2022-2023 Season

During the creative explosion that was country music in the 1990s, Suzy Bogguss sold 4 million records with sparkling radio hits like “Outbound Plane,” “Someday Soon,” “Letting Go,” “Drive South,” and “Hey Cinderella." But you can’t peg Suzy that easily.

In the midst of her country popularity, she took time off to make an album of duets with the legendary Chet Atkins. In 2003 she made an album of modern swing music with Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel. An album of original music in 2007 landed Suzy at number 4 on the jazz charts. Her folk music roots showed through in her frequent appearances on public radio’s A Prairie Home Companion, in the Grammy she earned for her work on Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster, and in her critically acclaimed album and book project from 2011, American Folk Songbook. In 2014, she released Lucky, a collection of songs written by Merle Haggard and interpreted through Suzy’s crystal vocals from the female point of view. Her latest offering, Aces Redux, is a re-recording of her platinum selling album Aces, produced by Suzy with fresh arrangements and her signature sparkling vocals. She continues to tour the world, on her own and with fellow country radio divas Terri Clark and Pam Tills as “Chicks With Hits.”

So yes, you can call her a country singer if you want, but really that’s just the beginning.

For over four decades, the Wooten Brothers have been recognized as some of the most innovative musicians in existence and are collectively known as one of the most talented and dynamic band of brothers the world has ever known.

Since they were young, the brothers have been a musical tour-de-force redefining the limits of jazz, funk, soul, R&B, rock, and bluegrass. They have shared stages with the likes of Curtis Mayfield, The Temptations, Ramsey Lewis, Stephanie Mills, War, and other artists. In the mid 80’s, the brothers released an album as The Wootens for Clive Davis’ Arista Records.

Victor Wooten, a five-time Grammy Award-winning artist, has graced the cover of Bass Player Magazine five times. A founding member of the group Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Victor is recognized as one of the greatest living bassists today, and was named one of the “Top ten bassists of all time” by Rolling Stone magazine.

Joseph Wooten has a dizzying list of talents that is impressive even by the Wooten clan’s standards. Currently the keyboardist for the Steve Miller Band (since 1993), he is also a composer, orchestrator, motivational speaker, and has been showcased as an amazing vocalist since he was a child. He has collaborated with the likes of Whitney Houston and Kenny G, and when not touring with Miller, leads his own band and performs with Freedom Sings.

The Queen’s Cartoonists perform music from cartoons! Pulling from over 100 years of animation from around the world, The Queen’s Cartoonists bring animated films to life, perfectly synchronizing their performances with the films projected on stage. The band matches the energy of the cartoons, leading the audience through a world of virtuosic musicianship, multi-instrumental mayhem, and comedy.

Projections of animated films dazzle the audience, while the band re-creates original soundtracks note-for-note, or writes their own fresh compositions to modern pieces, all the while breathing new life into two uniquely American forms of art: jazz and animation. Tying everything together is the TQC brand of comedy - anecdotes about the cartoons and their composers, stream-of-consciousness humor, and elements of a musical circus.

James Sewell Ballet was founded in New York City by James Sewell and Sally Rousse and brought to Minnesota in 1993. Combining their expertise, vision and chutzpah they envisioned a close-knit company of dance artists willing to both challenge their physical limits and expand their notions about ballet. Over three decades later, critically acclaimed JSB performances move and delight audiences across the country. The embodiment of the original vision is a professional company of dancers performing innovative work that explores the technical boundaries of ballet.

The spirit of Sona Jobarteh’s musical work stands on the mighty shoulders of the West African griot musician and storyteller traditions; she is a living archive of the Gambian people. With one ear on the family’s historic reputation, one on the all-important future legacy and her heart in both places, she is preparing a place today for the next generation. Her singing and Kora playing while fronting her band spring directly from this tradition. The extent of her recognition today is evidenced by more than 23 million watchers on YouTube and considerable numbers on other digital platforms. All this despite singing in her native languages and keeping to her own path within the music industry.