World Saxophone Quartet juggles lineup for October gig at the Bistro

Greg Osby will perform with the World Saxophone
Quartet on their next visit to St. Louis in October

The World Saxophone Quartet will return to St. Louis in October to perform once again at Jazz at the Bistro, but this fall's gig will feature a slightly different lineup than the one that played here in February. According to an email from Jazz St. Louis operations manager Bob Bennett, for their next gig at the Bistro the WSQ will consist of founding members Oliver Lake and Hamiet Bluiett, plus James Carter, who appeared with the group here in February as a substitute for David Murray; and St. Louis native Greg Osby, filling the chair occupied by Bruce Williams on the WSQ's last visit.

While Murray's fans - and I'm one of them - might regret that he once again will be elsewhere during this gig, Carter proved in February that he's more than up to the task of filling the WSQ's tenor sax spot. And while Williams played impressively during that same February run, Osby is an excellent musician, too, and it will be great to see him performing in St. Louis again and to see how he contributes to the WSQ's distinctive sound.