So What: Local News, Notes & Links

One day earlier than usual thanks to the holidays, here's StLJN's weekly wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* Trumpeter, singer and U. City native Jeremy Davenport (pictured) made news this week in his current hometown New Orleans with a cover version of "The Christmas Song" recorded with his 15-year-old daughter (and also including a piano track from St. Louisan Adam Maness).

* Although Jim Manley wasn't able to do his annual Christmas show this year at Jazz St. Louis, the trumpeter earlier this week live-streamed a holiday-themed performance from the Gaslight Theater, joined by Bob Row on keyboard, Joe Weber on drums, Larry Johnson on saxophone, and Jim Owens on trombone. If you missed the original live stream, you can catch it now on YouTube.

* Singer Debby Lennon's recent holiday show at Blue Strawberry was reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

* Also debuting this week on video is A New Holiday, an original, locally produced Christmas musical written by singer Brian Owens and actor Sophia Stephens that features several jazz connections, starting with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, drummer Montez Coleman, bassist Jahmal Nichols, and pianist Peter Martin in the opening scene.

The production also includes appearances from saxophonist David Sanborn; singers Kennedy Holmes (seen recently on NBC’s The Voice), Anita Jackson, Bebe Winans, and Karen Clark-Sheard; dance students from Grand Center Arts Academy; and more, plus animation by St. Louis-based Lion Forge Animation. It was recorded in St. Louis at locations including Jazz St Louis, Powell Hall, and The Sheldon, and after two broadcast airings on Nine Network, now can be seen on YouTube.

* As reported by the St. Louis Labor Tribune's Sheri Gassaway, members of Musicians’ Association of St. Louis Local 2-197 this year during the pandemic have worked to raise funds for charity and put on numerous free outdoor performances in the community.

Jazz this week: Arturo O'Farrill, a tribute to Stevie Wonder, Alexis Lombre, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes pianists visiting from New York City and Chicago, a tribute to the music of a legendary singer/songwriter of soul, a benefit raising scholarship money for local music students, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, May 1
Pianist Arturo O'Farrill performs for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

O'Farrill (pictured, top left) is something of a living repository of Latin-jazz lore, but he's also a forward-looking musician whose own artistic output is hard to pigeonhole. He recently completed a four-month residency at NYC's Greene Space that let him show off some different aspects of his musical personality. For some videos of performances from that residency, and more about Arturo O'Farrill, check out this post from last Saturday.

Thursday, May 2
Jazz-fusion trio Tracer returns to The Dark Room, and saxophonist Vince Sala leads a trio at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, May 3
Singer Brian Owens, pianist Adam Maness' trio and Good 4 The Soul keyboardist Adaron “Pops” Jackson will join forces for the first of two nights of "The Book of Wonder: Celebrating Stevie Wonder" at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, Chicago-based pianist Alexis Lombre (pictured, bottom left) plays an early evening set at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, and the Funky Butt Brass Band performs outdoors at The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy.

Saturday, May 4
The Coleman Hughes Project heads out to Mount Pleasant Estates in Augusta for a matinee presentation of "Jazz & Jokes," also featuring comedian Lady Re.

Then on Saturday evening, the Joe Bozzi Band returns to Evangeline's, and Dizzy Atmosphere plays swing and Gypsy jazz at Urban Chestnut Midtown Brewery and Biergarten.

Sunday, May 5
The spring edition of the St. Louis Record Show takes place at the American Czech Center, and later that afternoon, the Genesis Jazz Project returns to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Sunday evening, the Jazz Troubadours play their monthly gig at Evangeline's; and Jazz St. Louis will raise money for local music students with “Swing For The Scholars,” a benefit featuring music from the Adam Maness Trio, Route 66 Alumni Band, Good 4 The Soul, Anita Jackson, and student ensembles from JSL's JazzUprogram.

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:

* Miles Davis Properties, LLC has announced that they're teaming up with with global licensing company Perryscope Productions to develop and sell various merchandise based on Davis' name, image, music, and visual art.

* In somewhat-related news, Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, the forthcoming documentary directed by Emmy winner Stanley Nelson, will be screened at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Along with a global theatrical release next summer, the film also will air on PBS' American Masters and on BBC2 in the UK.

* Singer Lynne Fiddmont (pictured) was interviewed by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson in advance of her concert this Sunday afternoon at The Sheldon.

* L.I.F.E. Arts, a not-for-profit organization started by singer Brian Owens, has won a $100,000 grant from Maryville University, which will be used over the next two years for various programs to help young people develop leadership skills through the arts.

* Singer, actor and Belleville native Lea DeLaria was interviewed on Britain's Channel 4 News.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold last week was a special guest performer with pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and Ekaya at a concert in London; read a review here.

Jazz this week: The Thing, Denise Thimes, Charlie Hunter, Victor Wooten Trio, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features several stellar singers; the local debut of an esteemed free jazz trio; some straight-up bebop; funky sounds from New Orleans, California, and beyond; and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, March 21
Singer Brian Owens performs for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, revisiting some of the jazz material he did earlier in his career, with backing from pianist Adam Maness' trio.

(Thursday's show will features Owens' current working band, the Deacons of Soul, with an emphasis on songs recorded for his most recent album The Soul of Cash, an R&B-flavored re-imagining of songs associated with country music legend Johnny Cash.)

Also on Wednesday, the Ambassadors of Swing return to Tin Roof St. Louis downtown; and singer Joe Mancuso is back at Taha'a Twisted Tiki in The Grove.

Thursday, March 22
New Music Circle presents the Scandinavian free-jazz trio The Thing (pictured, top left) at Off Broadway. Saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love have been working together since the turn of the century, touring and recording frequently as a trio and also playing with musicians such as Peter Brötzmann, Ken Vandermark, Thurston Moore, Joe McPhee, James "Blood" Ulmer, and singer Nenah Cherry.

This is their St. Louis debut, and there seems to be a good deal of interest in the show, so if you're planning on going, don't be late. For more about The Thing and some videos of their live performances, see this post from Saturday before last.

Also on Thursday, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will present a free concert featuring trumpeter Randy Holmes' quintet playing 1940s and '50s bop in the style of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, and guitarist/violinist Christopher Voelker of Dizzy Atmosphere leads a trio at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, March 23
Singer Denise Thimes (pictured, center left) who recently moved from St. Louis to Chicago and got a rave review from the Chicago Tribune for her first shows there, will be back home to present a tribute to Nina Simone in the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

A few blocks away, Jeanne Trevor - another longtime favorite St. Louis female vocalist who, unfortunately, gigs infrequently these days - will perform with guitarist Dave Black and bassist Willem von Hombracht at The Judson House.

Also on Friday, pianist Ptah Williams will be in his usual spot at The Dark Room; the Gateway City Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran does the penultimate gig in his winter residency at Das Bevo Underground.

Saturday, March 24
Guitarist Charlie Hunter (pictured, bottom left) returns to lead a trio with singer Dara Tucker and drummer Damon Grant at Off Broadway; the New Orleans Suspects are back for another performance at the Broadway Oyster Bar; and trumpeter Jim Manley is playing at One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar.

Sunday, March 25
Miss Jubilee performs for brunch at Evangeline's; pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with singer Kim Fuller and saxophonist Larry Johnson play a late-afternoon concert at St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, and singer Mary Dyson is back with an early evening show at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Monday, March 26
Webster University's Student Jazz Combos will show off what they've learned this semester with a concert at the Community Music School.

Tuesday, March 27
Bassist Victor Wooten and his trio with drummer Dennis Chambers and saxophonist Bob Franceschini will perform at the Old Rock House.  Wooten, who played the Chesterfield Jazz Festival here last summer with his family band, the Wooten Brothers, currently is touring in support of his most recent album Trypnotyx, which was released last fall and features Chambers and Franceschini.  For more about that, and some videos of recent live performances of material from the album, see this post from last Saturday.

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: Take 6, Tatsuya Nakatani, Bonerama, Xmas jazz around town, and more

It's going to be a busy few days for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, and though a couple of high-profile shows are sold out (or nearly so), there's still going to be plenty of music - holiday and other - available on local stages. Let's go to the highlights.

Wednesday, December 13
Acappella vocal group Take 6 returns for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro. The run of shows was described by Jazz St. Louis on Tuesday as "nearly sold out," so if you want to hear the multiple Grammy winners in the intimate confines of the Bistro, you'll definitely need to call ahead for advance reservations, and perhaps a bit of luck as well.

As an alternative, you can see a live video stream of Wednesday's shows in the first floor lounge on the west side of Jazz St. Louis HQ, available with no cover charge in conjunction with the free, weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl".

This week's crawl also features the Jazz Troubadours at The Stage at KDHX, plus the jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Also on Wednesday, the musical show "An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas" resumes its run,  continuing with performances through Sunday afternoon at the Playhouse at Westport Plaza.

Thursday, December 14
Singer Dianne Reeves, who had been scheduled to headline "Gospel Christmas: A Soulful Celebration" with the St. Louis Symphony at Powell Hall, announced on Thursday that she would be unable to perform due to an unspecified health issue. Simultaneously, the SLSO announced that the show would go on as scheduled, with St. Louis' own Brian Owens standing in for Reeves.

Also on Thursday, singer Erin Bode will be in Edwardsville for a holiday concert at the Wildey Theatre; guitarist Dave Black will play at The Pat Connolly Tavern; and trumpeter Keith Moyer and his quintet return to The Dark Room

Friday, December 15
Percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani (pictured, top left) will be back for what has become an annual convening here of his Gong Orchestra, in which he teams up with and trains a group of local musicians in specific techniques for each performance.  This year's edition, presented at the William A Kerr Foundation on the riverfront, will feature a solo percussion set by Nakatani, followed by the Gong Orchestra set with him and 14 collaborators from St. Louis.

Also on Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band kicks off their annual "Holiday Brasstravaganza" weekend at Off Broadway. As of this writing, a few tickets may remain for Friday, but the Saturday night show and a newly added, family friendly Saturday matinee are already sold out.

Elsewhere around town, the Original Knights of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; singer Feyza Eren performs at the house concert venue KindaBlue Club; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play vintage swing, jump blues and more at the Venice Cafe

Saturday, 
December 16
New Orleans' trombone-centric band Bonerama (pictured, bottom left) returns to perform at The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy.

Currently touring in support of their new album Hot Like Fire - their first release as part of a new deal with New Orleans' Basin Street Records - Bonerama have been regular visitors to St. Louis for most of this decade, playing at venues including the Old Rock House, Broadway Oyster Bar and The Sheldon. If you've missed out on their brass/funk/rock sound up until now, you can find our more and see some video samples of recent performances in this post from last Saturday. 

Also on Saturday, Wack-A-Doo returns to Evangeline's; saxophonist Dave Stone's trio will play at Thurman's in Shaw; and Miss Jubilee performs at the Casa Loma Ballroom .

Sunday, December 17
There's more holiday jazz in the offing, as the Oikos Ensemble presents "Jazz Noel: A Child is Born" at the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, while the Dave Dickey Big Band celebrates a "Big Band Christmas" with singer Anita Jackson and guest intermission performers, the North County HS Jazz Ensemble, at .ZACK in Grand Center.

Monday, December 18
Trumpeter Jim Manley plays his weekly Monday night gig at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, December 19
Still more holiday jazz on tap, as the Jazz St. Louis Big Band will play Duke Ellington's "Nutcracker" Suite (plus additional Ellingtonia) for the first of three nights at Jazz at the Bistro, and The 442s present their "Holiday Spectacular" at 560 Music Center

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:

* Bassist and St. Louis native Tom Kennedy has released a new album titled Points of View, available now via CD Baby and various digital music services.

The album (pictured) includes eight tracks - including one with a titular shout-out to St. Louis, "Gaslight Square Blues" - performed by a stellar cast of musicians including drummer and St. Charles native Dave Weckl; singer and former St. Louisan Karla Harris; trumpeter Randy Brecker; saxophonists Bill Evans, Bob Franceschini and Bob Malach; guitarists Mike Stern, Lee Ritenour and Chuck Loeb; drummers Obed Calvaire and Richie Morales; and more.

* Singer Chuck Flowers performed this week on the morning newscast of KTVI/Fox 2, promoting his upcoming gig on Sunday, April 23 at BB's Jazz Blues & Soups.

* Last week's homecoming performance by trumpeter Keyon Harrold, drummer Kimberly Thompson and pianist Lawrence Fields at Jazz at the Bistro got a shout-out from the St. Louis American's Delores Shante.

* Singer Brian Owens has released an animated music video for his song "For You," featuring additional vocals by fellow Ferguson native Michael McDonald, the singer known for his work as a Grammy winning solo artist and with classic rock bands The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan.

The video, which includes animated renderings of several St. Louisi landmarks, supports the release of Owens' latest album Soul of Ferguson, and can be seen on YouTube and on Owens' Facebook page and website.

* Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Alan Ox will provide the musical entertainment for "A Night In The Stacks," an event benefiting SIUE's Lovejoy Library to be held from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 13 at the Library on the SIUE campus.

A guide to this year's holiday jazz in St. Louis

The holiday season always brings with it plenty of thematic music, and those who like to mix some jazz with their jingle bells will have plenty of opportunities this month in St. Louis. Here's a quick look at some noteworthy holiday shows planned by local jazz musicians:

Brian Owens - "Soul of the Season"
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 4
Centene Center for Arts & Education, 3547 Olive
Though Owens at one point a couple of years ago explicitly denied being a jazz singer, he's included here due to the presence of his special guests, pianist Peter Martin and The 442s, who seem likely to infuse at least a bit of improvisational sensibility into the proceedings. $20 & $30.

Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes at the Anheuser Busch Holiday Lights Walking Tour
6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday, December 6
Anheuser Busch, 1200 Lynch St.
Tours of the annual light display at the St. Louis HQ of A-B are something of a local holiday tradition, and this year's lineup of musical accompaniment includes the swing and jump blues of singer Sarah Ulrich and her band. They'll perform again at the same time on December 21 and 28. Free and open to the public.

Sarah Jane & Friends - "All Holiday Revue"
8:00 p.m. Saturday, December 7
Robbie's House of Jazz
Continuing in the holiday spirit, Ulrich also has assembled a cast of Blue Notes and special guests for a holiday themed show at the Webster Groves jazz club. $10, $5 for students with ID.

"Follow That Star: A Jazz Nativity" featuring Oikos Ensemble
7:00 p.m. Saturday, December 7
First Congregational United Church of Christ, 10 W. Lockwood Ave., 63119
Now that saxophonist Rev. Cliff Aerie is based here in St. Louis, his group Oikos Ensemble is performing regularly as part of a monthly series at Kirkwood United Church of Christ, and this year they'll also be bringing their Christmas concert to several churches in the area. In addition to the Rev. Aerie on sax and his daughter, singer Arianna Aerie, the group includes singer Kim Fuller, pianist Carolbeth True, trumpeter Danny Campbell, bassist Dave Troncoso, and drummer Kevin Gianino.

They'll perform "Follow That Star" again at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, December 8 at Parkway United Church of Christ, 2841 N. Ballas Rd.,  and at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, December 14 at St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, 20 E. Fifth St. in Washington. Performances are free and open to the public, but donations will be accepted.

UMSL's Jazz for the Holidays
3:00 p.m. Sunday, December 8
Touhill Performing Arts Center
UMSL's annual presentation "showcases upbeat holiday classics with a jazzy flair," performed by UMSL's Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Jim Widner; choral ensemble Vocal Point, conducted by Jim Henry; and the University Orchestra, conducted by Robert Charles Howard. Free and open to the public.

Jazz St. Louis Big Band plays Duke Ellington's "Nutcracker Suite"
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 11
Jazz at the Bistro
The newly formed Jazz St. Louis Big Band, featuring numerous alumni of the jazz program at SIUE, will perform Ellington’s re-imagining of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker as well as other Ducal classics including “Take the A-Train,” “Cottontail,” “Koko,” “The Mooche,” and more, all played from the original charts.

"Feliz Navidad" with Musica Slesa
7:30 p.m. & 9::30 p.m., Friday, December 13 and Saturday, December 14
Jazz at the Bistro
The Latin-jazz band made up of area music educators offers their take on some seasonal favorites. $25, $10 for students with ID.

John McDaniel - "Home For The Holidays"
7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m., Friday, December 20
Kranzberg Arts Center
The Kirkwood native, who's known for his successes in cabaret and on Broadway as well as his six-year, Emmy Award-winning stint as pianist and musical director for Rosie O'Donnell's TV show, returns home with a show featuring guest singers Mary Beth Black and Cindy Degnan. $25.

Funky Butt Brass Band Holiday Brasstravaganza
9:00 p.m., Friday, December 20 & Saturday, December 21
Off Broadway
St. Louis' own New Orleans-style brass band stages the fifth annual edition of their holiday show, now expanded to two nights and no doubt featuring additional seasonal shenanigans and related tomfoolery. Advance tickets are $12 for 21+, $15 for under 21; day of show prices are $15 and $18.

Joe Pastor Christmas Jazz Show
8:00 p.m. Sunday, December 22
BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups
The percussionist, his trio, and perhaps some special guests will offer their take on songs of the season, all for the cost of BB's usual cover of $5 - $10. 

Do you know of any holiday jazz shows in St. Louis that we missed? If so, please share the relevant info in the comments.

Edited after posting to add the "Nutcracker Suite" info.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

*Euclid Records will have their third annual "Sidewalk Sale" tomorrow and Sunday at their Webster Groves store (pictured), along with a similar event at their new New Orleans location. The sale will include LPs, CDs, posters, record crates, cassettes, videotapes, and ephemera, all "priced to move." Get the details at the store's blog, Lockwood and Summit.

* In the latest entries in Jazz St. Louis' ongoing series of blog posts recounting staff members' favorite jazz albums, volunteer coordinator Devin Rodino picks his 15 favorites here, and development director Melissa Jones writes about her 10 selections here.

* The Pageant concert club is celebrating 10 years of operation this week, and the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson recaps the venue's first decade here.

* Singer Mae Wheeler was interviewed by the Suburban Journals' Mary Shapiro for a story about the "Unforgettable Legends" concert coming up on Halloween at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The concert is being billed as the final such production to be overseen by Wheeler, 76, who's been battling cancer for the last several years.

* Singer Brian Owens was interviewed this week by the Belleville News-Democrat's Teri Maddox about his upcoming CD, Love, Life and Legacy, and why he doesn't really want to be known as a jazz singer any more.

* Finally, condolences to the family and friends of bassist and singer Russ Polette, a veteran of the Gaslight Square era who died on Sunday at age 92 of complications from congestive heart failure. Polette performed frequently on local TV and radio in the 1950s and 1960s and played traditional jazz, pop and ragtime at venues including the Admiral, the Robert E. Lee Riverboat and the riverboats the Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher. You can read more about him here.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* With the new owners of KFUO (99.1 FM) set to take possession next week, this Friday's "I Love Jazz" show will be longtime jazz radio personality Don Wolff's last broadcast for the station. However, Wolff (pictured) recently emailed to assure StLJN that he will be continuing the video version of his program I Love Jazz via cable's HEC-TV and online, as well as the Internet radio version of the program, heard on Live365 and accessible from the front page of Wolff's site. The veteran DJ and jazz advocate also recently posted on his site an interview with up-and-coming singer Nikki Yanofsky. Wolff told StLJN that he's open to another broadcast radio station picking up "I Love Jazz," but so far, no firm offers have been tendered.

* Singer Brian Owens was profiled by the North County community news website NoCo.com.

* Freelance scribe Terry Perkins is writing a series of pieces for the St. Louis Beacon profiling St. Louis-based musicians who are playing local festivals around the metro area this summer. Already published are stories featuring saxophonist Jim Stevens and singer/songwriter Javier Mendoza, with more to come.

* Downtown's Kiel Opera House, once a grand venue for concerts, theater and other events but closed since 1991, finally will be renovated and reopened, thanks to a complicated financing deal signed this week.

* Music for Lifelong Achievement, which helps get musical instruments into the hands of disadvantaged kids, will sponsor a free musical instrument "petting zoo" at this weekend's Fair St. Louis on the riverfront.

Jazz this week: Peter Martin Trio, Brian Owens, Mardra Thomas and more

Though it may not officially be summer until the solstice on June 21, summer weather already seems to moving into St. Louis, and local jazz presenters and venues are putting their summer schedules into effect, for the most part either curtailing their offerings until fall or emphasizing homegrown talent.

However, there's still some music to be heard, so let's see what's going on around town over the next few days:

Tonight, singer Denise Thimes performs a free concert to begin this year's Whitaker Music Festival series at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

On Friday, pianist Peter Martin (pictured) leads his trio, featuring bassist Chris Thomas and drummer Ulysses Owens Jr., in a performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall. For more about Martin's series at the Sheldon, see these previous posts; for some video of him playing in a trio setting, check out this missive from last Saturday. Also, there's a two-for-the-price-of-one discount available on the remaining seats for Martin's concert; to access the offer, go here and and enter the promo code "PMTRIO" (without the quote marks).

Also Friday, singer Brian Owens begins a two-night stand kicking off the summer season at Jazz at the Bistro. The word is that Owens' sets will be paying tribute to singer Bill Withers, and perhaps he'll also do some material from his forthcoming CD release recently announced on his website.

On Saturday, singer Mardra Thomas reprises her interpretation of the music of Billie Holiday for "An Elegant Evening with Lady Day" at Harris-Stowe State University, and keyboardist Charlie Brown and singer Marlys Brown will celebrate their ten-year wedding anniversary with a show at Robbie's House of Jazz.

Looking beyond the weekend, yr. humble editor has just discovered that Robbie's also is now hosting weekly jam sessions on Tuesday. I'm not sure how long it's been going on, since I only learned of it by visiting the club's website, but apparently it will be a fixture until further notice.

Also on Tuesday, the Jazz St. Louis CD Listening Club will have its May meeting at bOrders Books and Music, 1519 S. Brentwood Blvd. This month's featured CD is Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet, and the special guest is the aforementioned Peter Martin, with JSL's Gene Dobbs Bradford serving as moderator.

Next Wednesday, the longtime St. Louis favorites Trio Tres Bien will perform a free concert for the Whitaker Music Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden.

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.)

(Updated after posting to add the CD Listening Club info.)

Sheldon Concert Hall announces 2010-2011 season series

The Sheldon Concert Hall has announced its 2010-11 season series, and the news for St. Louis jazz fans is, at best, mixed.

Those who were hoping to hear new and exciting music at the Sheldon next year likely will be disappointed, as most of the acts booked for the jazz series, Coffee Concerts and "special concerts" series already have played here in town in the very recent past.

Specifically, the Sheldon's 2010-11 jazz series will include four concerts (that's one fewer than this year's series), and all of the musicians - singer Tierney Sutton (October 9), saxophonist Victor Goines (November 13), the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and pianist Jon Cleary (February 26), and singer/pianist Tony DeSare with guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli (April 30) - have been to St. Louis recently. Sutton played the Sheldon in 2006; Goines was there in 2007; and the DDBB, Cleary, DeSare and Pizzarelli have all performed at other local venues within the last two years.

Similarly, the Coffee Concerts series of mid-morning weekday performances will feature a familiar lineup of local bands, with shows from Cornet Chop Suey (October 19 & 20), Elsie Parker and the Poor People of Paris (November 16 & 17), Swing DeVille (April 12 & 13) and the Sheldon Jazz Quintet (May 10 & 11) of interest to jazz listeners.

This year, there also will be a handful of Saturday matinees featuring local musicians, including pianist Carolbeth True with singer Christi John Bye on January 22, and singer Brian Owens doing a Sam Cooke tribute on February 12. Like their Coffee Concert colleagues, True, Bye and Owens all were featured at events at the Sheldon during this current season.

The "special concerts" series will feature return appearances at the Sheldon by pianist Dave Brubeck (October 17) and singer Banu Gibson (November 7). Brubeck played the hall in 2007 and 2008, while Gibson was there in 2005.

Two other "special concerts" will feature acts that are new to St. Louis and of alleged potential interest to jazz fans. Guitarist John McLaughlin (pictured) will bring his electric quartet 4th Dimension to the Sheldon on November 19, which should be a genuine treat for local fusion fans. On the other hand, pianist David Lanz and the Liverpool Trio will appear on February 11 doing something called “Re-Imagining the Beatles," which, as described, strikes yr. humble editor as a tasteless, pandering schlockfest likely unfit for human consumption.

To be fair, the Sheldon remains a very enjoyable place to see and hear a concert. The production staff headed by Dale Benz does a consistently good job, and all sorts of musicians like playing there. Here's the thing, though: it's not that the musicians booked for 2010-11 are bad (with the exception of Lanz, whose stuff really is nearly unlistenable); the problem is that we've seen and heard just about all of this before, in some cases multiple times.

(Parenthetically, I'm also uneasy about the fact that of all the artists mentioned above, the only African-Americans are Goines, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Owens, and Mardra and Reggie Thomas of the Sheldon Jazz Quintet. There's no reason to think that this mostly-white lineup of musicians is a result of overt racism, but given the music's origins, it still is unsettling to have so relatively few black artists involved in jazz performances at one of our city's most prestigious venues.)

Ultimately, with so many interesting things happening in jazz and creative music these days, it's a shame that the Sheldon's booking policy for jazz is so unimaginative and retrograde. While the need to sell tickets and pay the bills is understandable, their current approach seems almost absurdly risk-averse. There's a sophisticated audience for music in St. Louis, and as one of the most significant concert halls in town, the Sheldon could, and should, do a much better job of exposing that audience to a wider variety of jazz artists.

For more details and ticket prices for all of the Sheldon's season series, please consult their website, where further information on the 2010-11 schedule will be posted on Monday.

St. Louis Musicians for Haiti concert telecast re-running this month on HEC-TV

HEC-TV has scheduled reruns of the telecast of last month's St. Louis Musicians for Haiti benefit concert for 5:00 p.m. every Saturday night in March. HEC-TV can be found on Channel 26 of cable systems in the St. Louis area and on AT&T U-Verse's channel 99.

The event at the Sheldon Concert Hall raised more than $20,000 for Doctors Without Borders' efforts to provide relief in the earthquake-stricken Caribbean nation. It was hosted by author and former TV newsman Julius Hunter and featured performances from Brian Owens, Mayor Taylor, the Bottoms Up Blues Gang, Peter Martin, Mardra and Reggie Thomas, Kim Massie, Christine Brewer and Peter Henderson.

You can see a promo for the HEC production on the channel's website.

Jazz this week: A benefit for Zimbabwe Nkenya; Brian Owens; Erin Bode; Larry Brown, Jr.; and more

There's a brief respite from major touring jazz acts this week in St. Louis, but there are still a number of events over the next few days with potential appeal for fans of jazz and creative music.

On Thursday, Washington University's Jazz at Holmes series continues with a free concert from pianist Ptah Williams and his trio. Also on Thursday, singer Erin Bode and her band will return to the events room at Cyrano's in Webster Groves.

On Friday and Saturday, singer Brian Owens returns to Jazz at the Bistro. This time out, Owens will perform the music of former St. Louisan Donny Hathaway with a band that includes Mark Colenburg (drums), Jesse Gannon (piano) and Alvin Quinn (bass).

Meanwhile, back in Webster Groves, Robbie's House of Jazz will feature the R&B/soul/funk cover band Mystic Voyage on Friday and jazz from guitarist Larry Brown Jr.'s group on Saturday. Another former student of the jazz program at SIUE, Brown will serve up "swing, soul and the blues" with help from pianist Stuart Mindeman, bassist Nick Jost, drummer Alfonzo Jones and trumpeter Quentin Coaxum.

Also on Saturday, New Music Circle is presenting a concert to benefit bassist and composer Zimbabwe Nkenya (pictured) at the Kranzberg Arts Center. All proceeds from the show will go to Nkenya, who had a stroke last fall and has been unable to perform since.

Friends and musical colleagues donating their time and talents for the show include NMC's Jim Hegarty, Fred Tompkins and Deb Summers; drummer Charles "Bobo" Shaw and trumpeter George Sams; Dave Cheli's Tribal Chicken; the percussion group HaZMaT, with Tom Zirkle and Matt Henry; trumpeter and percussionist "Baba" Mike Nelson; and poets Curtis Lyle and Michael Castro.

Nkenya has been a tireless force on the local improvised music scene since moving back to the St. Louis area in 2006. Here's hoping for a good turnout (and a full cash box) on Saturday, and a speedy and complete recovery for Nkenya.

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.)

Jazz this week: New Year's Eve jazz in St. Louis, and more

While New Year's Eve isn't usually a particularly big night for live jazz in St. Louis, there seem to be slightly more than the usual number of jazz-related options out there this year.

Among the more noteworthy revels occurring this Thursday evening:

* Singer Erin Bode (pictured) and her band will be doing two performances at the Joe Buck Show Room, which is part of the sportscaster's JBuck's restaurant downtown on Clark St.;
* The Robert Edwards Big Band will play at Robbie's House of Jazz;
* Singer Kim Massie will be at Brandt's;
* Singer Cherilyn Evans & CEE JazzSoul are performing at Smoking Joe's Bar-Be-Que downtown on Washington Ave;
* Singer/pianist Anita Rosamond teams up with guitarist Grant Krener at Chandler Hill Wineries in Defiance.

As has been the case for the last few years, the city's premiere jazz room, Jazz at the Bistro, will be dark on New Year's Eve, yielding the streets in the immediate neighborhood to Grand Center's annual First Night event, which usually features a variety of music in addition to dance, theater, visual arts and family oriented activities.

Acts scheduled to perform at this year's First Night include singers Wendy Gordon and Jeannie Trevor; multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman's gypsy-jazz band Hot Club Caravan; singer Brian Owens; Le Jazz Hot (with pianist Ptah Williams, saxophonist Chad Evans, bassist Daryl Mixon and drummer Bensid Thigpen); Wackadoo (with singer Valerie Tichacek); and Jazz St. Louis executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford's blues band, the Blues Inquisition. For a complete schedule of performances, visit the First Night website.

Beyond New Year's Eve, it looks to be a relatively uneventful few days for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, save for some regular weekly standing gigs carrying over into the new year. That's not unusual - the first couple of weeks of the year are usually a slow time for live music, and with many people still on holiday, a lot of January schedule information from musicians and clubs has yet to arrive here at StLJN HQ.

As that info comes in, I'll be updating the the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar - which can be found on the left sidebar, or by clicking here - with the latest information on more jazz and creative music events this weekend and beyond. 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.)

Brian Owens releases new CD/DVD

Singer Brian Owens, who blends jazz with soul, pop and gospel, has released a new combination CD/DVD package called Brian Owens and Martha Mae Live at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

The project (pictured) was recorded in November at The Sheldon, and is currently on sale for $25 per copy via Owens' website.

Owens will do a free holiday concert at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 20 at O'Fallon Township High School's Milburn Campus Auditorium in O'Fallon, IL, and will perform at the Sheldon on New Year's Eve as part of Grand Center's annual First Night celebration.

Jazz St. Louis announces more bookings for Jazz at the Bistro

Jazz St. Louis has announced the lineup of local bands and musicians who will round out the schedule for Jazz at the Bistro during the first part of 2010.

Note that all of these bookings are in addition to the season schedule of touring artists previously announced.

Here's what's on tap for the new year:

Friday, January 15 & Saturday, January 16:
Kim Massie

Friday, January 29 & Saturday, January 30:
Brian Owens

Friday, February 12 - Sunday, February 14:
Mardra & Reggie Thomas

Friday, February 26 & Saturday, February 27:
The Bosman Twins (pictured)

Friday, March 12 & Saturday, March 13:
Funky Butt Brass Band

Friday, March 26 & Saturday, March 27:
Musica Slesa

Friday, April 23 & Saturday, April 24:
Erin Bode

Friday, May 7 & Saturday, May 8:
Jazz St. Louis All-Stars

Friday, May 21 & Saturday, May 22:
Legacy Jazz Quintet plays the music of Miles Davis

Show times at 8:30 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., except for Sunday, February 14, when there will be only one show at 8:30 p.m. Tickets for all events go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, December 8 via Metrotix or through the Jazz St. Louis box office at 314-289-4030.

(Edited after posting to fix a formatting problem.)

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

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

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

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

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

LNAC fundraiser on Sunday, May 10 to benefit music education program

Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center (LNAC) is hosting a special fundraising event next Sunday, May 10, to benefit a new music education program called "Orchestrating Diversity."

As the name implies, "A Chocolate and Champagne Evening" will feature refreshments such as champagne, gourmet coffee and chocolate desserts, as well as music, supplied by a chamber ensemble of musicians from the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra; a combo supplied by Jazz St. Louis with Phil Dunlap (piano), Adam Hucke (trumpet), Andy Ament (saxophone) and Brian Owens (vocals); and electronic musician Eric Hall, who has performed many times at LNAC.

Proceeds from the event will benefit “Orchestrating Diversity,” a collaboration between LNAC and Washington University intended to "provide intensive high level instrumental music education for promising young musicians with financial need."

The event begins at 6:00 p.m., with music starting at 7:00 p.m.. Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center is located at 3301 Lemp Ave. (at Utah, three blocks south of the Arsenal exit from I-55).

Individual tickets are $35 and patron tickets are $60, with tables of six available for $210 and $360. You can purchase tickets in person at LNAC, by calling Mark Sarich at 314-773-6769, or via PayPal on the LNAC Web site here.

Jazz this week: The Yellowjackets with Mike Stern, New Music Circle turns 50, and more

This will be a relatively short post by the usual "Jazz this week" standard, both because yr. humble editor has some time constraints due to other pressing matters, and because there's a slight lull in the St. Louis concert scene this weekend with regard to jazz and creative music. Specifically, we're at the time of year when some of our not-for-profit presenters, such as the Sheldon and the Touhill, have already wrapped up their jazz concert series for the season; the universities are coming to exam time and the end of their spring semesters; and the summer slate of festivals, fairs, concerts in the park, and so on has yet to begin.

As a result, there's only one major jazz headliner in town over the next few days to recommend - the Yellowjackets with guitarist Mike Stern (pictured), who will be performing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. For more on this pairing of two very popular acts among jazz-fusion fans, including some video samples, see this post from last Saturday. Given that both Stern and the 'Jackets have their own respective fan bases, and the presence of St. Louis native Marcus Baylor (second from right) on drums, these shows should draw some good crowds. So, while advance reservations are usually a good idea if you're planning to go to the Bistro, in this case, calling ahead is definitely recommended.

Not far from the Bistro, singer Brian Owens is doing a free show starting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday night at the Vaughn Cultural Center, which is located in the Urban League building, 3701 Grandel Square in the Grand Center district. The flyer for the show says seating is limited, so get there early to be assured a spot.

Also in the very same neighborhood, electronic musician and former St. Louisan Tom Hamilton will be back in town this weekend to do a 50th anniversary-themed concert for New Music Circle on Saturday at the Kranzberg Arts Center, which is in the newly renovated Big Brothers-Big Sisters building at 501 N. Grand. For more about Hamilton's concert, check out the preview story Terry Perkins wrote for the St. Louis Beacon here.

Elsewhere in town, St. Louis Jazz Cafe will have smooth jazz saxophonist Readus Miller on Thursday and again on Saturday; drummer Joe Pastor's trio on Friday; and the Usual Suspects Duo for Sunday brunch. On Sunday night, jazz/funk/R&B band Good 4 The Soul has an early evening gig at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, and on Tuesday, saxophonist Bennett Wood is back for another no-cover-charge show at The Gramophone.

With a new month beginning this week, band and venue schedule information for May is still coming in. So, as always, updates on more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond will be posted to the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar as they arrive at StLJN HQ.

(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.)

Black Rep announces Sunday concert series

The St. Louis Black Repertory Company has announced a new Sunday night concert series to be presented at the Grandel Theater, and several of the acts involved may be of interest to local jazz enthusiasts.

The series' jazz-related offerings include singer Brian Owens and the Cole Sessions Trio, who will kick off the series at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 1; singer Anita Jackson, who will perform on Sunday, March 29; and the jazz/Latin/world music band Farshid Etniko, who will take the stage on Sunday, April 5.

Other performances in the Black Rep's Sunday concert series will include the Genesis Arts Ministry on Sunday, March 8; the Voices of Praise Choir on Sunday, March 15; and a Father's Day benefit concert, with musicians TBA, on Sunday, June 21. The Black Rep also will present a free open house featuring preview performances from some of the Sunday series acts at 6:00 p.m. this Sunday, February 22 at the Grandel.

Tickets for the concerts are $20 each, and are available through Metrotix.