Jazz this week: Locals keep January jumping

Erin Bode

The week after New Year's is traditionally a slow one for the the music business in general and the touring business in particular, and with the band Fly cancelling out of this week's planned gig at Jazz at the Bistro, it's up to our St. Louis based jazz performers to keep things jumping.

Musicians with ongoing gigs include pianist/vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum, the Gaslight Square veteran who's holding down Thursday nights at Brandt's, and trumpeter/vocalist Jeremy Davenport, playing Wednedays through Saturdays at Busch's Grove through the end of February. There's also saxophonist Dave Stone, who continues his long-running Friday night gig at Mangia Italiano, and saxophonist Willie Akins, whose early Saturday shows at Spruill's are practically an local institution by now.

Other local venues rely on variety more than the cozy familiarity of a house band. At Crossings Taverne and Grille in Webster Groves, singer Erin Bode performs tonight, sax man Paul DeMarinis plays Friday and the Leslie Maclean Trio will be there on Saturday. Around the corner at Cookie's Jazz and More, pianist Kim Portnoy performs tonight, and Sherry Drake and Scott Alberici will play on Friday.

Head north to U. City and Brandt's, and you can catch divas Kim Massie on Friday and Mae Wheeler on Saturday. Down the street at Riddles, Jazz Renaissance will perform on Friday night. Back down south at Mangia Italiano, the Brian Sullivan Quartet performs on Friday, and in Clayton, vocalist Debbie Lennon takes the stage at Finale on Saturday night.

These are just of few of the wide variety of St. Louis musicians worth your time and attention, and you'll find more in the St. Louis Jazz Notes calendar. And if you are a musician or venue who would like to have your event listed in the calendar, and possibly mentioned in this space as well, please email your information to stljazznotes at yahoo dot com.