Fresh Vibes: Piano/Vibraphone Jazz Takes On Crossover Classics

Piano and Vibes Jazz Duo

Creative arrangements of jazz standards and pop tunes with Dan Cavanagh and Dave Hagedorn.

Dan Cavanagh, Piano

Dave Hagedorn, Vibes

Dave Hagedorn and Dan Cavanagh first met in 1997 when Dan arrived as an undergraduate student at St. Olaf College. Dave had just been hired as the jazz and percussion professor. Dan is now the director of the School of Music at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Dave retired from St. Olaf in 2020. Their first album, Horizon, was independently released in 2010 by Cavanagh and Hagedorn. The second release, recorded seven years after the first, showcases the maturity, virtuosity, and patience of this group as they continue to explore the intricacies of their vibraphone/piano collaboration. A typical live show by Dave and Dan – unique compositions and arrangements, unpredictable, and the type of improvisation and uncanny interaction that can only come from two musicians who have known each other for over twenty years, hence the name of their second album from 2017, 20 Years. Each time these two play together there is a tangible and pervasive sense of exploration, creativity, and openness to let the music evolve naturally and unexpectedly.

“‘Maybe the best gig I ever heard at the AQ’ was the comment I heard from fans who would know.” Andrea Canter, Jazz Police

www.dancavanagh.com