With five very different touring headliners in town for performances between now and Sunday, the St. Louis jazz scene has shows to suit a variety of musical tastes this weekend.Let's go in chronological order, starting with Delfeayo Marsalis, who's performing at Jazz at the Bistro from Wednesday through Saturday. Delfeayo is the third-youngest Marsalis brother, and is known for his work as a producer of other artists as well as a musician in his own right. What little I've heard of his own stuff seems mostly inclined toward well-executed hard bop and post-1960s modernism, with occasional New Orleans-style trimmings, and, as one might expect from a Marsalis, he's definitely got skills on his chosen instrument. For more about his live show, check out this review of a January 2007 performance at NYC's Blue Note.
Next up is singer and pianist Diane Schuur, who returns to Finale Music and Dining to perform on Thursday and Friday. Schuur's brassy style has always seemed a bit overbearing to me, but there's no questioning her chops. If you're a fan, this seems like a great chance to see her in a very intimate setting.
On Saturday, singer and guiitarist John Pizzarelli (pictured) kicks off the Sheldon Concert Hall's jazz series for 2007-08. By now, Pizzarelli's a familiar figure around these parts, and seems to have built a substantial fan base here thanks to past performances at the Bistro, the Sheldon and elsewhere. He's an able entertainer as well as a fine guitar player, and I'd expect him to draw a big crowd at the Sheldon.
Speaking of entertainers, on Sunday afternoon Frank Sinatra Jr. will play the Touhill Performing Arts Center. His current show pays explicit tribute to his famous father, and, according to his publicity materials, features a 38-piece orchestra to recreate the arrangements used on some of Old Blue Eyes' most famous recordings.
To close out the weekend, on Sunday night the Roberts Orpheum will host a smooth jazz show headlined by saxophonist Marion Meadows and also featuring keyboard players Alex Bugnon and Bob Baldwin.
Other noteworthy jazz performances this weekend include trombonist Brett Stamps, who plays a free concert at Washington University on Thursday night as part of the Jazz at Holmes series, and smooth jazz/R&B saxophonist Rod Tate, who will be at Finale on Saturday.
Looking beyond the weekend, the Sessions Big Band is at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups on Monday night; singer Anita Rosamond will do a couple of 10 a.m. "Coffee Concerts" at the Sheldon on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings; and singer Brian Owens performs in a "Notes From Home" concert at the Sheldon on Tuesday night.
For more St. Louis jazz-related events, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendat
(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.)
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