Friday, April 07, 2017

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.

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