Saxophonist Peter Vircks has established himself as an artist with a uniquely rich instrumental voice. He co-founded the celebrated electric jazz unit Moveable Feast and now leads the Peter Vircks Quintet and the group Midnight Love. For a decade he's co-written and toured internationally with the award winning Rhythmic Circus Productions in their Off-Broadway show Feet Don't Fail Me Now then later The Red & Green Party and Holiday Shuffle.
Recently he's been with Steve Katz's Hungry Ghosts, Chris Cunningham's large ensemble Superbus Maximus, modern R&B group #MPLS featuring The Voice’s Jesse Larson, The Capones lead by Gennaro "Jeep" Capone, Ethiopian bassist Yohannes Tona's Band, and the Root City Band led by Alex Rossi. He's also held the woodwind chair for the show River: A Tribute to Joni Mitchell, Carole King, & Carly Simon and pop tribute show Almost Paradise: 1984 Prom Night. He can be caught performing on a regular basis in The Williamsburg Room of The Lexington in Saint Paul.
Farther back, he'd been in the bands of national performers including Dream Girls' Grammy winning vocalist Jennifer Holliday, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and "Funkytown" singer Cynthia Johnson, the Horn Heads, bassist Anthony Cox, and Eric Kamau Gravátte's Source Code. He also had a few stints at Paisley Park.
In 2004 he attended the Banff International Workshop In Jazz & Creative Music. His mentors, there, included Dave Douglas, Bill Frizell, James Genus, Han Bennink and Clarence Penn.
Peter has been recorded on 47 albums including his own 2014 release What You Believe Is True which was released with the help of a grant from the American Composers Forum and listed in Minnesota Public Radio's top ten Jazz Favorites of 2014. He has several television, independent film and theater soundtrack credits.
Recently he's been with Steve Katz's Hungry Ghosts, Chris Cunningham's large ensemble Superbus Maximus, modern R&B group #MPLS featuring The Voice’s Jesse Larson, The Capones lead by Gennaro "Jeep" Capone, Ethiopian bassist Yohannes Tona's Band, and the Root City Band led by Alex Rossi. He's also held the woodwind chair for the show River: A Tribute to Joni Mitchell, Carole King, & Carly Simon and pop tribute show Almost Paradise: 1984 Prom Night. He can be caught performing on a regular basis in The Williamsburg Room of The Lexington in Saint Paul.
Farther back, he'd been in the bands of national performers including Dream Girls' Grammy winning vocalist Jennifer Holliday, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and "Funkytown" singer Cynthia Johnson, the Horn Heads, bassist Anthony Cox, and Eric Kamau Gravátte's Source Code. He also had a few stints at Paisley Park.
In 2004 he attended the Banff International Workshop In Jazz & Creative Music. His mentors, there, included Dave Douglas, Bill Frizell, James Genus, Han Bennink and Clarence Penn.
Peter has been recorded on 47 albums including his own 2014 release What You Believe Is True which was released with the help of a grant from the American Composers Forum and listed in Minnesota Public Radio's top ten Jazz Favorites of 2014. He has several television, independent film and theater soundtrack credits.
photo by A Wiener