The University of Minnesota Morris jazz and commercial music program will welcome regional middle and high school students, alumni, and friends to campus for Jazz Fest 2026 on Friday, April 10.
The 45th annual UMM Jazz Fest is open to instrumental and vocal jazz bands of all ages and is non-competitive.
Director of Jazz Studies Dustin Retzlaff stated, “We strive to bring excellent guest artists, have a great time, honor our UMM music alumni who are a part of the history of this program, and keep on swingin' into the end of the school year each spring. We hope you might join us for an awesome weekend of music!”
Middle school and high school students will take part in an all-day clinic, and the public will be treated to an evening concert performed by the UMN Morris jazz ensembles, alumni jazz band, and guest artists at 6:30 p.m. in Edson Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now: $15 for general admission and $10 for seniors/students.
About the guest artists
DARUMA is a fresh contemporary jazz group featuring some of Denver's finest young talent. Their music reinterprets the jazz aesthetic for the 21st century, taking audiences from deep grooves to intimate ballads to Coltrane-inspired swing, drawing from the jazz tradition, rock, film music, and neo-soul.
The band has toured the U.S., selling out venues and outdoor festivals from Texas to Chicago, and has received the South Arts Jazz Road touring grant. They have been featured on KUVO Jazz 89.3 (PBS), NPR radio, and CBS broadcast TV.
Members have performed with leading artists like Billy Childs, Theo Croker, Rufus Reid, Tia Fuller and Big Gigantic, at notable venues including Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Blue Note Amsterdam, and Birdland, and have won ASCAP and Downbeat awards.
Jazz Crawl
On Saturday, April 11, the music moves off campus and into the Morris community for something new—a jazz crawl. Three groups will offer live performances at venues around town, giving you the chance to pair brunch, coffee or a night out with seriously good music.
The first stop is at Prime Steak House, with Gauchos del Tango performing from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Featuring accordionist Michael Ward-Bergeman with UMN Morris faculty Dustin Retzlaff and Yulene Velásquez, this brunch performance pairs French-inspired music with a menu to match. If you like your jazz with a side of atmosphere, this is a strong place to start.
The afternoon venue is the Common Cup Coffee Shop with Motu United from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Based in Fergus Falls, Motu United brings a lively mix of Caribbean jazz and cover music to the afternoon lineup. It’s an easy stop for coffee, conversation and a set that keeps things light, upbeat and fun.
The crawl is capped with a stop at the Old No. 1 Southside with the group, Twin Cities Hot Club. Representing Minnesota in the revival of gypsy jazz, Twin Cities Hot Club brings the spirit of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli to Morris with swing, musette, bolero, bossa nova and the unmistakable energy of acoustic jazz that feels very much alive. Tickets are required for the evening performance and can be purchased in advance.