Jazz this week: The Kennedy Brothers, Manhattan Transfer, a tribute to Clark Terry, and more

With Christmas just a couple of weeks away, there are several seasonally themed jazz shows happening this week, as well as a pre-holiday homecoming for a couple of St. Louis' favorite sons.

On Wednesday night, the Manhattan Transfer brings their holiday show to the Touhill Performing Arts Center. This will be the popular vocal group's third appearance at the TouPAC since the hall opened in 2003, and their repertoire for this tour includes material from their two Christmas albums as well as a few familiar fan favorites drawn from the rest of their extensive catalog.

Also on Wednesday, the Kennedy Brothers open a four-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro, performing two sets a night through Saturday. Pianist Ray Kennedy probably is best known to jazz fans for his long tenure backing singer-guitarist John Pizzarelli, while bassist Tom Kennedy (pictured) has played with a number of well-known musicians, most notably serving as the regular bassist for fellow St. Louisan Dave Weckl's acclaimed electric jazz ensemble. This week, the brothers, who grew up in Maplewood, will be in the spotlight doing their own music as they get a relatively rare chance to perform together as headliners for their many friends and fans here in their hometown.

Other noteworthy shows this weekend: Singer Jeanne Trevor performs at Brandt's on Thursday night, and trumpeter Randy Holmes will lead Hard Bop Heritage in a tribute to St. Louis trumpet great Clark Terry on Friday night at Cookie's Jazz and More. Meanwhile, Finale Music and Dining will feature two local singers offering jazz-flavored holiday shows this weekend, as Dean Christopher presents "A Swingin' Holiday" on Friday night, and Debby Lennon goes "Home for the Holidays" on Saturday. And on Sunday afternoon, traditional jazz and swing band Cornet Chop Suey will perform in a concert sponsored by the St. Louis Jazz Club at the Moolah Shrine Center, 12545 Fee Fee Rd.

To see a more extensive list of local jazz-related events, please visit 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.)