Jazz this week: COVID-19 outbreak leads to cancellations, postponements

With the COVID-19 crisis leading to restrictions on the size of public gatherings and the closing of local bars and restaurants for everything but delivery and takeout service, all live music in St. Louis is effectively shut down for the next eight weeks.

A number of local presenters and venues have announced specific details about closings, cancellations, postponements, refunds for tickets already purchased, and related issues. Those announcements include:

* Jazz St. Louis released a statement this week saying that they are postponing all performances at their facility until at least Wednesday, May 27, and are suspending educational programs, including Jazz U and Jazz Academy, until at least April 3.

The statement continued, "Ticketholders do not have to do anything at this time except keep their tickets. They will be honored for the rescheduled show. We already are working with the artists to reschedule this Spring’s shows. Once we have done so, we will notify you of the dates and you will have the opportunity at that time to change nights or apply the value of your tickets toward a different show."

* The Sheldon Concert Hall has canceled or postponed all scheduled events through May 1. Plans to reschedule some events are underway, and ticket buyers have been told to retain their current tickets, as they will be honored for the new date. For details on which shows have been postponed and which will not be rescheduled, see The Sheldon's website.

* The Pageant, Delmar Hall and Blueberry Hill have postponed or cancelled all shows through the end of April. Details on rescheduling, refunds and related issues can be found on a dedicated page on The Pageant's website.

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation has closed all its associated venues, including The Dark Room, Kranzberg Arts Center, .ZACK, Grandel Theatre, Sophie's Artist Lounge and High Low, through May 11. Ticket holders for events at these venues will be contacted by Metrotix to ask if they want a refund or would like to donate the money to KAF.

* A post on social media from Broadway Oyster Bar announced that "BOB's dining and music venues will be closed until further notice," while the restaurant continuing to offer carryout and delivery service.

* Blue Strawberry sent out an email stating that they will be "closing our doors for the next 16 days. Our next currently open day is Thursday, April 2." Tickets already purchased will honored for rescheduled dates, can be exchanged for another scheduled show, or can be refunded, depending on the buyer's preference.

While not every venue or presenter has made a specific announcement yet, given current conditions the default assumption at this time should be that they are closed. For specific details, check their websites (many of which are linked on the sidebar here) and/or social media, or call.

As for StLJN, since a lot of the coverage here revolves around live shows, things here will be changing for the time being, too.

This likely will be the last "Jazz This Week" post for a while, until local presenters and venues start up again. The regular round-ups of local news and recent music-related links will continue on Fridays and Sundays, respectively, and there will be Saturday video posts, though they'll be focused on topics other than previewing upcoming performances.

In addition, StLJN will continue to cover any relevant breaking news as it happens, so to make sure you don't miss out on anything, subscribe to the StLJN email digest (it's free!), and follow StLJN on Facebook and Twitter.

Jazz this week: Tim Warfield Organ Band, Bonerama, Keyon Harrold, and more

Given that Mardi Gras is almost upon us, New Orleans-derived music plays a significant role in this week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis, but there's also a swinging saxophonist from Philly, a brief return home for a celebrated local trumpeter, and mich more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 19
Saxophonist Tim Warfield (pictured, top left) will perform for the first of five nights continuing through Sunday at Jazz St. Louis.

Warfield is a Philadelphia native who's played at the Bistro several times before, but this is his first time at the venue as leader of his Organ Band, which includes keyboardist Pat Bianchi and Warfield's hometown friend and frequent collaborator, trumpeter Terell Stafford.

Also in Grand Center, this week's "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" features pianist Dave Venn early and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor late at The Dark Room, plus a jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Thursday, 
February 20
Right on time to warm up for parade Saturday and Fat Tuesday, New Orleans' own Bonerama (pictured, center left) returns to perform at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Their sets likely will feature some music from their most recent album Bonerama Plays Zeppelin, which, as the name suggests, features their trombone-centric interpretations of music from the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. You can find out more about that project, and see some of the music being performed live (on video) in this post from a week ago Saturday.

Also on Thursday, keyboardist Jim Hegarty brings his trio to Evangeline's; singer Cheri Evans and CEEJazzSoul return to the Chase Club; keyboardist Ryan Marquez and his trio are back at The Dark Room; and guitarists William Lenihan and Vincent Varvel will team up to present a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Friday, February 21
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina will perform at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, and bassist and singer Janet Evra and her quartet will play at The Judson House.

Also on Friday, guitarist Joe Park will promote the release of his latest recording with a show at Focal Point, and Samba Bom will do carnaval Brazilian style at Bar Italia.

Saturday, February 22
The Nashville-based group Cosmic Collective returns to Evangeline's, and singer Robert Nelson and  Genesis Jazz Project will be the featured performers in "The B3 Experience: Big Band, Burlesque and Bourbon" at .ZACK.

Also on Saturday, the Funky Butt Brass Band plays a post-parade show at The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy; the Mosaic Jazz Sextet brings their hard bop sound to the Dark Room; and Dizzy Atmosphere will play vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at Urban Chestnut Midtown Brewery and Biergarten.

Sunday, February 23
Trumpeter Jim Manley plays for brunch at Evangeline's.

Later that afternoon, singer Anita Jackson and trumpeter Keyon Harrold (pictured, lower left) will headline a matinee "Benefit for Community Women Against Hardship" at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, followed at the venue by a dinner-hour show from singer Chuck Flowers.

Monday, February 24
Webster University faculty members including pianist Kim Portnoy, percussionist David Werfelmann, saxophonist Paul DeMarinis, and violinist Matt Pickart will explore "Improvisational Environments" in a concert at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

Tuesday, February 25
Celebrate Fat Tuesday in a New Orleans style at the "Central West End Second Line Parade," featuring the Saint Boogie Brass Band and Annie and the Fur Trappers, and/or by catching the double bill of the Funky Butt Brass Band and "Funkify Your Life: A Tribute To The Meters" at Broadway Oyster Bar.

Also on Tuesday, electro-jazz trio Vehachi plays in concert at the Gaslight Theater, and the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra returns to The Sheldon.

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.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Bonerama gets the Led out

This week, let's take a look at some videos featuring the New Orleans band Bonerama, who will be returning to St. Louis to perform Thursday, March 20 at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Many StLJN readers will need no introduction, as Bonerama have been frequent visitors to our town over the past decade, most recently playing here in February 2019 at the Bootleg at the Atomic Cowboy. Since that appearance, last spring they released Bonerama Plays Zeppelin, featuring trombone-centric cover versions of songs made famous by the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin.

While some of the material was in Bonerama's live repertoire prior to the release of the album, as they've been touring over the past year in support of the recording, they've naturally been featuring more of it, and so that's the focus of most of today's post.

You can hear some of the music from Bonerama Plays Zeppelin in the first video up above, an excerpt from their show on May 1, 2019, just a week after the album's release, at Louisiana Music Factory in New Orleans.

After the jump, check out their version of Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker," as recorded in August 2019 at the Green Harbor Roots and Blues Festival in Marshfield, MA.

That's followed by two more LZ songs, "The Ocean" and "Immigrant Song," both recorded (though by two different audience members) in June 2019 at the Happy Valley Music Festival in State College, PA.

Next up, Bonerama evokes their hometown with versions of Dr. John's "Such A Night" and Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World," also recorded at the aforementioned Green Harbor Roots and Blues Festival

The final video shows them taking the Happy Valley Music Festival to church, as they perform "Down By the Riverside."

For more about Bonerama, watch this video interview by bandleader Mark Mullins with Offbeat magazine, recorded last year at the time of the album's release, and read Mullins' 2017 interview with Drea Stein of KDHX radio.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

Jazz this week: Norm Lewis, Aaron Diehl, Jazz at Lincoln Center Group, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes cabaret from a Broadway veteran; a solo concert from one of today's top young jazz pianists; four visiting players teaming up for a one-time-only collaboration, and more.  Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 29
Singer and actor Norm Lewis, who's starred on Broadway in shows including Miss Saigon and Phantom of the Opera, performs for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis as part of their series of co-presentations with Cabaret Project of St. Louis.

Also on Wednesday, singer Mardra Thomas headlines "An Evening of Jazz," rescheduled from earlier this month due to bad weather, at the Skip Viragh Center For the Arts at Chaminade College Prep; electro-jazz trio Vehachi plays the monthly concert series at the World Chess Hall of Fame; and keyboardist Jim Hegarty leads a quintet at The Dark Room as part of this week's "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" in Grand Center.

Thursday, January 30
Drummer Demarius Hicks leads a quartet in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and trumpeter Brady Lewis and BLStet return to The Dark Room.

Friday, January 31
Pianist Aaron Diehl (pictured, top left), who's played here before accompanying singer Cecile McLorin Salvant, makes his solo St. Louis debut performing in the "Annual Carlin Concert" for Washington University's department of music at the 560 Music Center.

You can sample some of Diehl's solo and trio playing on video in this post from Saturday before last.

Also on Friday, the ad hoc ensemble billed as the Jazz at Lincoln Center Group performs for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis. The group features four musicians who are doing educational residencies for the organization this week: saxophonist Camille Thurman (pictured, bottom left), trumpeter Pharez Whitted, bassist Endea Owens, and drummer Steve Fidyk.

Elsewhere around town, the Gateway City Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; the Funky Butt Brass Band returns to the Broadway Oyster Bar; and pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson are back at Parkside Grille.

Saturday, February 1
Singer and guitarist Tommy Halloran headlines a concert at Focal Point; singer Lola Kristine and the Ryan Marquez Trio take the stage at Blue Strawberry; and jazz-fusion trio Tracer, with pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Darrell Mixon and drummer Gary Sykes, will move up their weekly gig at Troy's Listening Room by a day to avoid conflict with Sunday's Super Bowl.

Sunday, February 2
Singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will play a matinee at Alpha Brewing Company, and the Jazz Troubadours return for their monthly gig at Evangeline's.

Monday, February 3
Kicking off Black History Month, saxophonist Harvey Lockhart and his quartet will present "Yardbird Suite: A Charlie Parker Centennial Concert" at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University campus.

Tuesday, February 4
Saxophonist Jason Swagler will lead his group in a 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: Good 4 The Soul, Grand Marquis, New Year's Eve jazz, and more

Here's what's happening in live jazz and creative music in St. Louis for the last week of 2019:

Thursday, December 26
Jazz St. Louis will host a Jam Session & Open House for alumni of their JazzU program.

Also on Thursday, singer Amanda Raye and guitarist Dave Black perform at Evangeline's; Dizzy Atmosphere plays vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at Schlafly Bottleworks; and trumpeter Brady Lewis and BLStet return to The Dark Room.

Friday, December 27
Jazz/ funk quartet Good 4 The Soul (pictured, top left) performs for the first of two nights of their annual year-end gig at Jazz St. Louis; multi-instrumentalist T.J. Muller and friends offer a "Tribute to the Kings of Western Swing" at the Focal Point; and the Ambassadors of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, December 28
Singer and St. Louis native Katie McGrath is back from NYC to present her cabaret show "Home(sick) for the Holidays" at Blue Strawberry.

Also on Saturday, pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True return to the Parkside Grille; saxophonist Tim Cunningham plays at Troy's Listening Room; and The Gaslight Squares will perform at the Frisco Barroom.

Sunday, 
December 29
Guitarist Farshid Soltanshahi leads the Mosaic Musical Trio in a concert at Focal Point, and Kansas City-based jump blues band Grand Marquis (pictured, center left) returns to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.


Monday, December 30
The Folk School of KDHX hosts their final Traditional Jazz Jam Session of the year, and BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups has a double bill with guitarist Adam Hansbrough's trio early and The Usual Suspects late.

Tuesday, 
December 31
If you're interested in hearing some jazz this New Year's Eve, bassist and singer Janet Evra will play early evening at The Dark Room, while the Funky Butt Brass Band will be ringing in the new year at the Broadway Oyster Bar, and the Chase Park Plaza's "New Year’s Eve Ball" features multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris (pictured, bottom left) and the L plus a Frank Sinatra tribute and DJ.

For fans of jazz fusion, pianist Ptah Williams' trio Tracer plus guitarist Eric Slaughter will be playing at Troy's Listening Room, and The WirePilots will be joined by singer Kim Fuller for a concert at the Gaslight Theater

For vintage jazz, there's Miss Jubilee at Sasha's on Shaw, or The Gaslight Squares plus multi-instrumentalist Marty Eggers and friends at Yaquis on Cherokee.

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: Jazz at Holmes resumes, Polyphony Marimba, Miss Maybell, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the return of a local favorite series of free concerts, plus noteworthy performances in musical styles ranging from from vintage swing and ragtime to modern jazz and beyond.

Let's go to the highlights...


Wednesday, September 11
This week's "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" in Grand Center features multi-instrumentalist Jacob Alspach and friends playing traditional jazz at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and bassist Ben Wheeler's band Sketchbook at The Dark Room.

Thursday, September 12
The Jazz at Holmes series of free concerts at Washington University gets underway for the fall semester with a performance by pianist Ptah Williams (pictured, top left) in Holmes Lounge, located in Ridgley Hall on the Wash U campus.

Also on Thursday, while the sounds made by Polyphony Marimba (pictured, center left), who will be performing at Joe's Cafe & Art Gallery, aren't jazz, they definitely fall into the "creative music" category, mixing the instrumentation of a Zimbabwean percussion ensemble with classical, pop, and other genres.

Elsewhere around town, singer and impressionist Dean Christopher will bring his "Rat Pack and More" show LoRusso's Cucina; singer Cheri Evans and CEEJazzSoul return to the Chase Club; and guitarist Dan Rubright and his group will play at The Dark Room.

Friday, September 13
Dizzy Atmosphere will serve up vintage swing and Gypsy jazz in the "Garden Party Lights" area at Missouri Botanical Garden, and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Also on Friday, The Gaslight Squares perform at Yaquis on Cherokee, and saxophonist Lisella Martin takes the stage at The Dark Room.

Saturday, September 14
Saturday afternoon, the St. Louis Jazz Club presents their monthly jam session matinee hosted by pianist Bob Row and drummer John Gillick at J P's Corner, and radio host, author and photographer  Dennis Owsley will sign copies of his new book St. Louis Jazz: A History at the Webster Groves Public Library.

Then on Saturday evening, guitarist Vincent Varvel plays solo at The Dark Room; bassist and singer Janet Evra performs at Evangeline's; and the Funky Butt Brass Band returns to the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Sunday, 
September 15
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will perform for brunch at the Angad Arts Hotel, while just across the street, singer and guitarist Tommy Halloran will be playing at The Dark Room.

Then on Sunday evening, NYC-based singer Miss Maybell (pictured, bottom left) and pianist Charlie Judkins, who specialize in ragtime, early jazz, and other early 20th century music, will perform at Evangeline's, beginning a week of St. Louis shows that will include gigs at Thaxton Speakeasy, Yaquis, The Frisco Barrom, and The Dark Room.

Monday, September 16
Saxophonist Paul DeMarinis and his trio will perform at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University campus.

Tuesday, September 17
Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge.

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: Charlie Hunter Trio with Lucy Woodward, Good 4 The Soul, and more

With the summer weather in St. Louis forecast to be somewhat less sweltering than usual for a few days, it should be a good time to get out and hear some music. Here's what's happening with live jazz and creative music around town this week:

Wednesday, July 24
Singer Jenna Bauer and guitarist Dave Black will duet at Evangeline's; Miss Jubilee performs at Schlafly Bottleworks; and guitarist Joe Park's trio plays at Yaquis on Cherokee.

Thursday, July 25
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University wraps up their "Jazz in July" schedule of free concerts with a performance by drummer Maurice Carnes and his band.

Also on Thursday, guitarist Brian Vaccaro leads a trio at The Pat Connolly Tavern, trumpeter Brady Lewis and his BLStet perform at The Dark Room, and singer Robert Nelson and the Eddie Randle Jr. Trio are at the Angad Arts Hotel.

Friday, July 26
Funk/jazz quartet Good 4 The Soul (pictured, bottom left) returns for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band plays at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Saturday, July 27
Singer Jan Shapiro and pianist Dave Venn's trio return to the Ozark Theatre; trumpeter Jim Manley and band play at Evangeline's; pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True will perform at Parkside Grille; and The Gaslight Squares will bring their vintage jazz and swing to the Frisco Barroom.

Sunday, July 28
Guitarist Charlie Hunter brings his latest trio, featuring singer Lucy Woodward (pictured, top left with Hunter) and drummer Keita Ogawa to Off Broadway. Though Hunter has had a number of trios in the past, adding a singer definitely has brought new dimensions to his sound. You can see and hear for yourself by checking out the videos in this post from a week ago Saturday.

Elsewhere around town. the Folk School of KDHX presents their monthly Traditional Jazz Jam Session on Sunday afternoon, and singer and bassist Janet Evra performs in a free, outdoor concert Sunday evening at Oak Knoll Park in Clayton.

Monday, July 29
Pianist and singer Jesse Gannon returns to 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:

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold was among the featured performers at "A Great Night in Harlem," held recently at the Apollo Theater to honor singers Harry Belafonte and Tony Bennett and to raise funds for the Jazz Foundation of America. DownBeat's article about the evening includes a quote from Harrold, who, along with fellow trumpeter Wallace Roney, performed "Grazing In The Grass" as a tribute to the late Hugh Masekela.

* Harrold also has been tapped as a member of New Masters, “a rotating ensemble of today’s leading, up-and-coming and established jazz musicians” assembled by Sony Music Masterworks to record jazz interpretations of contemporary hits "originally performed by the likes of Cardi B, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and SZA."

The group, which also includes pianist Sullivan Fortner, drummer Eric Harland, guitarist Gilad Hekselman, bassist Burniss Earl Travis, saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins and percussionist Bashiri Johnson, will release their debut album ReWORKS Volume 1 on Friday, July 12.

* "Why Jazz Still Matters" is the title of an article in the spring 2019 issue of Daedalus magazine co-authored by Washington University professor Gerald Early with Ingrid Monson, professor of African American Music at Harvard University.

* Seven musicians who worked with Miles Davis during the trumpeter's electric period, including bassist Michael Henderson, saxophonists Dave Liebman and Gary Bartz, and drummer Lenny White, talked about their experiences at a Jazz Congress conference panel this past January in NYC, which now has been transcribed for an article in Jazz Times.

* In more Davis news, the trumpeter's landmark album Birth of the Cool will be re-released in a deluxe 70th anniversary edition (pictured) on Friday, May 17. The vinyl and digital set will include the complete studio and live recordings made in 1949-50 by Davis' nine-piece ensemble.

* Lastly, in a story published on April 1 by the Alton-area weekly Riverbender, Davis' ghost is credited with saving the lives of three area residents in separate incidents.

* Trumpeter Clark Terry's mentoring of young musicians, particularly pianist Justin Kauflin, is the subject of a recent article in Vail Daily.

* In an article in the Edwardsville Intelligencer, vibraphonist Lee Roth credits the sounds of radio station WSIE with helping him recover from recent brain surgery.

* Jazz St. Louis, The Dark Room and Broadway Oyster Bar are among the spots mentioned in a Post-Dispatch feature about local venues offering "dinner and a show."

Jazz this week: Ronnie Burrage Trio, Good 4 The Soul, New Year's Eve jazz, and more

With most touring artists off the road, the week between Christmas and New Year's Day in St. Louis usually isn't overly crowded with live jazz and creative music shows.

Still, the coming week does feature some noteworthy gigs from a returning St. Louis expat and an assortment of hometown performers, plus several jazz and jazz-related options for New Year's Eve entertainment. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 26
Drummer and U City native Ronnie Burrage (pictured, top left) is visiting home for the holidays and will team with bassist Darrell Mixon and pianist Ptah Williams for three performances this week.

The first of those shows will feature a jam with various invited horn players and guitarists on Wednesday night at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, followed by performances on Thursday at the house concert venue Kinda Blue Club and Friday at The Dark Room.

Elsewhere around town, trumpeter Jim Manley plays at Sasha's Wine Bar,

Thursday, December 27
Singer Joe Mancuso will be backed by Joe Pastor on vibes and Ben Wheeler on bass at 50/Fifty Kitchen; guitarists Carol B. Eder and Chip Katz will duet at The Pat Connolly Tavern; and saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet returns to The Dark Room.

Friday, 
December 28
Funk/jazz quartet Good 4 The Soul (pictured, lower left) returns to Jazz St. Louis for the first of two nights of their annual year-end gig.

Also on Friday, cornet players "Wild" Bill Mason and T.J Müller lead the Mason-Müller All Star Band in an evening of traditional jazz at Focal Point.



Saturday, December 29
Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, December 30
Drummer Montez Coleman and friends play for brunch at The Dark Room, and the Folk School of KDHX hosts their monthly traditional jazz jam session.

Sunday evening, guitarists Dave Black, Farshid Soltanshahi and Aaron Burlbaw will play at the house concert venue Judson House, 3733 Washington Ave in Grand Center; and DJ Pockets presents his monthly "1950s/60s Jazz Record Spin" at The Royale.

Monday, December 31
Noteworthy New Year's Eve performances include singer Erin Bode doing two shows at Cyrano's; a "Speakeasy NYE Party" with music from Miss Jubilee and blues band Rum Drum Ramblers at Das Bevo; the Funky Butt Brass Band at the Broadway Oyster Bar; and keyboardist and singer Jesse Gannon doing an early evening set at the new Angad Arts Hotel. (Also, you may want to check the STLJN calendar for any last-minute additions.)

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: Jeremy Davenport and more

As often happens here around major holidays, it's a slow week for touring jazz and creative music performers, but there still are a number of noteworthy performances by locals (plus one returning St. Louis expat) happening around town.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 21
This week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features singer Jenna Bauer and guitarist Dave Black at The Stage at KDHX; the jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Also on Wednesday, Cabaret Project of St. Louis presents their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club; and bassist/singer Janet Evra performs at Evangeline's.

Friday, November 23
Trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport (pictured) is back home from New Orleans for the first night of his annual Thanksgiving weekend gig at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; saxophonist Tim Cunningham returns to Troy's Jazz Gallery; and percussionist Herman Semidey and Son Montuno will play Latin jazz, salsa and more at The Dark Room.

Saturday, November 24
The St. Louis Jazz Club is presenting what's intended as the first in a series of monthly Saturday matinee jam sessions, hosted by pianist Bob Row, drummer Jon Gillick and & Scott Alberici, at J P's Corner in South County.

Saturday night, trumpeter Jim Manley and band return to Evangeline's; guitarist Dan Rubright will perform in a concert at .ZACK; and the Funky Butt Brass Band plays their monthly show at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Sunday, November 25
Drummer Montez Coleman and friends play for brunch at The Dark Room; the Folk School of KDHX hosts their monthly traditional jazz jam session; and DJ Pockets will be behind the turntables for his monthly "1950s/60s Jazz Record Spin" at The Royale.

Monday, November 26
Dizzy Atmosphere plays vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at The Shaved Duck.

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: Renee Dion, Bach to the Future with Eric Marienthal, and more

Though the fall presenting season won't get underway in earnest until next month, the calendar of live jazz and creative music for the upcoming late-summer week in St. Louis does include a couple of local debuts from up-and-coming visiting performers, plus a selection of noteworthy gigs featuring our hometown musicians.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, August 22
Guitarist Dave Black plays at Barcelona Tapas, and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features bassist/vocalist Janet Evra at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, August 23
Singer Joe Mancuso is back at 50/Fifty Kitchen, trumpeter Jim Manley and guitarist Randy Bahr will perform at The Pat Connolly Tavern, and keyboardist Ryan Marquez leads a trio at The Dark Room.

Friday, August 24
Guitarists Gregg "Happy Guitar" Haynes, Josiah James and Eric Slaughter will team up for a collaborative show called "No Strings Attached" at Troy's Jazz Gallery; and Ohio-based singer Renee Dion (pictured, top left), who blends jazz with R&B, hip-hop and soul, will make her St. Louis debut at the Ozark Theatre.

Also on Friday, pianist Ptah Williams is at The Dark Room, and The Usual Suspects play for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Saturday, August 25
The first day of the annual Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park will feature a variety of free entertainment, including music from Samba Bom and Herman Semidey & Orquestra Son Montuno.

Also on Saturday, Bach to the Future will be joined by saxophonist Eric Marienthal (pictured, bottom left) for a free concert on the lawn at the Webster Groves Masonic Lodge; the Funky Butt Brass Band returns to the Broadway Oyster Bar; and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo, Chicago-based septet Cordoba (making their St. Louis debut), and AZN will share a triple-bill at El Leñador.

Sunday, August 26
The Festival of Nations continues at Tower Grove Park with music from Elsie Parker and the Poor People of Paris, Acoustik Element and more; and Troy's Jazz Gallery will present a double-bill of the Kendrick Smith Quintet and the Khamali Moore Collective.

Monday, August 27
Dizzy Atmosphere plays vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at The Shaved Duck.

Tuesday, August 28
Pianist Pat Joyce returns to Evangeline's.

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

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

Jazz this week: No BS! Brass Band, a Grover Washington Jr. tribute, Funky Butt Brass Band turns 10, and more

The calendar of live jazz and creative music calendar typically thins out a bit this time of year, as summer concert series begin to wind down and the fall presenting season still is weeks away.

Nevertheless, there are several noteworthy shows happening over the next week, including a birthday celebration for one of St. Louis' most popular jazz-adjacent bands, plus soul-jazz, Latin jazz, traditional jazz and swing, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, August 1
No BS! Brass Band (pictured, top left) returns to perform at the Old Rock House. Based in Richmond, VA, they put their own spin on the classic New Orleans sound, as you can see in the videos contained in this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Also on Wednesday, trumpeter Jim Manley is at Sasha's Wine Bar; guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran plays at Evangeline's; and this week's edition of the free "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features pianist Marty Eggers at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, August 2
Guitarist Dave Black brings his "In Touch" trio with bassist Marc Torlina and drummer Kyle Hunnicutt to The Dark Room.

Friday, August 3
Jazz St. Louis presents the first of two nights of "Groovin' on Grover Washington Jr,"  a tribute show featuring saxophonist Amos Brewer (in for the previously announced Tim Cunningham) with bassist John King, keyboardist Pete Ruthenburg, guitarist Leland Crenshaw and drummer Montez Coleman.

Also on Friday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes perform at The Abbey in Belleville; vibraphonist Tom Rickard leads a trio at Cigar Inn; and saxophonist Kendrick Smith plays at Thurman's in Shaw.

Saturday, August 4
The Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured, bottom left) celebrates their tenth birthday with an early show at Broadway Oyster Bar.

Also on Saturday, percussionist Herman Semidey and Orquestra Son Montuno play salsa, Latin jazz and more at the Ozark Theatre
and Dizzy Atmosphere performs in the beer garden at Missouri Botanical Garden's Flora Borealis exhibit.

Sunday, August 5
Miss Jubilee plays for brunch at Evangeline's, and the Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe.

Tuesday, August 7
The Tick Tock Jazz Band, featuring multiple generations of traditional jazz musicians going back to the Gaslight Square era, will play the first of what's projected to be a monthly series of gigs at the Tick Tock Tavern.

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 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: Lea DeLaria with Janis Siegel, New Year's Eve jazz, and more

For the last week of the year, the calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a homecoming for another local native who's made good on the national stage, plus a variety of musical options for New Year's Eve, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 27
Singer, actor and Belleville native Lea DeLaria (pictured) will perform for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

DeLaria, who has done stand-up comedy, starred on Broadway, and snagged a couple of awards from the Screen Actors Guild for her work on the Netflix series Orange is the New Black, also has won plenty of accolades as a singer, performing at the Newport Jazz Festival and at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Chicago Symphony, Hollywood Bowl, Royal Albert Hall, and the Sydney Opera House.

In her first-ever shows at the Bistro, Delaria will be joined a special guest, The Manhattan Transfer's Janis Siegel, and will spotlight material from her 2015 album House of Bowie, which featured interpretations of music by iconic rocker David Bowie.

Also of note, this is the first show at the Bistro that yr. StLJN editor can recall coming with a disclaimer about the content, specifically: "This show contains strong language which may be offensive to some and or inappropriate for children. Any views or opinions presented in this performance are solely those of the artist and do not represent those of Jazz St. Louis." For more on what to expect, you can read the brief interview DeLaria did previewing the show with the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

Also on Wednesday, bassist Glen Smith and guitarist Eric Slaughter perform at Evangeline's; and the final "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" of the year includes Miss Jubilee at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's group at The Dark Room.

Thursday, December 28
Trumpeter Jim Manley plays his last Thursday night gig of the year at Momo's Greek Restaurant; pianist Adam Maness' trio is at Thurman's in Shaw; and saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet returns to The Dark Room.

Friday, 
December 29
Pianist Ptah Williams plays an early-evening show at The Dark Room; jazz/funk quartet Good 4 The Soul (pictured) returns to Jazz at the Bistro for the first of two nights of their long-running late-December engagement; and singer Tony Viviano and his band will be "Celebrating Frank Sinatra's 102nd Birthday" at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Clayton.

Saturday, December 30
Saxophonist Dave Stone's trio is back at Thurman's in Shaw, and keyboardist Mo Egeston performs at The Dark Room.

Sunday, December 31
Highlighting just a handful of the jazz and jazz-related local musical possibilities for New Year's Eve - you can check the StLJN jazz calendar for more extensive listings - if you're in the mood for some vocals, singer Erin Bode will be doing two shows at Cyrano's, while singer Chuck Flowers will perform for NYE diners at Bartolino's South.

If smooth jazz and R&B are more your speed, you can hear saxophonist Tim Cunningham at Troy's Jazz Gallery, while fans of vintage swing and hot jazz can head to Das Bevo for a double bill of Miss Jubilee and Roya and the High Timers.  And for some New Orleans-inspired revelry, the Funky Butt Brass Band will be closing out 2017 with one final show at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

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.)