Jazz this week: Trebor Tichenor memorial concert, Dave Dickey Big Band, and more

With tensions easing somewhat even as protest demonstrations continue in Ferguson, and hot, steamy weather settling in for a few days, it's starting to seem a bit more like a typical late August in St. Louis. And while the weather forecast has prompted cancellations of a couple of outdoor shows, there's still jazz happening around town during these "dog days." Let's go to the highlights...

On Friday, singer Anita Rosamond will be performing a free outdoor concert at Ferguson CityWalk, which is located in the old downtown area of Ferguson. Though the concert was scheduled long ago as part of a series of monthly shows promoting the downtown district, it should provide a welcome opportunity for people in the community to come together and, we hope, peacefully enjoy some of Rosamond's pop, R&B and jazz stylings.

Also on Friday, singer Joe Mancuso leads a quartet at Nathalie's; Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; jazz/fusion group Boisiac performs at Cigar Inn, singer Ann Dueren's trio will be back at Il Bel Lago; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to C.J. Muggs in Webster Groves.

On Saturday, while the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra has scrubbed their show at Kirkwood Park Amphitheater in anticipation of a heat index of more than 100 degrees, performances taking place in air-conditioned comfort that evening will include singer Wendy Gordon at Choice Restaurant, saxophonist Rod Tate at DeLeo's Cafe & Deli, and saxophonist Jim Stevens with keyboardist Rocky Mantia at the River City Casino's 1904 Steakhouse. 

Outdoors on Sunday, Dizzy Atmosphere will play a set of string-band swing and Gypsy jazz at the Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park, an event that also features many other musical performances; and Cornet Chop Suey will be playing traditional New Orleans style jazz and swing in a free concert at Carondelet Park.

Indoors that afternoon, ragtime pianists and enthusiasts from all over will gather for an event paying tribute to the late pianist, historian and St. Louis native Trebor Tichenor (pictured) at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Performers will include pianists David Thomas Roberts, Terry Parrish, Rich Egan, Brian Keenan, Dave Majchrzak and John Hancock; Tichenor's long-running band, the St. Louis Ragtimers; his son Andy, a trumpeter, and daughters Virginia, a pianist, and Anna, a violist; and more.

Also on Sunday, the Dave Dickey Big Band plays their monthly gig at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company, with an intermission set from the Columbia Jazz Orchestra.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday singer Dean Christopher will be bringing his "Rat Pack & More" show back to One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar, while saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective will return to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

On Tuesday, singer/pianist Jesse Gannon continues his weekly residency at the Engine Room, and jazz-fusion band Common Time will be at BB'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.)

St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers concert series announces 2012-13 season schedule

The St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers series has announced their schedule of free concerts for the 2012-13 season.

The concerts take place on the third Sunday of each month, except in December, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Second Baptist Church of St. Louis, 9030 Clayton Rd. (1/3 mile west of the St. Louis Galleria at McKnight).

The 2012-13 series will open on Sunday, October 21 with a performance featuring saxophonist Ray Vollmar and singer Deborah Sharn. The complete schedule for the 2012-13 season is:

Sunday, October 21: Ray Vollmar and Deborah Sharn
Sunday, November 18: Montez Coleman
Sunday, January 20: Ptah Williams
Sunday, February 17: Marquise Knox
Sunday, March 17: SIUE Jazz Faculty with Rick Haydon (pictured) and Jason Swagler
Sunday, April 21: Anita Rosamond

All concerts are free and open to the public, with no tickets needed. Free parking is available on the church's upper lot for guests who need to enter the building at sanctuary level, and also on the lower lot on the south side of the building.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of links and short local news items of interest that you may have missed:

* Trumpeter Jim Manley's latest CD Brass Poison is reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello at AllAboutJazz.com

* Singer and pianist Anita Rosamond is the latest musician profiled in the St. Louis Beacon's series on local summer music festivals.

* The Riverfront Times' Chrissy Wilmes interviewed KSDK newscaster Art Holliday about his long-awaited documentary on St. Louis blues/rock piano great Johnnie Johnson.

* St. Louis-based blues label Broke & Hungry Records will band together with Cat Head and Mudpuppy Recordings to create a new organization for marketing and distribution called Three Forks Music. The three labels previously collaborated on the award-winning blues film M For Mississippi (pictured).

The Three Forks Music catalog will be distributed in the United States by City Hall Records, an independently owned and operated national independent music distribution company located in San Rafael, California. Each label will continue to offer new titles individually, and they also will collaborate on larger projects under the Three Forks Music brand.

* As part of its upcoming renovation, the Kiel Opera House also gets a new name - the Peabody Opera House, after corporate sponsor Peabody Energy (formerly Peabody Coal) - and a new logo.

* Speaking of the Kiel, the St. Louis Blues Society this week announced the first-ever St. Louis Bluesweek, which will take place August 26 through September 5. The series of events includes the Market Street Blues Festival, a pair of free concerts on August 27 and 28 that will feature St. Louis talent on an outdoor stage in front of the Kiel/Peabody. For more details, visit http://stlbluesweek.com.

Two spring/summer concert series announce schedules

The schedules have been announced for the Missouri History Museum's spring Twilight Tuesdays and for the fourth annual Whitaker Urban Evenings series, and while neither has much in the way of straight-ahead jazz, both will offer some concerts of potential interest to jazz fans in the St. Louis area.

The Twilight Tuesdays series starts next Tuesday, April 27 with R&B vocal group L.L.C., and will include shows from the Latin band El Caribe Tropical (May 4), singer Anita Rosamond (May 18, pictured), and the Sinatra Songbook featuring the Steve Schankman Orchestra (May 25). The free concerts take place starting at 6:30 p.m. each Tuesday through June 8 on the front lawn of the History Museum in Forest Park. For more information and a complete schedule, visit the History Museum's website.

Meanwhile, the Whitaker Urban Evening Series, which happens at St. Louis Place Park, Rauschenbach Avenue and St. Louis Avenue, has a lineup that will include singer Kim Massie (June 10), Brazilian music group Samba Bom (June 17) and the Funky Butt Brass Band (July 8). Performances will begin at 7:00 p.m. Thursdays starting with Massie's June 10 show and continuing through July 15. Admission is free; for more information and a complete schedule, visit the website of series co-sponsors Grace Hill.

Anita Rosamond performing on Dave Koz Smooth Jazz Cruise

Singer and pianist Anita Rosamond (pictured) is escaping the St. Louis winter cold this week, heading down to the Caribbean where she's been added to the roster of performers for the 2010 Dave Koz Smooth Jazz Cruise.

The sold-out cruise, which starts Saturday and continues through January 24, is produced by St. Louis-based Jazz Cruises LLC. It will feature nearly 40 musicians and singers, including Rosamond and two East St. Louis natives - vocalist Phil Perry and saxophonist Andre Delano - as well as Marcus Miller, Stanley Jordan, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Euge Groove, and other smooth jazz stars.

Rosamond performed on the company's Jazz Cruise in November of last year, and also is booked to appear on the Jazz Cruise scheduled for January 2011.

(Edited 1/20/10 to fix a bad link.)

Jazz this week: Anita Rosamond, A Jazz Heaven, Cornet Chop Suey, and more

Though it's vacation time in St. Louis, with most of our town's larger jazz presenters inactive until after Labor Day, there are a few noteworthy shows this week to call to your attention:

Tonight, singer/pianist Anita Rosamond (pictured) will wrap up this year's Whitaker Music Festival with a free concert at Missouri Botanical Garden. Rosamond's band for the evening will include two members of the popular soul/jazz/funk ensemble Good 4 The Soul - keyboardist Adaron "Pops" Jackson and drummer James Jackson - along with guitarist Grant Krener, bassist Carl Casperson and saxophonist Bill Elrod.

On Saturday, singer Wendy Gordon will present a new show called A Jazz Heaven (When Billie & Ella Met Miles & Friends) at the Kranzberg Arts Center. The cabaret-style performance tells the stories of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and others through music associated with each of them, with Gordon's original poetry serving as narration.

The cast includes Gordon as Holiday, Edie B. as the narrator, Virginia Williams as Ella and Adrian Bowers as Miles, backed by Arthur Toney (keyboards), Jeff Anderson (tenor sax and bass) and Marty Morrison (drums and percussion). Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling Gordon at 314-838-9198 or at the door.

Then on Sunday afternoon, the St. Louis Jazz Club presents a performance by the traditional jazz and swing band Cornet Chop Suey at the Sheraton Westport Hotel, 900 Westport Plaza. (Note that this is a new location; when originally announce, the concert was to be held at the Moolah Shrine Center in Maryland Heights, a site frequently used by the SLJC in recent years. Apparently, there's been some sort of falling out, as the Moolah is no longer even listed among the SLJC's venues on their Web site.)

For the latest updates on jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar. (Note that, as usually happens at the beginning of a new month, schedule information from musicians and venues is still coming in to StLJN HQ, with calendar updates following as the info is received. )

(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.)

Greg Worzel launches new label with debut CD from teen singer

Via email, keyboardist Greg Worzel tells StLJN that he's launching a new independent jazz label called Prospect Records. Based in the St. Louis suburb of O'Fallon, MO, the new imprint will make its debut with Like Someone In Love, the first recording from 17-year-old vocalist Emily Nicole (pictured).

Worzel has worked previously with singer Anita Rosamond and produced her CD Timeless. He's also the producer of Nicole's debut, which will be introduced at a CD release party that will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. next Wednesday, July 15 at Jive and Wail, 6101 Mid Rivers Mall Dr. in St. Peters.

Nicole's singing experience to date includes musical theater productions at Francis Howell HS in St. Charles, performances with the Patt Holt Singers choral group, and a featured spot with Worzel's Rhythm of the Nite band. Audio samples from Like Someone In Love are available on her (rather minimal at present) Web site.

Belleville's Wine, Dine and Jazz Festival set for Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6

Belleville's Wine, Dine and Jazz Festival has announced the lineup of performers for this year's event, which will be held on Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6 in the square in downtown Belleville, Illinois.

Friday night's musical menu includes the Scott Air Force Base "Shades of Blue" combo at 5:00 p.m.; Two Times True, featuring pianist Carolbeth True and her son, drummer David True, at 6:45 p.m.; and singer Brian Owens at 8:30 p.m.

On Saturday, the festival kicks off at 2:00 p.m. with Tony D. and the Groove Merchants, featuring organist Tony DiPasquale and saxophonist David Fatek, followed by funk/rock band Fresh Heir at 3:30 p.m. and singer Mary Dyson (pictured) and the Brock Walter Trio at 5:00 p.m. The day wraps up with sets by singer Anita Rosamond at 6:45 p.m. and Wild, Cool & Swingin' at 8:30 p.m.

The Wine, Dine and Jazz Festival is free and open to the public. For more details and a complete schedule of events, visit the festival's Web site.

Is jazz coming back to downtown St. Louis?

Though many jazz clubs have come and gone in downtown St. Louis over the decades, in recent years it's been tough to find live jazz in the figurative shadow of the Gateway Arch.

In the nearly four years I've been writing StLJN, jazz bookings at the Adams Mark Hotel's lounges and restaurants, once a staple there, first dwindled, and then were eliminated when the riverfront property was sold and re-flagged as a Hyatt Regency. Elsewhere downtown, BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups has continued to book the Sessions Big Band on Mondays, as well as occasional gigs on Sundays featuring locals such as Good 4 the Soul, Todd Mosby and Anita Rosamond, but it remains primarily a blues club. Also, a bit farther to the west, George Sams' Nu-Art Series has presented occasional jazz and creative music performances at the Metropolitan Gallery. Beyond that, though, live jazz in downtown St. Louis proper has been relatively scarce here in the 21st century.

(UPDATE: A reader emails to point out that the concerts put on by the now-defunct Black Artists Group revival in 2007 and 2008 at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site ought to be included in any accounting of recent jazz activity downtown, and he's right. Although BAG II didn't succeed in building a large audience, the efforts of the group, and particularly those of bassist and event producer Zimbabwe Nkenya, should not be forgotten.)

The deficit has not gone completely unnoticed. A couple of years ago, Jazz St. Louis made an attempt to establish a downtown beachhead of sorts, co-presenting a handful of free, cocktail-hour shows in conjunction with the Hilton at the Ballpark. Having played one of those gigs myself, backing singer Kim Massie, I can say based on first-hand observation that the hotel - how do I put this nicely? - did not seem strongly committed to making the series a success. As it turned out, the idea was abandoned after a few weeks.

More recently, though, there have been a few signs that jazz may be making something of a comeback in downtown St. Louis. Consider the following data points:

1) The St. Louis Jazz Cafe, located at 1500 St. Charles, and previously written about in this space here, here and here, appears to be on track for its grand opening celebration featuring music from Erin Bode this Saturday, March 21.

Someone associated with the cafe apparently has been reaching out to local food writers, as evidenced by these blog posts from the Riverfront Times and Sauce magazine, and Post-Dispatch pop music critic Kevin Johnson also mentioned the grand opening in a blog post here. (Curiously, any press releases intended for St. Louis Jazz Notes, and/or grand opening invitations for yr. humble editor, seem to have been mysteriously lost in the electronic ether and/or mail.)

The St. Louis Jazz Cafe also has updated parts of its Web site, particularly the music calendar, which now reveals who's booked for the first couple of weeks after the grand opening. 3 Central, a smooth jazz band seen in semi-regular rotation at the now-closed Cookie's Jazz and More, will play for the cafe's soft-opening "Friends and Family" night on Thursday, with the Usual Suspects taking over on subsequent Thursdays. (I'm reasonably certain that would be these Usual Suspects, fronted by keyboardist Charlie Brown and singer/saxophonist Jessica Butler, and not these Usual Suspects, who, save for a few videos on YouTube, seem to have evaporated without a trace in the two years since winning the RFT's "Best Cover Band" award.)

Other musical offerings now on the St. Louis Jazz Cafe calendar include the Neal Connors Trio, for the cafe's first Sunday brunch on March 22; Trio Tres Bien (pictured), who are set to appear on Saturday, March 28 and Friday, April 10; and Lamar Harris, who's booked on Saturday, April 4 and Friday, April 17. That's about as far as the calendar goes right now, though there is an RSS feed for those who'd like direct access to any updates.

2) St. Louis City Jazz, the fledgling not-for-profit organization whose mission statement, as their name suggests, involves "bringing live jazz back to the city of St. Louis," is presenting smooth jazz saxophonist Tim Cunningham at the Schlafly Brewery and Tap Room this Sunday, March 22. Cunningham plays from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and tickets are $20 at the door.

3) Then there's the Jazz Spot, housed in the space at 400 N. Washington Ave. that once contained the Mandarin Bay restaurant, back when the surrounding hotel first opened a few years ago. The Jazz Spot came into being in 2008, when local real estate and media moguls the Roberts Brothers took over the hotel. However, to date, I haven't written anything about the place here on StLJN, because they haven't featured much in the way of actual jazz music.

Instead, the half-dozen groups listed on the club's Web site's "live music" page would seem to fall mostly into what might loosely be termed the "variety band" category, mixing jazz, R&B, pop, blues and other genres. Only one group listed there has its own Web site, the On Call Band, led by drummer Marty Spikener and saxophonist David Spruill. They're an entertaining band, featuring some good musicians, but not a jazz group per se; indeed, their own Web site emphasizes not their jazz chops, but their versatility, pitching them as able to play everything from blues to reggae.

That said, the Jazz Spot did present a show last October featuring singer and East St. Louis native Phil Perry, who works the boundary of smooth jazz and R&B, and the club will serve as the site for the upcoming CD release event for drummer Stan Hale, so perhaps they will yet begin booking live music on a regular basis that lives up to the implications of their name. For now, I'll be adding a link to the Jazz Spot's site, and to the site of the St. Louis Jazz Cafe, over on the StLJN sidebar, and keeping on eye on developments at both places.

Granted, these are but a handful of semi-random data points, there's a major recession happening, and a handful of shows do not a full-fledged resurgence make. But one would think jazz fans in St. Louis will be hoping for these new downtown presenters to meet with some success. It certainly would be good for local listeners, as well as tourists, left for for some time without adequate musical options in the heart of a city supposedly famous for its jazz heritage. And it would, of course, be good for St. Louis' jazz musicians, who can always use more work. For now, all we can do is wait and see what happens next.

Benefit show for Gus Thornton to be held this Sunday, March 8 at BB's

As so often happens when one of their own needs a bit of help, St. Louis musicians are banding together to put on a benefit show this weekend, with an impressive lineup of talent set to help raise funds for bassist Gus Thornton (pictured) from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 8 at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups, 700 S. Broadway in downtown St. Louis.

Thornton is an East St. Louis native who's known for long associations with blues guitarist Albert King and pianist Johnnie Johnson, and currently works regularly with singer Kim Massie. He has a history of heart problems and recently had a new pacemaker installed, racking up some substantial medical bills while simultaneously being forced to take time off from gigging during recovery, which meant a double hit to his finances. The benefit, organized by Tom Maloney and Art Dwyer of the Soulard Blues Band, will raise money to help with Thornton's medical and living expenses.

Although his highest-profile work has been with blues artists, Thornton also has done a lot of jazz gigs around town, and so it should come as no surprise that the roster of performers for Sunday includes practitioners of both genres. The scheduled acts so far include the aforementioned Soulard Blues Band and Kim Massie, as well as the Mighty Big Band, Skeet Rogers & the Inner City Blues Band, the Ground Floor Blues Band, guitarist Dave Black, Anita Rosamond, Renee Smith, Oliver Johnson, Rough Grooves, and possibly saxophonist Willie Akins, with whom Thornton has done a lot of playing over the years.

Admission to the Gus Thornton benefit at BB's is $10 per person, and do note that, in addition to the announced lineup, these sorts of benefit shows almost always attract some last-minute surprise guests and sit-ins, as well as providing a chance for spontaneous one-off combinations of musicians who don't usually work together. It should be a good time for a good cause.

(Full disclosure: Yr. humble editor has known Gus Thornton for more than 10 years, has played hundreds of gigs with him, and considers him a good friend. I'll be there on Sunday, playing piano with singer Renee Smith and, if needed, perhaps others as well.)

Photo of Gus Thornton from STLBlues.net

Missouri Botanical Garden announces 2009 Whitaker Music Festival lineup

The Missouri Botanical Garden has announced the 2009 lineup of free concerts for the annual Whitaker Music Festival, which this year will take place on ten consecutive Wednesdays starting June 3 and ending August 5.

As is customary, the 2009 schedule includes a number of artists of interest to jazz enthusiasts, but unlike some past years, those shows are spread throughout the schedule instead of all taking place during June.

Pianist Peter Martin (pictured), a St. Louis native known internationally for his work with singer Dianne Reeves, trumpeter Chris Botti and others, will open the 2009 series on Wednesday, June 3. On June 10, the St. Louis Stompers will perform traditional New Orleans style jazz, followed on June 17 by clarinetist Scott Alberici, whose skills range from swing to bop to modern jazz. Then on June 24, guitarist Todd Mosby and his group will present their fusion of jazz, rock, classical and Indian styles.

Next up, it's the string-band swing and Gypsy jazz of Dizzy Atmosphere on July 1, then jazz/R&B keyboardist Tony Simmons on July 8, and the 1960s-flavored folk-rock of Rogers, Nienhaus and Crawford on July 15.

Jazz/Latin/world music band Farshid Etniko will take the stage on July 22, followed by pop crooner Ralph Butler on July 29, and singer/pianist Anita Rosamond, making up a 2008 date that was rained out, wrapping up the series on August 5.

The concerts are held outdoors on the lawn of the Garden's Cohen Amphitheater, just west of the Climatron, and concertgoers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. Admission to the Garden is free after 5:00 p.m. on concert nights, with music beginning at 7:30 p.m. Free parking is available on site and at lots two blocks west at the corner of Shaw and Vandeventer. For more information, visit the Garden's Web site or call the recorded hotline at 314-577-9400. In the event of inclement weather, tune in to WSIE (88.7 FM) for updates.

(Edited 3/1/09 to fix a typo.)

Jazz at Holmes announces spring 2009 schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University has announced the rest of its spring 2009 schedule of concerts.

Two Jazz at Holmes shows, featuring the Poor People of Paris and Randy Holmes and Hard Bop Heritage, have already taken place this semester. Also, according to the news release sent out today, the February 13 concert by pianist Marc Copland's trio, previously announced as a presentation of the Wash U. Department of Music, is now being co-sponsored by Jazz at Holmes as well.

The Copland concert, also featuring bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Bill Stewart, will be a departure from the usual Jazz at Holmes formula. It is being held on a Friday, it's off campus at the 560 Music Center in University City, and it is not a free show; tickets are $20 for the public, $15 for Wash. U faculty and staff, and $5 for students.

As for the rest of the schedule of free Thursday night performances announced today, other noteworthy shows for spring 2009 include appearances by the Wee Trio (pictured), an NYC-based group featuring former St. Louisan Dan Loomis on bass, and singer Jan Shapiro, another St. Louis expat who now teaches at Berklee College of Music. This spring's concerts also will feature a whole lot of Wash U. faculty member and Jazz at Holmes series coordinator William Lenihan, who will be wielding his guitar with various combinations of players on four of the gigs. Here's the schedule:

Thursday, February 19: Todd Mosby Group

Thursday, February 26: Sometime Then and Again - quartet with guitarist William Lenihan and saxophonist Dave Stone

Thursday, March 5: Pianist Kim Portnoy, drummer Roger Guth, and Lenihan

Thursday, March 19: Portnoy and Lenihan

Thursday, March 26: Guitarist Chris Burchett and his quartet

Thursday, April 2: Jan Shapiro with Lenihan

Thursday, April 9: Wee Trio

Thursday, April 16: vocalist Anita Rosamond

All of these concerts are free and open to the public, and begin at 8:00 p.m. in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall on the Washington University campus.

Thimes, Rosamond and Kennedy on board for fall jazz cruise

Singers Denise Thimes and Anita Rosamond and bassist Tom Kennedy (pictured) are among the musicians who will be on board for the fall 2009 edition of "The Jazz Cruise" produced by the St. Louis-based company Jazz Cruises LLC. The cruise is scheduled for November 8 - 15 on the Holland America ship Westerdam, and will traverse the Caribbean visiting ports of call such as St. Thomas, St. Barth's and Half Moon Cay.

The three St. Louisans on "The Jazz Cruise" will be part of a large roster of players known primarily for mainstream jazz and swing, including several who have appeared in recent years in St. Louis, such as singer Karrin Allyson, pianist Shelly Berg, singer/pianist Freddie Cole and saxophonists Houston Person and Tom Scott. For complete details, see "The Jazz Cruise" Web site.

Webster Records presenting free in-store performances on Saturday, December 20

As part of their efforts to entice holiday shoppers, Webster Records will offer two free in-store jazz performances this Saturday, January 20.

From 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., singer Anita Rosamond (pictured) will offer selections from her holiday CD This Is Christmas. Then, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., guitarist Art Ruprecht will performing "inspirational smooth jazz" from his new CD At The End Of The Day.

Webster Records is located at 117 W. Lockwood in the Old Webster business district of Webster Groves.

Jazz this week: "A Soulful Christmas," Jim Manley, a tribute to Louis Armstrong, Erin Bode, and more

Although several of our town's not-for-profit presenters have already gone into holiday or, in the case of the universities, end-of-semester mode, there's still plenty of live jazz on St. Louis stages this weekend. Let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, the very fine pianist Reggie Thomas leads a group featuring trumpeter Anthony Wiggins in a free concert at the Black Cat Theatre in Maplewood. The show will feature the music of Louis Armstrong, and is part of Jazz St. Louis' Whitaker Community Concerts series.

Also tonight, Sound Unlimited returns to Cookie's Jazz and More to serve as house rhythm section for an open jam session. (They'll do it again next week, the last such jam session before current Cookie's owners Harold and Cookie Whitfield close the doors on December 20 and prepare to hand off to new management in 2009. StLJN will have more on the upcoming changes at Cookie's in a future post.)

On Friday and Saturday, trumpeter Jim Manley takes the stage at Jazz at the Bistro. Manley has been part of the St. Louis music scene for more that 20 years, leading many successful projects including the dance band Fantasy, funk group Horns in the House and the retro-Vegas jazz/pop band Wild, Cool and Swingin'. Regardless of the musical context, Manley always brings impressive chops, high energy and a sense of fun to his work, and I'd expect the same from him as he fronts a small combo at the Bistro this weekend.

Also on Friday and Saturday, singer Erin Bode will perform in concert at the New Town Chapel, 3420 Civic Circle in New Town, St. Charles. Tickets are available only at the Domain Street Wine Bar in New Town, and a portion of the proceeds benefits the New Town Trust. For more information, call 636-940-0457 or visit the New Town Web site.

Other noteworthy performances on Friday include singer, pianist, and saxophonist Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum at Brandt's; trumpeter and singer Dawn Weber's holiday show at the Black Cat Theatre; and singer Naomi Stevens and keyboardist Brenda Foster at Cookie's.

On Saturday, singer Anita Rosamond will perform at Black Cat Theatre, doing a mix of holiday material and some of her personal favorites with a band that includes keyboardist Adaron "Pops" Jackson and guitarist Shaun Robinson of Good 4 The Soul, drummer Matt Henry, and saxophonist Mark Christopher. Also on Saturday, singer and perennial St. Louis favorite Jeanne Trevor will be at Brandt's.

On Sunday, the smooth jazz holiday show "A Soulful Christmas" with Gerald Albright (pictured), Will Downing and Lalah Hathaway comes to The Pageant. To see some video clips featuring the "Soulful Christmas" headliners, check out this post.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band returns to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, and Tuesday the David Wiatrolik Trio performs at The Gramophone.

You can find more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond by visiting the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(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.)

(Edited after posting to add the Erin Bode shows.)

Brunch and concert honoring Don and Heide Wollf to be held at Harris-Stowe this Sunday, October 5

Longtime St. Louis jazz radio host and advocate Don Wolff and his wife Heide will be honored at an event this Sunday, October 5 at Harris-Stowe State University.

"An Afternoon of Jazz" gets started with a brunch from 11:00 a.m. to noon, followed by tours of HSSU's Wolff Jazz Institute and a concert beginning at 1:00 p.m. with featured performers including singers Mae Wheeler, Gene Lynn, Anita Rosamond, Anita Jackson, Bill Tucker and Jeffrey Hardin and saxophonist Willie Akins. Tickets for the event are $10, and you can make reservations by calling 314-340-3386.

The Wolff Jazz Institute was established in April, 2002 when the Wolffs donated their personal collection to the University. It includes jazz recordings, books, periodicals, films and other materials that, according to HSSU, are valued at more than a million dollars.

KMOX Jazz and Wine Festival 2008 set for Saturday, September 27

St. Louis singers Jeanne Trevor (pictured), Kim Massie and Anita Rosamond will be among the featured entertainers for the third annual KMOX Jazz and Wine Festival to be held from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Saturday, September 27 at Faust Park, 15185 Olive St. Rd. in Chesterfield. The event also will offer the opportunity to sample and purchase wine from eight Missouri wineries, as well as a food court featuring cuisine from local restaurants such as Villa Farotto, Dierdorf & Hart’s, French Quarter Café, Michael J’s Deli, and Ed’s Foods.

Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door and can be purchased over the phone by calling 314-444-1862 or in person at the Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce, 101 Chesterfield Business Parkway, 63005; or the offices of West Newsmagazine, 355 Ozark Trail, Suite 1, 63011. For more information, check out this page at the KMOX (1120 AM) Web site.

Jazz this week: Support your local musicians

With no touring jazz musicians coming to town this week, let's take the opportunity to tout some upcoming gigs from some of our fine St. Louis-based players.

On Friday, drummer Joe Pastor's group Jazz Trinity returns to Brandt's, the Dave Stone Trio will be doing their regular weekly show at Mangia Italiano, and Jazz Renaissance performs at Riddle's

On Saturday, you can catch master tenor saxophonist Willie Akins (pictured) doing his weekly gig at Spruill's.

On Sunday, Good 4 The Soul will do a set before Anita Rosamond and her band take the stage at at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups. Also, the St. Louis New Jazz Quartet, led by bassist Willem Von Hombracht, continue with their regularl Sunday night performances at Riddle's.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band plays at BB's, and on Tuesday, singer and pianist Hugh "Peanuts' Whalum is at Brandt's while saxophonist Bennett Wood returns to The Gramophone for another show in the club's free Tuesday night jazz series.

For more St. Louis jazz-related events this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(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: Garaj Mahal, Bonerama, Erin Bode, Anita Rosamond and more

With Independence Day falling on Friday, there are plenty of non-musical distractions to be had over the next few days, and the most prominent jazz venue in town, Jazz at the Bistro, is taking a break in its summer schedule for the holiday weekend. Nevertheless, there are several noteworthy shows of potential interest to jazz fans happening around town.

Tonight, the jazz-fusion/jam/world music ensemble Garaj Mahal, featuring guitarist Fareed Haque, comes to town to perform at Lucas School House, while singer Anita Rosamond will do a free concert as part of the Whitaker Music Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden. Look for Rosamond to do at least few selections from her new live album, backed by a band that includes Bill Elrod on saxophone and EWI, Ron Carr on drums, Carl Casperson on bass, Mike Carosello on keyboards and Grant Krener on guitar, plus three backup singers.

On Thursday, there's another free concert, as perennial local favorite and tenor sax titan Willie Akins opens this week's Whitaker Urban Evenings show for singer Erin Bode at St. Louis Place Park. Bode also has a new CD, The Little Garden, and perhaps if the fates align, Akins will sit in with her for a tune or two, adding his take on some of that saxophonic flavor that was provided the recording by John Ellis.

On Sunday, the New Orleans-based funk band Bonerama (pictured), which features a front line of four trombone players, will perform at the Broadway Oyster Bar, while just up the block, BB's Jazz Blues and Soups will feature two bands, with Good 4 the Soul taking the early slot and Rosamond and band performing from 9:30 until closing.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Tuesday the veteran singer, pianist and saxophonist Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum will perform at Brandt's, while up-and-coming saxophonist Bennett Wood takes the stage for a no-cover-charge show at The Gramophone.

For more St. Louis jazz-related events this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(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.)

Anita Rosamond releasing live CD

Singer Anita Rosamond is releasing a new CD entitled Keep Liftin' Me Higher - LIVE!. Recorded in April during a gig at Harrah's casino in St. Louis, the disc features Rosamond's interpretations of well-known songs recorded during the 1960s and 1970s by female vocalists such as Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Rita Coolidge, Etta James, Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick, Karen Carpenter and Donna Summer.

Copies of the CD will be available for purchase next week from Webster Records, Euclid Records, Vintage Vinyl, all St. Louis area Borders stores and from Rosamond's Web site. Rosamond also plans a CD release event on Saturday, July 26 at the Black Cat Theatre, 2810 Sutton Blvd. in Maplewood.