Scene Maker Q&A: Bassist Liz Draper steps out front with residency at Minneapolis jazz club

Minnesota bassist Liz Draper has played with some of the area’s most recognizable acts, including Low, Charlie Parr and the Okee Dokee Brothers. When a band needs either an electric or upright bassist (or both), they call Draper. Now she’s doing the calling.

Draper is in the midst of a residency at Berlin, the newish jazz club in Minneapolis’ North Loop. For every performance, she chooses different collaborators. For her next gigs, on Sunday she’ll be joined by Iranian vocalist Aida Shahghasemi and violinist Sara Pajunen. On Monday, she’ll play with Circuit City, a band featuring guitarists Alan Sparhawk and Jeremy Ylvisaker, plus percussionist Davu Seru.

Meanwhile, Draper tours about one week a month with Iowa country-folk singer/songwriter Iris DeMent and curates a monthly music series at Mankato’s Carnegie Art Center. And she will accompany Pieta Brown on Oct. 26 at the Cedar Cultural Center’s 35th anniversary concert.

Draper, who splits her time between Minneapolis and Mankato, explained how taxing it is mentally and spiritually to put together so many different combos in a compact period. Here are excerpts.

Q: You did a residency last year at the Icehouse. What appeals to you about doing residencies?

A: It gives me an opportunity to form ensembles that I may not otherwise have an opportunity to play with and experiment a little bit. It’s very exciting for me to explore doing my own thing because I’m so often playing in other people’s ensembles, which is great but that’s more of the traditional bass player role, and this is where I get to lead projects.

Q: How do these gigs work — do you have rehearsals, do you talk to the musicians about a conceptual plan, do you improvise?

A: All of the above. It depends on the group. On last Sunday, I’ve played on and off for years with Davu [Seru] and a few times with Bryan [Murray] since he moved to Minnesota, so we all knew the idiom we were seeking so we didn’t have any rehearsals. We originally talked about charts and then that day, we are in love with improv and [said] let’s do that. And it was a success.

Q: How many hours of work do you do in advance of these shows?

A: I put in a lot of effort just making fliers, just organizing people’s schedules, doing social media, the unseen kind of thing. It’s better to not think about it. It ends up being a lot of work because it’s a lot of creativity and also some music to learn and try to get the word out, but it’s enriching when it all gets together. If I think about how many hours go into it, then I won’t want to do it.

Q: How about in terms of the music and conceptualizing?

A: It depends on the project. For example, on this coming Monday, the [Circuit City] group with Alan Sparhawk, Jeremy Ylvisaker and Davu Seru, we have played a couple shows. We have put in time practicing and coming up with different rhythms and grooves, but it might not have to be a ton of work practicing. Maybe just like an hour for that this time.

Q: How about if it’s brand new?

A: [On last Sunday], we had a couple of group texts back and forth for a week.

Q: What is it like energy-wise, mentally and spiritually to put together four or five different ensembles in a month?

A: It’s quite consuming in all of those ways but in a really positive way. I like to keep busy, and I live to create and try new things. Let’s come together and make some art that’s bigger than ourselves and bring some positivity into the world.

Q: How do you know whether to bring your upright or electric or do you bring both?

A: I don’t usually bring both. Circuit City is a lot more of a groove, almost a rock sound; I’ll have a pedal board and with drums and the size of the ensemble, that’s a choice to bring the electric. I love to bow on my upright and have those timbres to work with. It’s a matter of thinking of the overall timbres and sounds that make sense. Next Sunday, Sara is a violinist and I love to bow with her and have almost like a chamber music sound. I often don’t bring both. It’s not necessary.

Q: It’s an effort to schlep the upright.

A: That’s true. I’m used to it. I’m driving a minivan mostly because I play an upright bass.

Q: What’s happening with your solo career?

A: I actually just finished mixing something that’s going to be hopefully released sometime soon. [This week] I’m going to see a block print artist to see how the front and back cover turned out. It’s just going to be vinyl records. All original stuff. There is no timetable. I’m doing it all myself. It’s a pretty long process. The pressing of an album can take so long. It depends how far backed up the pressing [plant] is.

Q: What was it like playing with the Okee Dokee Brothers?

A: That was great. They work really hard and do a good job. I love the attention to detail. I never imagined I’d play in a family-oriented band. Musically, they’re good and all of their lyrics have an adult meaning and a kids’ meaning, and it’s clever stuff and really enjoyable.

Q: What did it mean to you to play with Low for those years?

A: It was like a dream. I learned a lot from Alan [Sparhawk] and [Mimi Parker] musically, ways to see the world through. It was a really special, special thing to be involved in that kind of intimacy. Their relationship was hardly like any others. They took me in and it was really an honor.

Q: You started out playing violin and piano as a youngster. How do you think that’s impacted what you do today?

A: My father is a musician. There was always music and instruments in the house. I’d invite friends over and we’d mess around on the instruments. Physically, it makes sense for a 4-year-old to play violin. But I never resonated specifically with the violin but since I was around string instruments, I realized bass was what I wanted to play. We were in a small town so piano was an option for kids to take lessons. It helped form that musical language.

In COVID, when gigs disappeared, I started teaching online intro piano lessons. I’m not the best piano player but I love getting people excited about music. Now I have a number of piano students.

Q: I heard you used to sneak into jazz clubs and watch gigs when you were young.

A: On family vacations, after my mom and little brother went to sleep, my dad and I would go out. We’d wind up in places like Birdland and Iridium in New York and they’d let me because I was so young. I loved it. We saw Avishai Cohen and the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra.

When I graduated from Perpich [Arts High School], I would go to the Clown Lounge [at the Turf Club in St. Paul] — it’s OK to say this now because there are different owners. I was so enamored with the Monday night jazz thing that JT [Bates] curated. I wasn’t drinking. I was there to hear music. I took lessons with Chris Bates and Adam Linz so I wanted to go hear them.