Jazz this week: The Yellowjackets, Glendale Jazz Festival, Cara Dineen and the Todd Mosby Group, and more

It looks like we've finally got some nice weather here in St. Louis just in time for the Memorial Day weekend, and though lots of folks will be enjoying barbecues, pool openings and other outdoor activities, there also will be plenty of music to check out over the next few days.

The big names in town this week are the Yellowjackets (pictured), who are performing at Jazz at the Bistro tonight through Saturday. These shows actually will feature a variant lineup of the 'Jackets, with saxophonist Eric Marienthal sitting in for Bob Mintzer alongside regular band members Marcus Baylor (drums), Russell Ferrante (keyboards) and Jimmy Haslip (bass).

As my esteemed colleague Terry Perkins noted in a Post-Dispatch blurb on the band last week, many listeners may associate Marienthal with smooth jazz. However, based on what I heard from him at a mid-1990s appearance at Mississippi Nights with the Weckl/Pattitucci/Gambale edition of the Chick Corea Elektrik Band, he certainly seems capable of holding his own, and then some, in a harder-edged musical situation. Marienthal also has subbed for Mintzer on previous Yellowjackets gigs, so the combination isn't as incongruous as it might appear at first. At any rate, the Yellowjackets are always a draw at the Bistro, and with Baylor, a St. Louis native, behind the drum kit, I'd expect another good turnout, even without Mintzer.

Tonight also is the opening night for The Cotton Club Revue, a musical production from Unity Theatre Ensemble that includes singer Denise Thimes in the cast. The show only runs at the Ivory Theatre in south St. Louis through Sunday, so if you're interested in attending, I'd suggest that you get your tickets right away.

On Thursday, singer Cara Dineen and guitarist Todd Mosby's group will play at Lucas School House. Dineen is currently a student at Berklee College of Music in Boston, studying jazz vocals with former St. Louisan Jan Shapiro, while Mosby, who has a new CD coming out soon, continues to blend jazz, folk, Latin and Indian influences in a distinctive and ear-pleasing way.

On Friday, it's the Glendale Jazz Festival, featuring traditional jazz from the St. Louis Stompers, New Orleans-style funk from Gumbohead and Terry Thompson's Swing Alive band with singer Dean Christopher. The event, which is held at Glendale City Hall, 424 N. Sappington Rd., will be emceed by Don Wolff and is free and open to the public. Also on Friday, violinist Nikki Glenn and keyboardist Eddie Randle will be appearing at Cookie's Jazz and More.

On Saturday afternoon, singer Erin Bode and band will be performing a free concert as part of the Affton Festival of Arts at Affton High School, and then that evening will play at The Gramophone. And looking beyond the weekend, on Monday evening the free improvising saxophonist Jack Wright and his son, bassist Ben Wright, will perform at Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center. Also on the bill are Mark Sarich, Jack Callahan, Andrew Heffner and Dave Stone, though from the notice I got, it wasn't exactly clear if they'd be opening for the Wrights, or performing with them. That said, given Jack Wright's penchant for improvising with just about anyone who'd like to play with him, both options seem possible.

For more St. Louis 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 5/22/08 to add the Erin Bode performance at the Gramophone.)