Cookin' at the O: Carlton Room Establishes Itself as a Northland Hotspot with Another Full House

Apparently no one told the Swanson's they couldn't support a high class jazz club here. I mean, we're talking about Carlton, Minnesota, population 1,046. They just went ahead and did it anyways, in the grandest way possible, with one class act after another. Build it and they will come they believed, much like the fabled Field of Dreams, and indeed the Oldenburg House has become a dream-laden outpost for fans of jazz and friends alike. 

Justin Delaire, carrying the Peterson family jazz tradition into a third generation, fronted our February Cookin' at the O' weekend along with Peter Schimke on keyboards, Matt Mobley on bass, and the connecting fiber of this stellar team, percussionist Glenn Swanson. 

The evening opened with "Softly in the Morning" by the trio of Mobley, Schimke an Swanson. Involuntarily I scribbled, "These cats really swing."

Justin Delaire sings, plays sax, and even did a stint at the keyboards in a Schimke duet. The first number for the quartet was rendition of Sinatra's hit "Night and Day." Delaire's resume includes performing with Prince, Kenny Loggins and a host of others. The past 15 years he's been travelling with Michael Bolton. It wasn't long before everyone present knew we were in for an evening of smooth swingin' sweet sounds.

The Sintara cut was followed by a Lou Rawls number, "Muddy Water."

During a break Emily Swanson, Glenn's biggest asset, introduced Yvette, who helped put the dinner presentation together with assistance from Chef Paul Saputa from Room at the Table . Yes, the food amplifies the sweetness of the vibe.

The second half of the program opened once more with the trio of Peter Schimke, Mobley and Swanson, Glenn gave us set of light flourishes on drums setting up the tempo and mood for their preface to part two. Delaire came forward, stepping up with another heart-throbber, "My Romance."

We were quickly transported to another space with a beautiful rendition of Ray Charles' "Georgia on my Mind." Oh man, yeah. Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" prevailed next followed by "Mr. Magic" at which time I allowed myself to be carried away on a magic carpet. The evening closed with sentimental favorites "You've Got a Friend" (Carole King) and "Doc on the Bay" (Otis Redding).

With the exception of this picture all photos here by Steve Mattson of Zenith City Photography.

The home fires were burning and it was a delightfully full house.

Book your reservation for March at the Carlton Room, 

next month featuring the energizing and uplifting Pippi Ardennia.