Living more of a nomadic existence since it fell victim to budget cuts by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in 2019 — and then uprooted along with everything else by the pandemic — the experimental composers series Liquid Music will settle into a new home at the Parkway Theater in south Minneapolis for six salon-style performances beginning Nov. 3 with trumpeter Terence Blanchard.
The New Orleans jazz innovator will perform a new collection titled "Absence," a tribute to jazz great Wayne Shorter, with backing from his group E-Collective as well as neo-classical act the Turtle Island Quartet.
That will be followed by concerts with Erika Dohi and the duo of David Friend and Jerome Begin (March 12), each performing new piano albums; Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab (April 10), whose new album "Vulture Prince" is earning strong press; another innovative pianist, Adam Tendler (April 23), premiering a new collection titled "Inheritance"; Brian Eno-like electronic indie star Julianna Barwick (May 13); and Minnesota's own Ariana Kim (June 17), a violinist, composer and Cornell professor who will head up a multi-faceted performance titled "Plucked" with other Asian American artists.
Liquid Music also has commissioned two projects that will debut in the fall of 2022. One features Nashville roots music composer Lambchop (aka Kurt Wagner) with local musicians such as Andrew Broder and Bryan Nichols. The other is a collaboration with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra pairing composers with filmmakers on new short films.
Ticket packages for all six of the Parkway performances go on sale Friday at 8 a.m. via liquidmusic.org. Individual concert tickets will go on sale a week later, Sept. 24. All shows will require proof of COVID vaccine or negative test results, as is the Parkway's policy at the moment.
The Parkway isn't just a familiar setting for Liquid Music founder Kate Nordstrum, it's also a familial one. Her husband, Eddie Landenberger, is a co-owner of the 1940s-era neighborhood theater and was part of its makeover in 2018.
The Parkway is finally back open and continuing its fun mix of music and films. Following last weekend's packed shows with Iowa-based folk-rock singer Lissie, local songwriting stalwart Mason Jennings will play his first local show in two years there Friday, and then Jim Croce's son A.J. Croce will perform a tribute to his father on Saturday. Other upcoming concerts include the Shabby Road Orchestra (Sept. 25), Josh Ritter (Sept. 30), and overdue album release shows by Under Violet (Oct. 2) and Lanue (Oct. 16).
On the movie front, the Parkway is once again hosting vintage movies starting with "Big Little Trouble in Little China" on Thursday, followed by the original "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" (noon Saturday), "St. Elmo's Fire" (Sept. 23) and Robert Altman's "Popeye" (Sept. 25).
