Ellington Orchestra, Manhattan Transfer coming to TouPAC next season

The Touhill Performing Arts Center has announced its 2008-09 season schedule, and it includes a couple of concerts that may be of interest to jazz fans along with the expected presentations of theater, dance, pop and classical music.

As previously shown on Pollstar, the Manhattan Transfer will return to the TouPAC on Friday, December 19 with their annual holiday show. In addition, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, now under the direction of Duke's grandson Paul Mercer Ellington (pictured), is booked for a matinee performance on Sunday, March 22, 2009.

Creative music aficionados may also take an interest in the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra "Explosions Percussion Festival" scheduled for Sunday, November 23, as past editions of this concert have included some interesting works by contemporary composers.

Regrettably, the TouPAC's management has also made the inexplicable decision to schedule a return date for the odious, zoot-suited oafs Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, who will befoul the stage with their inept, clumsy and tasteless presentation in something called "Wild and Swingin' Holiday Party" on Saturday, December 6. One can only hope that listeners will stay away in droves so as to help discourage any future repeats of this grievous error. It's sad to think that someone in a position of responsibility is so misguided as to think that those doofuses are actually worth hearing once, let alone twice. Then again, as H.L. Mencken once said, and the success of reality television continues to prove, no one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.

The Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson has the rundown on the rest of the TouPAC's 2008-09 season in a feature story that can be read online here.

StLJN Saturday at the Movies: Erin Bode's "Graceland," plus Jeanne Trevor sings "At Last"

This week's videos showcase two singers from different generations who are both popular attractions on the St. Louis music scene. First up is Erin Bode, who's got a new CD coming out next month, singing her interpretation of Paul Simon's "Graceland." The clip was recorded recently when Bode and her band performed at the Nighttown jazz club in Cleveland, and although the video is bit dark, the audio quality is good.

The second clip features Jeanne Trevor, who's been entertaining local audiences since the Gaslight Square era, performing her rendition of "At Last," a song that has become a standard thanks mainly to the familiar version recorded by Etta James. Pianist Kevin Kurth, who, like Trevor, has worked frequently in musical theater as well as in clubs and concerts, provides the accompaniment.

Beacon shines on Teddy Presberg

Singer-guitarist Teddy Presberg, who's appearing at this weekend's St. Louis Jazz and Heritage Festival, is the subject of a story by veteran local music writer Dan Durchholz that's now online over at the St. Louis Beacon, the local news Web site recently founded by former Post-Dispatch employees. Read it here.

Jazz this week: St. Louis Jazz and Heritage Festival; a tribute to Miles Davis; Lamar Harris CD release party; and more

This weekend's major jazz event is the St. Louis Jazz and Heritage Festival, which will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in Clayton's Shaw Park. Singer Cassandra Wilson headlines, and the other mainstage performers are ex-Crusaders keyboardist Joe Sample (pictured) with singer Randy Crawford; Latin percussionist Tito Puente Jr.; and smooth jazz/fusion keyboardist Lao Tizer with guitarist Chieli Minucci and violinist Karen Briggs.

Local groups and musicians appearing on the festival's second stage will include pianist Ptah Williams, performing a tribute to Stevie Wonder; jam band singer-guitarist Teddy Presberg; the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra, directed by bassist Jim Widner; singer Brian Owens; and Two Times True featuring pianist Carolbeth True and her son, drummer David True.

UPDATE, 5/29/08, 1:30 a.m.: The Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson has an interview with Cassandra Wilson in today's paper, available online here.

Elsewhere around town, on Friday trombonist Lamar Harris will have a release party for his latest CD at The Gramophone, and trumpeter Randy Holmes and his Quintet will present a tribute to Miles Davis at Cookie's Jazz and More. Looking beyond the weekend, on Tuesday singer Jeanne Trevor will perform a free concert at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park as part of the "Twilight Tuesdays" series

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.)

Memorial service for Rosa Owsley to be held June 1 at Ethical Society

A memorial service for Rosa Owsley will be held at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, June 1 at the Ethical Society, 9001 Clayton Rd.. The wife of jazz historian, photographer and radio host Dennis Owsley, Rosa Owsley died April 17 from complications of cancer. In addition to her husband, she is survived by a son, Dan, and a daughter, Anna.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Rosa Owsley Fund c/o Ginny Fisher at Affton High School, 8309 Mackenzie Road, St. Louis MO 63123 or to the Nature Conservancy in her name.

StLJN jazz site of the week: Jazz Discography Project

The StLJN jazz site of the week is the Jazz Discography Project, a true labor of love that includes detailed information on the recorded legacies of more than 50 of the most significant musicians in modern jazz, from Cannonball Adderley to Mal Waldron. Recordings are listed both by session date and location and by the name of the album or albums issued, and the site also includes information on the catalogs of a couple dozen of the most significant record labels of the post-World War II era.

If you're the sort of mildly (or even extremely) obsessive jazz fan who enjoys knowing stuff like the fact that Miles Davis' first-ever recording session was with Rubberlegs Williams and Herbie Fields' band at WOR Studios in NYC on April 24, 1945, you'll probably enjoy checking out the Jazz Discography Project.

(Edited 6/4/08 to fix a typo.)

Notes from the Net: Miles from India reviewed; Ehrlich nominated for JJA award; St. Louisans at The Stone; Waits interviews himself; and more

From far and wide across the vastness of the Internets, here's the latest compilation of news bits about musicians with a St. Louis connection, recent visitors and coming attractions, plus a few other items of interest:

* Let's start, as we usually do, with some Miles Davis-related news. First up, AllAboutJazz.com has another review of the book Miles Davis, Miles Smiles and the Invention of Post Bop. Next up are three reviews of the new two-CD set Miles from India, from Blogcritics' Richard Marcus, Nick Coleman of the UK Independent, and from an Indian blogger who uses the handle Amitdas. And finally, a fine art and memorabilia exhibition entitled "A Tribute to Miles Davis and Carlos Santana" opened May 15 at Lush Life Gallery in San Francisco.

* The nominees for the 2008 Jazz Journalists Association awards include St. Louis native Marty Ehrlich (pictured) for clarinetist of the year.

* The July schedule at John Zorn's NYC performance space The Stone will have a distinct St. Louis flavor, courtesy of multi-reedman J.D. Parran, who's co-curating the shows for the month. St. Louisans past and present who will be performing include Parran, Ehrlich, trumpeter Bruce Purse, guitarist Kelvyn Bell, multi-instrumentalist Mark Deutsch, trombonist Joe Bowie, saxophonist Oliver Lake, and poet Michael Castro.

* Turning to news of some recent visitors to St. Louis, the Los Angeles Times has a review of bassist Christian McBride's recent concert at LA's Disney Hall featuring 'The Movement Revisited" a four-section suite inspired by the civil rights movement. McBride was in St. Louis this spring with the Ray Brown Tribute band to perform at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Bassist, singer and composer Esperanza Spalding, who played the Bistro last October, has a new CD Esperanza, reviewed here.

* Singer/pianist Freddie Cole and pianist Dave Brubeck recently performed on the same bill at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, and AllAboutJazz.com has a review of the show here. Both Cole and Brubeck performed at the Sheldon Concert Hall this past season, and Brubeck has a return engagement at the Sheldon this fall.

* Saxophonists Joe Lovano and Dave Liebman are reviving their Saxophone Summit project, with Ravi Coltrane joining in as a replacement for the late Michael Brecker. Coltrane played the Bistro in February.

* Pop/jazz singer Michael Buble, who performed at the Scottrade Center in March, continues his North American tour; a recent stop in San Jose, CA is reviewed here.

* Pianist Helen Sung recently was part of a "Women in Jazz" concert in Washington DC, reviewed here. Sung was a special guest at singer Denise Thimes' Mother's Day show at the Sheldon and will return to St. Louis in the fall to play Jazz at the Bistro with the Metta Quintet.

* Trumpeter Terence Blanchard and film director Spike Lee presented a program called "Jazz Goes to the Movies" at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, featuring excerpts from Blanchard's scores for Lee's movies Bamboozled, Inside Man, Clockers, Malcolm X, Jungle Fever, 25th Hour, Mo' Better Blues,and When the Levees Broke. Blanchard returns to St. Louis next February for a four-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro

* Lifecycle, the new collaborative album from the Yellowjackets and guitarist Mike Stern, is reviewed here. Stern was here to play the Bistro in March, and the Yellowjackets just wrapped up a four-night gig at the club. They'll return here to play the Bistro together next April 29 to May 2..

* Eccentric singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Tom Waits, who will be in St. Louis to play the Fox Theatre on June 26, recently did a rather amusing interview with himself about this summer's tour.

* And finally, a few miscellaneous items of interest, starting with the news that the city of Baltimore has accepted a bust of guitarist/composer Frank Zappa from FZ's Lithuanian fan club. Zappa was born in Baltimore, and his son Dweezil's project Zappa Plays Zappa will perform at The Pageant on Monday, June 9

* Here's another review of trombonist/composer George Lewis' new history of Chicago's Assocation for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.

* From freejazz.org comes an interesting discussion about why music goes out of print in the age of digital downloads. As it turns out, Amazon.com may have at least a partial solution to the problem with their new CreateSpace service, which duplicates out-of-print CDs and books on demand.

(Edited 6/3/08 to correct the date of the Zappa Plays Zappa show.)

StLJN Saturday at the Movies: A Miles Davis birthday tribute

Since Miles Davis' birthday falls on Monday, this week's video post will serve as StLJN's annual tribute to the legendary trumpeter, who was born 82 years ago in Alton, IL.

The first three videos are from 1964, when Miles' famous quintet with saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams was just beginning to gather some serious momentum. Clips one and two are taken from a performance on the Steve Allen Show, and depict the band performing "All Blues" and "So What."

The third video shows the same lineup later that year at the Teatro Dell'Arte in Milan, Italy, performing the composition "Joshua." For the fourth clip, we jump ahead to 1967 to see the same ensemble doing a rendition of the Thelonious Monk standard "Round Midnight" at a show in Stockholm, Sweden.

(For more Miles videos, check out last year's birthday tribute.)

"Decades of Divas 2008" coming to Edison Theatre on Saturday, June 14

St. Louis singers Jeanne Trevor, Kim Massie (pictured), Anita Rosamond and Monya are teaming up for "Decades of Divas 2008," a performance of songs associated with some of the legendary women of jazz, soul and pop that will be presented Saturday, June 14 at the Edison Theatre on the Washington University Campus.

With radio personality, journalist and author Bernie Hayes serving as MC, the four vocalists will offer their versions of tunes made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Etta James, Carole King, Nancy Wilson, Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight for two shows, a matinee at 3:00 p.m. and an evening performance at 7:00 p.m.. Tickets are priced from $25 to $40 and can be purchased at the Edison Theatre box office or through Metrotix. A portion of the proceeds from the show will be donated to ALIVE (Alternatives for Women Living in Violent Environments).

Jazz Cruises LLC sets 2008-09 schedule

St. Louis-based Jazz Cruises LLC has announced their schedule of events for the fall of 2008 and winter of 2009.

They'll offer four different cruises during the season, starting with Dave Koz & Friends at Sea from November 2 through November 9. Koz' seagoing amigos will include musicians such as Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler, Candy Dulfer, Eric Benet, George Duke, Najee and more, plus a special appearance by funk and soul legends Tower of Power.

Next up is the event known simply as The Jazz Cruise, which will take place November 9 through November 16, 2008 with featured performers including the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, the Heath Brothers, Andy Bey, Tom Scott, Regina Carter, Benny Green, Trio da Paz, Ben Riley’s Monk Legacy Septet, St. Louis' own Denise Thimes, and more.

The new year will kick off with The Smooth Jazz Cruise, hosted by Wayman Tisdale, from January 18 through January 25. The NBA star turned electric bassist will be joined by musicians such as Gerad Albright, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Lorber, Peter White, Jeff Golub and more.

Last but not least is the first-ever Playboy Jazz Cruise, which sails from January 25 through February 1 and will feature host Marcus Miller, special guest Herbie Hancock (pictured), Dianne Reeves, James Moody, Roberta Gambarini, Roy Hargrove, Eldar, the New Birth Brass Band and more. For more information, check out the links to the individual cruises or visit Jazz Cruises LLC's Web site.

(Edited 5/23/08 to fix a typo.)

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.)

Herb Snitzer's jazz photo exhibit at Sheldon Art Galleries featured in AP story

Photographer Herb Snitzer, whose pictures of jazz musicians from the late 1950s and early 1960s are featured in a new exhibition at the Sheldon Art Galleries, is the subject of a feature story that's out today on the Associated Press wire. You can read the article online here.

Unity Theatre Ensemble to open Cotton Club this Wednesday, May 21

Singer Denise Thimes will be one of the featured performers in the Unity Theatre Ensemble's production The Cotton Club Revue, which opens this Wednesday, May 21 and runs through Saturday, May 25 at the Ivory Theatre, 7622 Michigan Ave in south St. Louis.

Described as "a fast-paced slice of entertaining nostalgia highlighting popular artists, music, songs and dance of the Cotton Club era," the show also stars Herman Gordon, Chuck Flowers, Willena Vaughn, Shelley Miller and Ashi Smythe. The production is directed by UTE founder Ralph E. Greene, with music arranged and directed by David Foote. Tickets for The Cotton Club Revue are $18 in advance, $21 at the door and are available via Metrotix.

StLJN jazz site of the week: Jazz Beyond Jazz

The StLJN jazz site of the week is Jazz Beyond Jazz, the blog of veteran jazz journalist Howard Mandel. A Chicago native and expert on that city's avant-garde musicians, Mandel is now based in New York, where he teaches at NYU, appears on National Public Radio, and serves as president of the Jazz Journalists Association.

He also is the author of several books - the most recent being Miles Ornette Cecil: Jazz Beyond Jazz - and has written for all the major jazz publications as well as many general interest magazines and newspapers. You can check out Mandel's online musings at www.artsjournal.com/jazzbeyonjazz/.

Jazz St. Louis announces 2008-09 season schedule for Jazz at the Bistro

Featured performers in the 2008-09 season at Jazz at the Bistro will include (clockwise from from top left) Robert Glasper, Bernard Purdie, Charlie Hunter and Sean Jones.

Jazz St. Louis has announced the 2008-09 season schedule for Jazz at the Bistro, and it looks like another solid year of programming from St. Louis' busiest jazz presenters.

While the schedule contains a number of musicians who previously have been featured in the series - some of whom will be presented this year in new contexts and/or combinations - there also are several players and groups making their debuts at the Bistro, including pianist Robert Glasper, trumpeter Sean Jones, and the Metta Quintet, which features saxophonist Marcus Strickland and pianist Helen Sung.

Some of the other season highlights will include veteran pianist Cedar Walton; guitarist Charlie Hunter; the Godfathers of Groove, with organist Rueben Wilson and master funk drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie; trumpeter Terence Blanchard; and a celebration of the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records, which will be presented at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Listeners can also look forward to a show paying tribute to singer Eddie Jefferson, featuring singers Carla Cook and Allan Harris and pianist Eric Reed, and perhaps most intriguing of all, Greg Osby's "St Louis Shoes," a sort of multi-generational saxophone summit based on Osby's album of the same name that will feature the alto saxophonist and St. Louis native with one of his hometown mentors, Willie Akins, plus a student saxophonist from the area who will be selected through an audition process.

As for the more familar faces, saxophonist Javon Jackson will be back with a band featuring the estimable keyboardist Les McCann; organist Dr. Lonnie Smith will do four nights with guitarist Russell Malone and drummer Herlin Riley; and fusion band the Yellowjackets will return once again next spring, with guitarist Mike Stern on board as a special added attraction. We'll also hear more from singer Sara Gazarek, piano trio The Bad Plus, guitarist Frank Vignola, and singer-pianist Tony DeSare, all of whom were part of the Bistro's 2007-08 season.

In addition, the Bistro will continue a couple of holiday traditions, with trumpeter and St. Louis native Jeremy Davenport returning from New Orleans for Thanksgiving week, and singer Mardra Thomas and her husband, pianist Reggie Thomas, once again spreading the love for Valentine's Day weekend. Other local and regional acts on the schedule include the Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project, singer Brian Owens, trombonist Brett Stamps, saxophonist Jason Swagler, and trumpeter Jim Manley, along with return dates for Good 4 The Soul and a separate featured weekend for the group's guitarist Shaun Robinson.

Here's the lineup in chronological order:

September 5-6: Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project
September 10-13: Tony DeSare
September 19-20: Brian Owens
September 24-27: Cedar Walton Trio

October 3-4: Brett Stamps
October 8-11: Godfathers of Groove with Reuben Wilson, Bernard Purdie and Grant Green, Jr.
October 17 - 18: Jason Swagler Group
October 22-25: Javon Jackson/Les McCann
October 31 – November 1: Metta Quintet

November 5-8: Miguel Zenón
November 14-15: Shaun Robinson Group
November 19-22: Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band
November 28-29: Jeremy Davenport

December 3-6: Nnenna Freelon
December 12-13: Jim Manley
December 17-21: Jacky Terrasson
December 26-27: Good 4 The Soul

2009

January 7-10: The Bad Plus
January 21-24: Charlie Hunter Trio

February 4-7: Terence Blanchard Quintet
February 13-14: Mardra and Reggie Thomas
February 18-21: Robert Glasper Trio
*February 22: Blue Note Records 70th Anniversary Show featuring Nicholas Payton, Ravi Coltrane, Steve Wilson, Peter Bernstein, Bill Charlap, Peter Washington and Lewis Nash
February 27-28: Bruce Barth Quintet

March 4-7: Sara Gazarek
March 18-21: Dr. Lonnie Smith, Russell Malone and Herlin Riley

April 1-4: “The Genius of Eddie Jefferson” with Eric Reed, Carla Cook and Allan Harris
April 10-11: Greg Osby's “St. Louis Shoes” featuring Willie Akins
April 15-18: Sean Jones Quintet
April 29 – May 2: Yellowjackets featuring Mike Stern

May 13-16: Frank Vignola’s Rhythm Machine

*Presented at the Sheldon Concert Hall

I had a chance this week to chat about the season with Jazz St. Louis executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford and operations director Bob Bennett, and that conversation provided a few more details on what's in store:

* The organization's emphasis on educational programs will continue, with Greg Osby, the Metta Quintet and pianist Bruce Barth all doing week-long residencies during which they'll work with student musicians and perform concerts for school groups.

* JSL would like to present some more concerts in St. Charles, but the future of those shows depends on finding the funding for them. The organization also wants to continue collaborating with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra (where Bradford worked before taking his job at JSL) but no specific programs are scheduled yet.

* The monthly concerts by the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra also may return at some point, with funding again the major issue. Big band concerts are expensive to present, and after a strong start, attendance at the SLJO's shows tapered off a bit as the year went on.

* As in the past, more local and regional artists will be scheduled for the open weeks in winter and spring of 2009, but that announcement probably won't be made until near the end of the year.

All in all, it looks like Bradford, Bennett and the rest of the JSL staff once again have done a good job of putting together a schedule that should appeal to a fairly wide cross-section of jazz fans. I'd still like to see the Bistro try a few more adventurous or even avant-garde acts - how about a weekend for Ken Vandermark, or perhaps one of Kahil El'Zabar's groups? - and perhaps not repeat quite so many musicians from previous seasons. However, artistic wishes are always tempered by economic realities, and no music series can be all things to all people. The Bistro continues to present a lot of musically substantive performers in a sympathetic setting, and for that, local listeners should be glad.

(Edited after posting to fix the arrangement of photos. Edited again to clean up a few sentences.)

StLJN Saturday at the Movies: Two by Clark Terry

Reading about Clark Terry's current health difficulties this past week got me thinking that it's been a while since we've featured any videos of him in this space. There's certainly a wealth of material from many periods of his career available online. And who knows, perhaps if enough people see, hear and think of Clark Terry, it will somehow send some healing vibes his way. It certainly can't hurt, and even if you don't believe in such things, well, hey, you still get to watch some Clark Terry videos, and that's never a bad deal.

The first clip features Terry on flugelhorn playing "Once I Had A Secret Love," a song that apparently was once a hit for Doris Day - before my time, kids, before my time - but also was recorded (and presumably transmogrified) by Dexter Gordon, Nat Adderley and a number of others. CT kicks things off with an unaccompanied intro, and then is joined by bassist Mike Richmond (who posted the clip to YouTube), drummer Elliot Zigmund and Don Friedman on piano. In the second video, Terry's on trumpet, and after an introductory chorus from the rhythm section, he and valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer put some stank on Duke Ellington's "Things Ain't What They Used to Be."

MAXJAZZ releasing CD by bassist Ben Wolfe

Next Tuesday, May 20 will be the official release date for No Strangers Here, the debut CD by bassist Ben Wolfe (pictured) on the St. Louis-based MAXJAZZ label.

Wolfe has toured and recorded with musicians such as Harry Connick Jr., Diana Krall and Wynton Marsalis, and his CD features guests including saxophonist Marcus Strickland, trumpeter Terell Stafford and drummer Greg Hutchinson performing a program of Wolfe's compositions for a jazz quartet accompanied by a string quartet. Although MAXJAZZ hasn't yet posted any excerpts on their Web site, within the next few days you should be able to find more information the CD here.

Send "get well" wishes to Clark Terry

At last word, trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry, who was hospitalized last week in Kansas City with heart problems, is still on the mend. You can send a "get well" message to Terry via a current thread on the popular "Speakeasy" message board at JazzCorner.com, where proprietor Lois Gilbert, a friend of the trumpeter, promises to convey all good wishes promptly. Read the messages from other jazz fans and post your own greeting for Clark Terry here.

RFT article finds St. Louis on "Jazz Journey"

From the Department of Shameless Self Promotion: I've got a short article in this week's Riverfront Times about St. Louis and "Jazz Journey," a new Web site from lodging purveyors Motel 6 that's designed to guide travelers to jazz and blues sites of interest on both sides of the Mississippi River. Find out more about how one jazz-loving corporate executive got his company involved in promoting the music by reading the whole story here.

Live on the Levee series announces 2008 lineup

The lineup has been announced for the 2008 Live On The Levee series of free outdoor concerts on the riverfront, and once again there's precious little for fans of St. Louis' indigenous musical genres of jazz and blues.

Specifically, there are two performers that may be of interest: Teenage blues phenom Marquise Knox will open for the funk-rock-Latin band War on Saturday, July 19, and singer Gloria Brand, who mixes jazz with R&B, pop and other genres, will be the opening act for neo-soul singer Anthony Hamilton's Fair St. Louis show on July 5.

That's not to say that the series is totally without musical merit; British singer Joss Stone will headline the July 4 show at Fair St. Louis, and she and Hamilton both have made some enjoyable records, with the latter in particular said to be a galvanizing live performer.

Moreover, as a big fan of War who saw them play live several times back in the day, I'd normally be excited to see them returning to St. Louis. However, the band currently touring with the name War includes just one original member, keyboardist Lonnie Jordan, from the group that recorded hits like "All Day Music," "Low Rider," "Slippin' Into Darkness," and "The World Is A Ghetto" back in the 1970s. The other four living original members - bassist B.B. Dickerson, guitarist Howard Scott, drummer Harold Brown Jr. and harp player Lee Oskar - continue to perform together using the name Low Rider Band, and in my admittedly biased opinion, those guys would have been the ones to book to get the authentic vibe. Still, even the ersatz War does have a great catalog of tunes to draw upon, and, assuming Jordan has hired some decent sidemen, should present at least some entertainment value.

After Fair St. Louis, the Live on the Levee series proper kicks off on Friday, July 11 with jam bands Umphrey's McGee and Sound Tribe Sector 9, followed by the country group Lonestar on July 12. The series runs Fridays and Saturdays through August 2, and also will feature concerts from rock band the Black Crowes, R&B vocal group Boyz II Men, pop-rock band One Republic and roots-rock groups Rusted Root and O.A.R. The Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson has the details in his story on the series here, plus a list of the opening acts in a blog post here.

Aside from Stone, Hamilton and War, I can't say I'm particularly enthused about seeing any of these shows, though of course your mileage may vary. More to the point, it remains both a disappointment and a bitter irony that jazz and blues - the musical styles for which St. Louis is known around the world - are noticeably absent from a series produced by an organization named Celebrate St. Louis.

True, a concert devoted to jazz or blues might not draw quite as large an audience as yet another rock show, but a series like this ought to be about more than just going for the biggest possible crowds. Jazz and blues are a crucial part of St. Louis' musical heritage, and continue to have significant audiences in the area; a series that truly reflected St. Louis' tastes would find room for both genres. Conversely, if popularity is supposedly a key factor in determining what gets booked, where's the hip-hop? Though I'm not personally a big fan, St. Louis has spawned a number of successful hip-hop performers, and the music is hugely popular with a lot of people in the community.

In Johnson's story, series producer Missy Slay is quoted as saying, "The number one goal is to make sure the lineup is diverse and that we're offering music appealing to everyone regardless of gender and race." I guess it's nice that she's at least paying lip service to the concept, but if you enjoy jazz and/or blues, Live on the Levee would seem to still have a long way to go to achieve true musical diversity.

Linda Presgrave returning to play at Cookie's on Saturday, June 7

Pianist Linda Presgrave, a St. Louis expatriate now living in NYC, will return to her hometown on Saturday, June 7 to perform at Cookie's Jazz and More. Presgrave will be joined on the gig by her husband Stan Chovnick on soprano sax, plus a St. Louis rhythm section comprised of Dave Troncoso on bass and Jim Guglielmo on drums.

Although she moved to New York in 1998, Presgrave has made regular return visits to St. Louis, including several previous appearances at Cookie's. Presgrave has a special interest in performing and promulgating the work of female composers, and she and her band recently were one of two American groups featured in an Italian concert series dedicated to women in jazz. Presgrave will have a new CD titled Inspiration on the Metropolitan Records label later this year.

Jazz this week: Paula West, a celebration of Miles Davis, Kim Massie, BAG II, and more

Although some of St. Louis' not-for-profit jazz presenters, such as the universities, the Sheldon Concert Hall and the Touhill Performing Arts Center, have wrapped up their seasons, this next week still offers a decently varied menu of music of interest to jazz listeners. Let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, singer Paula West (pictured) opens a four-night run at the Cabaret at Savor. West will be one of the featured performers in the Sheldon's jazz series next fall, but if you don't feel like waiting until then to check her out, the intimate 65-seat space at Savor will provide an opportunity to see and hear her close up.

Also tonight, the James Davis Quintet from Chicago stops in St. Louis to perform at the Underground @ Red Sea. Though I haven't heard them live, I enjoyed their CD Angles of Refraction very much; see last week's post for details.

On Friday and Saturday, singer Kim Massie returns to Jazz at the Bistro, backed by a band including Lew Winer III on saxophones, Gus Thornton on bass, Gerald Warren on drums and yr. humble editor on piano. Without revealing any highly classified information, I can tell you that Kim has planned an eclectic program of blues, soul and jazz, featuring some fan favorites and a few less-familiar tunes as well, and I anticipate that it will an entertaining show.

Friday also brings the opening reception for the new jazz photo exhibit at the Sheldon Art Galleries, Herb Snitzer: Photographs from the Last Days of Metronome, as well as trombonist Lamar Harris performing at Erato Wine Bar, and singer/songwriter Alyse Black, winner in the jazz category of the 2007 Billboard Song Contest, opening up a multi-artist bill at The Gramophone.

On Saturday, the Carolbeth True Trio will be at Cookie's Jazz and More, while the Sidney Street Trio, featuring James Warfield Jr. on alto sax, Daryl Mixon on bass and Joe Pastor on percussion, plays at Brandt's.

On Sunday, it's the Miles Davis Jazz Celebration with saxophonist Willie Akins and drummer Arlin Strader at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, IL. See this previous post for more details. Also on Sunday, BAG II presents a free event at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe featuring poet K. Curtis Lyle, performance artist and percussionist David A.N. Jackson, and bassist/mbira player Zimbabwe Nkenya. Looking beyond the weekend, singer Jeanne Trevor will be at Brandt's on Tuesday night.

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.)

Recently on Heliocentric Worlds

In recent weeks, StLJN's sibling site Heliocentric Worlds has featured music videos starring Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Count Basie, Al Green, Dave Douglas Quintet, Earth Wind and Fire, Friends of Distinction, Horace Silver Quintet, Sun Ra Arkestra, Coleman Hawkins, Felix Cavaliere's Rascals, Johnny Griffin and the Art Taylor 4Tet, Return To Forever, Count Basie, Ray Charles, The Meters, Traffic, King Crimson, George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet, Brian Auger and the Trinity with Julie Driscoll, Aretha Franklin, Sonny Rollins, Al Kooper & Friends and Jeff Beck.

You can still see them all, plus hundreds more from the archives, and there's another music video added every day from genres including jazz, blues, soul, funk, classic rock, prog rock and experimental. Check it out at http://heliocentricworlds.blogspot.com.

Boney James to perform Thursday, July 10 at Ameristar's Bottleneck Blues Bar

Smooth jazz fans in the St. Louis area have another show to look forward to this summer, as saxophonist Boney James has been booked to play on Thursday, July 10 at the Ameristar Casino St. Charles' Bottleneck Blues Bar.

Known for an R&B-influenced sound on tenor sax that has been compared to the late Grover Washington, James has recorded numerous CDs that have been best-sellers on the contemporary jazz charts, and he's also earned two Grammy nominations.

Tickets for the performance are $45 and $50 and are on sale now via the Ameristar box office; online at Ameristar.com or tickets.com; or by calling 877-444-2637.

(Edited after posting to add a link.)

StLJN jazz site of the week: Do The Math

The StLJN jazz site of the week is Do The Math, the official blog of the NYC-based trio The Bad Plus. In addition to the expected news updates on the group's live gigs and recordings, DTM also features occasional essays on some of the band members' favorite musicians - there's a tribute to pianist Geri Allen on the front page right now - and assorted musings on more general jazz- and music-related topics. Posts are less frequent these days than a year ago, but the quality level generally remains high. If you like The Bad Plus, then by all means, you should check it out - but even if you're not a huge fan of their music, Do The Math is worth a look and/or a bookmark.

Kevin Mitchell featured on STLtoday's Book Blog

Pianist and bandleader Kevin Mitchell, whose "day job" is author and journalist, recently was interviewed by writer Clair Applewhite for an article on STLtoday's Book Blog about his new tome St. Louis Dad. You can read the interview online here.

Cornet Chop Suey performing for Ozark Jazz Society

The St. Louis-based traditional jazz and swing band Cornet Chop Suey is headed down to the Lake of the Ozarks next weekend to headline a concert at Lodge of the Four Seasons for the Ozark Jazz Society. You can read about in an article from the Lake Sun Leader here.

Article touts live jazz in Alton

A recent article in the Alton Telegraph written by Jill Moon examined the weekly jazz offerings at two local spots, Bossanova Restaurant and Lounge and Thymes Past. You can read it online here.

Clark Terry hospitalized in Kansas City

Jazz trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry was hospitalized last week in Kansas City, where he had traveled to perform with the Kansas City Youth Jazz Band. Terry, age 87, spent several days in the cardiac intensive care unit at the University of Kansas Medical Center. However, by Friday, his condition had improved enough for him to be moved to a regular room. Here's hoping that he has a quick and complete recovery.

StLJN Saturday at the Movies: Jeff Lorber's "He Had A Hat" plus Rick Braun & Richard Elliot's "Notorious"

This week's videos feature some of the musicians who will be coming this summer to The Pageant in St. Louis as part of smooth jazz DJ/impresario Rick Sanborn's "Smooth Summer Party" series.

Up top, it's keyboardist Jeff Lorber, who will be here on Sunday, June 22 as part of the "Guitars and Saxes" show, playing his composition "He Had His Hat". The clip is from a performance in April 2007 at a resort in Arizona, and that's bass player Brian Bromberg with Lorber.

Down below, it's trumpeter Rick Braun, aided and abetted by saxophonist Richard Elliot, doing a version of Braun's tune "Notorious" in June 2007 at a festival in Southfield, MI. Longtime musical associates, Braun and Elliot have recorded and now are touring together under the name R&R, and they'll be playing The Pageant on Friday, July 25.

Foundry Arts Centre facing budget shortfall

The Foundry Arts Centre in St. Charles, which recently has served as a venue for several concerts presented by Jazz St. Louis, is facing a $100,000 shortfall in its annual operating budget, according to a story published this week in the St. Charles Journal. With corporate donations waning in recent months, the Centre's board is considering a variety of options, including asking the City of St. Charles for funding help. Read the whole story here.

Cabaret at Savor showcasing St. Louis singers

The Cabaret at Savor, located at 4356 Lindell in the Central West End, is an intimate 65-seat room that usually presents touring performers, like the upcoming gig by singer Paula West with the George Mesterhazy Trio next Wednesday, May 14 through Saturday, May 17.

However, the club is also devoting a number of weekend evenings this spring to St. Louis vocalists. Next up is singer Renee Smith (pictured), who's appearing at the club this Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10 under the auspices of what's being called the "Cabaret in Blue" series. A veteran performer on the blues and R&B circuit who's sung with St. Louis legends such as Oliver Sain and Johnnie Johnson, Smith will be singing a program of love songs drawn from a variety of genres, including blues, soul, jazz, pop and standards, backed by none other than yr. humble StLJN editor on piano.

After West's four-night run, the "Cabaret in Blue" series continues with singer Uvee Hayes, whose CDs have included guest appearances from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Luther Ingram and the Phoenix Horns, and have received airplay as far away as Japan and the UK. Hayes also will be doing a wide variety of material, ranging from blues to jazz to country, and, as fate would have it, also will be backed by yr. humble editor on piano, plus another musician or two yet to be announced.

(Regular readers know that, other than linking to an occasional story I've written for the Riverfront Times, I don't use this space much for self promotion. In this case, it's more than a little awkward for me to be plugging two shows that I'm playing in, but I expect that both Renee and Uvee will put on entertaining performances, and my musical participation notwithstanding, I figure that if you're reading this far, you're certainly capable of making your own judgment as to whether or not it seems like your sort of thing. More to the point, it would be even more awkward to write about what Savor is doing with St. Louis singers and not mention these two weekends. So, now that all the disclosures have been disclosed...)

Other St. Louis vocalists who will be featured in upcoming performances at the Cabaret at Savor include Kim Massie on Friday, May 30; Erin Bode on Thursday, June 5; Sherry Drake on Saturday, June 14; Dean Christopher on Friday, June 20 and Saturday June 21; and Debby Lennon on Saturday, June 28.

You can read more about all of the performers at the Cabaret at Savor's Web site; advance tickets are available online via LicketyTix.com.

Wash U's Center for Humanities presenting summer jazz institute for classroom teachers

The Center for the Humanities at Washington University is presenting a workshop this summer that will show classroom teachers how to use jazz music as a way to better understand and teach American culture and history. "The Impact of Jazz on American Life" is described as "a fresh reconfiguration" of the successful National Endowment for the Humanities institutes that the Center administered on the same subject in the summers of 2005 and 2007.

Intended for elementary, middle school and high school teachers, the program aims to show them how "through the study of the social, cultural, technical, and aesthetic history of a major American musical genre, jazz, they can reconfigure aspects of teaching American history, literature, art, and music while broadening students' understanding of the political, social, and commercial impact that an artistic movement can have."

The lead instructor will be Gerald Early, professor of English and African American Studies at Washington University. He will be joined by Patrick Burke, assistant professor of Music at Washington University and Steve Missey, English teacher at St. Louis University High School as well as several guest lecturers.

The institute includes one week-long summer session, to be held July 7-11, 2008, and eight Saturday sessions throughout the academic year 2008-2009, from September until May. As part of their coursework, participants will attend performances at Jazz at the Bistro. You can learn more about the curriculum, requirements and reading list here.

The institute is especially interested in teachers of English, history, social studies, art, film studies, philosophy and music, but will consider applications from any school teacher regardless of discipline and from qualified non-teachers such as school librarians, media specialists, and museum staff.

The application form is available online at the Center for the Humanities Web site, or you can request an application by calling Barbara Liebmann or Jian Leng at 314-935-5576 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The deadline for completed applications is May 23, 2008, and successful applicants will be notified no later than June 2, 2008. Participants will receive a stipend of $100 per full day.

Jazz this week: Karrin Allyson, Ann Hampton Callaway, Denise Thimes with Helen Sung and Rickey Woodard, James Davis Quintet, and more

It's mostly about the ladies this weekend in St. Louis, as three of the most significant jazz events happening over the next few days will feature talented female vocalists.

First, there's singer Karrin Allyson (pictured), who's performing two sets a night at Jazz at the Bistro through Saturday. Allyson's star has been rising since she moved from Kansas City to New York a few years ago, and her current CD Imagina: Songs of Brazil seems to be getting lots of favorable attention. Freelance writer & friend o' this site Terry Perkins talked to Allyson about the CD and playing St. Louis for an article in today's Post-Dispatch, available online here. For a couple of video samples of Allyson's work, see this post from a couple of weeks ago.

On Friday, singer, pianist and songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway headlines a benefit for WSIE (88.7 FM) radio personality Ross Gentile at Royale Orleans Banquet Center, 2801 Telegraph Rd. in South County. Gentile has had some health problems recently, and the proceeds from the event will help pay for some of his medical costs and other expenses. Reggie Thomas and his trio will back Callaway, and the Gary Dammer Sextet will open the evening's festivities with a pre-dinner set featuring several special guests. There will be no ticket sales at the door, so if you'd like to attend, you'd best hurry up and secure your spot via Ticketmaster.

On Sunday, singer Denise Thimes presents her annual Mothers' Day performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The late-afternoon performance will be preceded by a buffet supper, and as usual, Thimes has lined up some special guests for the concert, namely up-and-coming pianist Helen Sung, the winner of the Kennedy Center 2007 Mary Lou Williams Competition, and veteran saxophonist Rickey Woodard. Reservations for the buffet and show are available through Metrotix.

And while this feature usually focuses strictly on live performances, we would be remiss not to note that this Friday also marks the return to St. Louis airwaves of Don Wolff, who will be bringing a new iteration of his radio program I Love Jazz to KFUO (FM 99.1) from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. every Friday from here on out.

Looking beyond the weekend, the student musicians from Jazz St. Louis' JazzU program are presenting their end-of-semester demonstration on Monday. On Tuesday, singer and pianist Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum performs at Brandt's, while something called the Universal Sound Ensemble plays at The Gramophone. Whalum is a old favorite in St. Louis, but I can't tell you much about the Universal Sound Ensemble except that I like the name, and their show, like all the Tuesday night jazz sets at The Gramophone, is free, without cover charge or admission fee.

On Wednesday, the Chicago-based James Davis Quintet will be in town to perform at the Underground @ Red Sea, otherwise known as the basement of the Red Sea restaurant, located at 6511 Delmar in the Loop. Davis, the trumpet playing leader of the group, is a graduate of the well-regarded music program at the University of North Texas, and the band's impressive debut CD Angles of Refraction contains some smart, well-played original music that reflects a variety of classic jazz influences, from hard bop to West Coast cool to an almost ECM-like impressionism, through a 21st century lens. Miles Davis' mid-Sixties band circa Nefertiti would seem to be another important influence, both sonically and conceptually.

Davis has a pleasing tone and a nice melodic sense as a soloist, and keyboardist Sean McCluskey's Rhodes electric piano is featured prominently throughout, evoking the likes of Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Bob James and Uri Caine without directly imitating any of them. Saxophonist Caroline Davis contributes several incisive solos, and bassist Jeff Greene and drummer Jon Deitemeyer are a solid and sensitive rhythm section. Though I haven't heard the band live, based on their CD I'd say the James Davis Quintet are definitely worth a listen and rank as the "sleeper" pick of the week.

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 after posting.)

Coming attractions for St. Louis include Alyse Black, Garaj Mahal, Tom Waits and Manhattan Transfer

The past couple of days have brought announcements of several concerts coming to St. Louis that may be of potential interest to jazz fans:

* Singer, songwriter and guitarist Alyse Black, who won first place in the Jazz category of Billboard magazine's 2007 World Song Contest for her song "Stood for Stand for," is coming to St. Louis next Friday, May 16 to perform at The Gramophone. Black, who's from Seattle but is now based in Austin, calls her music "indie-pop-jazz," and has drawn comparisons to artists ranging from Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor and Fiest to Billie Holiday, Maria Muldaur and Norah Jones.

* Jazz-influenced jam band Garaj Mahal has scheduled a show in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2 at Lucas School House. The group includes guitarist Fareed Haque, bassist Kai Eckhardt, keyboardist Eric Levy and drummer Alan Hertz.

* Singer-songwriter Tom Waits (pictured) will make St. Louis the midpoint of his 13-city summer tour, stopping in our town on Thursday, June 26 to play the Fox Theatre. Waits' early music had a distinct jazz influence, incorporating walking bass lines, woozy horns, barroom piano and Beat-influenced lyrics, while some of his later compositions, with their unusual instrumentation and Nino-Rota-meets-Harry-Partch-at-the-circus arrangements, almost certainly must meet someone's criteria for experimental music.

* Last but not least, Pollstar has added a listing indicating that the famed vocal group Manhattan Transfer will be returning to the Touhill Performing Arts Center on Friday, December 19 with what must surely will be a reprise of their popular touring holiday show. As always, Pollstar listings should be considered tentative until confirmed by the venue, but given that the Transfer has been a solid draw at the TouPAC since the venue first opened, this one seems like a lock.

JazzU students playing at the Bistro on Monday, May 12

High school and middle school student musicians taking part in Jazz St. Louis' JazzU education program will get the chance to strut their stuff next Monday, May 12 when they give an end-of-semester performance at Jazz at the Bistro to demonstrate what they've learned over the past year.

Trumpeter and musical mentor Anthony Wiggins' young charges will take the Bistro's stage beginning at 6 p.m.. The event is free and open to the public, and the Bistro will be serving up pizza and soda to all. If you'd like to attend the JazzU student showcase, you must RSVP by Friday, May 9 by calling JSL director of education Phil Dunlap at 314-289-4033.

StLJN jazz site of the week: Rifftides

StLJN's jazz site of the week is Rifftides, the online home of veteran journalist Doug Ramsey. The author of an award-winning biography of alto saxophonist Paul Desmond, Ramsey writes clearly and well about a variety of musicians, posting several times a week and showing a particular interest in straightahead swing, bop, and the Great American Songbook. His "Doug's Picks" sidebar spotlights current favorite CDs and books, and the site also sports a fairly extensive list of links to other worthy jazz-related sites, as well as occasional guest posts and reviews from other writers. If you've got an interest in "mainstream" jazz, be sure to check out Rifftides.

Notes from the Net: Davis, Terry, Zorn, Allyson & Mehldau reviewed; George Lewis' new book on the AACM; the collapse of IAJE; and more

It's been a few weeks since the last installment of this feature, which compiles short news items and links about musicians with connections to St. Louis, plus coming attractions, recent visitors, and other stories from the worlds of jazz. There's lots to share, so let's get to it:

* We'll start this installment, as usual, with a few Miles Davis-related items, including a review of the recent book Miles Davis, Miles Smiles, and the Invention of Post Bop from All AboutJazz.com, and two reviews of the new two-CD set Miles From India. In addition, Rifftides' Doug Ramsey recently did a post ruminating on the role of mid-sized ensembles in jazz, including as one of his examples Miles' "Birth of the Cool" group.

* Miles' fellow trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry was featured recently on the public radio program Riverwalk Jazz, and Terry's new big band album with Louis Bellson, Louis and Clark Expedition Vol 2, is reviewed here.

* The Atlanta weekly Creative Loafing recently had a feature about trumpeter and former East St. Louisan-turned-Atlantan Russell Gunn, who was in town this weekend to perform at SIU-Edwardsville.

*Here's a review of a recent performance by Hamiet Bluiett with Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio.

* Pianist Tom McDermott, a St. Louis native who's lived in New Orleans for more than 20 years and has become something of a specialist in that city's musical traditions, has a new CD, Creole Nocturne, with cornetist Connie Jones, reviewed here. McDermott was also the subject of a feature story in the New Orleans music magazine Offbeat.

* There's lots of news on the always-prolific John Zorn, who once studied music here at Webster University, including two reviews of a live performance of his "pocket concerto" entitled "The Prophetic Mysteries of Angels, Witches, and Demons"; a review of his show for New Music Now in Boston and one of his new CD, The Dreamers. Zorn also revisited his famous piece "Cobra," as a benefit for for the NYC performance space Roulette, and the hatHut label is reissuing his acclaimed CD News for Lulu with guitarist Bill Frisell and trombonist/electronic musician George Lewis.

* Multi-reedman, composer and St. Louis native Marty Ehrlich also is busy this month, with NYC gigs for his quartet, sextet and all-alto-saxophone ensemble.

* Tom Kennedy, who splits his time between NYC and St. Louis, is playing bass on smooth jazz guitarist Ken Navarro's new CD The Grace of Summer Light. The CD is due out in mid-June, but can be heard for free right now via an audio stream from Navarro's Web site.

* Here's a review of jazz critic and St. Louis native Bob Blumenthal's new book Jazz: An Introduction to the History and Legends Behind America's Music, written for AllAboutJazz.com by David Rickert.

* Turning to the "coming attractions" file, singer and former Kansas Citian Karrin Allyson will be in St. Louis this week to perform at Jazz at the Bistro. Here's a review of new CD Imagina: Songs of Brazil, and a review of her recent four-night stand at NYC's Birdland.

* When bassist Stanley Clarke is here next month to perform at the Fox Theatre with Return to Forever, you can call him "Dr. Clarke," since he recently received an honorary Doctorate of Fine arts from his alma mater, The University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

* By way of catching up with some musicians who have recently performed in the Gateway City, here's a review of pianist Brad Mehldau's recent live trio CD, and a review of a performance in Cleveland. Mehldau was in St. Louis last month for a four-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro.

* One of our favorite West Coast jazz bloggers, LeRoy "The Jazzcat" Downs, recently interviewed saxophonist Billy Harper, who was in town last weekend to play a show in George Sams' Nu-Art Series.

* Pianist Taylor Eigsti, who also played the Bistro earlier this year, has a new CD called Let It Come To You.

* And finally, a few items of more general interest to jazz enthusiasts, starting with what was perhaps the biggest jazz-related news story of the past few weeks, the collapse of the International Association for Jazz Education due to financial troubles. Paul DeBarros of the Seattle Times broke the story here; LeRoy "The Jazzcat" Downs has the letter sent to the group's members by IAJE president Chuck Owen here; Secret Society's Darcy James Argue compiled reactions from the jazz blogosphere here, and Ben Ratliff of the New York Times weighs in on the debacle here.

* The aforementioned George Lewis (pictured) has finally completed his book on the history of Chicago's groundbreaking musicians collective, the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). It's called A Power Stronger Than Itself: The AACM and American Expermental Music, and you can read an excerpt from it here and a feature story about Lewis, the AACM and the book, written by the NYT's Nate Chinen here.

* Last but not least, Improvisation, Community and Social Practice is an international research project headquartered at the University of Guelph that "explores musical improvisation as a model for social change". Their journal Critical Studies In Improvisation has, as you might expect, an academic orientation and flavor, but also includes articles of potentially wider interest; for example, the most recent issue has an interesting feature on saxophonist and educator Jackie McLean and an interview with improvising guitarist Fred Frith.