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.

A Night to Remember: Cookin' at the O' with Danish Jazz Sensation Sinne Eeg

Tucked away on the North edge of Carlton, the Oldenburg House offers a truly intimate and unforgettable jazz experience. On select evenings, the historic home transforms into a jazz lover's haven with its signature event series, "Cookin' at the O'". 

These past two weekends the Oldenburg House welcomed Sinne Eeg, a Danish jazz vocalist whose voice carries a warmth and sophistication that can only be described as mesmerizing. Eeg’s performance perfectly captured the essence of the evening, drawing in the audience with her velvety tones and effortless range. Whether she was delivering a soulful ballad or an up-tempo swing, her passion for jazz radiated through every note.

The evening wasn’t just about the music, though. Chef Paul Sapyta* crafted a meal that was as much an experience as the jazz itself. Each course seemed to flow in harmony with the music, offering a feast for the senses. The combination of expertly prepared dishes and Eeg’s stunning vocals made for a perfect night—one where you could sit back, relax, and let the world outside fade away.

Of course nothing brings out the best in a singer like a world class backup band. This past Saturday Billy Peterson was back on bass, young Juilliard virtuoso Will Kjeer on piano and veteran Glenn Swanson on drums.

The historic Oldenburg House is Emily Fuerste and Glenn Swanson's gift to the community, playing host to an assortment of music and arts events. It's also a Bed and Breakfast. Their motto, "Find Your Nature," says much about this hidden pocket of paradise that abutts Jay Cooke State Park in the back and is walking distance to Thompson Dam.

If you haven’t had the chance to attend Cookin' at the O', it’s the kind of event that leaves a lasting impression. The Oldenburg House isn’t just a venue; it’s a place where music, food, and atmosphere come together to create something magical. And if you’re lucky enough to catch an artist like Sinne Eeg, well, it’s an experience you won’t soon forget.

"Nothing ever seems to glow

Like the beauty of sadness"
--Sinne Eeg

According to Wikipedia, Eeg has won the Danish Music Awards prize in the category Best Danish Vocal Jazz Album of the Year four times: in 2007, 2010, 2014 and 2015, for her albums Waiting for Dawn, Don't Be So Blue, Face the Music, and Eeg - Fonnesbæk. She also received the Ben Webster Prize in 2014. The Webster Foundation describes her as "a true jazz singer, who both shows sensitivity, improvisational skills, maturity, broad range and timing in her singing."

Here's another laudatory salute: The Danish songstress is versatile, equally comfortable fronting big orchestras in concert halls as well as smaller ensembles in intimate jazz clubs. Everywhere she sings – Tokyo, Copenhagen, Los Angeles or Madrid – audiences are mesmerized by her incandescent phrasing and scatting, all with natural, perfect pitch.  After putting in her time for years on the road, performing at small clubs and cafes, Sinne won her first Danish Music Award for her album “Waiting For Dawn” in 2007.

A brief summary of Saturday's set list. What a night. 

Opening Set

The Beauty of Sadness

    (lyrics by Sinne Eeg)

Bridges    (Brazilian song)

Button Up for Me    (Gershwin Bros.)

The Barista

Walt Fidetti tune by Bill Evans, intimate upscale.

Cry Me A River (A bitter love song)

I Am An Evil Girl

After Dinner Second Set

James Bond music

    From Russia wit Love

    You Only Live Twice

Waiting for Danny

Better Than Anything. (blues waltz)

Samba

    A song about community for all, whoever you on.

    Turn your radio on.

Song created by Will, "All Is Sunset"

    Erik Satie vibe

I'm Talking To Myself    (Danish song)

Related Links

Oldenburg House Emerging as a Northland Hot Spot

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

Cookin' @ the O -- My Visit with Pippi Ardennia

*Paul Sapyta is chef for the Cloquet forestry center and runs a catering business and food truck, Room at the Table, from there. 

Bruce Henry Shares His Life as an American Griot

Magnolia Salon, 8 November 2018

Bruce Henry

Thursday evening jazz singer and educator Bruce Henry was the featured speaker at Magnolia Salon. It was inspirational, powerful, revealing, informative, educational and a very special time. The Mississippi-born jazz performer gave a two-part presentation. In the first segment Mr. Henry shared his life story, which he called the “Adventures of an American Griot," with numerous lessons and unexpected insights. After a short break he then presented an abbreviated talk on the Evolution of African American Music from Africa to Hip Hop.

The word “griot” has its roots in Africa. A griot was a member of a class of traveling poets, musicians, and storytellers who maintain a tradition of oral history in parts of West Africa. Before the printed word, tribal peoples maintained their identity and cultural reference points by means of these oral stories sung and passed on through the generations. A griot was of such importance to a tribe that when an adversarial tribe attacked a people they usually killed the griot before capturing or killing the king and queen.

So, it was another evening of Magnolia Salon, and after a bit of visiting amongst one another the Ringing Bowl called us to order, followed by the Smudge Stick sanctification ritual with Glenn and Emily welcoming us to Oldenburg House.

Bruce Henry was here in the Northland for a slightly extended stay, presenting his talk on the Evolution of African American Music from Africa to Hip Hop talk to a number of area schools, courtesy an ARAC grant.

Glenn Swanson introduced Bruce Henry as “an exceptional human being,” which has been demonstrated not only in the spirit of his performances in the Carlton Room, but also in his dedication to educating youth regarding the history and impact of African music. During his time here this past week he made presentations to over 700 students at UMD, Hermantown High, Denfeld and Barnum, from third graders to college level students.

ADVENTURES OF AN AMERICAN GRIOT

He began his talk with the introduction, “I am Bruce Henry. I am a singer of songs.” It was a reference to the Tony Curtis line in Holly film Sparticus, “I am Antonitus, a singer of songs.”

Though born in Mississippi, Henry spent his formative years growing up in Chicago. He said his father was a role model with strong values. His dad once said, “The person who controls your culture is your master.”

Chicago for many years was the most segregated city in America. He shared a number of anecdotes to illustrate including his first memory of a Chicago policeman when he was five. The officer, sitting in a police car, motioned for him to come over and when he was alongside the open window the officer spit chewing tobacco into his face.

The jazz singer with jazz drummer Glenn Swanson.

Growing up in Chicago gave Bruce Henry a political consciousness that never left him, which was amplified by parents who were union all the way.

His father grew up in Jim Crow Mississippi where you step off the sidewalk for whites, along with all the other associated indignities. Nevertheless, he stated, “My parents taught me not to hate. They taught me to love, when it was unnatural.” This became a foundational value in his life, to accept people .

As he grew up in the 60’s he became fascinated with history. When he was introduced to Thoreau and History and Music he responded viscerally so that when he went to college it was with the intention of becoming a politician. On his 18th birthday, however, he was invited to sing a song with a band at a biker bar and his life plans veered in a new direction. The song was “Summertime.” It resulted in his pursuing a music career.

Drawn to activism and avant garde jazz, he moved to Minneapolis where he joined a band named Solstice whose goal was to get polished then move to L.A. They attracted an agent who was all set to sign them up who at the last minute demurred, saying, “I told you, four whites, three blacks.” Their band had three white and four blacks. He tore up the contract.

Nevertheless he continued to pursue his passions, saying, “One day I’m gonna get out of Babylon.” Ultimately he established a career that enabled him to perform in five continents and to live wherever he wanted. “I’ve been blessed,” he said.

He spoke from the heart about the importance of service to others. “We have a responsibility to use our gifts for the betterment of humanity. It’s the foundation of everything. We have an obligation to use our gifts. Service is the rent due for life on this planet.”

After a break, Bruce Henry returned to the podium to share with us the Evolution of African American Music from Africa to Hip Hop.

TO BE CONTINUED

EdNote: Mark your calendars for the Oldenburg House HOLIDAY MARKET, December 7. 20 Vendors selling arts, crafts and more.

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

Paradise Rocks

I intended today to write something about Bob Dylan because (a) I got my tickets Friday for his upcoming concert in Bayfront Park here in Duluth July 9, and (b) because 25 years ago this weekend (yesterday to be precise) Dylan began his Never Ending Tour, which continues to this day without end. At least for the time being. But, having visited the Oldenburg House yesterday I find myself diverted to once again pump next weekend's Sol Fest. First, a little background on the place itself, then a little background on the event.

The Oldenburg House was built over a hundred years ago by Carl Henry Oldenburg, a respected Minnesota conservationist who served on the Minnesota Forestry Board from 1911-17. The property is adjacent to Jay Cooke State Park of which it is my understanding that he donated some of his land to the park. The setting is spectacular, stirring numerous memories by its arborial splendor organically nestled into a natural amphitheater of manicured geological formations.

The special features of the grounds show that the place was developed with great care. Ayla the Mermaid will be make her home at a small pool lined with vertical spears of stone. The various musicians will be performing amongst the ridges and trees. A grand piano sits surrealistically atop an outcropping of bedrock that kept reminding me of a Dali landscape. In the distance you can hear the rush and roar of the St. Louis River as it cascades through the rocks near Thompson.

The house today is a bed and breakfast. The Swansons are only the third family to own the place since its construction and development more than a century ago. Glenn Swanson, a drummer and poet, is one of several musical children who went off to other regions when he grew up and finished school. When his father passed away two years ago, he chose to return and help his mother run the place as it would be a somewhat daunting task for an elderly widow.

A grand piano on the rocks. What's not to like about that?

Sol Fest appears to have been conceived for the purpose of increasing awareness, to draw attention to this stellar property and venue which not only serves as a B&B but a fabulous location for weddings and garden parties. The event itself blends several of Swanson's interests, foremost being his passion for music, especially jazz and blues. But he's also passionate about youth and is committed to making this a family event with activities for kids including a music workshop in the morning, croquet, and face painting by the Cloquet Girl Scouts. There will also be food served with proceeds going to purchase new uniforms for the Wrenshall High School basketball team.

In addition, Swanson has invited plein aire painter Lee Englund and friends to do some live painting during the event. (Some of my own paintings will also be on display inside the house.)

But the real show is the music: blues, folk, R&B and jazz. Check out this playlist. Sheila Raye Charles (Ray's daughter) will be singing a few of her father's tunes. Then there's Pippi Ardenia, James Moors, John Penny, Larry Long and others whose accolades and honors are so lengthy I can't list them here. A common thread that runs through many of their resumes is a concern for the needs of youth and the marginalized. Check 'em out here.

The early evening music will commence with Glenn Swanson himself and friends. Of Swanson, his friend Ricky Peterson states, "I have yet to find a drummer with more passion and feel for music. All types of music. Swanny has always made the music we play swing harder whether its Jazz or a serious funk tune. Not to mention his talents for producing, arranging and all around musicality."

Ricky himself has a stellar resume himself that has intersected with the likes of Stevie Nicks, Bonnie Raitt, Billy Joel, Anita Baker, James Taylor, Mavis Staples, Joe Sample, Sting, Sergio Mendes, Brian Wilson, Ben Sidran, Rodger Waters, Rick Braun, Kirk Whalum, Phil Upchurch, Jimmy Buffet, Fine Young Cannibals, Steve Miller Band, GoGos, Paula Abdul, Boz Scaggs and more. He had a big part in writing and producing George Benson's "That's Right" CD, and has written and played keyboards for Prince on and off since his early days in the Twin Cities music scene.

As if this weren't enough, Sol Fest will also have Billy Peterson on hand. If you're a Dylan fan you'll remember Billy Peterson as the stellar bass player who was brought in to record with Dylan on his Blood on the Tracks album. Peterson's qualifications were cited in the book A Simple Twist of Fate by Andy Gill and Kevin Odegard. Dylan's younger brother David had been tasked with assembling players for the recording sessions. "Billy Peterson and Bill Berg were an inspired choice as bassist and drummer respectively. Well trained, and working as jazz musicians with their fusion band Natural Life, they were among the nation's finest players and certainly of a caliber second to none in the local area." 

I just finished purchasing my tickets and the process is easy. It's quite an astonishing lineup for just ten dollars. It's $15 at the gate so you might want to purchase your tickets now.

A room with a view. Count me in.

Note to Glenn: You are to be commended for dreaming up such a fabulous event and for a day making your back yard our back yard.