6 cool things in music this week include Steve Albini, Cornbread Harris and Sierra Ferrell

A half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view:

Dan Patton of Minneapolis:

1 Larry McDonough. One night he plies the keys with Kind of Bill (the music of Bill Evans) at the Dakota, the next night with Steely Ann at the Kato Ballroom, then a Mostly Music jazz and poetry church service. Larry’s one of our local treasures (pianist, singer, composer), who spends his days as a senior fellow with the National Housing Law Project and adjunct law professor at the University of Minnesota Law School.

2 BOB! The Music of Bob Dylan. Call me a heretic but I was never much of a fan of Dylan performing his own music. As such, I was doubtful about hearing it covered. What a great surprise to hear this tight and talented group do just that at the Lake Harriet Band Shell last summer. You will marvel anew as I did at our local hero’s songbook.

3 Zacc Harris. Solo or with some swingin’ sidemen, playing reimagined classics or originals, this Twin Citian’s jazz guitar mastery brings joy in any style or setting.

Jon Bream, Star Tribune critic:

1 RIP, Steve Albini. The producer/engineer (he preferred to say “recorded by”) was an incessantly opinionated, uncompromising iconoclast, part provocateur, part artiste, who was invaluable in the alt-rock and indie rock worlds for four decades. While appreciated for fronting his own fierce bands Big Black and Shellac, he’s revered for his studio work with Pixies, Nirvana, PJ Harvey, the Breeders, Low, Robert Plant & Jimmy Page, and countless others.

2 Cornbread Harris’ 97th birthday concert, Hook & Ladder Theater. Chatty and spirited, the stalwart Minneapolis bluesy/jazzy piano man exchanged banter with his band and entertained a full house with his good humor and good music. Highlight: the original “Put the World Back Together.” He performs every Sunday at 5 p.m. at Palmer’s Bar on the West Bank.

3 Sierra Ferrell, First Avenue. Coming across like Dolly Parton with less vibrato and less garishness, the West Virginia Americana warbler displayed a delightful personality and becoming playfulness along with first-rate songs and solid musicianship. The tunes mixed classic country, modern twang, bluegrass instincts, gypsy jazz and a little tango and Tex-Mex flavoring. This was the most refreshingly quirky country-adjacent show by a woman in the Twin Cities since Kacey Musgraves emerged a dozen years ago.

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