilities and puts your head in the stars. The Constellation Band consists of Ross Nixon (tenor sax), Kelly Blau (guitar), Drew Stinson (bass), and Simon Petrick (drums). The group has played at regional venues like Ed’s No Name Bar, The 331 Club, The Driftwood Char Bar, Amsterdam Bar and Hall. They have also appeared at festivals such as Big Turn Music Fest and in jazz concert series at The Black Dog and Jazz Central Studios.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/constellationband
Listen: www.constellationband.bandcamp.com

Les Fields & 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 four U.S. Presidents: Nixon, Carter, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, 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, Les Fields was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame.