Due to some technical difficulties here at StLJN HQ, I was unable to get this post up in time to note the appearance of singer Michael Buble on Wednesday evening at the Scottrade Center. Sorry 'bout that - if you're a big fan of Mr. Buble's, here's hoping you already knew he was coming to town, and planned appropriately. If not, well, either you don't care, or there's always next time. Buble and/or said technical difficulties notwithstanding, there are still a few worthy musical events this weekend that I want to call to your attention before any more time elapses.On Thursday night, Jazz at the Bistro presents two sets by the the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra under the direction of bassist and bandleader Jim Widner. This big band is stocked with some fine St. Louis musicians and has been doing monthly gigs at the Bistro for nearly a year now. Given the precarious economics of presenting such a large ensemble, they probably can use all the in-person support they can get from big band fans to help bolster their case for continuing their regular date there on into the future. .
Also on Thursday, Washington University's Jazz at Holmes series presents a free concert by singer Anita Rosamond, who draws from a repertoire that includes jazz, R&B, soul and pop. In addition to her vocal stylings, Rosamond also will play piano, and she'll be accompanied at the gig by Nathan Jatcko on second keyboard, Chris Turnbaugh on bass and Jerry Mazucca on drums.
On Friday, guitarist Frank Vignola returns with his quintet to St. Louis for a performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall that also will serve as a live recording session for a DVD to be released by Mel Bay Records. For more on Vignola, see this post from a couple of weeks ago.
And speaking of encore appearances, this weekend also marks the return of pianist Cyrus Chestnut (pictured) to Jazz at the Bistro, where he'll be playing on Friday and Saturday. Chestnut's most recent CD is a collection of songs associated with Elvis Presley, given a jazz interpretation by the prodigious piano player and his group. I'd expect some of the Presley material to show up during his sets this weekend, but with Chestnut's deep roots in blues and gospel, classically trained chops, and discography that encompasses everything from standards and hard bop to covers of songs by the rock band Pavement, he's capable of going in almost any musical direction.
Looking beyond the weekend, singer Denise Thimes will perform at the Sheldon next Tuesday in a concert to benefit the the St. Louis chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (NCADA). (Note: The "benefit" link goes to a .pdf file.)
As always, this is just a sampling of what's happening around town; for more local jazz-related events this weekend and beyond, 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.)
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