THE REFUGE PROJECT: Momentous Records artist John Paulson has released his third CD of original big band jazz, The Refuge Project. Featured artists on the recording include Adam Meckler (trumpet and flugelhorn) and the addition of jazz vocalist Janette Hanson of La Crosse, WI on the title tune “Refuge,” a work inspired by Dr. Paulson’s repeated trips to the Trempealeau Federal Wildlife Refuge in western Wisconsin. A Creative Support for Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board helped to produce the album and fund a capstone concert coming up January 20, 2024 at Mayo High School in Rochester, Minnesota. Visit the paulsonjazz.com website for ticket info and details on more upcoming Paulson performances. Physical CDs are available via Momentous Records.

ACOUSTIC ROOTS-FUNK… WITH TROMBONES! Momentous Records artist Mike Starling is on a mission. The La Crosse songwriter has been busy sifting through boxes of old cassettes and tapes searching for neglected, lost musical gems.

The latest product of this audio scavenger hunt Is Don’t Read the Between the Lines, a collection of seven songs that got their start back in the mid-‘90s and have now been finalized, re-energized and remastered.

Starling laid down the original tracks in a couple live-in-the-studio recording sessions with guitarist Hans Mayer and drummer Dave Purcell. Trombonist Mark Lakmann is featured on four tracks. The album debuted at a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Planetarium show on Nov. 9, 2023 and is now available on Bandcamp. Visit mikestarling.bandcamp.com to listen to the album, read song lyrics and get more info.

EVERYDAY ROAD RELEASE PARTY: Momentous Records Kit Mayer celebrates the release of his new album Everyday Road with a show at the Muse Theatre, 1353 Avon St., La Crosse on Saturday, Aug. 12. Kit says the night will include "a full playing of new album and more with the help of the Pack and some other wolves. This will be a fun show as the official release of the project with special guest Matt Monsoor. The Muse Theatre is a great intimate venue in an historic North La Crosse church." Doors open at 6 p.m. The show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available at Instrument Repair of La Crosse, Dave's Guitar Shop, Drift Mercantile and Turtle Stack Brewery. Featuring 10 new original songs, Everyday Road is available now from Bandcamp and Kit's website.

JAZZ IN WINONA: Momentous Records artist John Paulson will present a free pre-concert talk on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 1 pm at the Winona Friendship Center, 251 Main St., Winona, Minn. In addition to discussing upcoming concerts and recordings, his presentation will include a comparison contrast between his music and the popular big band jazz of earlier times as well as a brief description of how he writes and arranges music for his own band.

On the following weekend, the 20-piece John Paulson Big Band will be performing their mix of original, contemporary jazz in back-to-back concerts at the Winona Art Center will celebrate 10 years of successful concerts, recordings and educational residencies. The concerts are set for Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7 pm and Sunday, Feb. 5 at 3 pm.

Visit the paulsonjazz.com website for ticket info and details on more upcoming Paulson performances.

IN MEMORY OF... Momentous Records artist Kit Mayer has released his latest music video to mark the anniversary of a certain infamous day in U.S. history (yes, Jan. 6). The song is Roll Out Mama, and it's a live recording of the song from his album Stone's Throw. Backing up Kit at the live show at Leo and Leona's are Jeff Sherin, Mark Davini, Hans Mayer and Terry Nirva. Diane Breeser stars with Kit in the story part of the clip. The video was shot and edited by Momentous artist Brett Huus with lighting by Jason Underferth and additional audio/video tech by Ed Smerud.

JOHN PAULSON BIG BAND 10TH ANNIVERSARY: To celebrate a decade of performances, workshops and recordings, the John Paulson Big Band will perform anniversary concerts at the newly renovated Winona Art Center February 4-5, 2023. In November 2012, Paulson's newly formed big band blew the roof off the old church that held the Winona Art Center. That concert led to the completion of the group’s first two CDs, available on Momentous Records.

In addition, Paulson and drummer Rich MacDonald will work with student jazz groups as artists-in-residence at Caledonia High School in October 2022. The John Paulson Big Band will give a free concert Saturday, October 15 at 7:00 p.m. Opening the show: the CHS Jazz Band directed by JPBB trombonist Dustin Moburg. The Caledonia residency and Winona Art Center concerts are made possible through grants from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council in cooperation with a private foundation.

Learn more about John's music on his Momentous Records artist page.

STONE'S THROW: Just in time for the holidays, the new album by Momentous Records artist Kit Mayer has arrived. The CD includes 10 new songs by Mayer and is available at kitmayer.com. Backing Kit in the studio are top local musicians Jeff Sherin, Mark Divini, Terry Nirva, Joe Hauser and brother Hans Mayer. Greg Balfany, leader of the La Crosse Jazz Orchestra, also wrote a horn arrangement for one of the tunes, performing the part with Jeff Krauklis and George Von Arx. Momentous artist Brett Huus is also featured on backing vocals along with Irene Keenan Jr., Nancy Stoll Caucutt, and Ariane Lydon.

Kit posted this note on his Facebook: "Hey friends, I'm pleased to report that I have a brand spanking new CD. It's officially here and available to anyone who can find me. There are plans in the works to make it easier to obtain as well as streaming capabilities. I personally like a physical product that I can carry around, put on in the car and read the liner notes, look at the artwork and generally handle. So that part is here! I hope sometime in the spring to have an actual release party/event with a band and will post that information when it's known."

QUIESCENCE: The first track from the production team Starling-Huus (aka Momentous Records artists Brett Huus and Mike Starling). Titled Quiescence, the 7-minute instrumental is an improvised, free-form jam recorded in one take, totally unplanned and off the cuff. No overdubs, no punch-ins, no post-production trickery. Just a bass, a piano, a loop... and the energy the musicians were feeding off of in that moment. "This track is all about the restorative power of nature, music and friendship," Starling says. The release is dedicated to the memory of their friend Gene Purcell (1960-2021). Listen to the track at Bandcamp

MAYER REMASTERED: The Mayer Brothers Band is one of our most popualar acts here on Momentous Records. So we are excited to announce that we just completed a remastering of Kit Mayer's debut solo album Sporting Life for release in the 21st century. Recorded with a stellar group of backup musicians called the Careful Flies, the 12 tunes on this classic recording are now available on streaming services for the first time. You can also get it on good old-fashioned physical CDs from us or at Mayer Brothers gigs. Visit Kit's artist page to learn more.

STARLING IN THE NEWS: The release of the Backwaters album by Momentous Records artist Mike Starling is generating a lot of media interest.

"Starling's latest gives life to the beauty of the La Crosse area through collaboration of music and photography," writes Maeve Miller in an review for lacrosselocal.com. Mike was also interviewed for the La Crosse Local podcast.

And, Lindsey Ford of WXOW-TV News 19 interviewed Mike and Chuck Lee, executive director of the Friends of the La Crosse River Marsh, about their collaboration on the Backwaters video. You can watch that story on the News 19 website.

MUSIC FOR A CAUSE: Momentous Records joined forces with Friends of the La Crosse River Marsh on the release of Backwaters, a new album of guitar-based instrumental music by Mike Starling. Nature and wildlife photography shot at the marsh by John F. Sullivan is featured in the first video for the new album, whose music was inspired by the many rivers and backwaters of the Driftless Region.

“Music created by local artists has a way of capturing the essence of our places, spiriting us back to the landscapes that define us,” says Chuck Lee, president of Friends of the La Crosse River Marsh, the volunteer-run nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve, protect and enhance the marsh through action, advocacy and education. “This is why Friends of the La Crosse River Marsh is honored that Mike Starling and Momentous Records wanted to partner with us on the release of their new album.”

The music is available for a limited time for free at mikestarling.bandcamp.com in an effort to encourage donations to the Friends of the Marsh. Learn more at Mike's artist page.

25 YEARS OF SNARK! Momentous Records has teamed up with Nine Volt Media for a fond look back at one of the most fun and adventurous original music bands to emerge from the Driftless Region in the last two decades. Bean Hoy was the brainchild of La Crosse music journalist Mike Starling, and served as an outlet for his wry, topical tunes about subjects like road construction, cruddy jobs and the joys of beater cars and Wisconsin winters. "Like Dave Barry backed by the Violent Femmes," Ted Johnson once wrote in LAX Magazine. Bean Hoy took the stage in everything from acoustic duo to 8-piece rock band with a brass section called the Horns of Vengeance. Twelve of the band's most popular tunes have been remastered for the new Momentous release It's a Big Dumb World: A 25th Anniversary Collection. Casey Virock, Hans Mayer, Mark Lakmann, Jim Vogt, Jason Knox and Bob Mueller are just a few of the top-notch Wisconsin musicians backing Starling on the recordings. The album is available exclusively at beanhoy.bandcamp.com. Learn more at the Bean Hoy artist page.

HOT MINNESOTA BIG BAND! Momentous Records is proud to welcome the newest addition to our artist roster: the JazzMN Orchestra. Just released: The Commission Project, produced by drummer/educator Rich MacDonald (pictured above). The seven original compositions on the CD were commissioned by MacDonald with the goal of presenting a wide variety of big band styles. MacDonald and JazzMN Orchestra artistic director Doug Snapp began meeting on the project in January 2017, at which time it was decided that they would include it as part of the JazzMN concert series. The live premiere was March 10, 2018 at Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, Minnesota. The recording was done the next day at Creation Audio in Minneapolis. Cool fact: Momentous Records artist Karyn Quinn is the bassist on the recording! Learn more and watch a sample video on the JazzMN artist page.

SIDE BAND NEWS: Hans and Kit Mayer of the Mayer Brothers Band are reuniting one of their first groups for a special one-night concert Sept. 7 at the Grand Ballroom in La Crosse. The band is called Northern Comfort and features Hans on guitar, Kit on banjo, Jim Gillespie on guiitar and harmonica, Terry Bull on bass and Brett Champlin on drums. This group of musicians hasn't played together in nearly 40 years, so it should be a treat. You can hear the latest album by The Mayer Brothers Band on Momentous Records. It's called Stay Out of the Rain and is available at band gigs.

SEPTEMBER JAZZ: Several upcoming shows featuring Momentous Records artist Karyn Quinn on bass:

• Jump For Joy: A Jazz Concert for All Ages, Westby Area Performing Arts Center, Sept. 5

• Night And Day: A Celebration of Cole Porter with Dave Marck Jazz Quartet, Sept. 11, Winona State University Performing Arts Center; and Viterbo University Fine Arts Center Main Theatre, Sept. 12

• La Crosse Jazz Quartet with Greg Balfany, Luke Thering and Rich MacDonald, Charmont Hotel, Sept. 14
• The "Original" La Crosse Jazz Quartet with Greg Balfany, Chris Frye and Tim Henke, Root Note, Sept. 18

You can get more details and sign up for email updates at Karyn's artist site. And don't forget to check out Great Days, the excellent trio album she recorded with Wayne Hawkins and Todd Strait for Momentous Records.

WE GOT A CURE FOR THE SUMMERTIME BLUES! Momentous Records artists The Mayer Brothers Band kick off a busy summer with a show at Saxon Hall in Brownsville, Minn. on June 9. Next day they go downriver for an afternoon show at The Other Place (O.P.) in Lansing, Iowa. Back in La Crosse for Moon Tunes at Riverside Park on June 14. Hans Mayer and Terry Nirva will also be at this year's Moon Tunes kickoff concert backing Bill Miller on June 7. Check out the Mayer Brothers Band website for more summer gigs.

A JAZZ-PACKED MAY: Momentous Records artist Karyn Quinn and her bass are all over the La Crosse area this month. On May 4, she backs Tom Wopat at Leo and Leona’s. May 5 she's with the Don Scott Blues Band at Piggy’s Blues Lounge. There's a May 6 afternoon show with the 3rd Relation Jazz Quartet at the La Crosse Public Library, and two days later at the Root Note. She's back at the Root Note with the La Crosse Jazz Orchestra May 15, then with the La Crosse Jazz4tet at the Charmont Hotel May 25 and Safe Passage at the Starlite Lounge May 26. For times, check her artist website event calendar.

BILL'S BAND: For his next La Crosse area gig, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Bill Miller is tapping into the talent of several Momentous Records artists. Dan Sebranek of String Ties and Hans Mayer and Terry Nirva of the Mayer Brothers Band will hit the stage with Bill at Leo & Leona's Tavern & Dancehall in Newburg Corners, Wis. on Saturday, Feb 24. The show starts at 7:30 pm. Get more details and directions on Leo & Leona's website. Bill is currently touring in support of Look Again To The Wind: Johnny Cash's Bitter Tears Revisited, a collaborative effort in which Bill sings the title track. Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Steve Earle and Kris Kristopherson are among the other artists featured on the Joe Henry-produced disc.

THE TIES THAT BIND: Momentous Records artists String Ties played a role in the new album Ginkgo by singer-songwriter Johnsmith. String Ties’ Larry Dalton is featured on upright bass and Dan Sebranek contributed harmony vocals. That’s Larry above with Texas-based producer Tom Prasada-Rao during the recording sessions at Sound Strations in La Crosse. Check out some samples at johnsmith.com. Gingko is the eighth solo album by the Trempealeau, Wis.-based singer-songwriter.

Read about the making of the CD in the La Crosse Tribune

RAIN, SNOW OR COLD, Momentous Records artist Karyn Quinn will be laying down the bass at a number of live shows in La Crosse this month. She'll be performing with the 3rd Relation Jazz Trio at the Root Note on Jan. 9, 23 and 30. Shows run from 7:30-10 pm.

On Jan. 26, catch Karyn with the Safe Passage Jazz Quartet at the Starlight Lounge from 8 pm til midnight.

At 7 pm on Jan. 27, she'll be playing with the Greg Balfany Jazz Quartet for a Juvenile Diabetes Fundraising Gala at the Cargill Room.

And if you haven't already heard it, now is a great time to check out Great Days, the excellent trio album she recorded with pianist Wayne Hawkins and drummer Todd Strait for Momentous Records.

JIM'S JAZZY JANUARY: Momentous Records artist Jim Piela has a busy start to 2018. He'll be playing with Michael Sarian and the Big Chabones on Monday, Jan. 8 at Club Bonifide in New York (). Watch Jim in a preview of Sarian's new album in the video above. Also in January, you can catch Jim with:

Brazil Trio +1: Sunday, January 7 & 21, 5-8 pm, Cafe Argentino in Brooklyn map
Planetary People: Wednesday, Jan. 10, 7:30-8:30 pm, The Groove in New York map

Jim Piela Chordless Quartet: Thursday, Jan. 11, 7-8 pm, Shapeshifter Lab in Brooklyn map

In the meantime, check out Jim's two Momentous Records releases Non Fiction and Space Cadet at his website jimpiela.com.

CATCH KARYN: Momentous Records artist Karyn Quinn has a busy December schedule. She'll be playing bass with the La Crosse Jazz Orchestra Friday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Swingin' Yuletide concert at UW-La Crosse. On Sunday, Dec. 3, she'll be at Leo and Leona’s in Newburg Corners with singer-guitarist Tom Wopat and pianist Jeremy Kahn. That show starts at 5 p.m. And, there will be a La Crosse Jazz Orchestra Reading Session at the Root Note in La Crosse from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 19.

In the meantime, you can hear Karyn on the Momentous release Great Days.