Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Jazz this week: Chick Corea, Harold López-Nussa, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival, and more

The fall presenting season for jazz and creative music in St. Louis gets underway in earnest this week, with two top-shelf pianists visiting our town; a couple of notable acts here from New Orleans; this year's edition of a popular (and free) local festival, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, September 12
As of late Tuesday night, pianist Chick Corea's first show with his Vigilette Trio on Wednesday at Jazz St. Louis is sold out, but some tickets remain for the second show. Check the Jazz St. Louis website for the latest availability, and remember that even when shows sell out at the Bistro, you can watch a video simulcast for free in the first floor lounge across the hall, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Those free simulcasts also are considered part of the free "Grand Center Jazz Crawl," which this week includes guitarist Joe Park's trio at The Stage at KDHX, a jam session hosted by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Also on Wednesday, Jazz St. Louis kicks off their expanded "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series for the 2018-19 season with "The Crisis in Music," a talk by author Ted Gioia that's free and open to the public at the St. Louis Public Library's main branch downtown.

Thursday, September 13
The impressive young Cuban pianist Harold López-Nussa (pictured, top left), who made his St. Louis debut last year at Jazz St. Louis, returns to play for one night only at JSL's Bistro.

Elsewhere around town, singer Erin Bode will perform in a free outdoor concert at Kirkwood Station Plaza, and pianist Ptah Williams leads his trio in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Also on Thursday, New Orleans swing and blues revivalists Frog and Henry play for dancers at the  Intersect Arts Center; and trumpeter Philip Watt, also an actor who's played the role of the late trumpeter Chet Baker in three stage productions, will lead a quartet at The Dark Room.

Friday, 
September 14
Also in from New Orleans this week, Big Sam's Funky Nation (pictured, bottom left) bring their brassy, danceable sound back to the Old Rock House. They're touring in support of their most recent album Songs In The Key of Funk, Vol 1, which was released in May.

That same evening, eclectic rock band the Brothers Lazaroff will augment their usual lineup with pianist Peter Martin for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis; the Midwest Jazztette plays West Coast "cool jazz" at Evangeline's; and singer Anita Jackson will perform for the late night crowd at The Dark Room.

Saturday, September 15
The annual Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival will take place in the Old Webster Business District, centered around the intersection of Lockwood Ave & Gore Ave. This year, the free, all-day event will feature jazz performances from the Webster University faculty ensemble, the Webster Groves High School Jazz Band, the US Air Force's "Shades of Blue" ensemble, SpaceShip, Miss Jubilee, and Bach to the Future, as well as blues from David Dee, Marquise Knox and more.

Also on Saturday, the Funky Butt Brass Band plays a free show for the Greentree Festival in Kirkwood Park, and Dizzy Atmosphere will perform vintage swing and Gypsy jazz in the beer garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden's "Flora Borealis" exhibit.

Sunday, September 16
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents The Gaslight Squares playing traditional jazz in a matinee concert at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel St. Louis - Westport.

Monday, September 17
Members of the Webster University jazz faculty led by saxophonist Paul DeMarinis will perform music representing "The Jazz Legacy of Columbia Records 1955-1965" at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(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.)

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