Jazz this week: The Yellowjackets with Mike Stern, New Music Circle turns 50, and more

This will be a relatively short post by the usual "Jazz this week" standard, both because yr. humble editor has some time constraints due to other pressing matters, and because there's a slight lull in the St. Louis concert scene this weekend with regard to jazz and creative music. Specifically, we're at the time of year when some of our not-for-profit presenters, such as the Sheldon and the Touhill, have already wrapped up their jazz concert series for the season; the universities are coming to exam time and the end of their spring semesters; and the summer slate of festivals, fairs, concerts in the park, and so on has yet to begin.

As a result, there's only one major jazz headliner in town over the next few days to recommend - the Yellowjackets with guitarist Mike Stern (pictured), who will be performing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. For more on this pairing of two very popular acts among jazz-fusion fans, including some video samples, see this post from last Saturday. Given that both Stern and the 'Jackets have their own respective fan bases, and the presence of St. Louis native Marcus Baylor (second from right) on drums, these shows should draw some good crowds. So, while advance reservations are usually a good idea if you're planning to go to the Bistro, in this case, calling ahead is definitely recommended.

Not far from the Bistro, singer Brian Owens is doing a free show starting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday night at the Vaughn Cultural Center, which is located in the Urban League building, 3701 Grandel Square in the Grand Center district. The flyer for the show says seating is limited, so get there early to be assured a spot.

Also in the very same neighborhood, electronic musician and former St. Louisan Tom Hamilton will be back in town this weekend to do a 50th anniversary-themed concert for New Music Circle on Saturday at the Kranzberg Arts Center, which is in the newly renovated Big Brothers-Big Sisters building at 501 N. Grand. For more about Hamilton's concert, check out the preview story Terry Perkins wrote for the St. Louis Beacon here.

Elsewhere in town, St. Louis Jazz Cafe will have smooth jazz saxophonist Readus Miller on Thursday and again on Saturday; drummer Joe Pastor's trio on Friday; and the Usual Suspects Duo for Sunday brunch. On Sunday night, jazz/funk/R&B band Good 4 The Soul has an early evening gig at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, and on Tuesday, saxophonist Bennett Wood is back for another no-cover-charge show at The Gramophone.

With a new month beginning this week, band and venue schedule information for May is still coming in. So, as always, updates on more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond will be posted to the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar as they arrive at StLJN HQ.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

The Gramophone to present shows in May from Umoja Orchestra, David Fiuczynski's KiF

The Gramophone has announced a couple of shows in May featuring touring artists that may be of interest to St. Louis jazz listeners.

On Tuesday, May 12, the club will present the Umoja Orchestra, a 12-member group from Gainesville, FL whose sound incorporates jazz, Latin, Afrobeat, funk, and more. You can see an excerpt from an Umoja Orchestra performance earlier this month in the embedded video window at the bottom of this post.

Then on Saturday, May 16, guitarist David Fiuczynski's KiF will take the stage at The Gramophone. Regarded as one of the technically accomplished electric guitarists alive today, Ficzynski (pictured) is known as the leader of the band Screaming Headless Torsos and has collaborated with many well-known jazz and rock musicians, including Meshell Ndege'Ocello, Stewart Copeland, Marcus Miller, Victor Bailey, Kenny Garrett, Dennis Chambers, John Medeski, Bernie Worrell, Steve Coleman, Hiromi, and Christian McBride. KiF is a trio that also features bassist Evan Marien and drummer Jovol "Bam Bam" Bell.

Riverfront Times announces 2009 Music Award nominees

The Riverfront Times has announced the slate of nominees for its 2009 Music Awards. The nominees this year in the "Best Jazz" category are tenor/soprano saxophonist Willie Akins, baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett, singer Erin Bode, tenor saxophonist/multi-reedman Dave Stone, and singer Jeanne Trevor.

Some names familiar to StLJN readers popped up in other categories, too - both the Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured) and trombonist, producer and "low brass" man Lamar Harris were nominated in the "Best R&B" category, and singer Kim Massie is up for the "Lifetime Achivement" award.

The winners of the RFT Music Awards are determined by reader votes, and if past patterns hold true again this year, ballots should available in the print edition of the paper starting this week, and online soon after that.

The annual Music Awards Showcase, which features live performances from many of the nominees, is scheduled for Sunday, June 7 at various sites in and around the Delmar Loop neighborhood. Voting concludes that day, and the winners should be announced the following week. For the complete list of nominees in all categories, go here, and for an FAQ that explains, among other things, how nominees were selected, go here.

(Disclosure: Like all the freelance contributing writers for the Riverfront Times, yr. humble StLJN editor was asked to offer ideas on potential nominees to music editor Annie Zaleski, who was in charge of the final winnowing. I submitted a bunch of names in several categories; as usually happens, some were nominated, and some were not. )

Blanchard reschedules Bistro dates again

If you were looking forward to hearing Terence Blanchard perform at Jazz at the Bistro at the end of May, you're going to have wait just a little bit longer - seven days longer, to be precise, as the trumpeter's upcoming St. Louis gig has bumped to the following week. Here's the message sent out today by Jazz St. Louis:

"Due to circumstances beyond our control, Terence Blanchard has been forced to reschedule his dates at Jazz at the Bistro again. Mr. Blanchard’s performances that were rescheduled for May 27-30, 2009, have been moved to June 3-6, 2009. Set times are the same: 8:30 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., as are ticket prices: Wed/Thur$30, Fri/Sat $35 and $15 for students.

Jazz at the Bistro subscribers with tickets for these shows will be able to use them for the newly scheduled dates in June, on the corresponding evening. If you are unable to attend the newly scheduled dates in June, you may return your subscription tickets for a full refund by calling our offices.

If you purchased single tickets to one of the Terence Blanchard performances, those may also be used for the new dates on their corresponding evening, or may be returned to the point of purchase for a full refund. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused."

Jazz St. Louis operations director Bob Bennett says JSL plans to book someone else to fill the dates at the Bistro on Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30, but, as of Monday afternoon, there were no specifics yet. Watch this space for updates.

KDHX broadcasting documentary series on John Coltrane

Over the next four weeks, St. Louis community radio station KDHX (88.1 FM) will present segments of the acclaimed 2001 radio documentary "Tell Me How Long Trane’s Been Gone" during the first hour of Josh Weinstein's program "All Soul, No Borders," which airs at 10:30 p.m. Sundays.

The five-hour program produced by noted radio documentarian Steve Rowland "analyzes and celebrates the genius of John Coltrane" through music, commentary and interviews, including conversations with a number of musicians who have died since it was first broadcast, such as Max Roach, Art Davis, Alice Coltrane and Elvin Jones.

Alas, Weinstein's note touting this gem didn't arrive at StLJN HQ until after the first segment had already aired this past Sunday. Fortunately, you can get caught up with hour one by visiting the "All Soul, No Borders" Web page, where each episode will be archived and available for online streaming for two weeks after the air date. Parts two through five will be broadcast starting this coming Sunday, May 3 and continuing though Sunday, May 24.

(Edited 4/29/09 to fix a formatting problem.)

Notes from the Net: Miles Davis reissued on vinyl, Duke Ellington Day in NYC, plus news, reviews, interviews, and more

Here's this week's compilation of assorted news briefs and links related to jazz, improvisation, and creative music in St. Louis, including news of musicians originally from the Gateway City, recent visitors, and coming attractions, plus assorted other items of interest:

* Four classic Miles Davis albums - Sketches Of Spain, In A Silent Way, Nefertiti, and Bitches Brew - have been newly reissued on 180 gram vinyl LPs. (And on a related note, via AllAboutJazz.com, here's an interesting piece from the Los Angeles Times about the continuing demand for music on vinyl.)

In other Miles-related news, composer/pianist Robert Irving III will present the world premiere of "Sketches of Brazil," an orchestral homage to his mentors Davis and Gil Evans, in August at Chicago's Millennium Park. The piece will feature trumpeter Wallace Roney, guitarist Toninho Horta and percussionist Dede Sampaio, and commemorates the 50th anniversary of the recording of Sketches of Spain, which was arranged by Evans. Irving recorded and performed with Davis during the trumpeter's comeback in the early 1980s.

* Saxophonist and former St. Louisan Oliver Lake has a new CD with the group Trio 3, which also includes bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille. Berne Concert features a guest appearance by pianist Irene Schweitzer, and gets a rave here from reviewer John Sharpe for AAJ.com: "Almost without anyone noticing, Trio 3 has become one of the great working bands in jazz...Trio 3 is sure to find new fans with Berne Concert: not a single track on this outstanding disc is less than stellar."

* Turning to news of coming attractions, saxophonist Kirk Whalum will join forces with pianist Cyrus Chestnut and students from the Stax Music Academy for "SOULed on Jazz!" on May 9 at the Germantown Performing Arts Center in Memphis. Whalum is artist-in-residence at the Stax academy, and he'll be in St. Louis twice this summer - in June to perform with his uncle, Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum, at the History Museum, and in July with saxophonist Gerald Albright when their "Sax for Stax" tour comes to Ameristar Casino St. Charles' Bottleneck Blues Bar.

* Next up, we've got a bunch of links related to recent visitors to St. Louis, starting with another review of trumpeter Sean Jones' new CD The Search Within, penned for Blogcritics.com by the writer pseudonymously known as "The Big Geez": "Sean Jones has followed a successful recipe for his fifth album...Solid compositions in a collection that skillfully blends his own outstanding play with that of his talented cohorts — a winning combination." Jones played in St. Louis at Jazz at the Bistro the week before last.

* Jam/funk organ trio Medeski Martin & Wood, who were in St. Louis the same weekend as Jones to play the Loyal Earth Festival, have a new CD called Radiolarians II. It's reviewed here by Doug Collette for AAJ.com - "Notwithstanding the noir ambience of the closing cut, a piano jazz trio reading of "Baby Let Me Follow You Down," Radiolarians II assaults more than it insinuates" - and here by Bryan Castleberry for JamsBio: "Yes, this is Medeski, Martin & Wood, baffling the listener with their inimitable skill at melding genres and making it all sound so perfectly cool you expect Samuel L. Jackson to speak through your ear buds." Keyboardist John Medeski also has a new CD with trumpeter Steven Bernstein's band Sex Mob.

* Singer Rachael Price, who played the Sheldon Concert Hall in March, was interviewed here before a recent gig in Lodi, CA.

* The Bad Plus, the first musicians to play the Bistro in 2009, and singer Wendy Lewis, who's featured on their new CD For All I Care, were back home in the Twin Cities this past weekend. They also recently did an interview and brief performance for National Public Radio, available via online stream here.

* Pianist Dave Brubeck has had to cancel several more concert appearances while he recovers from a recent viral infection. Brubeck, who is 88, is under a doctor’s orders to not travel until the end of May, but is expected to resume touring following his recovery. Brubeck played the Sheldon last fall.

* Last but not least, by decree of the mayor, this Wednesday, April 29, is Duke Ellington Day in New York City. The event celebrates the 110th anniversary of the birth of Ellington (pictured), and will include speeches by his grandchildren and a special run of the last surviving 1939 'A' Train. At 10:00 a.m. that day, Duke's grandson Paul Ellington and the Duke Ellington Orchestra will perform their signature song "Take The A Train" on the mezzanine at 125th Street and St. Nicholas, and then board and perform on the historic train as it travels out on regular service. The Ellington Orchestra appeared in St. Louis earlier this year at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

(Edited 4/27/09 to add tags.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: The Yellowjackets with Mike Stern

This week's videos feature the Yellowjackets and Mike Stern, who will be returning to St. Louis to perform at Jazz at the Bistro starting this coming Wednesday, April 29 and continuing through Saturday, May 2. Both Stern and the 'Jackets played separate weeks at the Bistro last year, but these will be their first St. Louis shows together.

They joined forces in 2008 to record the CD Lifecycle and tour the summer festival circuit, and it worked out well enough that they booked more dates together in 2009. Given that the Yellowjackets originally formed in the early 1980s as the backup band for guitarist Robben Ford, it would seem that their collaboration with Stern could be seen as a fresh direction, a return to their roots, or some of both.

The video clip up top is from a show in July 2008 at a jazz festival in Italy, and shows the Yellowjackets and Stern performing "Revelation," originally recorded by the 'Jackets on their album Shades. Down below, there's a clip of them playing Stern's tune "Chromozone" from their gig at Bohemia Jazz Fest 2008, and in the third spot, a promotional video for Lifecycle with some music and brief comments from the players.

St. Louis Jazz Notes turns four

It was four years ago today that St. Louis Jazz Notes first went online.

My thanks go out to all the readers, commenters, musicians, music students and educators, presenters, club owners, publicists, tipsters, media people, record label employees and others who have taken an interest in the site over the years.

I'm grateful for your time and attention, and will continue to do my best to make StLJN a useful and, hopefully, entertaining resource.

Other than this post, I have no specific commemorations or celebrations planned, but if you have any "birthday" wishes, or anything else vaguely related that you'd like to say, the comments are, as usual, open.

"Visions of Sound" extended until August 29

If you're interested in seeing the Sheldon Art Galleries’ “Visions of Sound” exhibit but haven’t yet had the chance to check it out in person, you’re in luck. The display of jazz and African instruments from the Hartenberger World Music Collection has been extended through August 29.

The Sheldon Art Galleries will host a all-gallery reception for its summer exhibitions from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, June 12. Admission is free. Regular gallery hours are noon to 8:00 p.m. Tuesdays; noon to 5:00 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturdays; and one hour prior to all Sheldon performances and during intermissions. For more on the “Visions of Sound” exhibit, see this post.

Jazz this week: Trio Globo, Box Deserter Trio, Jazz St. Louis All-Stars, and more

After a veritable banquet of musical activity last week, the menu of jazz, improvisation and creative music this weekend in St. Louis is a bit shorter, but still offers some potentially tasty choices. Also notable in these recessionary times is the fact that the two touring attractions in town are both doing shows with no admission fees or cover charges, which is certainly good news for anyone who may have already spent their live music budget for the month. .

One of those touring groups is Trio Globo, featuring keyboardist/harmonica player Howard Levy, cellist Eugene Friesen and percussionist Glen Velez (pictured). They'll be in residency at St. Louis Community College-Meramec on Thursday and Friday, doing a series of free workshops and rehearsing during the day, and then closing things out with a free concert on Friday night in the Meramec Theatre on campus, accompanied by the Meramec orchestra and choir. For more on Trio Globo and a complete schedule of events, please see this post.

The other touring ensemble in question is the Box Deserter Trio, featuring pianist Thollem McDonas, saxophonist Skeeter Shelton, and bassist/multi-instrumentalist Joel Peterson. They're also performing on Thursday and Friday, doing a pair of free shows downtown at the Schlafly St. Louis Brewery and Tap Room. On Thursday, the opening acts will be the bands Holy! Holy! Holy! and Allgorithms, and on Friday, it's poet K. Curtis Lyle with multi-instrumentalist David A.N. Jackson and bassist and mbira player Zimbabwe Nkenya.

This is also the weekend when the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars, the ensemble featuring the top students from JSL's educational programs, does their annual gig at Jazz at the Bistro. They'll be on stage for two sets a night on Friday and Saturday, showing off what they've learned over the past year of rehearsing, performing, workshopping with visiting artists including Greg Osby and Bruce Barth, and studying with their regular instructors, trumpeter Anthony Wiggins and pianist/JSL education director Phil Dunlap.

UPDATE - 4/23/09, 12:10 p.m.: Drummer T. S. Monk, son of the legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, is also in the St. Louis area this weekend, performing with his sextet on Saturday night at SIU-Edwardsville as part of the University's Arts and Issues series. Tickets are $27 for general admission, $12 for students, and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Meridian Ballroom of the Morris University Center.

Elsewhere this weekend, the St. Louis Jazz Cafe has smooth jazz saxophonists Readus Miller on Thursday and Michael Anthony Fitzgerald on Friday, then singer Danita Mumphard on Saturday night and the Usual Suspects Duo for Sunday brunch. On Sunday, Bud Shultz and the You Can't Beat Experience Jazz Band will offer their monthly session of traditional jazz at the Alton VFW hall, and on Tuesday, neo-swing group Swing DeVille will play at The Gramophone/

As always, these are just some of the noteworthy shows happening around St. Louis over the next few days. To see more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Eugene Chadbourne to perform Thursday, June 4 at the Tap Room

This just in: Eugene Chadbourne (pictured) is coming to St. Louis to perform on Thursday, June 4 at the Schlafly St. Louis Brewery and Tap Room.

The email sent by the Tap Room's Brett Underwood says, "We don't have all the particulars set yet, but I do know that Eugene Chadbourne will perform two sets (the first one probably starting around 7:30 p.m.) on Thursday, June 4th in the Club Room at the Schlafly Tap Room. It will either be a free show or a $5 dollar cover. (Possibly a $10 cover that would include the cost of the first pint of Schlafly Beer.)"

Chadbourne is an improvising guitarist and banjo player whose music contains elements of jazz, rock, punk, country, folk, and various other genres. In addition to his work as a solo artist and with his 1980s group Shockabilly, Chadbourne has performed and recorded with John Zorn, Fred Frith, Derek Bailey, Han Bennink, the Carla Bley Band, Camper Van Beethoven, Jello Biafra, They Might Be Giants, Jimmy Carl Black, and many others. Chadbourne also is somewhat famous - or perhaps infamous? - as the inventor of the electric rake, made by attaching an electric guitar pickup to an ordinary lawn rake. StLJN will have more details on his St. Louis gig when they become available.

(Updated 5/22/09 to correct te day of the week.)

Jazz St. Louis CD Listening Club to meet Tuesday, May 12

Jazz St. Louis has scheduled the next meeting of its CD Listening Club for 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, May 12 at Borders bookstore, 1519 S. Brentwood Blvd.

For the club's May meeting, Dr. Gerald Early of Washington University and Jazz St. Louis executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford will lead a discussion of Miles Davis' classic Kind of Blue. (Early, who is the Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters at Wash U, writes frequently about jazz and was a contributor to the liner notes of the historic album's recent 50th anniversary reissue.)

Admission to the CD Listening Club is free and open to the public, but because space is limited, Jazz St. Louis requests that those interested in attending reserve a place in advance by calling Kedra Tolson at 314-289-4034.

The Sheldon's "Coffee Concerts" to feature local jazz artists

Although we covered the announcement of the Sheldon Concert Hall's 2009-10 jazz series here a couple of weeks ago, at the time yr. humble StLJN editor did not have access to next year's schedule of the Sheldon's "Coffee Concerts," a series of late-morning performances that typically features a number of local St. Louis jazz musicians. The Sheldon subsequently sent along a news release with details on all of the various season series, and so, here's the schedule for the 2009-10 series of "Coffee Concerts":

Tuesday, October 6 & Wednesday, October 7: Singer Debby Lennon (pictured) and pianist Carolbeth True in a tribute to George Gershwin

Tuesday, November 10 & Wednesday, November 11: St. Louis Ragtimers

Tuesday, December 8 & Wednesday, December 9: The Clarion Brass Ensemble performs Christmas songs

Tuesday, March 9 & Wednesday, March 10: Trumpeter Bob Ceccarini and pianist Pat Joyce (of the St. Louis Rivermen) mix jazz and Irish favorites in a pre-St. Patrick’s Day show

Tuesday, April 6 & Wednesday, April 7: St. Louis Stompers

All of the Sheldon's "Coffee Concerts" begin with complimentary coffee and pastries at 9:00 a.m. in the Louis Spiering Room, followed by a one-hour concert at 10:00 a.m. in the main concert hall. Subscriptions are $55 for orchestra seats, $45 for balcony seats. Current subscribers can renew now, while new subscriptions will go on sale Wednesday, May 13. (Single tickets will be priced at $12 and $10, but won't be available for purchase until later this year.) To order a subscription, call the Sheldon at 314-533-9900 or visit their Web site.

Pollstar: Sandy Stewart and Bill Charlap coming to St. Louis in December

The online tour information service Pollstar has added a listing showing four nights of performances by singer Sandy Stewart and her son, jazz pianist Bill Charlap (pictured), Wednesday, December 9 through Saturday, December 12, at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand (at Olive) in St. Louis' Grand Center arts district.

Stewart and Charlap have worked together as a duo in cabarets and jazz clubs since Stewart began her comeback in the mid-1990s. A big band singer and actress in her youth, Stewart had retired from the stage to raise a family after meeting and marrying Broadway composer Mark "Moose" Charlap in the 1960s. (You can read more about the circumstances of her retirement and comeback in this 1994 article from the New York Times.) Bill Charlap is well known in the jazz world for his six albums as a leader for the Blue Note label and his work with Gerry Mulligan, Benny Carter, Tony Bennett, Phil Woods and others. He played in St. Louis most recently in February of this year with the Blue Note 7 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Although the Pollstar listing does not include a presenting organization, the artists, dates and venue would suggest the work of Cabaret St. Louis and its impresario Jim Dolan, who have staged a number of shows already at the KAC. At present, the Cabaret St. Louis Web site doesn't list any dates beyond the current spring schedule, which wraps up with four shows this week at the KAC by torch singer Lina Koutrakos, and one on May 14 at the Sheldon featuring drag performer Varla Jean Merman.

However, a bit of Google-assisted sleuthing turned up this blog post from KDHX theater reviewer/host Chuck Lavazzi, which says that the Stewart/Charlap show is indeed part of a fall Cabaret St. Louis schedule that also will include "return engagements at the Kranzberg by Maude Maggart (October 21 - 24) and Steve Ross (November 4 - 7) along with first-time appearances by Nellie McKay (November 18-21)" and the Stewart/Charlap duo.

(This info is conveyed in the context of a review of Cabaret St. Louis' recent benefit at the Fox Theatre, so perhaps there was some information disseminated that night for the advance benefit of the patrons who attended. That's just my speculation, though, as there's nothing in the post indicating the source of the info, save a link to the Cabaret St. Louis site.)

Regardless, as always, Pollstar listings should be considered unconfirmed until officially announced by the venue and/or presenter. If/when an official announcement is made, StLJN will have the details for you right here. In the meantime, for a bit more on Sandy Stewart and Bill Charlap, check out the video in the embedded window below for a clip that includes a brief interview and some footage of them in the recording studio.

History Museum to host Kind of Blue tribute, "Jazz Cavalcade" with Kirk Whalum

The Missouri History Museum and Jazz St. Louis are teaming up to present a 50th anniversary tribute to Miles Davis' classic album Kind of Blue at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, May 7 in the Museum's MacDermott Grand Hall. The tribute concert will feature JSL director of education Phil Dunlap and the Legacy Jazz Quintet performing and discussing selections from Kind of Blue. Admission is free and open to the public.

The History Museum's just-announced Twilight Tuesdays series of free outdoor concerts also has some shows of interest to jazz fans, most notably the "Jazz Cavalcade" on Tuesday, June 2. This concert will feature saxophonist Kirk Whalum; his uncle, the veteran pianist, saxophonist and singer Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum; and a group of St. Louis musicians including Jeff Anderson, Marty Morrison, Danny Campbell, Eric Slaughter and Reggie Thomas. (Fans of Kirk Whalum also should note that he'll be back in the St. Louis area in July with fellow saxophonist Gerald Albright when their "Sax for Stax" tour plays the Bottleneck Blues Bar in St. Charles.)

Other noteworthy dates in the Twilight Tuesdays series include a show on May 5 by Friendz, featuring singer Cheryl Brown, keyboardist/singer Jeremiah Allen and saxophonist Amos Brewer; and a May 12 concert by singer Kim Massie. The Twilight Tuesdays shows are free and open to the public, and begin at 6:30 p.m. on the front lawn of the History Museum, Lindell & DeBaliviere in Forest Park. For more details and a complete schedule of the spring 2009 Twilight Tuesdays concerts, go here, or call 314-454-3199 or 800-916-8212 for more information.

Notes from the Net: Grant Green reissued, Russell Ferrante interviewed, plus news, reviews, and more

Here's this week's compilation of assorted news briefs and links related to jazz, improvisation, and creative music in St. Louis, including news of musicians originally from the Gateway City, recent visitors, and coming attractions, plus assorted other items of interest:

* For our obligatory weekly Miles Davis-related links, there's a story in the San Jose Mercury News with more on this weekend's tribute to Davis at Stanford University. Also, for the latest news on the proposed film biography of the trumpeter, check out the blog The Miles Davis Movie, which this week noted that although the Internet Movie Database still lists the Davis biopic starring Don Cheadle as a "go" for the year 2011, Cheadle's schedule looks awfully jam-packed with other flicks between now and then.

* Here's a review of Street of Dreams, a recently reissued-on-CD session cut for Blue Note back in 1964 by guitarist and St. Louis native Grant Green (pictured).

* The widely respected new music critic Kyle Gann (The New Yorker, Village Voice) has an interesting blog post in which he uses the new biography of John Zorn as a jumping-off point to wonder if the saxophonist, composer and former student at our town's Webster University is truly a post-modernist, or simply "a modernist by any other name"

* Opening the "coming attractions" file, here's an interview with Yellowjackets keyboard player Russell Ferrante, done before a gig this past week at the Daytona Beach International Festival. The Yellowjackets (with guitarist Mike Stern also on hand) will play at Jazz at the Bistro April 29 - May 2.

* And speaking of the Daytona Beach festival, here's a review of Chris Botti's performance at the same event. Botti will back in St. Louis in September to play the Fox Theatre.

* Next, let's catch up with a few recent visitors to St. Louis. Keeping in mind The Bad Plus 's penchant for unexpected cover versions, the Madison, WI weekly the Decider interviewed pianist Ethan Iverson before a show there this past week, and asked him "to analyze how they could potentially wash away the shame from a handful of so-called "guilty pleasure" songs," yielding some interesting answers. TBP were the opening act of 2009 at the Bistro.

* Here's a very detailed review of the recent Bela Fleck/Africa Project at Duke University, courtesy of the blog Re:Harmonized and its proprietor, Robert Zimmerman. Fleck and the Africa Project played the Sheldon Concert Hall earlier this month.

* The New York Times' Nate Chinen reviews last week's show by the Blue Note 7 at NYC's Birdland: "upholds an extremely clear agenda with crisp results...Beginning and ending strong, with just a momentary lull in between, the Blue Note 7 fulfilled its mandate with precision and more than a whiff of style." The BN7 played the Sheldon back in February.

* Here's a review of trumpeter Sean Jones' new CD The Search Within. Jones just wrapped up a four-night stand this weekend at the Bistro.

* Finally, to close out this week's parade o' links, here are a couple of different viewpoints on the subject of music education, starting with an essay for AllAboutJazz.com by Mickey Bass, in which the veteran hard-bop bassist laments the passing of the old-school method of on-the-bandstand instruction: "Throughout the '50s, '60s and '70s, apprenticeship programs were readily available in this country; in order to learn, a musician could come up through the ranks with Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, Horace Silver, JJ Johnson, The Jazztet or Miles Davis. This type of incubator was the tradition, the road to learning and developing your own sound and voice."

Meanwhile, in another blog post, Kyle Gann recognizes a related problem, and poses a partial solution: "As opportunities have diminished for musicians, the role of college becomes more crucial. We have to compensate for the wider performance world in which composers could have once gained more experience."

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Introducing the Off-Topic Collective

This week, we've got some video featuring the Off-Topic Collective, a relatively new group on the St. Louis scene. OTC is a free improv/experimental quartet that includes veteran local musicians Dave Stone (reeds), Jim Hegarty (piano and synth), Willem von Hombracht (bass) and Henry Claude (percussion).

Their most recent performance was in February at a show presented by New Music Circle at the Kranzberg Arts Center in St. Louis. You can see three excerpts from that concert here, starting with the ending of the first half of the concert in the embedded video window above. Down below, you'll see the opening of the second half of the concert, and then a drum solo by Henry Claude. For more about Off Topic Collective, visit Hegarty's Web site or www.noisereductionsociety.com.





(Edited 4/19/09 to remove borders from the video clips, and again on 4/29/09 to fix a typo.)

John Pizzarelli performing free solo show this Sunday, April 19 at the Apple Store

Guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli, who's in town for this weekend's Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival, will be making at least one more stop in town after his concert Saturday night at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Before he leaves the Gateway City, Pizzarelli will give a free solo performance at 4:00 p.m., Sunday, April 19 at the Apple Store, 131 West County Center in Des Peres. He'll be playing seven-string guitar and singing tunes from his latest CD, With A Song In My Heart, as well as other selections (and, presumably, saying nice things about the iPod, iPhone and/or Apple's line of computers). For more information, you can contact the Apple Store at 314-965-3213.

Recently on Heliocentric Worlds

It's time once again for a gentle reminder of the existence of StLJN's sibling site Heliocentric Worlds, which presents a different online music video every day, drawn from genres including jazz, blues, soul, funk, classic rock, prog rock and experimental.

So far this month, featured performers have included Taj Mahal, Billy Cobham & George Duke, Kool & The Gang, the Allman Brothers Band, Ornette Coleman, Carla Bley with Charlie Haden and the New Liberation Orchestra, Sarah Vaughan, Junior Wells with Buddy Guy and A.C. Reed, David Sanborn, Count Basie, Roy Hargrove and the RH Factor, Lee Dorsey, Tom Waits, Wilson Pickett, Meade Lux Lewis, Steve Lacy & Roswell Rudd, and Bill Evans.

You can still see them all, plus hundreds more lovingly selected music video clips from the archives, by visiting http://heliocentricworlds.blogspot.com.

(Edited 4/19/09 to fix a formatting problem.)

Second annual Record Store Day is this Saturday, April 18

As if there weren't enough events already contending for the attention of local music fans this weekend, this Saturday, April 18 is also the second annual Record Store Day, an event intended to celebrate the culture of independent music stores, many of which are the sort of establishments that cater to fans of jazz, blues and other less-than-trendy musics.

Here in the St. Louis area, Euclid Records in Webster Groves has a big bash planned to celebrate the day, with live entertainment, food, a sidewalk sale, and storewide discounts. They're closing off Sutton Ave alongside the store to set up an outdoor stage for performances by the Bottle Rockets, Jason Ringenberg, Troubadour Dali, Grace Basement, Bent, Farshid Etniko, the Trip Daddys, and others. For the complete schedule of Record Store Day events at Euclid Records, go here.

Meanwhile, over in University City, Vintage Vinyl will be celebrating Record Store Day with guest celebrity DJs inside the store and live music outside on Delmar, with performers including the Beat Street hip-hop collaborative (DJ Needles, B-Money, G-Wiz and guests), the May Day Orchestra & Robert Sarazin Blake, Zimbabwe Nkenya and Alley Ghost. VV also will have free refreshments courtesy of Pabst Blue Ribbon and energy drinks from Monster, and they're also designating the store as "a TAX FREE ZONE for the entire day," which I presume means they'll be eating the sales tax on all purchases. For the lowdown on all of VV's RSD activities, go here.

A number of record labels and independent artists are offering some sort of limited edition releases for Record Store Day. For example, mega-label Universal Music Group has a whole list of promotional releases that includes everything from Motown reissues on extra-heavy virgin vinyl to sampler CDs from the various imprints under the UMG umbrella. Here's a list of some of the other Record Store Day exclusives, though not all titles will be available at all participating stores.

Trio Globo to give free concerts, workshops on April 23 & 24 at SLCC-Meramec

Trio Globo (pictured), the eclectic jazz/folk/classical/world music band that includes (from left) cellist Eugene Friesen, multi-instrumentalist Howard Levy, and percussionist Glen Velez, will be in St. Louis next week on Thursday, April 23 and Friday, April 24 for a residency at St. Louis Community College-Meramec.

Levy, Friesen and Velez will take part in two days of workshops and concerts, all of which are free and open to the public. The residency will culminate with a concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Meramec Theatre featuring Trio Globo with the Meramec Orchestra and Choir and other Meramec Arts students.

Levy was the keyboard and harmonica player in the original lineup of Bela Fleck's Flecktones, who share with Trio Globo a proclivity for mixing musical genres from all around the world. Friesen has been a member of the Paul Winter Consort since 1978, and is known for incorporating the cello into unusual musical settings and for his use of extended techniques. Velez also has worked extensively with Paul Winter, as well as with composer Steve Reich's ensemble, and has collaborated with other well-known performers ranging from Pat Metheny to the New York City Ballet.

Here's the complete schedule of events for Trio Globo's St. Louis residency:

Thursday, April 23
Noon: Trio Globo Opening Concert in the Meramec Theatre,
1:30 p.m.: Choir rehearsal, Eugene Friesen, HW102
2:30 p.m.: Overtone singing, Glen Velez, HW102
3:30 p.m.: Harmonica Workshop, Howard Levy, HW102
3:30 p.m.: Improvisation/spoken word, Eugene Friesen, Theatre
7:30 p.m.: Dress Rehearsal, Trio Globo with the Meramec Orchestra and Choir, Theatre

Friday, April 24
10 a.m.-Noon: String Workshop, Eugene Friesen, HW102
10 a.m.-Noon: Improv and Movement, Glen Velez and Howard Levy, HE131
1:30 p.m.: History of Harmonica, Howard Levy, HW102
2:30 p.m.: Percussion workshop, Glen Velez, HW102
3:30 p.m.: The New Cello, Eugene Friesen, HW102
7:30 p.m.: Trio Globo Concert with Meramec Orchestra, Concert Choir, Arts students, Theatre

For a sample of some of Trio Globo's music, check out the embedded video window below. For more information on the Trio Globo workshops and concerts at St. Louis Community College-Meramec, you can call the SLCC-Meramec community relations office at 314-984-7529 or the music department at 314-984-7639.

Jazz this week: Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival, Sean Jones, John Jorgenson, Medeski Martin and Wood, FLOW, Dixie Daredevils, Stan Hale, and more

It's the busiest week so far this year for jazz and creative music performances in St. Louis, with a number of touring artists in town and a schedule of shows representing a wide variety of styles, from traditional jazz and big band to straight-ahead modern jazz to free improv, intermedia and more.

Let's go the highlights in chronological order, starting with this evening, when the acclaimed young trumpeter Sean Jones opens a four-night stand continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Jones is considered by many to be a rising star among jazz trumpeters, and this weekend marks his St. Louis debut as a bandleader. For more on Jones and some video samples of his playing, see this post.

On Thursday, singer and pianist Anita Rosamond is doing a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, backed by a group featuring keyboardist Nathan Jatcko, bassist Bob DeBoo, and drummer Jerry Mazucca. That same evening, the Detroit-based free improv duo of saxophonist Wally Shoup and percussionist Ben Hall will perform at Open Lot, 1310 S. 18th St, with opening sets from Dave Stone & Danny McClain and Brain Transplant.

On Friday, the public performance portion of the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival kicks off with a concert featuring guest artists Peter Erskine on drums and Lou Marini (pictured) on saxophone with the University of Missouri - St. Louis Jazz Ensemble at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. For some background on Erskine and some video samples of his playing, see this post. Also on Friday, the NYC-based saxophonist Kim Bock and his jazz organ trio FLOW will take the stage at The Gramophone.

Saturday brings some free educational opportunities for aspiring musicians during the morning and afternoon, with Erskine and trumpeter Jon Faddis each presenting free master classes at the Touhill while Bock and FLOW will be giving a free workshop and performance at Saxquest.

On Saturday night, the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival continues with a concert featuring Faddis, singer/guitarist John Pizzarelli and the UMSL Jazz Ensemble at the Touhill. For more about Faddis and some video samples of his playing, see this post.

Also on Saturday, guitarist John Jorgenson brings his Django Reinhardt-inspired quintet to the Sheldon Concert Hall. For some background on Jorgenson and a video sample of his playing, check out this post from when he was last in St. Louis in September 2007.

That same evening, New Music Circle will present a program at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium featuring videos created by Van McElwee, Roy Zurick and others with live musical accompaniment by S.A.N.E. (Semi-Acoustic Noise Ensemble), percussionist Rich O'Donnell, and friends

Sunday is another busy day, as the St. Louis Jazz Club presents a performance by the Peoria, IL-based traditional jazz band Dixie Daredevils at Bel Air Bowl in Belleville, and St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers ends its spring 2009 series with a free concert featuring guitarist Steve Schenkel and singer Ashley Mason at the Second Baptist Church.

Also on Sunday, veteran drummer Stan Hale is having a CD release event at the Jazz Spot to promote The Stan Hale Experience, his debut jazz recording as a leader. Hale's band for the show will feature Jeff Anderson on tenor sax, Tony Simmons on keyboards, Henry Taylor on guitar, and Jamal Nichols on bass, with vocals by Ralph Butler and Virginia Williams, and the $10 admission price includes a copy of the CD. (Full disclosure: Hale is a musical associate of yr. humble editor, and there's a possibility I may end up playing some intermission piano at this gig.)

Last, but not least, Sunday also is the pick day for jazz fans at this weekend's jam-band-oriented Loyal Earth Festival, with performances scheduled during the evening by the groovalicious organ trio Medeski Martin and Wood and pan-stylistic Chicago guitarist Fareed Haque of Garaj Mahal fame.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band is back at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, and on Tuesday, the ambient music duo Mountains will perform at Open Lot, while the David Wiatrolik Trio is set to perform at The Gramophone.

With so much going on, these are just some of the noteworthy shows happening around St. Louis over the next few days. To see more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Kim Bock, FLOW to present free clinic and performance this Saturday, April 18 at Saxquest

In a previous post announcing a show by saxophonist Kim Bock and his jazz organ trio FLOW this Friday at The Gramophone, we mentioned that Bock would be doing a saxophone clinic the next day in south St. Louis at the woodwind sales and repair shop Saxquest.

Saxquest president Mark Overton was kind enough to get in touch with StLJN to provide the rest of the details on the event, which are as follows:

Bock and FLOW will be giving a performance and clinic from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 at Saxquest, 2114 Cherokee (on Antique Row about five blocks west of the old Lemp Brewery). The event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served. If you have questions, call Saxquest at 314-664-1234.

Jazz St. Louis holding auditions in June for All-Stars, JazzU programs

Jazz St. Louis has announced the dates for area music students to audition for the 2009-2010 JazzU and Jazz St. Louis All-Stars programs. Auditions for both programs will be held at 4:00 p.m. Monday, June 1 and Monday, June 8 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Auditions for JazzU and the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars are open to music students throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area in both Missouri and Illinois. Students who are accepted into one of the free programs will receive weekly instruction, the chance to play jazz with their peers, free access to most Jazz St. Louis performances, private lesson opportunities, and the chance to learn from national and international jazz artists. Past clinicians have included The Bad Plus, Pat Martino, the Yellowjackets, Cyrus Chestnut, Esperanza Spalding, Greg Osby, Terell Stafford, Bruce Barth and others.

For more about the JazzU program, audition times and requirements, go here. For more about the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars, audition times and requirements, go here. You can also get more information by contacting Jazz St. Louis director of education Phil Dunlap by phone at 314-289-4033 or via email at phil@jazzstl.org.

Medeski Martin & Wood, Fareed Haque to perform in St. Louis this weekend at Loyal Earth Festival

Although the Loyal Earth Festival 2009 scheduled for this weekend in St. Louis will feature primarily musicians identified with the jam-band scene, the event also will include some acts of interest to jazz fans.

Billed as "5 Days of Music & Art to Celebrate Our Planet," it's being produced by local promoters Loyal Family and former Lucas School House proprietor Dan Jameson, and will take place Thursday, April 16 through Monday, April 20 at the Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St. in downtown St. Louis. Promising to "transform the Old Rock House property into a music & arts festival grounds," the event will includes more than 30 musical acts playing on two stages - one outdoors, the other inside - plus "live Art - Earth Awareness - Fire Dancers - Vendors - and More!"

The pick day for jazz fans would seem to be Sunday, April 19, when the organ-driven funk-jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood (pictured) will be playing outside from 8:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., followed by guitarist Fareed Haque and the Flat Earth Ensemble inside from 10:30 to midnight. For a complete schedule of bands, go here.

Peter Erskine interview, GSLJF preview now online at the Beacon

The St. Louis Beacon online news site has some coverage of this weekend's Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival in the form of two pieces by freelance music journalist/artist manager (and occasional StLJN co-conspirator) Terry Perkins. You can read Perkins' preview story on the GSLJF here, and his interview with drummer Peter Erskine, who's one of the event's guest artists, here.

Notes from the Net: Kind of Blue as business case study, Osby on tour, Brubeck recovering, plus news, reviews, interviews, and more

Delayed for a day because StLJN HQ was temporarily buried under an avalanche of chocolate eggs apparently left by a giant anthropomorphic bunny rabbit, here's the latest weekly compilation of news briefs and links related to jazz, improvisation, and creative music in St. Louis, including news of musicians originally from the Gateway City, recent visitors, and coming attractions, plus assorted other items of interest:

* Starting, as we often do, with some Miles Davis-related links, the Wall Street Journal this past week had an interesting essay by John Edward Hasse, curator of American Music at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and the author of Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington, re-evaluating Kind of Blue on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.

KoB now also has become a case study for Harvard Business School, in which the authors, HBS professor Robert D. Austin and Carl Størmer, praise Davis' "radical simplicity" as a means of reinvention that could work as well for business as it did in music. Lastly, here's a recent video interview with hip-hop producer Easy Mo Bee, in which he discusses, among many other subjects, his work producing Davis (pictured) on some of the trumpeter's final recording sessions.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native Greg Osby, who was back home this past weekend to play at Jazz at the Bistro, is headed out on tour later this month with jam-band guitarist Jimmy Herring in support of Herring's new CD Lifeboat. Herring's tour band also includes drummer Jeff Sipe, keyboardist Scott Kinsey and bassist Oteil Burbridge.

* From the "coming attractions" file, here's the Associated Press' review of trumpeter Chris Botti's new CD/DVD, Chris Botti in Boston. Botti was here last month to do a benefit performance for St. Louis Children's Hospital, and will return in September to play the Fox Theatre. The trumpeter also was featured in a video for Newsweek magazine's Friday arts video series, "7 Things You Didn't Know About Chris Botti," which can be seen here.

* From the "recent visitors" file, there's some good news about pianist and composer Dave Brubeck, who's back home recovering after a two-week hospitalization for a viral infection. Brubeck's illness forced him to miss the premiere in California last week of a new orchestral work inspired by Ansel Adams. (His son Darius Brubeck performed in his place.) Before the concert, NPR recorded an interview with Brubeck about the new work, which you'll find here. Brubeck was in St. Louis most recently last fall to perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* NPR also had a feature about drummer Matt Wilson's band Arts & Crafts and their new CD, The Scenic Route. Wilson was in St. Louis with his Quartet last week for a concert at the Black Cat Theatre.

* Here 's a review of bassist Victor Wooten's new book, The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth through Music. Wooten's most recent St. Louis gig was last month at The Pageant.

* If you're a fan of Return to Forever, you may be interested in this post over at Howard Mandel's blog Jazz Beyond Jazz about RTF's Al Di Meola, in which the guitarist "let it be known that he agrees that some of Return to Forever's music is bombastic -- and over-long! He describes 2008 RTF juggernaut as a nostalgia trip, fun for a while, but eventually not so much," and adds that "Chick Corea, despite his vaunted interest in communication, didn't pay attention to di Meola's opinion that audiences didn't want 20 minute unaccompanied solos and two-song second halves of concerts." RTF's reunion tour included a stop at St. Louis' Fox Theatre.

* Finally, a couple of items of more general interest, starting with a new issue of the fine jazz and creative music 'zine Point of Departure, which is now available online here.

* And, for those mulling the future of the music business in the digital era, Dave Allen, formerly of the rock band Gang of Four, recently wrote a blog post that provides a thought-provoking examination of "the end of the music album as an organizing principle" here.

Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival previewed in Post article

The Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson has a story in the weekend paper previewing the upcoming Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival, which is set for Thursday, April 16 through Saturday, April 18 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. Wilson has quotes from singer/guitarist John Pizzarelli, who's one of the fest's guest artists, and the event's director, bassist and educator Jim Widner, and you can read the article online here.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Jon Faddis

This week, our video spotlight shines on trumpeter Jon Faddis, who will be in St. Louis next Saturday, April 18 to play at the Touhill Performing Arts Center as part of the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival.

Faddis, who's now 55, emerged on the international jazz scene in the early 1970s as a teenage prodigy mentored by Dizzy Gillespie. Playing bop and mainstream swing at a time when fusion was in vogue for most musicians his age, Faddis was a youthful traditionalist a decade before Wynton Marsalis and the other "Young Lions" of the 1980s. He developed personal relationships with many older jazz musicians in addition to Diz, and as his career has progressed, has become very involved in jazz education, passing the knowledge he gleaned from those veterans on to new generations of players.

Faddis is known as a excellent technician who's equally at home soloing in a small group or playing lead trumpet in a big band. With that in mind, here are some video clips that show off his versatility and, in the process, also may shed some light on his connections to the jazz tradition.

In the window up above, you can see Faddis, his quintet, and his mentor Gillespie performing the bop standard "Blue 'N Boogie" at a jazz festival in Japan. (The other musicians in the clip are uncredited, but sharp-eyed viewers also may recognize St. Louis native Greg Osby as the saxophonist.)

Down below, you'll see Faddis swinging with another jazz trumpet legend, St. Louis' own Clark Terry, as they play "Straight Up" with a Japanese rhythm section consisting of pianist Masuda Mikio, bassist Kawahara Hideo and drummer Okudaira Shingo. Finally, below that is a clip of Faddis in 2006 with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, demonstrating his high note prowess by playing the screaming trumpet part at the end of Duke Ellington's "Rockin' In Rhythm."





(Edited 4/15/09 to fix a garbled sentence.)

Greg Osby featured in RFT story

Saxophonist and St. Louis native Greg Osby is back home this week doing an educational residency for Jazz St. Louis and performances on Friday and Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. I had a chance to talk with Osby a couple of weeks ago about coming up in St. Louis, jazz education, and various other topics for a story published in this week's edition of the Riverfront Times. You can read the article online here.

Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum to play Ameristar's Bottleneck Blues Bar on July 30

Saxophonists Gerald Albright and Kirk Whalum (pictured) will bring their "Sax for Stax" tour to the St. Louis area for a show on Thursday, July 30 at Ameristar Casino St. Charles’ Bottleneck Blues Bar.

The tour is named after Albright's 2008 CD in which the Memphis native paid tribute to his hometown with instrumental versions of tunes associated with Stax Records, the Memphis-based label that was home to Sam & Dave, Isaac Hayes, Johnnie Taylor, the Staple Singers, and other soul hitmakers of the 1960s and '70s.

Whalum also is from Memphis, and guested on the Sax for Stax CD. His uncle, pianist/singer and saxophonist Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum, has been a mainstay on the St. Louis music scene since the late 1950s.

Tickets for the "Sax for Stax" show at the Bottleneck Blues Bar will be $45 and $50, and go on sale Monday, May 25.

Jazz this week: Jazz Attack, Greg Osby with Willie Akins, Wee Trio, Gutbucket, NIU Jazz Ensemble with Benny Golson, and more

It's the beginning of a couple of busy weeks for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with plenty of competition for the time, attention and dollars of music fans from a number of touring musicians as well as local acts. In particular, this weekend's lineup features several stellar saxophonists playing in a variety of musical contexts, from smooth jazz and R&B to post-bop to big band. Let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, the 2009 edition of the popular Jazz Attack smooth jazz tour, featuring saxophonist Richard Elliot, trumpeter Rick Braun and singer/guitarist Jonathan Butler, stops at the Ameristar Casino St. Charles' Bottleneck Blues Bar.

Also this evening, The Wee Trio, a Brooklyn, NY-based group that features St. Louis expat Dan Loomis on bass and has drawn comparisons to The Bad Plus and Medeski, Martin and Wood, will do a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and the St. Louis Jazz Cafe features smooth jazz saxophonist Readus Miller .

In addition, saxophonist and St. Louis native Greg Osby (pictured), who's in town this week for an educational residency and performances for Jazz St. Louis, and JSL education director Phil Dunlap will present "Understanding The Blues," another class in JSL's "Jazz 101" series, at Jazz at the Bistro.

On Friday, Osby's "St. Louis Shoes," a multi-generational project featuring Osby, his band, special guest saxophonist Willie Akins, and student saxophonists recruited from local schools, opens a two-night run at the Bistro. Also on Friday, the NYC-based "punk/jazz" band Gutbucket plays at the Mad Art Gallery, and the St. Louis Jazz Cafe features Trio Tres Bien.

Then on Saturday night, Osby continues at the Bistro; the multi-woodwind playing Bosman Twins will perform at the Jazz Cafe; and singer Kim Massie will be at Brandt's.

Moving on to Sunday afternoon, the Northern Illinois University Jazz Ensemble, directed by saxophonist Ronald Carter and featuring as special guest the legendary saxophonist and composer Benny Golson, will perform in a benefit show at the Sheldon Concert Hall

Looking beyond the weekend, on Tuesday the Jazz St. Louis CD Listening Club will have its April meeting, this month featuring singer Jeanne Trevor and JSL executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford in a discussion of the recording The Audience With Betty Carter. Later that evening, the "West Coast" jazz-inspired band Utter Chaos plays at The Gramophone.

As usual, these are just some of the noteworthy shows happening around St. Louis this week, so to see more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Urban Eats Cafe hosting show of Tony Renner's jazz-inspired art

In honor of Jazz Appreciation Month, improvising guitarist, DJ and friend o' this Web site Tony Renner is exhibiting his visual art during April at the Urban Eats Cafe and Bakery, 3301 Meramec Avenue in the Dutchtown neighborhood of south St. Louis.

The show includes his print of Dizzy Gillespie and other jazz-inspired works, and Renner will be at Urban Eats for brunch on Sunday, April 19 to meet, greet and eat with friends, art lovers, the merely curious, and any otherwise-innocent bystanders who happen to wander in looking for a bite. You'll find more details and a sample of Renner's art here.

Peter Erskine, Jon Faddis to present free master classes April 17 & 18 at the Touhill

In conjunction with their appearances next week as guest artists for the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival, drummer Peter Erskine and trumpeter Jon Faddis will present free master classes on their respective instruments.

Erskine's drum classes will be from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, April 17 and 12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 18. Faddis' trumpet class will be held from 12:45 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 18.> (See update below.) All three master classes will take place in the Touhill Performing Arts Center's Lee Theater, and all are free and open to the public.

UPDATE, 4/9/09, 12:15 p.m.: Via GSLJF publicity guru Dawn DeBlaze, the word now is that, to accommodate the rehearsal schedule for Saturday evening's concert, Faddis' and Erskine's master classes will trade time slots on Saturday, with Faddis now set to teach from 12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. and Erskine taking over the 12:45 to 1:30 p.m. slot.

In addition to the weekend concerts featuring Erskine, Faddis, guitarist/singer John Pizzarelli and saxophonist Lou Marini, the GSLJF also will include a number of performances and clinics featuring student combos and big bands from local schools. For a schedule of those events, go here.