NO COVER 4:30pm Show
Riley Helgeson photo by Isabel Fajardo; Christopher Olson photo by Andrea Canter
Two Twin Cities musicians and educators, guitarist Chris Olson and trumpeter Riley Helgeson, will perform a mix of jazz standards and originals for this early Friday show.
Christopher Olson has performed as a solo artist; in duos with many of the finest singers and instrumentalists in the Twin Cities; and with a variety of ensembles in Minnesota and Wisconsin, including JazzMN Orchestra, The Freier Department, Explosion Big Band, and the trio Framework. Chris has shared the stage with many jazz greats, including Ingrid Jensen, Tierney Sutton, Gretchen Parlato, and Maria Schneider. He has also taught at several universities and community colleges throughout the Midwest.
⊹
Riley Helgeson is a freelance trumpet player and composer based in the Twin Cities. Helgeson is a part of a writing duo, Pierpont & Helgeson, which released their debut album, "Of Time," via Secret Stash Records in 2025.
Helgeson has toured North America and Europe with Sonny Knight and the Lakers; Friendly Fires (UK); and his own project, McNasty Brass Band. He has also had the honor of performing with O.A.R., PJ Morton, Marie Osmond, Stokely, Fred Wesley (James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic) and John “Jabo” Starks (Bobby Bland, James Brown).
Helgeson serves as the jazz program director for the Shell Lake Arts Center (WI), the oldest jazz camp in the world. He also serves on the board of directors of the Twin Cities Musicians Union Local 30-73 and is trumpet faculty at Century College.
