StLJN Audio Archive: Black Artists Group - Ofamfa: Children of the Sun

For this week's Audio Archive post, we delve into the history of St. Louis' Black Artists Group and revisit Ofamfa: Children of the Sun, BAG's first-ever LP release issued in 1971 on their own Universal Justice imprint.

Preserved online thanks to the music sharing blog Nothing Is II, Ofamfa largely features the poetry of BAG co-founder Bruce "Ajulé" Rutlin with musical accompaniment from an ensemble of musicians including such now-familiar names as saxophonist Oliver Lake, drummer Charles "Bobo" Shaw and trumpeter Floyd Leflore. It was recorded live in 1970 as the audio component of a performance featuring dancers Carolyn Zachary, Etta Jackson, Johadi, and Sandra Weaver.

So what does it sound like? Well, as the proprietor of Nothing Is put it:

"Depending on your state of mind, it is either brilliant next-level sound art, or an incomprehensible and bumbling train wreck. Or both. I always think to myself, I could just listen to the amp hum from an anonymous location in St. Louis some 35 years ago and be content."

One thing is for sure, there’s a good reason nobody else would release this. It makes John Coltrane sound like “Get on the Good Foot.” R-A-W. Even Arista avoided it when they raided the catalog to re-release “Under the Sun” and “Whisper of Dharma.” Hence, this is another entry in this blog’s catalog of un-loved recordings that still haven’t seen a proper digital release."

And indeed, Ofamfa seems never to have made it to CD, which, considering the relatively small quantities of LPs pressed for its original issue, makes it a genuine collector's item as well as a key document of the evolution of BAG.

The complete personnel for the album (pictured) includes Raju Áten (conga, small instruments), Oliver Lake (soprano sax, alto sax, flute, poems, small instruments), Floyd LeFlore (trumpet, small instruments), Ishac Rajab (trumpet), Arzinia Richardson (bass, small instruments), Vincent Terrell (cello), Charles "Bobo" Shaw (drums, small instruments), and Bruce "Ajulé" Rutlin (poet, arrangements, small instruments, drums).

The tracks are "Sweet Street Song," "Uu-Twee," "After Jeremiah's Wed," "Sounds of Scorpio," "Trane Songs," "Rent Man," "A Little Tom is a Dangerous Thing" and "Echos (O Susanna)."

You can download a copy of Ofamfa: Children of the Sun here.

The StLJN Audio Archive links only to recordings that are out-of-print or that never have been commercially available. The purpose of the Audio Archive is to encourage discussion, appreciation and knowledge of St. Louis jazz artists, and we urge you to support them (or their estates) by purchasing authorized recordings and merchandise and, whenever possible, attending live performances.

(Edited 4/30/12 to fix a typo.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: The song stylings of Sara Gazarek

Today, we're going to look at some video clips featuring singer Sara Gazarek, who's coming to St. Louis to perform next Saturday, May 5 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Born in Seattle, Washington, Gazarek studied music at the University of Southern California, winning the Downbeat Student Music Award for Best Collegiate Vocalist in 2003. She released her first album, Yours, in 2005, and made her St. Louis debut in October of that year at the now defunct Finale Music and Dining.

Her other albums include Live at the Jazz Bakery, a download-only recording from 2006; the 2007 studio effort Return To You;, and 2010's Where Time Stands Still, recorded with the German jazz group Triosence. Gazarak also has been back to St. Louis a couple of times since that first performance in 2005, headlining at Jazz at the Bistro in February 2008 (when she was featured here in a previous Saturday video post) and March 2009.

In the embed window up above, you can see and hear her singing "Nice N Easy" at the 2008 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, accompanied by her usual pianist, Josh Nelson, along with guitarist Graham Dechter, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Jeff Hamilton.

Down below are three more selections from 2008 featuring Gazarek and her backing trio: "Makes Me Feel This Way," "More," and a medley of the Beatles' "Blackbird" and the standard "Bye Bye Blackbird."

The final two videos are from 2010, showing Gazarek singing "O Pato" with her trio at Cafe Metropol in Los Angeles, and "Like The Wind" with Triosence at a concert in Köln, Germany.

For more about Sara Gazarek, check out this 2010 audio interview at AllAboutJazz.com; her page at NPR Music; and this 2010 video interview for the website SingingTV.com.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of assorted links and short local news items of interest:

* If you're a musician, artist or other creative type in the St. Louis area, the Regional Art Commission really, really wants you to complete their "Artists Count" survey.

You can register to win an iPad upon completing the 20-minute version of the survey, which does require a fair amount of detail regarding hours worked, income earned, and so on. There's also a five-minute version for the time-challenged. You'll find both survey forms online at http://www.artistscount.com/

* Next Monday, April 30 is the first-ever International Jazz Day, with celebrations in various cities around the globe including concerts from some big-name musicians streaming for free online at the link above. Locally, Jazz St. Louis will celebrate the occasion with a jam session at Jazz at the Bistro, with pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson's trio as host musicians.

Unfortunately, saxophonist Willie Akins, who had been announced as a special guest for the jam session, will be unable to appear, as he's been told by his doctor to rest and refrain from playing for a while after a recent hospital stay. Here's hoping for a full recovery and a quick return to action...

* Speaking of Jazz St. Louis, they've just posted online a setlist from the recent two-night gig at the Bistro by pianist Brad Mehldau and saxophonist Josh Redman.

* The Meramec Jazz Band (pictured), who apparently now have dropped the word "Lab" from their name, have a new promotional video up on YouTube.

* Vintage Vinyl and Euclid Records both have posted photo albums on Facebook documenting last Saturday's Record Store Day festivities at their respective locations.

* When StLJN reached its seventh birthday this week, yr. humble editor got a nice congratulatory email from Michael Ricci, founder and head of the website AllAboutJazz.com, which, along with its original reviews, features, and interviews, republishes StLJN's content and that of many other jazz blogs.

In the message, Ricci passed along word that StLJN recently took over first place in pageviews among the blogs featured on AAJ. While there's no telling if, or how long, we might retain that lofty ranking, it's good to know that people are checking out the news about jazz in St. Louis, and I'm grateful to Ricci and everyone at AAJ for their continued interest and support.

Tia Fuller interview now online

Saxophonist Tia Fuller is in St. Louis this week, making her debut here as a bandleader with a four-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro that starts tonight and continues through Saturday.

Earlier this week, I had a chance to chat briefly with Fuller about her music and influences (and what she learned touring with pop singer Beyoncé) for an article posted today on the RFT Music Blog. You can read it here.

StLJN turns seven

Seven years ago today, the first post went up on St. Louis Jazz Notes. More than 2,900 posts later, StLJN remains one of the longest continuously operating outposts of the jazz blogosphere, and the most regularly updated source devoted to news about jazz in St. Louis.

Thanks once again to all the readers, commenters, musicians, music students and educators, presenters, club owners, publicists, tipsters, media people, record label employees, and others who have taken an interest in the site over the years. I appreciate your time and attention, and hope never to take it for granted.

If you have any anniversary wishes, congratulations, questions, suggestions, or complaints, the comments are, as usual, open.

Jazz this week: Tia Fuller, Steve Tyrell, an International Jazz Day jam, and more

As Jazz Appreciation Month winds down, there are plenty of opportunities to get out and hear some live jazz and creative music this weekend in St. Louis. So without further ado, let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, saxophonist Tia Fuller (pictured) and her quartet open a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. This is the St. Louis debut as a bandleader for Fuller, who may be best known as a member of pop singer Beyoncé's backup group, but also has been building some serious jazz cred of her own over the past decade.

For more about Fuller and some video clips of her in performance, check out this post from last Saturday. (I also interviewed Fuller for a piece that should go online later today at the RFT Music Blog; when it's up, there'll be a link to it here. )

Also tonight, the Meramec Jazz Lab Band will play a concert at the Black Cat Theatre in Maplewood, and singer Erin Bode will be at Porter's in Collinsville.

On Thursday, singer Steve Tyrell returns to town for a performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall to benefit Hope Happens, which raises money for research at Washington University's Hope Center for Neurological Disorders. Though at last word the show was approaching a sell-out, you can find out if any patron tickets are left by calling Hope Happens at 314-725-3888; for concert-only tickets, check with Metrotix.

Also on Thursday evening, saxophonist Jim Stevens plays at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, and guitarist Tom Byrne will lead a jam session at Highway 61 Roadhouse.

On Friday, pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson will perform at Robbie's House of Jazz; singer Dean Christopher is at Frontenac Grill; hot jazz/jump blues band Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes are playing at the Venice Cafe; and guitarist Dave Black leads a trio with drummer Kevin Gianino and bassist Willem von Hombracht at the Cigar Inn

Then on Saturday night, saxophonist Jerry Greene leads a trio at Robbie's; guitarist Brian Vaccaro plays at the Map Room; and singer Joe Mancuso will perform at the BYOB house-concert venue Kinda Blue, located at 6101 Idaho on the south side.

On Sunday, Erin Bode will perform at Moulin, located inside Vin de Set at 2017 Chouteau Ave, in a benefit for Lutheran Senior Services Benevolent Care.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday Jazz St. Louis will celebrate the inaugural International Jazz Day with a jam session at Jazz at the Bistro, hosted by Adaron "Pops" Jackson's trio; and drummer Joe Pastor's group will play at BB's.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, 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.)

Jazz St. Louis announces summer schedule for Jazz at the Bistro

Jazz St. Louis has just released information on the summer 2012 schedule for Jazz at the Bistro. The lineup feature mostly local acts, with two touring musicians and the return of a couple of favorite expats thrown in for good measure.

One of the touring musicians is saxophonist Tim Warfield, who will be a guest performer with the student musicians from JSL's JazzU program when they open the summer season on Friday, June 1 and Saturday June 2.

Also of note, guitarist Charlie Hunter (pictured) will be making a return visit to the Bistro this summer, performing on Friday, June 22 and Saturday, June 23. And former St. Louisans Reggie and Mardra Thomas, the husband-and-wife piano/vocal team who moved last summer to Michigan, will return home to play the Bistro on Friday, July 6 and Saturday, July 7.

Here's the complete summer schedule:

Friday, June 1 & Saturday, June 2: JazzU with special guest Tim Warfield
Friday, June 8 & Saturday, June 9: Erin Bode
Friday, June 15 & Saturday, June 16: Tim Cunningham
Friday, June 22 & Saturday, June 23: Charlie Hunter Duo
Friday, June 29 & Saturday, June 30: Denise Thimes
Friday, July 6 & Saturday, July 7: Reggie & Mardra Thomas
Friday, July 13 & Saturday, July 14: Good 4 The Soul
Friday, July 20 & Saturday, July 21: Willie Akins/Montez Coleman Group
Friday, July 27 & Saturday, July 28: Musica Slesa

Depending on the show, ticket prices for Jazz at the Bistro's summer schedule range from $20 to $30 for adults and $10 to $15 for students. Tickets will go on sale at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 8 via Metrotix.

East St. Louis HS bands to perform two benefit shows in May at The Sheldon

The East St. Louis High School band will bring back one of its most well-known recent alumni, trumpeter Russell Gunn, as a special guest for the second of two benefit performances next month at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

The first concert will feature the jazz combos from East St. Louis High School playing at 7:00 p.m., Monday, May 7 at the Sheldon. The second concert, at 7:00 p.m. on Monday May 14, will feature Gunn (pictured) along with the school's big band.

Gunn established himself on the national jazz scene in the mid-1990s, playing on Wynton Marsalis' Blood on the Fields and working with Branford Marsalis' Buckshot La Fonque, as well as backing Jimmy Heath, James Moody, R&B hitmaker Maxwell, and others. He has released 14 albums as a leader, the most recent being 2008's Love Stories.

The East St. Louis High School band is considered one of the top student jazz ensembles in the St. Louis area and, indeed, the nation, traveling in 2010 to perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival, and making it to the finals of the national Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition in 2011. This year, they won first place in the Eastern Illinois University Jazz Band festival and competition.

Proceeds from both concerts will go to the East St. Louis Senior High Music Scholarship Foundation, which helps send students from the program to summer music camps that in turn help them compete for college scholarships.

Ticket for each concert are $15 for adults, $5 for students, or adults can purchase tickets for both shows for a combined price of $25. Tickets are on sale now via Metrotix; at the main office at East St. Louis HS, or from any member of the band.

(Edited after posting to fix a typo.)

Recently on Heliocentric Worlds

While it's been a slow couple of days for breaking news around here, may we suggest you use the opportunity to pay a visit to StLJN's sibling site Heliocentric Worlds?

There, you'll find a new online music video posted every day, drawn from genres including jazz, blues, soul, funk, classic rock, prog rock, and experimental.

Recent posts have featured artists including Mingus Big Band, Pharoah Sanders, Bill Evans, Was (Not Was), Bruce Springsteen, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Horace Silver, Steely Dan, Wes Montgomery, Sonny Rollins, Greg Osby, Oscar Peterson, John Scofield & Eddie Harris, Elvin Jones, Fela Kuti, Van Morrison, Kurt Elling, Carla Bley Big Band, Neville Brothers, Little Milton with Jimmy Vaughan, Lester Young & Coleman Hawkins, Joe Henderson, Weather Report, and Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention.

You can check out all of these clips, plus hundreds more from the archives that have been carefully curated for your listening and viewing enjoyment, by going to http://heliocentricworlds.blogspot.com/.

Victor Wooten, Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks coming in July to Old Rock House

The Old Rock House on Friday announced two shows scheduled for July that may be of potential interest to local jazz listeners:

* Bassist Victor Wooten (pictured), who was just here last month to play the Sheldon with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, will perform at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, July 5 at ORH. Wooten's most recent CD as a leader, Palmystery, came out back in 2008. He last played St. Louis with his own group in 2009 at The Pageant.

* The following week, singer/guitarist Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks, known for blending swing, folk, Gypsy music, blues and rock with wry humor, will play at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 11. Hicks' most recent recordings are 2009's Tangled Tales and 2010's Crazy for Christmas.

Tickets for Wooten are priced at $25 in advance, $30 day of show, while tix for Hicks are $25. Tickets for both shows will go on sale at 5:00 p.m. next Friday, April 27.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Introducing Tia Fuller

This week, let's check out some video clips of saxophonist Tia Fuller, who will be making her St. Louis debut as a bandleader with gigs next Wednesday, April 25 through Saturday, April 28 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Fuller, 36, may be best known to the general public for spending several years as a member of the all-female band backing pop singer Beyonce, but she's also been leading her own jazz groups for several years and has three CDs as a leader out on the Mack Avenue label. A native of Denver, Fuller grew up in a musical family and played piano and flute before taking up saxophone as a teenager. She earned a bachelor's degree in music from Spelman College and a masters in jazz pedagogy from the University of Colorado at Boulder before moving to NYC in 2001.

In addition to her own groups, Fuller has performed with Charles Fambrough, Mickey Roker, Ralph Peterson, T.S. Monk, Rufus Reid, the Gerald Wilson Orchestra, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and others. Eagle-eyed late-night TV viewers also may have noticed her as part of the band with bassist/singer Esperanza Spalding during Spalding's appearance last month on Late Night with David Letterman, and Fuller has said that she plans to tour with Spalding later this year.

As a saxophonist and composer, Fuller seems to use hard bop as a jumping-off point - I'd bet someone a Coke that there were some Cannonball Adderley records around the house during her childhood - but there's also some post-Coltrane stuff in her playing, as she can be heard using the "sheets of sound" technique and/or overblowing to add another level of intensity to her solos. Her tone has bit of tartness to it that helps it cut through the denser ensemble passages, but stops well short of pushing the boundaries of conventional tuning ala Jackie McLean.

You can hear some of that intensity in the first video clip up above, an excerpt from her performance for the 2011 NYC Winter Jazzfest at Le Poisson Rouge. Fuller's band here is something of a family affair, with her older sister Shamie Royston on piano; brother-in-law Rudy Royston on drums; and longtime collaborator Mimi Jones (aka Miriam Sullivan) on bass.

Down below is an excerpt from another 2011 performance, at the University of California-Davis with pianist Rachel Eckroth subbing for Shamie Royston. Below that is a clip from Fuller's set at the 2010 Jazz Journalists Awards ceremony, with St. Louis native and fellow Beyonce sidewoman Kim Thompson on drums.

Next are are two songs from Fuller's performance at the 2010 Detroit Jazz Festival, the standard "I Can't Get Started" and her own composition "Shades of McBride." The video was shot by an audience member, and while the image is a bit dark due to the shadows from the bandstand, the audio quality actually is pretty good. Finally, there's a short interview Fuller did in 2009 for a news program on Detroit's Fox affiliate, in which she chats for a couple of minutes and then plays the Charlie Parker blues "Billie's Bounce" with pianist Mike Jellick.

For more about Tia Fuller, check out her January 2012 interview with The Revivalist and this interview with Atlantic City Weekly from August 2011.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of assorted links and short local news items of interest:

* Trumpeter Clark Terry continues to convalesce at home after recent surgery, and remains in good spirits, according to the most recent blog post from his wife Gwen. In related news, a benefit concert featuring more than 50 jazz performers will be held this coming Monday, April 23 in NYC to raise money for Terry's medical expenses. You can read more about it (and find out where to send a contribution, if you're so inclined) here.

* Tomorrow is Record Store Day 2012, and the Riverfront Times' Josh Levi has the rundown on the various performances, activities and specials offered by local music retailers here. Yr. humble StLJN editor will be joining in the festivities by serving as guest DJ at Vintage Vinyl from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.; if you're in the neighborhood, stop by and say "Hi".

* Trombonist Brett Stamps, who just retired from teaching after 33 years heading the jazz program at SIUE, is the subject of a profile from the Suburban Journals' Ramona C. Sanders.

* The Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson has two interviews online about this weekend's Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival - one with GSLJF head Jim Widner, the other with bassist Christian McBride, whose big band is headlining tomorrow night's closing concert.

* Also from the Post, pop music critic Kevin Johnson reports that the Sheldon Concert Hall will close temporarily during August for some refurbishments including new paint and carpeting.

* Trumpeter, singer and St. Louis native Jeremy Davenport got a bit more face time in a national magazine this week, as he and his home base at the Ritz-Carlton in New Orleans are featured in an article in Forbes magazine about jazz clubs at luxury hotels.

Sheldon Concert Hall announces 2012-13 season schedule

The Sheldon Concert Hall has announced the 2012-13 schedule for its various season series.

As tipped earlier here on StLJN, the jazz subscription series will include a performance by trumpeter Arturo Sandoval on Saturday, October 6, while the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will offer their "Creole Christmas" show on Sunday, December 9 as a non-subscription "special concert." Other performers in the jazz series will include pianist Marcus Roberts (pictured) and his trio (Saturday, December 1); trumpeter and singer Jeremy Davenport (Saturday, February 2); and singer Dianne Reeves (Saturday, April 27).

The Sheldon's "Coffee Concert" series of mid-morning shows by local performers will include singer Dean Christopher's “Tribute to Frank Sinatra” (Tuesday, April 2 and Wednesday, April 3) and Cornet Chop Suey (Tuesday, May 7 and Wednesday, May 8). Also, the St. Louis Stompers will play special coffee concerts that are not part of the subscription series on Tuesday, October 30 and Wednesday, October 31.

Looking at the rest of the non-subscription special concerts, jazz listeners also may be interested in the hall's official 100th anniversary celebration on Thursday, October 11, which will feature a multi-genre lineup of musicians including pianist Peter Martin, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. as well as classical singer Christine Brewer, violinist David Halen and members of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.

In addition, singer Sylvia McNair will return for the Sheldon's annual ArtSounds fundraiser on Friday, November 9, and singer Denise Thimes will team with guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli for a "special concert" on Friday, February 15.

So what's the takeaway here for St. Louis jazz fans? While one really can't criticize the musical quality or skills of the jazz performers booked for 2012-13, it's also a conservative, risk-averse lineup, both in terms of musical styles and with regard to the potential box office draw of the performers. Except for Sandoval, who last played St. Louis in 2006, and Roberts, the former Wynton Marsalis sideman who's had a lower touring profile since joining the faculty at Florida State University in 2004, all of the touring bands and musicians on the schedule already have played St. Louis during the last couple of years.

While the Martin/Marsalis/McBride/Owens combo would seem to offer some real potential for surprise, the fact that it's a one-off gig for a benefit show that will be shared with other performers imposes some serious constraints. Overall, the Sheldon remains a great place to play and hear music, but it's too bad that the current circumstances there seem to preclude offering audiences more jazz that's different, new, or just previously unheard here in St. Louis.

Single tickets for the jazz series shows are priced from $35 to $45, while Coffee Concert tickets are $12 and $15. Pricing for "special concerts' varies from $20 and $25 for Thimes and Pizzarelli to up to $500 for patron seats for the 100th anniversary and ArtSounds shows. Single tickets will go on sale at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, August 11. Season subscriptions go on sale at 10:00 a.m. May 14 via phone at 314-533-9900 or the Sheldon's website.

(Edited after posting to add a link.)

Jazz this week: Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival, Oikos Ensemble, Lauren Sevian, Freddie Washington, Cornet Chop Suey, and more

It's another busy weekend for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with a number of touring musicians in town for the ninth annual Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival and an extensive menu of shows featuring St. Louis musicians, too. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, baritone saxophonist Lauren Sevian will present an early evening performance and master class at Saxquest. Sevian is in town to serve as a clinician/adjudicator for the daytime, educational portion of the GSLJF, which involves a competition for student jazz big bands and combos from around the area. She'll also be a guest with the UMSL Big Band during their festival performances, opening the show for Friday and Saturday's headliners.

Right around the time Sevian is wrapping up, vibraphonist Stefon Harris and trumpeter Sean Jones will be teaming up for the first of two sets at Jazz at the Bistro. Harris and Jones also have been serving as clinician/adjudicators for the student combo portion of the GSLJF, and from what I can tell, it sounds like they're using Harris' band as the rhythm section for their gig at the Bistro. (You can read a review of Harris' show last week in Kansas City here.)

Update, 4:30 p.m., 4/19/12: The latest word now is that Harris, in fact, did not bring his band with him, and he and Jones will be backed by Ken Kehner (piano), Marty Morrison (drums) and Jahmal Nichols (bass). The latest tweet from Jazz St. Louis also indicates they'll be playing familiar material including "Soul Eyes," "Resolution," "Dolphin Dance," and "Giant Steps,"

For more about the GSLJF, check out this video preview post from last Saturday, and this post over at St. Louis magazine's Look/Listen blog based on an interview with Jim Widner, director of the UMSL jazz program and the GSLJF.

Also on Thursday night, saxophonist Freddie Washington will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University. Washington's gig is the final Jazz at Holmes show of the semester, and the email announcement for it also stated that, unlike the past couple of years, there will be no summer Jazz at Holmes series this year. So, looks like this week's JaH concert will be the last one until September, which seems like a long time away.

On Friday, the GSLJF continues with percussionist Poncho Sanchez and his band with guest trumpeter Terence Blanchard (pictured) at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. They'll be playing music from Chano y Dizzy!, their 2011 CD paying tribute to conga drummer/composer Chano Pozo and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. The UMSL Big Band will open the show.

Also on Friday, guitarist Matthew Von Doran will be the featured performer in the second installment of the new Friday night series at City Music; Three Central will bring their smooth jazz sound to Robbie's House of Jazz; the St. Louis Big Band plays a concert at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 4029 Blow St.; and guitarist Eric Slaughter and his trio are playing at the Cigar Inn.

On Saturday, there are a couple of notable daytime events, as trad jazz and swing band Cornet Chop Suey plays a mid-day show at the Sheldon Concert Hall, and Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra clarinetist Diana Haskell presents a workshop and performance at Saxquest.

Then on Saturday night, the GSLJF concludes with the St. Louis debut of bassist Christian McBride's big band at the Touhill. Again, the UMSL Big Band is scheduled to open the show.

Also on Saturday night, the Funky Butt Brass Band will perform at the newish Midtown venue Plush; and saxophonist Matt McKeever's trio plays at Robbie's.

On Sunday afternoon, the Oikos Ensemble, featuring saxophonist Clifford Aerie, will present a performance at First Congregational Church in Webster Groves to benefit the Sunshine Cultural Arts Center in East St. Louis.

Also on Sunday afternoon, Cornet Chop Suey will play a matinee concert at Lewis & Clark Community College; and a bit later on, the Dave Dickey Big Band will take the stage for their monthly gig at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company, with Metrobones as the intermission act.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Webster University Jazz Singers will give their final performance of the semester at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the main Webster campus.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, 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.)

Sheldon, Metrotix offering online presale of tickets for Madeleine Peyroux

The Sheldon Concert Hall and Metrotix are offering online buyers first chance to purchase single tickets for the St. Louis debut of singer Madeleine Peyroux at the Sheldon on Sunday, May 20.

Tickets for the concert are $45 orchestra, $40 balcony, and the pre-sale begins at 10:00 a.m. this Friday, April 20, one day before the general on-sale date. To purchase tickets then, go to www.metrotix.com/promotions and enter promotional code MP12.

Peyroux's concert is being presented by the Friends of the Sheldon as a benefit for the hall's educational programs, which reach more than 20,000 students each year. Patron tickets still are on sale for $125 and $75 and include preferred seating, a pre-concert wine and dessert reception, and a tax deduction; the $125 tickets also include complimentary parking. To purchase patron tickets, call The Sheldon at 314-533-9900.

StLJN Audio Archive: The Leon Thomas Album

For this week's installment of the StLJN Audio Archive, we revisit The Leon Thomas Album, originally issued by the late singer and East St. Louisan Leon Thomas in 1970 on the now-defunct Flying Dutchman label.

In contrast to Thomas' sparse debut recording. Spirits Known and Unknown, which positioned him as part of the music's avant garde, his second album as a leader features a full band arranged by saxophonist and St. Louis native Oliver Nelson and including a number of well-known mainstream jazz musicians of the time.

The track list on the album (pictured) includes "Come Along," "I Am," "Bag's Groove," "Um, Um, Um" and the LP-side-long "Pharoah's Tune (The Journey)." The complete personnel includes Thomas (flute, percussion, vocals), Billy Harper (tenor sax), Howard Johnson (baritone sax), Jerome Richardson (alto sax), James Spaulding (flute), Donald Smith (flute), Ernie Royal (trumpet), Arthur Sterling (piano), Bob Cunningham (bass), John Williams (bass), Billy Cobham (drums), Roy Haynes (drums), Richard Landrum (percussion), Gene Golden (percussion), Sonny Morgan (percussion) and Oliver Nelson (arranger, conductor).

Here's what Thom Jurek of All Music Guide had to say:

"Side one is the up-tempo jazz ride, as Thomas and company rip through a host of his own tunes, such as the scatted post-bop of "I Am" and the nearly bar-walking blues of "Come Along." But the side is graced by an absolutely stunning read of Milt Jackson's "Bag's Groove," with Harper leading a five-horn section.

The real gem on the album is "Pharaoh's Tune (The Journey)," which comprises all of side two. After setting up a live audience with a narrative laced with sound effects from the vanguard jazzers, the tune develops its groove about four minutes in and the bells and yodel come out, and from here it's Thomas at his improvisational best as both a singer and a bandleader. Everybody here is inspired, especially the two drummers. Harper, Spaulding, and Smith weave snake-charming lines around one another, and the entire thing just lifts off and never returns. It's a breathtaking ride made all the more so by the long, jazzed-out setup of side one. Why this guy wasn't huge is a mystery. "

The Leon Thomas Album has been out of print for years, and apparently never made it to CD. While vinyl copies do pop up on online auction sites from time to time, you can download a free .mp3 of the album, courtesy of the music-sharing blog Orgy in Rhythm, here.

The StLJN Audio Archive links only to recordings that are out-of-print or that never have been commercially available. The purpose of the Audio Archive is to encourage discussion, appreciation and knowledge of St. Louis jazz artists, and we urge you to support them (or their estates) by purchasing authorized recordings and merchandise and, whenever possible, attending live performances.

Saxquest to present free master classes this week from Lauren Sevian, Diana Haskell

The woodwind sales and repair shop Saxquest is presenting two free master classes this week for St. Louis area reed players.

* Baritone saxophonist Lauren Sevian (pictured) will give a clinic and perform with a rhythm section of local musicians at 7:00 p.m. this Thursday, April 19 at the Saxquest shop, 2114 Cherokee St. One of the busiest bari players on the NYC scene, Sevian has been a member of the Mingus Big Band since 2003, works with numerous other groups in and around the city, and also leads two quartets of her own.

* Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra clarinetist Diana Haskell will present a masterclass and performance at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, April 21. Haskell, who's the SLSO's Associate Principal of clarinet and E-flat clarinet, will play solo and in duets with Saxquest's clarinet specialist Audrey Denny.

Both events are free and open to the public. For more information, call 314-664-1234 or visit the Saxquest website.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Previewing the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival

This week, let's take a look at the musicians who will be performing at next week's Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival.

The GSLJF actually will begin on Wednesday with a series of performances and adjudications of local high school jazz combos at Jazz at the Bistro. That continues on Thursday, followed by a similar program of performances and adjudications for student big bands at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on Friday and Saturday. The festival schedule (.pdf file) says these events are free and open to the public, but there's no specific information there or anywhere on the GSLJF site about starting or ending times, or which bands might be playing when.

The festival's headlining performances begin on Thursday evening, when vibraphonist Stefon Harris and trumpeter Sean Jones will play two sets at the Bistro. You can see Harris in the embedded video window up above, performing "The Afterthought" with bassist Ben Williams, pianist Sullivan Fortner, and drummer (and East St. Louis's own) Terreon Gully. Down below, you can see Jones perform the song "Transitions" in a clip from the 2010 Detroit Jazz Festival.

On Friday night, percussionist Poncho Sanchez and his band plus special guest trumpeter Terence Blanchard will be at the Touhill. They'll be playing material from Chano y Dizzy!, their 2011 CD paying tribute to conga drummer/composer Chano Pozo and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, whose pioneering collaboration in the 1940s laid the groundwork for today's Latin jazz.

Today's clip of them is excerpted from a performance in February 2011 at Yoshi's in Oakland, and features a cover of Mongo Santamaria's "Besame Mama" in which Blanchard and Sanchez' regular trumpeter Ron Blake trade eight-bar breaks. For more about the Sanchez/Blanchard alliance, check out this review of a show of theirs from earlier this year in Virginia.

The GSLJF wraps up on Saturday night with a performance by bassist Christian McBride's big band at the Touhill. McBride won the 2012 Grammy Award for "Best Large Jazz Ensemble Recording" for the band's debut release The Good Feeling, but there's not really any performance video of them online, except for an electronic press kit created to support the CD's initial release.

To fill in some of the back story, I had hoped to interview McBride for a piece to run next week on the RFT Music Blog, but alas, his "people" turned down the request for an interview. (Whether this was out of general disdain for the press, St. Louis, or the GSLJF, or a more specific disdain for the RFT or yours truly, is anyone's guess. Said "people" implied that interviews were granted to others here in St. Louis, so I suspect the latter, but we'll have to wait and see what sort of coverage turns up elsewhere in the next few days. )

Until then, all that's left to do is put up a couple more clips, the first of which shows McBride and the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra in 2011 playing "Shake and Blake," the leadoff track from the Good Feeling CD. While next Saturday's concert at the Touhill no doubt will feature a completely different lineup of musicians, this video and the one below it of the song "Broadway," also from The Good Feeling and recorded at the same Detroit gig, at least provide some examples of McBride's approach and arranging style.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of assorted links and short local news items of interest:

* Trombonist Brett Stamps (pictured) will make his final appearance as director of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) Concert Jazz Band in a concert at 8:00 p.m. this coming Tuesday, April 17 at the Wildey Theatre. Stamps is retiring as director of jazz studies at SIUE after 33 years on the job.

The concert will include music from Doc Severinsen and Woody Herman as well as charts by Stamps and SIUE graduate Mike Dee, plus a grand finale featuring graduates of the SIUE jazz program from the last 30 years. Tickets are $10, $7 for seniors and under age 18, free to SIUE students with ID, and will be available at the door.

* Meanwhile, pianist Reggie Thomas, who formerly taught at SIUE, is featured on The Teacher, the debut CD release by the MSU Professors of Jazz. The group is made up of faculty members from Thomas' new professional home at Michigan State University. They'll debut the CD, which includes three of Thomas' compositions and a guest appearance from spouse/singer Mardra Thomas, in a concert this Saturday at the Creole Gallery in Lansing, MI.

* The Regional Arts Commission is conducting a survey of St. Louis area artists, musicians and other creative types. To complete the "Artists Count" questionnaire and enter a drawing to win a free iPad, go here.

* Singer Erin Bode reported this week on Twitter that her song "The Little Garden" will be used in the episode of the CW Network program Hart of Dixie airing on Monday, May 7. The comedy/drama series stars Rachel Bilson as a big-city doctor transplanted to a small town in the South, and airs locally on KPLR (Channel 11).

* John King, bassist for Good 4 The Soul, saxophonist Jim Stevens, and several other local bands, has released a single, "Introducing The Pharaoh," on iTunes.

* Guitarist Russell Malone, in town this week to play at Jazz at the Bistro, appeared on the 4:00 p.m. newscast at local NBC affiliate KSDK for a brief interview and performance. Malone and pianist Cyrus Chestnut's trio continue at the Bistro through Saturday.

* The Webster Journal has a profile of Dr. Aurelia Hartenberger, whose collection of unusual musical instruments currently is featured in an exhibit at the Sheldon Art Galleries.

* The Jazz Journalists Association has announced the nominations for their 2012 JJA Jazz Awards, and the "Best Historical or Boxed Set" category includes two albums with a St. Louis connection: Miles Davis' Bootleg Sessions, Vol 1, Quintet Live in Europe 1967 (Columbia Legacy) and the long-awaited reissue of Julius Hemphill's Dogon A.D. by the International Phonograph label. You can see the complete list of 2012 JJA Awards nominees here.

Dirty Dozen Brass Band to perform Friday, May 25 at Old Rock House

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band (pictured) are returning to St. Louis to perform at 9:00 p.m., Friday, May 25 at the Old Rock House. Jazz/funk/"world music" band Snarky Puppy will open.

The DDBB last played in St. Louis in February 2011 at the Sheldon Concert Hall. This time around, their show comes just one day after the New Orleans Suspects, a new band featuring DDBB saxophonist Kevin Harris and guitarist Jake Eckert, are scheduled to play the Old Rock House. However, the Suspects are on to Chicago on the 25th, so presumably the DDBB will be using some alternate/substitute musicians for Harris and Eckert here and on some other dates this spring where there's a conflict.

Tickets for the Dirty Dozen Brass band are $18 in advance, $20 day of show, and will go on sale at 5:00 p.m. this Friday, April 13.

Jazz this week: Russell Malone & Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Craig Hultgren & Luna Nova, NIU Jazz Ensemble & Victor Lewis, and more

It's a mixed bag of jazz and creative music happening this weekend around the St. Louis area, with performances including straight-ahead, mainstream jazz sounds from both small groups and big bands; a triple bill of female guitarists; a cabaret take on Southern rock; an innovative cellist who bridges free improv and contemporary compositions; and more. Let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, guitarist Russell Malone and pianist Cyrus Chestnut and his trio will team up for the first time ever in St. Louis*, beginning a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro. Both Malone and Chestnut have proved popular with local jazz fans, and to sweeten the deal, Jazz St. Louis is offering two tickets for the price of one for Wednesday and Thursday nights.

Tomorrow night, Lewis and Clark Community College presents a "Musicians' Gathering" at Jazz on Broadway in Alton, while saxophonist Paul Antion, a senior at Washington University, is the featured performer for this week's Jazz at Holmes concert on the Wash U. campus.

Friday, the Old Rock House will host "La Guitara," a package show highlighting female guitarists including singer-songwriter Patty Larkin, "new acoustic music" performer Muriel Anderson, and Vicki Genfan, whose resume includes a variety of genres including jazz.

Also on Friday, singer Jeffrey M. Wright, backed by pianist Carol Schmidt and guitarist Steve Schenkel, performs the first of two nights of his "Southern Roots" cabaret show at Kranzberg Arts Center under the auspices of the Presenters Dolan; saxophonist Jay Hutson leads a quartet at Robbie's House of Jazz; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham is back at Jazz on Broadway, where management has announced that he'll continue weekly through at least June 8.

On Saturday, New Music Circle presents cellist Craig Hultgren (pictured) and members of the Memphis-based experimental music group Luna Nova at Christ Church Cathedral. Hultgren has played St. Louis several times before, but if you don't know him or his music yet, you can catch up by checking out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, singer Feyza Eren performs at Robbie's, fronting a rhythm section including pianist Brad Ellebrecht, bassist Willem Von Hombracht and drummer Tom Kernan.

On Sunday afternoon, the Northern Illinois University Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of saxophonist Ron Carter, will return with a special guest, veteran drummer Victor Lewis, to play at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Also on Sunday, the Saint Louis Jazz Club will present pianist Pat Joyce and his All-Stars in a matinee performance at the DoubleTree Hotel Westport.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band returns for their monthly performance at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, 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.)

*Update - 4/11/12, 11:50 p.m.: As longtime reader (and stalwart fan of Russell Malone) Kandie Webster points out in the comments, this week's gig at the Bistro is not the first time Malone and Cyrus Chestnut have played together, as stated in the first version of this story. That statement was based on information supplied by Jazz St. Louis that may have been incorrect, or simply just misinterpreted by me. At any rate, this week's gig definitely is the first time they've played together here in St. Louis...

Pollstar reveals more possible details of Jazz at the Bistro's 2012-13 season

Although the official announcement of Jazz at the Bistro's 2012-13 season presumably is still a few weeks away, recent developments have shed some more light on what may be coming up there next year.

Most notably, the online touring information service Pollstar has added new listings showing performances at the Bistro by singer Gregory Porter (Wednesday, January 2 - Saturday, January 5) and singer and pianist Freddy Cole (Wednesday, May 22 - Saturday, May 25).

The former series of dates is significant for two reasons: it would mark the Bistro debut for Porter (pictured), who caused a good deal of industry buzz with his 2010 debut album Water and recently released his sophomore effort, Be Good. It also would be the first time in six years that the initial gig of the New Year at the Bistro went to someone other than The Bad Plus.

As for Cole, he just wrapped up a four-night stand at the Bistro in March, and has played the club several times before. Still, although Pollstar listings generally have proven to be accurate, as with last month's news about a possible return to the club in September for trumpeter Terence Blanchard, these two listings should not be considered confirmed until officially announced by the presenter.

In related news, singer and guitarist John Pizzarelli, a local favorite who's played here in recent years at the Bistro, Sheldon Concert Hall and Touhill Performing Arts Center, recently added dates to the calendar on his website showing performances at the Bistro from Wednesday, November 28 through Saturday, December 1.

Though once again we'd suggest caution until there's an official confirmation, a return by Pizzarelli to the Bistro next season seems not just possible, but highly plausible, given his significant local fan base. We'll have more on this story for you as developments warrant...

(Edited after posting to fix a broken link.)

Jazz St. Louis offering 2-for-1 tickets for Malone & Chestnut, Tia Fuller

Jazz St. Louis is offering two tickets for the price of one for sets by guitarist Russell Malone and pianist Cyrus Chestnut's trio this Wednesday and Thursday at Jazz at the Bistro, and for the shows on Wednesday, April 25 and Thursday, April 26 at the Bistro by saxophonist Tia Fuller's quartet.

Single tickets for Malone and Chestnut are priced at $30, while tickets for Fuller (pictured) are $25.

To get the two-for-one discount, purchase your tickets by calling Jazz St. Louis at 314-289-4030 and using the promo code FCAPR12. The discount applies only to tickets for Wednesday and Thursday for these two shows.

Glendale Jazz Festival set for Friday, May 25

The city of Glendale and the Glendale Women’s Club will present the 13th annual Glendale Jazz Festival (.pdf file) from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday, May 25 on the lower parking lot of the Glendale City Hall complex, 424 N. Sappington Rd.

Performers at this year's event will include Cornet Chop Suey (pictured), the Terry Thompson Swing Alive Band, and blues/rock guitarist and singer Billy Peek, with Don Wolff once again serving as MC. The festival is free and open to the public.

SLSO to present Byron Stripling in tribute to Louis Armstrong on Saturday, June 9

Having just completed an educational residency for Jazz St. Louis back in February, trumpeter and singer Byron Stripling already has gotten his ticket punched for a return trip here. The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra will present Stripling (pictured) in "Sounds of New Orleans: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong" at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 9 at Powell Symphony Hall.

Stripling first became known for performing Armstrong's music back in 1988, when he was selected to play the lead in the musical Satchmo: America's Musical Legend. He subsequently developed his own show based on Armstrong and has performed it with orchestras all over the country to good reviews. For more about Stripling and some video samples of his playing, check out this post from back in February.

Under the baton of resident conductor Ward Stare, the SLSO and Stripling will perform a program including “St. Louis Blues," “Sweet Georgia Brown,” “What a Wonderful World” and “When the Saints Come Marching In” and other songs associated with Armstrong and New Orleans jazz.

Tickets for Byron Stripling and the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra are priced from $25 to $55, and are on sale now online at www.stlsymphony.org or by phone at 314-534-1700.

Oikos Ensemble concert on Sunday, April 22 to benefit East St. Louis' Sunshine Cultural Arts Center

The Oikos Ensemble, the Cleveland-based group led by saxophonist Clifford Aerie (pictured), is coming back to St. Louis to perform at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, April 22 at the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, 10 West Lockwood Ave.

Proceeds from the concert will benefit the Sunshine Cultural Arts Center in East St. Louis. The Center is a project of the not-for-profit Community Performance Ensemble of East St. Louis, who have acquired the former Morrison Elementary School building and plan to turn it into a facility for performances and arts education. Ray Landis, who is director of music and arts ministries at First Congregational, is president of the Community Performance Ensemble's board of directors.

Oikos Ensemble last played in St. Louis back in December, presenting "Follow That Star: A Jazz Nativity" at Pilgrim United Church of Christ in the Central West End. For the upcoming benefit concert, Aerie (who's also an ordained UCC minister) and his daughter, vocalist Arianna Aerie, will be joined by three St. Louis musicians - trumpeter Danny Campbell, bassist Dave Troncoso and drummer Kevin Gianino - in a program mixing jazz standards and Aerie's originals.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by calling the First Congregational Church office at 314-962-0475 or emailing ray.landis @ firstchurchwg.org. A reception will follow the concert.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Craig Hultgren

This week, let's get reacquainted with cellist Craig Hultgren, who's returning to St. Louis next week to perform with members of the ensemble Luna Nova at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 14 at Christ Church Cathedral, 1210 Locust St. downtown.

The concert, which is sponsored by New Music Circle, will feature Hultgren, pianist Adam Bowles and flute player John McMurtery performing 20th and 21st century works by composers Elliot Carter, Olivier Messiaen, Robert G. Patterson, Toru Takemitsu, Monroe Golden, James Romig and Justin Merritt.

Hultgren, who's from Birmingham, AL, is known for his involvement in creating and commissioning new repertoire for his instrument, and for using and teaching various extended techniques for the cello. He has performed solo concerts and chamber music recitals all over the USA and in Europe, and appeared most recently in St. Louis in March 2011 in a solo concert at Focal Point.

Hultgren also is a member of the Alabama Symphony and a teacher at University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Alabama School of Fine Arts and Birmingham-Southern College, where he directs the BSC New Music Ensemble. He has recorded three solo CDs, the most recent of which, Music of the Next Moment, was released last December on the Innova label.

Though there's not much video of Hulgren online for someone who's been performing as long as he has,, we do have a few clips for you today that help demonstrate some of his talents and interests. The first clip up above is version of Elliott Carter's "Enchanted Preludes," which is scheduled to be on the program for Saturday's concert in St. Louis, recorded with John McMurtery in 2006 at Birmingham Southern College.

Down below, there's a clip in which Hultgren plays "Only Four?" by Charles Knox and discusses the goals of Birmingham's Scrollworks program, which offers free music lessons, sheet music and loaner instruments to children in the Birmingham area. Below that, there's a performance of "Off-White," an original piece by BSC student Josh Crowe, featuring Hultgren and percussionist Gene Fambrough.

Lastly, you can see both parts of "The Crab," described as "a diatribe for electric cello, computer-generated soundfile, and video" that was created in 2006 for the Hultgren/University of Alabama at Birmingham Computer Music Ensemble Commissioning Prize. Hultgren is on electric cello, accompanied by pre-recorded computer audio and a video; the piece was conceived as a modern silent film that tells "an allegorical tale of the danger of good ideas taken to their extreme conclusions."

If you'd like to hear more, although there's not much video documentation online of either Hultgren or the rest of the Memphis-based Luna Nova, the latter do offer an extensive selection of free downloadable audio files on their website.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of assorted links and short local news items of interest:

* Jazz St. Louis will celebrate the first-ever International Jazz Day with an open jam session from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Monday, April 30 at Jazz at the Bistro. Pianist Adaron “Pops” Jackson’s trio will host. Admission is free and open to the public, though seating is limited. Musicians who want to participate are encouraged to sign up starting at 7:00 p.m. that night at the Bistro.

* Trumpeter Clark Terry's recently published autobiography was reviewed by The Australian newspaper.

* Trumpeter, singer and St. Louis native Jeremy Davenport (pictured) recently was featured in a photo essay in New Orleans magazine about the French Quarter. Davenport and his band are the house group at New Orleans' Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

* Last Thursday's performance by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones at the Sheldon Concert Hall was reviewed by KDHX's Jared Corgan.

* St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts has three more "Business Edge" workshops for artists and musicians coming up this month, starting with a "Copyright Clinic" next Monday, April 9. Next up is "Inside the Music Business: Legal Essentials," which was rescheduled for Monday, April 16 after an earlier date was canceled due to inclement weather. The series wraps with "Is It Okay? Fair Use for Filmmakers" on Monday, April 23.

All workshops take place from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar (across from The Pageant). The cost is $10 in advance, $15 at the door, with advance registration recommended. For more information, visit the website or call VLAA at 314-863-6930.

* The Post-Dispatch's Sarah Bryan Miller reported this week that St. Louis may be getting a new classical radio station this summer. "The Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, which provided considerable financial support to the old "Classic 99," KFUO-FM, hopes to be on the air with a new FM station in early June, pending FCC approvals. The new station, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, will broadcast over a combination of regular analog radio, an HD-2 channel and live streaming over the Internet."

Initial funding is coming from The Centene Foundation, which gave $200,000 to get things started and has promised another $1 million, and a fundraising drive that will begin this month. The total cost, including operating expenses, is expected to be $5 million to $6 million over two years. Of particular interest to local jazz fans is a quote in the story from station manager Jim Connett, who said that the new station will feature "everything — chamber music, vocal music, choirs, opera, symphonic, jazz" and what he called "cultural programming." More on this story as it develops...