Jazz this week: Anat Cohen, Eliane Elias, Michael Rosen, Bill McNally, and more

The calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis for the week before Mardi Gras is packed with performances in a variety of styles, with a handful of visiting headliners hitting local stages, plus some noteworthy shows from our hometown performers. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 27
Clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen (pictured, top left) brings her quartet to Jazz St. Louis for the first of five nights of performances, continuing through Sunday.

Voted the top clarinetist in jazz in the most recent DownBeat critic's poll, Cohen is a versatile player who can navigate a variety of styles with both technical facility and feeling. You can find out more about Cohen and see videos of her playing (in several different musical idioms) in this post from Saturday before last.

Also on Wednesday, this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features the Jazz Troubadours at The Stage at KDHX, along with the jam session hosted by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, February 28
Saxophonist Michael Rosen, a New York native and Berklee grad who expatriated to Italy in the late '80s and has made a name for himself on the European jazz scene, will play in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, accompanied by keyboardist Jay Oliver, guitarist and bassist William Lenihan. and drummer Steve Davis.

Elsewhere on Thursday, trumpeter Keith Moyer leads a jam session at Rendezvous Cafe & Wine Bar in O'Fallon, MO; Samba Bom brings a bit of Brazilian carnival to Joe's Cafe & Art Gallery; Dizzy Atmosphere plays vintage swing and Gypsy jazz for the Missouri Botanical Garden's "Orchid Nights"; and saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet plays the music of Rahsaan Roland Kirk at The Dark Room.

Friday, March 1
New music ensemble Alarm Will Sound returns to the Sheldon Concert Hall with a program featuring music by their late founding member Matt Marks, who died suddenly after a concert here last year; and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, March 2
The Friends of Scott Joplin present ragtime pianist 
Bill McNally in a matinee concert at the Opera House of Pacific.

On Saturday evening, pianist and singer Eliane Elias (pictured, bottom left) will perform at The Sheldon. Having already proved her skills at jazz-fusion, the music of her native Brazil, and much more, Elias on her most recent recording explores something a bit different, re-imagining the score of the Broadway show Man of La Mancha in a Latin jazz style.

You can see some recent performances by Elias on video in this post from last Saturday. Also, The Sheldon and Metrotix have cut the price of some remaining tickets for the concert to $25. To get the discount, go here and use the promo code LAMANCHA.

Also on Saturday, Chicago-based Third Coast Percussion will play music from composers including Steve Reich and Wilco's Glenn Kotche in a concert at 560 Music Center.

Sunday, March 3
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents keyboardist "Bob Row's "Mardi Gras Party" at Royale Orleans; Genesis Jazz Project plays at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups; and the Jazz Troubadours return to Evangeline's.

Tuesday, March 5
The Funky Butt Brass Band will play for Fat Tuesday revelers at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist, composer, independent record label owner, and St. Louis native Greg Osby (pictured) was featured on a recent episode of trumpeter Dave Douglas' podcast A Noise from the Deep.

* Jazz St. Louis' Ferring Jazz Bistro is the winner of the Commercial Restaurant Space category in the the St. Louis Architect and Designer Awards 2017. The space, which opened in October 2014 as part of Jazz St. Louis' renovated HQ in Grand Center, was designed by Jamieson Design.

* Also from Jazz St. Louis, education director Phil Dunlap's music business class at the University of Missouri-St. Louis was featured in a story on the university's website about entrepreneurial courses.

* The application period is open for the Regional Arts Commission's 2017 Artist Support Grants, which provide up to $3000 per grant to St. Louis artists in all disciplines for special creative projects, professional opportunities, or equipment needs. Two application workshops will be held in March, and are free and open to the public. To find out more, go to http://racstl.org/grant/artists-support-grants/.

* New music ensemble Alarm Will Sound's performances this weekend of Steve Reich's "The Cave" are previewed in stories by Sarah Bryan Miller in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chris King in St. Louis magazine, and St. Louis Public Radio's Kelley Moffitt.

* A recent article on Mapquest.com about "20 St. Louis stops every music fan should have on their tour schedule" recommends several local destinations of particular interest to jazz enthusiasts, including Saxquest's Saxophone Museum, the Miles Davis statue in downtown Alton, Jazz at the Bistro, the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, and BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer Jeanne Trevor (pictured) and pianist Dave Venn's gig Saturday night at Jazz at the Bistro was touted by St. Louis Post-Dispatch/STLtoday.com columnist Joe Holleman.

* Elsewhere in the P-D, theater critic Judith Newmark reviewed Max and Louie Productions' staging of Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill, which continues through Saturday, March 4 at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

* DK Annex, the business incubator and event space recently opened by drummer James Jackson and his wife Kristy, was spotlighted this week in the St. Louis American.

* The latest episode of pianist Peter Martin's podcast "The Process" features a chat with saxophonist Branford Marsalis and singer Kurt Elling.

* Also on the podcast front, drummer Dave Weckl is interviewed on a recent episode of DrumTalk.

* Electronic musician Eric Hall has released a new recording featuring guest musicians from the new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, with proceeds benefiting the American Civil Liberties Union.

Jazz this week: "Music at the Intersection," Tammy McCann, Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival, Koplant No, and more

While this weekend's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis offers a number of noteworthy events, yr. StLJN editor's efforts remain hampered by my recent hand injury, which means today's post once again will be rather short and to the point.

Let's go to the highlights....

Thursday, September 15
Guitarist Todd Mosby (pictured, top left) plays a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and the Young Friends of Jazz St. Louis host their first event of the season, "The Jazz Age," at Jazz at the Bistro, featuring music from the Phil Dunlap Quintet and one of the JazzU student ensembles

Also on Thursday, trumpeter Alan Hood presents a master class at Fazio's Music in Ellisville, and guitarist Dave Black, singer Feyza Eren and friends perform at Nathalie’s.

Friday, September 16
Grand Center will present the final installment of this year's "Music at the Intersection" series, featuring local jazz and blues acts performing in various venues located near the intersection of Grand and Washington. The Funky Butt Brass Band gets thing started with a happy-hour set at Strauss Park, with more music from Montez Coleman, Anita Jackson, Bob DeBoo Trio, Miss Jubilee, Cafe Danza with Farshid Etniko, Jesse Gannon and the Dark Room All-Stars at venues including Jazz at the Bistro, Kranzberg Arts Center, Lucha, Curtain Call Lounge, Vito's, and The Dark Room.

Also on Friday, singer Tony Viviano returns to serenade diners at Fortel's, and saxophonist Tim Cunningham plays at Troy's Jazz Gallery
.

Saturday, September 17
The Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival will feature nearly 12 hours of music on two outdoor stages in the Old Webster Business District, centered at the intersection of Lockwood & Gore.

This year's lineup for the free, "family friendly" event leans heavily toward the jazz side, with "Old Webster’s Got Talent" contest winner Liberation Organ Trio kicking things off at mid-day, followed by sets from Scott A.F.B's Shades Of Blue, Anita Rosamond, the Webster University Jazz Ensemble's “Tribute To Verve Records,” Bach To The Future, Hipjaz Quintet, Matthew Von Doran Trio, the Webster Groves High School Jazz Band, Feyza Eren, Alan Oxenhandler, and Tracer, plus the Green McDonough Band and guitarist and singer Marquise Knox leading a "Blues Revue".

Also on Saturday, Chicago-based singer Tammy McCann (pictured, bottom left) is back with a show called "Ella Loves Gershwin" at The Emerald Room at The Monocle; jazz/fusion band Koplant No will make their debut at Jazz at the Bistro; and new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound will present a full staging of Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy's "The Hunger" at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Sunday, September 18
Trumpeter Jim Manley plays for brunch at Nathalie's, while Miss Jubilee returns to Evangeline's.

Monday, September 19
Saxophonist Paul DeMarinis, singer Debby Lennon and keyboardist Nick Schlueter will perform at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium, and the St. Louis Legacy Ensemble plays at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soup. 

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: Freddy Cole & Harry Allen, Eric Marienthal, The New Mastersounds, and more

There are a number of notable shows from visiting jazz and creative music performers coming up this week in St. Louis, offering something for fans of genres ranging from straight-ahead swing to fusion to experimental, free improv, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, May 25
Pianist and singer Freddy Cole and his band, teamed once again with tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, return to Jazz at the Bistro for the first evening of a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday.

Cole (pictured top left, with Allen) shares a number of musical virtues with his older brother, the late Nat "King" Cole, including a relaxed vocal style, a sure sense of swing as a pianist, and an appreciation of classic popular songs, but he's managed to chart his own course as a musician, acknowledging his brother's influence without being dominated by it.

Add in the saxophone stylings of Allen, whose playing has been influenced by Swing Era giants like Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, and Paul Gonsalves, and the result should be four nights of satisfying old-school sounds.

Also on Wednesday, pianist Phil Dunlap and his quintet will play for the monthly music series at the World Chess Hall of Fame.

Thursday, May 26
Saxophonist Eric Marienthal (pictured, center left) will join St. Louis' own Bach to the Future for a free concert at the Chesterfield Amphitheater.

Also on Thursday, the new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound closes out their St. Louis season with a performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall, featuring music from their "Alarm System" collaborations with Medeski, Martin and Wood, composers Tyondai Braxton and Mira Calix, and others.

Elsewhere around town, the Tavern of Fine Arts will host their monthly "Experimental Arts Open Improv Night" with live improvised music; the Saint Boogie Brass Band plays an early evening show at Taze Mediterranean Street Food downtown; and guitarist Vincent Varvel lead a trio at Evangeline's.

Friday, May 27
The annual Glendale Jazz Festival will feature sets from the St. Louis Big Band with singer Joe Scalzitti plus singer and pianist Anita Rosamond and R&B vocalist Coco Soul on an outdoor stage at Glendale City Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Meanwhile, downtown on the riverfront, percussionist and composer Eli Keszler will headline a multi-artist bill of experimental and improvising musicians including Marissa Anderson, 18&Counting with Charles "Bobo" Shaw, Demonlover, Ghost Ice, and more at the William A Kerr Foundation on Laclede's Landing.

Also on Friday, trumpeter Kasimu Taylor leads a quartet at Bossanova Martini Lounge and Restaurant in Alton, and guitarist Tom Byrne and Have U Heard? will play music inspired by Pat Metheny at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Saturday, May 28
In what's being billed as a dual display of "extreme saxophone," the saxophonists PedroSaxo and Derek Brown will show off their extensive repertoires of extended techniques in a free afternoon performance and workshop at Saxquest.

Saturday evening, The New Mastersounds (pictured, bottom left) will perform at The Bootleg at the Atomic Cowboy.

The British funk/jazz quartet is touring in support of The Nashville Sessions, their latest album that was released last month. For more about that, plus some video samples of them in action, see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, singer Erin Bode will celebrate the release of her new album with a concert at Lindenwood University's J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts; singer Joe Mancuso brings his organ trio to The Dark Room; The Wire Pilots play original fusion music at the Tavern of Fine Arts; and saxophonist Rhoda G and singer Ralph Williams will be the featured performers for "Jazz in Paris" at the Jones Banquet Plaza in Fairview Heights.

Sunday, May 29
As often happens on major holidays, the live music offerings around town thin out quite a bit in the latter half of the Memorial Day weekend, but you can still hear some jazz for Sunday brunch, courtesy of trumpeter Jim Manley at Nathalie's and/or Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes 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.)

Sheldon Concert Hall announces 2016-17 season

The Sheldon Concert Hall today announced their 2016-17 season schedule, including the four concerts making up their jazz subscription series for next year plus some other events of potential interest to StLJN readers.

Percussionist Jason Marsalis' Vibes Quartet will be first up for the jazz series on Saturday, October 1. Marsalis, the youngest brother of the famous New Orleans family of musicians that also includes his siblings Wynton, Branford, and Delfeayo and their dad Ellis, leads his own band as a vibraphonist when not behind the drum set in the trio of pianist Marcus Roberts.

Next will be a quintet co-led by Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés and NYC saxophonist Joe Lovano (pictured) on Saturday, November 12. Valdés, a founding member of the Cuban jazz-fusion band Irakere, played with his own group at the Sheldon in 2012, while Lovano was in St. Louis most recently with his band Us Five in 2014 at Jazz at the Bistro, but this performance will be their first here together.

Clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen and her quartet will return to bring in the New Year with a concert on Saturday, January 14, and New Orleans trumpeter Etienne Charles will close out the 2016-17 jazz series with some “Creole Soul” on Saturday, March 11.

The Sheldon's 2016-17 "Coffee Concerts" series will include performances of traditional jazz and swing by Cornet Chop Suey (Tuesday, September 27 and Wednesday, September 28) and The Gaslight Squares (Tuesday, November 1 & Wednesday, November 2); a tribute to Nancy Wilson by singer Kim Fuller (Tuesday, April 4 and Wednesday, April 5); and two non-subscription shows by Miss Jubilee (Tuesday, May 2 and Wednesday, May 3).

Also of interest, new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound will return to the Sheldon for the fourth year with concerts on Thursday, December 1 and Thursday, June 1. You can see the complete schedule for all the 2016-17 concert series at the Sheldon's website.

Single tickets for the jazz series shows will be priced at $25 and $40 for Marsalis, Cohen, and Charles, and $30 and $45 for Valdés & Lovano, or you can purchase a series subscription for $135 or $150. Single tickets for the "Coffee Concerts" are $15 and $18, with subscriptions priced at $60 and $70. Single tickets for Alarm Will Sound will be $10 and $20.

Subscriptions for The Sheldon's 2016-17 jazz series and the venue's other concert series will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Monday, May 16. Single tickets will be available starting at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 13 via MetroTix.

Jazz this week: STL Free Jazz Collective, Erin Bode, a tribute to Charlie Christian, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis offers an eclectic selection of shows for Valentine's Day weekend, from free jazz to smooth romantic balladry.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 10
As of this writing late on Wednesday afternoon, the 7:30 set of Branford Marsalis' third and final night at Jazz at the Bistro is sold out, but some tickets remain for the 9:30 set and will be available at the door.

If you're shut out of the Marsalis show, you can watch on video in the Bistro's adjoining first floor lounge, which has no cover charge.

Also in the Grand Center neighborhood and with no cover, you can check out the regular weekly gigs featuring bassist Bob DeBoo and friends at the Kranzberg Arts Center or trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's trio at The Dark Room; or head a little farther west to hear pianist Brad Ellebrecht and drummer Kyle Honeycutt at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Thursday, February 11
The STL Free Jazz Collective (pictured, top left) will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; singer Erika Johnson and guitarist Tom Byrne return to Evangeline's; and the Ptah Williams/Eric Slaughter band will pay tribute to the late Maurice White by interpreting some Earth, Wind & Fire songs during their weekly gig at The Dark Room.

Friday, February 12
Continuing the annual Valentine's Day weekend tradition she inherited from former St. Louisans Mardra and Reggie Thomas, singer Erin Bode (pictured, center left) will perform for the first of three nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Friday, New Orleans funk/R&B band Big Sam's Funky Nation will return to the Broadway Oyster Bar; new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound will perform a program focusing on the life and music of composer György Ligeti at the Sheldon Concert Hall; and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, February 13
Singer Tony Viviano will perform the first of two Valentine's Day-themed shows at Patrick's Westport Grill, with another on Sunday; and guitarist Brian Vaccaro and keyboardist Ryan Marquez will play for diners at Grapeseed.

Sunday, February 14
Singer Craig Pomranz, back home from NYC for the weekend, will present his cabaret show "Spend The Night With Craig" at The Boom Boom Room; singer Truenessia Combs and saxophonist Tim Cunningham team up for a Valentine's show at Troy's Jazz Gallery; and Coco Rico will play Gypsy jazz and swing at Nathalie's.

Monday,
February 15
Guitarists Dave Black, Tom Byrne, and Steve Schenkel (pictured, bottom left) will join forces for "The Musical Legacy of Charlie Christian, A Centennial Celebration" at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium; and Chicago-based jazz/rock band Marbin 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: Dr. Lonnie Smith & Lionel Loueke, Alarm Will Sound, a tribute to Billie Holiday, and more

This week's lineup of jazz and creative music shows in St. Louis emphasizes collaboration, with several events presenting novel combinations of musicians for your listening enjoyment.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, May 27
Jazz St. Louis' latest combination of two headliners into one evening of music features organist Dr. Lonnie Smith teamed with guitarist and singer Lionel Loueke, who will perform this week through Saturday night at Jazz at the Bistro.

Both Smith and Loueke (pictured, top left) certainly share a penchant for grooves, and they have worked together before - you can see video evidence, plus each man leading his own band in several performance clips, in this post from last Saturday - but only briefly. The best guess here is that Smith's repertoire may predominate in terms of song selection, but whatever they end up playing, there should be some surprising moments for everyone this weekend onstage at the Bistro.

Budget-conscious fans take note: In addition to their evening performances, Smith and Loueke also will take part in a free, hour-long "performance and conversation" at noon on Friday at the Bistro. The Bistro won't have food or beverage service available, but listeners can bring in their own food and drink to enjoy along with the sounds.

Thursday, May 28
It's a night for large ensemble performances, as the Jim Widner Big Band plays a free concert at Chesterfield Amphitheater, while the new-music mini-orchestra Alarm Will Sound (pictured, center left) wraps up their third St. Louis season with a program of music from their "Alarm System" project at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The concert will feature the premieres of new works created with performers from several different musical genres, including St. Louis electronic electronic musician Adult Fur, Icelandic composer and producer Valgeir Sigurðsson, and jazz/funk keyboardist John Medeski.

Adventurous music fans also may want to check out the Tavern of Fine Arts monthly "Experimental Arts Open Improv Night," which this month will feature musicians improvising to new video works; or the triple bill featuring saxophonst Dave Stone, the Tory Starbuck Project, and electronic musician Kevin Harris at the Schlafly Tap Room

Friday, May 29
It's a busy night for female vocalists, as singer Debby Lennon and pianist Carolbeth True play a concert at Concord Trinity United Methodist Church in South County; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will swing the Venice Cafe, and Erin Bode returns to Nathalie's.

Elsewhere around town, Lindy Hop St. Louis presents their "West End Stomp," this month featuring live music from Robbie and the Rockin' Fools, at the Mahler Ballroom; and The People's Key will play at the house concert venue KindaBlue.

Saturday, May 30
Singer Kim Fuller and trumpeter Randy Holmes (pictured, lower left) will present a "Tribute to Billie Holiday" at the Ozark Theatre.

The celebration of the 100th anniversary of Holiday's birth also marks the return of jazz to the Ozark, which briefly presented local jazz musicians in a series of performances last fall.

Also on Saturday, Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, May 31
Students from several high schools in North County have joined together to form the North County Big Band under the leadership of saxophonist Harvey Lockhart, band director at Riverview Gardens High School, and they'll present a matinee concert showing off what they've accomplished over the past year 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.)

The Sheldon announces 2015-16 season

The Sheldon Concert Hall has announced their various series lineups for the 2015-16 season, with a jazz series featuring four piano players, plus various other events that may be of interest to jazz and creative music fans.

Brazilian-born pianist Eliane Elias (pictured, top left) will begin the jazz series on Saturday, November 21, followed by Billy Childs presenting his show "Re-Imagining Laura Nyro" on Saturday, January 30.

The Panamanian native Danilo Pérez (pictured, center left) is next, with a program called, appropriately enough, "Panama 500" on Saturday, February 27, and Cyrus Chestnut, who's quite familiar to St. Louis listeners from numerous previous appearances at Jazz at the Bistro and The Sheldon, wraps up the series with "African Reflections" on Saturday, May 7.

Two of the Sheldon's big fundraising events of the year also will feature jazz headliners, with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (pictured, bottom left) booked to perform at the Friends of the Sheldon benefit gala on Saturday, October 3, and pianist Ramsey Lewis celebrating the 50th anniversary of his hit "The In Crowd" at the annual ArtSounds! event on Saturday, November 7.

(While the benefit gala ticket prices start at $150 for JaLCO and Marsalis, and $125 for Lewis, and go up from there, there also will be concert-only tickets sold for both, priced at $45 orchestra, $40 balcony for JaLCO and $65 orchestra, $55 balcony for Lewis.)

Also of potential interest to jazz fans, singer Banu Gibson will pay tribute to "40 Years of Randy Newman" in a special non-subscription matinee concert on Sunday, October 25.

Pianist Peter Martin turns up on three different programs - first, in a concert for his eponymous series, with a special guest TBA, on Saturday, October 10; then with St. Louis Symphony violinist David Halen and friends for a holiday program on Wednesday, December 2; and finally, with Halen and other St. Louis Symphony members playing classical music on Wednesday, April 6.

New music ensemble Alarm Will Sound also will be back for their fourth St. Louis season, with concerts scheduled for Tuesday, October 20; Friday, November 20; Friday, February 12; and Thursday, May 26.

The popular Coffee Concert series of mid-week morning performances will include Alan Ox doing “Songs of Great American Crooners” on Tuesday, October 6 and Wednesday, October 7; actor/singer Ben Nordstrom on Tuesday, February 16 and Wednesday, February 17; Wack-A-Doo on Tuesday, April 5 and Wednesday, April 6; and cabaret singer Tim Schall in a tribute to music of the Gaslight Square era, “The Gaslight Generation,” on Tuesday May 10 and Wednesday, May 11. Last (from a jazz perspective) but not least, trumpeter and singer Dawn Weber will play a Saturday matinee on Saturday, April 2.

So what's the "hot take" on this lineup? Longtime readers may recall that in the past, yr. humble StLJN editor has taken the Sheldon's management to task for being too risk-averse when booking the jazz series, and the phrase "talented, but safe" once again could be used to describe pretty much all this year's choices. Consider also that, although some of the individual programs presented might have been different, the entire jazz series  could have been booked with these exact same artists 10 years ago, and the dimensions of the challenge become more apparent.

Of course, there's always potential for additional individual concerts to be added as the fall approaches, and if past years are any guide, there likely will be at least a couple more shows of interest to jazz fans. But given that this year's lineup contained some arguably riskier choices, such as the Spokfrevo Orquestra and Cécile McLorin Salvant, the 2015-16 slate seems like a bit of an artistic retrenchment.

Subscriptions for the four-concert jazz series are $150 for orchestra seating, $135 balcony, with prices for other shows varying according the specific event. New subscriptions go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Monday, May 11, with sales will continuing through the first concert in each series, via phone at 314-533-9900 and online at http://www.thesheldon.org/. Single tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. August 8 at 10 a.m. via MetroTix or the Sheldon website.

Sunday Session: April 5, 2015

Gil Scott-Heron

For your Sunday reading, some interesting music-related items that have hit StLJN's inbox over the past week:

* Review: Various Artists The Complete Dial Modern Jazz Sessions Mosaic Records (Jazz Times)
* Six seconds that shaped 1,500 songs (BBC)
* The day the music ... spied? (Philadelphia Inquirer)
* Investors think streaming could take music back to its glory days (QZ.com)
* Jason Moran takes liberties with his homage to Thelonious Monk (Washington Post)
* Cease, Desist and Rock Out with a Different Band Name (Paste)
* A Conversation With 'Alarm Will Sound' Artistic Director Alan Pierson (Cleveland Scene)
* Bill Laswell: No Boundaries (AllAboutJazz.com)
* What's Not to Love About the Trombone? (Popmatters)
* How performers conquer ‘unplayable’ works (BBC)
* Langston Hughes Presents the History of Jazz in an Illustrated Children’s Book (Open Culture)
* Gil Scott-Heron Documentary "Who Is Gil Scott-Heron?", Album "Nothing New" Out Digitally (Pitchfork.com)
* Six Jazz Artists Receive Doris Duke Artists Awards (Jazz Times)
* Remembering Billie Holiday at 100 (Baltimore Sun)
* In the year jazz went avant-garde, Ramsey Lewis went pop with a bang (Washington Post)
* The Art of Billie Holiday’s Life (The New Yorker)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Funky Butt Brass Band has released online a new song, "Because It's Christmas." Proceeds from the sale of downloads of the tune will benefit Music for Lifelong Achievement, a St. Louis not-for-profit organization that collects and refurbishes used musical instruments and then distributes them to local students in need.

* Also just in time for Christmas, trumpeter Jeremy Davenport, who grew up in U City and now lives in New Orleans, made a music video of "Silent Night" as one of a series of holiday songs sponsored by the New Orleans Times-Picayune

* St. Louis native Andre Boyd (pictured), who's been drumming for Cirque du Soleil's touring production Quidam for the past four years, is number six on the UK drum magazine Rhythm's list of the "10 best new drummers in the world right now."

* Vintage Vinyl was featured on the vinyl-record enthusiast website Cooking With Vinyl.

* Jazz St. Louis is looking for feedback from patrons who have visited the remodeled Jazz at the Bistro this fall. If you'd like to weigh in with your opinion of the new digs, you can complete the online survey here.

* Photos of Clark Terry's 94th birthday celebration this past weekend have been posted to the trumpeter's official Facebook page.

* Also posted to Facebook, a photo album from new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound's performance last week at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will present jazz recordings dealing with issues of social injustice from Billie Holiday, Ben Allison, Wallace Roney, and more. The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Edited after posting to add the Jeremy Davenport link. 

Jazz this week: Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O, "A Very Manley Christmas," Cornet Chop Suey, Alarm Will Sound, and more

As you might expect, this week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis features plenty of seasonal sounds, but there also are a variety of other offerings, ranging stylistically from traditional jazz to free improv, for those seeking an audio alternative.
Let's go to the highlights...

Thursday, December 11 
New music ensemble Alarm Will Sound* performs their final show of 2014 at the Sheldon Concert Hall, presenting the world premiere of the complete score of Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy's The Hunger.

While this concert version of the extended work about the great Irish famine doesn't have all of the planned multimedia features in place yet, it will have Iarla Ó Lionáird, of The Gloaming and Afro Celt Sound System, and mezzo-soprano Rachel Calloway, a last-minute substitute for Dawn Upshaw, who's ill, as guest vocal soloists.

Also on Thursday, the Funky Butt Brass Band returns to the Blues City Deli for an early evening show; and Franglais, a Gypsy jazz group fronted by singer Eve Seltzer and her husband, guitarist Ben Wood, and newly arrived in St. Louis, will make their local debut at Evangeline's.

Friday, December 12
Drummer Matt Wilson and his Christmas Tree-O wrap up a week-long educational residency with a public concert at Webster Groves High School, performing expanded arrangements of holiday favorites back by student big bands from WGHS.

Also on Friday, trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured) will be in the holiday spirit as he convenes his Mad Brass and Rhythm for the first of two nights of "A Very Manley Christmas" at Jazz at the Bistro.While the material from Manley's newest album Funk Factory doesn't really fit the format for this particular gig, fans no doubt will be able to purchase copies of the just-issued CD at the merch table.

Elsewhere around town, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will perform at Nathalie's; and Second Generation Swing plays for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, December 13
On Saturday afternoon, there's one more chance to hear the Oikos Ensemble's "What Child is This? A Jazz Nativity," which will be performed this week at St. Paul United Church of Christ in Belleville.

Then that evening, singers Mary Dyson and Diane Vaughn will return to Troy's Jazz Gallery; the Kevin Mitchell 4 will be playing seasonal songs at Evangeline‘s; and Miss Jubilee performs at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, December 14 
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents their final concert of the year, a matinee with trad jazz and swing band Cornet Chop Suey performing at the DoubleTree Hotel at Westport; and the Jazz Edge Orchestra, featuring singers Ron Wilkinson and Marsha Evans, will return to Kirkwood Station Brewing Company.

Monday, December 15 
The Sessions Big Band will check in for their last gig of the year at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; singer Dean Christopher bring his "Rat Pack and More" show back to One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar; and Off Topic II, an improvising trio featuring pianist Jim Hegarty, bassist Paul Steinbeck and drummer Gary Sykes, will take the stage at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Tuesday, December 16
The Tavern of Fine Arts will offer what should be another noteworthy evening of improvised music as the Society for Creative Survival, a new venture spearheaded by pianists Greg Mills and David Parker, presents "Soliloquy - An Evening of Solo Performances," featuring brief solo sets by Mills, Parker, trumpeter George Sams, cellist Tracy Andreotti, percussionist Henry Claude, and more.

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.)

* Full disclosure: StLJN's editor is paid by the firm Slay & Associates to assist Alarm Will Sound with publicity for their gigs in Missouri. However, given our editorial focus, I'd be writing about their shows regardless. So, rather than not telling you about something that might be of interest, you get this disclosure instead. 

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* New music ensemble Alarm Will Sound's two performances this weekend are previewed by Stef Russell of St. Louis magazine.

* Meanwhile, the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson takes a look at tonight's "250 Years of St. Louis Music" show at the Sheldon Concert Hall, which features Alarm Will Sound* playing a new work by Peter Martin, plus performances from a diverse list of St. Louis jazz, blues and roots musicians.

* Drummer/bandleader and U City native Ronnie Burrage is the subject of a feature article in Jazz Times.

* To promote an upcoming gig at LA's Jazz Bakery, saxophonist Greg Osby has put together a brief online playlist of some of his favorite music.

* St. Louis singer Katie McGrath will perform her cabaret show "Love in the Desert, Romance in an Age of Scarcity" at NYC's Metropolitan Room next Thursday, October 23.

* Keep On Keepin' On, the new documentary about trumpeter Clark Terry and his student Justin Kauflin, was reviewed by AllAboutJazz.com's Mark F. Turner. 

* Miles Davis' "Blue Xmas" b/w "Devil May Care" will be released as a limited edition 7" blue vinyl single (pictured) for Record Store Day's annual Black Friday event on November 28.

* In more Davis-related news, Jazz Times critic Nate Chinen weighs in on Mostly Other People Do The Killing's controversial note-for-note remake of Davis' Kind of Blue, and Popmatters has an interview about the record with MOPDTK bassist and bandleader Moppa Elliott.

* In response to the controversy, the Davis estate felt the need yesterday to issue an official statement: "I Vincent Wilburn Jr., drummer and nephew of Miles Davis, and Cheryl A. Davis, daughter of Miles Davis, want to clarify that “Blue” the ultimate tribute by the band Mostly Other People Do The Killing, is not supported by us, nor done with our cooperation or participation."

* Saxophonist David Sanborn's performance this week in San Diego was previewed by the local daily the Union-Tribune.

* The performances last week by Sanborn at Jazz at the Bistro and Chick Corea at the Sheldon Concert Hall were reviewed by Calvin Wilson for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

* Bassist Stanley Clarke's show Tuesday at The Pageant was documented via a photo set posted on Facebook by Hip 96.3 FM.

* The Riverfront Times this week published a set of photos by Mabel Suen showing off the newly renovated Jazz at the Bistro.

* The Funky Butt Brass Band's version of the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" was listed at #4 in an article on the website Mashable about "13 Brass Band Cover Songs That Are Better Than The Originals."

Not only that, but while on a recent trip to Arkansas to play the King Biscuit Blues Festival, the FBBB stopped off in Memphis for a visit to the Stax Records museum, where saxophonist Ben Reece, trumpeter Adam Hucke and trombonist Aaron Chandler met famed trumpeter Wayne Jackson of the Memphis Horns.

* KDHX has posted online a photo set of Wack-A-Doo's performance last week at one of the station's "Harvest Sessions."

* Speaking of photo sets, the Midwest Jazz-tette has posted two of them to Facebook, documenting performances earlier this year at First Unity Church and Cigar Inn

* Trombonist Dave Dickey is moving his monthly big band gig to Jazz at the Bistro, effective Sunday, November 2. The band now will play on the first Sunday of each month, continuing in their new location the practice of having local student bands perform at intermission. Their run of monthly shows at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company lasted three years. Tickets for the November 2 debut performance at the Bistro go on sale at 10:00 a.m. today via Metrotix.

* The Regional Arts Commission is accepting applications for the 2015 Katherine Dunham Internship, which provides hands-on experience in arts administration for an African-American student. The deadline to apply is Monday, November 3.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson explores the landscape of extended improvisation via tracks from Henry Threadgill, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis and more. The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

* Disclaimer: I've been working with Alarm Will Sound since 2010 on publicity for their gigs in Columbia and St. Louis, including this one. However, given their demonstrated accomplishments and StLJN's usual editorial focus, I'd be writing about them here even if I had no relationship with them.

Jazz this week: "250 Years of St. Louis Music," Phil Dunlap Quintet, Karen Mason, and more

So what's going on this week with live jazz and creative music in St. Louis? Glad you asked, as we just happen to have some recommendations for you, including the return of a local favorite who's been away for a couple of years, a diverse salute to St. Louis music history, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, pianist Reggie Thomas, the former St. Louisan and former faculty member at Michigan State who's back a little closer to home now that he's heading up the jazz program at Northern Illinois University, will be performing with the Mineral Area College Jazz Ensemble and MAC Kicks Band at the college's Fine Arts Theatre down in Park Hills.

Also tonight, singer Joe Mancuso and Friends - in this case, guitarist Randy Bahr, bassist Willem von Hombracht, and drummer Gerald Warren - will be at Nathalie’s; and Miss Jubilee has a double-header on tap, with a trio show for happy hour at Magpie's on Main in St. Charles, followed by an evening gig at Thaxton Speakeasy.

Then on Friday, yr. humble StLJN editor must first invoke a disclaimer, as I've been working in my "day job" in recent weeks to help promote the "250 Years of St. Louis Music" concert taking place that evening all over the Sheldon Concert Hall and Galleries.

The centerpiece of the event is an 8:00 p.m.set by the new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound featuring a new composition by Peter Martin (pictured) inspired by Miles Davis. But the festivities actually kick off at 6:30 p.m. and continue after AWS' set with music upstairs and down from jazz performers including Martin, Denise Thimes, Carolbeth True, and Willie Akins; blues from Kim Massie and Billy Peek; hip-hop from Illphonics; the St. Louis Ragtimers; folk and country from Gary Hunt and Dade Farrar; the Webster University Chamber Singers, and more. (See the "250 Years" link above for details on who's playing when and where.)

Also on Friday, pianist and Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap will lead the latest iteration of his quintet in the first of two nights of performances at Jazz at the Bistro.  Featuring Danny Campbell on trumpet, Ben Reece Aaron Giraudo on tenor sax, Montez Coleman on drums, and young phenom Nathan Pence on bass, the group will mix Dunlap's originals, no doubt including some from his forthcoming album, with hard-bop covers.

Elsewhere around town, the Gaslight Cabaret Festival resumes with singer Karen Mason performing her show "Secrets of the Ancient Divas" for the first of two evenings at the Gaslight Theater; guitarists Brian Vaccaro and Tim Fischer (the latter a recent transplant from California) will duet at Chasers Lounge in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel; the Gateway City Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; trumpeter Jim Manley returns to One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar; and vibraphonist Tom Rickard leads a trio at Cigar Inn

On Saturday afternoon, saxophonist Jim Stevens and group will be getting funky by the riverside at the Loading Dock up in Grafton; and Saxquest will present a free concert by the Saxquest Nonet Jazz Orchestra, performing music from the "cool jazz" movement of the 1950s.

Then on Saturday evening, pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True will play at the Ozark Theatre; the Wire Pilots return to the Tavern of Fine Arts; and the Coleman Hughes Project with singer Adrienne Felton will be at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

On Sunday, early risers and/or runners can take in some swing and jump blues from Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes as they entertain participants and observers of the annual Rock and Roll Marathon from a stage at Chippewa and S. Broadway.

Later on Sunday, Alarm Will Sound will play a free concert outdoors at the new Public Media Commons, 3653 Olive St. in Grand Center, premiering "Ten Thousand Birds," a new work from Pulitzer Prize winning composer John Luther Adams. Artist Michael Eastman will provide visuals projected on the Commons' two-story tall video screens, and St. Louis electronic musicians Eric Hall and NNN Cook each will do short opening sets, with Cook's enlisting five members of AWS to provide live instrumentation for his piece.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band will be back for their now bi-monthly gig at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; and on Tuesday, the weekly jam session formerly held at Robbie's House of Jazz in Webster Groves has been re-started at the Ozark Theatre (which now is being programmed by former Robbie's GM Dorothy Edwards).

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.)

Alarm Will Sound to perform free concert Sunday, October 19 at Public Media Commons

The acclaimed new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound* (pictured) will continue their third St. Louis season with a free concert featuring the world premiere of composer John Luther Adams' new work Ten Thousand Birds at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, October 19 at the new Public Media Commons in Grand Center.

Adams, who won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his orchestral piece Become Ocean, is known for creating large-scale works that embrace public spaces. Ten Thousand Birds, composed with a grant from New Music USA, is based on the songs of birds native to Missouri and the western limit of the eastern hardwood forest, and "fully embraces the orchestral range of colors in the instrumentation of Alarm Will Sound."

St. Louis artist Michael Eastman will provide projected visuals to accompany the music, and St. Louis electronic musicians Eric Hall and NNN Cook will do brief individual sets to open the show. Cook’s piece, written especially for this performance, will include live instrumentation provided by five members of Alarm Will Sound.

The Public Media Commons, which officially opened in September, is a 9,000-square-foot space flanked by large-screen video walls—two stories high—on two sides. In addition to the video walls, the space also includes a performance stage, interactive touch screens, and a window into one of the Nine Network studios.

The performance will be Alarm Will Sound’s second of the weekend here, as the group also will be featured in the “250 Years of St. Louis Music” concert on Friday, October 17 at the Sheldon Concert Hall, playing a new work by pianist Peter Martin, inspired by the music Miles Davis, and another written specifically for the occasion by AWS cellist and University of Missouri professor Stefan Freund.

Admission to the Public Media Commons concert is free and open to the public, with no reservations required.

*As always when StLJN mentions Alarm Will Sound, we include some sort of disclaimer like this one, noting that yr. humble StLJN editor has since 2010 been paid by the PR firm Slay & Associates for tasks including helping AWS with publicity for their concerts in St. Louis and Columbia, MO. That said, given StLJN's usual focus, I'd be writing about AWS even if I had no personal connection to them, so rather than omit any mention of a concert that readers might enjoy, you get the article plus this disclosure of the conflict of interest.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Fall 2014 jazz preview, part 2

Today, it's part two of StLJN's video preview of the touring jazz and creative music performers who will be playing in St. Louis this fall. You can find part 1, which covered the month of September, here.

The first videos up above feature trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, who will be returning here on Thursday, October 2 and Friday, October 3 to re-open the newly renovated and expanded Jazz at the Bistro. These two clips represent a complete show from the 2013 Jazz San Javier festival.

(For more footage of Marsalis and JaLCO, see this post about their touring production "Abyssynian," which played here last October; this one, about Marsalis' "Swing Symphony," which they performed here in 2012 with the St. Louis Symphony; and the video showcase posts previewing their appearances here in 2008 and 2010.)

(Update, 9/7/14: The Thursday performance by Marsalis and JaLCO is for Jazz St. Louis donors only, and Friday's is now sold out. Contrary to the info in the original version of this post, there is no performance scheduled on Saturday. StLJN regrets the error.)

After the jump, you can see fluegelhornist Hugh Masekela, who will team with singer Vusi Mahlasela to perform their show "20 Years of Freedom" on Saturday, October 4 at the Sheldon Concert Hall. This video shows Masekela and his band performing a show titled "Celebrate Mama Africa" for the 2011 Estival Jazz Lugano in Switzerland.

Next, it's alto saxophonist (and Kirkwood's own) David Sanborn, peforming "Comin' Home Baby" in 2012 at the Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia. Sanborn will be back home again to play with an all-St. Louis rhythm section of Peter Martin (piano), Chris Thomas (bass), and Montez Coleman (drums) starting Wednesday, October 8 through Saturday, October 11 at Jazz at the Bistro.

(For more Sanborn on video, you can check out the showcase posts that preceded his appearances here in 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2008, as well as this post about Quartette Humaine, his 2013 album with Bob James.)

That same week, the Rebirth Brass Band will return to St. Louis to perform on Thursday, October 9 at The Gramophone. They're seen here in a video of a full set recorded in 2012 at the club Howlin' Wolf in their hometown of New Orleans.

On Friday, October 11, pianist Chick Corea will be in town for a solo performance at The Sheldon. Corea, who has performed here in recent years with banjo player Bela Fleck and with Return to Forever, is seen in a clip from 2009 playing his composition "Alegria" at the Klavier-Festival Ruhr in Dortmund, Germany.

A few days later, bassist Stanley Clarke will be here with the latest version of his electric band to play on Tuesday, October 14 at The Pageant. The video here shows Clarke's touring band from last year, with keyboardists John Beasley and Nick Smith, drummer Ronald Bruner Jr., and violinist Zach Brock, performing in August 2013 at the Telluride Jazz Festival in Colorado.

Next up, it's the new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, who will begin their third St. Louis season by taking part in the "250 Years of St. Louis Music" concert on Friday, October 17 at The Sheldon.

Along with performances from Denise Thimes, Kim Massie, Billy Peek, the St. Louis Ragtimers, and other St. Louis jazz and blues favorites, AWS* will play a set including a new work composed by Peter Martin specifically for the occasion. In this clip, you can see them in 2013 giving the world premiere performance of a very different sort of piece, composer Jason Thorpe Buchanan's "Asymptotic Flux Second Study in Entropy," at the Mizzou International Composers Festival in Columbia.

Also on Friday, October 17, singer Karen Mason will be in town for the first of two performances for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival at the Gaslight Theater. Mason, who will do her show "Secrets of the Ancient Divas" again on Saturday, October 18, is seen here singing a medley of "My Favorite Things" and "Count Your Blessings" from a performance last December in Norwalk, CT.

Below that, you can see guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli playing a solo version of "The Way You Look Tonight" recorded in August of this year in the offices of Fretboard Journal magazine. Pizzarelli will be back in St. Louis to perform Wednesday, October 22 through Saturday, October 25 at Jazz at the Bistro. You can see more of him on video in previous posts from 2012 and 2013.

Closing out our jazz preview of October in St. Louis is singer and pianist Steve Ross, who will return to perform as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival on Friday, October 24 and Saturday, October 25. Although Ross has been a fixture on the cabaret scene for decades, oddly there's almost no video online of him performing, so a very brief clip of him singing "You Were Never Lovelier" by Johnny Mercer and Jerome Kern will have to suffice for now.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump. Look for part three of the fall 2014 jazz preview here next week.