So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Sheldon's jazz series for the 2021-22 season is previewed in an article by the St. Louis American's Danielle Brown.

* Merci, Miles! Live at Vienne, featuring previously unrelased recordings of one of Miles Davis' final live shows in the summer of 1991, is out today as a 2-CD set or vinyl double LP.

* The Bosman Twins (pictured) were interviewed on the most recent episode of Hank Thompson's KDHX podcast "Tangazo."

* The Post-Dispatch/STLtoday this week went into their archives to republish photos and a story about the night in 1965 when Frank Sinatra and the "Rat Pack" came to St. Louis to perform in a charity benefit. There's also a video of the event, which can be seen on YouTube.

* Keep Live Alive St. Louis last week announced that they've raised more than $100,000 to help local music industry workers who lost income due to the pandemic.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Drummer and St. Louis native Marcus Baylor and his wife, singer Jean Baylor (pictured), have launched a campaign via IndieGoGo to crowd-fund the next album by their group The Baylor Project.

* Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX reviewed recent shows at Blue Strawberry by David Giuntoli and John McDaniel.

* In related stories, St. Louis Public Radio's Sarah Fenske interviewed cabaret artists Beverly Brennan, Robert Brieg and Dionna Raedeke about upcoming shows at Blue Strawberry; and the venue also was the subject of a brief feature story from St. Louis magazine's Melissa Meinzer.

* Another item at St. Louis Public Radio's website notes the retirement of "Jazz Unlimited" host Dennis Owsley, mostly reiterating information already made public, but also adding the intriguing tidbit that "jazz music will continue on 90.7 KWMU-1 on Sunday nights from 9 to midnight" without any specifics. So, stay tuned...

* The Northsider has posted to Facebook a photo album from the Funky Butt Brass Band's early Saturday matinee of last weekend's "Holiday Brasstravaganza."

* With the southside venue Foam closing permanently this week, the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson took a look back at a decade of shows there.

* The Bosman Twins were interviewed by ChicagoJazz.com in advance of their gig this week at Winters Jazz Club.

* Trumpeter George C. Davis, one of the founders of the Jazz Edge Orchestra, has died.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The St. Louis County Library has re-opened submissions for their "Listen Up STL" program, which makes recordings from local bands and musicians available on the library's streaming audio service.

The current submission period will close on Monday, September 30. Library cardholders can get the streaming app or access the service from the web for free here.

* The recent Denver stop of saxophonist David Sanborn's "Double Vision Revisited" tour with pianist Bob James and bassist Marcus Miller was reviewed by AllAboutJazz.com's C. Andrew Hovan.

* Promoting their appearance at this Saturday's Hermann Wine and Jazz Festival, the Bosman Twins on Tuesday performed and were interviewed on the morning newscast on KTVI (Fox 2).

* Singer and pianist Diane Schuur, who's headlining the Alton Jazz and Wine Festival this Saturday, was interviewed Thursday by John Carney of KTRS.

* Jazz presenter Dorothy Edwards will inducted as an honorary member of the Musicians Association of St. Louis (AFM Local 2-197) at the union's annual awards celebration and dinner on Sunday, September 29 at Bartolino's Osteria.

With her late husband Robert, a trombonist and music educator, Edwards operated the now-closed venue Robbie's House of Jazz in Webster Groves, and she continues to book occasional shows at the Ozark Theatre in Webster.

* As the new documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool opens this weekend in St. Louis, reviews continue to come in, most recently including assessments from The New Yorker and MovieWeb.com.

* Elsewhere on the Miles Davis beat, film footage from 1957 of the trumpeter in Paris - believed to contain the oldest existing moving images of Davis - recently was rediscovered was during an inventory operation at the INA Conservation Center in France.

* Last but not least, in related news, a custom trumpet designed and owned by Davis (pictured) will be auctioned on Tuesday, October 29 in New York at Christie’s auction house, who enlisted trumpeter and St. Louis native Keyon Harrold to demonstrate the horn on video.

Jazz this week: Mardra & Reggie Thomas, "Jazz Triple Play," Moon Hooch, and more

As often happens around major holidays, the calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis this week is light on visiting acts, but there still are some noteworthy shows happening, including a homecoming show for a couple of favorite former St. Louisans; a tour stop from from one of the more distinctive all-instrumental bands touring today; a concert featuring three hometown groups on one bill, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, July 3
Back in St. Louis for a visit, singer Mardra Thomas and keyboardist Reggie Thomas will present a free concert for the Whitaker Music Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden.

Also on Wednesday, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will duet at Scarlett's Wine Bar; and Miss Jubilee performs at Schlafly Bottleworks.

Thursday, July 4
While some local venues will be closed for the Independence Day holiday (for example, Jazz St. Louis will be dark the entire weekend),  if you're in the mood for some live music after or instead of fireworks, singer Cheri Evans and CEEJazzSoul will be performing at the Chase Club.

Friday, July 5
Funky Butt Brass Band plays at the Broadway Oyster Bar: pianist and singer Jesse Gannon returns to The Dark Room; bassist Darrell Mixon leads a trio at Cigar Inn; and drummer Dhoruba Shakur continues his twice-monthly Friday residency at Sophie's Artist Lounge and Cocktail Club.

Saturday, July 6
The Bosman Twins, the Coleman Hughes Project (pictured, bottom left) and keyboardist Mark Harris II will join forces for a "Jazz Triple Play" at the Grandel Theatre.

Also on Saturday, the Triplets of Grubville play vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at Evangeline's; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham performs (in a non-smoking show) at Gauge Cigar Club (fka Troy's Jazz Gallery and The Gallery by Troy).

Sunday, July 7
Dizzy Atmosphere plays for brunch at The Dark Room, while pianist Adam Maness is at Thurman's in Shaw. Then on Sunday evening, the Jazz Troubadours will play their monthly gig at Evangeline's

Monday, July 8
The Gaslight Squares play a free concert at the historic Hawken House in Webster Groves.

Tuesday, July 9
Saxophones-and-drums trio Moon Hooch (pictured, top left) returns to Old Rock House. Offering danceable grooves with instrumentation that could just as easily be found on an avant-jazz session, they've been touring as relentlessly as ever since their last appearance here in 2018. For a look at some recent shows on video, check out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Tuesday, multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris performs in concert at the Gaslight Theater.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Jazz this week: The Bosman Twins, Nick Colionne, Chesterfield Jazz Festival, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis puts local talent in the spotlight, with homegrown performers and returning expats headlining a diverse schedule of shows at a variety of venues. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 12
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo performs in a free concert for the Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Update, 3:30 p.m., 6/12/19: The concert by Tonina Saputo at Missouri Botanical Garden has been postponed due to the possibility of bad weather, and has been rescheduled for Wednesday, August 9.

Also on Wednesday, Next to Normal: The Thelonious Monk Story, a play with music starring pianist Philip Graves in the title role, is presented with free admission for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Thursday, June 13
Guitarist Mark Tonelli, an assistant professor of music at Millikin University in Decatur, IL, visits to lead his trio in a show at The Dark Room.

Also on Thursday, Miss Jubilee performs at Joe's Cafe; singer Cheri Evans and CEEJazzSoul return to the Chase Club; and guitarist Dave Black and friends play at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, June 14
Multi-instrumentalists The Bosman Twins (pictured, top left) perform for the first of three nights, continuing through Sunday at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, the Gateway City Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; singer Erin Bode interprets material from the Great American Songbook in a concert at the Wildey Theatre
in Edwardsville; and singer Anita Jackson performs the late show at The Dark Room.

Saturday, June 15
The Chesterfield Wine & Jazz Festival runs from mid-afternoon through the evening at Chesterfield Amphitheater, featuring music from drummer Dave Weckl and his band, featuring St. Louisans TOm Kennedy on bass and Jay Oliver on keyboards, plus Bach to the Future with saxophonist Eric Marienthal and guitarist Dave Black, singer Kim Fuller, the Steve Davis Band with singer Feyza Eren, and Tracer.

You can see some recent videos featuring headliner and St. Charles native Dave Weckl (pictured, bottom left) in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, guitarist Nick Colionne with special guest, singer and St. Louis native Lynne Fiddmont, performs in the "Eta Boule Foundation Salute to Fathers & Mentors" at the Sheldon Concert Hall; and trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard's latest opera, Fire Shut Up In My Bones, has its world premiere at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, with five more performances scheduled this month.

Sunday, June 16
Possibilities for jazz brunch this Father's Day include pianist Adam Maness playing solo at Thurman's in Shaw, and singer/guitarist Tommy Halloran and band at The Dark Room.

Then on Sunday evening, singer Feyza Eren and her quartet perform at the house-concert venue Judson House.

Monday, June 17
Keyboardist Ryan Marquez brings his trio to The Dark Room.

Tuesday, June 18
Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True plus guest vocalist Kim Fuller perform at the Gaslight Theater.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Thanks to a grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Jazz St. Louis will be offering more live video streams of performances from the Bistro, starting with tonight's 7:30 p.m. set by the Mark Guiliana Quartet.

JSL experimented last season with live-streaming a handful of performances, but with the upgraded gear purchased with funds from the grant, they'll be streaming from three to six more performances this spring, and more than 20 performances during the 2019-20 season. The video streams will be accessible from JSL's Facebook and YouTube pages, as well as on a new live-streaming page on their website.

* Singer Michael Buble's performance last week at the Enterprise Center was reviewed for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch by Dan Durchholz. The Post also published online a gallery of photos from the show.

* The Bosman Twins (pictured) were interviewed on a recent episode of the web series SMilesTV.

* Organizers of the concert series promoting the release of the book St. Louis Sound have posted to Facebook a gallery of photos from last Friday's "Experience Jazz" show at the Grandel Theatre.

* The St. Louis Low Brass Collective was the subject of an HEC-TV feature by reporter Paul Schankman.

* Trumpeter Terence Blanchard's recent local appearances to promote the upcoming premiere of his opera Fire Shut Up In My Bones this season at Opera Theatre of St. Louis were covered by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn and the Post-Dispatch's Sarah Bryan Miller.

Jazz this week: Nels Cline 4, Tower of Power, free outdoor concerts, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis is somewhat busier than usual for late summer, with a couple of significant touring acts in town as well as a number of noteworthy shows from the hometown contingent.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, August 8
This week's free "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" will feature bassist Guy Cantonwine and Willem von Hombracht doing duets at The Stage at KDHX; the jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center; and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Thursday, August 9
Miss Jubilee and The Gaslight Squares will play traditional jazz and swing on a double-bill at Joe's Cafe, and Dean Christopher will bring his "Rat Pack and More" show to 50/Fifty Kitchen.

Also on Thursday, saxophonist Dave Stone's plays at Element Restaurant and Lounge, and trumpeter Keith Moyer's quartet returns to The Dark Room.

Friday, August 10
The Nels Cline 4, featuring Cline (pictured, top left) and fellow guitarist Julian Lage, performs at Delmar Hall. Touring in support of their recent Blue Note album Currents, Constellations, they're getting good notices both for the recording and for their live shows, which feature plenty of interplay between the two star guitarists. You can see some samples of recent performances on video in this post from two Saturdays ago.

Also on Friday, drummer Montez Coleman will celebrate his birthday with the first of two nights of performances at Jazz St. Louis, and you can take in one of three free outdoor concerts, as the Funky Butt Brass Band plays for the "Ferguson CityWalk" at Plaza At 501; The Bosman Twins perform at the Dellwood Recreation Center, and Miss Jubilee will provide the music for the St. Louis Zoo's "Jungle Boogie".

Saturday, August 11
Celebrating 50 years of the "Oakland Stroke" and supporting a new album release with a summer tour, the singular funk band Tower of Power (pictured, bottom left) stops in St. Louis for a show at the River City Casino Event Center. 

You can see some previous performances from the 50th anniversary tour and more in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, keyboardist Marvin Cockrell and Focus play smooth jazz, R&B and more at the Grandel Theatre, and the Joe Bozzi Band returns to Evangeline's.

Elsewhere around town, The Wire Pilots wll play original jazz, fusion and world music at the Ozark Theatre, and percussionist Herman Semidey and his Orquestra son Montuno will make their debut at Club Diamonds.

Sunday, August 12
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents Red Lehr & the St. Louis Rivermen playing traditional jazz at the  DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel St. Louis - Westport.

Monday, August 13
Dizzy Atmosphere performs Gypsy jazz and swing for diners at The Shaved Duck.

Tuesday, August 14
Multi-instrumentalist and singer Tonina Saputo and her band host "The Tuesday Night Hit" at The Dark Room.

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: Diana Krall, Norman Brown, Charlie Halloran, Bosman Twins, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features the first appearance here by a major crossover star after a long absence; a benefit featuring star of smooth jazz guitar; some homecoming shows from an expat-made-good; plus noteworthy gigs from a number of local performers. Let's go to the highlights... 

Wednesday, June 13
Trombonist Charlie Halloran, back home from New Orleans for a visit, will be the featured performer at this week's free Whitaker Music Festival concert at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Also on Wednesday, the "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" will include drummer Alberto Patiño at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at The Dark Room.

Thursday, June 14
If you missed Charlie Halloran on Wednesday, there's another chance to catch him Thursday night at Joe's Cafe & Gallery.

Also on Thursday, pianist Adam Maness' trio is at Thurman's in Shaw; guitarist Dave Black will be joined by singer Kittie Moeller and keyboardist Vince Golomski of the group Fanfare at The Pat Connolly Tavern; and saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet is back at The Dark Room

Friday, June 15
Singer and pianist Diana Krall returns to St. Louis for the first time in nearly five years for a concert Peabody Opera House.

Krall (pictured, top left) currently is on the third North American leg of an extended tour promoting her 2017 album Turn Up The Quiet. For more about that, and some videos of live performances of material from the album, see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, The Bosman Twins (pictured, bottom left) begin a six-show run at Jazz St. Louis, with two sets on Friday and Saturday nights, plus a matinee and an early-evening show for Father's Day on Sunday; and guitarist and singer Norman Brown performs at the Sheldon Concert Hall in a benefit for the Eta Boule Foundation, with support from St. Louis' own Denise Thimes and Tim Cunningham.

Elsewhere around town, trumpeter Jim Manley and band will perform at Evangeline's, and Second Generation Swing plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, June 16
Singer Danita Mumphard performs at the Webster Groves Concert Hall (aka Ozark Theatre); and guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran returns to Das Bevo

Sunday, June 17
Troy's Jazz Gallery presents "Mo' Better & Beyond," a Father's Day show featuring saxophonist Kendrick Smith and trumpeter Danny Campbell.

Monday, June 18
Jim Manley continues his residency at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, June 19
Bassist and singer Tonina Saputo and her quartet will host "The Tuesday Night Hit" at The Dark Room.

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

* Guitarist and St. Louis native Kelvyn Bell has a new recording, Cubed Root Cure, set for release in January, and you can hear a sample now on SoundCloud.

The EP (pictured) will be available from CD Baby and all the major digital music services.

* The Gateway Jazz Festival, a day-long "smooth jazz" event that made its St. Louis debut last summer at the Chesterfield Amphitheater, has a date for 2018 - Saturday, July 21 - and a headliner, saxophonist Boney James.

Last year's event featured a half-dozen acts, including saxophonist Najee, singer Maysa, and Pieces of A Dream; the rest of the 2018 bill currently is TBA.

* "The World of Spectacular Strings" exhibit on view through Saturday, April 21 at the Sheldon Art Galleries was reviewed by Ladue News' Bryan A. Hollerbach.

* The Funky Butt Brass Band has posted to Facebook a photo album of last weekend's  "Holiday  Brasstravaganza" shows. Friday's performance also was reviewed for KDHX.org. by Mike Vachow.

* Saxophonist Greg Osby will join forces with the experimental multimedia duo Mn'JAM for a performance in January at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.

* Drummer and St. Louis native Marcus Baylor and singer Jean Baylor, the husband-and-wife duo behind The Baylor Project, were interviewed Tuesday on the nationally syndicated radio program "The Tom Joyner Morning Show" about their two nominations in this year's Grammy Awards, their careers, and more.

* The Bosman Twins were interviewed for the most recent episode of KDHX's "Collateral Damage" podcast by guest host Hank Thompson.

* And speaking of podcasts, former WSIE DJ E.B. Stevenson has released a Christmas episode of his "The Jazz Mixer" podcast.

* Max and Louie Productions' current staging of Souvenir, the musical comedy starring singer and Webster U faculty member Debby Lennon as tone-deaf diva Florence Foster Jenkins, was reviewed by the Post-Dispatch's Judith Newmark and OnStL.com's Chuck Lavazzi.

* Also in the Post-Dispatch, singer Dom Thomas' show this Saturday at The Stage at KDHX is previewed in a short feature from the paper's Kevin Johnson.

* Voting is now open in Jazz Times magazine's annual readers poll.

Jazz this week: John Pizzarelli, Sammy Miller and the Congregation, a tribute to Thelonious Monk, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the St. Louis debut of an up-and-coming young band; a tribute to a distinctive jazz composer and pianist; the return of a longtime local favorite for a benefit performance; and more. 

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, October 25
Pianist Adam Maness, bassist Bob DeBoo and drummer Montez Coleman will salute one of the greatest composers in jazz in the first of two nights of a "Thelonious Monk Centennial Celebration" at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Wednesday, the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features cornetist and singer T.J Müller at KDHX's Magnolia Cafe, a jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, October 26
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University presents "Streams of Extremity II," a free concert featuring pianist Ptah Williams, guitarist/bassist William Lenihan, drummer Steve Davis, and a string trio performing and improvising based on the music of Bela Bartok, Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, and more.

Elsewhere around town, New Orleans keyboardist and singer John "Papa" Gros returns to the Broadway Oyster Bar, and trumpeter Keith Moyer leads a quintet at The Dark Room

Friday, October 27
Drummer/singer Sammy Miller and the Congregation (pictured, center left) will make their St. Louis debut and wrap up a week-long educational residency for Jazz St. Louis with the first of two nights of performances at Jazz at the Bistro.

For more about Miller and his band of twenty-somethings, plus some sample performances on video, see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, the Gaslight Cabaret Festival presents singer and pianist Eric Comstock and singer Barbara Fasano in a one-night-only performance of their cabaret show "Downton Abbey Road: The Best of Britain" at the Gaslight Theater.

Elsewhere around town, the Midwest Jazz-tette returns to Evangeline's, and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, October 28
Guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli (pictured, top left) will perform for the annual "ArtSounds" benefit gala at the Sheldon Concert Hall. (For those interested in just hearing the music, the Sheldon may have some concert-only tickets available; check with their box office for details.)

Also on Saturday, the Funky Butt Brass Band returns to Broadway Oyster Bar.

Sunday October 29
The Folk School of KDHX presents their monthly traditional jazz jam session; the Bosman Twins (pictured, bottom left) will headline a benefit at the Sheldon raising money for the Royal Vagabonds scholarship fund; and the students of the JazzU Big Band will perform at Jazz at the Bistro.

Monday, October 30
Saxophonist Paul DeMarinis will lead a quintet of members of the Webster University jazz faculty in "1967: Jazz in Transition" at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

The program will feature performances of songs first released in 1967 by artists including John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charles Lloyd, Gary Burton, Sam Rivers, Chick Corea, 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.)

Jazz this week: Route 66 Jazz Orchestra, "Miles Ahead" in concert, Bosman Twins, Vernacular String Trio, and more

There's not much going on this week in terms of well-known touring jazz and creative musicians visiting St. Louis, but fortunately, our town's plentiful contingent of local players has some noteworthy things planned.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, May 17
The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra (pictured, top left) returns to Jazz at the Bistro, the Sidney Street Shakers will play traditional jazz and swing at their monthly gig at Foam, and trumpeter Jim Manley will be back at Sasha's Wine Bar.

Thursday, May 18
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band, directed by pianist Phil Dunlap, will celebrate the upcoming birthday of iconic trumpeter Miles Davis with "Miles Ahead: Miles Davis, Gil Evans and the Birth of Cool," a free lecture/concert program featuring re-creations of arrangements from Davis' famed collaboration with arranger/pianist Evans, at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Thursday, Cabaret Project St. Louis marks the five-year anniversary of their monthly "Broadway Open Mic" night in the event's latest location, the Curtain Call Lounge, next to the Fox Theatre.

Friday, May 19
The Bosman Twins (pictured, center left) will return for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, and drummer Steve Davis's band, featuring vocalist Feyza Eren, will perform in a free concert at the Webster Groves Concert Hall (formerly the Ozark Theatre).

Also on Friday, singer Ann Dueren's trio will perform for diners and drinkers at Gerard's in Des Peres.

Saturday, May 20
The Funky Butt Brass Band will play their monthly gig at Broadway Oyster Bar, and trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi and his band return to Evangeline's.

Sunday, May 21
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents The Gaslight Squares with guest trumpeter Bill Mason at the Webster Groves Concert Hall, and the Vernacular String Trio (pictured, bottom left) will promote the release of their album Parlance with a free in-store performance at Vintage Vinyl.

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

* Jazz St. Louis is looking to hire a full-time Education Associate to help launch a new program for at-risk middle school students called Jazz Academy. For more information about the job and how to apply, go here.

* In advance of his gig tonight for The Sheldon's annual fundraising gala, guitarist and singer George Benson did a brief Q&A with St. Louis magazine's Erin Williams.

* Singer Joe Mancuso has organized an event to raise money for music scholarships in the name of the late saxophonist Willie Akins. Set up as a structured jam involving a couple of dozen St. Louis musicians, the "Willie Akins Jazz Festival" is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 28 at the Grandel Theatre, with an informal jam session at The Dark Room to follow. Mancuso also has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the scholarship fund.

* The Bosman Twins (pictured) were interviewed last week on the WSIE (88.7 FM) program "Voices," and their chat with host Hank Thompson has been archived online as an MP3 file here.

* The STL Free Jazz Collective has posted on Facebook a photo album from their recent show at the 14th St Artists Community.

* The website Sound of STL has photo coverage of the recent gig by Thomas Fujiwara's The Hookup presented by New Music Circle at The Stage at KDHX.

* Speaking of KDHX, singer Ken Haller's latest reprise of his cabaret entertainment "The Medicine Show" was reviewed for the station by Chuck Lavazzi.

* In the latest chapter in the saga of the Goldenrod Showboat, St. Louis Public Radio reports that the remains of the venerable venue - once home to performances of ragtime and vintage jazz on the St. Louis riverfront - are sinking in the flooded Illinois River. The flooding threatens the plans of preservationists who hoped to salvage artifacts and materials from the boat for display in a museum.

* The British music magazine The Wire has published an excerpt from Message To Our Folks, bassist and Washington University faculty member Paul Steinbeck's new book about the Art Ensemble of Chicago.

* "The Music Seen - Beyond the Stage," an exhibit featuring music-related images from seven different photographers, will open with receptions from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, June 9 and from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturday, June 10 at Bullivant Gallery, 3321 Washington Blvd in Grand Center. The exhibit, which features work from Michael Eastman, David Godlis, Jason Lee, Charles Peterson, David Rocco, Dr. Ernest Withers, and Baron Wolman, continues through Friday, July 14.

* Just in time for Mothers Day, the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn interviews Shirley Harrold, a St. Louis mom whose flock of 16 children includes two young jazz stars, trumpeter Keyon Harrold and drummer Emanuel Harrold.

Jazz this week: Cory Henry, The Bosman Twins, Doc Severinsen, Fred Wesley, Linda Presgrave, and more

It's a busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with several headliners of interest passing through the metro area for performances that, alas, may be a bit off the beaten track - unless you know just where to look.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, 
March 9
The Lindenwood University Jazz Band performs at Jazz at the Bistro, and multi-intrumentalist Chris Smentkowski and friends play at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Thursday, March 10
Keyboardist Cory Henry of the fast-rising jazz/funk band Snarky Puppy will lead his own group, Revival, in a show at the Old Rock House, while local favorites The Bosman Twins (pictured, top left) return to Jazz at the Bistro for the first evening of a three-night stand continuing through Saturday.

Also on Thursday, trumpeter Sean Jones will be back in eastern Missouri, albeit a bit south of St. Louis proper, to perform with  his band (pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Luques Curtis, and drummer Mark Whitfield Jr.) at the Jefferson College Spring Jazz Showcase.

That same evening, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University presents a free concert spotlighting the talents of the university's oldest acapella group, Mosaic Whispers, along with the jazz vocal ensemble Java Jived.

Friday, March 11
The Gaslight Cabaret Festival's spring series continues with singers KT Sullivan and Jeff Harnar presenting the first of two performances of their show "Another Hundred People: A Sondheim Montage" at the Gaslight Theater.

Also on Friday, singer Wendy L. Gordon and and pianist Carolbeth True team up to play at the Tavern of Fine Arts, and the St. Louis Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, March 12
Local trumpet fans can head south again, this time to St. Francois County, to catch former Tonight Show bandleader Doc Severinsen (pictured, center left), still going strong at age 88.

Severinsen will be performing with the Mineral Area College Kicks Band for the Mineral Area College Jazz Festival at the Centene Center in Farmington.

Also on Saturday, California-based pianist Carl Sonny Leyland will be in town to play boogie-woogie, stride, ragtime, and more in a solo show at Yaqui's; singer Eve Seltzer celebrates the release of her first CD with a performance at Tavern of Fine Arts; and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, March 13
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents the St. Louis Stompers playing traditional jazz and swing in a matinee performance at the Moolah Temple in West County, while the Jim Widner Big Band will play music associated with several famous big bands in a matinee concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Also on Sunday afternoon, trombonist Fred Wesley, famed as a progenitor of funk for his work with James Brown and George Clinton, will present a master class sponsored by the St. Louis Low Brass Collective. The class will be followed that evening by a concert featuring Wesley (pictured, bottom left) and the StLLBC, with both events taking place at Kirkwood High School's Keating Center.

Monday, March 14
Speaking of master classes, pianist and former St. Louisan Linda Presgrave will be back in town on Monday to lead a jazz master class at the Community Music School of Webster University in the afternoon. Presgrave and her band then will headline the university's annual "Suzy Shepard and Donald O. Davis Scholarships Concert" that evening at Winifred Moore Auditorium.

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

* Pianist Peter Martin and his trio are across the Pacific this weekend, set to perform at the Thailand International Jazz Conference (TIJC) at Mahidol University in Bangkok. Martin, bassist Robert Hurst, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson will wrap up the three-day event with a headlining performance at the closing concert Sunday night.

* The Bosman Twins were among the honorees this past Monday at the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis' annual awards dinner at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel. The brothers received the 2016 award for "Excellence in the Arts," and as with all the award winners, were the subjects of a brief video about their accomplishments that was shown at the ceremony and now is posted to YouTube.

* Drummer Dave Weckl posted to Facebook some photos from his visit to the 2016 NAMM Show in Los Angeles.

* Saxophonist Greg Osby has a new blog post up, evincing some well-deserved skepticism about what he calls "Artists Interviewing Themselves - The New Standard In Jazz Journalism," or more specifically, the seemingly growing practice of would-be jazz writers "interviewing" musicians by asking them to complete an email questionnaire. Osby (pictured) this week also announced a five-night run of gigs from March 22-26 at NYC's Birdland.

* Drummer Marcus Baylor and the Baylor Project will celebrate Valentine's Day weekend with performances on February 12, 13 and 14 at NYC's Smoke Jazz and Supper Club.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake has posted to YouTube some more footage from his Generations Quartet’s European tour last fall. The clip shows the encore performed by Lake, pianist Michael J. Stevens, bassist Joe Fonda, and drummer Emil Gross at their October 30 show at Bunker Ulmenwall in Bielefeld, Germany.

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's "Holiday Brasstravaganza" tonight and tomorrow night at Off Broadway is previewed by St. Louis magazine. (Saturday's show is sold out, but some tickets may remain for tonight.)

* The Bosman Twins are featured on the cover of December 15 issue of Town & Style magazine. The cover photo (pictured) illustrates a story inside about the 2016 winners of the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis' Arts Awards. The Bosmans and the other winners will receive their awards at a ceremony and dinner on Monday, January 25 at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel.

* For the second consecutive year, Jazz St. Louis has received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, a national evaluator of non-profit organizations. A news release from JSL said that only 21% of the charities evaluated get at least two four-star evaluations (the top score possible) in a row. More specifically, in 2015 JSL spent more than 90% of its total budget on programs and services, which is higher than required to earn the four-star rating.

Jazz St. Louis currently is raising funds for a new education initiative called The Jazz Academy, which provides jazz training for middle school students to support the music programs in the financially pressed Normandy, Riverview Gardens, and East St. Louis school districts. You can find out more or make a contribution via the Jazz Academy project's page on Gladitood, an online fundraising service.

* Speaking of Jazz St. Louis, they've posted to Facebook a photo set from yesterday's appearance by drummer Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O at Cool Valley Elementary School.

* And speaking of jazz education, saxophonist Christopher Braig and his teaching methods were the subjects of a feature story this week on St. Louis Public Radio.

* The STL Free Jazz Collective has posted to YouTube some video footage from their recent "Notes From Home" concert at The Sheldon.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Multi-instrumentalist Dwayne Bosman of the Bosman Twins (pictured) is one of ten recipients of a Regional Arts Commission Artist Fellowship for 2015.

Each of the ten selected artists receives $20,000, which is intended to "allow for the advancement of the individual artist’s creative journey to include time and space to study, reflect, experiment, explore and create."

* The late Don Wolff was remembered and memorialized by local media outlets including St. Louis Public Radio, St. Louis magazine, KMOV-TV, and HEC-TV.

* Euclid Records was featured in a recent "In Your Neighborhood" segment on KTVI/Fox 2 News.

* Just in time for his annual Thanksgiving weekend gig at Jazz at the Bistro, here's a a fairly lengthy new interview with trumpeter and singer Jeremy Davenport, via HollywoodSoapbox.com.

* Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap was featured by the Post-Dispatch in an "#STLStreetStyle" video.

* Bassist Stanley Clarke's concert last Saturday at the Touhill Performing Arts Center was reviewed by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

* Singer/songwriter Susan Werner's show last weekend for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was reviewed by Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX.

* Groove Jazz, a new streaming jazz radio station based in St. Louis, is now online and available to hear for free at www.theroots.fm and via free apps available in the iTunes and Google Play stores.

Described in a news release as "primarily a Contemporary Jazz station, featuring artists like Boney James, Paul Hardcastle, Cindy Bradley, George Benson and David Benoit," the station's playlist also will feature "Straight-Ahead Jazz, World Music, Fusion, Funk and other styles." Weekday hosts are Jason Church, Kristi Carson, Eddie Becton, and Darrel Eason, while the weekend voices include Kris Kelly, Bill Poole, Robin Boyce and C.J. Ellis.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold, currently touring with R&B singer D'Angelo, was interviewed on video by Demencha Magazine.

* Singer, actor, comedian, and Belleville native Lea DeLaria was interviewed by Slate about her new album of jazz covers of David Bowie songs.

* Saxophonist Eric Person is taking part this week in the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute's summer intensive at the Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA. The week-long program "brings together jazz composers at various stages in their careers chosen from a national pool of applicants, to explore the challenges of writing for the symphony orchestra."

* The Bosman Twins were profiled in an article on the website Something Else.

* Beverly Hacker, longtime executive director at KDHX, has been placed on administrative leave by the community radio station's board of directors, and wrote about it in a "letter to the community" published by the Riverfront Times.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake will participating in NYC's Charlie Parker Jazz Festival later this month, engaging in a conversation with fellow saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa on Thursday, August 20 at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and leading his big band in a performance Friday, April 21 at Marcus Garvey Park.

* The Goldenrod Showboat, once home to performances of traditional jazz and ragtime from the 1960s to the 1970s while moored on the St. Louis riverfront, is finally headed for the scrapyard. Attempts to resurrect the boat (pictured) have been abandoned after a recent attempt to move it from a remote spot along the Illinois River near Kampsville, IL to a safer location resulted in major structural damage.

The Historic Riverboat Preservation Association, the volunteer group that’s been working to preserve the boat, announced Wednesday morning that it will salvage what it can from the boat’s interior for a proposed riverboat museum.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, “Somethin’ Else” host Calvin Wilson will showcase the music of fast-rising bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding. The program begins at 8:00 p.m. and can be heard over the air on 107.3 FM, on HD radio at 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Bosman Twins (pictured) are among the winners of 2016 Arts Awards from the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis.

The awards honor "individuals, organizations and businesses who achieve a legacy of artistic excellence and enrich St. Louis’ arts and cultural community" and will be presented at a ceremony and dinner on Monday, January 25, 2016 at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel.

* Singer, actor, stand-up comic and Belleville native Lea DeLaria has a new album out this week called House of David, offering her jazz interpretations of the music of David Bowie.

You can hear DeLaria's takes on "Fame" and "Modern Love" from the album here. She currently can be seen as part of the cast of the Netflix series Orange Is The New Black.

* And speaking of Belleville, the Wine Dine and Jazz Festival taking place downtown there this weekend was previewed in the Belleville News-Democrat and featured on local NBC affiliate KSDK.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake's most recent album To Roy, a duo with bassist William Parker paying tribute to to trumpeter Roy Campbell, was reviewed by Stefan Wood  of the Free Jazz blog.

* The results of the annual Riverfront Times music poll are are in, and singer-guitarist Tommy Halloran has won readers' approval in the "Best Jazz" category again this year, with the Funky Butt Brass Band once again triumphing in the "Best Soul/Funk" category. You can see the complete list of winners here.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's program “Somethin’ Else” will feature new music from contemporary trumpeters Terence Blanchard, Dave Douglas and Jeremy Pelt.

After that on "The Jazz Collective," host Jason Church will feature music from Grover Washington, Jr., Brother Strut, Chieli Minucci & Special EFX, Marc Antoine, Sonny Rollins, Amp Fiddler, Euge Groove, Sarah Jane & The Blue Notes, Feyza Eren, Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum, and mor.

Wilson's program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by Church at 9:00 p.m., on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.