The Ramsey Lewis Trio
A couple of keyboard craftsmen are the headlining attractions for this week in St. Louis jazz. Pianist Ramsey Lewis is the better known of the two, having proved himself to be a most durable performer over the last 45 years or so. He'll be appearing Saturday night in concert with his trio at Principia College in Elsah, Illinois (which is a little bit north of Alton on the Great River Road, in case you didn't know).
While Lewis has never been the sort of pianist who wins a lot of jazz polls, he's always had an ear for a good groove, starting in the 1960s with popular singles like "Wade In The Water" and "The In Crowd," continuing through the 1970s with the Maurice White production "Sun Goddess" and on into the present day. A polished entertainer who hosts a radio program in Chicago as well as the PBS television series Legends of Jazz, Lewis definitely knows how to work a crowd, and even when he's playing bebop or Brazilian music, his blues and gospel influences are never too far from the surface.
The blues are also an important part of the music of organist Tony Monaco, an acolyte of the late Jimmy Smith who will be appearing at Finale for two sets tonight. On his recordings, Monaco certainly has shown the right combination of chops and feel to do justice to the classic style of his musical idol, and even if he's not really breaking much new ground yet, if you're a fan of jazz organ I imagine he's probably pretty much fun to hear live.
This week also marks the debut of a new collaborative effort between Jazz St. Louis and the Hilton at the Ballpark, located downtown next to Busch Stadium at One South Broadway. "Jazz St. Louis on Broadway" will present St. Louis jazz groups performing in the lobby of the hotel on selected Wednesdays. Master tenor saxophonist Willie Akins kicks off the series tonight with sets at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., while future shows will feature singer Kim Massie (August 9) and the fine pianist Dave Venn (August 23). And, in welcome news for the cash-strapped and/or frugal, admission is free.
As always, this is just a small sampling of the week's jazz gigs, so please check out the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar for a more complete list.
(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. No attachments, please.)
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