Jazz this week: Greg Osby, a tribute to John Norment, Erin Bode and more

There's only time for a short post this week, but there are a few performances definitely worth noting, starting with saxophonist Greg Osby (pictured), a St. Louis native who returns home this weekend to play Friday and Saturday night at Jazz at the Bistro. A prolific composer and bandleader, Osby is always challenging himself and his audience with new material and different ensemble configurations. The quartet is one of his more frequent performing formats, but according to this interview Osby did with the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson, he'll have a new piano player and some new compositions to show off this weekend.

Osby is also a Net-savvy individual who's been known to engage fans at length on various message boards and whose Web site contains lots of free music for download in MP3 format. If you're not already familiar with this fine musician, go here to sample some of his work, and then get down to the Bistro to check him out in person.

Also worth noting this weekend is the appearance of singer Erin Bode at Finale Music and Dining for a comparatively rare two-night engagement on Friday and Saturday. No doubt Bode's considerable local fan base will want to avail themselves of the chance to hear her in a showcase club setting, so if you're interested in going, advance reservations are definitely in order.

On Sunday afternoon, the Bistro will host a jazz brunch featuring the Jerome "Scrooge" Harris Quartet in a tribute to the late St. Louis saxophonist John Norment. Proceeds from the event go to benefit Harris' not-for-profit educational institute for young musicians, and they'll also be selling a new CD featuring Harris' renditions of some of Norment's music. For more details, see this post.

Other noteworthy gigs this weekend include perennial local favorite Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum at Brandt's this evening; the Vegas-style jazz of Wild Cool & Swingin' at Cookie's Jazz and More on Saturday; and singer Mae Wheeler at Brandt's for a late afternoon/early evening gig on Sunday.

That's about it for this week, but remember, you always can find a more extensive listing of local jazz-related events by visiting the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(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. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)