Brian Auger
For various reasons, time is tight today, so I just want to mention a couple of standout shows that are happening this week.
Jazz-rock organist Brian Auger returns to town tonight for two shows at Finale. The present day version of his band, the Oblivion Express, is scaled down from his days as a semi-rockstar - there's no guitarist or percussionist, just a bass player and drummer backing him, plus his daughter Savannah on vocals. But for the hard-core fan, this can actually be a plus, as it means more solo space for the Hammond. I saw Auger a couple of years ago when he played at Generations, and he's still in fine form and playing a lot of his best-loved material. If you've enjoyed his music in the past, this a great chance to see him up close in the intimate space at Finale. I should also note that Auger is also very friendly with his audience - at the show I saw, he spent virtually the entire break between sets chatting with fans and signing CDs and, yes, even some old LPs. He seemed a geniunely nice guy, and he still plays the hell out of that organ, too.
Another 1970s icon is also stopping in St. Louis this week, as vibist Roy Ayers is headlining the benefit gala on Friday night for this weekend's Missouri Black Expo. Tickets are pricey at $100 each, though that does include the dinenr, valet parking, and other extras. But given that Ayers has been enjoying a resdiscovery of late, thanks to his music being sampled by many contemporary hip-hop and "R&B" performers, he just might draw a crowd anyway.
UPDATE - 3:15 p.m., 8/2/06: The Post's Kevin Johnson has an interview with Ayers now online at STLtoday. Read it here.
On Saturday, smooth jazz guitarist Denny Jiosa checks into Finale for two shows. I don't really know anything about his music, but he apparently has something of fan base among smooth jazz listeners. So, if you're among said base, here's your chance to check him out live in a cozy club atmosphere.
That's about it for touring acts in St. Louis this week, although as usual many of our fine local performers will be doing their thing on stages all over town. You can see more of what's on tap for the week by visiting the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar. However, said calendar is going to be under construction for the next 24 hours or so, as the August schedules from bands and clubs are, as is often the case, still trickling in. I hope to have all the August dates entered by this time tomorrow, but if the calendar looks a little spare when you take a look, it may mean that the update is still in progress.
(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.)
(Edited after posting to add info on the Denny Jiosa show.)
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