Jazz at Holmes series announces fall 2011 schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University today announced via email their schedule of free concerts for the fall 2011 semester.

The series kicks off at 8:00 p.m. this Thursday, September 1 with a concert by drummer Bensid Thigpen's quintet and guest vocalist Marsha Evans, to be held outdoors in the Quadrangle on the main Wash U campus. Subsequent performances in the series will move indoors to the series' regular venue, Ridgley Hall's Holmes Lounge.

Among the more noteworthy dates in the series: Guitarist Daryl Darden, a former St. Louisan now based on the West Coast, will return home to perform on Thursday, September 15; and singer Jan Shapiro (pictured), another St. Louis native who now heads the vocal department at Berklee College of Music, will be back to headline on Thursday, November 3. Musicians making their Jazz at Holmes debuts as leaders this fall include trombonist Tom Hanson, who will perform on September 8, and guitarist Scott Jones, who will play on October 27.

On a more cryptic note, there are three concerts listed - "St. Louis Swing," "St. Louis Bebop" and "Bass 3" - that give no indication as to who the musicians are. Presumably more details will be forthcoming at some point; as of this writing neither the Jazz at Holmes website nor their Facebook page have been updated with the fall 2011 schedule.

Here's the list of concerts in chronological order:

Thursday, September 1: Ben Thigpen Quintet with Marsha Evans

Thursday, September 8: Trombonist Tom Hanson's octet plays West Coast jazz

Thursday, September 15: Daryl Darden Quartet with pianist Curt Landes

Thursday, September 22: Tom Kennedy with Bill Lenihan and Miles Vandiver

Thursday, September 29: St. Louis Swing

Thursday, October 6: Freddie Washington Quartet

Thursday, October 20: Mike Karpowicz and Paul Demarinis

Thursday, October 27: Guitarist Scott Jones plays electric jazz fusion

Thursday, November 3: Jan Shapiro with Ptah Williams and Bill Lenihan

Thursday, November 10: St. Louis Bebop

Thursday, November 17: Bass 3

All Jazz at Holmes concerts are free and open to the public, and begin at 8:00 p.m. in Holmes Lounge, which is located in Ridgley Hall, on the west side of Brookings Quadrangle near the intersection of Brookings and Hoyt drives.