Jazz this week: Terence Blanchard and E-Collective, Michael Rosen, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features the return of a New Orleans trumpeter who has become a local favorite here, a free concert featuring a multi-national ensemble of players, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 20
Trumpeter Terence Blanchard (pictured, top left) is back in town with his band, the E-Collective, to perform for the first of five nights continuing through Sunday at Jazz St. Louis.

Blanchard already has spent a fair amount of time in St. Louis this year, as Opera Theater of St. Louis premiered his second opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones in June. Since then, the trumpeter has moved from his native New Orleans to Los Angeles to accept a job as the first Kenny Burrell Chairman in Jazz Studies at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music.

Though he hasn't released any new recordings since 2018's Live, Blanchard is always writing new music, so don't be surprised to hear a few new compositions mixed in with pieces from the E-Collective's three albums.

Also on Wednesday, vocal group Java Jived teams up with pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True for a performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall, and guitarist Brian Vaccaro's organ group Spiral Trio plays at Evangeline's.

Thursday, November 21
Keyboardist Jim Hegarty will perform with bassist Paul Steinbeck and drummer Del Robles in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Also on Thursday, The Dark Room has a double-header, with guitarist Dave Black playing at the dinner hour and keyboardist Ryan Marquez and his trio performing the late-evening show.

Friday, November 22
Trumpeter Jim Manley returns to Evangeline's, and saxophonist Stan Coleman will play at The Dark Room.

Saturday, November 23
Saxophonist Michael Rosen, a former New Yorker now living in Italy, will front a multi-national ensemble in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Wash U.

Rosen (pictured, bottom left) will joined by two St. Louisans, guitarist William Lenihan and pianist Jay Oliver, plus British bassist Tony Grey and Italian drummer Lucrezio De Seta.

Also on Saturday, percussionist Herman Semidey and Orquestra son Montuno play salsa, Latin jazz and more at Club Viva; and fusion/funk band Wright's Project returns to Troy's Listening Room.

Monday, November 25
The Webster University Jazz Singers perform at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus, and singer and impressionist Dean Christopher returns with his "Rat Pack and More" show to One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar.

Tuesday, November 26
The Big Little Big Band with vocalist Steve Shininger performs 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: Cyrille Aimée, Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features the return of a rising star vocalist, a free, day-long festival, and more. Let's go to this highlights...

Wednesday, 
September 18
Singer Cyrille Aimée (pictured, top left) returns to perform for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis as part of the series they're co-presenting with Cabaret Project of St. Louis.

Aimée, who first performed in St. Louis in 2016 at the Bistro, released her ninth album Move On: A Sondheim Adventure in February of this year. (For more about her, check out this video showcase post from her previous appearance here.)

Also on Wednesday, NYC-based singer Miss Maybell and pianist Charlie Judkins continue their mini-tour of local nightspots with a show at Evangeline's; and this week's "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" in Grand Center features pianist Ethan Leinwand 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.

Thursday, September 19
Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and keyboardist Ryan Marquez and his trio will return to The Dark Room.

Friday, September 20
Elsie Parker and the Poor People of Paris will provide the music for "Wine & Jazz Under the Stars," a benefit for radio station Classic 107.3 FM at the Columbia Foundation for the Arts on The Hill.

Also on Friday, trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi and his band return to Evangeline's and the Ambassadors of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, September 21
The annual Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival starts at mid-day and continues through the evening with two stages in the Old Webster Business District, near the intersection of Lockwood & Gore Aves.

The free, family-friendly event will feature sets from the Webster University Faculty Jazz Ensemble, Bach to the Future, Dizzy Atmosphere (pictured, center left), Webster Groves High School Jazz Band, and trumpeter Jim Manley, plus blues performers including David Dee, Marquise Knox, Jeremiah Johnson, and more.

Also on Saturday, Miss Maybell wraps up her visit here with a performance at the Frisco Barroom (just down the road from the festival site); and Chicago-based guitarist, composer and improviser Daniel Wyche performs at Flood Plain gallery, with St. Louis' JoAnn McNeil and Michael Williams offering an opening set of electronics, found-sound manipulation, and guitar.

Sunday, September 22
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents pianist Bob Row's Mardi Gras Jazz Band at the Moolah Shrine Center's Oasis Room; and keyboardist Mo Egeston and his trio will perform at The Judson House.

Monday, September 23
Pianist Peter Martin and guitarist Romero Lubambo (pictured, bottom left) celebrate the release of their new duo album Rio Meets New Orleans: Live From Tokyo with a performance at the Open Studios space at Centene Center for the Arts in Grand Center.

Also on Monday, pianist Carolbeth True and her trio will play a concert at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University campus.

Tuesday, September 24
Pianist Curt Landes and his trio plus singer Feyza Eren will perform in concert at the Gaslight Theater.

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist, clarinetist and former U Citian Marty Ehrlich (pictured) was the subject of an "Overdue Ovation" profile in Jazz Times.

* The world premiere production of trumpeter Terence Blanchard's opera Fire Shut Up In My Bones at Opera Theatre of St. Louis continues to generate press coverage, including preview stories from Bob Duffy in St. Louis magazine and St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin, and reviews from Sarah Bryan Miller of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Paul Friswold of the Riverfront Times, Mark Bretz of Ladue News, and John von Rhein on the website Chicago Classical Review. The production continues in "rolling rep" at OTSL until the end of the month.

* Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True appeared Tuesday on the morning newscast from KTVI (Fox 2).

* The new Miles Davis set Complete Birth of the Cool was reviewed by Nate Chinen for Pitchfork.

* Jazz Journal reviewed the new reissue of Davis' Cup, a 1956 compilation of some of Davis' early recordings for the Prestige label, originally issued only in Europe.

* Twenty local arts organizations have won operating support grants for the next year from the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis, including Jazz St. Louis, the Sheldon Concert Hall, and the Radio Arts Foundation.

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 Washington University faculty member Paul Steinbeck - author of Message To Our Folks, a history of the Art Ensemble of Chicago - has received the 2018 Steve Larson Award for Jazz Scholarship from the Society for Music Theory's Jazz Interest Group.

* Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True have released a new album for the holidays called True Christmas. The album (pictured) features True's original arrangements of 14 favorite seasonal songs, and is on sale now as a digital download, with CDs available soon.

* Keyboard player David Grelle was the subject of a feature on the newscast of local NBC affiliate KSDK. Grelle and his group, the Playadors, perform tonight and tomorrow night at Jazz St. Louis.

* This weekend's homecoming of singer Kate McGrath, the St. Louis expat whose show "Aunt of The Year" is a sell-out tonight at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival, was the subject of an item by Post-Dispatch columnist Joe Holleman.

* An exhibit of visual art created by trumpeter Miles Davis opened this week at Jackson State University in Jackson, MI. The exhibit, which features 15 of Davis' paintings and photos, continues through November 30.

* Keyboardist and Metro East native David Garfield was interviewed on the Inside Musicast podcast.

Jazz this week: Ellington's "Nutcracker, "A Very Manley Christmas," and more

Although most touring jazz and creative music performers now are off the road until the holiday season is over, there's still some noteworthy music - holiday and otherwise - to be heard this week, thanks to our local St. Louis musicians and singers.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 20
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band continues their presentation of Duke Ellington's adapation of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" plus additional Ellingtonia through Thursday night at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Wednesday, singer Joe Mancuso continues at Taha'a Twisted Tiki; singer Feyza Eren returns to Evangeline's; and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Thursday, December 21
Guitarist Stuart Johnson plays for diners at The Shaved Duck; Cabaret Project St. Louis presents a holiday edition of their "Broadway Open Mic" at the Curtain Call Lounge; and bassist Chano Cruz leads a trio at The Dark Room

Friday, December 22
Trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured) convenes his Mad Brass & Rhythm septet for the first of two nights of "A Very Manley Christmas" at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Friday, the Big Little Big Band with vocalist Steve Shininger will present a "Frank Sinatra Christmas" at The Abbey Espresso Bar & Cafe in Belleville.

Saturday, December 23
If you haven't had your fill of holiday music yet, there's one last chance, as Webster Groves Christian Church presents “A Jazz and Choral Christmas” with Two Times True and the church's Chancel Choir, and the Yule Vibe Trio, with guitarist Tom Byrne, percussionist Joe Pastor, and bassist Bob DeBoo, plays at the KindaBlue Club.

Also on Saturday, multi-intrumentalist Joe Bozzi and his band return to Evangeline's, and drummer Chuck Kennedy has put together a "Christmas Eve Eve Jam Session" at Mike Duffy's in downtown Kirkwood.

Sunday, December 24
Miss Jubilee performs for jazz brunch at Evangeline's, while drummer Montez Coleman and friends play at The Dark Room.

Tuesday, December 26
Saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective play their last gig of the year at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soup. 

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: Rebirth Brass Band, Shotgun Jazz Band with Charlie Halloran, and more

With the start of the fall presenting season still a couple of weeks away, the schedule of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis is a bit light this weekend, but it does feature two bands bringing a bit of New Orleans to our town, plus some other noteworthy shows.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, August 30
Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson will perform at Evangeline's, and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes at KDHX's Magnolia Cafe, a jam session with bassist Bob Deboo and friends at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, August 31
Up for the weekend from New Orleans, the Shotgun Jazz Band - with St. Louis native Charlie Halloran on trombone - will play the first show of their visit at Joe's Cafe & Gallery.

Also on Thursday, Animal Children will perform at The Dark Room, and pianist and singer Jesse Gannon plays solo at The Monocle.

Friday, September 1
Also visiting this weekend from New Orleans, the Rebirth Brass Band (pictured, top left) returns to headline an outdoor show at the Atomic Cowboy Pavilion,  with support from fellow New Orleans denizens Dumpstaphunk. You can get a taste of Rebirth's contemporary spin on the traditional brass band sound via video in this post from a couple of weeks ago.

Elsewhere around town, singer-guitarist Tommy Halloran's Guerrilla Swing will play a free show at Eckert's Country Store & Farms in Belleville; singer Meghan Kirk performs her cabaret show "Out of My Head" at The Stage at KDHX; and Cafe Danza, featuring guitarist Farshid Etniko and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman. will promote their new recording with a concert at Focal Point.

And although it's not a jazz event per se, StLJN readers also may be interested in the Big Muddy Blues Festival, which gets underway on Friday and will feature performances from dozens of local acts throughout the weekend.

Saturday, September 2
Shotgun Jazz Band plays their second show of the weekend, this time at Focal Point; and keyboardist Mo Egeston and friends will keep up the late night grooves at The Dark Room.

Sunday, September 3
The Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" matinee at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe; Wright's Project play jazz-fusion and funk at Patois Eatery & Social Lounge (in the space formerly occupied by the Rustic Goat at 2617 Washington Ave downtown), and the Genesis Jazz Project with guest vocalist Joe Mancuso will play straight-ahead and modern jazz at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups

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: Emmet Cohen, Madeleine Peyroux, Victor Wooten, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the local debut of a promising young pianist, a festival of student big bands, return appearances from a jazz-influenced singer and a virtuoso electric bassist, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, March 22
The NYC-based pianist Emmet Cohen will perform at the Curtain Call Lounge with his trio, which customarily features bassist Russell Hall, of the house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and drummer Kyle Poole.

Praised by DownBeat for his “kaleidoscopic sense of musical narrative,” Cohen (pictured, top left) has played at jazz festivals including Monterey, Newport, North Sea, Bern, and Edinburgh, and performed, recorded or collaborated with Christian McBride, Herlin Riley, Kurt Elling, Billy Hart, Jimmy Heath, Brian Lynch, Lea DeLaria, and many others. His most recent album Masters Legacy Series, Vol. 1 features legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb, the only surviving musician from Miles Davis' Kind of Blue.

Note also that in addition to his free gig Wednesday as part of the Grand Center Jazz Crawl, Cohen and his trio also will perform in a ticketed concert on Thursday night at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Also on Wednesday, pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson will open a two-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro.

Thursday, March 23
With Washington University students back on campus after spring break, the Jazz at Holmes series will present a free concert featuring pianist Ken Kehner, accompanied by William Lenihan on bass and Montez Coleman on drums.

Friday, March 24
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will host the "Essentially Ellington" Regional Festival at Dunham Hall on the SIUE campus. Affiliate with the similarly named annual event at NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center. The day-long festival will culminate in a public concert featuring performances from the participating high school bands; clinicians Zeb Briskovich, Rick Haydon, Adaron Jackson, Garrett Schmidt, Jason Swagler, and Miles Vandiver; and the SIUE Concert Jazz Band.

Also on Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band will open a two-night gig at Jazz at the Bistro; the Midwest Jazz-tette returns to Evangeline's; and singer and impressionist Dean Christopher brings his "Rat Pack & More" show to the Kinda Blue Club.

Saturday, March 25
Pianist James Matthews plays an early-evening show at the Palomino Lounge, and singer Joe Mancuso, guitarist Dave Black and multi-instrumentalist R. Scott Bryan will team up for a concert at Focal Point.

Sunday, March 26
Miss Jubilee plays for brunch at Evangeline's, and the Folk School of KDHX will present their monthly matinee Traditional Jazz Jam Session.

Then on Sunday evening, singer and guitarist Madeleine Peyroux returns for two shows at the Old Rock House.

Squeezing this date into a brief break in her joint tour with singer Rickie Lee Jones, Peyroux (pictured, center left) will be accompanied by Steely Dan guitarist Jon Herington and Israeli-born bassist Barak Mori, performing a variety of music from her catalog including songs from her most recent release, 2016's Secular Hymns.

Also on Sunday evening, the Williams Brothers - trumpeter Joshua, saxophonist Jo-e’l, and pianist Jaydon - will perform together for a one-nighter at Jazz at the Bistro.

Monday, March 27
Dizzy Atmosphere plays Gypsy jazz and swing for diners at The Shaved Duck, and Webster University's student jazz combos will show off what they've learned so far this year in a free concert at Webster's Community Music School.

Tuesday, March 28
Bassist Victor Wooten (pictured, bottom left) returns for a performance with his trio, featuring the great drummer Dennis Chambers and saxophonist Bob Franceschini, at the Old Rock House.

The bass virtuoso, who made his name as a member of banjo player Bela Fleck's band the Flecktones, has been touring with this lineup since the end of last year, so they should be in fine form by the time they reach St. Louis.

Also on Tuesday, the Washington University Jazz Band, directed by Chris Becker, performs at Jazz at the Bistro; and BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups has a jazz double-header, with percussionist Joe Pastor's Legacy Jazz Ensemble playing in the early evening, followed by saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective.

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: Bruce Barth, Erin Bode, Victor Goines, Lynne Fiddmont, and more

With some relatively mild weather in the forecast and a nice variety of performances happening over the next several days, the weekend leading up to Valentine's Day should be a good time for jazz lovers in St. Louis. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 8
Pianist Bruce Barth returns for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, leading a trio with bassist Dave Baron and St. Louis' own Montez Coleman on drums.

Barth (pictured, top left) is a jazz veteran who first gained wide attention nearly thirty years ago working with saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Since then, in addition to a solo career yielding more than a dozen albums as a leader - the most recent being 2014's Daybreak - he's racked up a long list of credits accompanying well-known musicians and singers such as Terence Blanchard, Tony Bennett, Terell Stafford, Karrin Allyson, and many more.

Longtime local jazz fans will remember Barth as a fairly frequent visitor to St. Louis and the Bistro in the early 2000s, when he cut a couple of albums for the locally based label MAXJAZZ. More recently, he took part in the memorial concert in 2014 at the Bistro honoring Richard McDonnell, the late founder of MAXJAZZ, but it's been a few years since he's actually headlined here with his own band. St. Louis is the fourth of six cities that Barth, Baron and Coleman will visit on this winter mini-tour, so they should be firing on all cylinders when they get here.

Elsewhere around town, the new weekly jam session hosted by pianist Curt Landes, bassist Glen Smith and drummer Chuck Kennedy continues at @Nesby's in South County.

Thursday, February 9
In honor of Black History Month, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will present a free concert program called "A Celebration of the Blues: From Oxford, Mississippi to Chicago" featuring Memphis-based "avant soul" singer Candice Ivory, pianist Charles Creath, guitarist Dennis Brock, bassist Paul Steinbeck, and series curator William Lenihan on guitar and/or bass.

Also on Thursday, the Jazz Troubadours perform at the Venice Cafe, and pianist Adam Maness and his trio continue their new weekly Thursday night residency at Thurman's in Shaw.

Friday, February 10
Singer Erin Bode will perform for the first of three Valentine's-themed nights at Jazz at the Bistro, with shows on Friday, Saturday and next Tuesday. Bode's most recent release Here and Now came out last summer, and features her interpretations of songs from writers including Irving Berlin and Frank Loesser, Rickie Lee Jones, and Gerry Rafferty. While some of that material should fit neatly into a Valentine's show, Bode likely will be reaching into her catalog of original songs as well.

Also on Friday, saxophonist Tim Cunningham will play the first of two nights this weekend at Troy's Jazz Gallery, and saxophonist Freddie Washington will lead a trio with with drummer Jon-Marc Dale and bassist Simon Evans at Cigar Inn

Saturday, February 11
If you're up for a bit of a drive, you can catch saxophonist and clarinetist Victor Goines (of Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra fame) and his quintet performing at the Cedarhurst Center for the Arts in Mt. Vernon, IL, about an hour east of St. Louis.

A bit closer to home, singer Tony Viviano will be presenting a Valentine's Day show at Patrick's Westport Grill, and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will be playing hot jazz, blues and swing at Venice Cafe.

Sunday, 
February 12
Singer and St. Louis native Lynne Fiddmont (pictured, bottom left) will be back home from the West Coast for a matinee performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall, showcasing material from her forthcoming album Power of Love.

Also on Sunday, the Ambassadors of Swing will play at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company.

Monday, February 13
Pianist Carolbeth True and her band Two Times True plus guest vocalist Erika Johnson will perform while jazz photos by St. Louis author, historian and DJ Dennis Owsley are projected overhead in Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium.

Also on Monday, Dizzy Atmosphere will serenade diners at the Shaved Duck, and Chicago-based saxophonist Shawn Maxwell and his band New Tomorrow will play at the Kranzberg Arts 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.)

Jazz this week: Alfredo Rodriguez & Pedrito Martinez, Tim Rushlow, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a couple of noteworthy duo performances, a country singer turned big-band crooner, a new location for one of Grand Center's jazz spots, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 1
Pianist Alfredo Rodriguez and percussionist/vocalist Pedrito Martinez will perform for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

The two Cuban natives will be joining forces as a duo for the first time at their gigs here and then next week at NYC's Jazz Standard, likely drawing from both their respective personal songbooks and perhaps touching on traditional Cuban music as well. For more about Rodriguez and Martinez (pictured) and some video samples of recent performances, check out this post from last Saturday.

Thursday, February 2
Trumpeter Randy Holmes and pianist Carolbeth True will perform as a duo in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Elsewhere around town, pianist Adam Maness starts a new weekly Thursday night gig with his trio at Thurman's in Shaw; and pianist Ptah Williams and guitarist Eric Slaughter will help inaugurate the new incarnation of The Dark Room, which this week moves into the Grandel Theatre from its previous spot on Grand. 

Friday, February 3 
Singer Tim Rushlow (pictured, bottom left), best known for his work in country and contemporary Christian music, is mixing up his genres a bit these days, touring with a big band and presenting what's being billed as "a 1960s-style Las Vegas supper club experience" at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Saturday, February 4 
Trumpeter Jim Manley will play for brunch at Evangeline's, singer Danita Mumphard will perform in concert at the Jacoby Arts Center, and Miss Jubilee will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, February 5
The Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe.

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: Tim Warfield's Jazzy All-Star Christmas, Goran Ivanovic Trio, and more

This looks like the week when the St. Louis jazz and creative music calendar hits "peak holiday music," with seasonally themed shows taking place every night and/or day for the next seven days. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 14
"Tim Warfield's All-Star Jazzy Christmas," will open a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro.

A touring holiday-themed production led by the saxophonist and Philadelphia native (pictured), the Philly-centric ensemble includes trumpeter Terell Stafford, vibraphonist Stefon Harris, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Rodney Whitaker, drummer Clarence Penn, and singer Joanna Pascale, who spoke briefly with St. Louis magazine about the gig in an interview here.

For more about how the presentation first came together a few years back, check out a brief video interview with Warfield here.

Thursday, December 15
Singer Erin Bode will present a concert of original music and holiday favorites at the Wildey Theatre, while new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound explores the history of composer John Adams' Chamber Symphony in a program called "Splitting Adams" at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Friday,
December 16
Native St. Louisans turned Broadway and cabaret stars John McDaniel and Lennie Watts return to team up for the first of two nights of a show titled "Celebrate Me Home" at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Also on Friday, Chicago-based guitarist Goran Ivanovic (pictured, bottom left) returns to play a trio gig at Pop's Blue Moon; and the Funky Butt Brass Band presents the first of two nights of their annual "Holiday Brasstravaganza" - this year also featuring a "kid-friendly" matinee on Saturday afternoon - at Off Broadway.

Elsewhere around town, Second Generation Swing plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to the Venice Cafe.

Saturday, December 17
Pianist Carolbeth True will be part of two different holiday shows, performing with her group Two Times True and the Webster Groves Christian Church Chancel Choir for a free matinee of "A Jazz and Choral Christmas" at the Webster Groves Christian Church, then teaming with singer Debbie Lennon for a holiday performance that evening at the Ozark Theatre.

Also on Saturday, singer Joe Mancuso returns with his organ trio to Bartolino's South, and Danbury Street performs at Evangeline's.

Sunday, December 18
The Oîkos Ensemble will present a matinee performance of "Jazz Noel - A Christmas Celebration" at the First Congregational Church in Webster Groves.

Monday, December 19
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band plays Ellington’s “Nutcracker” for the first of three nights continuing through Wednesday at Jazz at the Bistro. 

Tuesday, December 20
The 442s will present a "Holiday Spectacular" featuring material from their new album Home For Christmas plus guest stars including singer Erin Bode and pianist Peter Martin at 560 Music Center; and jazz-fusion band Wright's Project returns to the Signature Room.

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

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

Jazz this week: Catherine Russell, Mardra Thomas, Brooke Michael Smith, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a pleasing variety of female vocalists, both visiting and local, as well as a tribute to saxophonist Dexter Gordon's work in the 1986 film Round Midnight, and more. Let's go the the highlights...

Wednesday, November 16
Singer Catherine Russell (pictured, top left) will perform for the first of four nights continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

Russell, the daughter of pianist and bandleader Luis Russell and singer/guitarist Carline Ray, is known for interpreting vintage jazz and blues material, and recently released her sixth solo album Harlem On My Mind. For more about that, and some videos of Russell performing some songs from the album, see this post from last Saturday.

Thursday, November 17
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will present a free program called "Jazz and Film: 30th Anniversary of Bernard Tavernier's Round Midnight." The event features multi-instrumentalist Jeff Anderson on tenor sax, with Adam Maness on piano, Darrell Mixon on bass, and Maurice Carnes on drums. They'll interpret some of the music from Round Midnight that originally was performed on the soundtrack by Dexter Gordon (who also gave an Academy Award-nominated starring performance in the film.) .

Also on Thursday, students in the UMSL Jazz Combos will give a free concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Friday, November 18
Former St. Louisan Mardra Thomas (pictured, bottom left) will be back in town to perform a free concert at St. Peter's United Church of Christ, and singer Wendy Gordon, pianist Carolbeth True, and friends will present an "Ebony and Ivory Tribute to Divas of Song" at the Ozark Theatre.

Elsewhere around town, Second Generation Swing will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; saxophonist Austin Cebulski leads a trio at Cigar Inn; and San Francisco-based cabaret singer Brooke Michael Smith will perform for the first of two nights at The Emerald Room at The Monocle. While Smith's Friday show is already sold out, as of this writing some tickets remain for Saturday.

Saturday, November 19
The vintage swing and Americana band Wack-A-Doo return to Evangeline's, and percussionist Herman Semidey and Orquesta Son Montuno will play salsa, Latin jazz, and more at Club Viva.

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: J.D. Parran & George Sams, "New World Harmonica Jazz," Chapter:SOUL, Chick Corea Trio, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis offers some early summer eclecticism, including a homecoming performance by one of our city's exemplars of the avant-garde; a couple of free, multi-venue festivals featuring a variety of local talent; sold-out shows featuring two touring pianists, and, as the saying goes, much, much more. Let's go the the highlights...

Wednesday, June 15
Saxophonist Doug Lawrence leads a quartet in a free show at Saxquest; Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Open Mic Night" at the Tavern of Fine Arts; and bassist Bob Deboo will have some special guests for his weekly performance and jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center, including drummer Matt Wilson, vibraphonist Peter Schlamb, and saxophonist Adam Larson.

Thursday, June 16
The esteemed multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis native J.D. Parran (pictured, top left) will be back home from NYC for a visit, joining forces with trumpeter George Sams and other free improvisers for a performance at the Tavern of Fine Arts; the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra plays at Jazz at the Bistro; and The 442s will celebrate the release of their latest album RELAY with a performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Friday, June 17
Grand Center's "Music at the Intersection" series returns for the second year, kicking off with an assortment of local funk, soul and hip-hop performers paying tribute to Prince at various venues in the district, including Good 4 The Soul at the Ferring Jazz Bistro and Fresh Heir at the Curtain Call Lounge, next to the Fox Theater.

Also on Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band plays a free outdoor concert at Edwardsville City Park; the St. Louis Big Band performs at St. Peter's United Church of Christ, and singer Chuck Flowers takes the stage at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Saturday, June 18
Starting on Saturday afternoon and continuing through the evening, the Riverfront Times will present their annual RFT Music Showcase, featuring more than 90 acts at nine venues in the Grove district.

While the lineup emphasizes rock and hip-hop, there are some performers of potential interest to StLJN readers, especially at Handlebar, which over the course of the day will host sets from singer/guitarist Tommy Halloran's Guerrilla Swing, saxophonist Dave Stone's trio, the Vernacular String Trio, Animal Children, and electronic musician Eric Hall.

Also on Saturday afternoon, singer Wendy L. Gordon will present a matinee performance at J&C BBQ and Blues.

Saturday night, the 12-year-old piano phenom Joey Alexander will play a one-nighter at Jazz at the Bistro. Both sets are sold out, but Jazz St. Louis is advising anyone still interested in tickets to check with the JSL box office on Friday and/or Saturday for cancellations and returns.

Elsewhere around town, pianist Carolbeth True and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman (pictured, center left) will reunite to revisit music from their collaborative album New World Harmonica Jazz at the Kranzberg Arts Center; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to the Venice Cafe; and Wack-A-Doo performs at Evangeline's.

Sunday, June 19
The Jazz Edge Orchestra will present a concert version of the musical Five Guys Named Moe, featuring songs made famous by saxophonist and singer Louis Jordan, in a matinee at the Sun Theater in Grand Center.

Also on Sunday, the recently formed New Orleans funk band Chapter:SOUL (pictured, lower left), which is fronted by saxophonist Calvin Johnson Jr. and features sousaphonist Kirk Joseph of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, will make their St. Louis debut with an early evening show at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Monday, June 20
Singer Dean Christopher and company return with their "Rat Pack and More" show to One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar.

Tuesday, June 21
Pianist Chick Corea's trio with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade will perform for the first of two sold-out nights at Jazz at the Bistro. As with the Joey Alexander performance, at this point any available tickets will be due to returns or cancellations, and prospective buyers are being advised to check with the Jazz St. Louis box office. In the meantime, you can sample a few performances by Corea, McBride and Blade on video by checking out 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: Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O, Frank Sinatra Jr., Duke Ellington's "Nutcracker," and more

With the holidays fast approaching, this week's calendar of jazz and creative in music in St. Louis offers seasonally themed shows from both touring and local musicians, as well as one more tribute to Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday from a rather authoritative source.
Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 16
Drummer Matt Wilson will be spreading holiday cheer with his band Christmas Tree-O (pictured, top left) for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Wilson - a first-call percussionist, wily bandleader, and natural showman - is well-known to St. Louis jazz fans, having played here multiple times in recent years with his quartet, his group Arts and Crafts and, in a one-nighter last year at Joe's Cafe, the Christmas Tree-O.

Obviously, that gig was received well-enough to prompt a more extended engagement, and so you can find out more about Christmas Tree-O and see video of some of their skilled yet skewed renditions of seasonal favorites in this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Also tonight, Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "open mic" at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Thursday, December 17
Miss Jubilee will play swing, jump blues and more in an early evening show at Blues City Deli; and guitarist Dave Black, singer Feyza Eren and friends will perform at Nathalie’s.

Friday, December 18
The Funky Butt Brass Band brings their very popular "Holiday Brasstravaganza" back to the south side rock club Off Broadway for the first of two evenings. (As of this writing, Saturday already is sold out, so if you want to attend and don't already have a ticket, it's Friday or nothing.)

Also on Friday, the St. Louis Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and the Big Little Big Band will combine two timely topics in a single show with their "Tribute to Frank Sinatra and Christmas!" at The Abbey in Belleville.

Saturday, December 19
Speaking of Ol' Blue Eyes, his son Frank Sinatra, Jr will pay tribute to his famous father with a performance of "Sinatra Sings Sinatra - The Centennial Celebration" on Saturday at Lindenwood University's J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts.

The multi-media extravaganza features Sinatra Jr. (pictured, bottom left) telling stories and singing some of his dad's most popular songs, accompanied by a big band with strings as well as historic photos, video and audio of Sinatra the elder.

UPDATE - 2:15 p.m., 12/16/15: Due to illness, Frank Sinatra Jr's performance at the Scheidegger Center has been postponed until Saturday, May 21, 2016. 
UPDATE - 2:30 p.m. 12/17/15:  The Scheidegger Center says box office staff members will get in touch with ticket holders individually to exchange tickets or make refunds.

Also on Saturday, pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True will provide the jazz in "A Jazz and Choral Christmas" at the Webster Groves Christian Church; and trumpeter Jim Manley returns to One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar.

Monday, December 21
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band plays Duke Ellington’s re-imagining of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" at Jazz at the Bistro, rounding out the program with additional Ellington material played from the original arrangements.

Tuesday, December 22
Drummer Bernard Long Jr. and band will play a benefit for the Normandy HS jazz band program at NV Social Life in Ballwin.

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: Tony Bennett, Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival, Two Times True, Montez Coleman, "3 Nights in September," and more

As St. Louis prepares to mark the turn of seasons into autumn, the jazz and creative music presenting season is starting to roll, with offerings this week ranging from the return of one of the foremost interpreters of the "Great American Songbook" to a three-day gathering of local improvisors and experimentalists. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, September 16
Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with guest saxophonist Larry Johnson (pictured, top left) return to Jazz at the Bistro for the first night of a two-night engagement; Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Open Mic Night" at the Tavern of Fine Arts; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes duo will play at The Feasting Fox.

Thursday, September 17
Trumpeter Danny Campbell and band will perform in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; and guitarist Dave Black and friends, featuring singer Feyza Eren, will return to Nathalie’s.

Also on Thursday, New Music Circle will anticipate the beginning of their 57th season with a "welcome/fundraiser" event at the Tick Tock Tavern, 3459 Magnolia Ave. The event is free to attend, and will feature "drinks, live DJs (Josh Weinstein and Jeremy Kannapell), and raffle prizes such as vinyl LPs, CDs, and tickets to NMC concerts." Bar proceeds from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. will go into NMC's coffers to help fund their concert season and associated programs.

Friday, September 18
Drummer Montez Coleman will lead a quintet for a one-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro that originally was billed as a date to be co-led by saxophonist Willie Akins.

Instead, the evening has been re-purposed as a tribute to Akins, whose recently worsening health issues have left him unable to perform. With the veteran saxophonist unavailable, Coleman (pictured, center left) has enlisted two up-and-coming alumni of Jazz St. Louis' all-star student ensemble, trumpeter Brady Lewis and saxophonist Carlos Brown Jr, with guitarist Eric Slaughter and bassist Bob DeBoo completing the ensemble. 

Also on Friday, the Air Force Band of Mid-America's "Shades of Blue" jazz combo will perform in concert at Alton's Jacoby Arts Center; the 4.5 Smooth Groove Band will play smooth jazz, R&B and fusion at the Ozark Theatre; and the Ambassadors of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, September 19
Beginning at mid-day and continuing until well past dark, the annual Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival will feature two stages of music in the area around the intersection of Lockwood and Gore Avenues in Webster Groves' Old Webster Business District.

Performers at the free event will include saxophonist Eric Marienthal, guesting with St. Louis' Bach to the Future; the Webster University faculty jazz ensemble; Miss Jubilee; blues guitarist and singer Marquise Knox, and more. For more about the OWJBF, check out this interview that festival music director Terry Perkins did with St. Louis magazine.

Then on Saturday evening, legendary singer Tony Bennett (pictured, center right) will make his first appearance in the St. Louis area since 2011, performing at the J. Scheidegger Center For The Arts on the Lindenwood University campus in St. Charles.

If you don't have tickets already, though, you may be out of luck, as the Scheidegger Center's website currently shows the concert as a sellout. You can find out about potential returns, cancellations, and/or any other last-minute availabilities by calling the box office at (636) 949-4433.

Also on Saturday evening, the Jim Manley/Randy Bahr All-Star Group will return to Nathalie's.

Monday, September 21
The Webster University jazz faculty ensemble will pay tribute to one of the key jazz record labels of the 1960s and '70s with "On Impulse - A Celebration of Impulse Records" at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

The ensemble, featuring Keith Moyer (trumpet), Paul DeMarinis (flute, alto and tenor saxophones), Steve Schenkel (guitar), Kim Portnoy (piano), Willem von Hombracht (bass), Kevin Gianino (drums), and Debby Lennon (vocals), will perform St. Louis native Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments" from Nelson's classic Impulse album Blues and the Abstract Truth, plus eight more selections recorded for Impulse by John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Keith Jarrett and others.

Also on Monday, "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective return to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, September 22
It's the first of "3 Nights in September," a mid-week festival of improvised and experimental music organized by cellist Tracy Andreotti at the Tavern of Fine Arts. Tuesday's program will include performances from Brain Transplant, NNN Cook, Michael Williams, and the Hess/Cunningham Duo (pictured, bottom left).

The festival then continues on Wednesday and Thursday with two more completely different lineups of bands and musicians; see the event's Facebook page for the latest details.

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.)