Jazz this week: Victor Wooten, Reggie and Mardra Thomas, and more

Though many StLJN readers may be getting time off for Independence Day, and some even enjoying a bit of additional vacation this week, the business of live jazz and creative music goes on. Here are few of the highlights happening in and around St. Louis for the next few days:

With regard to tonight, while there are a number of regular weekly gigs that usually happen around town on Wednesdays, remember that holiday schedules can be unpredictable in the bar/restaurant business. So while StLJN hasn't received any cancellation notices, we suggest that if you're setting out for a particular destination it would be a very good idea to call ahead first to make sure they're open (and that live music is going on as scheduled).

Tomorrow night, bassist Victor Wooten will be back in town to perform at the Old Rock House. Wooten (pictured) was here earlier this year with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, but this time around, he'll be promoting the upcoming release of his latest solo project, set for release in September. For more about that and Wooten, and to see some video clips of him in action, check out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Thursday, singer Jeanne Trevor, saxophonist Willie Akins, pianist and singer Curt Landes, and bassist Willem von Hombracht will team up for a show at Joe's Cafe, the house concert space and gallery operated by artist Bill Christman at 6014 Kingsbury Ave. in the Central West End.

On Friday and Saturday, pianist Reggie Thomas and singer Mardra Thomas will be at Jazz at the Bistro, returning to St. Louis for their first performances here since moving to Michigan last year so that Reggie could teach at Michigan State University. Look for the Thomases to be accompanied on the gig by some of Reggie's former musical colleagues from the SIUE jazz faculty, and for a good turnout at the Bistro to welcome the couple back home.

Also on Friday, saxophonist Tim Cunningham will be back at Jazz on Broadway; retro swing band Wack-A-Doo will perform at the Map Room; and pianist James Matthews will lead a trio at the Wine Press.

On Saturday, swing and jump blues band Miss Jubilee at the Humdingers will play in a free outdoor concert at Benton Park, which is at the intersection of Jefferson and Arsenal on the south side. They're second on the bill, following the Johnny Cash tribute act One More Round.

Then on Sunday, there are a couple more free outdoor shows, as the St. Louis Ragtimers perform in a concert at Carondelet Park, and the St. Charles Community Big Band will play at Frontier Park on the river in old St. Charles.

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.)