Jazz this week: Yellowjackets, an all-star benefit for the Sheldon, back to Gaslight Square and more

St. Louisan Marcus Baylor (third from left) returns
home this week to drum with the Yellowjackets

Jazz at the Bistro concludes its 2004-05 season this week with the Yellowjackets, who will appear Wednesday through Saturday night at the club in midtown's Grand Center district. The current edition of the band features St. Louis native Marcus Baylor on drums, and you can find out more about them by reading my Critic's Pick in this week's Riverfront Times.

Also in Grand Center on Thursday beginning at 7:30 p.m., the Sheldon Concert Hall will host an all-star ensemble of St. Louis jazz players to celebrate the release of St. Louis Jazz, a limited-edition CD featuring songs about St. Louis performed by Dave Brubeck, Willie Akins, Kim Portnoy, Erin Bode and more. Alas, the CD will be available only to donors of $100 or more to the Sheldon Arts Foundation, but if you're not quite that flush, you can still see a fine lineup of talent that includes pianists Carolbeth True and Reggie Thomas, singer Mardra Thomas, guitarist Rick Haydon, trumpeter Randy Holmes and vibraphonist Jonathan Whiting for just $10 at the door.

Also on Thursday, and continuing on Friday night, Finale presents "Back to Gaslight Square," featuring the vocal stylings of ultrasuave crooner Gene Lynn and longtime St. Louis favorite Jeanne Trevor. Then on Saturday, saxophonist Tim Cunningham brings his smooth jazz sounds to the new music and supper club in Clayton.

In University City this weekend, Brandt's features singer Victoria Gough with Bob Bosch on Friday, a return appearance by Mae "Lady Jazz" Wheeler on Saturday, and a Sunday brunch performance by Jobim Dreams.

Over in my swingin' hometown of Webster Groves, guitarist Corey Christiansen and vocalist Erika Johnson will perform together Friday night at Cookie's, while just around the corner at Crossings Taverne and Grille, bassist Tom Kennedy leads a trio on Thursday night, Erin Bode performs on Friday, and the duo of clarinetist Scott Alberici and pianist Kim Portnoy will play on Saturday.

And back in the city on South Grand, saxophonist Dave Stone continues his long-running Friday night gig at Mangia Italiano. (Warning: website contains annoying, user-unfriendly animated calendar.)

If you'd like to see your gig or concert featured here, or you want a link for your band or club on the sidebar, use that new-fangled thing called "email" to beam some packets of electrons with the relevant info to me at stljazznotes at yahoo dot com.