Jazz this week: BAG II's farewell, Good 4 The Soul, Bhob Rainey, Randy Holmes, and more

Looking to hear some jazz or creative music amid the holiday hustle and bustle? Here's what's going on in St. Louis over the next few days:

Tonight, free-improvising saxophonist Bhob Rainey (pictured) will perform a solo concert at Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center. You can see a couple of short video samples of Rainey's playing here. (The Tuesday night jazz series at The Gramophone is on pause this week as the club hosts a private party.)

On Friday and Saturday, the band Good 4 The Soul brings their fusion of jazz, r&b, funk, soul and gospel influences to Jazz at the Bistro. Also on Friday, singer Kim Massie will be at Brandt's, and saxophonist Dave Stone and his trio play at Mangia Italiano.

On Saturday, trumpeter Randy Holmes and his trio offer a tribute to trumpeter and singer Chet Baker to wrap up the free "Birth of the Cool" concert series at the Kemper Museum on the Washington University campus, and saxophonist Willie Akins will, as far as we know, be doing his usual Saturday thing at Spruill's.

Sunday brings another free concert, as BAG II gives its farewell presentation at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site featuring music from Zimbabwe Nkenya; poetry from Shirley LeFlore, Michael Castro and others; and more. It's a shame the new incarnation of BAG is coming to an end; here's hoping that Nkenya and the others who have been involved in the organization will stay active on the local scene.

Looking beyond the weekend, singer Erin Bode and her band will appear at the restaurant Revival, 3800 Chouteau, on Tuesday night. That same evening, The Gramophone is hosting what's being billed as the "Jazz St. Louis open jam"; for the latest info, go directly to their Web site.

As for New Year's Eve activities, an initial survey of the available options here in the Gateway City suggests a meager number of choices that are of specific interest to jazz fans. As has been the case for the last several years, Jazz at the Bistro will be dark on NYE as the First Night event takes over the Grand Center neighborhood.

This year's First Night lineup (.pdf file) does have some performers of interest, including Kim Massie, the Nuclear Percussion Ensemble, Farshid Etniko, Jeanne Trevor, El Caribe Tropical, and the Urban Groove Project. However, as anyone who's been knows, the First Night experience is qualitatively quite different from going to a club, concert or hotel, and thus may not be your particular cup o' tea.

Local concert stages are, for the most part, dark as well on New Year's Eve, though The Sheldon once again will be a venue for First Night. Looking at some of the clubs around town that regularly feature jazz, it seems that Brandt's, which last NYE featured a triple bill of Trevor, "Peanuts" Whalum and Mae Wheeler, is going with rock/Latin/pop singer Javier Mendoza this year, while The Gramophone will feature funk band Hazard To Your Booty. There's still some research to do with regard to jazz-related NYE options at local hotels and restaurants, though, and so look for updated info on that in a future post.

In the meantime, 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.)

BAG II to present final event next Sunday, December 28

BAG II has scheduled its final event as a presenting organization for 7:00 p.m. next Sunday, December 28 at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe. From the e-mail announcement:

"On Sunday, December 28th BAG II is Out! with its final presentation: an evening of performance and visual art dedicated to the memory of Vincent Terrell and Ajule “Sonny” Rutlin, original founding members of both BAG and BAG II. The presentation will highlight the spirit of Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) the third day of Kwanzaa. Paying tribute to the BAG vision will be original BAG poet Shirley LeFlore, with Michael Castro, and Marsha Cann; visual artist Seitu James Smith and musician Zimbabwe Nkenya. The event is free, 7 – 9 PM at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, 2658 Delmar Blvd...

...According to Zimbabwe Nkenya, “BAG II has had its run, but the creative spirit that has driven this work over the past two years will continue.” For more information on the December 28th event call 314-340-5790 or email bag_blackartistgroup@yahoo.com."

Jazz this week: Poncho Sanchez, Paula West, Morton Subotnick, and more

There's lots going on this week with jazz and creative music in St. Louis, so let's get right to the highlights, starting with three touring performers who are playing in the Gateway City over the next few days.

Tonight, Latin-jazz percussionist Poncho Sanchez begins a four-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro. You can see a couple of videos featuring Sanchez and his band in this post from last Saturday, and Jazz St. Louis also has a podcast interview with Sanchez here.

On Saturday, singer Paula West performs at the Sheldon Concert Hall. You can see and hear West in a couple of video clips here; also, note that the Sheldon is offering online buyers a $10 discount on tickets to West's concert.

Also on Saturday, New Music Circle and St. Louis Community College-Forest Park will present pioneering electronic musician and composer Morton Subotnick (pictured) in concert at the college's Mildred E. Bastian Performing Arts Center. Subotnick will perform "Until Spring Revisited," a remaking of an electronic music/video composition originally created for solo synthesizer in 1975.

In addition to these three headliners, there are a number of other noteworthy shows this week. On Thursday, the mysterious FO(U)R PEACE BAND does a free show for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University. I call them "mysterious" because I haven't been able to find out anything about them on the 'Net, nor have Wash U or the Jazz at Holmes series released anything about who they are or what sort of music they play. Still, given the series' deserved reputation for presenting good stuff, the show seemed worth a mention here, but caveat lector.

Also on Thursday, world music fans may want to check out the UMSL University Percussion Ensemble and Afro-Cuban Ensemble and their special guest Adam Rugo, who will perform percussion music from Africa, Cuba, Japan and the United States in a free concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Moving on to Saturday, the Kemper Museum presents a free concert by guitarist Teddy Presberg and his band the Red Note Revivalists as part of the series of live performances accompanying the museum's current "Birth of the Cool" exhibit.

On Sunday, the Nu Art Series presents the Tayammum Falah Art Orchestra in concert at the Metropolitan Gallery, 2936 Locust St. The group features the leader on drums and percussion, plus bassist Raymond Eldridge, pianist Christopher Evans, and an intriguing front line of veterans Floyd LeFlore on trumpet and Willie Akins on saxophones.

That same afternoon, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra presents its annual "Explosions" percussion concert at the TouPAC. And that evening, BAG II sponsors a free performance at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site featuring poets Marsha Cann, Joyce Blue and Deborah Mashibini and music from bassist/mbira player Zimbabwe Nkenya.

Looking beyond the weekend, the first part of next week offers a couple of shows of particular interest to big band fans. On Monday, the Sessions Big Band continues its ongoing series of gigs at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups, and on Tuesday, the Genesis Jazz Project does one of its semi-annual free concerts at the TouPAC.

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.)

Cooper-Moore adds second St. Louis performance

NYC-based multi-instrumentalist Cooper-Moore, already scheduled to perform on Saturday, October 25 at Joe's Cafe, has added a second show to his St. Louis sojourn.

While he's in town, Cooper-Moore also will play at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, October 26 at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe. This concert is under the auspices of the Black Artists Group aka BAG II, and BAG II's Zimbabwe Nkenya will open the show with a solo performance of his own. For more on Cooper-Moore and the Joe's Cafe show, see this post.

BAG II to cease operations at end of 2008

BAG II, which attempted to revive the spirit of St. Louis' storied Black Artists Group, will be ceasing operations at the end of 2008. Here's the announcement sent out by Zimbabwe Nkenya, bassist/composer and one of the prime movers of BAG II:

"Thank you for your support for and interest in “the new” BAG II.

For the past year and a half we have offered free public events at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site featuring some of the best creative improvisational music and literary work in St. Louis today.

BAG II was originally started by Ajule Sonny Rutlin and Vincent Terrell. Since their sudden passing, within months of each other, it has been difficult to facilitate a consistent coming together of creative energy here in St. Louis.

BAG lives on, but BAG II, while it was good, has gone as far as it can go.

Plan to join us for the last three months of BAG II programming:

Sunday, October 26th
Sunday, November 23rd
Sunday, December 28th

All BAG II events begin at 7 PM, are free, family-friendly and open to the public.

In the New Year we’ll be moving on to new things, looking forward to more creative work in St. Louis and beyond. We plan to take down the BAG II web site and discontinue this mailing list in January 2009.

Check www.myspace.com/zimbabwenkenya to stay in touch,

Peace,
Zimbabwe"

StLJN will have more details on BAG II's last three programs as they are announced, and I also hope to be able to find out more about the decision to end the organzation's run as well as Nkenya's future plans. Stay tuned.

BAG's Zimbabwe Nkenya performing with student musicians this Sunday, July 27

The Black Artists Group has just announced a free event this Sunday, July 27 at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site. From the email notice:

"BAG Presents:

An evening of music by Zimbabwe Nkenya and local high school musicians inspired by the traditions of the original Black Artists Group (BAG). Sunday, July 27th, from 8 – 10 PM at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, 2658 Delmar Blvd. Free.

The Lemp Neighborhood Association, with support from the Regional Arts Council, offered a series of workshops this summer for high school musicians focusing on the Black Artists Group to enrich their understanding of the heritage of Jazz in St. Louis. Student participants had the opportunity to learn about the composition and performance of original creative music in the tradition of BAG. This Sunday, Zimbabwe Nkenya and the students will share music from those workshops.

The performance will feature compositions by Zimbabwe Nkenya from his CD The New Jazz (available at Vintage Vinyl and at the concert) as well as pieces dedicated to St. Louis trumpeter Bata Rutlin and saxophonist Maurice Malik King."

For more information, call the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site at 314-340-5790 or send an email to bag_blackartistgroup@yahoo.com.

BAG presenting "Sworn To the Drum" on Sunday, June 22

The Black Artists Group is presenting another free event on Sunday, June 22. From their news release:

"Join “Baba” Mike Nelson (pictured) and friends on Sunday, June 22 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for "Sworn to the Drum," a musical salute to the spirit of the drum, at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site in the Rosebud Café.

A native of St. Louis, Nelson has earned the title of “Omo Anà” or sacred drummer in a global brotherhood of musicians. “This brotherhood is national, international and world-wide. A community that we are expanding by welcoming all to come and share this music with us,” says Nelson.

“This is a musical journey of drumming using local accomplished drummers who have taken an oath to the drum. “Sworn to The Drum” means that we have dedicated our lives to the preservation and protection of drum culture. Singers, dancers and musicians will also accompany the various styles of drumming.

“Part of what we want to speak to is the fact that in the past this style of drumming was relegated only to kings and queens. We’re widening the circle to bring this to the people. Making it accessible to the people and welcoming everyone into the circle,” says Nelson.

“These drummers have dedicated their lives to teaching and the proper social context of the styles of the drumming that we will be sharing on Sunday night. We need to widen the circle, and that is what this event is all about...

...Sunday’s line-up will include Haitian, West African and Afro- Cuban drumming with a tinge of improvisational jazz. Everyone will be invited to take a journey.

“As we have been taught, we want to empower the community with the power that we have, sharing the journey,” says Nelson, “We hope to have people walk away with a new respect for traditional music. An awareness of the sacred drum tradition.”

All BAG events are free and family friendly. Everyone is welcome."

For more information, call 314-340-5790 or send an email to bag_blackartistsgroup@yahoo.com.

BAG II now on MySpace

Bassist and composer Zimbabwe Nkenya sends word via email that the reconstituted Black Artist Group (a.k.a BAG II) now has a MySpace page, which will feature both information on the organization's current activities and historical material related to the group's earlier incarnation, which helped launch the careers of performers such as Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill, Hamiet Bluiett, Charles "Bobo" Shaw, Baikida Carroll, Luther Thomas, Joseph Bowie, Floyd LeFlore and many others. .

"We're looking for CDs, photos and other BAG related material from the 1960s and 1970s for the web page. We can upload and post music/recording samples and scan and return photos. Let us know if you have something to share," writes Nkenya. You'll find the BAG II page at http://www.myspace.com/blackartistgroup.

BAG to present "From Ragtime to No Time" this Sunday, February 24

This just in: BAG has announced a performance coming up at 7 p.m. this Sunday, February 24 at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site.

The BAG Trio, which includes Gary Sykes on drums, Zimbabwe Nkenya on bass and Mike "Baba" Nelson on trumpet and percussion, will present "From Ragtime to No Time," a concert that "will take listeners through a musical excursion in rhythm from the Ragtime sounds that make the Scott Joplin State Historic Site famous, to the innovations of the musicians of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s who changed the way we hear and think of the creative music today."

Admission to the event is free. For more information, you can call the Scott
Joplin House at 314-340-5790.

BAG to present "One For King" on Sunday, January 20

Via email, BAG has announced that they'll present a program called "One For King" this Sunday, January 20 at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe. The event is, as the name suggests, dedicated to the memory and message of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and will feature a lineup of poets, musicians and artists including Michael Castro and the BAG Trio ("Baba" Mike Nelson on trumpet and percussion, Zimbabwe Nkenya on bass and mbira, and the great Gary Sykes on drums and percussion).

The program will include several group improvisations as well as individual performances. Sykes will be featured on a solo drum composition "in remembrance of the struggle" and Nkenya will offer a piece based on "Dr. King, The Peaceful Warrior," a Cal Massey composition featured on the Archie Shepp album Things Have Got to Change. Nelson and Castro also will perform original solo pieces honoring the Rev. Dr. King.

"One For King" takes place from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and admission is free. For more information, call the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site at 314-340-5790 or send email to bag_blackartistgroup@yahoo.com.

Jazz this week: Bob Dorough, Brian Owens, BAG Trio, St. Louis Jazz Orchestra, and more

Due to various deadlines and some Blogger balkiness, this will be a rather terse chronological summary of this weekend's most noteworthy jazz-related events:

Tonight, the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra, directed by Jim Widner, will do their monthly gig at Jazz at the Bistro, and pianist Kim Portnoy does a free concert at Washington University's Holmes Lounge as part of the Jazz at Holmes series

On Friday and Saturday, soul/jazz singer Brian Owens (pictured) performs at the Bistro. For a brief sample of Owens' singing style, see the video window at the bottom of this post.

On Sunday, the BAG Trio featuring Zimbabwe Nkenya, Gary Sykes and Mike Nelson will be featured in a free concert at the Scott Joplin State Historic Site.

Also on Sunday, singer and pianist Bob Dorough returns to St. Louis for the first time in 47 years - no, that's not a typo; he last performed here in 1960 - to do a one-nighter at the Bistro. For a bit more about Dorough, whose long career has included everything from guesting on two Miles Davis albums to writing many of the songs for the educational cartoon series Schoolhouse Rock, see the story about him that I wrote for this week's Riverfront Times. (Note also that the phone number appended to the RFT story is incorrect. The correct phone number for advance tickets for Dorough's show is 314-961-1898.)

For more local jazz events this weekend and beyond, please consult 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 more tags.)

BAG Trio to perform this Sunday, December 9

BAG II has announced another free event, set for 7 p.m. this Sunday, December 9. From the news release:

The BAG Trio, with Zimbabwe Nkenya on bass and African Mbira, Mike Nelson on shells, trumpet and percussion, and Gary Sykes on drums, are just back from Chicago, where they were featured with Douglas Ewart at the Velvet Lounge. This Sunday, December 9th, they will offer a free evening of creative music at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site from 7 – 9 PM.

The Trio plays everything from Cuban & European to African Jazz. They incorporate the sacred Bata Drums with the sacred African Mbira as well as traditional trio work on trumpet, bass and drums.

For more information call 314-340-5790 or email bag_blackartistgroup@yahoo.com.

Jazz this week: Stefon Harris, Eastern Blok, poetry and music from BAG, a benefit for the Backstoppers, and more

Topping this week's list of jazz musicians performing in St. Louis is vibraphonist Stefon Harris (pictured), who's playing at Jazz at the Bistro through Saturday. Harris has worked as a sideman with well-known players such as Kenny Barron, Steve Turre and Charlie Hunter, and has released several critically acclaimed albums as a leader, distinguishing himself as one of the most important new voices on his instrument to emerge in recent years.

Elsewhere on the "touring artists" front, on Saturday the Chicago based-group Eastern Blok, featuring guitarist Goran Ivanovic, will bring their fusion of jazz, classical, folk and Balkan music to Pop's Blue Moon.

There also are some noteworthy shows involving St. Louis musicians this weekend. starting tonight, when guitarist Steve Schenkel does a free concert at Washington University as part of the Jazz at Holmes series.

On Friday, BAG presents a program of poetry and music featuring Alima Sadiq Afsal and Zimbabwe Nkenya at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe. And on Sunday, Anita Rosamond, the Tom Kennedy Trio, Wild Cool & Swingin' and several other local jazz and pop artists will team up for a concert at The Pageant to benefit the Backstoppers. Read more in my RFT Critic's Pick on the show, found online here. Beyond the weekend, singer Denise Thimes has a concert scheduled Tuesday at the Sheldon as part of the venue's "Notes From Home" series.

For more, please consult the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar. (Please note that, as is usual around the first of the month, new listings are still being added as they come in from various venues and musicians.)

(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.)

BAG presenting poetry and music this Friday

BAG has another free event coming up this Friday, November 2 featuring poetry from Alima Sadiq Afsal (also known as Sandra Reynolds Akins and as the wife of saxophonist Willie Akins) plus music from bassist/composer/mbira player Zimbabwe Nkenya. The program starts at 7 p.m. and will take place at what has become BAG's usual venue, the Rosebud Cafe at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site.

Ms. Afsal/Akins' credits include founding the The New Creation Arts Center in East St Louis; helping to co-found the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Workshop; and live performances with the Soulard Culture Squad. Her work has been published in numerous anthologies and chapbooks, including a 1975 anthology with Margaret Hunt and Marcia Bowie titled The New Creation, published with support from SIU-Edwardsville. In 1985 she produced her own 45rpm record featuring the poems "I’m Talking to You Gal" and "From a Private Eye Point of View," and her CD, Poetic Butterfly Smiles, includes some tenor saxophone work from her talented husband.
Since 1989, she has written a weekly column for the East St. Louis Monitor.

BAG also has a fund-raiser coming up on November 12; watch this space for further details. For more information about Friday's performance, you can call the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site at 314-340-5790 or send email to bag_blackartistgroup@yahoo.com.

BAG taps Gary Sykes for tribute to St. Louis drummers

As mentioned briefly in an earlier post, BAG will present drummer Gary Sykes in a free concert paying tribute to St. Louis drummers Phillip Wilson, Joe Charles and Sonny Hamp at 7 p.m. this Sunday, October 21 in the Rosebud Café at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, 2658 Delmar Blvd.

Wilson, who died in 1992 at age 50, is known for his work with Lester Bowie, Julius Hemphill, and many others. He was the original drummer with the Art Ensemble of
Chicago and also was a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, with whom he performed at the famous Woodstock music festival. Though less known than Wilson beyond St. Louis, both Charles and Hamp were important and influential figures on the local scene - Hamp as a straightahead player and mainstay of Gaslight Square, and Charles as a musician and teacher who could play effectively both inside and outside, with time and without.

Sykes seems a fitting choice to pay tribute to their percussive prowess. He's an excellent and highly inventive drummer who's not heard around town nearly often enough these days to suit me. Sykes has played with a number of notable musicians, including Oliver Lake, Julius Hemphill, James Moody, Eddie Harris, Pharoah Sanders, Lester Bowie, John Hicks, and Andrew Hill; as well as Dakota Staton, Duke Jordan, James Moody, and bluesman Albert King. From the news release emailed by BAG, it sounds as if he'll be performing solo. Not every drummer can pull off that sort of thing, but Sykes has the both the necessary chops and the ideas in ample supply.

For more information, you can call the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site at 314-340-5790 or email BAG at bag_blackartistgroup@yahoo.com.

BAG to present improv evening, tribute to St. Louis drummers

Via an email from BAG, news that the group has scheduled two upcoming events, including one tomorrow:

BAG Presents:

An informal evening of improvisation featuring Zimbabwe Nkenya on Sunday, October 7, from 7 – 9 PM at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, 2658 Delmar Blvd.

Musicians are invited to participate in a structured, free improvisation in the tradition of projects led by AACM in Chicago as well as the rich tradition of ‘new’ music in St. Louis. Zimbabwe will give a lecture-demonstration on the advancements of creative musicians such as Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler and Sun Ra...

This event will also serve as a precursor to BAG’s feature event on October 21, a tribute to St. Louis drummers Phillip Wilson, Joe Charles, and Sunny Hamp featuring Gary Sykes.

I trust that more info on that October 21 event will be coming soon, and promise to pass it along when it arrives at StLJN HQ.

(Edited after posting to add links and revise the headline.)

Jazz this week: Roy Haynes, two tributes to John Coltrane, twin tenors do battle, and more

It's a busy week for jazz in St. Louis, with one of the music's legendary drummers in town for an extended engagement, two tributes to the late John Coltrane, and lots more. Let's go to the highlights...

The drummer in question is Roy Haynes (pictured), who over the course of six decades in the music business has played with a host of legends, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis and yes, even Coltrane. Since making the late-career transition to leading his own bands, the octogenarian works mostly with musicians young enough to be his children and/or grandchildren, remaining remarkably active, proficient and hip for someone whose career began in the mid-1940s. Haynes will perform at Jazz at the Bistro through Saturday, and then will stay in town to do one of Jazz St. Louis' "Jazz Perspectives" discussions on Sunday afternoon.

And speaking of Coltrane, the weekend offers two tributes to the hugely influential saxophonist on the occasion of what would have been his 80th birthday. On Friday night, Hard Bop Heritage will perform at Finale Music and Dining with a six-piece lineup, drawing primarily on Coltrane's historic Blue Train album but also adding some of Trane's later compositions from his quartet period in the 1960s.

Then on Sunday, BAG II kicks off its fall season at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe with a free concert celebrating Coltrane and featuring poets K. Curtis Lyle, Shirley LeFlore and Michael Castro, trumpeter and percussionist Mike Nelson, drummer Gary Sykes and bassist Zimbabwe Nkenya.

Other noteworthy shows this week: Tonight, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University continues with a free concert featuring pianist Carolbeth True and trumpeter Randy Holmes, while over at Finale, the David Fatek Organ Quartet will present what's being billed as "an old-fashioned tenor battle" featuring Fatek and guest saxophonist Tim Stamps.

On Friday, True and her trio will play Cookie's Jazz and More; Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum will be at Brandt's; and Wild Cool and Swingin' take the stage at Finale. On Saturday, pianist Ptah Williams returns to Cookie's, and on Sunday, Jean Kittrell and the St. Louis Rivermen bring their traditional jazz sound to the Sheldon for a matinee concert.

For more local jazz-related events, 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: Randy Holmes Quartet, Mike Nelson, "All That Tap" and more

Time is short today, due to a deadline for (paying) work, but there are still several jazz performances on St. Louis stages this week that are worth noting as we head into the dog days of summer:

Tonight, trumpeter Randy Holmes (pictured) leads his quartet in a free concert at Washington University as part of the Jazz at Holmes summer series.

On Friday, BAG II presents percussionist and trumpeter Mike Nelson in a free concert called "Talking With Drums" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site. Also on Friday, trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi will take the stage for two shows at Finale Music and Dining.

On Saturday, pianist Carolbeth True and her trio will serve as the backing band for this year's All About Tap festival held at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Of course, you can also check out local favorites at their regular recurring gigs, including pianist and singer Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum at Brandt's tonight; the Dave Stone trio at Mangia Italiano on Friday; and tenor sax kingpin Willie Akins at Spruill's on Saturday. For a more extensive list of local jazz-related events, please consult 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.)

Photo of Randy Holmes by Dennis Owsley.

BAG II will present Mike Nelson in "Talking With Drums" on July 27

Via email, the Black Arts Guild aka BAG II sends word of a free concert at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 27 at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, this time featuring percussionist and trumpeter Mike Nelson:

BAG Presents: Talking with Drums

The batá drums and their music have survived for over 500 years, from the land of the Yorùbá in Nigeria to Cuba to the United States and beyond.

Used almost entirely for religious or semi-religious events in Nigeria and Benin, musicians in Cuba and the US have started to build and play batá drums that are not sacred.

The batá drums can speak. Not in a metaphorical sense, but they really can be used to speak the Yorùbá language, and have been used traditionally to recite prayers, religious poetry, greetings, announcements, praises for leaders.

Yorùbá speakers use three basic tones, or pitches, and glides between them, as an essential part of how words are pronounced. This is how the hourglass-shaped "talking drums" (called dundun in Yorùbá) are able to speak Yorùbá praises and sayings.

On Friday, July 27 at 7pm Mike Nelson and Friends will be “talking” with the Drums at Scott Joplin House. A native of St. Louis, Mr. Nelson will perform on trumpet, percussion and conch shells. The music will blend traditional with contemporary and promises to be an exciting evening of rhythm and jazz.

Mike Nelson is an accomplished musician and arts educator. He has performed with the St. Louis Symphony, China National Orchestra and Aska Kaneko as well as a list of well-known recording artists. Mr. Nelson has served on faculty at COCA and at the Better Family Life's Urban Rhythms program. He is also an award winning environmental consultant who has represented EPA community based projects and
environmental justice across the country.

Talking with Drums
Friday, July 27, 7 – 9 PM
Scott Joplin House, historic Rosebud Café
2658 Delmar Blvd.
St. Louis MO 63103

A free evening of music presented by BAG
For further information call 314-340-5790
or email: bag_blackartistsgroup @ yahoo.com

Jazz this week: The Cunninghams, BAG II, Red Holloway, Erin Bode, and more

There's lots of good music on tap this weekend in the Gateway City, so let's go right to the highlights:

Tonight, The Cunninghams perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The jazz vocal duo - St. Louis native Don Cunningham and his wife Alicia - will be joined by a number of guest stars including the Carolbeth True Trio, pianist Marion Miller, and saxophonist Chuck Tillman, and you can read more about them here and here.

Also tonight, singer Erin Bode gives a free concert at St. Louis Place Park, with Bob Bennett's Swing 'n Soul as opening act.

On Friday, BAG II presents a free concert paying tribute to the late St. Louis saxophonist Maurice Malik King at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site. See this post for more details.

On Friday and Saturday, tenor saxophonist Red Holloway (pictured) performs at Jazz at the Bistro. Holloway's specialty is old-school bop & blues, and he's also got a nice touch with ballads, a satisfyingly greasy tone and a real sense of showmanship.

Other noteworthy shows this weekend: On Friday, Dizzy Atmosphere plays a free outdoor concert as part of the Webster Groves Gazebo Series, and bassist Tom Kennedy brings his trio to Brandt's. And on Saturday, singer Anita Rosamond returns to Finale Music and Dining, while Jeff Anderson and Positive Energy appear at Cookie's Jazz and More.

For a more extensive list of local jazz-related events, please see 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.)