StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Winter/spring 2012 jazz preview, part two

Today, we've got part two of StLJN's video preview of jazz and creative music performers who are coming to St. Louis over the next few months. (For part one, see this post.)

The first clip up above features trumpet player Chris Botti, who, having played the Fox Theatre and Powell Symphony Hall in his two most recent visits here, will be back to perform on Friday, February 24 at the newly renovated Peabody Opera House (nee Kiel Opera House). The video is taken from a 2009 performance in Boston, and shows Botti, his band and singer Sy Smith doing their version of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David standard "The Look of Love."

Down below, you'll find a clip of singer and pianist Freddy Cole, who's coming back to town to play Wednesday, February 29 through Saturday, March 3 at Jazz at the Bistro. Cole is seen here performing "Unforgettable," first made famous by his brother Nat "King" Cole and later re-recorded by his niece Natalie Cole.

Below that, there's a video of drummer John Hollenbeck's Claudia Quintet, who will be playing on Friday, March 2 at 560 Music Center in a concert presented by New Music Circle. The clip is from their performance in 2009 at the Jazz Baltica festival, and features Hollenbeck, Chris Speed (clarinet, tenor saxophone), Matt Moran (vibraphone, percussion), Ted Reichman (accordion) and Drew Gress (bass) playing an original composition with a title translated simply as "arabic."

Next up, it's the New Orleans funk/jazz/hip-hop group Galactic doing "Funky Bird." They'll be back in St. Louis on Wednesday, March 14 to play at The Pageant.

That same evening, pianist Vijay Iyer will open a four-night stand with his trio at Jazz at the Bistro, continuing through Saturday, March 17. Iyer is seen here performing "Galang" in 2010 for German TV.

The next video features legendary pianist and composer Herbie Hancock, who will be back in town for the first time in nearly seven years on Sunday, March 18 for a concert presented by Jazz St. Louis at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. It's a performance of one of Hancock's best-known compositions, "Watermelon Man," recorded in 2008 at the North Sea Jazz Festival with Chris Potter (sax), Lionel Loueke (guitar), Dave Holland (bass) and Vinnie Colaiuta (drums).

The following weekend, drummer Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts will come to town to play Friday March 23 and Saturday, March 24 at Jazz at the Bistro. This clip shows Wilson, trumpeter Terell Stafford, keyboard player Gary Versace and the group's late bassist Dennis Irwin (who was replaced after his death in 2008 by Martin Wind) performing "The Scenic Route" in 2007 at the Elmhurst Jazz Festival.

Next up, we have a clip of the Detroit-based group Straight Ahead, who will perform on Saturday, March 24 at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Originating as a cooperative, all-female ensemble, Straight Ahead has featured a number of different players over the past 20 years, including violinist Regina Carter, who was a founding member.

These days, the band seems to function primarily as a vehicle for the two other remaining co-founders, drummer Gayelynn McKinney and bassist Marion Hayden, augmented by singer Kimberlie Wright and assorted other musicians, both male and female. This video is from June 2008, and features McKinney, Hayden, Wright, keyboardist Henry Gibson, and saxophonist Yancyy covering Earth Wind and Fire's "Can't Hide Love."

Today's final clip feature trumpeter Nicholas Payton, who will be returning to St. Louis to play Wednesday, March 28 through Saturday, March 31 at Jazz at the Bistro. The performance of "Days of Wine and Roses" seen here was recorded in June 2011 at Rio das Ostras festival in Brazil.

Look for part three of the winter/spring 2012 jazz preview next week...