Art Hounds: The New Standards Holiday Show becomes a family tradition

The New Standards
The New Standards are bringing their high-spirited Holiday Show to Minneapolis, St. Cloud and Red Wing.
Travis Anderson | Courtesy of The New Standards

This week on Art Hounds: Martin Luther at Mia, clarinetist David Krakauer performs with the Bakken Trio and The New Standards Holiday Show

Clarinetist David Krakauer at Temple Israel

When singer and performing artist David Jordan Harris hears that clarinetist David Krakauer is coming to town, he doesn't bother to check and see what the musician is performing before he buys his ticket.

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Harris says Krakauer is a luminary talent, equally impressive playing classical or klezmer, and equally skilled at composing and improvising. Krakauer returns to Minneapolis Sunday at 4 p.m. to perform with The Bakken Trio at Temple Israel.

"Martin Luther: Art and the Reformation" at Mia

Art and religion scholar Cia Sautter recommends checking out the exhibition on Martin Luther at Mia, and not just if you're Lutheran.

Sautter says that, while Luther was both anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim, the exhibition is about far more than the man. She says it's really an interesting exploration of how art made its way out of the churches and into the hands of the people.

The exhibit will be on display through Jan. 15, 2017.

The New Standards Holiday Show

It's become a tradition for Peter Hatinen's family to attend The New Standards Holiday Show. They haven't missed a single one in the last decade.

The New Standards, a jazz trio made up of local music icons, takes pop music standards and cracks them open, giving them new life as jazz tunes. Their "new standards" range from Rogers and Hammerstein to '70s glam — and around Christmas, they present their takes on classic holiday chestnuts.

The Holiday Show, which started as a humble variety show to bring friends together, has since evolved into a full-blown spectacle with a horn section, dancers and surprise guest cameos.

The New Standards Holiday Show runs Friday and Saturday at the State Theatre in Minneapolis. Then the group takes the show on the road with performances in St. Cloud on Dec. 13 and in Red Wing on Dec. 17.