A Great Jam on a Cold January Night in Northeast Minneapolis

Guitarist, Pianist and Bassist play at a bar.

On January 14, Sean McPherson from Jazz88 headed down to Whitey’s Old Town Saloon in Northeast Minneapolis to check out a weekly Tuesday jam session helmed by bassist Graydon Peterson. Check out audio of the jam session, details about how to get involved and interviews with key players from the night.

This interview originally aired on The Afternoon Cruise on 1/21/25

Two men pose for a photo in a bar.
L to R: Graydon Peterson (bassist), Pete James Johnson (drums)

 

A high school student at a drumkit
Drummer Henry Michael Mrotz from Camden High in Minneapolis

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

 

Sean McPherson (Jazz88) 

I’m Sean McPherson with jazz 88 months ago, I was able to take in a long running jam session organized by one of our town’s first call jazz bassists, Graydon Peterson. The venue is Whitney’s old time Saloon in Northeast Minneapolis, and every Tuesday night, by 10pm the intimate room is stocked with a mix of players and singers at all different points in their career. From note one, I caught a spirit of positivity, support and proficiency that really put a smile on my face. I decided to make my way back down recently with a microphone in hand to share a snapshot of this jam session.  A great weekly jam session requires a passionate organizer. That can be a hard quality to find in one person. You need musical talent, you need logistical capabilities. You need to be enterprising and outgoing, and you want to make sure the scene keeps thriving. The chef at this particular jam session is based as Graydon Peterson. Before the band got started, I asked Graydon about the history of this jam session.

 

Graydon Peterson 

There used to be a regular jam session at Jazz Central, and that kind of dwindled away. And I felt like the community needed another place to play, and close to jazz Central and Tuesday nights seem to work pretty well for most people.

 

Sean McPherson (Jazz88) 

Now Graydon’s pretty humble about it, but under his leadership, this has become a very popular session with players eagerly hoping to sit in with the group and start to get a feel for the music that’s impossible to get in a practice room. It has to be on stage, and it has to be with the right blend of seasoned and new players. I asked Graydon how he keeps the formula right for the jam session on Tuesdays at Whitey’s in Minneapolis.

 

Graydon Peterson 

I kind of have a formula. Most of it is just mixing up the, like you said, the different skill levels and having, like, a strong bass player, if there’s a new drummer or vice versa, you know, like having people that they can rely on, that they know, like, oh, well, I know this bass player is good, so it’ll be okay, or whatever, you know, or I know if there’s like a vocalist, like, I want to make sure there’s a good piano player to help, like, lead with, you know, just in case you never know. I want people to everybody who comes to sit in I want them to feel comfortable. And you know, play what they want.

 

Sean McPherson (Jazz88) 

When it comes to what songs you can play at the jam session, the sky and your dedication in the practice room is the limit. Graydon shared some words of advice for anyone who wants to come down and get involved with these weekly jam sessions.

 

Graydon Peterson 

Just find a tune that you like, pick a tune that you want to play. And I can usually make it work. It doesn’t even have to be jazz. It can be anything And if you know it just if it’s a song that you really like and you know it really well, perfect, we can make it work.

 

Sean McPherson (Jazz88) 

As the first set got going and players started sitting in I was touched by the support and the camaraderie between the professional rhythm section and the guests that they were passing their sticks, quarter inch cables and upright basses to the vibe was warm and was great to see celebrated musicians from our scene, like Katia Cardenas and Kavyesh Kaviraj hanging out and checking out the players, I honed in on a rendition of Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” and Graydon let me know that Henry behind the drum kit might be worth talking to, as he’s a young student and a fixture at these jam sessions. Henry certainly sounded comfortable behind the kit. I’m hanging out with Henry, who I just heard on stage at Whitey’s for this jam session in Northeast.  Henry, what is your full name?

 

Henry Michael Mrotz 

Henry Michael Mrotz,

 

Sean McPherson (Jazz88) 

Alright, and you are a drummer.

 

Henry Michael Mrotz 

I am, yes.

 

Sean McPherson (Jazz88) 

How old are you or what level of school are you in?

 

Henry Michael Mrotz 

I am 17. I’m currently a senior at Patrick Henry High School, I guess Camden high school now.

 

Sean McPherson (Jazz88) 

Oh, yes, excuse me, yes, go Camden. All right, you sounded really nice up there. I heard you onFootprints and a couple other tunes. What was your favorite thing you played today?

 

Henry Michael Mrotz 

Probably Footprints, never played that one before, so it’s always nice to get a chance to do something new.

 

Sean McPherson (Jazz88) 

You sounded pretty comfortable. How long have you been coming to this jam session?

 

Henry Michael Mrotz 

To this jam it’s been a little bit over a year now. Yeah, it’s an incredible opportunity. I’ve been super fortunate that this is here and that. I’m able to come to it every week. It’s amazing.

 

Sean McPherson (Jazz88) 

How did you first find out about it? Who invited you out here?

 

Henry Michael Mrotz 

I found out about it through my friend Elliot, who’s also a high schooler. Yeah, he said to come down. And it was amazing for other young players who might be considering coming out to a thing like this, but might be a little nervous.

 

Sean McPherson (Jazz88) 

What’s your advice for them, Henry?

 

Henry Michael Mrotz 

I’d say, go for it, and if, if you suck, that means you should come back the next week and do it again.

 

Sean McPherson (Jazz88) 

Well, Henry, you sounded great. You certainly didn’t suck, and I really appreciate you chatting with Jazz88 and just awesome to see a young person up there learn this music.

 

Henry Michael Mrotz 

Thank you so much.

 

Sean McPherson (Jazz88) 

I was feeling the glow of these young players cutting their teeth on standards, exploring new sounds, and, most importantly, meeting each other. But I had to wonder what keeps Graydon Peterson coming back. Peterson plays with some of the finest names in Minnesota music, including Davina and the Vagabonds. Stands to reason that grading could probably keep his calendar plenty full without this weekly Tuesday anchor. So I asked him, what keeps him coming back?

 

Graydon Peterson 

I really like watching the new kids come in, okay, like, and they’re telling me how much, oh, last week I learned this tune. Can we do this tune? I’m like, yeah, we can do that soon, you know, and then, like, maybe some of them go to college, and then they come back, and they’re, like, all excited to, like, play some more with different people. I like seeing that

 

Sean McPherson (Jazz88) 

A jazz scene doesn’t Thrive purely because Pat Metheny plays to a packed Ordway show in early spring, where then artists like Stefon Harris pours his heart into his vibraphone in front of thousands of people at Mears Park during the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. A scene doesn’t even thrive because we live in a metro area where a great Minnesota jazz ensemble can sell a healthy amount of tickets on a frosty off night. A scene thrives because a 17 year old from Camden High named Henry wants to try out more of the Tony Williams approach next week on Footprints, and because Graydon Peterson wants to play along with it, because a lot of folks want to hear what happens when the piano player counts it off. So the jazz scene keeps going strong, because on a cold Tuesday night, the most dedicated fans and players in town keep it going. And if you suck, that means you should come back to next week and do it again. For Jazz88 I’m Sean McPherson.


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