Jazz St. Louis this week announced their season schedule for 2021-22, with normal operations set to resume this September after the long shutdown necessitated by the COVID pandemic.
Several of the artists who were canceled in the spring of 2020 when lockdowns began have been re-booked for the upcoming year. So St. Louis audiences finally will get the chance to see famed vocal group Manhattan Transfer in the intimate confines of JSL's Bistro, along with debut performances at the venue from singer and pianist Kandace Springs, pianist Connie Han, and singer Nicole Henry.
The schedule also includes two productions that originally were intended for what would have been the 2020-21 season - a celebration of the great trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry, whose birth centennial was in December 2020; and "Jazz St. Louis @ 25," a birthday party for the entire organization, now scheduled to close out the 2021-22 season. Both will feature all-star ensembles put together especially for the occasion.
Other highlights will include the return (after more than a decade) of singer Sara Gazarek, who's coming off the most critically acclaimed album of her career; the local debut of the Eubanks Evans Experience, featuring guitarist Kevin Eubanks and pianist Orrin Evans; and a week of shows from trumpeter and St. Louis native Keyon Harrold, who was named "creative advisor" to Jazz St. Louis earlier this year.
JSL also once again will co-present a series of shows with the Cabaret Project of St. Louis, including appearances by cabaret grande dame Marilyn Maye and the Grammy-nominated singer Stacey Kent.
All of which still leaves room for many other familiar favorites, too. And so, trumpeter and singer Jeremy Davenport will be back from New Orleans for Thanksgiving weekend; trumpeter Jim Manley will present his annual holiday show in December; and The Bad Plus will return as the first touring act to play the club after New Year's Day, albeit in a still-unknown configuration after parting ways with Orrin Evans earlier this year.
Other returning acts that have played the Bistro multiple times before will include the fusion band Yellowjackets; Latin jazz percussionist Poncho Sanchez; pianist Kenny Barron, this time with his trio; vibraphonist Warren Wolf; and bassist Christian McBride, who will be revisiting his Ray Brown tribute band with pianist Benny Green and drummer Greg Hutchinson.
Musicians making their second appearances as headliners at the Bistro - this time with five-night runs - will include pianists Harold Lopez Nussa and Matthew Whitaker and steel guitarist Roosevelt Collier, who'll be joined by the Funky Butt Brass Band's horn section.
Here's the entire schedule in chronological order:
Friday, September 17 & Saturday, September 18: Scooter Brown
Friday, September 24 & Saturday, September 25: Adam Maness Sextet plays Coltrane
Friday, October 1: Kara Baldus Mehrmann Quartet
Wednesday, October 6 - Sunday, October 10: Yellowjackets
Wednesday, October 13 & Thursday, October 14: Paulo Szot
Friday, October 15 & Saturday, October 16: BeBe & the Neosouls
Wednesday, October 20 - Sunday, October 24: Harold López-Nussa
Wednesday, October 27: Antonio Foster & Friends
Thursday, October 28: Sample Kulture
Friday, October 29 & Saturday, October 30: Good 4 The Soul
Wednesday, November 3 - Sunday, November 7: Kandace Springs
Wednesday, November 10 & Thursday, November 11: Marilyn Maye - "Here’s to Life"
Friday, November 12 & Saturday, November 13: Kendrick Smith & Fusebox
Wednesday, November 17 - Sunday, November 21: Matthew Whitaker
Friday, November 26 & Saturday, November 27: Jeremy Davenport
Wednesday, December 1 - Sunday, December 5: Keyon Harrold
Wednesday, December 8 & Thursday, December 9: Storm Large
Friday, December 10 & Saturday, December 11: "A Very Manley Christmas" w/Jim Manley's Mad Brass & Rhythm
Wednesday, December 15 - Sunday, December 19: "Clark Terry Centennial Celebration" with John Clayton, Sylvia Cuenca, Aaron Diehl, Jimmy Greene, and Sean Jones
2022
Wednesday, January 5 - Sunday, January 9: The Bad Plus
Friday, January 14 & Saturday, January 15: Jazz at Lincoln Center Group with Jerome Jennings, Helen Sung, Tatum Greenblatt, Alexa Tarantino
Wednesday, January 19 - Sunday, January 23: Roosevelt Collier with the Funky Butt Brass Band Horns
Wednesday, February 2 - Sunday, February 6: Warren Wolf & Reincarnation
Wednesday, February 9 & Thursday, February 10: Anita Jackson sings Nina Simone: Legacy
Wednesday, February 16 - Sunday, February 20: "Ray Brown Tribute Band" with Christian McBride, Benny Green, & Gregory Hutchinson
Wednesday, March 2 - Sunday, March 6: Connie Han
Wednesday, March 9 & Thursday, March 10: Stacey Kent
Wednesday, March 16 - Sunday, March 20: Sara Gazarek
Wednesday, March 30 - Sunday, April 3: Melissa Aldana
Friday, April 8 & Saturday, April 9: Spring Educational Residency Concert featuring Roxy Coss, Erica von Kleist, Riley Mulherkar, and Bryan Carter
Wednesday, April 13 - Sunday, April 17: Kenny Barron Trio
Wednesday, April 27 - Sunday, May 1: Poncho Sanchez & His Latin Jazz Band
Wednesday, May 11 - Sunday, May 15: Nicole Henry
Wednesday, May 18 & Thursday, May 19: Jason Danieley - "Homecoming"
Friday, May 20 & Saturday, May 21: Eubanks Evans Experience with Kevin Eubanks and Orrin Evans
Wednesday, May 25 - Sunday, May 29: Manhattan Transfer
Wednesday, June 8 - Sunday, June 12: "Jazz St. Louis @ 25" with Cyrus Chestnut, Grace Kelly, Allison Miller, Nathan Pence, and Terell Stafford
Season tickets will be available to the public starting June 30, with single tickets on sale in early September. Subscriptions and single tickets can be purchased online at jazzstl.org; via phone during box office hours at 314-571-6000, or in person at Jazz St. Louis HQ, 3536 Washington Ave.
Photo: Clockwise from top, Manhattan Transfer, Keyon Harrold, Orrin Evans and Kevin Eubanks; Sara Gazarek
Friday, June 25, 2021
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