Starts July 8, 2026 · 2nd & 4th Wednesdays
A small-group, playing-centered course to help you feel more fluent, confident, and expressive improvising over jazz standards. Open to all instrumentalists, structured like a small-group ensemble — so you're soloing, comping, listening, and interacting in real time.
Format
6 sessions
over 3 months
Where
Jazz Central
Studios, MPLS
Tuition
$450 total
3 × $150
North Star was exactly the program I was looking for to get back into playing jazz in a friendly and welcoming environment. The instructors are all fantastic.North Star Member
Improvise with more fluency, confidence, and freedom.
Improv Lab is for intermediate players who are comfortable navigating jazz forms — blues, rhythm changes, common standards — and want to deepen their fluency and interaction in a combo setting. The class is structured like a small-group ensemble, so you'll be working on these concepts in real time: soloing, comping, listening, and interacting within a band.
This is a hands-on class — you'll be playing every session, applying ideas directly within tunes rather than just talking about them.
What you'll work on
Improv Lab works on the things that make improvising feel free instead of effortful — and you'll practice all of them inside real tunes, in a combo, every week.
Over six sessions, you'll build:
Instructor was extremely skilled, approachable, and knowledgeable. I'm confident everyone gained a significant amount of information to improve their playing and practicing.
Time
5:30 – 7:30pm
2nd & 4th Wednesdays of the monthLocation
Jazz Central Studios
407 Central Ave SE, MinneapolisFormat
Small-group combo
Six 2-hour sessions over three monthsTuition
$450 total
Three monthly payments of $150 — first confirms enrollmentSession Dates
Your Teachers
Saxophone · Co-Founder
Joe is a jazz musician and educator with a B.F.A. in Jazz Performance from The New School in New York City. Growing up in the Twin Cities, he shared stages with local talents like Javier Santiago, Miguel Hurtado, and Chris Smith, and studied with Dave Glasser, Jon Gordon, and Tony Malaby. He has performed with groups including Raffi Garabedian, Danny Fisher-Lockhead, Brass Magic, Zongo Junction, and the Electric Squeezebox Orchestra, at venues and festivals such as SFJAZZ, Irving Plaza, the Telluride Jazz Festival, and the San Jose Jazz Festival.
For nearly a decade, Joe taught combos and classes at the California Jazz Conservatory — saxophone, music theory, and improvisation — and helped run the Berkeley Jazz Workshops, leading small-group jazz lessons for adult musicians.
Bass · Co-Founder
Chris is a vital figure in the Minnesota music scene. Raised in a musical household and trained by Minnesota Orchestra bassist James Clute, he developed his improvisational skills at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, performing with acclaimed artists such as Red Rodney and Donald Harrison. After earning a McKnight Composer's Fellowship with Motion Poets, he reemerged in 2006 as a composer and performer; his debut album New Hope (2012) earned critical acclaim, followed by projects with The Good Vibes Trio and Atlantis Quartet.
His compositions have been performed by big bands and new-music ensembles like Zeitgeist, and recent work includes soundtracks, live radio dramas, and teaching at the University of Minnesota Morris. Chris maintains a dynamic presence across many musical genres.
Is this class for you?
Improv Lab is designed for intermediate players. You're a good fit if:
No specific theory background required — just a willingness to dig in and grow. If you're not sure whether this is the right fit, email us or book a quick call.
Enrollment
Now enrolling for the summer session.
First session: Wednesday, July 8.
2nd & 4th Wednesdays, 5:30–7:30pm.
Tuition is $450 total (15% discount for current North Star members), paid in three monthly installments of $150. Your deposit below confirms your enrollment and covers your first month's payment.
Still thinking it through? Book a call and we'll help you figure out if it's the right fit.
Questions? Email us anytime at hello@northstarjazzworkshops.com.