The Sheldon sending jazz quintet to Pinckneyville

In a news release this week, The Sheldon organization has announced that it will begin presenting jazz outside of its own historic Concert Hall, sending a group dubbed the Sheldon Jazz Quintet to Pinckneyville, IL for a concert later this month.

The Quintet, "featuring top St. Louis area jazz musicians including guitarist Rick Haydon, pianist Reggie Thomas and vocalist Mardra Thomas," will perform jazz standards beginning at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, April 26 at United Methodist Church, 315 W. South Street in Pinckneyville, which is about an hour's drive from St. Louis.

By way of explanation of this new venture into concert promotion, the release says, "With the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis is touring music ensembles to Missouri and Illinois communities during the 2009 season." (There's nothing else in the release to indicate what music ensembles or communities may be involved in future concerts; stay tuned to StLJN for any future announcements.)

This concert is co-sponsored the Foundation for Pinckneyville, and the Pinckneyville Community Jazz Band will open the show. Tickets are $5 for general admission and will be available in Pinckneyville at First National Bank, Murphy Wall State Bank (ask for Carrie Trail or Susan Davis), and First National Insurance Services. For more information, call The Sheldon at 314-533-9900 or the Foundation for Pinckneyville at 618-571-1171.