A Swingin’ Christmas at Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant

“Fresh and classic at the same time” – Star Tribune There’s no better place to be right before Christmas than at Dakota with Andrew Walesch and his eighteen-piece big band. Ring in the holidays with the songs of Bennett, Sinatra, Bublé, Basie, and more! Like a good many before him, singer and pianist Andrew Walesch manages to encapsulate the sophistication of a cosmopolite and the self-effacing charm of a country boy. Leading his all-star big band, showman Andrew Walesch kidnaps the Blue Eyes tradition and makes it his own in his jazz-bent Sinatra revue. Thus, Walesch is a traditionalist and an iconoclast rolled into one. Whether composing and arranging or appearing in settings ranging from solo artist to big band, this St. Cloud, MN native is as respectful of his predecessors as he is ready to take a leap into the unknown and chart a new course. Additionally, Andrew routinely jams venues all over the Midwest and beyond with a uniquely cross-generational audience. Walesch’s fans include jazz enthusiasts of a certain age, as well as a younger crowd compelled by his down-home insouciance. Here, all are drawn in by the knowing irreverence of a tried-and-true American nightclub entertainer. “Although they are my idols, I don’t attempt to imitate the great pop and jazz artists of the 50s and ’60s,” says Andrew. “But I go for broke when we do our shows – vocally and musically!” His vocal and piano chops, along with his keen sensibility to find and interpret a great lyric, have led to some great opportunities for Walesch. In 2023, Andrew accepted the position of artistic director of the MIM Music Theater in Phoenix, Arizona where he now resides. Recommended for fans of Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Michael Bublé and Bing Crosby.