Have you ever been served dinner by a friend with a passion for food? Every course is presented with love and a desire to open your mind and heart to new and exciting experiences. The album It’s Just Your Turn by Dubuque-based quartet the DZ Combo is not unlike that kind of experience. 

The group, led by Danny Zanger (the D.Z. in the namesake), states their mission is to make jazz accessible to the tri-state area. With this debut album, they deliver a smorgasbord of delicious tracks that invite the listener to savor and enjoy the total jazz experience. As the chief songwriter in the group, it’s no surprise Zanger was recognized as Dubuque Main Street’s “artist of the year” in 2025. The DZ Combo’s pianist and composer shows immense depth and love for music. Zanger is no stranger to the Dubuque music scene, playing in a range of local groups like Lame Witch, Marzipan Mailbox and Big Sloth. That experience, coupled with the chemistry between the other members (all phenomenal players themselves), imbues every piece of this debut with something new and special. 

Take opening track “Dollar Paid to Budapest,” a lively amuse bouche with spicy stabs of trumpet and lush layers of electric piano over a bed of tasteful groove laid down by drummer Dan McNamara. The tune is short, but like any great opening track, sets the mood for the experience to follow. 

Each successive song provides another window into the exciting flavors of jazz. The second song on the project, which shares the same name as the album, is a laidback comfort blues dish. This is a track prepared low and slow with simmering solos, meant to be savored rather than rushed through.

As with all great bands and kitchens, it’s the sum of the parts that matter most. Bass player Jeremy Jones plays with a flow that effortlessly drifts from their fingers to your ears. The band describes trumpeter Benjamin Drury’s playing as rapid-fire and dynamic. “Catch-All” displays those talents so well. His solo is energetic and fierce while still being grounded to the melody of the tune. Providing a wonderful sweet and sour experience, Drury plays in and out at the same time. 

“Fatally Cool” is a dessert that perfectly embodies its name. It is a midtempo track that will get you boppin’ your head to the tight grooves. “A Black Rose” is a satiating ballad that relaxes and clears the palate for closing track “Honest,” a tune just shy of the eight-minute mark that effortlessly shifts between moods and styles. When it feels like the song is coming to a conclusion, there is one last shift — an energetic hurrah to punctuate the end of our time with the project. It’s the brisk walk back to your car after a meal that leaves you fulfilled but with a desire for more.

Luckily, the group’s hometown is embracing what the DZ Combo is bringing to the table. Let’s see what they’ll cook up next.  

Upcoming DZ Combo shows:

Friday, Feb. 6, 7 p.m., Jubeck New World Brewing, Dubuque

Friday, Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m., Voices Studios, Dubuque

Saturday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m., Hilltop Plants & Records, Mount Vernon

This article was originally published in Little Village’s February 2026 issue.