Jazz this week: Erik Jekabsen, Shana Tucker, Kimmie Horne, and more

Although it's summer vacation season, and jazz gigs in and around St. Louis are somewhat fewer than usual as a result, there still are plenty of shows worth hearing - if, as we're fond of saying around these parts,  you know where to find them.

Here, then, are a few suggestions for the next several days...

Tonight, trumpeter Erik Jekabson's quintet will play a free concert on the Washington University campus for the Jazz at Holmes series. Because of construction, this summer's "Jazz in July" concerts are being presented in Tisch Commons of the Danforth University Center, 6475 Forsyth Blvd.

Also tonight, Irish blues/jazz guitarist and singer Nigel Mooney, fresh off a performance Wednesday night at Missouri Botanical Garden, will team up with St. Louis guitarist Vince Martin for a gig at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; and guitarist Dave Black and band are playing at Nathalie’s.

On Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band will play an outdoor concert at Jefferson Barracks Park amphitheater, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the St. Louis Backstoppers.

Also on Friday, singer Wendy Gordon and pianist Arthur Toney will duet at the Tavern of Fine Arts; the Original Knights of Swing will play at Casa Loma Ballroom; and trumpeter Jim Manley and pianist Kara Baldus are at One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar.

On Saturday, singer and multi-instrumentalist Shana Tucker (pictured) will make her St. Louis debut at the Kranzberg Arts Center. Tucker, who alternates between personal projects and work-for-hire playing cello and singing for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, really is more of a jazz-influenced singer-songwriter than a straight-up jazz musician, but she's a talent to watch. Find our more about her and see some performance videos in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, saxophonist Jim Stevens and band will play a free outdoor concert at Lafayette Park; Wack-A-Doo will perform at Urban Chestnut Brewing Company downtown; and Miss Jubilee will be swinging for the dancers down at Casa Loma Ballroom.

On Sunday, Community Women Against Hardship (CWAH) will hold their annual jazz brunch fundraiser, with this year's event moved to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups due to the ongoing construction at Jazz at the Bistro.

The benefit will feature music from singer Kimmie Horne, grand-niece of the legendary Lena Horne, backed by a band led by drummer Jerome "Scrooge" Harris and including Jeff Anderson (tenor sax), Matt Villinger (piano), and Ben Wheeler (bass). (Advance reservations can be made via the CWAH website, and are strongly recommended.)

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday, singer Dean Christopher brings his "Rat Pack and More" show back to One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar; and on Tuesday, pianist and singer Jesse Gannon is now doing a regular weekly gig with his band Truth at The Engine Room.

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.)