Jazz this week: Brad Mehldau, "Cabaret In Blue" kicks off with Anita Rosamond, and more

While this week's menu of jazz and creative music offerings isn't quite as extensive as last week's, there's still some good stuff to be heard out there on St. Louis stages.

The biggest name in town this weekend is pianist Brad Mehldau (pictured) who brings his trio to Jazz at the Bistro for performances beginning tonight and running through Saturday. Mehldau is one of the most talked-about and written-about pianists of his generation, earning favorable comparisons from jazz critics to greats like Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett as well as attracting attention from pop and rock fans for his interpretations of music from artists like Radiohead and the Beatles.

Elsewhere in town, singer Anita Rosamond will perform at the Cabaret at Savor on Friday and Saturday night, inaugurating the venue's new "Cabaret In Blue" series. "Cabaret in Blue" will showcase several St. Louis singers in the intimate 65-seat room, performing a set of music that's intended to reflect the influence of the blues on their own personal styles. For this weekend's shows, Rosamond will sing and play piano and will be accompanied by the fine guitarist Shaun Robinson of Good 4 the Soul and the always-impressive Sandy Weltman on harmonica. (Full disclosure: Yr. humble editor will be taking part in a couple of these presentations next month, playing piano behind singers Renee Smith and Uvee Hayes during their respective performances.)

On Sunday, conductor and former Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra musical director Leonard Slatkin returns to St. Louis to host a benefit for classical radio station KFUO (99.1 FM) at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The concert will feature performances from well-known musicians in a variety of genres, including Latin-jazz pianist Michel Camilo and versatile bassist Edgar Meyer, who's worked in jazz, classical and bluegrass.

Other noteworthy shows this weekend include singer and pianist Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum at Brandt's on Friday night, and a morning concert by trombonist Brett Stamps and his band at the Sheldon Concert Hall on Saturday.

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.)

(Edited after posting to add more tags.)