Previewing the US Bank St. Louis Jazz and Heritage Festival

So, you'd like to know more about the US Bank St. Louis Jazz and Heritage Festival being held this Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24 in Clayton's Shaw Park?

Well, for starters, you can read my preview story in this week's Riverfront Times, which ought to be going online here any time now. For a couple more previews of the event from local newspapers, see this story from the Suburban Journals and this one from the Edwardsville Intelligencer. And you may also enjoy reading these reviews of recent concert appearances by headliners Dr. John and Lizz Wright.

For more of Dr. John, just click on the embedded video window above to see a clip of him performing last summer in Lowell, MA. And StLJN will also have several more video clips featuring festival artists over the next couple of days, so if you're diggin' that YouTube as much as we are, be sure to check back.

In the meantime, below you'll find the Festival schedule, complete with links to artist Web sites; information on where to get more details from the Festival's own site; and links to help you catch up on some of StLJN's coverage leading up to the event.

2006 US Bank St. Louis Jazz and Heritage Festival schedule

Friday, June 23

4:30 p.m.: Readus Miller Project, Festival Entrance
5:00 p.m.: Denise Thimes, Emerson Jazz Stage
5:30 p.m.: Carol Schmidt & Friends, Soul School Stage
6:30 p.m.: Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Michelob Lager Stage
7:00 p.m.: Lamar Harris, Soul School Stage
8:30 p.m.: Dr. John, Emerson Jazz Stage

Saturday, June 24

3:00 p.m.: Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project, Michelob Lager Stage
3:30 p.m.: Rick Haydon and the SIUE Jazz Ensemble, Soul School Stage
4:30 p.m.: Clarke/Duke Project, Emerson Jazz Stage
5:30 p.m.: Anita Rosamond, Soul School Stage
6:30 p.m.: David Sanborn Group, Michelob Lager Stage
7:00 p.m.: New World Harmonica Jazz, Soul School Stage
8:30 p.m.: Lizz Wright, Emerson Jazz Stage

US Bank St. Louis Jazz and Heritage Festival official site
Printable program guide (.pdf format)
Ticket information
"Festival basics"
Map and directions

Previously on St. Louis Jazz Notes:

Jazz fest previewed in Post article
Rick Haydon profiled in Belleville News-Democrat
StLJN Saturday at the Movies: The Clarke/Duke Project
Jazz and Heritage Festival to raise funds for New Orleans musicians
US Bank Jazz Fest adds more local/regional acts
More St. Louis musicians added to US Bank jazz fest lineup
Know your St. Louis jazz festivals
US Bank St. Louis Jazz festival announces 2006 lineup
The StLJN Jazz Roundtable: Jazz festivals part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

In addition to those promised video clips, we'll have plenty of additional Festival coverage over the next several days, including reports from the site this weekend, a bit of commentary, and much more.

UPDATE - 6/22/06: The Post-Dispatch now has a couple more Festival-related stories online at STLtoday, as pop critic Kevin Johnson interviews David Sanborn (who's playing in Little Rock, AR on Friday before coming here on Saturday) and covers the local and regional musicians performing at the event.