GRACE Dinner Program Relax with friends and family during dinner, enjoying the uplifting program together and share the night with new friends met at the conference. Following the dinner there will be a beautiful candle lit memorial and rose service.

GRACE Commemoration Table Attendees are encouraged to bring a picture of their baby to attach to the Baby Feet Memorial along with other memorial items that they wish to share on the Commemoration Table such as scrapbooks, framed pictures, shadow boxes, poems, angel statues, etc.

Entertainment
Dinner will be spent listening to sophisticated standards with a gypsy flavor, and a bit of French flair. Maud Hixson, vocalist, is joined by Robert Bell on guitar and Patrick Harison on accordion. They are mainstays of the local jazz scene, and appear with such groups as the Twin Cities Hot Club and the Wolverines.

Maud Hixson

Presented as "Best New Voice" at the Twin Cities Winter JazzFest in 2003, Maud has since become a favorite with audiences and musicians in clubs, concerts, and festivals. A native of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, her work as a bandleader, and with groups such as the Wolverines, Twin Cities Seven, the JazzMN Big Band, the Mouldy Figs and the Twin Cities Hot Club has established her as a versatile performer. In 2006 she attended the International Cabaret Conference at Yale University funded by an Artist Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. 2008 was a year of unique presentations. In April, Maud created and performed in a new show entitled "Beyond Category: The Ellington and Strayhorn Songbook", as part of the Twin Cities Jazz Society's "Jazz From J To Z" series. She was joined by Dennis Spears, Lucia Newell and the Rick Carlson Quartet for this sold-out concert.

Maud also fashioned several special programs for the audiences at the Heights Theatre, the Twin Cities' longest continuously run show house, celebrating over 80 years. In May she unveiled "What Judy Means To Jazz", preceding a screening of the classic Judy Garland film, The Harvey Girls. In September, she performed selections from The DeSylva, Brown, and Henderson Songbook in conjunction with a showing of the 1947 MGM musical Good News. Both presentations were sponsored by Jazz88. December 13th and 14th, she appeared again as part of their 9th annual holiday show for two sold-out matinees. She was accompanied by pianist Rick Carlson for "The Merriest", a selection of holiday jazz paired with the seasonal favorite, White Christmas, from 1954.

Maud made her New York City debut on December 2nd and 9th at the Duplex in "Mickey and Maud: Maud Hixson Sings the Music of Michael (Mickey) Leonard". This is the first one-person show of the music of Michael Leonard, directed by Erv Raible, musical direction and arrangements by Tex Arnold. Vocal advisors were Laurel Massé and Shirley Callaway. This activity was made possible in part by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Maud also performed her 4th annual New Year's Eve dinner show to a full house at the Times Bar & Cafe in Northeast Minneapolis. To usher in 2009, she and pianist Rick Carlson returned with "Let's Start The New Year Right--with Irving Berlin", celebrating the songs of the author of "White Christmas" and so many other classic popular songs.
www.maudhixson.com

Robert Bell

Robert Bell was the boy that never kept still. Any object at any moment could suddenly be used for musical expression. This got the attention of Robert’s parents (in more ways than one) and he was encouraged to pursue piano. At the age of thirteen, While waiting for his weekly piano lesson, he heard someone playing acoustic guitar; the piano was sold shortly thereafter. Born in Milwaukee WI, Robert grew up close to The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music where he first studied guitar. Robert performed in many bands primarily in the pop or progressive music genres. While the musical experiences were very rewarding, Robert moved to Minneapolis to study science at the The University of Minnesota .

In 1998 he resumed his dedication to the guitar. Robert ran Bilo Studio where he recorded and composed music using guitar, bass, oud, didgeridoo, dumbek and other instruments for clients including Rock Bottom Restaurants, Norwest Bank and Aventis Bio Services.

Robert's moment of great influence and inspiration came after hearing the guitarist Django Reinhardt, and he began to pursue his truest calling: Jazz. Robert studied privately with Minneapolis guitarists Scott Fraser and Paul Renz. Robert's pusuit of Jazz also presented other musical opportunities and he became the guitarist for Troupe America’s A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline. The Theatre bug bit Robert hard and he followed as Music Director and guitarist for Minnesota Festival Theatre’s Always Patsy Cline.

Robert's strength as a band leader emerged and the swing septet BellCats was formed. Bellcats was a featured artist on Germany’s Frankie Boy records, their self titled album was released and the group was featured on numerous compilations. BellCats performed for hundreds of corporate events, club dates, weddings and festivals.

In 2002 Robert began to focus his talents on Gypsy Jazz or Hot Club music. He created "A Tribute to Django Reinhardt " featuring Minnesota's top players in the genre and including members from every Hot Club in Minnesota. Based on the response from audiences, Robert was offered a weekly show at The Times Bar and Café in May of 2004. It was this weekly performance opportunity that was the inspiration for Robert’s first solo release, Gypsy Tendercies. The release from concept to completion was done in six weeks. Studio time was completed in 12 hours as Robert tracked both rhythm and lead parts that Vintage Guitar described as "fiery, virtuosic solos."

Robert formed the Twin Cities Hot Club in late 2004. The group has released a self titled CD and recently the DVD Live at the Times. Robert is also a member of the traditional jazz band the Southside Aces. Robert leads the Robert Bell Erin Schwab Hot Swing Combo, and is also the bandleader for Lili's Burlesque house band and MPR Stage Sessions. Robert has performed at the Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival, the Twin Cities Winter Jazz Festival, the Doc Evans Jazz Festival , Uptown Row Django Fest and Minnesota sur Seine where he performed a concert with the great gypsy guitarist Dorado Schmitt.

Robert has also been selected to perform for many international Lindy hop events. Performance experience includes Midwest Lindyfest 2005-2007, Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown 2004-2007, Twin Cities Lindy Exchange, Washington D.C. Lindy Exchange, University of WI Madison, Lawrence University, Macalester College and Midwest Balboa Fest.

As a solist or part of a group Robert regularly provides music for many corporate clients including; Target Corporation, Carlson Companies, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Schuler Shook, BI Corporation, Cunningham Group, Sen. Norm Coleman, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, City of Minneapolis, Alliance Française of Minneapolis/St Paul, and St. Paul Saints to name a few. Robert also provides music for many weddings and private events and teaches privately from his home in Minneapolis.

Robert Bell's passion for the guitar shines through his recorded music and his diversity in the Jazz genre creates energizing live performances. Check out the music or performance sections of this site for more information.
www.bellrobert.com

Patrick Harison

Born to a goldsmithing accordion player and a ballet teacher, Patrick Harison grew up in a home full of art, music and dance. The basement was full of accordions and polka records. His father encouraged him to pick up the accordion at age 13. Patrick learned how to turn the bulky and boisterous machine into a sensitive instrument by listening to and imitating the masters from every corner of the world. His only formal study was with midwestern accordion hero Larry Malmberg. By 14, Patrick's professional career had begun. The heart of his musical education took place on the bandstands of Minnesota's bustling music scene working with artists as diverse as Connie Evingson, Coach Said Not To, Zeitgeist New Music Ensemble, Mandragora Tango Orchestra, Parisota Hot Club, John Devine, Sam Miltich, Mark Kreitzer and countless others.

Patrick's debut album Streetwalker explores his diverse musical roots with a collection of original compositions, earthy grooves and haunting gypsy melodies. After a 16 state national tour, he found himself in New Orleans. There, he hoped to understand the tangled roots of African and American music. In the crescent city, Patrick joined New Orleans' famous Panorama Jazz Band with whom he had the pleasure of performing at the 2006 and 2007 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the Festival Internacional de Jazz in Veracruz, Mexico. Upon returning to Minneapolis he was awarded the 2006 McKnight Fellowship for Performing Artists through MacPhail Center for Music.

In the summer of 2007 Patrick moved to New York with the infamous Loose Marbles street band. New York's incredibly diverse music scene has afforded many opportunities to perform his diverse body of work; original and traditional gypsy music with Which Way East, hot hobo jazz with The Baby Soda Jazz Band and forward looking original music with the Patrick Harison Trio.
www.patrickharison.com



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