StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Winter/spring 2012 jazz preview, part 3

Today, we end 2011 with the third and final part of our preview of jazz and creative musicians who are coming to St. Louis in the first part of 2012. (You can see part one here and part two here.)

First up are Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, who will perform Thursday, March 29 at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The Flecktones, with original pianist and harmonica player Howard Levy now back in the fold, are seen here playing "Sunset Road" at Magfest 2011 in Virginia.

Down below, we've got a clip of saxophonist Joshua Redman and pianist Brad Mehldau, who will play as a duo on Saturday, April 7 and Sunday, April 8 at Jazz at the Bistro. Here, you can see them playing "The Nearness of You" in a concert last month in Munich.

Next, it's singer Marlena Shaw, who returns to St. Louis to perform Wednesday, April 11 through Saturday, April 14 at the Bistro. The video shows her mixing and matching verses on a blues during a March 2010 concert at the Paris venue New Morning.

Today's fourth video clip features cellist Craig Hultgren, who will be back in town to play in a concert for New Music Circle on Saturday, April 14 at Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust. Hultgren is seen here performing Elliott Carter's "Enchanted Preludes" with flute player John McMurtery in 2006 at Birmingham Southern College.

Below that, it's percussionist Poncho Sanchez, who will headline the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival's concert on Friday, April 20 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. The clip shows Sanchez and band playing "Baila Mi Gente."

The GSLJF's other 2012 headliner will be bassist Christian McBride's Big Band, who are set to play Saturday, April 21 at the Touhill. This clip features McBride talking about the making of the band's first album The Good Feeling, released earlier this year on Mack Avenue Records.

Video number seven features saxophonist Tia Fuller, who will be making her St. Louis debut as a leader Wednesday, April 25 through Saturday, April 28 at the Bistro. The video shows Fuller, pianist Shamie Royston, bassist Miriam Sullivan, and drummer and St. Louis native Kim Thompson - like Fuller, a former member of pop singer Beyonce's all-female backup band - playing the saxophonist's song "Breakthrough" in 2007 at the Detroit Jazz Festival.

Up next is singer Sara Gazarek, who's coming to town for a concert on Saturday, May 5 at the Sheldon. This clip features Gazarek singing "Like The Wind" in a 2010 performance with the German group Triosence.

We wrap up today's video previews with a look at drummer Dafnis Prieto, who will making his St. Louis debut Wednesday, May 9 through Saturday May 12 at the Bistro. Prieto is seen here playing "New Elephant" at the NYC's Jazz Standard.