Miles Davis Festival regroups with sessions at BB's on August 29, September 11

A group of student musicians from East St. Louis High School will team up with three seasoned pros from the St. Louis jazz scene to pay tribute to Miles Davis at two performances taking place at 7:00 p.m. Monday, August 29 and 7:00 p.m. Sunday, September 11 at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

The "Miles To Go" ensemble assembled by ESL HS band director Delano Redmond includes trumpeter Brady Lewis; saxophonists Carlos Brown Jr., and Garrell Lewis; trombonist Javier Staples; bassist Marvin Cooper; and drummers Everette Benton and Kayla Coates. They'll be joined for the two performances at BB's by three veteran professional musicians - trumpeter Anthony Wiggins (pictured) and pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson, both alumni of East St. Louis' Lincoln High School, and saxophonist Willie Akins.

Both events are being presented under the banner of the Miles Davis Festival, which at a news conference in May at BB's announced an ambitious schedule of events for this summer and fall in St. Louis to coincide with the 85th anniversary of Davis' birth. The festival as originally proposed was to have included a series of performances by up-and-coming musicians at the Metropolitan Gallery under the auspices of the Nu-Art Series; an outdoor concert at a golf course in Illinois; a concert and art exhibit at the Sheldon Concert Hall and Galleries; and a giveaway of a deluxe CD box set collecting all of Davis' recordings for the Columbia label.

As it turns out, none of those events will happen, which festival organizer Deborah Granger, an East St. Louis native who now lives in Los Angeles, attributes to a lack of sponsors willing to underwrite the festival. Although the late trumpeter's estate and Sony/Legacy both ostensibly gave their blessings to the concept, financial support was supposed to have come from local businesses, foundations and other funders in the St. Louis area. With only a couple of months to fundraise in an economy still suffering from recession, Granger said she was unable to secure that support, which in turn has cast doubt on future plans. "We did want to launch an annual event, but that right now is up in the air," said Granger. "I'm wondering if St. Louis wants a Miles Davis Festival. "

(Edited after posting.)

Jazz this week: David Sanborn Trio, Guitars and Saxes, Miles Davis Jazz Festival, and more

The weather in St. Louis is brutally hot this week, but if you can brave the scorching conditions enough to leave the house, there are several shows of interest to jazz fans happening during the next few days.

Most notably, saxophonist and former St. Louisan David Sanborn (pictured) and his current trio featuring organist Joey DeFrancesco will be in town on Monday and Tuesday to play at Jazz at the Bistro.

The gigs are benefit performances intended to raise money for Jazz St. Louis education programs. Regular tickets are priced at $50 and are being sold through Metrotix, and there also also are some VIP packages; call Jazz St. Louis at 314-289-4030 for information on those. To see some video clips of Sanborn and DeFrancesco in action earlier this year, check out this post.

On Friday, the 2010 edition of the smooth jazz package tour Guitars and Saxes comes to the The Pageant. This year's tour features saxophonists Kirk Whalum and Gerald Albright and guitarists Jeff Golub and Peter White. For some video clips of Golub and White, see this post, and you also can see Whalum and Albight in some excerpts from their 2009 "Sax for Stax" tour here.

On Saturday, the fifth annual Miles Davis Jazz Festival takes place at the Commons at Lewis & Clark Community College, 5800 Godfrey Road in Godfrey, IL. This year's featured performers are saxophonist Michael Anthony Fitzgerald, guitarist Brian White, the Howard Neal Band, Chicago-based saxophonist Michael Salter's 5-piece band Freakjar and Kansas City saxophonist Dave Panico, with KMOV's Vickie Newton serving as MC. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Alton Museum of History & Art and at Bossa Nova Lounge in Alton, or by calling 618-462-2763.

Elsewhere around town, Robbie's House of Jazz tonight will feature the Mark Pedigo Trio, with Pedigo on piano, bassist Nick Shea and drummer Matt Milunski. On Friday, the club has drummer Joe Winstein-Hibbs and the Webster Jazz Collective Quartet, and on Saturday, it's trumpeter Anthony Wiggins' quartet.

And it's also the weekend for the annual St. Louis Cabaret Conference, a summer conclave of performers, directors and teachers that also features several live public performances. Tonight, singers Liz Callaway and Jason Graae will perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall; on Friday, Rick Jensen performs at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and on Saturday, Tim Schall takes the stage at Kranzberg. The weekend wraps up with a showcase for conference participants on Sunday night at the Bistro at Grand Center.

For more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, 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: Alyssa Graham; a benefit for Anthony Wiggins; Paul DeMarinis; Chris Burchett plays Monk; and more

With better, almost springlike weather in the offing, it should be a good weekend to get out and hear some live music in St. Louis, and there are a number of events coming up of interest to fans of jazz and creative music.

You can get started tonight, when singer Alyssa Graham opens a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro. This is Graham's debut performance in St. Louis, and her vocal style and blend of jazz, folk and pop influences would seem likely to appeal to fans of local favorite Erin Bode. You can find out more and see some videos of Graham in this post, and hear an interview with her here. Also, Jazz St. Louis has a two-for-one deal on tickets for Graham; for details on that, go here.

Also on Wednesday evening, pianist Jay Oliver is doing a free concert starting at 8:00 p.m. at 560 Music Center, 560 Trinity Ave in University City. Oliver will be joined by guitarist William Lenihan, bassist Tom Kennedy and drummer Roger Guth. According to the Jazz at Holmes email list, compared to Saturday's concert by Oliver this one will feature "more straight-ahead jazz with the possibility of some more modern things."

Also tonight, the Black Rep's production of Yesterdays: An Evening With Billie Holiday, with Vanessa Rubin starring as Holiday, resumes its run. There are evening performances Wednesday through Saturday, plus matinees on Saturday and Sunday, through March 14.

On Thursday, saxophonist Paul DeMarinis will do a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University. Then on Friday evening, trumpeter Randy Holmes will take the stage at Robbies House of Jazz to play the music Art Farmer and Jim Hall with Steve Schenkel (guitar), Eric Warren (bass), and Kevin Gianino (drums).

On Saturday afternoon, guitarist Chris Burchett will play his own compositions and the music of Thelonious Monk for the lastest installment of the Nu-Art Series' "Re-Arrangements and Nu-Compositions"

Sundaybrings a benefit show for trumpeter and jazz educator Anthony Wiggins starting at 4:00 p.m. at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups. Wiggins is recovering from a brain aneurysm suffered last month, and this event will raise money for him and his family. Scheduled performers include Par 3, Arvell Keithley, Good 4 the Soul, Mystic Voyage, and J-Rob. A minimum $10 donation will be requested at the door.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Tuesday morning, trumpeter Bob Ceccarini and pianist Pat Joyce will play a "Coffee Concert" at the Sheldon Concert Hall., with the same program repeating at the same time on Wednesday. Tuesday evening, the Jazz St. Louis CD Listening Club will have its monthly meeting at Borders in Brentwood, with JSL's Gene Dobbs Bradford and DJ and author Dennis Owsley leading a discussion of John Coltrane's A Love Supreme.

For more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, 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 by becoming a "fan" of 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.)

Anthony Wiggins on the mend; benefits set for March 7 & 13

Trumpet player and jazz educator Anthony Wiggins, who was hospitalized earlier this month after suffering a brain aneurysm, is on the mend. The good news comes via Wiggins' Jazz St. Louis colleague Phil Dunlap, who stopped by St. Louis University Hospital for a visit on Tuesday evening. "He is out of the ICU and in good spirits," said Dunlap via email. "He is already talking about his return to playing. Obviously, rehabilitation may take awhile, but he is expected to make a full recovery."

In related news, Wiggins ' friends and colleagues have organized a couple of benefits in March to raise funds for the trumpeter and his family. The first event will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Sunday, March 7 at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups. Scheduled performers include Par 3, Arvell Keithley, Good 4 the Soul, Mystic Voyage, and J-Rob. A minimum $10 donation will be requested at the door. Also, any musicians who'd like to donate their time to perform may contact Brock Walker via email at mrbrock1 (at) aol (dot) com.

The second benefit performance at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, March 13 at the Metropolitan Gallery will take the place of a gig that Wiggins originally was supposed to play for the Nu-Art Series' jazz composers concerts. George Sams of the Nu-Art Series tells StLJN that guitarist Chris Burchett will perform in Wiggins' stead, with all proceeds from the show going to the Wiggins family. For more information, call 314-535-6500, send email to nu-artseries@charter.net, or visit the Nu-Art Series website.

UPDATE - 5:00 p.m., 3/10/10: While Burchett will indeed be subbing for Wiggins on Saturday, March 13, playing the music of Freddie Hubbard as well as his own, efforts to organize the show as a benefit for the Wiggins family apparently have fallen through.

Trumpeter Anthony Wiggins hospitalized

Local trumpeter and jazz educator Anthony Wiggins is in the hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm last week. According to Phil Dunlap of Jazz St. Louis, where Wiggins is one of the instructors in the JazzU program for student musicians in middle school and high school, "He was airlifted to SLU hospital last week (Wednesday evening/Thursday morning) due to a brain aneurysm. They didn’t have to do brain surgery but there was a procedure he had to undergo and he will be in the ICU for a while. We don’t really know too much about his condition but will keep you informed if we hear something."

"We are certainly keeping him and his family in our thoughts and prayers and are hoping for a speedy recovery," Dunlap concluded. StLJN joins in those hopes for a quick and complete comeback for Wiggins, and we'll have updates on the story as developments warrant it.

(Edited slightly for clarity after posting.)

Nu-Art Series matinees to feature St. Louis musicians interpreting famous jazz composers

The Nu-Art Series has announced a new series of weekend matinees presenting St. Louis musicians performing their own work and the music of a famous jazz composer.

"The Jazz Composers Series: Re-Arrangements & Nu-Compositions" will begin Saturday, February 6 with a concert featuring bassist Darrell Mixon's quartet and the music of Charles Mingus and continue each weekend until April 17. Each concert will feature one set of the musician's own compositions and one set highlighting the work of a jazz great.

Notable dates include a concert on Saturday, February 13 featuring the music of Eric Dolphy as interpreted by drummer Charles "Bobo" Shaw, a key member of the Black Artists Group and improvised music veteran whose local gigs have been comparatively rare in recent years; and the return of multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis expat J. D. Parran (pictured), who will perform the music of John Coltrane on Saturday, April 3. Here's the complete schedule:

Saturday, February 6:
Darrell Mixon Quartet/Charles Mingus

Saturday, February 13:
Charles "Bobo" Shaw Art Ensemble/Eric Dolphy

Saturday, February 20:
Ptah Williams Trio/Bud Powell

Saturday, February 27:
Chad Evans Ensemble/Charlie Parker

Saturday, March 6:
Chris Burchett Quartet/Thelonious Monk

Saturday. March 13:
Anthony Wiggins Quintet/Freddie Hubbard

Sunday, March 21:
Willie Akins Quartet/Sonny Rollins

Saturday, March 27:
Jerome "Scrooge" Harris Ensemble/Miles Davis & Wayne Shorter

Saturday, April 3:
J.D. Parran/John Coltrane

Saturday, April 17:
Stan Coleman Youth Jazz Band/Duke Ellington

Aadmission is $10 at the door, and all performances are from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Metropolitan Gallery, 2936 Locust St. For more information, call 314-535-6500, send email to nu-artseries@charter.net, or visit the Nu-Art Series website.

Jazz this week: Reggie Thomas and OGD, Lamar Harris and Tribal Funk, Kim Portnoy Trio, and more

Though ghosts, goblins and ghouls may reign supreme this Halloween weekend, it should still be possible for interested listeners to scare up some good jazz in St. Louis.

Tonight, singer Erin Bode and her group will help inaugurate a new "special events" room at Cyrano's in Webster Groves. There's no word yet if Cyrano's plans to make this new addition a regular venue for live music, but fans who in the past have packed in to see Bode perform in the main part of the restaurant no doubt will enjoy the extra elbow room.

On Friday and Saturday, keyboardist Reggie Thomas and his organ trio OGD will take the stage at Robbie's House of Jazz, augmented for the weekend by special guests Ronald Carter (pictured) on saxophone and Anthony Wiggins on trumpet. Thomas is one of the top keyboard talents in the area, and adding Carter and Wiggins to the mix will expand the band's sonic pallette considerably.

Also on Friday and Saturday, trombonist Lamar Harris and Tribal Funk will perform at Jazz at the Bistro. Harris' music blends jazz, funk, R&B and hip-hop, and though I haven't heard his newest project yet, given the name I'd expect an emphasis on beats and grooves.

On Sunday evening, pianist Kim Portnoy and his trio will team up with virtuoso harmonica player Sandy Weltman for a concert at 7:30 p.m. at Eliot Unitarian Chapel, 100 S. Taylor (at Argonne) in Kirkwood. Weltman's work on the chromatic harp is both technically impressive and emotionally expressive, and Portnoy is a thoughtful pianist and composer whose playing ranges from swinging to impressionistic. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door and can be purchased by calling 314- 662-2947.

As usually happens with the first of a new month coming up, some schedule information for November is still arriving at StLJN HQ. So, for updated information on more jazz and creative music events this weekend and beyond, check out the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, available for viewing on the left sidebar, or by clicking here. Also, you can now follow St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes and/or become a "fan" by signing up 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.)

Reggie Thomas, Anthony Wiggins to perform free concert on Thursday, December 11

Jazz St. Louis has announced that the second concert in their new Whitaker Community Concerts series will feature the Reggie Thomas Group with trumpeter Anthony Wiggins performing at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 11 at the Black Cat Theatre in Maplewood. The concert will showcase the music of Louis Armstrong, and it's free and open to the public.