The Rippingtons with Russ Freeman
November 1, 2002
The Rippingtons are an award-winning contemporary jazz group, founded by Russ Freeman in 1987. The band has enjoyed tremendous success from the beginning with their groundbreaking album Moonlighting. The band has been to the Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Festival, JazzFest in 1997 and recently was awarded the Oasis for Group of The Year, an honor they've earned for two years running. The band continues to grow and evolve musically, with a busy touring and recording schedule that shows no sign of letting up.

Butch Thompson Trio
January 4, 2003
If you have heard A Prairie Home Companion on National Public Radio, you have more than likely heard the piano stylings of Butch Thompson. Thompson was a house pianist and bandleader with Garrison Keillor for 12 years and is still a frequent guest. Thompson now travels the world bringing his mix of ragtime, stride and classic jazz piano everywhere he goes. He will perform along with bassist Marty Eggers and drummer Hal Smith. Always a popular performer in Sioux Falls... he blends his humor and music perfectly.

Guy Davis
February 15, 2003
One of the most influential acoustic blues musicians of today, Guy Davis's gritty voice and acoustic finger picking style take us back to the days of Leadbelly, Robert Johnson and Mississippi John Hurt. His music consists of bare-bones blues acoustic guitar, harmonica and vocal arrangements with an accordion, drums, bass or mandolin thrown in every now and again. In addition to being a musician and songwriter, Davis is an accomplished actor and playwright, having performed on and Off-Broadway. Davis was the 1993 recipient of the W.C. Handy "Keeping the Blues Alive" award.

Jane Monheit
April 11, 2003
Jane Monheit has been hailed the next "It" girl on the American jazz scene. Monheit's career began when she placed second in the Thelonious Monk Institute International Vocal Competition in 1998. Her first two critically acclaimed albums hit the Billboard top ten jazz albums and stayed there. The 24-year-old's newest album In The Sun, released in September 2002, is the sort of ambitious and personalized statement that comes with confidence and experience. She continues to headline at both the Village Vangaurd and The Algonquin in Manhattan, and performed at Carnegie Hall in October, all-the-while traveling the world playing club and theatre gigs. She's one of the hottest acts in the business today. One look... and one listen will tell you why.