Cookin' at the O: Bruce Henry, So Right On'

Cookin' @ the O
The Carlton Room
Oldenburg House
November 22, 2025

The evening began with our hosts, Glenn & Emily, saying, "Welcome!" and a "thank you for coming out this evening. There is no art without an audience."

Emily proceeded to call atention to  one of the attendees, Lisa Graves, a writer from Superior and author of the newly released Without Precedent, an exposé of today's Supreme Court.

Saturday night's show featured jazz singer Bruce Henry backed by Ryan Frane (piano), Billy Peterson (standup bass) and Glenn Swanson (drums/percussion). 

Bruce Henry, Billy Peterson

Before Mr Henry took the stage the trio of Frane, Peterson and Swanny set the mood. When our featured artist joined them on the platform his first words were, "It's good to be back." (Indeed. Here's a review from that first impressive performance.)

Bruce Henry opened with "Secret Love," a hit song from the 1953 musical Calamity Jane that won an Academy Award for best original song and briefly carried Doris Day to the top of the US and UK Billboard charts.

This was followed by the tender and beautiful "Nature Boy" which Henry sang the first time he was here, only this time he shared a little more about the author of this Nat King Cole tune., Eden Ahbez, the strangest hit songwriter in history. Ahbez might be considered a pioneer hippie, he said. He lived (for a while) beneath the famous Hollywood sign above L.A.

Ryan Frane, Glenn Swanson

He then followed with an impactful presentation of Duke Ellington's "In the Beginning God." (Wow!) Two more pieces rounded out the first set, "Song for My Father" by Horace Silver) and "Why Baby?" a Chicago Blues tune. The band was sizzling with lengthy instrumentals throughout. 

   As the main course was served, the Carlton Room buzzing. The performers escaped to refresh. 

    If you've never been, Chef Paul from Room at the Table prepares the scrumptious food that accompanies these exceptional jazz gatherings, including an appetizer upon arrival and a tasty dessert to accompany the second set.

    At some point during the evening Mr. Henry mentioned that he currently resides in Bronzeville, a section of Chicago that has made a massive contribution to music history. Bronzeville legends include Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters, Jelly Roll Morton, Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, Little Walter and many others. In addition to absorbing the music of jazz/blues epicenter, Bruce Henry has mined their sagas as a resource for the teaching he does on Afro-American history, its tributaries and impact. 

The second set, which really brought us home, included "I Could Have Danced All Night," "Wichita Lineman," "Better Than Anything But Being In Love," an explosive "Afro Blue," and "House of the Rising Sun."  Everything was perfectly orchestrated, alternating from Swanny's brushes whispering on the snare to Peterson's bass riffs walking like midnight rain, accompanied by Frane's fingers literally dancing across the ivories, every solo climbing higher and harder, adding rocket fuel to Bruce Henry's vocals so that by the end of the second set the mesmerized audience was fully spellbound. 

Bruce Henry is a consummate performer. If he swings back this way, do try to fetch tickets. You will be treated to a very special evening.

Oldenburg House Getting Jazzed for the Honey Bee Festival and More

Here we go... With the worst behind us, events have been opening up all around the Northland, and all around the country if our region is any kind of indicator. Two noteworthy items to pass on... The Honey Bee Festival is back at the Oldenburg House, celebrating the pollinators as well as the local habitat. It's an annual two-day fest with music, dance, vendors, food and more.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 5TH

3:00 - 10:00 PM

SATURDAY, AUGUST 6TH

11:30 AM - 10:00 PM

One Day Passes are $20 and a Two Day Pass is $30.

The lineup of performing musicians is fabulous as always. Many fan favorites will be on hand. And then there's Cookin' at the O' kicking off another season of intimate top-drawer jazz with a whole clutch of Petersons present to lift you to higher realms.

On Saturday there will be a Swarm Bike Ride, with three swarms gathering and starting from three locations, Carlton Bike Rental in Moose Lake, Wussow's in West Duluth, and TJs Country Corner in Mahtowa. If you don't have a bike but can get a ride to Moose Lake, you can rent one from Carlton Bike Rental there and return it in Carlton. (Just sayin')  

Participants receive admission to Saturday festival, SWARM t-shirt, free beverage ticket and support on the trail. Details HERE

* * * 

Here are the lineups for Friday and Saturday

FRIDAY

Randy Lee Ensemble

Andy Peterson Quartet

* * * 

The Return - Cookin' at the O

Glenn Swanson

Billy Peterson

Ricky Peterson

Jason Peterson DeLaire

SATURDAY

Terrence Smith/Hive Jive

Boss Mama

Steve's "Overpopulated" One Man Band

Anam Cara — barn dance

Briand Morrison & Roxanne Berglund

The Langerstons

The Fish Heads

Ingeborg von Agassiz

Lanue

Rich Mattson and the Northstars

Andrew Walesch

Bee Fest will have booths with artisans and craftspersons.

And yes, there will be a mermaid in the pool again this year.

For sure there will be bees.

The place will be a stream of creative energy. 

In addition to two days of music you will find:

Plein Air Painters

• Outdoor Painters of Minnesota

Terrence Smith

• Hive Jive

Splash the Mermaid

• at the pool

Honey-infused food and drink

Bee-inspired arts & crafts

Info & advocacy to support pollinators

FOOD TRUCKS

Room at the Table

Dogs N' Kabobs

Sukie

* * * 

This event is an outgrowth of the Oldenburg Arts & Cultural Community (OACC). Learn more at OACC.US  

And in the event you are too far away to enjoy this celebration, the Oldenburg House is also a Bed & Breakfast adjacent to Jay Cook State Park and some fabulous natural beauty. To learn more, visit OldenburgHouse.com.

There Will Be A Special Sweetness to This Week's Valentine Events at the O with Sarah Greer

"I help singers sing what they need to say."--Sarah Greer

Improv vocalist Sarah Greer is featured this coming week
for several evenings at the Oldenburg House.

There are many reasons people like jazz. One is simply the pleasure one gets from music itself. A second is the pleasure we receive when we witness virtuosity. A third, and one that is almost exemplified in great jazz, is the unexpectedness and beauty of improv.

Here's a description from APassion4Jazz.net:

Jazz improvisation is the process of spontaneously creating fresh melodies over the continuously repeating cycle of chord changes of a tune. The improviser may depend on the contours of the original tune, or solely on the possibilities of the chords' harmonies. It has been said that the best improvised music sounds composed, and that the best composed music sounds improvised.

I think this is why so many of the great jazz recordings come from live performances in clubs. The great genius of players like John Coltrane and Miles Davis is this ability to weave a spell into the improv realm so that all the players are improvising around a theme that got the whole riff started but now is only assumed. Listen to Kind of Blue. Listen to how they establish the theme and then begin springing off.

Actually, this was my own early fascination with the supergroup Cream with Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton. Jack Bruce. Jack Bruce, who became fascinated with jazz in his teens, fused his background with Clapton's blues mastery to produce great new sounds and concerts with incredibly robust improv, my favorite being captured on sides three and four of Wheels of Fire.

* * * *

All this to introduce you to this week's featured performer at the Carlton Room this coming weekend, Sarah Greer. In addition to giving private voice lessons Sarah Greer teaches singing at Minneapolis Community & Technical College (MCTC).

"I practice, study and teach the art of spontaneous singing," she says.

The thing about vocal improvisation is that it's not for some elite person who's "got it" but rather, something anyone can learn who can carry a tune. (Ms, Greer might even suggest that you can still contribute if you can't carry a tune.) On her Songtaneous Blog one entry is "8 Lessons from Improvising." Group improv singing is collaborative, not competitive.

When you attend a typical jazz performance at the Oldenburg House (or elsewhere) you will see and hear individuals working together to weave a fabric of background that serves almost like a trampoline to propel the singer to the zenith of his or her skills. But its also a mutual respect society, and a team.

I think what surprises some people is how sometimes a new performer comes to Oldenburg House and even without a rehearsal the fluidity of the show comes across as if they'd spent a month preparing. How do they do this? Because it's that jazz methodology or approach.

Sarah Greer's career revolves around teaching this improv sensibility. "I'll share what I learn and experience while traveling in the intuitive, joyful, beautiful, expressive, challenging, abstract world of vocal improvisation."

Improvisational performance is the world she most enjoys swimming in. For this reason she is part of a couple of Twin Cities improv groups including the a capella ensemble the Give Get Sistet and a jazz quintet called BLU-7.

Here are a couple quotes from Ms. Greer's website that illuminate where she's coming from.

"I am passionate – some might say evangelical – about every person’s right to sing and the power of singing to change the world."

"I help people find out what they are 'supposed to sound like' so they can find a unique and joyful place from which to sing, whether they sing on stage, in the studio or in the shower."

In other words, it's really all about you.

* * * *
Valentine's Day at the Magnolia Salon

Sarah Greer will also be the featured guest with musician/singer Steven Hobert at Thursday's Magnolia Salon. Together they will explore, play, ponder and expound on the power of improv and their love of music. The duo will present and lead songs, improvisations and conversation.

Steven Hobert describes himself as a soul who plays, sings and dances while exploring life’s mysteries. His genre-blending piano, accordion and vocal music has been described as “delightful, innovative and viscerally inspiring” that “dazzles audiences with sincerity and playfulness to open up hearts and fire imaginations.”

February Salon Schedule and RSVP HERE.

For Sarah Greer tickets visit https://oacc.us/programs/cookin-at-the-o/
Stay connected to what's happening in 2019 at Oldenburg House: OACC.US

Oldenburg House Update for October

October at Oldenburg House

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4
MAGNOLIA SALON | ADAM HERMAN - MUSICIAN AND AUTHOR OF LIMBO
REGISTER HERE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11
MAGNOLIA SALON | PAT McCOY - HEALTHY COOKING
REGISTER HERE

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12
COOKIN' AT THE O | DEBBIE DUNCAN
TICKETS AND MORE INFO

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13
COOKIN' AT THE O | DEBBIE DUNCAN
TICKETS AND MORE INFO

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18
MAGNOLIA SALON | JOE KLANDER - AKA KINDER CHOMPER
REGISTER HERE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25
MAGNOLIA SALON | BRIAN SCHAZENBACH - BLACKLIST ARTISAN ALES
REGISTER HERE

DEBBIE IS BACK AT THE O!

Best Female Jazz Vocalist

Best Jazz Vocalist

Best Female Performer

Best Jazz Group

(Minnesota Music Awards)

CELEBRATE THE WEEKEND WITH A BANG!

GREAT MUSIC, FOOD AND FUN! 

DEBBIE DUNCAN - vocals

Ryan Frane - piano

Matt Mobley - bass

Glenn Swanson - drums

Another Stellar Evening with Pippi... Cookin’ @ the O

The Oldenburg House seems to have found its groove this year, and Pippi Ardennia was back at the O this weekend for two more evenings of entertainment. One thing different this time. She's now married, to her keyboardist Daniel Leahy, and has left her home in the Twin Cities to join Daniel in Illinois.

The backing trio – Daniel Leahy, Matt Mobley and Glenn Swanson – opened with a Herbie Hancock number, providing a foretaste of the skillset these guys possess. This was followed by a funkified variation of "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," made famous in the Sixties by The Buckinghams, with Daniel Leahy’s fingers delightfully dancing on that keyboard.

You could tell it was going to be a special night, and very different from the previous year of performances inside the Carlton Room. We were outside, under a big tent, and Swanny was free to let go a bit more on his drum kit, all the amps turned up a tad for the others, allowing the sound to sweep out over the landscape, as opposed to ricocheting off the walls. I later learned that they entertained and served 80 people Friday the night before, which tells me that the next time Pippi's in town you'd best get your tickets early or you'll be left out in the cold.

After warming up the audience Leahy slides into some Ramsey Lewis mood music to usher in Pippi Ardennia who ascends to the stage, ready to take us away, singing Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oh what a beautiful morning,” elevating the audience and winning us with ease.

There's a bright golden haze on the meadow,
There's a bright golden haze on the meadow,
The corn is as high as an elephant's eye,
An' it looks like its climbin' clear up to the sky.

Oh what a beautiful morning,
Oh what a beautiful day,
I've got a wonderful feeling, Everything's going my way.

And we’re right there with her, because that’s why we’re here, to be lifted up, to be swept away.

IT'S EASY TO SEE why everyone loves Pippi. She brings a shine wherever she goes. She coils the music into a tight ball of energy within, then releases it into her audience.

Before slinging in to her next song she mentions her latest CD, Black Coffee, then tells a story about a club she used to perform at in Chicago. When things were going good, but the band was set to break off for the night, the manager in the back of the room would gesture, lifting his arm and moving it as if spinning a wheel to indicate, "Keep it going, keep it going." Pippi would look at Killer Joe on the piano and he would be shaking his head, "No more." Then Pip would look again at the manager, and he's still gesturing because he wants to sell more drinks. She's stuck in the middle, unable to end it there... Hence the title of the CD, Black Coffee. Black coffee is what kept them going.

After the anecdote Daniel rips in on the ivories, Swanny getting that swing-time rhythm hpping and Mat Mobley walking his fingers up the strings on his big bass as Pippi smiles and sing the ever popular Josef Myrow/Mack Gordon tune made famous by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Michael Bublé, among others.

You make me feel so young
You make me feel as though spring has sprung
And every time I see you grin
I'm such a happy individual

A big surprise for many was Pippi's invitation to be joined on stage by James Pool, lead singer from the Moonlight Community, to perform two songs together. Poole made his way to a microphone that was awaiting him on the left side of the stage. He's got the iconic look of a Jim Morrison and the stage presence and moves of a veteran lead singer like Robert Plant or Roger Daltry.

The two songs he performed with Pippi are classics beginning with "Summertime" which has been covered by artists as varied as Doc Watson and Janis Joplin. He not only sings and moves, but he's a white boy who can do scat. Watching the veteran Pippi share the spotlight with a young dude doing his first live performance in a jazz setting was fun.

Flipping the page they jumped into "Fever."  Where there's smoke, there's fire, though the heat Pippi shares is clearly generated by Daniel Leahy whom she married this past year, his only crime being that she's now been carried off to Illinois and no longer lives in the Twin Cities. No prob. There's little doubt a portion of Pippi's heart will remain here in Carlton at the O.

Pippi sang a song for the womenfolk next, or rather for the Sisters. Then she asked them to stand and shake their shimmy. This was the end of the first set which allowed the servers to bring our main course: grilled pork tenderloin doused with spiced orange and cranberries on roasted orange/almond green beans and baby potatoes. (Or something like that.) Yummmmm. (I should have taken a picture.)

SET 2

The backing trio once again gets the mood going for the second act. Pippi takes the stage and lifts us once again with an inspired rendition of another classic, "On a Clear Day."

On a clear day, rise and look around you, and you'll see who you are.
On a clear day, how it will astound you
That the glow of your feelings outshines every star.

During the intermission Pippi has done a wardrobe change, returning in an altogether different outfit that strives to be equal to the task of matching her kaleidoscopic spirit, embellished with her sequins, jewels and fan of feathers. Her sumptuous voice delivers Roberta Flack's "Feel Like Making Love" with a wholesome sensuality that is restrained and tender.

From there she brought Louis Armstrong's classic "What A Wonderful World" to life. It's such a beautiful song. "I see friends shaking hands, sayin', 'How do you do?' They're really saying, 'I love you." And I think to myself, 'What a wonderful world.'"

It's a song about the beauty and simplicity of friendship. And love. Pippi sings it so persuasively that I'm certain there were eyes moistened there under the ten.

This was followed by George Gershwin's "They Can't Take That Away from Me," another classic performed by Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and boatload of other crooners. originally introduced by Fred Astaire. This was followed by another highlight of the evening, a tribute to the late Aretha Franklin, so moved us all. The song was Carole King's "You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman)" during which she charmed a number of women from the audience to join her on the stage to be a backing chorus, a maneuver that delighted participants and audience alike.

The night ended with a rousing rendition of "Taking It To The Streets".... Pippi knows whereof she speaks.

* * * *
We drove home with hearts lifted, our spirits energized by the generous manner in which she pours herself out for her audience. For Daniel and Pippi, you can tell it's not just entertainment. It's about transforming lives. Thank you, Pippi.

* * * *
You can take Pippi home with you by following this link here: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Coffee-Pippi-Ardennia/dp/B009191Q2M

For upcoming events at the Oldenburg House visit oacc.us

Motor City Vibe Jazzes Up The Carlton Room -- Debbie Duncan @ the O

Northland jazz fans were treated to yet another fine evening of dining and music at the Oldenburg House last night. Center stage, Debbie Duncan of the Twin Cities performed, backed by Chris Lomheim on keyboard, Matt Mobley on the stand up bass and Glenn "Swanny" Swanson keepin' time on the percussions.

The perfect weather enticed guests to take their time before heading inside to take their seats. Beneath the blue skies and brilliant sunlight the lush vegetation glowed with special brilliance as we strolled about the magic gardens. Aromatic flavors wafted through the air as Chef Paul prepared appetizers and sides on the grill outside and the ovens within.

A+ Pianist Chris Lomheim

This leisurely mood carried over to the beginning of the show as the backing band warmed us up before inviting Debbie Duncan to take the stage. Ms. Duncan's MN Music Awards are numerous, including best female jazz vocalist and best female performer, and in her first number she showed her range, singing "I'm In Love," a song off her new CD. At the first instrumental break there were loud cheers followed by applause that gave way to instrumental solos accompanied by scat. The audience was clearly revved.

The first set included Cy Coleman's "The Best Is Yet To Come", "Blame It On My Youth" and a song from the film State Fair, "Might As Well Be Spring.  Featured songs in the second set include Oscar Brown's "Dat Dere" (a song about a child asking too many questions, like children do) and Billie Holliday's "Fine and Mellow."

As Ms. Duncan sang "Dat Dere" my mind went back to a time when our own son was asking questions all the time. On one occasion he asked Susie a "why" question which had an complicated answer that she was elaborating on when he interrupted with yet another question: "Do dinosaurs eat worms?" Which brings to mind Art Linkletter's Kids Say the Darndest Things.

On the culinary front, the evening begins with an appetizer plate that featured olives, cheese balls, microgreens and other delights. During the intermission our main plate was served, Chicken Marseilles accompanied by bacon-wrapped grilled asparagus. Glenn took a moment to welcome us and then introduced his better half, Emily, who brought Emily Lomheim to the stage followed Debbie Duncan's Detroit sister who assists her.

At the evening's end --where did the time go? -- many of the patrons stood to their feet for another standing O at the O.

Debbie will be back tonight. It was packed out last night, so I do not know if there are any seats left but you've got an appetite for jazz, the Oldenburg House is the place where it's cookin'.

See the schedule of upcoming shows here at ooac.us.

Emily Swanson introduces Emily L.

Warming up for the second set. (L to R) Chris, Glenn and Matt.

"Without music, life would be a mistake." --Friedirch Nietzsche

Last Night in the Carlton Room: Bruce Henry Was Cookin' Hot

Make no mistake, we've got a jazz club here in the Northland as intimate and compelling as any you would find anywhere. The Carlton Room is a gift to the community, and it's been exciting seeing the community embrace it. Here are my notes to myself on this weekend's featured singer, who will be putting on a second show tonight.

After a couple numbers featuring the backing band of Ryan Frane (piano), Matt Mobley (standup bass) and Swanny Swanson on the drum kit, Bruce Henry took the stage to show us his range. Within a minute the full house was eating out of his hand, and it never let up. Another great performer at a venue that hands down seems to have it all.

The singer opened with a Charlie Parker bebop tune, "Yes Is Best," showing his considerable vocal range and swinging moves. Nat King Cole's "Nature Boy" followed, a song written by eden ahbez that was Nat King Cole's first solo hit and stayed at the top of the charts eight weeks.

There was a boy
A very strange, enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far
Very far, over land and sea
A little shy and sad of eye
But very wise was he

It's a beautiful song and, as with everything else, it was beautifully rendered. (You can find all the lyrics here to see why it was such a hit for NKC.) He followed this with a song popularized by Ol' Blue Eyes, "The Second Time Around."

More than a jazz singer, Bruce Henry is a performer and a story teller. He interjected a few stories about things he learned from Michael Jackson and Tony Bennett, giving an example of how persuasive he was as a performer himself. Then we swung into a Duke Ellington number, "Postponed."

Song selection says as much about a singer as his or her stage presence, and hands down Bruce Henry served up a fabulous multi-course meal. As many of you know (especially if you read my blog post from Thursday) Bobby Kennedy was assassinated 50 years ago this past week. Henry and the band's channelling of Marvin Gaye's poignant "What's Goin' On?" sent electricity through the room.

They finished off the first set with a bluesy rock piece, "Goin' to the Country" about brighter days and dreaming of life in Spain.

* * * *
If you've never been to Cookin' @ the O, it should be noted that there is also real cooking here. When we arrived Chef Paul was in action on the grill out back and in the kitchen, setting up the culinary features that accompanied our entertainment. There's also a fully stocked bar as well, so you really can have it all.

* * * *

The trio opened the second set with "One Day My Prince Will Come" and then Bruce Henry returned to the stage. He shared a humorous story about something that happened to him while singing onstage with his eyes closed and told us he has a whole catalogue of stories like that and is working on a book.

"Stand By Me" gave us chills, and I overheard someone behind me ask how they can be so tight as a band having never performed together before. That's the magic of jazz here, though.

They followed with Ray Charles' playful "I Got News For You."
You said before me met 
That your life was awful tame 
Well, I took you to a night club 
And the whole band knew your name...

View from a staircase window. Glory Pool and Fountain
on the right. Luscious views abound.

"Summertime" rolled out next... nothing pedestrian here. Bruce Henry, like all the greats, takes it and makes it his own.

Introducing a Mongo Santamaria song gave the singer a chance to tell his own story, about how rewarding and fortunate he was to find his roots... his great, great, great etc. grandmother eight generations back whose name was Tamar, brought over as a slave from Sierra Leone. The song, also performed by Coltrane, begins, "I dream of a land where my soul is from..." (Mongo Blue)

There was something magical about the evening. Songs that made us smile, and songs that made us think, yet inspired, that lifted us somehow. Closing out, Bruce Henry delivered a soulful, heartfelt rendition of the classic "House of the Rising Sun." Enthusiastic standing ovation followed.

Thank you to Glenn and Emily for creating this space, for setting the bar high, for putting it all together. It's been a lot of work, but the entire community is richer for it.

Related Links
10 Things You Didn't Know About Oldenburg House
Oldenburg House website. There may still be a few tickets for tonight's show.

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn 

Is just to love and be loved in return"

--Nat King Cole

Explore New Creative Territories Through Events @ Magnolia Salon

It started with Sol Fest, leapt into new territory with Cookin' at the O and continues to expand its influence with the Magnolia Salon. (For more, see links at the end of this announcement.) Here is a schedule of Magnolia Salon events for the weeks ahead, including tonight if you can make it. They start at six, but you may wish to be early in the event it's crowded, which has happened.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

April 12 - TONIGHT! - Poco Baroquo will welcome spring with Johann Sebastian Bach and friends in period costume. Fun, imaginative, creative, lively and loving!

April 19 - Cynthia Lapp joins us with her gongs for a scintillating night of vibrations and discussion. Experience the energy of microtones from the soothing, atmospheric sounds of gongs. Join the discussion on how vibration assists us to access what we deeply know and informs our unique, creative expression.

Veikko and Jason

April 26 - Woodblind, the great Duluth bluegrass/ska band, plays at the Salon in celebration of the announcement of Oldenburg Arts and Cultural Community, the private non-profit sister organization of Oldenburg House and it mission to encourage the vitality of our region through artistic expression, cultural exchanges and community development inspired by the geography, cultural wisdom and talent abundantly and irreplaceably around us.

May 3 - Tom Rauschenfels says "Being involved in and around a water environment has been an important part of my life since I was a young boy growing up on Park Point. Now as a retired public school teacher working in printmaking, drawing, painting and ceramics, I continue to be influenced by the greatest of all lakes (Superior) and the area I love. I utilize nature, the human figure, and the exploration of different art styles in my creative endeavors."

Print by Tom Rauschenfels

May 10 - Zachris Haataja, an exuberant potter and rock climber, will throw pots and share his observations on the creative process of centering - described by a noted potter and poet as ‘the act that precedes all others on the potter’s wheel; the bringing of the clay into a spinning, unwobbling pivot, free to take shape as potter and clay press against each other. The firm, tender, sensitive pressure yields as much as it asserts.’ How does centering inspire Zach as both potter and rock climber?

RELATED LINKS
Building Community at Magnolia Salon
What Makes Life Worth Living?
Follow the Salon on Facebook
Oldenburg House an Emerging Hot Spot

Oldenburg House

604 Chestnut Avenue

Carlton, MN

FIND YOUR NATURE

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.