StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Wadada Leo Smith's Golden Quartet

This week, let's take a look at some video clips featuring trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith's Golden Quartet, who will be in St. Louis on Saturday, November 13 to perform at the 560 Music Center under the auspices of New Music Circle.

Given that Smith, bassist John Lindberg and drummer Pheeroan akLaff all are long-established, well-respected performers in the field of creative improvised music, and pianist Vijay Iyer is one of the most talked-about jazz musicians of recent years, it's tempting, though perhaps a bit glib, to call the Golden Quartet an "avant-jazz supergroup." But don't call their music "free jazz."

Smith makes that clear in a short quote seen at the beginning of the first clip up above, part of a film called Eclipse recorded in 2004 at Festival Banlieues Bleues in Paris. Though this version of the group included Ronald Shannon Jackson on drums instead of akLaff, what the trumpeter says in the introduction about their modus operandi - that the music is based on systems, and therefore cannot been considered free - presumably still applies.

Indeed, if you look closely, you'll see that all the musicians have music stands in front of them, and there are even a couple of quick glimpses of the score they're working from, which appears to contain a mix of standard notated passages, graphic scoring, and written instructions. You can also see Smith giving cues in a couple of these clips, another signpost of a structured improvisation in which the musicians have a great deal of freedom to improvise and invent, but do their improvising within a predetermined form or sequence of events.

Down below, the second clip, which features the current lineup of the Golden Quartet including akLaff, was recorded in 2009 at a Festival in Sardinia, Italy. Below that, there's an excerpt from the band's performance this past July in San Sebastián, Spain. (The music kicks in after a short introduction from an on-camera presenter.)

Batting cleanup is a video recorded in 2008 at the Vision Festival in NYC, in which the Golden Quartet is expanded to a quintet with the addition of drummer Famoudou Don Moye of the Art Ensemble of Chicago. They're performing an excerpt of "Al-Shadhili's Litany of the Sea: Sunrise," from the 2009 CD Spiritual Dimensions.

For more about Wadada Leo Smith and the Golden Quartet, check out this review of their April 2010 show in Los Angeles, by the Los Angeles Times' Chris Barton, and this 2008 interview with Smith, done by Josef Woodard for Jazz Times.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of links and short local news items of interest that you may have missed:

* There's a new post on the Jazz St. Louis blog in the continuing series highlighting staff members' favorite jazz albums. This week, director of education Phil Dunlap writes about his 15 faves here.

* Calvin Wilson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch this week reviewed the new box set reissue of music from saxophonist and composer Henry Threadgill; read the review here. Wilson also interviewed violinist Regina Carter about her gig next week at Jazz at the Bistro, and that article is online here.

* Kevin Johnson of the Post talked to singer Mae Wheeler about Sunday's "Unforgettable Legends" concert at the Sheldon.

* Don Wolff has posted on his site some videos featuring up-and-coming St. Louis ragtime/stride pianist Stephanie Trick (pictured); check 'em out here and here.

* Drummer and St. Louis native Mark Colenburg was name-checked in an article in the British mag JazzWise about Robert Glasper's set at the recent Cork Jazz Festival; see it online here.

* Is Powell Symphony Hall haunted? The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra last week called in some ghost hunters to investigate potential paranormal activity at their performing home, prompting coverage from Sarah Bryan Miller of the Post-Dispatch here and Abbe Goldberg of the West End Word here.

Jazz this week: Reggie Thomas, Lamar Harris, Denise Thimes, Classical Jazz Quartet, and more

If you can evade the ghosts, ghouls, zombies, vampires, werewolves and assorted other creatures of the night that no doubt will be stalking the streets of St. Louis this Halloween weekend, there's plenty of jazz and creative music to be heard around town over the next few days. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, singer Denise Thimes performs at the Sheldon Concert Hall in her annual benefit for the Mildred Thimes Foundation, named after her late mother. Thimes' special guest this year is singer/songwriter Billy Valentine. For more about the concert, the foundation, Valentine, and Thimes, see this article by Terry Perkins published earlier this week by the St. Louis Beacon.

Also tonight, guitarist Steve Schenkel and friends perform a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; and jazz DJ and historian Dennis Owsley begins his three-week class on "The Great Jazz Singers" at the Ethical Society.

On Friday, trombonist/composer/arranger Lamar Harris opens a two-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro with the latest iteration of his ever-evolving jazz/funk/R&B/hip-hop sound.

That same evening, the Classical Jazz Quartet - a.k.a. the Downtown Trio plus violinist Andrew Driscoll, and not the similarly named group featuring Ron Carter, Kenny Barron, Lewis Nash and Stefon Harris - will serve up some classical-influenced jazz-fusion at the Focal Point in Maplewood. For more about them, check out the interview Don Wolff did with CJQ keyboard player Michael Silverman, posted on Wolff's site here. (Click on the word "Enclosure" to download the .MP3 file.)

Also on Friday, keyboardist Reggie Thomas will lead his ensemble Four in a performance at Robbie's House of Jazz. The group features Thomas on organ and frequent collaborator Rick Haydon on guitar, teamed with visiting players Clay Jenkins on trumpet and Gary Hobbs on drums.

On Saturday afternoon, Thomas will present a recital at 2:00 p.m. at Newsong Fellowship Church, 201 St. Louis St. in Edwardsville. The free concert sounds like quite an extravaganza - it's an all-original program, including Thomas' "Suite Sankofa," performed by an extensive cast that includes Hobbs, Jenkins and Haydon, plus dancer/choreographer Betty Jenkins, saxophonist Jason Swagler, drummer Marty Morrison, bassist Nick Jost, the SIUE Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and the SIUE-ESL Center for Performing Arts Dancers under the direction of Theodore Jamison and Andrea Smythe.

On Sunday, singer and philanthropist Mae "Lady Jazz" Wheeler has rounded up an extensive roster of local talent for her "Unforgettable Legends" concert at the Sheldon. With planned tributes to everyone from Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson to Etta James and Mongo Santamaria, the show being billed as Wheeler's final concert as a producer should, in typical fashion, offer a little something for everyone.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Webster University student Jazz Combos 1 will perform a free concert at the university's Community Music School, 535 Garden Avenue, and drummer Joe Pastor's trio will be at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

For more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(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 fix a typo.)

Eric Person releases new CDs, readies for European tour

Saxophonist, composer and St. Louis native Eric Person has just released his latest CD The Grand Illusion (pictured) via his own Distinction Records label.

Recorded with his electric band Metamorphosis, the disc is Person's eighth CD as a leader. The Grand Illusion features 13 original compositions in what Person calls his "rhythm and groove" style, and is available through online retailer CD Baby.

In addition to Person on saxophones and flute, musicians performing on the CD include guitarist Cary DeNigris, bass players Chulo Gatewood and the late Bob Bowen; keyboard player Zaccai Curtis and drummer Brandon Lewis. Calling it “the next logical step from my last CD Rhythm Edge," Person said that The Grand Illusion "is the musical statement I have wanted to make for years.”

Besides his work as a leader, Person has performed and recorded with major jazz musicians such as McCoy Tyner, Dave Holland, Chico Hamilton, John Hicks and the World Saxophone Quartet, as well as with rock, funk and world music performers including Vernon Reid, Ben Harper, Ofra Haza and Bootsy Collins.

One of the saxophonist's other projects, a collective called Moon Pool, also recently released their debut recording on Person's label. The CD, called Eclipse, "features a lot of music that was composed right in the studio," says Person. Moon Pool also includes pianist Marc Puricelli, bassist Gene Torres, and drummer Jim Payne, and promotional material for the CD describes their sound as "open sided eclectic groove that's part jazz, funk, soul and jam." Eclipse (pictured) is available now via CD Baby.

In related news, Person will do two shows at the Blue Note jazz club in NYC next Monday, November 1 to celebrate the release of The Grand Illusion. He'll then begin preparing for an upcoming trip to Belgium, where he'll be performing club dates and concerts and doing master classes with his jazz ensemble Meta-Four from December 1 - 10.

(Edited after posting to correct the date of the Blue Note performances.)

HEC-TV seeks student composers to write music for I Love Jazz

HEC-TV is seeking student composers to write new music for the program I Love Jazz. Beginning this Friday, October 22, the cable channel is holding a contest in which St. Louis area music students are invited to submit recordings of short original compositions (two minutes or less) for possible use on I Love Jazz, which is hosted by longtime jazz broadcaster Don Wolff.

The entry period ends on January 21, 2011, with a winner to be selected subsequently through a combination of public voting and evaluation by a panel of judges. For complete rules and entry information, see the website at www.hectv.org/jingle/.

I Love Jazz is shown on HEC-TV at 7:00 p.m. every Sunday and Thursday, and also is available free online at www.hectv.org and iTunes U.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Regina Carter's Reverse Thread

Regina Carter's latest project Reverse Thread represents something of a departure for the Detroit-born jazz violinist. With the unusual front line instrumentation of Carter's violin; an accordion, played by either Gary Versace or Will Holshouser; and a kora, a 21-string West African harp/lute played by Yacouba Sissoko; Reverse Thread has a timbral palette that's very different from the typical jazz group. Their material is based on folk traditions from around the world, not the blues or reharmonized 32-bar song forms endemic to jazz.

Carter put together Reverse Thread a couple of years ago after winning one of the so-called "genius grants" awarded by the MacArthur Foundation, and St. Louis audiences will get their first chance to hear the distinctive ensemble in a series of performances starting Wednesday, November 3 and continuing through Saturday, November 6 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Today, we've got four video clips that should give you an idea of what to expect. Up top, you can see Carter, Holshouser and Sissoko in the studios of NPR, performing the songs "Nteri" and "Kanou" for one of the public radio network's "Tiny Desk Concerts."

Down below, there are three videos featuring the full Reverse Thread band, which also includes drummer Alvester Garnett and bassist Chris Lightcap. There's one uploaded by Carter herself and labeled simply "Four minutes of Regina Carter's Reverse Thread," and one called "Regina Carter in the Catskills" that features excerpts from several songs as well as some on-stage dialogue with Sissoko talking a bit about his instrument.

The fourth clip is from a jazz festival last month in Ouro Preto, Portugal, and features a performance of a composition by Garnett that's not on the CD the group released earlier this year, titled either "Newfound New Orleans" or possibly "New For New Orleans".

For more about Reverse Thread, check out this review of their CD, written for AllAboutJazz.com by Mark F. Turner; this feature story on Carter and the band, from the Wall Street Journal's Jim Fuselli; and this review of a recent live show in Albany NY, from the Albany Times-Union's Greg Haymes.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of links and short local news items of interest that you may have missed:

* Pianist Peter Martin has added singer Erin Bode (pictured) and bassist Chris Thomas to the lineup for his concert with guitarist Romero Lubambo on December 4 at the Sheldon.

* Jazz St. Louis offers some pictures on their Facebook page of guitarist Russell Malone's Wednesday night performance at Jazz at the Bistro. (You don't have to be logged in to Facebook to view the photos.) Malone, who continues at the club through tomorrow night, also appeared today on the morning news program at local FOX affiliate KTVI (Channel 2).

* Local music journalist, KDHX DJ and record-store-guy Steve Pick has a review of Jazz Matters, a new book by Donald Ake, now up at Blurt Online.

*The Riverfront Times' Diane Benanti previews this weekend's Noise Fest at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center.

* The Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson writes that The Jazz Spot - which, despite its name, hardly ever programmed any actual jazz music - has closed, yielding the space at 400 Washington Ave. to a dance club called Love.

* More than a year after switching from mostly local programming to syndicated fare, radio station WSIE (88.7 FM) has revamped their website. A blog post on the new site offers an update on current happenings at the station, and indicates that more changes are in the works, including the potential return of programs with local content. For those interested in keeping up with the latest developments, WSIE also has set up a Facebook Fan page and Twitter feed.

Dennis Owsley to teach class on "The Great Jazz Singers" starting Thursday, October 28

Jazz DJ, historian and photographer Dennis Owsley will teach a course called "The Great Jazz Singers" beginning at 7:00 p.m. next Thursday, October 28 at the Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Rd.

Owsley, who hosts "Jazz Unlimited" from 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays on KWMU (90.7 FM), tells StLJN that course is based on Downbeat magazine's list of the 30 greatest jazz vocal albums of all time, as selected by current vocalists and published in 2006. "It includes some surprising unknowns and omissions of well known singers," Owsley notes. "I hope to show that just singing standards does not qualify a vocalist as a jazz singer. I've always maintained that position and believe that the real jazz singers only number less than 50 in the entire history of jazz."

After the first class on October 28, subsequent classes will take place from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. the next two Thursdays, November 4 and 11. Tuition for the course is $35 for Ethical Society members and $40 for non-members. For more information or to register, call 314-991-0955 or check the adult education schedule (.pdf file) on the Ethical Society Web site.

Jazz this week: Max Weinberg Big Band, Russell Malone, Straight Ahead, and more

It looks to be another nice fall weekend in St. Louis, with a number of opportunities to get out and hear some jazz and creative music. Here's what's going on over the next few days:

Tonight, the versatile guitarist Russell Malone (pictured) opens a four night stand at Jazz at the Bistro in support of his upcoming CD Triple Play, which will be released November 2 by the St. Louis-based label MAXJAZZ.

Malone, who has played with Diana Krall, Ron Carter, Dianne Reeves, and many others, just did a Jazz St. Louis podcast interview in anticipation of his Bistro gig and CD release, and you also can see some a sampling of his playing over the years on video here.

On Thursday, drummer Max Weinberg's Big Band will perform at the Argosy Alton Casino. Weinberg seems to be bringing lots of energy and enthusiasm to the project, and judging from the video clips we featured in this post on Saturday, the 15-piece group is drawing enthusiastic crowds as well.

UPDATE - 12:30 p.m., 10/21/10 - Riverfront Times freelancer Matt Wardlaw yaks with Max about the Big Band, Weinberg's recent heart surgery, and more for an article available online here and here.

Also on Thursday night, pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Eric Stiller and drummer Miles Vandiver will play a free concert featuring the music of Herbie Hancock for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; and electronic musician Christopher Willits will be performing “An Evening of Neuroscience and Music” at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.

The event begins with "a lively conversation about art, perception and the human experience" with associate curator Laura Fried and neuro-psychiatrist Abhilash Desai, followed by a live performance from Willits, who blends live instrumentation with electronic sounds created using custom software.

On Friday, singer Wendy Gordon will perform at Robbie's House of Jazz, backed by pianist Arthur Toney, bassist Jeff Anderson and drummer Marty Morrison; and singer Kim Massie does a show for the "Encore!" music series at the JCC's Mirowitz Performing Arts Center.

UPDATE - 12:35 p.m., 10/21/10 - Just got word that Florida-based flute player Galen Abdur-Razzaq will play an informal concert at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Maryville University Student Center. Abdur-Razzaq will be backed by pianist Matt Scotty Villinger, drummer Marty Morrison Drummer and bassist Willem von Hombracht, and the event is free and open to the general public.

(A parenthetical note about Saturday: The concert by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Del McCoury Band that had been scheduled for October 23 at the Family Arena in St. Charles has been postponed until April 13, 2011.)

On Sunday, the Detroit-based, all-female group Straight Ahead will play at the Sheldon Concert Hall in a benefit performance for Community Women Against Hardship (CWAH), while Good 4 The Soul does an early evening set at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups.

UPDATE - 12:40 p.m., 10/21/10 - Also on Sunday, there's a benefit for radio station WSIE from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Sharky's, 601 N. Shore Dr. in St. Charles county. The event will feature music from guitarist Tom Byrne, pianist Reggie Thomas, the SIUE Student Jazz Combo and the Eric Slaughter Trio. Suggested donation at the door is $20, and for more information, call 636-250-3300, or go to sharkysontheriver.com

Then on Monday, the music department at Webster University presents its annual TKT Scholarship concert, featuring members of the jazz faculty and special guests performing at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

Proceeds benefit a scholarship established in memory of former Webster music students Terry Jackson, Kirk Cappello and Tony Saputo, who in 1991 were killed in a plane crash while on tour with country singer Reba McIntyre.

Afterward, if you're up for still more music on Monday evening, bassist David Certain's free-form/funk outfit CertainBeat WorldBop is playing at BB's.

For more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(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.)

Online voting now open for Jazz Times readers poll

Online voting is now open for Jazz Times magazine's annual readers poll. To cast your vote for your favorite musicians, bands and recordings, go here.

Recently on Heliocentric Worlds

Difficult as might be to believe, it's a been a fortnight since our last blatant plug for StLJN's sibling site Heliocentric Worlds, where each day there's a different music video posted for your listening and viewing pleasure.

The musical genres on display include jazz, blues, soul, funk, classic rock, prog rock and experimental, and recent posts have featured footage of performances from Jimmy McGriff, Soft Machine, Andrew Hill, Earth Wind & Fire, Bobby Hutcherson, Tom Waits, Ella Fitzgerald, the Sonny Stitt/J.J. Johnson Sextet, B.B. King, Blood Sweat and Tears, Joe Pass, The Morells, Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, Johnnie Taylor, Pat Martino, Chris Potter Underground, Joe Cocker, and Oliver Nelson and the Berlin Dream Band.

You still can see all these videos, plus hundreds more lovingly curated clips from the indisputably incredible archives, by pointing your browser to http://heliocentricworlds.blogspot.com/.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: The Max Weinberg Big Band

This week, let's take a look at some clips of the Max Weinberg Big Band, who will be in the St. Louis area to perform at 7 p.m. this Thursday, October 21 at the Argosy Alton Casino. Known both for his long tenure as the drummer for singer, guitarist and songwriter Bruce Springsteen, and as the bandleader for late-night TV host Conan O'Brien, Weinberg debuted the 15-piece group last year while on hiatus from O'Brien's show.

With Weinberg having passed on the chance to be part of the comic's upcoming new TBS program, the big band is currently on an extended US tour, showcasing a repertoire significantly influenced by three Bs - Buddy (Rich), (Count) Basie and the Boss (in this case, Springsteen, and not the late trumpeter Maynard Ferguson, whose band members sometimes referred to him by the same nickname). To give you an idea of how they actually come across on the bandstand, we've got clips of four songs, recorded at three different gigs this past June.

In the first video up above, you can hear the MWBB tackle "Basically Blues," a straight-ahead number from Rich's catalog that was recorded during a show at Yoshi's in Oakland, CA. Down below, there's a version of the theme from the short-lived 1950s TV show "M Squad," written by Basie, arranged by Benny Carter and taken from the band's gig at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, NJ.

Below that, there are two tunes from their performance in Newport Beach, CA: a version of "Bugle Call Rag" that revisits the arrangement used by the Rich band and includes a Weinberg drum solo; and a big band take on Springsteen's "Kitty's Back," featuring a solo from tenor saxophonist Joey Berkley.

The overall verdict? Judging from these clips, while they're not exactly breaking any new musical ground, the band is solid and swinging, Weinberg clearly is having a good time, and the audiences seem to be enjoying it as well. For tickets to hear the Max Weinberg Big Band at the Argosy Alton Casino, go here.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of links and short local news items of interest that you may have missed:

*Euclid Records will have their third annual "Sidewalk Sale" tomorrow and Sunday at their Webster Groves store (pictured), along with a similar event at their new New Orleans location. The sale will include LPs, CDs, posters, record crates, cassettes, videotapes, and ephemera, all "priced to move." Get the details at the store's blog, Lockwood and Summit.

* In the latest entries in Jazz St. Louis' ongoing series of blog posts recounting staff members' favorite jazz albums, volunteer coordinator Devin Rodino picks his 15 favorites here, and development director Melissa Jones writes about her 10 selections here.

* The Pageant concert club is celebrating 10 years of operation this week, and the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson recaps the venue's first decade here.

* Singer Mae Wheeler was interviewed by the Suburban Journals' Mary Shapiro for a story about the "Unforgettable Legends" concert coming up on Halloween at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The concert is being billed as the final such production to be overseen by Wheeler, 76, who's been battling cancer for the last several years.

* Singer Brian Owens was interviewed this week by the Belleville News-Democrat's Teri Maddox about his upcoming CD, Love, Life and Legacy, and why he doesn't really want to be known as a jazz singer any more.

* Finally, condolences to the family and friends of bassist and singer Russ Polette, a veteran of the Gaslight Square era who died on Sunday at age 92 of complications from congestive heart failure. Polette performed frequently on local TV and radio in the 1950s and 1960s and played traditional jazz, pop and ragtime at venues including the Admiral, the Robert E. Lee Riverboat and the riverboats the Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher. You can read more about him here.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Del McCoury postpone concert at Family Arena

The concert by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Del McCoury Band that had been scheduled for next Saturday, October 23 at the Family Arena in St. Charles has been postponed until April 13, 2011. Here's the statement that went up today on the site of Metrotix, the ticket agency for the show:

"Due to circumstances beyond our control, The Del McCoury Band & Preservation Hall Jazz Band show originally scheduled for October 23 has been postponed. The new date for the show will be April 13, 2011. Tickets for the original date will be honored. If you are unable to attend the new date, ticket holders can receive a face value refund at their original point of purchase. For more information, call MetroTix at 314.534.1111."

Dave Pietro to play Thursday, November 4 at Highway 61 Roadhouse

Alto saxophonist Dave Pietro (pictured) is coming to St. Louis to perform with the Webster Groves High School Evening Jazz Combos at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 4 at the Highway 61 Roadhouse, 34 S. Old Orchard Ave.

Pietro has released six CDs as a leader and toured or recorded with Toshiko Akiyoshi, Woody Herman, Lionel Hampton, Maynard Ferguson, Maria Schneider, the Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Arturo O’Farrill, and numerous others. The WGHS jazz combos, directed by Kevin Cole, have won awards throughout the Midwest, finishing at grand champions at the Jazz in the Meadows festival in Chicago six of the last seven years.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students with ID, payable at the door.

Jazz St. Louis podcast series resumes with Russell Malone interview

After a five-month hiatus, Jazz St. Louis has restarted their series of podcast interviews via a conversation with guitarist Russell Malone, who will be in town next Wednesday, October 20 through Saturday, October 23 to perform at Jazz at the Bistro. You can stream or download the interview of Malone by JSL's Bob Bennett here.

New cabaret shows announced

Cabaret producers The Presenters Dolan have announced two shows to be performed next month at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand Blvd.

Singer Robert Breig once again will reprise "Feels Like Home," his performance of pop and soft-rock tunes featuring pianist Carol Schmidt as music director, at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, November 18. Also, singer and actress Elise LaBarge (pictured) will present "Kurt Weill in Berlin, Paris and New York" at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 19 and Saturday, November 20.

Tickets are priced at $20 for each show, and are available online now at www.licketytix.com or by calling 314-725-4200, extension 10.

In related news, downtown's Café Cioccolato will present "Cabaret at the Café," described as "an evening of classic and contemporary songs from the worlds of pop, jazz and musical theatre," at 8:00 p.m. on Friday October 22. The show will feature St. Louis performers including Beverly Brennan, Debbie Schuster, JT Ricroft and James Weske, with Carol Schmidt as pianist and music director and Chuck Lavazzi as MC.

Tickets are $18 in advance, $25 at the door, and can be purchased online here. For more information, call 314-345-1200 or visit cabaretatthecafe.com.

Swing musical In The Mood coming to the Touhill on Thursday, November 4

The national touring company of the Swing Era-themed musical In the Mood is coming to St. Louis for shows at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 4 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Featuring a cast of six singer/dancers and a 13-piece big band, the show "celebrates the life and times of America's Greatest Generation through the music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, The Andrews Sisters and other greats of the 1940s." Tickets range in price from $27 to $47, and are on sale now via the Touhill box office and online.

The Touhill also is offering a discount of up to as 50% on tickets for the show purchased before 6:00 p.m., Monday, October 18. To get the discount, ticket buyers should mention the promo code "jitterbug" when purchasing in person or by phone, or enter the same promo code in the designated spot on the online order form.

Jazz this week: Rickey Woodard, Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project, Trio Trés Bien, Chamber Project St. Louis, and more

It's shaping up to be a fine weekend in St. Louis to get out and hear some live sounds, and fortunately, our local presenters of jazz and creative music would seem to have a variety of potentially worthy attractions in the offing. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight through Saturday, Cabaret St. Louis continues its season at the Kranzberg Arts Center with "A Salute to the Rat Pack" from the group Three Men and A Baby...Grand, aka singers Brian Lane Green, Lee Lessack and John Boswell.

On Friday, percussionist Craig Russo's Latin Jazz Project returns to Jazz at the Bistro to begin a two-night stand. Hailing from just up the road in the Champaign/Urbana area, the group includes several members of the jazz faculty at the University of Illinois, including saxophonist Chip McNeill, who spent time on the road with trumpeters Maynard Ferguson and Arturo Sandoval.

Also on Friday, guitarist Matthew Von Doran and his trio will play at Broadway Bean Coffee on the south side; and Robbie's House of Jazz will present pianist Heather Bosshardt's trio with bassist Nick Jost and drummer Marty Morrison.

On Saturday, saxophonist Rickey Woodard (pictured) will take the stage at Robbie's, backed by pianist Reggie Thomas, Jost and Morrison. Woodard, a Nashville native, has worked with Ray Charles, the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra and drummer Frank Capp's Juggernaut, and also is a veteran studio musician with session credits ranging from Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra to the Temptations and the O'Jays. Woodard also has recorded nine CDs as a leader, the most recent being 2009's Pineapple Delight.

Also on Saturday, New Music Circle begins their 2010-11 season with a concert by Chamber Project St. Louis at Christ Church Cathedral. The group will celebrate contemporary American female composers with a program including works by Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Higdon and Grammy Award winner Libby Larsen. For this performance, CPStL members Adrianne Honnold (saxophone), Jennifer Gartley (flute), Dana Hotle (clarinet) and Laura Reycraft (viola) will be joined by pianist Amanda Kirkpatrick and cellist Valentina Takova.

On Sunday, Trio Trés Bien opens the 2010-11 St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers series with a free concert at Second Baptist Church, 9030 Clayton Rd. (at McKnight).

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday night the Sessions Big Band returns to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups; and on Tuesday morning, the Sheldon Concert Hall begins its 2010-11 series of Coffee Concerts with an 11:00 a.m. performance by Cornet Chop Suey, which will be repeated at the same time on Wednesday morning

For more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(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.)

Notes from the Net: A Miles Davis interview rediscovered; fall CD releases; plus news, reviews, interviews and more

Here's the latest compilation of assorted news briefs and links related to jazz, improvisation, and creative music in St. Louis, including news of musicians originally from the Gateway City, recent visitors, and coming attractions, plus assorted other items of interest:

* Starting once again with some Miles Davis news, via Miles Davis Online we learn that Soulandjazz.com has posted a radio interview with Davis originally done in the mid-1980s for musician/broadcaster/author Ben Sidran's NPR program "Sidran on Record." Also via MDO, netmag The Quietus asks rock stars to name their favorite Miles Davis albums, and the news that the list price of the recent box-set-of-box-sets The Genius of Miles Davis has been reduced from $1,199 to $749.

Meanwhile, over at AllAboutJazz.com, Victor L. Schermer considers "Miles: The Autobiography... Two Decades Later", while Warner Jazz in the UK has issued Perfect Way – The Warner Bros. Years, a compilation album drawn from Davis' late-career output that also includes some previously unreleased tracks.

* Trumpeter, singer and St. louis native Clark Terry is the subject of an interview at Marc Myers' JazzWax blog; check out part one here, and part two here.

* The Wall Street Journal reports that saxophonist and former St. Louisan David Sanborn, who was back home in August to play Jazz at the Bistro, is selling his NYC townhouse for $9 million.

* From the "coming attractions" file, the New York Times' Nate Chinen reviews The Bad Plus' new CD Never Stop here. Also, TBP finally made their Kansas City debut last month at the Folly Theater, and Bill Brownlee of the KC jazz blog Plastic Sax was there to review the show for the Kansas City Star. The Bad Plus return to St. Louis in January to play at the Bistro.

* Singer Jane Monheit (pictured), who will perform at the Bistro in December, also has a new CD, Home, on sale now.

* Guitarist John McLaughlin and his band 4th Dimension are set to play NYC's Town Hall on November 13, six days before they come to St. Louis to play the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* JazzHouston has an interview with pianist Vijay Iyer, who will be back in St. Louis next month with Wadada Leo Smith's Golden Quartet for a New Music Circle-sponsored concert at the 560 Music Center.

* In news of some recent visitors, saxophonist Kirk Whalum has released his new CD paying tribute to singer, songwriter, pianist and St. Louis native Donny Hathaway. Special guests on the disc include Hathaway's daughter, R&B singer Lalah Hathaway; bassist Christian McBride; and guitarist Jeff Golub. Whalum and Golub were in St. Louis with the Guitars and Saxes tour at the Pageant in August , while McBride has played here this year with his band Inside Straight at the Bistro and in a duo concert with pianist Peter Martin at the Sheldon.

* Meanwhile, guitarist Kevin Eubanks, who was here in July to play at the Casino Queen, will release a new CD called Zen Food on Mack Avenue Records on November 23.

* Finally, a few more notes of general interest: The MU Concert Jazz Band from the University of Missouri has released their debut CD Vertigo, featuring a guest appearance by vibraphonist Mike Manieri;

* AllAboutJazz.com has revamped their free services for jazz musicians as part of an overall site redesign;

* And "early bird" registration for the next Jazz Education Network conference, to be held in January in New Orleans, ends this Friday.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: A Russell Malone sampler

With a new CD coming out next month, and four night of performances scheduled Wednesday, October 20 through Saturday October 23 at Jazz at the Bistro, it seems like a good time to make guitarist Russell Malone the subject of our weekly video feature. Though there's no footage extant of Malone fronting his own trio - something he's doing for the first time on record on his new disc, Triple Play - we did manage to find some tasty clips of him in several other contexts.

First up is a video of Malone with bassist Ron Carter's trio in 2006 at a concert in Germany. Pianist Jacky Terrasson gets the first solo on the tune, "NY Slick," and then the guitar kicks in about the 3:30 mark. As you'd expect, it's a very accomplished ride, but what's really fascinating about this particular performance is the variety of timbral effect Malone coaxes from his guitar, ranging from a harp-like glissando in the middle of his turn to a surprisingly effective simulation of conga drums behind Terrasson's solo.

Down below in the first embedded video window, Malone conjures a travelogue of blues guitar styles as a solo introduction to a version of "Route 66" sung by his former employer, pianist Diana Krall. Below that, you can get a taste of Malone's ballad style as he plays a duo version of "Embraceable You" with another former boss, singer Dianne Reeves.

Finally, in the fourth clip you can see Malone fronting his own quartet in a sprightly performance of his tune "Flirt," recorded a couple of years ago at the Rio das Ostras Jazz e Blues Festival in Brazil. (Note the crowd response when Malone quotes "Girl From Ipanema" in his solo.) This was shot by an audience member with a handheld video camera, so the picture gets wobbly at some points and, for some reason, it cuts off just before the end of the song, but the audio quality is more than adequate.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of links and short local news items of interest that you may have missed:

* The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra last Saturday night premiered "Aurora," a new orchestral composition by Wayne Shorter, as part of their annual fundraising gala, and the Post-Dispatch's Sarah Bryan Miller was there to review the performance. You can read her article online here.

* Saxophonist Joshua Redman (pictured), in town this week to play at Jazz at the Bistro, was featured yesterday on the afternoon newscast at local CW affiliate KPLR (Channel 11). You can see the segment online here.

* In other Jazz St. Louis-related news, the Post's fashion editor Debra Bass wrote this week about the food and beverages at the Bistro, while her colleague Deb Peterson had an item about plans for the organization's annual benefit in March.

Also, JSL executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford was a guest on the most recent edition of radio station KDHX's program "Nancy's Arts Interview"; and administrative assistant Kate Eastwood is the latest JSL staff member to blog about her all-time favorite jazz albums.

* The St. Louis branch of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 2-197, is at odds with the Family Arena and the rock band Kansas over the use of a student orchestra from Truman State University for an upcoming concert at the St. Charles venue. The Riverfront Times' Aimee Levitt has the story here.

* The P-D's Kevin Johnson reports that a tribute to the late St. Louis percussionist and singer Blake Travis will be held on Sunday, October 17 at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

MAXJAZZ to release Russell Malone's Triple Play on Tuesday, November 2

The St. Louis-based label MAXJAZZ will release guitarist Russell Malone's latest CD Triple Play (pictured) on Tuesday, November 2.

The disc, which features the guitarist in a trio setting for the first time with East St. Louis' Montez Coleman on drums and David Wong on bass, is Malone's fourth release for MAXJAZZ. In addition to leading his own bands, Malone has worked with Jimmy Smith, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall, Ron Carter's Golden Stryker Trio, Dianne Reeves and many others.

Malone is familiar to many St. Louis listeners from his previous performances at Jazz at the Bistro, and he'll be back here in a couple of weeks to promote Triple Play, playing Wednesday, October 20 through Saturday, October 23 at the Bistro. Tickets for those shows are on sale here.

On first listen, Triple Play impresses as a satisfying, seamless set of mainstream jazz guitar in the classic mode. Malone doesn't stray far from the familiar territory of bop, blues and ballads, but his execution is always tasteful and technically accomplished. His touch is deft; his tone tends toward timbres that are darker, but not dull; and he's got a sure sense of swing in a variety of grooves, with Coleman and Wong providing solid and sensitive accompaniment throughout.

Standout tracks include two Malone originals, the bossa nova-styled opener "Honeybone" and the blues-tinged, backbeat-propelled "Sweet Georgia Peach," as well as two songs from composers with St. Louis roots, Oliver Nelson's "Butch and Butch" and John Hicks' "Mind Wine."

Jazz this week: Joshua Redman Trio, Tierney Sutton, Rebirth Brass Band, Nicole Johänntgen, Bee vs. Moth, and more

It's another busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with several touring acts in town offering a variety of musical styles. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, saxophonist Joshua Redman begins a four-night stand with his trio, featuring bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, at Jazz at the Bistro. For more about Redman and some video samples of the trio in action, see this post from last Saturday.

Thursday night offers several interesting choices, with the Rebirth Brass Band at the The Gramophone; saxophonist Nicole Johänntgen performing a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; and the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra, directed by bassist Jim Widner, doing what's being billed as their first concert at their new home, the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Also on Thursday, bassist David Certain will play a solo set at the The Vine to help kick off the south side cafe's "Felafel Fest," then return on Friday and Saturday with his CertainBeat WorldBop group.

On Friday, Robbie's House of Jazz has the Kaleb Kirby Trio with Charles Clements on bass and Jo-el Williams on saxophone; and on Saturday, singer and actor Roland "Bob" Harris takes the Robbie's stage. Also on Friday, the eclectic instrumental rock band Bee vs. Moth will play at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center.

Saturday will bring saxophonist Dick Oatts, a veteran of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, doing a mid-day performance and master class at Saxquest, and singer Tierney Sutton (pictured) returning to the Sheldon Concert Hall. (Sutton superfans take note: After her St. Louis date, the singer heads to Columbia, MO on Sunday to perform for the We Always Swing series at Murry's.)

UPDATE - 4:00 p.m., 10/6/10: The Sheldon and Metrotix are offering a "buy one, get one free" deal on ticket's to the Tierney Sutton concert. To get the discount, go here and enter the promo code SUTTON10.

On Sunday, guitarist Tom Byrne's trio does the early set at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups. Then on Monday, singer Debby Lennon and friends will perform at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium, while the Next Generation Jazz Band plays at BB's.

For more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(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.)

Max Weinberg Big Band to perform Thursday, October 21 at Argosy Alton Casino

Drummer Max Weinberg (pictured), known for his work with Bruce Springsteen and as leader of late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien's band, will get a chance to show off his jazz chops when he brings his big band to the St. Louis area for a performance at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, October 21 at the Argosy Alton Casino.

The 15-piece aggregation, which "continues the traditions established by Max’s musical heroes including Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, Doc Severinsen, and Maynard Ferguson," has been a pet project of Weinberg's in recent years when not on duty with Springsteen or O'Brien. The group made its debut at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach during Christmas Week of 2009, and has since performed at the Count Basie Theater in New Jersey, Yoshi’s in San Francisco, the Ottawa Music Festival and the Newport Beach Summer Jazz Series.

Now, they're out on an extended tour that will run for most of October and November. The Max Weinberg Big Band's repertoire includes original arrangements and tunes made famous by Basie, Rich, and others, plus some vintage TV themes and a segment called "Boss Time" in which they "take a couple of Bruce (Springsteen's) songs and have re-worked them in a big band swing style," according to Weinberg. For more, check out this blog post, which has comments about and a set list from their show this past June at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, NJ.

Tickets for the Max Weinberg Big Band at the Argosy Alton Casino are $35 for general admission and $50 for VIP seating, and can be purchased online here. For more information, call 618-709-6426, or visit the Facebook page of show promoters Spectrum Entertainment Group.

Trio Trés Bien to begin St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers 2010-11 season on Sunday, October 17

The St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers series will begin its 2010-11 season with a free concert featuring Trio Trés Bien (pictured) at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 17 at Second Baptist Church, 9030 Clayton Rd. (at McKnight).

Featuring pianist Jeter Thompson and his brothers Harold Thompson on bass and Howard Thompson on drums, Trio Trés Bien have been St. Louis favorites for more than 40 years, dating back to the Gaslight Square era. This is the third season for the St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers series, and here's the complete schedule for 2010-11:

Sunday, October 17: Trio Trés Bien
Sunday, November 21: Sandy Weltman and Hot Club Caravan
Sunday, January 16: Eric Slaughter Trio
Sunday, February 20: Darrell Mixon Project
Sunday, March 20: Funky Butt Brass Band
Sunday, April 17: Paul DeMarinis and the Webster University Jazz Faculty Quintet, with Steve Schenkel, Kim Portnoy, Willem von Hombracht and Kevin Gianino.

All concerts begin at 6:00 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Free parking is available on the lighted lot adjacent to the church. For more information, visit the Vespers' Web site or call 314-991-3424.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: The Joshua Redman Trio

This week, let's take a look at some video clips of saxophonist Joshua Redman, who will be in St. Louis this coming Wednesday, October 6 through Saturday, October 9 to play at Jazz at the Bistro. Often acclaimed as one of the top tenors of his generation, the 41-year-old Redman is no stranger to St. Louis, having played here last year with the Blue Note 7 at the Sheldon Concert Hall and, before that, at the Bistro with his electric band.

This time, however, Redman will be going back to basics, playing strictly acoustic music in his long-running trio with bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Given that the trio format provides particular challenges and opportunities for creative musicians, it seems an opportune time to preview some samples of the Redman troika at work.

In the embedded window up above, you can see Redman, Rogers and drummer Brian Blade performing the Thelonious Monk song "Trinkle, Tinkle" in 2008 at the Jazz Onze+ festival in Lausanne, Switzerland. (As an aside, how badass is your band when Brian Blade is your _substitute_ drummer? Apparently...pretty darn badass.)

Down below, you can hear Redman, Rogers and Hutchinson play "Wagon Wheels" in an undated clip recorded at the Melting Point in Athens, Georgia, and below that, there's an excerpt from a 2009 performance at the Dakota in Minneapolis.

In the fourth slot, you'll find an extended interview Redman did in 2008 with veteran journalist and critic Gary Giddins, in which the saxophonist discusses his then-new CD release Compass as well as his background and career to date. There are brief intros of Giddins and Redman at the start; the actual conversation starts about four minutes in with some musings about the 2008 election and then segues into more personal and musical topics. For more, the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson this week did an brief interview with Redman in which they discuss the trio and the upcoming Bistro gig, and it's available online here.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of links and short local news items of interest that you may have missed:

* The Post-Dispatch's Sarah Bryan Miller reports that the new work composed by Wayne Shorter for soprano Renée Fleming and conductor David Robertson, which gets its world premiere Saturday night at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra's gala concert, now has a name: "Aurora." Miller also talked with Fleming about working with Shorter and the SLSO, while the St. Louis American's Chris King scored an interview with the often-elusive saxophonist to discuss the project.

* Meanwhile, the P-D's Suburban Journal subsidiaries had a couple of items of interest this week: a feature on the St. Louis Banjo Club, written by Chris Campbell for the South County edition; and an unbylined Q&A with trumpeter and educator Prince Wells in the Madison County paper.

* Jazz St. Louis has photos from last week's shows by Kenny Barron and Mulgrew Miller on their Facebook page. (You don't have to have a Facebook account to view them.) JSL also has begun a series of blog posts back on their main site in which various staff members describe their 15 favorite jazz albums. Director of operations Bob Bennett was first up last week.

* Lisette Dennis of the Regional Arts Commission sends word of a French-American jazz exchange offering grants of up to $10,000 for small jazz ensembles and/or individual musicians from France and the United States or their territories engaged in collaborative projects and/or exploring new music. The application deadline is October 22; for more details, go here.

* Last but not least, a belated "Happy Birthday" to one of St. Louis' foremost jazz advocates, broadcaster Don Wolff (pictured), who celebrated his 75th natal day last week. Although yr. humble editor's knowledge of Yiddish is gleaned entirely from old Lenny Bruce records and a few other Jewish comedians, I believe it would be accurate to describe Mr. Wolff as a mensch, as well as a longtime and vocal supporter of jazz in general and St. Louis jazz in particular. Here's hoping he'll continue to do his thing for many years to come.

(Edited 10/4/10 to correct Lisette Dennis' last name.)