Sunday Session: April 30, 2017

Hugh Masekela

Here are some interesting music-related items that have landed in StLJN's inbox over the past week:

* UK music industry braced for Brexit (BBC)
* Nudity, chimps, and Dolly Parton's disembodied head: are these the worst album covers of all time? (The Telegraph)
* Trombone Shorty Pushes Tradition Forward (NPR)
* Preservation Propagation: Preservation Hall Jazz Band has left the museum behind (Offbeat)
* Hancock, Spalding, McBride Celebrate Shorter in Hometown (DownBeat)
* Review 'Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary' serves the jazz legend well (Los Angeles Times)
* Jazz Giant Wadada Leo Smith on Four Recent Collaborations (Bandcamp.com)
* Afrobeat Legend Tony Allen Honors Jazz Great With 'Tribute to Art Blakey' EP (Rolling Stone)
* Interview: Hugh Masekela on No Borders, Satchmo and reuniting the Jazz Epistles (BestOfNewOrleans.com)
* From the Magazine: Sipiagin Soars on New Sextet Album (DownBeat)
* Q&A: Henry Threadgill - Master improviser speaks on sustaining creativity (Austin Chronicle)
* Ella Fitzgerald: Beyond Words (Merriam-Webster.com)
* Duke Ellington And Copyright: Five Things You Should Know (JDSupra.com)
* Record Store Day Is Boon for Vinyl Sales (DownBeat)
* Remembering Ella Fitzgerald, Who Made Great Songs Greater (NPR)
* Stax Records Plots Massive 60th Anniversary Campaign (Rolling Stone)
* The Hidden Legacy of The Jazz Epistles, South Africa's Short-Lived But Historic Band (WBGO)
* What Controversial Changes at Harvard Mean for Music in the University (TheLogJournal.com)
* Ashok and Vijay Squeeze Blood from a Drum Machine (AAWW.org)
* The Story of Science Faction, the Company That Brought Lasers to Rock and Roll (Vice.com)
* A Jazz Classic Becomes a Picture Book (TabletMag.com)
* Q&A: Miles Mosley - The fiery, soulful bassist, singer and composer launches his Uprising (Jazz Times)
* Blue Note Jazz Festival Announces Lineup - Concerts by Metheny, Glasper, Collier, Hiromi, Tyner, Ponty and many more (Jazz Times)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Joey DeFrancesco

This week, StLJN's video spotlight shines on organist Joey DeFrancesco, who's returning to St. Louis to perform Wednesday, May 10 through Saturday, May 13 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Back here for the first time since playing in December 2014 at the Bistro, DeFrancesco on this visit is supporting a new recording, Project Freedom, released in March by Mack Avenue Records.

The album marks the addition of saxophonist Troy Roberts to DeFrancesco's band, which already included drummer Jason Brown and guitarist Dan Wilson. As the name suggests, Project Freedom also features DeFrancesco stretching out a bit in terms of material, moods and interpretations.

You can find out more in the first video up above, a promotional clip from Mack Avenue offering a brief "behind-the-scenes" look at the recording process for the album.

After the jump, you can see and hear the new version of the band, now officially named Joey DeFrancesco and The People, performing earlier this month at The Tin Pan in Richmond, VA.

That's followed by three full sets of music from DeFrancesco, Brown, and Wilson, recorded in August 2016 at Dizzy's in New York; at the 2016 Springfield (MA) Jazz and Roots Festival; and at the 2015 Toronto Sky Festival.

Finally, there's an interview with DeFrancesco from last month, in which he talks with Brian Pace of the Pace Report about the new band lineup and latest recording. The clip also features some musical excerpts from their recent gig at Birdland in NYC.

For more about Project Freedom, read the reviews from London Jazz News and the Ottawa Citizen.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* I Called Him Morgan, the new documentary film about the life and death of trumpeter Lee Morgan (pictured), opens its St. Louis run today at the Tivoli Theatre in University City. You can see a list of show times here.

* The website St. Louis Musicians Unite has a new post this week about St. Louis jazz, combining a mention of Jazz Appreciation Month, a (much-appreciated!) acknowledgement of StLJN's recent 12th anniversary, and a video annotation of our current "Jazz this week" post.

Edited by Christopher Davis, STLMU has content covering a variety of musical genres and interests, and also has a very active Twitter account, with daily updates on live music shows happening around town.

* Guitarist Bill Frisell is the subject of a feature story by the Riverfront Times' Roy Kasten. Frisell performs with his trio tonight at The Ready Room.

* Saxophonist and former St. Louisan Oliver Lake has a new release on his Passin' Thru label. Offered on CD and as a digital download,  Right Up On features Lake collaborating on a program of original compositions with the Flux Quartet, a string quartet specializing in contemporary music.

* @Nesbys, the Sunset Hills restaurant and bar with a musical menu including occasional live jazz on weekends and a weekly jam session on Wednesday nights, will close after service this Saturday, April 29.

In a message on Facebook, the proprietors said, "The Econolodge stigma, and what will happen to the hotel in the future, as well as its patrons, was impacting our business. We are looking for another place where we can be successful for years to come!" According to the message, the owners will continue their catering business while looking for a new restaurant location, a process they hope to facilitate with help from a GoFundMe campaign.

* Two students in Jazz St. Louis' JazzU program have been selected for the 2017 edition of the Monterey Jazz Festival's Next Generation Jazz Orchestra. Trombonist Wyatt Forhan, a student at St. Dominic High School in O'Fallon, MO, and drummer Christian McGhee, who attends Westminster Christian Academy in Town and Country, will tour with the band this summer.

* The upcoming Tennessee Williams Festival St. Louis will include a production of Bertha in Paradise running from Wednesday, May 3 through Sunday, May 14 at the Curtain Call Lounge.

Imagining an alternate fate for the title character from Williams' play Hello from Bertha, the musical features singer Anita Jackson and pianist Charles Creath delivering "a saucy stew of bawdy songs" including "I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl", "If It Don't Fit Don't Force It," and "I've Got You Under My Skin."

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

Jazz St. Louis has announced the schedule of performances for this summer at Jazz at the Bistro.

The newly revealed slate of shows kicks off Father's Day weekend with four of St. Louis' busiest working musicians - keyboardist Adaron "Pops" Jackson, guitarist Eric Slaughter, saxophonist Ben Reece, and drummer Montez Coleman - joining forces for performances on Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10.

With Jackson on organ, the quartet's repertoire will draw inspiration from classic soul-jazz organ/sax pairings such as Jimmy Smith and Stanley Turrentine, Jimmy McGriff and Hank Crawford, and "Brother" Jack McDuff and Red Holloway

Next up, on Wednesday, June 14 the Bistro will host the fourth annual Richard McDonnell Scholarship Concert, raising money for music scholarships for local students in memory of McDonnell, the late founder of the St. Louis-based indie label MAXJAZZ and a former Jazz St. Louis board member.

The full lineup of musicians is TBA, with drummer Matt Wilson the only confirmed participant announced so far, but presumably it will include a representative cross-section of St. Louis players, and perhaps another visiting guest star or two as well.

The complete schedule for the summer is:

Friday, June 9 & Saturday, June 10: Jackson, Slaughter, Reece & Coleman
Wednesday, June 14: Richard McDonnell Scholarship Concert
Friday, June 16: Farshid Etniko Soltanshahi
Saturday, June 17: Jesse Gannon & The Truth
Friday, June 23 & Saturday, June 24: Lamar Harris (pictured) plays music of the Isley Brothers
Friday, June 30 & Saturday, July 1: Anita Jackson

Friday, July 7 & Saturday, July 8: Good 4 the Soul plays the music of Prince
Friday, July 14 & Saturday, July 15: Erika Johnson
Friday, July 21 & Saturday, July 22: Montez Coleman Group
Friday, July 28 & Saturday, July 29: Emily Wallace with the Funky Butt Horns

Friday, August 4 & Saturday, August 5: The People's Key

Tickets for all shows except the Richard McDonnell Scholarship Concert are on sale now via the Jazz St. Louis website. Tickets for the McDonnell concert will go on sale May 3.

Jazz this week: SFJAZZ Collective, Bill Frisell, Tomas Fujiwara's The Hook Up, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features three noteworthy touring acts with widely disparate styles, plus a couple of Sunday big band performances, some free jazz, some vintage swing, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, 
April 26
The SFJAZZ Collective opens a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

The all-star ensemble's featured composer this year is Miles Davis, and they'll be performing a repertoire drawn from their latest album, which features eight new arrangements of music associated with the iconic trumpeter, plus new original music by each of the group's eight members.

You can see and hear the SFJAZZ Collective perform some of that material on video, and find out more about their Miles Davis project in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Wednesday night, singer Erin Bode will perform for the Chapel Concerts series at St. Vincent Home for Children in north county; the Grand Center Jazz Crawl offers live music at four different venues in the district, and the weekly jazz jam session at Nesby's in South County welcomes both players and listeners.

Thursday, April 27
Singer Brian Owens headlines "Evening of Hope," an event at the Sheldon Concert Hall benefiting the Hope Center at Washington University; and around the corner, pianist Ptah Williams, guitarist Eric Slaughter and company will be performing at The Dark Room.

Friday, April 28
Guitarist Bill Frisell (pictured, top left) will lead a trio with his frequent collaborators, bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Kenny Wollesen, in a performance at The Ready Room.

Recently the subject of a feature-length documentary about his life and music, the prolific Frisell last year released When You Wish Upon a Star, featuring interpretations of songs from Hollywood films and TV, and also did an album and a series of live dates with with saxophonist Charles Lloyd's latest group, The Marvels.

Frisell's next project, a series of duets with bassist Thomas Morgan called Small Town, is due out in May, but given his long history with Scherr and Wollesen, he could be pulling material from deep in his catalog for Friday's show, his first St. Louis performance since 2013.

Also on Friday, the STL Free Jazz Collective will present a free concert at the 14th Street Artist Community in the Old North neighborhood.

Saturday, April 29
Drummer Tomas Fujiwara’s The Hook Up (pictured, bottom left) will perform in a concert presented by New Music Circle at The Stage at KDHX.

Fujiwara and guitarist Mary Halvorson played a concert for NMC in 2014 as part of the trio Thumbscrew, and in some ways, The Hook Up seems a bit like a superset of that band, with Adam Hopkins in for Formanek on bass and the addition of saxophonist Brian Settles and trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson.

Starting in 2010, The Hook Up has released three recordings so far, the most recent being 2015's After All Is Said, which New York City Jazz Record described as “layered and cohesive, rhythmically diverse, with a lean but muscular sound that defines Fujiwara’s distinctive approach to melody and harmony,” and AllAboutJazz.com called “one of the most accessible, challenging and inventive recordings of recent vintage.”

Also on Saturday, trumpeter Randy Holmes' quintet will celebrate the birth of Duke Ellington with a free concert of his music at the Ozark Theatre; and Evangeline's has a day-night double-header of live jazz, with The Sidemen performing at brunch and Wack-A-Doo during the evening.

Sunday, April 30
The St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show will present their spring event at the American Czech Educational Center, and Folk School of KDHX will host their monthly traditional jazz jam session.

A little later in the day, the student performers of the North County Big Band will team up with the pros in the Gateway City Big Band for a joint concert at the The Sheldon. Meanwhile, out in St. Charles County, the Dave Dickey Big Band will play an early evening show at Brewskeez in O'Fallon, with the Pattonville High School Jazz Ensemble performing at intermission.

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.)

StLJN turns 12

Twelve years ago today, the first post went up on St. Louis Jazz Notes. More than 4,500 posts later, StLJN is one of the longest continuously operating outposts of what's left of the jazz blogosphere and one of the longest running music websites in St. Louis, and it remains the city's most complete and regularly updated source devoted to news about jazz.

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. Your time and continued attention are much appreciated.

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

Sunday Session: April 23, 2017

Matana Roberts

Here are some interesting music-related items that have landed in StLJN's inbox over the past week:

* Philip Glass on Listening (and Composing) at 80 (Sonos.com)
* “It wasn’t until I experienced a great amount of pain at one time in my life that I really understood what the blues were about:” An Interview with Matana Roberts (WTJU)
* Forgotten audio formats: The flexi disc (ArsTechnica.com)
* Alice Coltrane’s Devotional Music (The New Yorker)
* A Year On, Few Answers From Probe Into Prince's Death (Billboard)
* Rejuvenating contemporary classical music (The Economist)
* Newest Two Time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Greg Rolie (Santana/Journey) Talks Past & Present (INTERVIEW) (GlideMagazine.com)
* E Street Band Bassist Garry Tallent Gears Up for First Solo Tour, Talks Bruce Springsteen & Chuck Berry (Billboard)
* Allan Holdsworth, Guitarist Revered in Both Jazz and Prog-Rock Circles, Dies at 70 (WBGO)
* Jimmy Webb on John Lennon's Lost Weekend, Writing for Frank Sinatra (Rolling Stone)
* Online music is about to experience another MySpace moment (MusicXTechXFuture.com)
* Are Music Festival Lineups Getting Worse? (Pitchfork.com)
* Concert Review: 2017 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute - Is this the last one? Trump's FY2018 budget proposal eliminates the NEA (Jazz Times)
* 'Jazz Is The Mother Of Hip-Hop': How Sampling Connects Genres (NPR)
* Jazz singer Gregory Porter is an ex-lineman with a blues-infused soul (TheUndefeated.com)
* Shorter, Bridgewater, Kamasi To Headline Detroit Jazz Festival (DownBeat)
* Wayne Shorter, "The Newark Flash," Recalls His Formative Years in the Ironbound and Beyond (WBGO)
* Songwriters ‘More Heavily Regulated Than Pharmaceutical Companies’ and Other Takeaways From ASCAP Expo (Variety)
* How Music on TV Actually Works, According to ‘The Leftovers’ and ‘FNL’ Music Supervisor (Pitchfork.com)
* New Orleans Jazz: Expanding the Tradition (Wall Street Journal)
* Vinyl fantasy: Is the record boom bad for new music? (FactMag.com)
* History of Muzak: Where Did All The Elevator Music Go? (WQXR)
* Those Timeless Tunes of the 1940s, ’60s, and ’80s (PSmag.com)
* Surface Noise (The Paris Review)
* Sylvia Moy, Motown songwriter who wrote hits for Stevie Wonder, dies at 78 (Los Angeles Times)

Site news: Post #4,500

Today, yr. humble editor must briefly pause our regularly scheduled blogging (pictured at left) to point out that this is post number 4,500 on St. Louis Jazz Notes.

Many thanks to all the readers, commenters and sources who have been part of this site since it began in April, 2005.

To mark the occasion of today's questionable achievement, please feel free to use the comments to offer your sincere congratulations, helpful suggestions, jeering taunts and/or bitter complaints.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: SFJAZZ Collective plays Miles Davis

This week, it's time to check out some videos of the latest iteration of the SFJAZZ Collective, who will be here in St. Louis to perform starting next Wednesday, April 26 through Saturday, April 29 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Founded in 2004 as a sort of ever-evolving, all-star house band for the San Francisco presenter SFJAZZ, the group's lineup by design has changed considerably over the years, and currently features Miguel Zenón (alto sax), David Sánchez (tenor sax), Sean Jones (trumpet), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Warren Wolf (vibraphone), Edward Simon (piano), Matt Penman (bass), and Obed Calvaire (drums).

Each year, the members come together to record an album, with each contributing two arrangements - one original, the other re-imagining a work from a specific composer chosen as the season's focal point.

That repertoire then serves as the basis for a subsequent tour, and when last seen here in St. Louis in March 2016 at the Bistro, the SFJAZZ Collective was playing the music of pop icon Michael Jackson. This year's featured composer is a lot closer to home for St. Louis listeners, since it's none other than the legendary trumpeter Miles Davis, who was born in Alton, grew up in East St. Louis, and played some of his first gigs here in St. Louis.

Recorded live in performances on October 20-23, 2016 at the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco, the Collective's latest two-disc album features new arrangements of works composed by and associated with Davis, plus the new original compositions by members of the group.

To show how the project has evolved, today's collection of videos offers a look at SFJAZZ Collective both before and after the recording of their Miles Davis album, starting up top with a brief promotional clip featuring quotes about Davis from several of the musicians.

After the jump, you can see them performing "Milestones" as part of an event last May at the SFJAZZ Center revealing Davis as this season's featured composer.

Next, you can see and hear three selections, starting with "So What," from a show the Collective did on the corporate campus of YouTube just a week before making the album.

That's followed by a playlist assembling a full show recorded in Milan, Italy two weeks later, after the album was recorded.

For more about the SFJAZZ Collective's take on Miles Davis, you can read a review of the show at which album was recorded from AllAboutJazz.com's David Becker, and check out some of the advance press for the album and tour featuring quotes from Obed Calvaire, Matt Penman , and Miguel Zenon.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* This Saturday, April 22 is the 10th annual celebration of Record Store Day, and as in recent years, yr. StLJN editor once again will be taking part by doing a "guest DJ" stint at Vintage Vinyl, spinning tunes inside the U City store for an hour starting at 4:00 p.m. (If you look closely at the event poster (pictured), you can even see my name in small type at the lower right.)

As usual, VV and their fellow music retailers in St. Louis have a full day of activities, live music, giveaways and more planned for RSD, and you can get an overview of who's doing what via Kevin Johnson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

* Are you, or do you know, an accountant with an appreciation for jazz? If so, your dream job could be waiting, as Jazz St. Louis is looking for a Chief Financial Officer. You can find out more about the job and how to apply here. 

* The second annual Make Music Day St. Louis festival, the relatively recent local addition to a long-running, worldwide event marking the summer solstice, is scheduled for Wednesday, June 21. Musicians and venues interested in participating can find more information at www.makemusicstl.org.

* Trumpeter Sean Jones, a frequent visitor to St. Louis in recent years, is preparing to put out his first-ever  live album, which was recorded here at Jazz at the Bistro. Set to be released by Mack Avenue Records on Friday, May 26, the aptly titled Live from Jazz at the Bistro features Jones' working band of the past 12 years and is available for pre-order now.

* The group of musicians from the STL Free Jazz Collective, Vernacular String Trio, and others recording under the "Secret Sessions" banner have released another album as a pay-what-you-will download on Bandcamp.  

* Trumpeter Adam Hucke of the Funky Butt Brass Band (and various other local ensembles) is the subject of a feature story in this week's Riverfront Times. Hucke will celebrate the release of his first solo album Madam, I'm Adam with a show Sunday night at the Old Rock House.

* The date is set for the 2017 Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival, which will take place from noon to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 16 in the area around the intersection of Lockwood and Gore in Webster Groves' "Old Webster" business district. The festival's lineup of bands will be announced at a later date.

Jazz this week: Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival, tributes to Oliver Nelson and Ella Fitzgerald, a new weekly jam session, and more

As Jazz Appreciation Month 2017 moves past the halfway point, the calendar of live jazz and creative music performances here in St. Louis takes a turn toward the historic, with events scheduled to pay tribute to St. Louis' own Oliver Nelson, as well as to Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Dizzy Gillespie, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, April 19
The Saxquest Jazz Orchestra will play the music of saxophonist, composer and St. Louis native Oliver Nelson for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

The nine-piece band (three reeds, three brass, three rhythm) will perform material from throughout Nelson's career, with an emphasis on works addressing topics of civil rights and social justice, including "I Hope In Time A Change Will Come," "Emancipation Blues" and "The Kennedy Dream Suite," as well as songs from Nelson's most famous album Blues and the Abstract Truth.

Also on Wednesday, the weekly jam session hosted by pianist Curt Landes, bassist Glen Smith, and drummer Chuck Kennedy continues at @Nesby's in South County.

Thursday, April 20
Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly open mic night, now re-named "Broadway Open Mic," at its new home, the Curtain Call Lounge; and trumpeter Jim Manley and keyboardist Chris Swan play at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, April 21
The first of two nights of the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival's public performances at the Touhill Performing Arts Center will feature a tribute to Louis Armstrong, starring trumpeter Terrell Stafford, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, saxophonist Chris Vadala, and the UMSL Big Band directed by Jim Widner.

For more about the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival, plus some videos of Stafford, Gordon, Vadala, and Saturday night's headliner, trumpeter Jon Faddis, (pictured, top left) see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, Jazz St. Louis will celebrate the centennial of the birth of Ella Fitzgerald at Jazz at the Bistro with the first of two evenings of music associated with Fitzgerald as sung by Anita Jackson (pictured, bottom left), with help from drummer Montez Coleman, pianist Adaron “Pops” Jackson, bassist Bob DeBoo, and saxophonist Ben Reece.

Elsewhere around town, drummer Steve Davis, singer Feyza Eren, and band will perform at the Ozark Theatre; and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, April 22
The Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival concludes with a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dizzy Gillespie, featuring Gillespie's protege Jon Faddis and Friends, at the Touhill.

Sunday, April 23
Singer Chuck Flowers will perform in a late-afternoon matinee at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Monday, April 24
Dizzy Atmosphere will play swing and Gypsy jazz for diners at The Shaved Duck, and the Webster University Jazz Singers will present their final performance of the semester at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus. 

Tuesday, April 25 
Troy's Jazz Gallery begins a new, weekly Tuesday night jam session hosted by drummer Montez Coleman.

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.)

Lee Morgan documentary opening Friday, April 28 at the Tivoli Theatre

I Called Him Morgan, the well-reviewed new documentary about the life and death of trumpeter Lee Morgan, is getting a St. Louis engagement, opening on Friday, April 28 at the Tivoli Theatre.

Morgan, a major trumpet star of the 1960s, first gained fame as a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and later had a big pop hit with "The Sidewinder." He was shot dead when he was just 34 years old by his common-law wife, Helen, in February 1972 during a gig at Slugs', a club in New York City.

Described as "part true-crime tale, part love story, and an all-out musical treat," I Called Him Morgan recounts the story of their volatile relationship and the killing, using an audio interview conducted with Helen more than 20 years later as the basis for the tale. 

The film, which was directed by Swedish filmmaker Kasper Collin and shot by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Bradford Young, who worked on the recent hits  Arrival and Selma, also includes archival photographs and footage, interviews with Morgan's friends and fellow musicians, and recordings of his music.

You can watch the trailer for I Called Him Morgan in the embedded window below, and see a Q&A with the director, recorded at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, here.

Sunday Session: April 16, 2017

Ella Fitzgerald

Here are some interesting music-related items that have landed in StLJN's inbox over the past week:

* The Bad Plus Has Big News: Some Subtraction, Some Addition, For a Whole New Sum (WBGO)
* 14 Artists Proving Black Americana Is Real (Paste)
* A History of Puerto Rican Salsa (Afropop.org)
* The Paradigm Shifts of Album Artwork (NYUNews.com)
* A Gathering of Orchestras in D.C. (The New Yorker)
* Why Music Services Are Wasting Time Recommending New Music (Forbes)
* Brent Assink Maneuvered the S.F Symphony Through the Early 21st Century. Here is What He Learned (San Francisco Classical Voice)
* Chuck Berry Laid to Rest at All-Star St. Louis Memorial (Rolling Stone)
* Marshall Chess on Chuck Berry's Funeral: The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton Should Have Been There (Billboard)
* How Bang On A Can Rejuvenated New York’s Improvisational Spirit (Bandcamp.com)
* John Coltrane Draws a Picture Illustrating the Mathematics of Music (OpenCulture.com)
* Three Jazz Artists Harmoniously and Creatively Blending Arabic and Western Music (Soundfly.com)
* Guitarist J. Geils found dead in Groton home (Boston Globe)
* Skilled But Shy Musician Jay Geils Remembered As Setting The Bar For Rock 'N' Roll (WBUR)
* Sax linked to Martin Luther King Jr.'s last words hidden in Memphis closet (Memphis Commercial Appeal)
* Five Things You Probably Didn't Know About Les Paul (MusicAficionado.com)
* Frank Kimbrough: A Dark, Rainy Sunday in May (Jazz Times)
* Reassessing Ella: 'The First Lady of Song' at 100 (Chicago Tribune)
* America’s “Secret Sonic Weapon” Against Communism (MessyNessyChic.com)
* I couldn’t tell that this was a robot singing Duke Ellington’s signature song (QZ.com)
* The Big Man with the Big Sound–Remembering Arthur Blythe (1940-2017) (New Music Box)
* Barry ‘Frosty’ Smith, renowned Austin drummer, dies after long illness (Austin360.com)
* Hear Jazz Supergroup Hudson Cover Bob Dylan's 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall' (Rolling Stone)
* Q&A: Shabaka Hutchings - The rising sax star on Pharoah Sanders, jazz’s African roots, the London scene and more (Jazz Times)
* Art Talk with Guitarist Mary Halvorson (arts.gov)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: 2017 Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival

This week, let's take a look at some videos of the headlining musicians for the 2017 Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival, which will take place next Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

The event actually begins on Thursday with a day devoted to adjudicated performances by jazz bands from area high schools, along with clinics for student musicians, followed by the public concerts on Friday and Saturday at the Touhill.

This year, Friday's concert is billed as a tribute to Louis Armstrong, and will feature trumpeter Terell Stafford, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, and saxophonist/flutist Chris Vadala, along with the University of Missouri-St. Louis Big Band directed by bassist Jim Widner, who heads both the festival and UMSL's jazz program.

On Saturday, the concert will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dizzy Gillespie by featuring one of his more notable proteges, trumpeter Jon Faddis "and Friends," which for this occasion will include Stafford, Vadala, trombonist Andre Hayward, drummer Ignacio Berroa, and trumpeter Nick Marchione, plus the UMSL Big Band.

You can see Stafford in the first video up above, a full set of music paying tribute to trumpeter Lee Morgan that was recorded in October 2016 at Dizzy's Club in NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center. Stafford is accompanied by his close friend and fellow Philadelphia native Tim Warfield on tenor sax, Bruce Barth on piano, Peter Washington on bass, and Billy Williams on drums.

After the jump, you can see a full set of music featuring Gordon, also recorded at Dizzy's Club in November of last year. Joining Gordon are Adrian Cunningham (tenor sax, clarinet, flute), Ehud Asherie (piano), Corcoran Holt (bass), and Alvin Atkinson Jr. (drums), plus guest trombonist Corey Wilcox.

Finding recent, high-quality clips of Vadala was something of a challenge. Since he's a very active clinician with high school and college jazz programs - he was last here in St. Louis in 2012 working with students from Webster Groves High School and Western Illinois University - there are dozens of amateur shaky-cam videos of him on YouTube performing as guest soloist with various student groups all around the country, but most of them devote as much time to the ensembles as to Vadala, or have audio/video quality below even StLJN's rather forgiving standards.

In the end, the best available, recently shot, close-up showcase for Vadala seemed to be the next two clips, which feature him playing with a band called the Eastern Standard Time Jazz Quartet at the 2016 Takoma Park JazzFest in Maryland.

Finally, you can check out a couple of clips of Faddis, first doing a dueling-trumpets thing with Wynton Marsalis on an arrangement of Dizzy Gillespie's "Things To Come," and then playing Tadd Dameron's "If You Could See Me Now" with the Barcelona Jazz Orquestra.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Bassist and St. Louis native Tom Kennedy has released a new album titled Points of View, available now via CD Baby and various digital music services.

The album (pictured) includes eight tracks - including one with a titular shout-out to St. Louis, "Gaslight Square Blues" - performed by a stellar cast of musicians including drummer and St. Charles native Dave Weckl; singer and former St. Louisan Karla Harris; trumpeter Randy Brecker; saxophonists Bill Evans, Bob Franceschini and Bob Malach; guitarists Mike Stern, Lee Ritenour and Chuck Loeb; drummers Obed Calvaire and Richie Morales; and more.

* Singer Chuck Flowers performed this week on the morning newscast of KTVI/Fox 2, promoting his upcoming gig on Sunday, April 23 at BB's Jazz Blues & Soups.

* Last week's homecoming performance by trumpeter Keyon Harrold, drummer Kimberly Thompson and pianist Lawrence Fields at Jazz at the Bistro got a shout-out from the St. Louis American's Delores Shante.

* Singer Brian Owens has released an animated music video for his song "For You," featuring additional vocals by fellow Ferguson native Michael McDonald, the singer known for his work as a Grammy winning solo artist and with classic rock bands The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan.

The video, which includes animated renderings of several St. Louisi landmarks, supports the release of Owens' latest album Soul of Ferguson, and can be seen on YouTube and on Owens' Facebook page and website.

* Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Alan Ox will provide the musical entertainment for "A Night In The Stacks," an event benefiting SIUE's Lovejoy Library to be held from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 13 at the Library on the SIUE campus.

Jazz this week: Grégoire Maret & Alicia Olatuja, Peter Evans Septet, Steve Tyrell, Liberation Music Collective, and more

It's a busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with an eclectic selection of visiting performers offering something for listeners with tastes ranging from vintage jazz to mainstream to experimental.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, April 12
Harmonica player Grégoire Maret, with singer and St. Louis native Alicia Olatuja as his featured guest, opens a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

One of a scant handful of headlining jazz performers on his chosen instrument, Maret (pictured, top left), may be making his St. Louis debut as a bandleader, but he already has quite a thriving career, having played with Pat Metheny, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller and many other well-known musicians before releasing his first album as a leader in 2012. You can find out more about him and see and hear some samples of his virtuoso technique in this post from last Saturday.

Thursday, April 13
In a relatively last-minute addition to their previously announced season schedule, New Music Circle will present trumpeter Peter Evans' new electro-acoustic septet at the new performance space and "arts incubator" .ZACK (aka the Cadillac Building, recently the site of the nightclub Plush).

This band is an expanded version of Evans' long-running quintet, described as "a 21st century chamber ensemble dedicated to a broad range of creativity, drawing on dense notated scores, free improvisation, novel combinations of acoustic and electronic sounds, the seamless incorporation of electronic instruments into live improvised textures, and a performance energy channeling both intensity and sincerity."

The event also will feature music from DJ Jeff Michael and a video and art installation created by Elizabeth Moore, Chad Eivins, Kevin Harris, Matthew Kelly Debbaudt, Jeremy Kannapell, and Stan Chisholm

Also on Thursday, singer Steve Tyrell (pictured, center left) will offer his jazz- and funk-tinged interpretations of standards and pop favorites at the Sheldon Concert Hall, and the New Orleans Suspects are back for another visit to the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Friday, April 14
The Oikos Ensemble offers a pre-Easter program called "Good Friday Blues" at the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, and Nashville-based swing and jump blues band Eight O'Five Jive plays at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Also on Friday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will perform at Thurman's in Shaw, and the Funky Butt Brass Band will make their monthly appearance at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Saturday, April 15
The Liberation Music Collective returns to the Center for Social Empowerment in Ferguson.

Based in Bloomington, IN, Liberation Music Collective (pictured, bottom left) is a self-described "socially conscious big band" made up of past and present students at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music who are "dedicated to performing original compositions about contemporary social issues." LMC's visit will include an afternoon workshop for young musicians, followed by an early evening "Jazz for Justice" concert.

Sunday, April 16
Miss Jubilee will perform for brunch at Evangeline's.

Monday, April 17
The Webster University Jazz Collective, made up of faculty members from the university's jazz program, will present their last concert of the semester at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

Tuesday, April 18
The SIUE Concert and Alumni Jazz Bands will take the stage at Jazz at the Bistro, and the Handsome Devils Trio, in from New Orleans for a weeknight show without their lead singer Naomi, will perform for "NOLA Swing Night" at HandleBar in the Grove.

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.)

Herbie Hancock to perform Thursday, August 10 at Powell Hall

Keyboard player, composer and musical icon Herbie Hancock is returning to St. Louis to perform on Thursday, August 10 at Powell Symphony Hall.

Announced today by Hancock, the show is one of a dozen late-summer dates appended to the end of a previously announced European tour, starting August 6 at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, NJ, finishing in the USA on August 23 at the Hollywood Bowl, and skipping back over the Atlantic for one last show in September at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

Hancock (pictured) last played St. Louis in March, 2012 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. His band for the 2017 tour will feature three familiar sidemen - bassist James Genus, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, and guitarist Lionel Loueke - plus a recent addition, keyboardist/saxophonist Terrace Martin, who's been collaborating with Hancock on new music for a possible release this year. Hancock's most recent album, The Imagine Project, came out in 2010.

Today's announcement did not include ticket prices or an on-sale date for the St. Louis show, but as soon as more information is available, this post will be updated.

Sunday Session: April 9, 2017

Dave Holland

Here are some interesting music-related items that have landed in StLJN's inbox over the past week:

* Amy Helm pays tribute to her father and the Band with The Last Waltz Remembered (Calgary Herald)
* N.E.A. to Honor Jazz Masters Under a Cloud of Uncertainty (New York Times)
* Scott LaFaro, The Short Life of a Master Bassist (NEPR)
* The 30 Top Instruments and Innovations of Roland’s Ikutaro Kakehashi (1930-2017) (Electronic Musician)
* Revisiting Sonny Rollins’s Score for “Alfie,” a Musical Masterwork That Transcended the Film (The New Yorker)
* Keith Richards on His Hero Chuck Berry: 'The Granddaddy of Us All' (Rolling Stone)
* Interview: How ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ shaped the music of ‘Legion’ (DailyDot.com)
* How Significant Is the Music Industry's Rebound? (The Atlantic)
* Lawrence English, Philosopher Of Sound, Kindly Requests You Lay Down (NPR)
* John McLaughlin: The Last Long Haul (Jazz Times)
* The NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert Transcends Its Fraught Political Moment (NPR)
* Second volume of rare Sun Ra singles to be released as 10×7″ box set (TheVinylFactory.net)
* Impeach The President: A Loop History (RedBullMusicAcademy.com)
* Trumpeting women in jazz (Harvard.edu)
* All for One, One for All: Dave Holland in Conversation (Vortex)
* NEA Jazz Masters Concert Perpetuates ‘Sanctity of the Arts’ (DownBeat)
* With Fewer Venues, Jazz Musicians Take Array Of Gigs, And Lean On New Skills (WBUR)
* Harry Shearer: Why My 'Spinal Tap' Lawsuit Affects All Creators (Rolling Stone)
* A Quest to Rename the Williamsburg Bridge for Sonny Rollins (The New Yorker)
* Why Nature Sounds Help You Relax, According to Science (Health.com)
* Q&A with Adam Rudolph: Musical Modularity (DownBeat)
* Buddy Bolden's blues: The birth of a mad genius -- and of jazz (New Orleans Times-Picayune/NOLA.com)
* Nile Rodgers Talks Rock Hall Induction: 'Everything Is Rock & Roll' (Rolling Stone)
* L.A. Jazz Is Having a Moment. So Why Are So Many of the City's Jazz Clubs Closing? (LA Weekly)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Grégoire Maret's harmonica jazz

Harmonica players are rare in jazz. Many fans could recognize and name the late Jean "Toots" Thielemans (who also played guitar) and Howard Levy, who first earned fame playing harmonica and keyboards with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (and St. Louis music fans in the know might tout our town's Sandy Weltman as deserving of being mentioned in the same company), but beyond that, not many harp players have been able to make a living over the years exclusively playing jazz.

Since the early 2000s, however, there's been another name added to that very short list, that of Grégoire Maret, a 41-year-old native of Switzerland who, along with guest vocalist Alicia Olatuja, will make his St. Louis debut as a bandleader with performances starting Wednesday, April 12 through Saturday, April 15 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Though he began doing recording sessions and gigs soon after moving to the USA to study music at NYC's New School, Maret first came to wide attention in 2005, touring with the Pat Metheny Group and performing on their Grammy-winning album The Way Up.

Maret subsequently toured and recorded with Herbie Hancock and Marcus Miller, made four albums with the late singer Jimmy Scott, and has played on numerous sessions in support of well-known musicians including George Benson, David Sanborn, Jeff "Tain" Watts, and many others. His first, eponymous solo album was released in 2012, with a follow-up, Wanted, coming out in 2016.

This post compiles a sampling of Maret's performances on video, starting with his complete set from the 2013 Lotos Jazz Festival in Poland, which you can see and hear in the first embedded window up above.

After the jump, there are three numbers from his show at the 2016 Montreux Jazz Festival - "The Gospel," "Beautiful Memories," and "God's Love" - all part of a production billed as "The Gospel According to Grégoire Maret."

The last two clips feature Maret in studio settings playing duets with bassist Robert Kubiszyn on "26th Of May" and "Why".

For more about Grégoire Maret, read his 2015 interview with Jazzuality.com, and listen to him on a 2012 episode of The Jazz Session.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

The Sheldon announces 2017-18 season

The Sheldon Concert Hall has announced its season schedule for 2017-2018.

The hall's jazz series next year will kick off with the St. Louis debut of the "supergroup" Hudson (pictured), featuring drummer Jack DeJohnette, guitarist John Scofield, keyboard player John Medeski and bassist Larry Grenadier, on Saturday, October 14.

Named after the Hudson Valley in New York where all four members reside, the group will release their  first album in June, featuring original compositions plus "a repertoire of Hudson Valley materials from Bob Dylan and The Band to the Woodstock Festival’s Joni Mitchell anthem and blues-rock-soul from Jimi Hendrix."

Although Scofield, Medeki and Grenadier all have played here in recent years, Hudson's show at the Sheldon will be DeJohnette's first St. Louis appearance in a very long time, perhaps since he performed with his band Special Edition in the early 80s at Washington University's Edison Theatre. Given that, plus the independent star power of Scofield and Medeski, the show should be highly anticipated by local listeners.

Other concerts on the jazz series will include an encore appearance from singer Cécile McLorin Salvant, who played her first St. Louis gig at The Sheldon just two years ago in 2015, on Saturday, November 18; trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra on Saturday, March 3; and "Jazz Epistles — The Story in Concert," a production featuring South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and his band Ekaya with trumpeter Hugh Masekela, on Saturday, April 14.

Also getting an encore appearance at the Sheldon next year will be singer-guitarist John Pizzarelli, who last played there in 2015 for the hall's annual benefit gala, and next season will headline the annual ArtSounds! benefit on Saturday, October 28.

Another non-subscription performance of interest to jazz fans will feature the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, whose show “Salsa Navidad” on Saturday, December 8 will offer a Latin jazz take on holiday music.

As for jazz performances in other series, the "Coffee Concerts" presented on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings will feature shows from Red Lehr and the Powerhouse Five on Tuesday, November 14 and Wednesday, November 15. There also will be Saturday matinee shows - a slightly confusing designation, since they actually start at 11:00 a.m. - featuring Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes (February 3), The 442s (March 24), and The People’s Key (April 28).

Subscriptions for the Sheldon's jazz series are priced from $135 to $150, while Coffee Concerts subscriptions are $60 & $70 and the Saturday matinee series is a flat $25 for all three shows. Subscriptions will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, May 15.

Single tickets for the jazz series shows are priced from $25 to $45, depending on the show and seat location, and will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 12 via all MetroTix outlets and through the Sheldon's website.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The 10th annual Record Store Day celebration will be held this year on Saturday, April 22, and yr. StLJN editor once again will be playing a small part in the festivities at Vintage Vinyl in University City, serving as a "guest DJ" spinning tunes on the in-house sound system for an hour starting at 4:00 p.m.

In addition to this year's special RSD releases, VV's all-day event will feature live bands outside, guest DJs inside, and free Schlafly beer. Other St. Louis stores participating in RSD 2017 include Euclid Records, Planet Score Records, Music Record Shop, and Kismet Creative Center.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn talked about his friendship with the late drummer and fellow former St. Louisan Phillip Wilson for an interview published on Do The Math, the blog of The Bad Plus pianist Ethan Iverson.

* Trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi was profiled on KSDK's Show Me St. Louis in a segment by reporter Heidi Glaus highlighting his decades of service as a music teacher for schools in the St. Louis Archdiocese.

* Drummer Kimberly Thompson, back home this week for an educational residency at Jazz St. Louis and gigs this weekend at Jazz at the Bistro, is also back online in animated form, as the second episode of her children's program "Music Time with Kimberly Thompson" has been posted to YouTube. As part of that educational residency, Thompson returned to her alma mater Pattonville High School for a clinic with the school's jazz band. 

* Bassist, Washington University faculty member, and now, author Paul Steinbeck went to Chicago last month for a concert and book signing to promote Message To Our Folks, his new history of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and DownBeat magazine was there to cover the event.

* The weekly Wednesday night jam sessions at @Nesby's are the subject of a brief feature in St. Louis County Arts, a new blog started by Valerie Tichacek and writer/photographer Bill Motchan.

* Drummer and St. Louis native Andre Boyd, now living in New Orleans after leaving Cirque du Soleil's road show Quidam last year, was profiled by the New Zealand magazine elocal..

* Pioneering bassist Jimmy Blanton, who played his first professional gigs in the late 1930s with the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra in St. Louis before going on to fame with Duke Ellington's band, is one of 10 musicians eligible this year for election to Jazz at Lincoln Center's Jazz Hall of Fame. You can see a list of all the candidates and cast your vote by April 30 here.

* The 2017 Chesterfield Jazz Festival has announced this year's date and musical lineup. The free concert will be held Saturday, June 24 at the Chesterfield Amphitheater and will feature music from the Wooten Brothers, with bassist Victor Wooten, drummer Roy "Futureman" Wooton and siblings, along with Bach to the Future with Tracy Silverman, Anita Jackson, Soul Cafe, and Kim Fuller & Maurice Carnes.

Jazz this week: Laurence Hobgood, three young St. Louis jazz stars come home, COCA goes "Uptown," and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a visit from a fine veteran pianist, a homecoming gig for three St. Louis natives who have earned international recognition, a dance production with live music paying tribute to the Harlem Renaissance, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, April 5
Pianist Laurence Hobgood and his trio will perform for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Known to many jazz fans primarily for his long tenure working behind singer Kurt Elling, Hobgood (pictured, top left) stepped into the spotlight himself a few years ago, and has enjoyed success as a solo performer, bandleader, composer, and producer.

For more about his work as a solo artist, plus some videos of him playing in some different musical contexts, see this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Thursday, April 6
The Vernacular String Trio will promote the release of their new album Parlance with a performance at Foam; and the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University finishes the spring semester with a free concert featuring two Chicago-based musicians, saxophonist Rob Denty and drummer Tim Mulvenna, with St. Louis guitarist Vincent Varvel.

Friday, April 7
An ad hoc ensemble featuring three St. Louis natives now living in NYC - trumpeter Keyon Harrold, pianist Lawrence Fields, and drummer Kimberly Thompson (pictured) - plus saxophonist Adam Larson, who's originally from Normal, IL, will perform for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

These four rising jazz stars with Midwestern roots are back home this week for an educational residency with Jazz St. Louis, working with students in the organization's JazzU program and at local schools, and closing out their stay with a weekend of performances at the Bistro. 

Since this weekend is a one-off for this ensemble, it's difficult to preview in the usual way, but you can find out more about what Keyon Harrold has been up to since his last shows here (as a guest with pianist Robert Glasper in 2015), and see some videos from some recent performances of his in last Saturday's video showcase post.

Also on Friday, COCA presents the first of five performances this weekend of  "Uptown,"  a work about the Harlem Renaissance created by Alvin Ailey dancer/choreographer Matthew Rushing.

Described as "an episodic tour through 1920s Harlem bringing to life the rich artistic activity of the era," the production features students from COCA's dance programs accompanied by a live band including Phil Dunlap (piano), Andy Hainz (bass), Kaleb Kirby (drums), Adam Hucke (trumpet), Kwanae Johnson (tenor sax), Ben Reece (alto sax), and Cody Henry (trombone).

Elsewhere around town, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to Evangeline's; singer Joe Mancuso brings his Organ Trio to @Nesbys, and Miss Jubilee will perform for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, with special guest, Cincinnati blues pianist Ricky Nye.

Saturday, April 8
Trumpeter Jim Manley's trio will perform for brunch at Evangeline's, and saxophonist Tim Cunningham will play an afternoon show at Mount Pleasant Winery in Augusta.

Monday, April 10
Dizzy Atmosphere plays swing and Gypsy jazz for diners at The Shaved Duck.

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.)