Cabaret at Savor closes

If you follow local restaurant news, you already may have seen the items last week on the Sauce magazine Web site (scroll down to the entries from 6/27/08) and in Deb Peterson's column in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch announcing that Savor, the swanky eatery at 4356 Lindell in the Central West End, would close its doors for the final time this past Saturday night.

Unfortunately, the restaurant's closing also means the end of the Cabaret at Savor, which operated under separate management in the same building. Here's the email announcement from producer Jim Dolan:

"Closing Was Sudden, Unexpected

I am writing to tell you that The Cabaret at Savor is closed.

The Cabaret at Savor presented its last show on Saturday, June 28. The 64-seat room opened as a cabaret in October of 2006, and presented some of the top names in Manhattan cabaret, including Steve Ross, Maude Maggart, Paula West, Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano, Mary Cleere Haran, Craig Rubano, Jeff Harnar, Barbara Brussell, John McDaniel and many others. It had also become a favorite venue for cabaret singers and musical theatre artists from St. Louis.

It's a loss, for me personally and for all here who love cabaret. The room was a terrific cabaret space, and both the singers and the audiences liked its elegant and cozy design. Unfortunately, I learned just 48 hours prior that Savor, the restaurant, was closing over the weekend. I have been working with the building owners to keep the cabaret space upstairs open, but at this time that appears not to be an option. I am looking for a new space, and hope to have an announcement soon. My thanks to all the wonderful singers and musicians, to those who did sound and lights, and especially to our audience. You made it a great room."

Here's hoping Dolan is successful in finding another space. StLJN will have updates on his progress as the situation develops.

Jazz this week: Musica Slesa, Debby Lennon, Hot Club Caravan, Dave Black and more

There are no major touring jazz musicians visiting St. Louis this week, but there's still plenty of worthwhile musical activity involving local performers, including several free outdoor concerts. Let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, keyboardist Tony Simmons will play a free concert at Missouri Botanical Garden as part of the Whitaker Music Festival.

On Thursday, the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars, a student ensemble made up of the most accomplished young musicians participating in the organization's education programs, will open the show for pop-soul singer Ralph Butler, who's performing a free concert at St. Louis Place Park as part of the Whitaker "Urban Evenings" series. Also on Thursday, multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman will bring his group Hot Club Caravan to Brandt's.

Then on Friday and Saturday nights, Latin jazz group Musica Slesa returns to Jazz at the Bistro. (Sorry, no link, as apparently Musica Slesa have not yet gotten around to putting up a Web site or even a MySpace page.) Also on Friday, guitarist Dave Black and his trio will play at Brandt's. And on Saturday, singer Debby Lennon (pictured) will perform at the Cabaret at Savor.

On Sunday, singer Anita Rosamond will do a free concert at Carondelet Park, and on Monday, pianist Michael Lacey bring his traditional jazz band to St. Louis Square Park for yet another free show.

For more St. Louis jazz-related events this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

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

Jazz this week: Paula West, a celebration of Miles Davis, Kim Massie, BAG II, and more

Although some of St. Louis' not-for-profit jazz presenters, such as the universities, the Sheldon Concert Hall and the Touhill Performing Arts Center, have wrapped up their seasons, this next week still offers a decently varied menu of music of interest to jazz listeners. Let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, singer Paula West (pictured) opens a four-night run at the Cabaret at Savor. West will be one of the featured performers in the Sheldon's jazz series next fall, but if you don't feel like waiting until then to check her out, the intimate 65-seat space at Savor will provide an opportunity to see and hear her close up.

Also tonight, the James Davis Quintet from Chicago stops in St. Louis to perform at the Underground @ Red Sea. Though I haven't heard them live, I enjoyed their CD Angles of Refraction very much; see last week's post for details.

On Friday and Saturday, singer Kim Massie returns to Jazz at the Bistro, backed by a band including Lew Winer III on saxophones, Gus Thornton on bass, Gerald Warren on drums and yr. humble editor on piano. Without revealing any highly classified information, I can tell you that Kim has planned an eclectic program of blues, soul and jazz, featuring some fan favorites and a few less-familiar tunes as well, and I anticipate that it will an entertaining show.

Friday also brings the opening reception for the new jazz photo exhibit at the Sheldon Art Galleries, Herb Snitzer: Photographs from the Last Days of Metronome, as well as trombonist Lamar Harris performing at Erato Wine Bar, and singer/songwriter Alyse Black, winner in the jazz category of the 2007 Billboard Song Contest, opening up a multi-artist bill at The Gramophone.

On Saturday, the Carolbeth True Trio will be at Cookie's Jazz and More, while the Sidney Street Trio, featuring James Warfield Jr. on alto sax, Daryl Mixon on bass and Joe Pastor on percussion, plays at Brandt's.

On Sunday, it's the Miles Davis Jazz Celebration with saxophonist Willie Akins and drummer Arlin Strader at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, IL. See this previous post for more details. Also on Sunday, BAG II presents a free event at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe featuring poet K. Curtis Lyle, performance artist and percussionist David A.N. Jackson, and bassist/mbira player Zimbabwe Nkenya. Looking beyond the weekend, singer Jeanne Trevor will be at Brandt's on Tuesday night.

For more St. Louis jazz-related events this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar

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

Cabaret at Savor showcasing St. Louis singers

The Cabaret at Savor, located at 4356 Lindell in the Central West End, is an intimate 65-seat room that usually presents touring performers, like the upcoming gig by singer Paula West with the George Mesterhazy Trio next Wednesday, May 14 through Saturday, May 17.

However, the club is also devoting a number of weekend evenings this spring to St. Louis vocalists. Next up is singer Renee Smith (pictured), who's appearing at the club this Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10 under the auspices of what's being called the "Cabaret in Blue" series. A veteran performer on the blues and R&B circuit who's sung with St. Louis legends such as Oliver Sain and Johnnie Johnson, Smith will be singing a program of love songs drawn from a variety of genres, including blues, soul, jazz, pop and standards, backed by none other than yr. humble StLJN editor on piano.

After West's four-night run, the "Cabaret in Blue" series continues with singer Uvee Hayes, whose CDs have included guest appearances from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Luther Ingram and the Phoenix Horns, and have received airplay as far away as Japan and the UK. Hayes also will be doing a wide variety of material, ranging from blues to jazz to country, and, as fate would have it, also will be backed by yr. humble editor on piano, plus another musician or two yet to be announced.

(Regular readers know that, other than linking to an occasional story I've written for the Riverfront Times, I don't use this space much for self promotion. In this case, it's more than a little awkward for me to be plugging two shows that I'm playing in, but I expect that both Renee and Uvee will put on entertaining performances, and my musical participation notwithstanding, I figure that if you're reading this far, you're certainly capable of making your own judgment as to whether or not it seems like your sort of thing. More to the point, it would be even more awkward to write about what Savor is doing with St. Louis singers and not mention these two weekends. So, now that all the disclosures have been disclosed...)

Other St. Louis vocalists who will be featured in upcoming performances at the Cabaret at Savor include Kim Massie on Friday, May 30; Erin Bode on Thursday, June 5; Sherry Drake on Saturday, June 14; Dean Christopher on Friday, June 20 and Saturday June 21; and Debby Lennon on Saturday, June 28.

You can read more about all of the performers at the Cabaret at Savor's Web site; advance tickets are available online via LicketyTix.com.

Jazz this week: Brad Mehldau, "Cabaret In Blue" kicks off with Anita Rosamond, and more

While this week's menu of jazz and creative music offerings isn't quite as extensive as last week's, there's still some good stuff to be heard out there on St. Louis stages.

The biggest name in town this weekend is pianist Brad Mehldau (pictured) who brings his trio to Jazz at the Bistro for performances beginning tonight and running through Saturday. Mehldau is one of the most talked-about and written-about pianists of his generation, earning favorable comparisons from jazz critics to greats like Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett as well as attracting attention from pop and rock fans for his interpretations of music from artists like Radiohead and the Beatles.

Elsewhere in town, singer Anita Rosamond will perform at the Cabaret at Savor on Friday and Saturday night, inaugurating the venue's new "Cabaret In Blue" series. "Cabaret in Blue" will showcase several St. Louis singers in the intimate 65-seat room, performing a set of music that's intended to reflect the influence of the blues on their own personal styles. For this weekend's shows, Rosamond will sing and play piano and will be accompanied by the fine guitarist Shaun Robinson of Good 4 the Soul and the always-impressive Sandy Weltman on harmonica. (Full disclosure: Yr. humble editor will be taking part in a couple of these presentations next month, playing piano behind singers Renee Smith and Uvee Hayes during their respective performances.)

On Sunday, conductor and former Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra musical director Leonard Slatkin returns to St. Louis to host a benefit for classical radio station KFUO (99.1 FM) at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The concert will feature performances from well-known musicians in a variety of genres, including Latin-jazz pianist Michel Camilo and versatile bassist Edgar Meyer, who's worked in jazz, classical and bluegrass.

Other noteworthy shows this weekend include singer and pianist Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum at Brandt's on Friday night, and a morning concert by trombonist Brett Stamps and his band at the Sheldon Concert Hall on Saturday.

For more local jazz-related events this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

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

(Edited after posting to add more tags.)

Jazz this week: Hard Bop Heritage, Erin Bode and more

The first part of January is typically a slow time for touring acts, so it's no big surprise that there are no national or international jazz musicians performing in St. Louis this week. Still, there are a number of locally based musicians deserving of your attention playing over the next few days, so let's take a quick look at a few of the highlights:

Jazz at the Bistro has the always listenable Hard Bop Heritage on Friday and Saturday nights, while singer Erin Bode (pictured) will perform at the Cabaret at Savor on Saturday.

Brandt's will present perennial favorite Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum on Friday, and the Sidney Street Trio, a new group featuring James Warfield Jr. on saxophone, Darryl Mixon on bass and Joe Pastor on percussion, on Saturday. Cookie's Jazz and More has the TMM Trio on Friday and violinist Nikki Glenn with Eddie Randall and Friends on Saturday.

Looking beyond the weekend, guitarist Todd Mosby will perform at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups on Monday night.

Last but not least, our esteemed colleague Dennis Owsley has something special planned for this week's edition of his Jazz Unlimited radio program. Owsley's devoting this installment to jazz vocals, showcasing tracks from the 30 greatest jazz vocal albums of all time as selected by a panel of 72 singers for a 2004 article in Down Beat magazine. He'll play a track from each album during the first and third hours of the program, with the second hour devoted to an extended interview with singer Kurt Elling. You can hear it all by tuning into KWMU (90.7 FM) from 9 p.m. to midnight on Sunday, and also discuss the topic with Owsley over on KWMU's online forum.

For more St. Louis jazz-related events this weekend and beyond, please consult the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

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

(Edited after posting to add tags.)

Jazz this week: Kurt Elling, Frankie Randall, Nnenna Freelon, Erin Bode, and more

The spotlight in St. Louis this week is on vocalists, with several very different singers presenting their talents and hoping to capture the time and attention of local jazz fans.

Perhaps the best known is Kurt Elling, who returns with his trio to Jazz at the Bistro for a four-night stand Wednesday through Saturday. One of the most talked-about male jazz singers on the scene today, Elling tends to inspire strong, love-him-or-hate-him reactions. I was a bit a of a skeptic before hearing him perform last year, first on the TV program Legends of Jazz and then at the Bistro, but came away from those expereinces with a new respect for Elling's skills and artistry. You can read my reconsideration and review of Elling here and here. Elling will also be doing a free master class at 2 p.m. Friday afternoon at Webster University's Community Music School building, located at 8282 Big Bend.

Also in St. Louis this week is Frank Sinatra's pal and protege Frankie Randall, who will be singing and playing piano at The Cabaret at Savor on Wednesday and Thursday night. Randall's show incorporates some of the songs Sinatra made famous, and is said to evoke a 1960s Rat Pack sort of vibe that's quite a contrast from Elling's more introspective presentation.

On Sunday, singer Nnenna Freelon (pictured) performs at the Sheldon Concert Hall to benefit Community Women Against Hardship. A mother of three, Freelon spent her young adulthood raising her kids and thus got a comparatively late start on a music career. However, since bursting on to the scene in the early 1990s, she's more than made up for lost time, performing around the world as a headliner and with the Count Basie Orchestra and many others, and earning five Grammy nominations in the jazz vocal category.

Other shows of note this week: Saxophonist Dave Stone will do a free concert at Washington University on Thursday night as part of the Jazz at Holmes series, while chanteuse Erin Bode and her band will perform at Finale Music and Dining on Friday and Saturday. Also on Saturday, pianist Ptah Williams returns with his trio to Cookie's Jazz and More.

To see a more extensive list of jazz-related events in the St. Louis area, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar

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

Sinatra acolyte Frankie Randall to perform at Savor

Singer/pianist Frankie Randall (pictured), a friend and musical acolyte of Frank Sinatra, is coming to St. Louis to perform at The Cabaret at Savor on Wednesday, November 14 and Thursday, November 15.

Billed as "a show that could have happened at Jilly's in 1962 New York...or in 1966 Las Vegas," Randall's performance will include some of the songs Sinatra made famous, such as "Come Fly With Me," "The Lady Is A Tramp," "New York, New York." As an interesting side note, the press release sent out by Savor says that before he passed away in 1998, Ol' Blue Eyes actually gave Randall some of his charts.

Savor is located at 4356 Lindell in the Central West End. For tickets, call 314-531-0220 or go to http://www.licketytix.com/.

(Edited 11/2/07 to correct the dates.)