Jazz this week: Etienne Charles, University City Symphony, Marilyn Maye, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a Trinidadian trumpeter with a distinctive sound, the grand dame of cabaret singers, a community orchestra collaborating with local jazz musicians, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, March 4
Trumpeter Etienne Charles (pictured, top left) performs for the first of five nights continuing through Sunday at Jazz St. Louis

Originally from the island nation of Trinidad, Charles incorporates Caribbean rhythms and culture into his style, which he calls "Creole soul." Look for his sets to feature material from his most recent album Carnival: The Sound Of A People, Vol. 1, which was released last year.

Thursday, March 5
Trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi's band will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and The Dark Room has a double bill featuring Chicago-based pianist Lara Driscoll and her trio at the dinner hour, and saxophonist Carlos "Scooter" Brown in late night.

Also on Thursday, pianist Adam Maness and his trio return to Thurman's in Shaw, and saxophonist Vince Sala will play at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, March 6
Experimental guitarist Mark Shippy, another Chicago-based musician who's known for his work with noise-rockers U.S. Maple, Shorty, Invisible Things, and various other projects, will perform at Flood Plain.

Also on Friday, singer and bassist Janet Evra plays at the Wildey Theatre, and singer and impressionist Dean Christopher presents "A Dean Martin Tribute" at Blue Strawberry.

Saturday, March 7
Saxophonist Tim Cunningham performs at Troy's Listening Room, and keyboardist Mo Egeston and friends will bring the "Late Night Grooves" at The Dark Room.

Also on Saturday, singer Robert Nelson returns to the Parkside Grille, and the Triplets of Grubville play Swing and Gypsy jazz at Evangeline's.

Sunday, March 8
The University City Symphony presents a free concert at the 560 Music Center, with guest performances including pianist Ptah Williams playing Gershwin and selections featuring Bach to the Future with violinist Tracy Silverman and guitarist Dave Black, plus two orchestral works composed by guitarist Todd Mosby.

Monday, March 9
Guitarist Eric Slaughter returns to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, March 10
Marilyn Maye (pictured, bottom left), the nonagenarian phenomenon known to many as the "grand dame of cabaret," will front the Jazz St. Louis Big Band for the first of three nights of performances, with some tickets still remaining as of this writing.

Also on Tuesday, keyboardist and singer Jesse Gannon returns to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

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.)

Jazz this week: Norm Lewis, Aaron Diehl, Jazz at Lincoln Center Group, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes cabaret from a Broadway veteran; a solo concert from one of today's top young jazz pianists; four visiting players teaming up for a one-time-only collaboration, and more.  Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 29
Singer and actor Norm Lewis, who's starred on Broadway in shows including Miss Saigon and Phantom of the Opera, performs for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis as part of their series of co-presentations with Cabaret Project of St. Louis.

Also on Wednesday, singer Mardra Thomas headlines "An Evening of Jazz," rescheduled from earlier this month due to bad weather, at the Skip Viragh Center For the Arts at Chaminade College Prep; electro-jazz trio Vehachi plays the monthly concert series at the World Chess Hall of Fame; and keyboardist Jim Hegarty leads a quintet at The Dark Room as part of this week's "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" in Grand Center.

Thursday, January 30
Drummer Demarius Hicks leads a quartet in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and trumpeter Brady Lewis and BLStet return to The Dark Room.

Friday, January 31
Pianist Aaron Diehl (pictured, top left), who's played here before accompanying singer Cecile McLorin Salvant, makes his solo St. Louis debut performing in the "Annual Carlin Concert" for Washington University's department of music at the 560 Music Center.

You can sample some of Diehl's solo and trio playing on video in this post from Saturday before last.

Also on Friday, the ad hoc ensemble billed as the Jazz at Lincoln Center Group performs for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis. The group features four musicians who are doing educational residencies for the organization this week: saxophonist Camille Thurman (pictured, bottom left), trumpeter Pharez Whitted, bassist Endea Owens, and drummer Steve Fidyk.

Elsewhere around town, the Gateway City Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; the Funky Butt Brass Band returns to the Broadway Oyster Bar; and pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson are back at Parkside Grille.

Saturday, February 1
Singer and guitarist Tommy Halloran headlines a concert at Focal Point; singer Lola Kristine and the Ryan Marquez Trio take the stage at Blue Strawberry; and jazz-fusion trio Tracer, with pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Darrell Mixon and drummer Gary Sykes, will move up their weekly gig at Troy's Listening Room by a day to avoid conflict with Sunday's Super Bowl.

Sunday, February 2
Singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will play a matinee at Alpha Brewing Company, and the Jazz Troubadours return for their monthly gig at Evangeline's.

Monday, February 3
Kicking off Black History Month, saxophonist Harvey Lockhart and his quartet will present "Yardbird Suite: A Charlie Parker Centennial Concert" at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University campus.

Tuesday, February 4
Saxophonist Jason Swagler will lead his group in a concert at the Gaslight Theater.

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.)

Jazz this week: Matthew Shipp, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Funky Butt Brass Band, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a solo performance from a singular pianist, the local debut of a rising star on organ, a new album release from a hometown favorite band, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 22
Organist Delvon Lamarr and his trio will make their St. Louis debut with the first of five nights of performances continuing through Sunday at Jazz St. Louis.

The Seattle-based Lamarr, who cites Booker T and the MGs as a major influence, formed the band in 2015 and they've issued two recordings so far, both of which made the top 10 of the US jazz albums chart.

Thursday, January 23
Pianist Kara Mehrmann and her quartet will perform in a free concert to kick off this semester's offerings from the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; drummer Steve Davis' band with singer Feyza Eren plays at Joe's Cafe; and guitarist Vincent Varvel leads a trio The Dark Room

Friday, January 24
Pianist Matthew Shipp (pictured, top left) will perform in a solo concert presented by New Music Circle and Washington University at 560 Music Center. (Shipp also will present a free "artist talk" on Friday afternoon in Room 102 of the Music Classroom Building on the Wash U campus.)

Shipp's improvised solo performances defy easy description, but you can sample several of them via video in this post from Saturday before last.

Also on Friday, the Jazz Troubadours perform at Evangeline's; singer Robert Nelson returns to Parkside Grille; and the eclectic multi-instrumentalist Sam Golden has rounded up a posse of like-minded St. Louis players to perform as Fiddlin' Sam and the Golden Bolo Band for a "Western Swing Showcase" at Focal Point.

Saturday, January 25
Singer and actress Sara Sheperd, who's starred on Broadway in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, brings her cabaret show "Female On Fire - A Celebration of Female Singer/Songwriters" to Blue Strawberry; Miss Jubilee performs for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and The Gaslight Squares return to the Frisco Barroom.

Sunday, January 26
The Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured, bottom left) will promote the release of their latest recording Onward with a matinee performance at Off Broadway; and jazz-fusion trio Tracer, aka pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Darrell Mixon and drummer Gary Sykes, continues their weekly residency at Troy's Listening Room.

Monday, January 27
Guitarist Dave Black leads a quartet in a concert at the Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University campus.

Tuesday, January 28
Singer Jan Shapiro, pianist Dave Venn and bassist Eric Warren perform at Evangelines, and Arvell Keithley, Jim Manley and the Wild, Cool & Swingin' Horns return for another encore performance at the Gaslight Theater.

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 Saturday Video Showcase: In the tradition with Aaron Diehl

This week, let's take a look at some videos featuring pianist Aaron Diehl, who's coming to St. Louis to perform on Friday, January 31 at the 560 Music Center.

The event is a solo piano recital presented by Washington University as its "Annual Carlin Concert," honoring the legacy of Seth Carlin, the internationally renowned pianist who taught at Wash U for 37 years. Carlin was a classical pianist who also enjoyed listening to jazz, and so in keeping with the occasion, Diehl will be playing vintage jazz and stride piano pieces from James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, and others, plus works by George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, and Louis Gottschalk.

As a contemporary pianist with classical training who also is noted for his interest in pre-WWII jazz styles and material, Diehl seems particularly well-equipped for the task. You can get a taste of the range of his talents starting in the first video up above, which documents Diehl's part of "Rags, Strides, and Stomps," a show at the 2015 Jazz in Marciac festival (also featuring fellow pianists Joey Alexander and Sullivan Fortner). In the clip, Diehl performs "The Original Jelly Roll Blues" by Jelly Roll Morton, "Viper's Drag" by Fats Waller, and James P. Johnson's "Concerto Jazz-A-Mine."

After the jump, you can see him play another Johnson piece, "Caprice Rag," as recorded by an audience member at a show last year at the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in New Jersey.

Next, you can see Diehl and trumpeter Dominick Farinacci take on Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose" in a clip from 2009, followed by another video from that same year showing the pianist soloing on W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues" during a celebration of the music of Louis Armstrong at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York.

Those are followed by two videos showing Diehl playing notated works from the classical tradition, starting with an excerpt from his performance last November of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" with the Pacific Symphony in Costa Mesa, CA, and then Diehl and his trio playing Philip Glass' 2014 composition "Piano Etude No 16" in a live-in-the-studio video just released earlier this month by Mack Avenue Records.

The final video is an hour-long interview with Diehl, recorded in March 2019 at Library of Congress, in which he discusses jazz history with the Library's James Wintle.

For more about Aaron Diehl, read his interview from July 2017 with JazzWax.

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

Aaron Diehl to perform solo concert on Friday, January 31 at 560 Music Center

Pianist Aaron Diehl (pictured) is coming to St. Louis to perform in a solo concert at 7:30 p.m., Friday, January 31 at the 560 Music Center's E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall.

The event is presented by Washington University as its "Annual Carlin Concert," honoring the legacy of Seth Carlin, the internationally renowned pianist who taught at Wash U for 37 years. Acknowledging the classical tradition, Diehl's program will include works by Gershwin, Copland, and Gottschalk, as well as music by James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, Willie "The Lion" Smith, and more.

Diehl, who turns 35 this year, is one of the top jazz pianists to emerge on the national scene in the last decade. He has released four albums as a leader, and has toured and/or recorded as a sideman with Wynton Marsalis, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Wycliffe Gordon, Warren Wolf, Lew Tabackin, Matt Wilson, and more. Diehl currently serves as musical director for singer Cécile McLorin Salvant, and performed here in St. Louis most recently in October 2019, accompanying her in a concert at The Sheldon.

Tickets for Aaron Diehl's performance at 560 Music Center are $20 for adults, $15 seniors and Wash U faculty and staff, $5 students, free for Wash U students with ID, and are on sale now online and at the Edison Theatre box office on campus.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Winter/spring 2020 jazz preview, part one

With 2019 winding down and 2020 coming up fast, it's time for StLJN's semi-annual video preview of bands and musicians who will be coming to St. Louis to perform over the next few months. Today's post is part one of the winter/spring 2020 preview, starting with what's coming up in January and continuing chronologically in subsequent posts.

First up are The Bad Plus, who will keep up their decade-plus long tradition of being the first visiting act to play the Bistro at the start of a new year when they return to perform Wednesday, January 8 through Sunday, January 12 at Jazz St. Louis. They can be seen in the first video up above, which chronicles their visit in March 2019 to the studios of public radio station KNKX in Tacoma, WA.

After the jump, you can see the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, who will be making their St. Louis debut starting Wednesday, January 22 through Sunday, January 26 at Jazz St. Louis. The video shows them in May 2019 at Paste Studios in New York City, playing a short set that includes "Brotha James," "Memphis" and "Hole in One."

Next, it's pianist Matthew Shipp, who will be returning to play in a concert presented by New Music Circle on Friday, January 24 at 560 Music Center. The video shows him in a solo performance in July of this year at Michiko Rehearsal Studio in New York City.

The following week, the cabaret series co-produced by Jazz St. Louis and Cabaret Project of St. Louis will welcome singer and actor Norm Lewis, who replaces the originally announced Lindsay Mendez. Lewis, who will perform on Wednesday, January 29 and Thursday, January 30 at Jazz St. Louis, is seen in the third video after the jump singing "Home" from the Broadway show The Wiz in September 2019 at Feinstein's/54 Below in New York City.

Following Lewis that same week, the Bistro also will host the Jazz at Lincoln Center Group, an ad hoc ensemble put together from among musicians visiting to do educational residencies for Jazz St. Louis. In this iteration, the group includes saxophonist Camille Thurman, trumpeter Pharez Whitted, bassist Endea Owens, and drummer Steve Fidyk, who will team up to perform on Friday, January 31 and Saturday, February 1 at Jazz St. Louis

Thurman can be seen in the fifth video with her band, the Darrell Green Trio, playing a show last week in the studios of WGBH radio in Boston. That's followed by a clip of Whitted and his group, recorded in October 2017 at BLU Jazz+ in Akron, OH.

The penultimate video is an episode of the web series "The Indie Beat" from November 2018, featuring an interview with and performance by Endea Owens. And last but not least, the final clip features Steve Fidyk, performing "Time Check" in 2008 as a tribute to Buddy Rich with the US Army Blues band.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump. Look for part two of the winter/spring 2020 jazz preview next week in this space.

A guide to holiday jazz in St. Louis

The holiday season always comes with lots of thematic music, and here in St. Louis, listeners can take in plenty of performances aimed at those who'd like to mix some jazz with their jingle bells.

Although this year's calendar includes fewer touring shows than last year, our hometown performers are stepping up with a variety of seasonal programs to suit a diversity of musical tastes.

Here's a quick look at some noteworthy holiday-themed jazz (and jazz-adjacent) shows starting next week and continuing throughout the next month:

Route 66 Jazz Orchestra - "1/2 a Christmas Concert"
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 3
Sheldon Concert Hall
St. Louis-based Route 66 Orchestra presents one set of big band jazz and one set of holiday music. $15 at the door.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis - "Big Band Holidays"
7:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 4
Powell Hall
NYC-based big band led by the famed trumpeter offers swinging arrangements of holiday tunes. $50 - $90.

Funky Butt Brass Band - "Holiday Warmup"
8:00 p.m., Thursday, December 5
Joe's Cafe
St. Louis' New Orleans-style brass band gets ready for their annual "Holday Brasstravaganza' (see below). $15 at the door.

Debby Lennon - "My Favorite Christmas"
8:00 p.m., Thursday, December 5
Blue Strawberry
Singer and Webster University voice teacher offers her versions of seasonal favorites. $30 & $35.

Dean Christopher - "A Rat Pack Christmas"
8:00 p.m., Friday, December 6 & Friday, December 13
Blue Strawberry
Singer and impressionist offers seasonal songs in the style of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and more. $25 & $30.

Cornet Chop Suey - "St. Louis Jazz Club Christmas Party"
2:00 p.m. Sunday, December 8
Moolah Shrine Center - Oasis Room
St. Louis-based septet plays traditional jazz and swing, plus some selected holiday music. $15 members, $20 non-members, Free for students with ID

UMSL Jazz Orchestra, Vocal Point & Wind Ensemble - "Jazz for the Holidays"
3:00 p.m. Sunday, December 8
Touhill Performing Arts Center
UMSL music students perform in their annual holiday concert. Free and open to the public.

Jazz St. Louis Big Band plays "Ellington's 'Nutcracker"
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 10 continuing daily until Thursday, December 12
Jazz St. Louis
Duke Ellington's re-imagining of Tchaikovsky's famous work played live by a big band of St. Louis musicians, plus additional favorites from the Ellington catalog. $10 & $26.

Jim Manley - "A Very Manley Christmas"
7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Friday, December 13 & Saturday, December 14
Jazz St. Louis
St. Louis trumpeter and his seven-piece band offer high-energy versions of holiday favorites. $10 & $21.

Dave Black & Sandy Weltman - "3rd Annual Holiday Show"
8:00 p.m., Friday, December 13
Focal Point
Guitarist Black and multi-instrumentalist Weltman play acoustic versions of seasonal tunes. $15.

The 442s - "Holiday Spectacular"
7:30 p.m., Monday, December 16 & Tuesday, December 17
560 Music Center
Eclectic instrumental quintet (plus guest stars) presents originals and holiday favorites. $30, $25 & $15.

Erin Bode - "Holiday Concert"
7:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 18
Wildey Theatre
One of St. Louis' favorite vocalists sings original music and seasonal songs. $25.

David Giuntoli - "A Swinging Holiday Soiree"
Thursday, December 19⋅8:00 – 9:30pm
Blue Strawberry
Holiday music in the vintage style of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. $30 & $25.

Funky Butt Brass Band - "Holiday Brasstravaganza"
8:00 p.m., Friday, December 20 & Saturday, December 21
3:00 p.m., Saturday, December 21
Delmar Hall
St. Louis' popular New Orleans-style brass band moves to a new venue for the ninth year of their holiday show, with a family-friendly Saturday matinee in addition to two evening shows. $20 advance, $25 day of show for evening performances; $10 for Saturday matinee (free for kids under 5 years old).

John McDaniel - "A John McDaniel Christmas"
8:00 p.m., Friday, December 20
Blue Strawberry
St. Louis native, singer and pianist, known for his work on Broadway and on TV's Rosie O'Donnell Show, returns home for a solo performance in an intimate setting. $30 & $35.

Ken Haller - "Happy HallerDays!"
8:00 p.m., Saturday, December 21
Blue Strawberry
A St. Louis cabaret favorite reprises his popular holiday show. $30 & $25.

Dean Christopher - "A 'Rat Pack and More' Christmas Show"
6:30 p.m., Sunday, December 22
St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre
Singer & impressionist offers holiday favorites with an expanded seven-piece band. $15.

Katie McGrath - "Home(sick) for the Holidays"
8:00 p.m., Saturday, December 28
Blue Strawberry
Singer and former St. Louisan, now based in New York City, performs her versions of seasonal songs. $35 & $30.

Do you know of any holiday jazz shows this year in St. Louis that we missed? If so, please share the relevant info in the comments.

Jazz this week: Grace Kelly, J.D. Parran & K. Curtis Lyle, Eighth Blackbird, and more

It's another busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with several noteworthy headliners in town, plus a whole bunch of shows from our hometown musicians, including a jam-packed Valentine's Day evening.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 13
Saxophonist and singer Grace Kelly (pictured, top left) begins a five-night engagement at Jazz St. Louis, continuing through Sunday. Kelly's most recent album Go Time: Brooklyn 2, which came out last October, expands her musical palette a bit, with more pronounced influences from pop, electronic music, and more. For more about that, plus some videos of recent performances by Kelly, check out the video showcase post from last Saturday.

Also on Wednesday, JSL's "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series continues with "Miles and Me: An Evening with Quincy Troupe," a free event at the St. Louis County Library's main branch on South Lindbergh. The poet, author, professor, St. Louis native, and Miles Davis biographer will speak about his work, his relationship with Davis, and more. For a preview, see Troupe's interview with Dan Durchholz for the Post-Dispatch.

Thursday, February 14
The evening of Valentine's Day offers more than dozen options for live jazz, so you'll probably want to visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes calendar to see the full range of options. 

If you're on a budget, the pick show might be the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University's presentation of "My Funny Valentine - Music of Miles Davis," a free concert featuring trumpeter Randy Holmes, saxophonist Paul DeMarinis, bassist/guitarist William Lenihan, pianist Ken Kehner, and drummer Steve Davis. As a bonus, author and scholar Enrico Merlin will give a talk about Davis before the concert, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Also of note, singer Jan Shapiro and pianist Dave Venn, both of whom gig less frequently than many local listeners might like, will be performing along with bassist Ben Wheeler at Bar Italia.

Meanwhile, singer Erin Bode will meet the demand from her fan base with the first of two nights at Cyrano's, and saxophonist Tim Cunningham will be on a similar schedule playing Thursday and Friday at Gauge Cigar Club (the latest re-branding of what originally was Troy's Jazz Gallery.)

Friday, February 15
Chicago-based new music ensemble Eighth Blackbird returns for a concert at 560 Music Center.

Also on Friday, singer Chuck Flowers performs at 50/Fifty Kitchen; the Joe Bozzi Band returns to Evangeline's; and Cornet Chop Suey plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, February 16
Multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis native J.D. Parran (pictured, bottom left) will team up up with poet K. Curtis Lyle and trumpeter George Sams for a performance at Xavier Hall on the SLU campus.

Sunday, February 17
Miss Jubilee will perform for brunch at Evangeline's, while guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran is at The Dark Room.

Monday, February 18
The Webster University Jazz Collective, featuring faculty members from Webster's music department, performs at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

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.)

Jazz this week: Robert Glasper, Geoffrey Keezer, Kirk Whalum's "Gospel According to Jazz Christmas," and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features performances from two top-shelf piano players, plus a whole lineup of holiday performances and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 12
Pianist Robert Glasper will perform with his trio for the first of five nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Glasper (pictured, top left), has spent the past year working on a variety of projects, including dates with the electrified "supergroup" R+R=NOW, production work for several other artists, and a month-long residency in October at the Blue Note in NYC, so a week's worth of shows with his trio should be a prime opportunity for some back-to-basics music-making for the versatile pianist.

Also on Wednesday, the "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features the Beto Jazz Trio at The Stage at KDHX, the weekly jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at The Dark Room.

Thursday, December 13
Pianist Geoffrey Keezer (pictured, center left) leads a trio in a one-night-only concert at pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio, located inside the Centene Center for the Arts, 3547 Olive St. in the Grand Center district.

Starting as an 18-year-old phenom with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Keezer over the last three decades has compiled an impressive list of credits and recordings, working with current stars like Christian McBride and Chris Botti as well as elders like Blakey, bassist Ray Brown and Benny Golson. You can check out some samples of his playing on video in this post from two Saturdays ago.

Also on Thursday, singer Erin Bode returns to Edwardsville for her annual show at the Wildey Theatre, and saxophonist Ben Reece's trio Threebird is back at The Dark Room.

Friday, 
December 14
Saxophonist Kirk Whalum (pictured, bottom left) brings this year's edition of his "Gospel According to Jazz Christmas" show, with guest stars including percussionist Sheila E, and singers Lynn Mabry, John Stoddart and  Kevin Whalum, to Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church.

This is the seventh annual outing for Whalum's holiday show, and you can find out more about it and see some video samples of the saxophonist in action in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band present the first of five "Holiday Brasstravaganza" shows this year at Off Broadway. Though the family-friendly matinees already are sold out, some tickets may remain for the evening shows; call ahead or check Off Broadway's website for availability.

Elsewhere around town, the Second Generation Swing Band plays for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom, and guitarists Farshid Soltanshahi and Dave Black and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman team up for a show at The Focal Point.

Saturday, December 15
The Oikos Ensemble, featuring saxophonist Rev. Cliff Aerie, pianist Carolbeth True and more, will welcome vocal ensemble Java Jived as special guests for their annual "Jazz Noel" concert at Parkway United Church of Christ. (They'll present the same program again on Sunday afternoon at the First Congregational Church in Webster Groves.)

Also on Saturday, keyboardist Mo Egeston and friends will be serving up late night grooves at The Dark Room.

Sunday, December 16
Miss Jubilee performs for brunch at Evangeline's.

Monday, December 17
The 442s and various friends. including singers Erin Bode and Brian Owens, pianist Peter Martin, and more, present the first of two performances of their "Holiday Spectacular" at 560 Music Center, with a second show set for Tuesday night. Both performances were close to selling out at publication time, so if you don't already have tickets, be sure to call ahead regarding availability.

Tuesday, December 18
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band will perform Duke Ellington's arrangements of music from Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker", plus additional Ellingtonia, for the first of three nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Tuesday, trumpeter Jim Manley and guitarist Rick Haydon will play at Evangeline's.

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.)

A guide to holiday jazz in St. Louis

The holiday season has always brought with it plenty of thematic music, and here in St. Louis, recent years have seen a proliferation of performances aimed at those who'd like to mix some jazz with their jingle bells.

Here's a quick look at some noteworthy holiday-themed jazz shows starting this week and continuing throughout the next month:

Kenny G "The Miracles Holiday and Hits Tour"
8:00 p.m., Friday, November 30
Touhill Performing Arts Center
If the G-Man's albums were filed in a record-store bin labeled "instrumental pop," he'd probably attract less scorn from many jazz fans. In the meantime, he's on tour with his annual holiday show, and presumably laughing all the way to the bank. $49 - $99.

Washington University Student Big Band and Jazz Combos "Jazz Celebration"
8:00 p.m., Friday, November 30
560 Music Center
Wash U students perform a program of holiday songs. Free and open to the public.

"Holiday Jazz" with Marion Meadows, Alex Bugnon & Mark Harris II
7:00 p.m. Saturday, December 1
Sun Theatre
Smooth jazz saxophonist Meadows and keyboardist Bugnon team up for a program of seasonal favorites, with some help from St. Louis keyboardist Harris. $67.50 plus $10 service charge.

"Jazz for the Holidays" with the UMSL Jazz Ensemble, Vocal Point and University Symphony Orchestra
3:00 p.m. Sunday, December 2
Touhill Performing Arts Center
UMSL music students perform in their annual holiday concert. Free and open to the public.

Lynne Fiddmont
4:00 p.m., Sunday, December 2
Sheldon Concert Hall
Singer and St. Louis native Fiddmont, who now lives in California, comes home for a concert that will include selections from her album Spirit of Christmas. $35 general admission plus $4.75 service charge.

Webster University Jazz Singers 
7:00 p.m., Monday, December 3
Winifred Moore Auditorium
Webster U students under the direction of Debby Lennon present a program of seasonal songs. $5 general admission, free to students with ID.

Route 66 Jazz Orchestra's Third Annual "Half A Holiday Concert"
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 4
Sheldon Concert Hall
St. Louis-based Route 66 Orchestra presents one set of big band jazz and one set of holiday music. $15 general admission.

Christine Ebersole & Billy Stritch - "Snowfall"
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 5
7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 6
Jazz St. Louis
A winter-themed show from singer and Broadway actress Ebersole and singer/pianist Stritch, part of the cabaret series being co-presented this year by Jazz St. Louis and Cabaret Project of St. Louis. $46.50 & $41.50 adults, $11.50 students

Dave Koz Holiday Show with Mindi Abair, Jonathan Butler & Keiko Matsui
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 11
Family Arena
Smooth jazz saxophonist Koz has been doing holiday shows for more than a decade, and is supported this year by fellow saxophonist Abair, singer and guitarist Butler and keyboardist Matsui. $50-$90, "VIP Experience" $198.

Storm Large "Holiday Ordeal"
8:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 11
Sun Theatre
Singer and actress Large, who has performed her cabaret show here several times in recent years, gets a bigger stage for her holiday extravaganza, which already is a sell-out annual tradition in her hometown of Portland, OR. $25 & $35, "VIP" $85.

Kirk Whalum's "Gospel According to Jazz Christmas" with Sheila E, Lynn Mabry, John Stoddart & Kevin Whalum
7:00 p.m., Friday, December 14
Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church
Memphis-based saxophonist (and nephew of St. Louis' Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum) returns with guest stars for his annual holiday show. $20 & $35, "VIP" $50.

Funky Butt Brass Band "Holiday Brasstravaganza"
9:00 p.m. Friday, December 14
3:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. Saturday, December 15
3:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. Sunday, December 16
Off Broadway
St. Louis' popular New Orleans-style brass band has expanded again for the eighth year of their holiday show, adding a family-friendly Sunday matinee and Sunday evening show for a total of five performances. $18-$25 for evening performances, $5 and $10 for matinees.

"Jazz Noel" with Oikos Ensemble and Java Jived
3:00 p.m., Saturday, December 15
Parkway United Church of Christ
3:00 p.m., Sunday, December 16
First Congregational United Church of Christ
"Re-imagining the Christmas story through jazz for today’s audience." Free and open to the public.

The 442s and Friends "Holiday Spectacular"
7:30 p.m., Monday, December 17
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 18
560 Music Center
Eclectic instrumental quartet plus guest stars present originals and holiday favorites. $15 - $30.

Jazz St. Louis Big Band plays Ellington's "Nutcracker"
7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 18
7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 19
7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Thursday, December 20
Jazz St. Louis
Hear Duke Ellington's re-imagining of Tchaikovsky's famous work played live by a big band of St. Louis musicians, plus additional favorites from the Ellington catalog. $21.50 balcony; $26.50 floor; $21.50 military, police & fire; $11.50 students.

"A Gospel Christmas" with Take 6 and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 20
Powell Hall
The Grammy Award-winning vocal group, orchestra and In Unison chorus perform "unforgettable contemporary gospel renditions of favorite holiday classics and more." Sold out; for information on standing room tickets, call the SLSO box office at 314-534-1700.

Dean Christopher "Rat Pack Christmas"
7:30 p.m., Thursday, December 20
Sheldon Concert Hall
Singer and impressionist Christopher offers seasonal songs in the style of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and more. $15 general admission.

Harry Connick Jr. "A New Orleans Tricentennial Celebration... Holiday Edition"
7:30 p.m., Thursday, December 20
Stifel Theatre
The famed singer, pianist, actor, and talk show host and his big band perform Christmas music and more in a New Orleans style. $147, $112, $77 and $52.

Jim Manley's Mad Brass and Rhythm "A Very Manley Christmas"
7:30 p.m., & 9:30 p.m., Friday, December 21
7:30 p.m., & 9:30 p.m., Saturday, December 22
Jazz St. Louis
St. Louis trumpeter and his seven-piece band offer high-energy versions of holiday favorites. $21.50 & $15.50, students $11.50.

Do you know of any holiday jazz shows in St. Louis that we missed? If so, please share the relevant info in the comments.

Edited 11/27/18 to add the Webster University Jazz Singers performance.

Jazz this week: Ellen Fullman, Lonnie McFadden, Jazz Ambassadors, Tauk, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a performance on a unique instrument that's also an art installation, plus concerts in a variety of genres from vintage jazz to cabaret to funk and fusion.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 7
Singer Erin Bode returns to Cyrano's; Miss Jubilee plays at Schlafly Bottleworks; and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features TJ Muller at The Stage at KDHX along with the jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at The Dark Room.

Thursday, November 8
The Gaslight Cabaret Festival's fall series resumes with Kansas City trumpeter and singer Lonnie McFadden (pictured, center left) performing for one night only at the Gaslight Theater.

Also on Thursday, guitarists Dave Black and Farshid Soltanshahi with guest multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman will play at Joe's Cafe; singer Joe Mancuso and friends perform at 50/Fifty Kitchen; and saxophonist and singer Cary Colman's trio returns to Evangeline's.

Friday, November 9
Artist, musician and instrument inventor Ellen Fullman will perform in a concert presented by New Music Circle at 560 Music Center.

Fullman (pictured, top left) is the creator of the Long String Instrument, which consists of dozens of wires 50 feet or more in length, stretched across a space and "bowed" with rosin-coated fingers, producing "a chorus of minimal organ-like overtones." For more about Fullman and some video footage of playing the Long String Instrument, see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, keyboardist David Grelle's Playadors make their Bistro debut in the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis; the Gateway City Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and singer Anita Jackson performs for the late show at The Dark Room

Saturday, November 10
Singer Ken Haller reprises his show "Happy Haller Days!" for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival, and saxophonist Dave Stone's trio plays at Thurman's in Shaw.

Sunday, 
November 11
The US Army's "Jazz Ambassadors" (pictured, bottom left) will play a free matinee concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center

Monday, 
November 12
Dizzy Atmosphere will play swing and Gypsy jazz for diners at The Shaved Duck, and the Webster University Student Jazz Combos will show their stuff in a performance at Webster's Community Music School.

Tuesday, November 13
Funk and fusion quartet Tauk, touring in support of their new album Shapeshifter II: Outbreak that was released in September, return to the Old Rock House.

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 Saturday Video Showcase: Ellen Fullman's Long String Instrument

Today, let's check out some videos featuring artist, musician, and instrument inventor Ellen Fullman, who will be in St. Louis next week for a residency sponsored by New Music Circle, culminating in a performance on Friday, November 9 at 560 Music Center.

While she's here, Fullman also will make public presentations about her work on Wednesday, November 7 at St. Louis University and the 560 Music Center, and on Thursday, November 8 at Washington University's Sam Fox School; see the New Music Circle website for details.

Ellen Fullman is known for inventing and performing on the Long String Instrument, described as "an installation of dozens of wires 50 feet or more in length, tuned in Just Intonation and "bowed" with rosin-coated fingers, producing a chorus of minimal organ-like overtones."

Currently based in the San Francisco area, Fullman is a native of Memphis, TN who studied sculpture at the Kansas City Art Institute. She began working on the Long String Instrument in 1981, and over the years has developed various performance techniques as well as a specialized notation system to choreograph the performer's movements while playing the LSI.

She has been the recipient of numerous awards, commissions and residencies. and has performed at venues and festivals in Europe, Japan, and the Americas, including the Whitney Museum, Lincoln Center, Other Minds, Walker Art Center and Donaueschinger Musiktage.

Fullman has made a number of recordings, including Ort, with Berlin-based collaborator Jörg Hiller, which was selected by The Wire as one of the top 50 recordings of 2004, and Fluctuations, with trombonist Monique Buzzarté, which made The Wire's top 50 of 2008.

You can see and hear Fullman and the LSI in action in the first video up above, recorded in June 2017 at the Tectonics Music Festival in Athens, Greece.

After the jump, there are clips from two more performances - the first by Fullman and cellist Theresa Wong in 2017 at the Nief Norf Summer Festival in Knoxville, TN, and the second in April 2016 at the Sonic Protest Festival in Paris.

Next is a short video from 2009, in which Fullman talks about the development of the Long String Instrument and shows off some of its capabilities.

The last two clips both come from Fullman's residency in March 2013 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD). There's a video of her performance with Wong, cellist Abby Alwin and trumpeter James Cornish, followed by a video of her artist's talk, "Constructing a Musical Phrase from the Ground Up," in which she "shares the concepts, stories and techniques behind the construction of the Long String Instrument, culminating in an audience participation demonstration."

For more about Ellen Fullman, read the interview with her published in 2016 by The Guardian.

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

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Ralph Towner

This week, let's take a look at some videos featuring guitarist Ralph Towner, who's coming to St. Louis to perform in a concert presented by Washington University's Jazz at Holmes series on Saturday, February 18 at the 560 Music Center.

Towner this week released a new album of solo guitar, My Foolish Heart. It's his 29th recording for the ECM label, which has put out all of his solo material since 1973.

Recorded last Feburary in Lugano, Switzerland under the supervision of ECM founder Manfred Eicher, My Foolish Heart features a mix of new compositions and older material, including two tunes originally recorded by the band Oregon (which Towner co-founded back in the early 70s) and the title track, a staple of his repertoire that he began playing after being inspired years ago by pianist Bill Evans' version.

In the first clip up above, you can hear a version of "My Foolish Heart" from a show Towner did in 2014 in London. Recorded by an audience member who seems to have been sitting in the front row, the video swoops around a bit at the start but locks in on the guitarist after a few seconds.

You can see hear more solo performances from Towner after the jump, starting with a recording of "Solitary Woman" made in 2014 at the POA Jazz Festival in Brazil.

Below that, there's a video with Towner playing "Jamaica Stopover" and "Solitary Woman" (again) in a concert in 2009 at the International Guitar festival in Uppsala, Sweden.

Moving back in time chronologically, next is a full set recorded in May 1998 at the Open Strings Festival in Osunbruck, Germany.

The last two clips, undated but perhaps from the early 1990s, feature Towner playing the standard "I Fall in Love Too Easily" and his own "Silence of a Candle," originally recorded with Oregon on their 1972 debut album Music of Another Present Era.

For more about My Foolish Heart, check out the two reviews published this week by AllAboutJazz.com and the extended take offered by Ralph A. Miriello at the Huffington Post.

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

Ralph Towner performing Saturday, February 18 at 560 Music Center

Guitarist Ralph Towner is coming to St. Louis to present a solo performance at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 18 at the 560 Music Center.

Towner (pictured), who's known for his work with the groups Paul Winter Consort and Oregon and for his many recordings on the ECM label, will be touring a handful of cities in the U.S. in support of a new solo album, My Foolish Heart, which will be released February 3 on ECM.

He last played St. Louis in October 2011 in a solo show for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, which also is sponsoring this performance.

Tickets for Ralph Towner at 560 Music Center are $25 for general admission, $20 for seniors and Wash U faculty and staff, $10 for students, and are on sale now online.

Jazz this week: Bill Charlap, Kris Davis & Craig Taborn, Jason Marsalis, and more

It's a busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with several noteworthy touring performers in town, including three top-flight pianists, two of whom will be performing together as a duo.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, September 28
Pianist Bill Charlap returns with his trio for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Charlap was here most recently in February 2014 with saxophonist Houston Person at the Bistro, but this time, the focus is strictly on the him and his band, which the British newspaper The Guardian earlier this year called "one of the best piano trios ever, and certainly as instantly recognisable as any of its great predecessors."

Also on Wednesday, singer Erin Bode returns to Cyrano's, and Elsie Parker and The Poor People of Paris will perform at Nathalie's.

Thursday, September 29
There's no Jazz at Holmes concert this week at Washington University, but pianist Ptah Williams and guitarist Eric Slaughter Quartet will be holding down their usual Thursday night slot at The Dark Room.

Friday, September 30
If you don't already have tickets to see Al Jarreau at Jazz at the Bistro, you're most likely out of luck, as the show, featuring the singer and a pianist in what Jarreau calls "a piano bar setting," has been sold out for a while now. The available options at this point would be to check with the box office for any last minute cancellations or returns; or show up in time to stake out a spot to watch the live video feed of the show in the Bistro's adjacent lounge.

Elsewhere on Friday, The Eren Sisters will perform at the The Chapel, Second Generation Swing plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, guitarist Tom Byrne leads a trio at Cigar Inn, and saxophonist Tim Cunningham plays at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Saturday, 
October 1
New Music Circle begins their 2016-17 season with a concert featuring Kris Davis and Craig Taborn (pictured, top left) at the 560 Music Center.

The joint tour pairing the two intriguing pianists arrives simultaneously with Davis' latest album Duopoly, a series of duets performed with eight different musicians, including Taborn. Both Davis and Taborn are highly capable improvisers, and the rare opportunity to hear them work together should be a real treat for those who enjoy adventurous sounds.

Also on Saturday, the Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet will perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The youngest brother of four in the famed New Orleans musical family, Jason Marsalis (pictured, bottom left) is perhaps best known as a drummer, thanks to his ongoing work in pianist Marcus Roberts' trio. But he's a legitimate voice on the vibes as well, swinging hard and leading a tight band, as you can see and hear them for yourself in last Saturday's video showcase post.

Elsewhere around town, Franglais plays Gypsy jazz and swing at Evangeline's, and trombonist Kevin Ward leads a quartet at The Dark Room.

Sunday, October 2
Guitarist Dave Black plays for brunch and Nathalie's, and the Friends of Scott Joplin will present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site.

Monday, October 3
Bassist Willem von Hombracht will lead a quartet in a concert at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University  campus.

Tuesday, October 4
The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra with singers Valerie Tichacek, Ron Wilkinson, and Dean Christopher will perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

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 Saturday Video Showcase: Fall 2016 jazz preview

This week, it's part one of StLJN's Fall 2016 jazz preview, in which we present videos featuring various touring jazz and creative music performers who will be visiting St. Louis in the next several months.

Going in chronological order, the first clip showcases Chicago-based singer Tammy McCann, who will be presenting her cabaret show "Ella Loves Gershwin" on Saturday, September 15 at The Emerald Room at The Monocle under the auspices of the Presenters Dolan. McCann can be seen in the first video up above, which shows an excerpt from a set she did at Birdland in NYC in January of this year.

After the jump, you can see a video of organist Dr. Lonnie Smith’s Evolution, who will be in town from Wednesday, September 21 through Saturday, September 24 to kick off the fall season at Jazz at the Bistro.

Named after Smith's most recent album, which features a horn section and second drummer added to the organist's usual trio, Evolution is seen here playing "Straight No Chaser" in October 2015 at BRIC JazzFest in Brooklyn. (Alas, the touring version of the band is a five-piece that only includes one drummer, so St. Louis audiences won't get a chance to hear the sort of interplay between the percussionists that's featured here.)

Right after Smith concludes his run at the Bistro, guitarist Pat Metheny will return to St. Louis with a brand new quartet featuring drummer Antonio Sanchez, bassist Linda Oh, and pianist Gwilym Simcock for a performance on Sunday, September 25 at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Metheny is seen here with his Unity Group (Sanchez, bassist Ben Williams and saxophonist Chris Potter) performing the song "Kin" in 2014 at the the Five Angels Theater in New York.

Next up is pianist Bill Charlap, who will perform with his trio on Wednesday, September 28 and Thursday, September 29 at Jazz at the Bistro. The third clip after the jump shows Charlap's entire set from the 2015 Jazz San Javier festival in Spain.

That same week, the Bistro features one of their major "gets" of the season, as singer Al Jarreau checks in for two evenings of intimate duo performances on Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1. In today's video, you can see Jarreau singing "Take Five" with an all-star band at the 2016 International Jazz Day concert, held in April at the White House in Washington DC.

That particular weekend is shaping up to be a busy one, as percussionist Jason Marsalis' Vibes Quintet also will be performing here on Saturday, October 1 at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Marsalis, who recently moved from his native New Orleans to France, is seen here playing "Offbeat Personality" in 2015 at the Blue Note in Milano, Italy.

And as if those two shows weren't enough for one evening, New Music Circle also will begin their season on Saturday, October 1 with a concert featuring duo performances by pianists Craig Taborn and Kris Davis at the 560 Music Center.

Since the Taborn/Davis tour hasn't even started yet, there's no video of the two of them playing together. So instead, in the next two clips you can see Taborn with his trio in 2015, playing "All True Night" and "Future Perfect" at the Salle Poirel in Nancy, France; and Davis and her trio playing in January 2015 at Klaviersalon MERTA in Linz, Austria.

Today's penultimate video features drummer, singer and songwriter Jamison Ross, who will be making his St. Louis debut as a leader with shows from Wednesday, October 5 through Saturday, October 8 at Jazz at the Bistro. The clip features Ross and his band performing "These Things You Are to Me" in February of this year at the studios of KPLU in Tacoma, WA.

The final video features guitarist Dweezil Zappa, who will return with his band to perform on Thursday, October 13 at The Ready Room. Though currently fighting a legal battle with his family over the rights to perform his father Frank Zappa's music, Dweezil is using the current tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of FZ's debut album Freak Out. You can hear what that sounds like in the video, an entire show show as shot by an audience member on July 8, 2016 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY.

Part two of the Fall 2016 jazz preview will appear next week in this space. You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...