Jazz this week: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Alicia Olatuja, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a return visit from one of the top big bands working today and homecoming shows from a couple of St. Louis natives, plus a bunch of holiday-themed performances and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 4
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis will be getting in the seasonal spirit with a program called "Big Band Holidays" at Powell Hall.

Also on Wednesday, singer and St. Louis native Alicia Olatuja performs for the first of five nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Olatuja (pictured, top left) earlier this year released her second album, Intuition: Songs from the Minds of Women, which features original material and songs from female composers including Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, Kate Bush and more. For more about that, plus some videos of recent live performances by Olatuja, check out this post from Saturday before last.

Thursday, December 5
Pianist Kim Portnoy and guitarist William Lenihan will lead a quartet in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Also on Thursday, singer Debby Lennon presents her cabaret show "My Favorite Christmas" at Blue Strawberry, and the Funky Butt Brass Band will be "warming up" for their annual Holiday Brasstravaganza later this month with a performance at Joe's Cafe.

Friday, December 6
Singer and St. Louis native Craig Pomranz (pictured, bottom left) will be back home for a visit from his current digs in NYC to perform his cabaret show “The Power of Song!” for one night only at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Also on Friday, singer and impressionist Dean Christopher brings his "A Rat Pack Christmas"  show to Blue Strawberry, and Miss Jubilee returns to the Frisco Barroom.

Saturday, December 7
Singer Anita Jackson will perform for brunch at The Dark Room, and singer Wendy L. Gordon and friends return for a matinee at Hwy 67 BBQ.

Saturday evening, Wright's Project will play funk and fusion at Troy's Listening Room, and keyboardist Mo Egeston and company are back at The Dark Room.

Sunday, December 8
The St. Louis Jazz Club's annual Christmas party will feature traditional jazz and swing from Cornet Chop Suey at the Moolah Shrine Center, and the UMSL Jazz Orchestra, Vocal Point and Wind Ensemble will present their free, annual "Jazz for the Holidays" concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Also on Sunday, the students of the City of Music All-Star Chorus and North County Big Band will perform in a free concert at The Sheldon, and The 442s make a special appearance at Thurman's in Shaw

Monday, December 9
Dizzy Atmosphere returns to the The Shaved Duck.

Tuesday, December 10
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band will perform Duke Ellington's arrangements of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" plus additional Ellingtonia for the first of three nights at Jazz St. Louis; and guitarist Vincent Varvel and bassist Ben Wheeler will play a duo concert at the Gaslight Theater.

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

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

Jazz this week: Glenn Miller Orchestra, Chicago Cellar Boys, Funky Butt Brass Band, "Django Guitar Summit," and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis has a definite retro vibe, with shows coming up featuring one of the Swing Era's best-known bands, several performances by traditional jazz groups, and even a look back at local music history by a currently popular group. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, August 14
The Glenn Miller Orchestra (pictured, top left) brings their deep catalog of Swing Era hits to the Sheldon Concert Hall. You can see some videos of the present-day version of the Miller band in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Wednesday, this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and bassist Ben Wheeler's band Solid Ghost at The Dark Room at the Grandel Theatre.

Thursday, August 15
Saxophonist Larry Johnson and guitarist Randy Bahr will play duets at Rendezvous Cafe & Wine Bar; keyboardist Ryan Marquez brings his trio to The Dark Room; and singer Robert Nelson returns to the Chase Club in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel.

Friday, August 16
The Funky Butt Brass Band performs for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis. It's the first official gig for the band's newest member, saxophonist Bryan Fritz, and reportedly will feature cover versions of songs by famous St. Louis bands and musicians.

Also on Friday, guitarists Joe Park, Gary Hunt, Paul Davis and Eric Slaughter will be featured in the  "2nd Annual Django Guitar Summit" at Focal Point.

Elsewhere around town, the Hard Bop Messengers return to Evangeline's; Schlafly Tap Room has a triple bill of experimental music including Temporal Marauder, John Wiese, and Flanger Magazine; and fusion trio 3XGroove plays at Troy's Listening Room.

Saturday, August 17
On Saturday afternoon, Dennis Owsley, host of the "Jazz Unlimited" program airing Sunday nights on St. Louis Public Radio, will sign copies of his new book St. Louis Jazz: A History at the Book House in Maplewood.

Then on Saturday evening, traditional jazz band Chicago Cellar Boys (pictured, bottom left) with singer Roya Naldi will play at Focal Point, and guitarist Todd Mosby leads his World Fusion Ensemble in a performance at First Congregational Church of Webster Groves.

Also on Saturday, singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina will headline a show at Delmar Hall, and pianist Carolbeth True and singer Kim Fuller will perform music associated with Billie Holiday at the Ozark Theatre.

Sunday, August 18
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents Red Lehr and the St. Louis Rivermen playing traditional jazz at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel St. Louis - Westport, and Cornet Chop Suey plays a free concert at Carondelet Park.

Monday, August 19
The Dark Room introduces "Monday Night Mix-Up," a new event aimed at music and hospitality industry workers, this week featuring sounds from bassist and beatsmith Tristaño.

Tuesday, August 20
Nashville-based quintet The Cosmic Collective returns to Evangeline's, and guitarist Tom Byrne leads a trio in a concert at the Gaslight Theater.

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

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

Jazz this week: Shoshana Bean, Snarky Puppy, James Carter, Lamar Harris, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features some cabaret vocals from a Broadway star; a couple of stand-out saxophonists; a genre-straddling, Grammy Award winning fusion band; and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, May 15
Jazz St. Louis closes out their cabaret series co-produced this season with Cabaret Project of St. Louis, presenting the first of two nights of performances by singer Shoshana Bean.

In addition to her work in cabaret, Bean is well-known as the star of several Broadway musicals, including the current hit Waitress, from which she's taking a brief break for her cabaret shows here.

Also on Wednesday, the aforementioned Cabaret Project of St. Louis presents their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club;  guitarist Brian Vaccaro plays at Evangeline's; and Miss Jubilee performs at Schlafly Bottleworks.

Thursday, May 16
NYC-based saxophonist Brian Krock, who went to music school up the road at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana, performs in an early show at The Dark Room with his band Liddle, a subset of his big band Big Heart Machine.

Also on Thursday, singer Cheri Evans and CEEJazzSoul return to the Chase Club and Jon Thomas & Friends play at the The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, May 17
Multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris performs for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, the Original Knights of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, trumpeter Jim Manley returns to One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar, and drummer Kyle Honeycutt leads a trio for the late-night (actually early morning) gig at Mangia Italiano.

Saturday, May 18
The Funky Butt Brass Band plays their monthly show at the Broadway Oyster Bar, and keyboardist Mo Egeston delivers the late night grooves at The Dark Room.

Sunday, May 19
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents Cornet Chop Suey playing traditional jazz and vintage swing at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel St. Louis - Westport.

Also on Sunday afternoon, saxophonist James Carter (pictured, bottom left) will perform with some help from pianist Peter Martin's at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Then on Sunday night, the jazz/funk/world fusion band
Snarky Puppy (pictured, top left) will play an outdoor show at the Atomic Cowboy Pavilion.

They're touring in support of their latest album Immigrance, which came out in March. For more about that, and some video footage of recent performances including material from the new album, see this post from last Saturday.

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* An exhibition of visual art by Miles Davis opened last weekend on the campus of Jackson State University in Jackson, MS, with coverage from the Jackson Free Press and the university's news bureau.

* In other Miles Davis news, Rubberband, an EP of previously unheard Davis tracks recorded and then scrapped before the 1986 release of Tutu, is out now on Rhino Records.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold is featured on the European release When You Are Here, credited to the Culture Revolution Project, a joint venture by Harrold with Polish saxophonist Sylwester Ostrowski. The album can be heard now on the major streaming services, but so far does not seem to be for sale as a physical CD here in the US.

Harrold also has contributed a version of "She's Leaving Home" to A Day in the Life: Impressions of Pepper, a new compilation album paying tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band that's out today on Verve Records as a special "Black Friday" release.

The album (pictured) also includes interpretations of Beatles songs by drummers Antonio Sanchez and Makaya McCraven, saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, pianist Sullivan Fortner, harpist Brandee Younger, and more.

* Guitarist Vincent Varvel has posted to YouTube a video of "Both Sides Now," a track from his upcoming solo guitar album due out in January.

* Singer Christina Bianco's performance last weekend at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

* Singer Chuck Flowers appeared Tuesday on the morning newscast on KTVI-FOX 2.

* The Sheldon Concert Hall has posted to Facebook a photo album from singer Dee Dee Bridgewater's concert two Saturdays ago.

* Cornet Chop Suey and pianist Stephanie Trick are among the featured performers at this weekend's San Diego Jazz Fest & Swing Extravaganza.

Jazz this week: Ghost Note, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Joey Alexander, Lettuce, Cornet Chop Suey, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a nice mix of headlining performers, offering styles from funk to big band to vintage jazz to mainstream and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, October 10
Ghost Note, the instrumental funk band founded by Snarky Puppy percussionists Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth (pictured, top left), will perform at the Old Rock House.

Incorporating influences from Afrobeat, hip-hop, and more, they're touring in support of their second album Swagism, which was released in April of this year.

Also on Wednesday, Jazz St. Louis' "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series of free lecture/discussions with music continues with Marc Myers, who writes about jazz for the Wall Street Journal and other publications, expounding on "1950: The Year Jazz Changed on Two Coasts."

Myers' presentation will be paired with performances of music associated with Dave Brubeck, the Modern Jazz Quartet, and Gerry Mulligan, plus Miles Davis’s complete Birth of the Cool.

Thursday, October 11
Saxophonist Paul DeMarinis leads a trio in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and the Jim Widner Big Band will play a one-nighter at Jazz St. Louis. 

Also on Thursday, singer Joe Mancuso continues his weekly gig featuring different special guests at  50/Fifty Kitchen, and guitarist Dave Black performs at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, October 12
Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (pictured, bottom left) to provide the music for the annual fundraiser at the Sheldon Concert Hall. (Some concert-only tickets still may be available; contact the Sheldon's box office for the latest information.)

This year marks the 30th anniversary of JaLCO's founding, and they've released two recordings in 2018 - one documenting various guest star performances with the orchestra over the years, and the other capturing an evening backing singer/actor Ruben Blades. While those guest stars won't be at the Sheldon, the band's deep catalog of original and historic arrangements, developed over the last three decades, should offer the gala-goers ample possibilities for enjoyable listening.

Also on Friday, Grammy-nominated, teenage piano phenom Joey Alexander returns for the first of two nights of performances at Jazz St. Louis; funk/jazz band Lettuce is in town to play at the Atomic Cowboy Pavilion; and singer Anita Jackson will do the late show at The Dark Room

Saturday, October 13
Singer Wendy Gordon and friends, including singer Renee Smith and singer/bassist Eugene Johnson will present a matinee performance of "Different Shades Of The Blues" at the Ozark Theatre.

Later that night, keyboardist Mo Egeston will be at The Dark Room leading his trio, which will be joined this week by guest vocalist Chrissy Renick.

Sunday, October 14
Singer and bassist Janet Evra plays for brunch at The Dark Room, while Miss Jubilee will entertain at Evangeline's.

Also on Sunday, the St. Louis Jazz Club presents Cornet Chop Suey playing traditional jazz and swing in a matinee concert at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel St. Louis - Westport

Tuesday, October 16
Trumpeter Jim Manley and guitarist Rick Haydon play 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.)

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: Jane Monheit, Douglas Ewart and the STL Free Jazz Collective, Battle Trance, holiday jazz begins, and more

This week's busy calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a return engagement from one of the most popular female vocalists in jazz; a couple of shows featuring adventurous woodwind players; the first few of what will be many holiday-themed concerts for the season; and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 29
Singer Jane Monheit returns to St. Louis for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro. Monheit (pictured, top left) last performed here in 2015 with singer and guitarist John Pizzarelli at the Sheldon's annual benefit gala, and before that in 2014 at the Bistro.

She first won wide public attention shortly after the turn of the century, applying a plush vocal tone and a sure sense of swing to mostly standards from the Great American Songbook. Since then, Monheit has released a dozen albums as a leader, and also made guest appearances on record with a wide variety of performers, from fellow singers such as Sara Gazarek and Tony DeSare to instrumentalists including David Benoit, Ray Brown Jr., and many others.

After recording for five different labels, including Sony, Concord, and Decca/EmArcy. Monheit in 2016 started her own record company, Emerald City Records, inaugurating the imprint with the release of The Songbook Sessions, a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald. Listeners this week at the Bistro can expect an emphasis on that material, though the multi-night gig also should give Monheit a chance to dig into her back catalog as well.

Also on Wednesday, singer Joe Mancuso continues his weekly gig at Taha'a Twisted Tiki in The Grove; the Cary Colman Jazz Trio plays at Evangeline's; and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features Jacob Alspach at Squatters Cafe/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, November 30
Guitarist Vincent Varvel leads a quartet in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; the Liberation Organ Trio plays at Evangeline's; singer Feyza Eren and her quartet will perform at Joe's Cafe; and saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet returns to The Dark Room.

Friday, December 1
Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with guest vocalist Kim Fuller will perform at the Webster Groves Concert Hall; singer/guitarist Tommy Halloran continues his weekly residency at Das Bevo Underground; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham is at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Saturday, 
December 2
Freddie Washington will be the latest local saxophonist to be featured in Saxquest's series of free Saturday matinee performances, while just down the street at Dead Wax Records, Battle Trance will be promoting their Saturday evening show for New Music Circle with a free in-store performance.

Then, as fate would have it, Saturday evening offers a tough choice for fans of woodwinds and/or creative music, with two shows of interest happening simultaneously.

Battle Trance (pictured, center left), who will be making their St. Louis debut in their Saturday evening concert at The Luminary, is an ensemble of four tenor saxophonists who use extended techniques to play music that's a mix of composition and improvisation, though it can be hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. You can find out more about them, and see videos of some sample live performances, in this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Meanwhile, across town in the Old North neighborhood, multi-instrumentalist Douglas Ewart will be in town to join the STL Free Jazz Collective for a free concert at the 14th St. Artist Community.

Ewart (pictured, bottom left), who plays a whole arsenal of woodwinds, percussion, and self-made instruments, was one of early members of Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, and has performed and/or recorded with many of the most important creative musicians of the past half-century. There's more about Ewart, including videos of some of his live performances, in this post from last Saturday.

Sunday, December 3
It's another day for matinees, as the St. Louis Jazz Club presents Cornet Chop Suey playing traditional jazz and swing at the Moolah Shrine Temple, while the Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe.

Also on Sunday afternoon, the UMSL Jazz Ensemble directed by Jim Widner, Vocal Point, and University Orchestra will present their annual free concert, "UMSL's Jazz For The Holidays," at the Touhill Performing Arts Center; and trumpeter Randy Holmes, singer and impressionist Dean Christopher, and a mini-big band will pay tribute to Frank Sinatra and Hoagy Carmichael at the Webster Groves Concert Hall.

Monday, December 4
Trumpeter Jim Manley is back at Momo's Greek Restaurant, and Washington University's student jazz combos will show off what they've learned this semester in a free performance at the 560 Music Center.

Tuesday, December 5
Dean Christopher, having a busy week, headlines "A Vegas 'Rat Pack and More' Christmas" 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: Vijay Iyer Trio, Dianne Reeves, Tomeka Reid's Artifacts Trio, and more

It's going to be a very busy few days for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with several noteworthy touring headliners in town, plus the beginning of our town's annual cornucopia of holiday-themed performances from both visiting and local musicians.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 30
Pianist Vijay Iyer returns with his longtime associates, bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore, to perform for the first of four nights continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

Iyer already was considered one of the fastest-rising stars in jazz when he last played here in St. Louis - in January 2010, also at the Bistro - and in the nearly seven years since, he's taken on a variety of new projects that have earned continued critical acclaim and growing public recognition.

For more about that, plus some recent video samples of Iyer's trio (pictured, top left) in action, check out this video post from a couple of Saturdays ago, as well as his recent interviews with St. Louis Public Radio's David Cazares and the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson.

Thursday, December 1
Singer, educator and former St. Louisan Jan Shapiro, the longtime head of vocal music at Berklee College of Music, will return home to perform in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Also on Thursday, the student musicians of the North County Big Band, directed by saxophonist Harvey Lockhart, will present their semester-ending performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall; and pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True will be joined by singer Erika Johnson for a concert presented by St. Louis Public Radio at UMSL at Grand Center.

Friday, December 2
Singer Dianne Reeves returns to St. Louis for the first time since 2013 with a holiday-themed concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Reeves (pictured, center left) will offer her interpretations of seasonal favorites such as “Little Drummer Boy,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Christmas Waltz,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “Let It Snow,” and more, accompanied by a band featuring two musicians from the St. Louis area - her longtime pianist and music director, U City native Peter Martin, and drummer Terreon Gully, who's originally from East St. Louis - plus bassist Reginald Veal and guitarist Romero Lubambo.

Also on Friday, The Fat Babies, a Chicago-based band specializing in vintage jazz of the 1920s and '30s will perform at Off Broadway in the first of three shows they'll be doing in St. Louis this weekend. The group also will play for dancers on Saturday night at Casa Loma Ballroom, then provide an opening set for the St. Louis Jazz Club on Sunday (see below) before heading home.

Saturday, December 3
Cellist and composer Tomeka Reid's Artifacts Trio with flute player Nicole Mitchell and percussionist Mike Reed will play a New Music Circle-presented concert at Joe's Cafe.

Following in the footsteps of the founders who started Chicago's venerable Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in the 1960s, Reid, Mitchell, and Reed (pictured, bottom left) represent what might be called the next generation of the AACM's leadership, having all served together on that organization's board at one point a few years back.

All three are active as bandleaders and collaborators in Chicago's busy jazz and creative music scene, and their shared musical history and the AACM connection eventually brought them together in 2015 under Reid's nominal leadership to record Artifacts, an album of new interpretations of music by AACM-affiliated composers. For more about that, and some video samples of various Tomeka Reid performances, take a look at the video post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, saxophonist Eric Marienthal will perform with St. Louis' Bach to the Future in a benefit concert for the adoption agency Dillon International at the Mandarin House Banquet Hall in U. City; and pianist Carolbeth True and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman will reunite to revisit music from their 1998 album "New World Harmonica Jazz" at the Ozark Theatre

Sunday, December 4
The St. Louis Jazz Club's annual holiday party gets underway at an earlier-than-usual starting time with an opening set from Chicago's Fat Babies, followed by a full-length performance of traditional jazz and swing from St. Louis' own Cornet Chop Suey at the Moolah Shrine Center.

Also on Sunday afternoon, the Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the  Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's New Rosebud Cafe; and music students at the University of Missouri St. Louis present "UMSL's Jazz For The Holidays" a free concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center featuring music from the UMSL Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jim Widner, Vocal Point conducted by Jim Henry, and the University Orchestra.

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.)

Sheldon Concert Hall announces 2016-17 season

The Sheldon Concert Hall today announced their 2016-17 season schedule, including the four concerts making up their jazz subscription series for next year plus some other events of potential interest to StLJN readers.

Percussionist Jason Marsalis' Vibes Quartet will be first up for the jazz series on Saturday, October 1. Marsalis, the youngest brother of the famous New Orleans family of musicians that also includes his siblings Wynton, Branford, and Delfeayo and their dad Ellis, leads his own band as a vibraphonist when not behind the drum set in the trio of pianist Marcus Roberts.

Next will be a quintet co-led by Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés and NYC saxophonist Joe Lovano (pictured) on Saturday, November 12. Valdés, a founding member of the Cuban jazz-fusion band Irakere, played with his own group at the Sheldon in 2012, while Lovano was in St. Louis most recently with his band Us Five in 2014 at Jazz at the Bistro, but this performance will be their first here together.

Clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen and her quartet will return to bring in the New Year with a concert on Saturday, January 14, and New Orleans trumpeter Etienne Charles will close out the 2016-17 jazz series with some “Creole Soul” on Saturday, March 11.

The Sheldon's 2016-17 "Coffee Concerts" series will include performances of traditional jazz and swing by Cornet Chop Suey (Tuesday, September 27 and Wednesday, September 28) and The Gaslight Squares (Tuesday, November 1 & Wednesday, November 2); a tribute to Nancy Wilson by singer Kim Fuller (Tuesday, April 4 and Wednesday, April 5); and two non-subscription shows by Miss Jubilee (Tuesday, May 2 and Wednesday, May 3).

Also of interest, new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound will return to the Sheldon for the fourth year with concerts on Thursday, December 1 and Thursday, June 1. You can see the complete schedule for all the 2016-17 concert series at the Sheldon's website.

Single tickets for the jazz series shows will be priced at $25 and $40 for Marsalis, Cohen, and Charles, and $30 and $45 for Valdés & Lovano, or you can purchase a series subscription for $135 or $150. Single tickets for the "Coffee Concerts" are $15 and $18, with subscriptions priced at $60 and $70. Single tickets for Alarm Will Sound will be $10 and $20.

Subscriptions for The Sheldon's 2016-17 jazz series and the venue's other concert series will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Monday, May 16. Single tickets will be available starting at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 13 via MetroTix.

Jazz this week: Karrin Allyson, Olivia Block, Eric Marienthal, Tommy Halloran, and more

This week's schedule of jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a typically varied assortment of sounds and styles, with a couple of notable touring performers in the middle of the week. So, without further delay, let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday November 11 
Singer Karrin Allyson (pictured, top left) returns to St. Louis for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, touring in support of her recent release Many a New Day: Karrin Allyson sings Rodgers and Hammerstein.

The album has received generally positive reviews, and you'll find links to several of them, plus some videos of Allyson performing, in this post from last Saturday.

Also tonight, electronic musician and composer Olivia Block performs at Foam, with Circuit des Yeux opening the show; and singer Eve Seltzer returns to Nathalie's.

Thursday, November 12
The Gaslight Cabaret Festival fall series continues with an encore performance from the duo Sleepy Kitty at the Gaslight Theater.

Also on Thursday, the SIUE jazz faculty will feature saxophonist Jason Swagler in a concert entitled "Brazil and Beyond" at Dunham Hall on the SIUE campus; and Wack-A-Doo returns to the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Friday,
November 13
Guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran’s band Guerrilla Swing (pictured, center left) are regulars at Jazz at the Bistro, performing weekly for Sunday brunch, but they're also playing Friday and Saturday nights this week to promote the release of Halloran's new album State Streets.

Ticket buyers will get a free digital download of the album, which will be released on vinyl at a date TBA.

Elsewhere on Friday, singer Karen Oberlin explores the songs of Elvis Costello in the first of two performances of her show "His Aim Is True" at the Gaslight Theater; trumpeter Randy Holmes' quintet featuring pianist Carolbeth True will pay tribute to trumpet legend Clifford Brown at the Ozark Theatre; and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, November 14
On Saturday afternoon, saxophonist Frank Catalano will be in from Chicago for a free performance and workshop at Saxquest

That evening, saxophonist Eric Marienthal teams up once again with St. Louis' Bach to the Future, this time in a benefit for the Dillon International adoption agency at the Mandarin House Banquet Hall in U City; and trumpeter Jim Manley performs at Thurman Grill.

Also on Saturday night, percussionist Herman Semidey and Orquesta Son Montuno will play salsa, Latin jazz, and more at Club Viva; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to the Venice Cafe.

Sunday, November 15
The St. Louis Jazz Club will present Cornet Chop Suey playing traditional jazz and swing in a matinee performance at the DoubleTree Hotel at Westport.

Also on Sunday, the Community Women Against Hardship's annual "Circle of Support Gala" will feature singer Kimmie Horne (pictured, lower left), a Detroit native and cousin of the legendary Lena Horne, at the Sheldon Concert Hall; and the St. Louis Big Band gets ready for an upcoming road trip with a show at CJ Muggs in Webster Groves.

Monday, November 16
Guitarist Dave Black plays for diners at The Shaved Duck, and Webster University's student jazz singers will show off their skills in a concert at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

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: Andre Delano, Denise Thimes, Cornet Chop Suey, and more

This week's lineup of jazz and creative music shows in and around St. Louis includes a well-known expat back home for a couple of "summer vacation" shows, showcase performances for one of the city's reigning vocals divas and one its top traditional jazz bands, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Thursday, July 9
Saxophonist and former East St. Louisan Andre Delano (pictured, top left), who now lives in California, is back home this week for a pair of shows, performing Thursday at Bistro Six Eighteen in East St Louis and Friday at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Also on Thursday, guitarist Vincent Varvel's trio will get Jazz at Holmes "Jazz in July" summer series started with a free concert at Holmes Lounge in Ridgley Hall on the Washington University campus; and bassist Willem von Hombracht will play duets with guitarist Chip Katz at Thurman Grill.

Friday, July 10
Singer Denise Thimes (pictured, center left) returns to Jazz at the Bistro to headline a weekend of shows; and pianist Greg Mills will play solo and improvise freely at Tavern of Fine Arts.

Also on Friday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes perform at Nathalie's; and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, July 11
Saturday morning, TrailNet and Jazz St. Louis will present the first-ever St. Louis jazz history bike tour, led by JSL executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford and starting at Jazz St. Louis HQ on Washington Ave.

That evening, saxophonist Tim Cunningham begins a series of summer Saturday performances at Troy's Jazz Gallery; and singer Tom Kavanaugh and pianist Tim Garcia will perform at Tavern of Fine Arts.

Sunday, July 12
The St. Louis Jazz Club present presents traditional jazz and swing band Cornet Chop Suey (pictured, lower left) in a matinee at the Doubletree Hotel in Westport; while the Friends of Scott Joplin will hold their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous"at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site.

On Sunday night, the St. Louis Big Band will play a free outdoor concert at Zion United Methodist Church in South County.

Monday, July 13
Singer Dean Christopher offers an encore of his "Rat Pack and More" show at One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar ; and trumpeter Keith Moyer's group plays at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, July 14
Elsie Parker and the Poor People of Paris perform jazz and French pop music at Nathalie'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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* New Music Circle's website has a brief interview with saxophonist Tim Berne (pictured) in advance of the show tonight by his band Snakeoil at the Stage at KDHX.

* Trumpeter Kasimu Taylor was profiled by Kevin Johnson of the Post-Dispatch. 

* A recent performance by drummer Dave Weckl's Acoustic Band at Ronnie Scott's in London was reviewed by Jazzwise magazine.

* Trombonist Joe Bowie will be the special guest with saxophonist Candy Dulfer's band for gigs on May 13 and 14 in Hannover, Germany.

* Dennis Owsley, who hosts "Jazz Unlimited" from 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays on St. Louis Public Radio (90.7 FM),was profiled as the "Person of the Week" on the website UMission.

* Trumpeter Jeremy Davenport was a guest this past week on the podcast of New Orleans TV personality Scott Walker.

* Jazz St. Louis is looking for customer feedback on the decor, service, menu, and other aspects of the newly renovated Jazz at the Bistro; you can fill out their online survey here.

* JSL also was one of a half-dozen local arts groups to announce new grants this week from the National Endowment for the Arts, having snagged $10,000 from NEA to help support their audience residency program.

* The Sheldon Concert Hall has posted to Facebook an album of photos from last Saturday's performance by singer Cécile McLorin Salvant.

* With warmer weather comes the summer festival season, and some St. Louis musicians already are headed out of town for weekend gigs to take advantage. For example, bassist Jim Widner and drummer Montez Coleman will be among the featured players tonight at the LaPorte Jazz Festival in Valparaiso, IN, while the itinerary of traditional jazz and swing band Cornet Chop Suey includes upcoming stops in Williston, ND and Great Falls, MT.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on his program “Somethin’ Else,” on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, Calvin Wilson will spotlight the music of saxophonist John Coltrane's classic 1960s quartet with McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison. The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Jazz this week: Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O, "A Very Manley Christmas," Cornet Chop Suey, Alarm Will Sound, and more

As you might expect, this week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis features plenty of seasonal sounds, but there also are a variety of other offerings, ranging stylistically from traditional jazz to free improv, for those seeking an audio alternative.
Let's go to the highlights...

Thursday, December 11 
New music ensemble Alarm Will Sound* performs their final show of 2014 at the Sheldon Concert Hall, presenting the world premiere of the complete score of Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy's The Hunger.

While this concert version of the extended work about the great Irish famine doesn't have all of the planned multimedia features in place yet, it will have Iarla Ó Lionáird, of The Gloaming and Afro Celt Sound System, and mezzo-soprano Rachel Calloway, a last-minute substitute for Dawn Upshaw, who's ill, as guest vocal soloists.

Also on Thursday, the Funky Butt Brass Band returns to the Blues City Deli for an early evening show; and Franglais, a Gypsy jazz group fronted by singer Eve Seltzer and her husband, guitarist Ben Wood, and newly arrived in St. Louis, will make their local debut at Evangeline's.

Friday, December 12
Drummer Matt Wilson and his Christmas Tree-O wrap up a week-long educational residency with a public concert at Webster Groves High School, performing expanded arrangements of holiday favorites back by student big bands from WGHS.

Also on Friday, trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured) will be in the holiday spirit as he convenes his Mad Brass and Rhythm for the first of two nights of "A Very Manley Christmas" at Jazz at the Bistro.While the material from Manley's newest album Funk Factory doesn't really fit the format for this particular gig, fans no doubt will be able to purchase copies of the just-issued CD at the merch table.

Elsewhere around town, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will perform at Nathalie's; and Second Generation Swing plays for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, December 13
On Saturday afternoon, there's one more chance to hear the Oikos Ensemble's "What Child is This? A Jazz Nativity," which will be performed this week at St. Paul United Church of Christ in Belleville.

Then that evening, singers Mary Dyson and Diane Vaughn will return to Troy's Jazz Gallery; the Kevin Mitchell 4 will be playing seasonal songs at Evangeline‘s; and Miss Jubilee performs at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, December 14 
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents their final concert of the year, a matinee with trad jazz and swing band Cornet Chop Suey performing at the DoubleTree Hotel at Westport; and the Jazz Edge Orchestra, featuring singers Ron Wilkinson and Marsha Evans, will return to Kirkwood Station Brewing Company.

Monday, December 15 
The Sessions Big Band will check in for their last gig of the year at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; singer Dean Christopher bring his "Rat Pack and More" show back to One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar; and Off Topic II, an improvising trio featuring pianist Jim Hegarty, bassist Paul Steinbeck and drummer Gary Sykes, will take the stage at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Tuesday, December 16
The Tavern of Fine Arts will offer what should be another noteworthy evening of improvised music as the Society for Creative Survival, a new venture spearheaded by pianists Greg Mills and David Parker, presents "Soliloquy - An Evening of Solo Performances," featuring brief solo sets by Mills, Parker, trumpeter George Sams, cellist Tracy Andreotti, percussionist Henry Claude, and more.

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.)

* Full disclosure: StLJN's editor is paid by the firm Slay & Associates to assist Alarm Will Sound with publicity for their gigs in Missouri. However, given our editorial focus, I'd be writing about their shows regardless. So, rather than not telling you about something that might be of interest, you get this disclosure instead.