27th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Festival | Mears Park
June 20 @ 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Free
The Twin Cities Jazz Festival presented by AARP Minnesota will return to Saint Paul’s Lowertown Arts District for two days of FREE and family-friendly entertainment, Friday, June 20 and Saturday, June 21, 2025. A diverse array of talented musicians from around the country and around the corner will take to the Jazz88 Main Stage in Mears Park and other stages around town.
Today, Executive Director Dayna Martinez is delighted to announce the headliners for the 2025 Twin Cities Jazz Festival. The full schedule will be announced in April.
Friday, June 20, 2025
8:30 p.m. Emmet Cohen Trio with special guests The Four Freshmen
Twin Cities Jazz Festival veteran Emmet Cohen will take the stage with his trio and The Four Freshmen.
Cohen, a multifaceted American jazz pianist and composer has emerged as one of his generation’s pivotal figures in music and the related arts.
Today’s Four Freshmen ensemble is considered by many to be the greatest jazz vocal group of all time.
6 p.m. Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans
Doreen Ketchens’ Jazz brings the best of New Orleans to every performance. This group has performed their joyful, energetic original and soulful New Orleans jazz in 47 states and 24 countries.
Doreen’s Jazz has successfully created their own style that blends classical training with the soul of gospel, blues, and jazz.
4 p.m. Adi Yeshaya Jazz Orchestra featuring Jennifer Grimm
Saturday, June 21, 2025
8:30 p.m. Catherine Russell and Sean Mason
Since her debut solo album in 2006, Catherine Russell has captivated audiences with her rich, soulful voice and exceptional interpretative skills. Her eight previous solo albums have garnered critical acclaim with “Send For Me” (2022) marking her first collaboration with Sean Mason. Their latest release, “My Ideal,” elevates their partnership to new heights. Sean Mason, a remarkable talent, complements Russell’s vocal artistry with his sophisticated and nuanced piano playing.
6 p.m. L.A. Buckner and BiG HOMiE
Arthur “L.A.” Buckner, one of the Twin Cities’ most creative drummers, has taken iTunes by storm with the release of his project, BiG HOMiE, which reached the #1 Jazz position within 24 hours of its August 2020 release.
A fusion of his musical influences of Gospel, R&B, HipHop, African Rhythm, and Jazz explodes in a fiery journey of syncopation and truth, earning the respect of the most trained musical ear to the everyday music lover that appreciates a good “bop.”
4 p.m. Patty Peterson presents Jazz Women All Stars
2 p.m. Society of Chemists
Additional 2025 Twin Cities Jazz Festival highlights will include:
Friday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m. on the Jazz on 5th Street Stage
Las Guaracheras – all-female salsa band from Colombia
Saturday, June 21 at 4 p.m. at Cedar Cultural Center
an experiment pt II – Leslie Parker Dance Project with a live jazz ensemble
This Cultural Districts Art Fund program activity is funded by the Arts & Cultural Affairs Department in the City of Minneapolis.
The Twin Cities Jazz Festival, established in 1999, is a non-profit organization, with a mission to keep the art form of jazz alive and well in our community. It has since grown into one of the largest free civic jazz festivals in the Midwest.
