StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Joey DeFrancesco

This week, StLJN's video spotlight shines on organist Joey DeFrancesco, who's returning to St. Louis to perform Wednesday, May 10 through Saturday, May 13 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Back here for the first time since playing in December 2014 at the Bistro, DeFrancesco on this visit is supporting a new recording, Project Freedom, released in March by Mack Avenue Records.

The album marks the addition of saxophonist Troy Roberts to DeFrancesco's band, which already included drummer Jason Brown and guitarist Dan Wilson. As the name suggests, Project Freedom also features DeFrancesco stretching out a bit in terms of material, moods and interpretations.

You can find out more in the first video up above, a promotional clip from Mack Avenue offering a brief "behind-the-scenes" look at the recording process for the album.

After the jump, you can see and hear the new version of the band, now officially named Joey DeFrancesco and The People, performing earlier this month at The Tin Pan in Richmond, VA.

That's followed by three full sets of music from DeFrancesco, Brown, and Wilson, recorded in August 2016 at Dizzy's in New York; at the 2016 Springfield (MA) Jazz and Roots Festival; and at the 2015 Toronto Sky Festival.

Finally, there's an interview with DeFrancesco from last month, in which he talks with Brian Pace of the Pace Report about the new band lineup and latest recording. The clip also features some musical excerpts from their recent gig at Birdland in NYC.

For more about Project Freedom, read the reviews from London Jazz News and the Ottawa Citizen.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...