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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Dave Weckl to headline Chesterfield Jazz Fest

This week, StLJN's video spotlight shines on drummer Dave Weckl, who will be back home to perform next Saturday, June 15 as the headlining act at the Chesterfield Wine & Jazz Festival.

A native of St. Charles, Weckl undoubtedly is one of the most successful working jazz musicians from this area, first gaining international attention working in the 1980s with keyboardist Chick Corea, and subsequently parlaying that exposure into a busy career as both a bandleader and a first-call collaborator and session player.

For his St. Louis show, his band will feature a couple of musical friends who also are St. Louis natives, bassist Tom Kennedy and keyboardist Jay Oliver, as well as saxophonist Gary Meek, another longtime musical associate, and guitarist Buzz Feiten, who's had a diverse career stretching back nearly 50 years with the Butterfield Blues Band, the Rascals, the Larson-Feiten Band with keyboardist Neil Larsen, and more.

Though there seems to be no video footage online featuring this particular lineup, there's certainly no shortage of clips featuring Weckl playing with various ensembles, and so for those looking for a idea of what he's been doing lately, here's a collection of a half-dozen recent performances for your listening and viewing enjoyment.

There's a very recent and complete show in the first video embed up above, recorded on April 4 of this year at New Morning in Paris, France and featuring Weckl as the nominal leader of a group with Kennedy, guitarist Mike Stern, and saxophonist Bob Franceschini.

After the jump, you can see some footage from earlier this year of Weckl and Kennedy jamming at Colos-Saal, a music club in Aschaffenburg, Germany. That's followed by a Weckl solo performance, recorded at the 2019 NAMM show in Los Angeles.

The remaining videos show recent performances by Weckl in three different musical settings: with keyboardist Steve Weingart and bassist Benjamin Shepherd performing Weingart's composition "Village" at the 2018 Hollywood Drum Show in Los Angeles, California; in the studio with keyboard player Oz Ezzeldin playing "'Dis Kinda Place," in a clip released in March 2019 as a promo for Weckl's online school; and with La Escuela de Música y Audio Fernando Sor performing "Nothing Personal" in October 2018 in Bogotá, Colombia.

For more about Dave Weckl and what he's been up to recently, read his 2018 interview with AustralianMusician.com, and watch him in an episode of "Yamaha Drummers Talk" from December 2018 and in a video interview on the topic of "Mindset For Success" from March 2019.

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

Jazz this week: L.A. Swing Barons, John Wiese, Chesterfield Jazz Festival, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes something for almost every taste, with shows on tap featuring traditional jazz; big band swing; contemporary jazz-fusion; the music of John Coltrane; original works by local composers; and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 20
This week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran 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.

Also on Wednesday, Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Cabaret Open Mic" at its new location, Sophie's Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club in the .ZACK Building at 3224 Locust in Grand Center.

Thursday, June 21
Thursday is "Make Music Day," an international holiday celebrating music, and several local venues are taking part with extended or day-long programming. For example, Evangeline's will present a different band or performer every hour starting at lunch time, with a lineup including Jim Manley and Chris Swan, Eric Slaughter and Glen Smith, Valerie "Miss Jubilee" Kirchhoff and Ethan Leinwand, Tommy Halloran, and more.

Meanwhile, the National Blues Museum downtown will supplement their roster of blues bands with sets from bossa nova trio The Bonbon Plot and the STL Free Jazz Collective. 

Thursday evening, the L.A. Swing Barons (pictured, bottom left), a 14-piece big band from Los Angeles heavily influenced by Count Basie and Duke Ellington, will perform for a swing dance at the Intersect Arts Center.

You can find out more about them and see some videos of the band in action in this post from last Saturday.

Elsewhere around town, saxophonist Paul DeMarinis and pianist Kim Portnoy will team up with poet and author David Clewell for "Cocktails + Conversation: No Hard Feelings - A Night of Poetry + Jazz" at Laumeier Sculpture Park.

Friday, June 22
Veteran saxophonist Freddie Washington will be backed by pianist Adam Maness' trio as they "Celebrate Coltrane" at Jazz St. Louis.

Saturday, June 23
The Chesterfield Jazz Festival will present a lineup including drummer Simon Phillips' band Protocol (pictured, top left) as headliner, plus sets from St. Louis' own Bach to the Future with violinist Tracy Silverman, Trace, Two Times True, and Maurice Carnes.

Also on Saturday, electronic musician, filmmaker and St. Louis native John Wiese, who did an ambitious show here last year for New Music Circle, will headline a bill of experimental musicians in a free show at El Lenador; The 442s will perform at Jazz St. Louis; and the Funky Butt Brass Band returns to the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Sunday, June 24
The St. Louis Record Collector & CD Show will hold their summer event at the American Czech Educational Center, and the St. Louis Jazz Club presents Cornet Chop Suey playing traditional jazz and swing at the Moolah Shrine Center.

Monday, June 25
Dizzy Atmosphere plays for diners at The Shaved Duck.

Tuesday, June 26
Singer Joe Mancuso has organized "Voices of St. Louis,"  a benefit concert raising money to fight MS, with performers including former American Idol contestant Ashley Lusk, Richie G. Kihlken, Erika Johnson, and more at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

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: Chesterfield Jazz Festival, "Ballad of Atlantis," Denise Thimes, and more

For the first official week of summer, the calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features some noteworthy free outdoor concerts; shows paying tribute to a jazz guitar giant and some old-school soul/funk favorites; and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 21
Though there's no live music at Jazz at the Bistro until the weekend, the weekly Grand Center Jazz Crawl proceeds as usual, with live music at four different venues within the district.

Also on Wednesday, guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran will play the Venice Cafe, and singer Feyza Eren will be among the performers taking part in an observance of "Make Music Day St. Louis" at Evangeline's.

Thursday, June 22
Saxophonist Ben Reece’s Unity Quartet will perform at The Dark Room; the Gateway City Big Band plays a free outdoor concert at the Chesterfield Amphitheater; and singer Erin Bode returns to Cyrano's.

Friday, June 23
The Jazz Edge Big Band will offer a "Tribute to Wes Montgomery" featuring guest guitarists Eric Slaughter, Rick Haydon and Gregg Haynes at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Over on the other of Grand, multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris (pictured, center left) will be presenting "Ballad of Atlantis: The Music of The Isley Brothers" for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Saturday, June 24
The free, outdoor Chesterfield Wine and Jazz Festival will feature performances from the Wooten Brothers (pictured,top left), Bach to the Future with violinist Tracy Silverman, singer Anita Jackson, Soul Cafe, and singer Kim Fuller-Barnes at the Chesterfield Amphitheater.

For more about the Wooten Brothers - bassist Victor Wooten and drummer Roy "Futureman" Wooten, of Bela Fleck's Flecktones, plus their siblings Regi on guitar and Joseph on keyboards - plus some video of them in action, see this post from last Saturday.

Sunday, June 25
The St. Louis Record and CD Collector's Show will present their summer event at the American Czech Educational Center; the Folk School of KDHX hosts their monthly traditional jazz jam session; and singer Denise Thimes (pictured, bottom left) will perform in a free outdoor concert at Ivory Perry Park.

Monday, June 26
Singer and impressionist Dean Christopher returns with his "Rat Pack and More" show to One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar

Tuesday, June 27
Saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective return to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, and saxophonist and singer Cary Colman's trio plays at 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.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: The Wooten Brothers keep it in the family

This week, let's check out some videos featuring the Wooten Brothers, who are coming to St. Louis to perform next Saturday, June 24 at the Chesterfield Jazz Festival, headlining a bill that also will include Bach to the Future with Tracy Silverman, Anita Jackson, Soul Cafe, and Kim Fuller & Maurice Carnes.

The band includes bassist Victor Wooten, the youngest of the four brothers, and drummer Roy "Futureman" Wooten, who are best known as half of banjo player Béla Fleck's group, the Flecktones; keyboardist Joseph Wooten, who's released solo albums with his own group, Hands of Soul, and toured in recent years with the Steve Miller Band; and guitarist Regi Wooten, the oldest sibling, who teaches and gigs in the brothers' adopted hometown of Nashville. (A fifth brother, saxophonist Rudy Wooten, died in 2010.)

They've been playing together nearly all their lives, drafting Victor into the family band when he was just six years old, and later honing their chops while in high school by playing in a country music review at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. Although as adults their careers have taken them in different directions, the brothers have continued to work together when the opportunity has arisen, teaming up since the early 90s on what's nominally Regi's weekly gig at the Nashville club 3rd and Lindley when they're all off the road, and squeezing in occasional tour dates between their other obligations.

In their last extended tour in 2013, they visited the studios of radio station WMMR in Philadelphia to record the version of "Sex in a Pan" - one of Victor's tunes, first heard on the Flecktones' 1992 album UFO Tofu - seen in the first video up above.

After the jump, you can see the Wooten Brothers' take on Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" during a 2013 gig in Virginia, followed by another clip with some more footage from the 2013 tour.

The fourth video is from 2014 at a jazz festival in Bratislava, Slovakia, and though it's billed as the Victor Wooten Band, the ensemble also includes Reggie and Roy on guitar and drums, plus keyboardist Karlton Taylor and saxophonist Bob Francheschini (who was here In St. Louis with Victor's trio earlier this year at the Old Rock House).

While Joseph missed out on that festival gig, you can see plenty of him in the final two clips, which are taken from the brothers' performance at his wedding reception this past February in Franklin, TN.

The penultimate clip picks up in mid-song with Victor showing off some bass thumping before the rest of the brothers come back in on what turns out to be version of the 1970s hit "Play That Funky Music." (Apparently even musicians as famous as the Wootens have to play some cover-band standards if they're doing a wedding gig...)

In the final clip, Joseph sings the soulful ballad "We Are All In This Together" with his son Jessie Wooten on drums, Victor on bass, and, eventually, everybody on background vocals.

For more about the Wooten Brothers, check out this brief interview with Victor, Roy and Joseph and this longer interview with Joseph, both from 2013.

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The 10th annual Record Store Day celebration will be held this year on Saturday, April 22, and yr. StLJN editor once again will be playing a small part in the festivities at Vintage Vinyl in University City, serving as a "guest DJ" spinning tunes on the in-house sound system for an hour starting at 4:00 p.m.

In addition to this year's special RSD releases, VV's all-day event will feature live bands outside, guest DJs inside, and free Schlafly beer. Other St. Louis stores participating in RSD 2017 include Euclid Records, Planet Score Records, Music Record Shop, and Kismet Creative Center.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn talked about his friendship with the late drummer and fellow former St. Louisan Phillip Wilson for an interview published on Do The Math, the blog of The Bad Plus pianist Ethan Iverson.

* Trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi was profiled on KSDK's Show Me St. Louis in a segment by reporter Heidi Glaus highlighting his decades of service as a music teacher for schools in the St. Louis Archdiocese.

* Drummer Kimberly Thompson, back home this week for an educational residency at Jazz St. Louis and gigs this weekend at Jazz at the Bistro, is also back online in animated form, as the second episode of her children's program "Music Time with Kimberly Thompson" has been posted to YouTube. As part of that educational residency, Thompson returned to her alma mater Pattonville High School for a clinic with the school's jazz band. 

* Bassist, Washington University faculty member, and now, author Paul Steinbeck went to Chicago last month for a concert and book signing to promote Message To Our Folks, his new history of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and DownBeat magazine was there to cover the event.

* The weekly Wednesday night jam sessions at @Nesby's are the subject of a brief feature in St. Louis County Arts, a new blog started by Valerie Tichacek and writer/photographer Bill Motchan.

* Drummer and St. Louis native Andre Boyd, now living in New Orleans after leaving Cirque du Soleil's road show Quidam last year, was profiled by the New Zealand magazine elocal..

* Pioneering bassist Jimmy Blanton, who played his first professional gigs in the late 1930s with the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra in St. Louis before going on to fame with Duke Ellington's band, is one of 10 musicians eligible this year for election to Jazz at Lincoln Center's Jazz Hall of Fame. You can see a list of all the candidates and cast your vote by April 30 here.

* The 2017 Chesterfield Jazz Festival has announced this year's date and musical lineup. The free concert will be held Saturday, June 24 at the Chesterfield Amphitheater and will feature music from the Wooten Brothers, with bassist Victor Wooten, drummer Roy "Futureman" Wooton and siblings, along with Bach to the Future with Tracy Silverman, Anita Jackson, Soul Cafe, and Kim Fuller & Maurice Carnes.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native Greg Osby recently took part in a "Before and After" listening session for Jazz Times magazine, published in their June issue and now available online. Osby last week also sat in with the Dave Matthews Band as they began their summer tour with a show in Camden, NJ.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold co-wrote, produced, and is featured along with hip-hop emcee Common and singers Gregory Porter and Andrea Pizziconi on "Running (Refugee Song)," a new single aimed at raising funds and awareness of the plight of more than 60 million displaced persons around the world.

* Saxophonist Harvey Lockhart has been named "Arts Educator of the Year" as part of the annual St. Louis Arts Awards presented by the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis. Lockhart is being lauded for his work as director of bands and performing arts with the Riverview Gardens school district, and for forming and directing the North County Big Band, a jazz group based at the Sheldon Concert Hall that includes students from several area high schools.

* A photo set from last Saturday's Chesterfield Jazz Festival has been posted to Facebook.

* Also now online: a Flickr gallery of pics from last Thursday's edition of the Bruxism experimental music series at the Schlafly Tap Room.

* Guitarist Horace Bray, a St. Louis native and alumni of Jazz St. Louis' JazzU program who recently released his debut album, was profiled by Aarik Daneilsen of the Columbia Daily Tribune.

* The Grand Center district, home to jazz venues including Jazz at the Bistro, the Sheldon Concert Hall, The Dark Room, and the Kranzberg Arts Center, was featured in a special edition of KETC's program Living St. Louis.

* Local NBC affiliate KSDK reported this week that the late blues pianist Johnnie Johnson (pictured), whose work with Chuck Berry helped define the sound of early rock & roll, will receive a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal for his service in World War II with the Montford Point Marines, an all-African-American unit that integrated the Marine Corps.

Jazz this week: Erin Bode, Wine Dine & Jazz Festival, Chesterfield Jazz Festival, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music performances in St. Louis includes an event celebrating the release of a popular singer's latest album, two free outdoor festivals taking place at opposite ends of the metro area, and more.

Let's go to the highlights....

Wednesday, June 22
The Chick Corea Trio with Christian McBride and Brain Blade will finish their sold-out two-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro. 

If you're determined to hear them but don't already have tickets, you can check with the Jazz St. Louis box office for last-minute cancellations or returns, or get down to the Bistro early enough to stake out a spot in the first-floor lounge opposite the performance space, where you can watch a live video feed of the show.

Also on Wednesday, singer Feyza Eren will return to Evangeline's, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's trio will be holding down their weekly spot at The Dark Room.

Thursday, June 23
Saxophonist Dave Stone and his trio will make a rare appearance outside their usual South Grand stomping grounds, heading to the Central West End for a performance at Evangeline's.

Friday, June 24
Singer Erin Bode (pictured, top left) will celebrate the release of her latest CD, Here And Now, with the first of two nights of performances at Jazz at the Bistro. The album features Bode's interpretations of songs from an eclectic selection of writers including Irving Berlin and Frank Loesser, Rickie Lee Jones and Gerry Rafferty.

Also on Friday, the 2015 edition of the Wine, Dine & Jazz Festival begins in the public square in downtown Belleville with music from Ptah Williams, Bach to the Future, and blues guitarist and singer "Big" Mike Aguirre. The event is free and open to the public.

Elsewhere around town, Miss Jubilee plays a free outdoor concert at Ferguson Citywalk, and saxophonist Tim Cunningham will perform at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Saturday, June 25
The Wine, Dine & Jazz Festival continues with sets from Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and singer D’Erania Stampley (pictured, bottom left), the Funky Butt Brass Band, singer and pianist Anita Rosamond, and Soul Café.

Also on Saturday, the Chesterfield Jazz Festival will feature music from Bach to the Future, guitarist Matt Rowland, singer Kim Fuller with the Eric Slaughter Quartet, and more at the Chesterfield Amphitheater. The event is free and open to the public.

Elsewhere on Saturday afternoon, the Stan Coleman/Darrell Mixon Quartet will give the final jazz performance ever at the Tavern of Fine Arts, which is closing for good after service on Saturday evening.

That evening, the Kansas City based swing and "hot jazz" band A La Mode will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and trumpeter Jim Manley returns to One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar.

Sunday, June 26
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will provide the music accompanying a newly instigated jazz brunch at The Boom Boom Room downtown, and the St. Louis Record & CD Collector Show will host their summer event at the usual location, the American Czech Hall on the south side.

Monday, June 27
Dizzy Atmosphere plays 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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist Greg Osby was interviewed by the Warsaw Voice about his new role as curator of the Sopot Jazz Festival.

* Drummer Emanuel Harrold (pictured) was profiled by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn.

* Burlesque performer Lola Van Ella was interviewed by St. Louis magazine about her upcoming shows at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Keyboardist and presenter Mike Silverman has announced a date and lineup for the 2016 Chesterfield Jazz Festival. The event will be held on Saturday, June 25 at the Chesterfield Amphitheater, and will feature music from Bach to the Future with violinist Tracy Silverman, Matt Rowland Band, Soul Cafe, Kim Fuller, and Eric Slaughter with Ptah Williams, Darrell Mixon and Gary Sykes.

* Following last week's media appearances promoting his Open Studio Network, pianist Peter Martin has added a "Jazz Piano for Beginners" course to the company's catalog of online video music lessons.You can see some sample clips from the course here.

* Saxophonist Eric Person has a new website, with "new photos, CD reviews, updated bio, video and audio jukeboxes" and a blog open to fan comments. Person currently is back home in St. Louis to play an onstage role in Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing, which runs through April 10 at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis.

Jazz this week: Ronnie Burrage, a trio of local festivals, Fred Lonberg-Holm, and more

It's another busy weekend for live jazz and creative music in and around the St. Louis area, with homecoming visits from a couple of distinguished expats, local festivals taking place in three different parts of the metro area, a performance from a notable participant in Chicago's thriving improvised music scene, and more.  Let's go to the highlights...

Thursday, June 25 
The Gateway City Big Band plays a free outdoor concert at Chesterfield Amphitheater, and the Tavern of Fine Arts presents their monthly "Experimental Arts Open Improv Night," this month featuring live improvised music performed with video art.

Also on Thursday, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Tom Byrne perform at Thurman Grill; and yr. humble StLJN editor also has been meaning to mention that there's now an open jam session every other Thursday at The Night Owl, the bar upstairs above the vegetarian restaurant Tree House, 3177 S Grand Blvd.

Friday, June 26
Drummer and U. City native Ronnie Burrage, who's currently living in Pennsylvania, will be back home for a weekend of performances at Voce, 212 S. Tucker. Burrage (pictured, top left) will lead a small group with guitarist Eric Slaughter, bassist Nathan Pence and singer Kendra Mahr, plus trumpeter Danny Campbell on Friday, and Jeff Anderson on tenor sax on Saturday. For more about Burrage and some video samples of him performing, see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, the annual Wine, Dine & Jazz Festival, held in the public square in downtown Belleville, kicks off its first night with sets from trumpeter Jim Manley, the Usual Suspects, and singer Anita Rosamond. Saturday's lineup will feature saxophonist Jim Stevens, trumpeter and singer Dawn Weber (pictured, center left), the Christian blues band Kingdom Brothers, and Soul Cafe.

Elsewhere around town, Tavern of Fine Arts will host "Soliloquy II," a program of solo and duo improvised performances featuring cellist Tracy Andreotti, percussionist Henry Claude, violinist Alex Cunningham, pianist Greg Mills, saxophonist Dave Stone, and flute player Fred Tompkins. 

A bit further south, pianist and singer Carol Schmidt, multi-instrumentalist and singer Michele Isam, and singers Debbie Schuster and Katie McGrath team up to perform as "Women Under the Influence" at Soulard Preservation Hall, 1921 South Ninth St.

And back in midtown at Grand Center, Jazz at the Bistro is trying something a bit different this weekend, on Friday pairing a group of local burlesque dancers billed as the Randy Dandies with live music from the Funky Butt Brass Band for "Babes in Brassland." A similarly themed program titled "Tassles 'n Tunes," with music from Tommy Halloran’s Guerrilla Swing, is set for Saturday night.

Saturday, June 27
The Miles Davis Jazz Festival celebrates its tenth year with performances from drummer Montez Coleman's trio, trumpeter Danny Campbell's quartet, and saxophonist Fred Walker at the Jacoby Arts Center in Alton.

Also on Saturday, Chicago-based cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm will be in town to headline a show at the Schlafly Tap Room. Lonberg-Holm, who's collaborated with well-regarded improvisors such as Ken Vandermark, Joe McPhee, and Peter Brötzmann, will perform in a duo with percussionist Ståle Liavik Solberg. The Vernacular String Trio and DJ Ghost Ice also are on the bill.

Saturday also is the day for this year's edition of the Chesterfield Jazz Festival, a free event at the Chesterfield Amphitheater that will feature a headlining performance from saxophonist and St. Louis native Eric Person, backed by pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Darrell Mixon and drummer Gary Sykes, plus sets from Bach to the Future, singer Feyza Eren, bassist Bob DeBoo, and singer Tony Viviano.

Elsewhere around town, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will return to the Venice Cafe; Miss Jubilee performs for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and singer Eve Seltzer and band will host a late-night jam session at Evangeline's.

Sunday, June 28
The summer edition of the St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show will take place at the American Czech Hall, 4690 Lansdowne (at Kingshighway).

Also on Sunday, Ronnie Burrage leads his RoBu Big Band in a matinee performance at Voce. The ensemble will feature Danny Campbell and Jeff Anderson from the drummer's small-group shows, along with saxophonists Chad Evans, Jerome "JDubz" Williams, Stanley Coleman, and Willie Akins; pianist Ptah Williams; bassist Darrell Mixon; percussionist Henry Claude; singer Charisse Swan, and other special guests.

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 and Links

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

* Trumpeter Jim Manley's recently released album Chilled Brass was reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello of AllAboutJazz.com.

* Meanwhile, Fast Friends, the new recording from trombonists Wayne Coniglio and Scott Whitfield, got a review from AAJ's Jack Bowers.

* Marty Ehrlich's most recent album Trumpet In The Morning, for which the multi-instrumentalist put down his various horns to conduct his original compositions arranged for big band, was reviewed by Troy Dostert of The Free Jazz Collective blog.

* Drummer Kimberly Thompson (pictured) of The Late Show with Seth Meyers has posted a new recording, A Child's Eyes, on iTunes. It features 14 of Thompson's original compositions performed by a quartet that also includes Eden Ladin (piano), Aaron Burnett (tenor sax), and Nick Jozwiak (bass).

* The June episode of HEC-TV's State of the Arts, which offers a look at the current local popularity of swing dancing and vintage jazz bands, is available for viewing online.

* A story by Allison Babka of the Riverfront Times this week revealed that the main location of the St. Louis Public Library downtown has a basic but functional recording studio available for library patrons to use for free.

* In this week's update from actor/director Don Cheadle on his forthcoming Miles Davis film, which is scheduled to begin shooting this month in Cincinnati, here's the latest as told by Cheadle to Down Beat magazine, the Times of India, and on a recent episode of The Queen Latifah Show. The IndieGoGo campaign to raise an additional $325,000 for the film ends on July 10.

* Hip 96.3 HD-3 has posted on Facebook a photo album from last Saturday's Chesterfield Jazz Festival.

* Speaking of photo sets, here's one from St. Louisan and Cirque du Soleil drummer Andre Boyd's recent drum clinic at Sound Attak in London.

* Also on the promotional tip, Bob Walther of Strictly Audio STL was quoted extensively in a news release from Soundcraft about his use of the company's Si Expression mixing console.

* Jazz St. Louis has posted their 2014-15 season brochure online.

* Jazz radio update: On this week's episode “Somethin’ Else” on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis, host Calvin Wilson pays a virtual visit to the Village Vanguard with live recordings made at the famed NYC club by musicians including pianist Geri Allen, trumpeter Woody Shaw, guitarist Marc Ribot, and more. "Somethin' Else" can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Elsewhere on the radio dial, Dennis Owsley's "Jazz Unlimited" program will begin re-broadcasting Owsley's ten-part audio documentary on "The Jazz History of St. Louis"  starting this Sunday. "Jazz Unlimited" airs from 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays on KWMU/St. Louis Public Radio (90.7 FM), and also can be heard online at http://www.stlpublicradio.org/listen.php.

Jazz this week: Chesterfield Jazz Festival, Patrice Rushen, Andre Delano, Wine Dine & Jazz Festival, and more

It's jazz festival time across North America, with major events taking place in a number of cities including Montreal, Vancouver, Minneapolis -St. Paul, Washington DC, and more.

And though our town no longer has a large-scale, multi-day fest since the unfortunate demise of the St. Louis Jazz and Heritage Festival a few years back, local jazz fans can take some solace in two smaller festivals plus many other jazz-related events happening around town this weekend. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight is the final show at Robbie's House of Jazz in Webster Groves, as the club ends its five-year run with New Hampshire-based singer Wendee Glick fronting pianist Dave Venn's sextet. (Robbie's co-owner and GM Dorothy Edwards has said she's looking for a new location with greater visibility; StLJN will have more information on that as it becomes available.)

Also tonight, the Tavern of Fine Arts presents their monthly "Experimental Arts Open Improv Night" with live improvised music; and Dizzy Atmosphere and Coco Rico offer a double dose of string band swing and Gypsy jazz at Thaxton Speakeasy.

Tomorrow, saxophonist and East St. Louis native Andre Delano is back home to perform a one-nighter at the Rustic Goat; and The People's Key, with special guests multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris and saxophonist Matt McKeever, will present "Never Can Say Goodbye: Jazz Memories of Michael," their tribute to the music of Michael Jackson, at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Also on Friday, singer Joe Mancuso's quartet will perform at Nathalie's; keyboardist Matt Villinger leads a trio at Cigar Inn; trumpeter Jim Manley plays at Thurman Grill; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will be at C.J. Muggs in Webster Groves.

On Saturday, the second Chesterfield Wine and Jazz Festival will take place at Chesterfield Amphitheater. Unlike last year's ticketed show, this year's event is free and open to the public, and will feature a lineup topped by the electric jazz group Yellowjackets (pictured).

Also on the bill are Bach to the Future with special guest saxophonist Eric Marienthal; a group fronted by saxophonist Freddie Washington and drummer Maurice Carnes; pianist Ptah Williams' tribute to Chick Corea, and saxophonist Christopher Braig's band with singer Erika Johnson. For a closer look at a recent Yellowjackets show, check out this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Also on Saturday, the second day of the Wine, Dine & Jazz Festival in Belleville will feature keyboardist Pete Ruthenburg interpreting the music of Herbie Hancock, plus sets from singer Zena; Latin jazz band Son Montuno; and Soul Cafe.

Elsewhere around town, trumpeter Keith Moyer's quartet will play at Evangeline's; saxophonist Sam Hargadine's group with guitarist Tom Byrne and singer Feyza Eren will be at Bar Italia; and the Gateway City Big Band will play a free outdoor concert at Kirkwood Park Amphitheater.

On Sunday, the summer edition of the St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show will take place at the American Czech Hall on the south side.

Later that afternoon, keyboardist and singer Patrice Rushen, who lately has been doing more teaching and film scoring than performing, will be in town for a rare appearance at the Sheldon Concert Hall. For more about Rushen and some video samples from recent performances, see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Sunday, the Missouri Association for Jazz Education will present a jam session at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective return to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, and on Tuesday, Miss Jubilee will play a free outdoor concert at Fanetti Park.

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.)

Edited after posting to fix an incomplete sentence.  

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: An evening with Yellowjackets

This week, let's check in on the contemporary jazz group Yellowjackets, who will be back in St. Louis on Saturday, June 28 to headline the Chesterfield Wine and Jazz Festival at the Chesterfield Amphitheater.

Now featuring co-founder Russell Ferrante on keyboards, longtime members Bob Mintzer on saxophones and Will Kennedy on drums, plus the latest addition to the band, bassist Felix Pastorius, Yellowjackets have appeared at Jazz at the Bistro several times during the past decade, most recently in September 2013.

That was their first St. Louis gig with Pastorius, son of famed bassist Jaco Pastorius, who first subbed for founding member Jimmy Haslip on tour in 2012 and subsequently was named his permanent replacement. Their most recent album, A Rise In The Road, was released a year ago and was Pastorius' recorded debut with the band.

Given Yellowjackets' extensive performance history in St. Louis, we'll skip any further introductory material, and simply note that today's clips all were recorded at a gig in April of this year in Catania, Italy, with saxophonist Bob Franceschini subbing for Mintzer.

(While Mintzer is scheduled to be on the St. Louis gig, another of his occasional subs, saxophonist Erik Marienthal, also will be on hand for the event, making a guest appearance with organizers Mike and Rob Silverman's band Bach to the Future.)

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Chesterfield Jazz Festival, now renamed the Chesterfield Wine and Jazz Festival and changed from a ticketed event to a free one, will take place this year from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturday, June 28 at Chesterfield Amphitheater.

The lineup of bands will include a headlining set by Yellowjackets (pictured), plus Bach to the Future, led by the event's organizers Michael Silverman and Robert Silverman, and additional acts TBA.

* Saxophonist and Webster University alum Chris Cheek has teamed with fellow saxophonist Seamus Blake for a new album, Reeds Ramble. They'll promote the release with gigs on March 13, 14 & 15 at Small's in NYC. 

* Drummer and St. Louis native Emanuel Harrold, who this past week became a Grammy winner by virtue of his work on singer Gregory Porter's Liquid Spirit, is featured in a new promotional video from drumstick and accessories maker Vic Firth.

* The Wee Trio's live version of David Bowie's "Queen Bitch," recorded here in St. Louis for their album Live at the Bistro, was a "Download of the Day" at AllAboutJazz.com. The group, which includes St. Louis expat Dan Loomis on bass, will return in April to Jazz at the Bistro.

* St. Louis' Cornet Chop Suey and pianist Stephanie Trick are among the performers at the 39th Central Illinois Jazz Festival being held this weekend in Decatur.

* Trombonist Dave Stamps, a graduate of SIUE and Northern Illinois University and son of SIUE's former director of jazz studies Brett Stamps, has been named director of the jazz program at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN.

* Jazz St. Louis has posted online a photo album of the Matt Wilson Quartet and John Medeski last week visiting Beasley Elementary School in the Mehlville School District and performing at Jazz at the Bistro.

* And speaking of photo albums, Miss Jubilee has posted one on Facebook documenting their weekly Thursday night gig at Thaxton Speakeasy.

* The website New York Jazz Workshop offers an entry-level introduction to Miles Davis in three parts.

* The band program at Riverview Gardens High School, directed by saxophonist Harvey Lockhart, is keepin' on keepin' on despite losing a number of students this year to inter-district transfers. Most recently, the RGHS drumline won the second annual Show-Me Showdown held last month at Normandy HS. You can see their first-place performance on video here.

* Regional Arts Commission is accepting applications for another round of Artist Support Grants, which are awarded to individual artists and range in amount from $500 to $3,000. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, March 5.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' "Somethin' Else,"  Calvin Wilson will spin interpretations of the music of Charlie Parker by the likes of trumpeter Roy Hargrove, saxophonist Anthony Braxton, and Junk Genius.

After that, "The Jazz Collective" host Jason Church will offer a guitar-centric program featuring sounds from Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny, Larry Carlton, Ottmar Liebert, Chris Standring, George Benson and Lee Ritenour, as well as St. Louis' own Elliott Ranney, Tom Byrne, Farshid Etniko, and Brian Vaccaro.

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

Jazz this week: Terence Blanchard, Willie Akins & Montez Coleman, Chesterfield Jazz Festival, Voicehandler, and more

Though it's not officially summer for another week or so, the steamy weather associated with that season in St. Louis is already here. Fortunately, there's a variety of jazz and creative music events on tap over the next few days, both indoors and out, to help you cool out and beat the heat.

Tonight, trumpeter, composer and New Orleans native Terence Blanchard continues his time in the local spotlight, as he and his quintet will play their second free outdoor concert of the week, taking the stage at St. Louis Place Park as part of the Whitaker Urban Evenings series. (Blanchard's opera Champion gets its world premiere this week at Opera Theatre St. Louis - more about that below - and you can see some videos of him and the quintet in action in this post.)

Also tonight, Good 4 The Soul plays at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, and singer Joe Mancuso's quartet will be at Cafe Eau in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel.

On Friday, the Willie Akins/Montez Coleman Group will perform for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, where the veteran saxophonist (pictured) and his percussionist partner likely will be drawing on at least some of the hard-bop-influenced material from their recent CD St. Louis Connection.

Also on Friday, Herman Semidey and his Orquestra Son Montuno bring their Latin sound to Robbie's House of Jazz; trumpeter Delano Redmond leads a quartet at Cigar Inn; and saxophonist Paul Taylor will be taking part in a workshop and meet-and greet at Mozingo Music.

Taylor will be in town to perform as one of the headliners at the Chesterfield Jazz Festival on Saturday. The day-long event takes place at Chesterfield Amphitheatre, just off Highway 40 near Chesterfield Mall, and also will include music from keyboardist David Benoit; singer Jeanne Trevor; saxophonist Freddie Washington, leading a tribute to John Coltrane; and Bach to the Future, the band fronted by keyboardist and festival organizer Mike Silverman.

Also on Saturday afternoon, Tim Zavadil, clarinetist and bass clarinetist with the Minnesota Orchestra, will present a free clinic and master class at Saxquest.

Then on Saturday evening, Blanchard's Champion, described as "an opera in jazz," will get the first of its six performances this month at Opera Theatre St. Louis. The work, created especially for OTSL with Jazz St. Louis as co-producers, has been the subject of extensive media coverage both in and outside St. Louis, much of which which you can see by reading this post and following the links therein. Most OTSL performances sell out, but you can find out the latest on ticket availability by calling their box office.

Also on Saturday evening, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will be at Venice Cafe, singer Feyza Eren performs at the south side house concert venue KindaBlue; Silk Pajamas play at The Wine Press, and singer Tony Viviano will entertain diners and drinkers at Talayna's.

Then on Sunday, Dizzy Atmosphere plays gypsy jazz and swing at the Schlafly St. Louis Brewery and Tap Room.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday trumpeter Keith Moyer brings his band to BB's. Then on Tuesday, Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center will present a concert of free improv music headlined by Voicehandler, which features musicians Jacob Felix Heule and Danishta Rivero performing on voice, percussion, electronics, and the Hydrophonium (an electroacoustic percussion instrument created by Rivero).

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.)