BY DEBRA KEEFER RAMAGE
You may already be familiar with University Baptist Church, which commands the major corner in Dinkytown of 13th Avenue SE and University. It’s an imposing building, and it has a long history in Dinkytown. The current pastor, Doug Donley, has been there since March 2001. The previous pastor, before the interim pastor Kay Welsch, was the renowned Rev. Dr. Nadean Bishop (1992-2000), who, besides being the first openly gay pastor called to a local Baptist Church in the country, was also a powerful activist in the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Churches, and a highly regarded academic and speaker.
University Baptist Church, which traces its existence back to the tenuous founding congregation of 1850, then called the First Baptist Church of St. Anthony, is known for two things: liberal theology, and more recently, excellent and somewhat eclectic music. Even the earliest 19th century congregations were very liberal for their time, and worked for abolition of slavery and women’s suffrage. In the 1960s, Pastor Kenneth Huyck marched in Selma, Ala., for civil and voting rights. Besides its notable work on affirming the value of GLBTQ people, the church is also active on many social justice issues, and has a program involving one of Minneapolis’ sister cities, Leon, Nicaragua. On the music front, things got going during the ministry of Pastor Lee Freeman (1976-1990) with the purchase of a major new pipe organ and the production of an inclusive language hymnal. More recently, under the present pastor, they began hosting a weekly Sacred Harp or Shape Note singing program, in addition to the existing chorale and bell choirs and other typical church music offerings.
A fairly recent wrinkle in that history (it has been going on for almost a year) is the monthly event in the church basement called the Roots Cellar Music Series. We dropped in on the Oct. 10 show. The setting is what I would call old-school (and apparently, there actually was a school there for about 40 years, which moved out over two years ago). The present building was finished in 1927, and reflects the lovely simplicity of the period’s ecclesiastical architecture. In this basement multipurpose room, which was renovated before the music series, there is a flat floor and a small proscenium stage with an apron of just a few feet. The room connects to a street-level entrance in one direction and an entrance to a mostly subterranean little kitchen with a serving counter in the other direction. It’s not a large room, and with ordinary folding chairs can seat maybe a hundred without being packed in. The acoustics seemed quite good to me, though I am no expert. The room was pretty full and with a warm, friendly vibe, when I blundered in from the wrong door about a half hour into the show. At the intermission, I went to the front and paid my ticket, and got a snack from the little kitchen. I was hooked by this lovely music.
The performers that evening were The Kim and Arthur Band with several special guest artists. Kim was familiar with the church and pastor already through her participation in Sacred Harp Singing. She and spouse Arthur have recently launched their band, and at this, their first official gig, they were joined by a vocalist and instrumentalist who flew in from Brooklyn, Mary Beth Alexander; a local singer with a following of her own, Lynn O’Brien; and bassist Graydon Peterson, who fronts a jazz quartet, and who was also phenomenal. Their two sets, including original songs and standards of folk, bluegrass and blues, ranged in genre from old-time country music to ethereal modern jazz, with some traditional blues thrown into the mix just for fun. A cover of “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out” was masterfully done, and their own compositions were sometimes intriguing and sometimes just plain lovely. They have promised more concerts in the near future, so be on the lookout for them.
Of course, the Root Cellar is not the only place to hear music, even in Dinkytown. Other venues abound: The Kitty Kat Club, Blarney Pub and Grill, and many of the shows at the Varsity Theatre tend toward modern, young, dance-oriented music. Only the Loring Pasta Bar has a nod toward the folk-blues-world music scene that is similar to roots music. The Roots Cellar Music Series is not only something special, it’s a bargain— no booze, just cookies and coffee and soft drinks (and maybe parking) to add to your reasonable $10 to $15 ticket. Certainly reasonable considering the quality of the music.
Some more excellent shows are coming up in future months. On Nov. 14 it will be Robin McGalliard Nelson (banjo, autoharp, ukulele, possible audience singalongs) and on Dec. 12, Bob Bovee, one of the acknowledged masters of the old-fashioned cowboy ballad, who has a nationwide following. A particular favorite of mine, whom I have never heard in a live concert, Ann Reed, will be performing March 12, 2016. The full schedule is available on the church’s website. Also check out that Sacred Harp singing schedule. I have to say, I am seriously thinking about it.
