Bistro will be a no-Fly zone in January

There are a couple more schedule changes in the second half of Jazz at the Bistro's tenth anniversary season. Most significantly, four nights of performances by the group Fly, featuring saxophonist Mark Turner, that were scheduled for the first week in January have been cancelled. This is particularly diappointing because the group was one of the more musically adventurous acts scheduled in what is mostly a retrospective sort of year to commemorate JATB's 10th anniversary.

Ticket holders can call 314-531-1012 for refund information. A replacement act seems unlikely at this late juncture, but I am going to try to find out the reason for the cancellation and will report back with any info I can glean.

UPDATE, 6:05 p.m., 12/29/05: Terry Perkins, local freelance scribe who covers jazz for the Post-Dispatch, All About Jazz, and others, emails with the info that Fly canceled all their late December and January dates some time ago because one of the band members' wives is due to deliver a baby the first week of January. However, their booking agent neglected to inform the Bistro, who only learned of the cancellation a couple of weeks ago when they contacted the band to confirm travel arrangements. (Ouch! Not cool for the band, the club or the booking agent...) At that point, it was too late to book a suitable replacement act, and so it looks like the room will be dark next week.

In a related note, the shows by the student ensemble the THF All-Stars have been moved to the weekend of April 21-22. Tickets for the originally scheduled dates will be good for the new dates; those who can't attend can get a face-value refund at any Metrotix outlet.