Jazz this week: Cyrus Chestnut, a salute to Richard Henderson, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the return of a popular pianist, a tribute to one of the city's most visible longtime jazz fans, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 20
Pianist Cyrus Chestnut (pictured, top left) leads his trio in the first of two nights (plus a "coffee concert") at Jazz St. Louis.

Among current jazz pianists, Chestnut would seem be one of the most prominent exponents of the virtuoso tradition of Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson, as you can see in this collection of videos in a post from when he played the Bistro in 2016. If you're planning on going, though, do keep in mind that this time around, due to the "coffee concert" performance, Chestnut will playing one set only each evening, starting at 7:30 p.m..

Also on Wednesday, Cabaret Project of St. Louis presents their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's, and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" includes Gypsy jazz band Coco Rico at The Stage at KDHX, the weekly jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, February 21
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will present a free concert showcasing the talents of student jazz musicians; singer Joe Mancuso returns to 50/Fifty Kitchen; and pianist Adam Maness leads his trio at Thurman's in Shaw.

Friday, February 22
Jazz St. Louis pays tribute to a recently deceased St. Louis "jazz hero" with the first of two nights of  "Swingin' at the Bistro: A Salute to Richard Henderson," described as "an all-star weekend of swing in remembrance of a dear friend."

Performers celebrating Henderson (pictured, center left) will include drummer Montez Coleman, bassist Bob DeBoo, trumpeter Danny Campbell, vibraphonist Peter Schlamb, guitarist Eric Slaughter, saxophonist Kendrick Smith, keyboardist Matt Villinger, and on Saturday only, keyboardist Adam Maness.

Also on Friday, Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo returns to The Dark Room.

Saturday, February 23
Keyboardist Mo Egeston plays the late show at The Dark Room.

Sunday, February 24
The Folk School of KDHX presents their monthly "Traditional Jazz Jam Session," and the Genesis Jazz Project performs at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups

Monday, February 25
"Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective return to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, 
February 26
The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra (pictured, bottom left) plays a "Notes From Home" concert at The Sheldon.

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

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

Jazz this week: Cyrus Chestnut; Peter Martin, Brian Owens & Terence Blanchard; and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a couple of first-call piano players - one visiting, one home-grown - plus the usual assortment of performances in a variety of musical styles from the city's talented contingent of local players.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 31
Pianist Cyrus Chestnut returns with his trio for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Chestnut (pictured, top left) has applied his virtuoso technique to all sorts of material over the course of his career. He's recorded original compositions influenced by blues and gospel music, and plenty of standards drawn from the Great American Songbook, as well as "high concept" projects like an album of songs made famous by Elvis Presley, and a 21st century take on pianist Vince Guaraldi's music for A Charlie Brown Christmas.

With such a varied catalog, it's hard to predict precisely what Chestnut may get into over the course of four nights, but chances are he'll spotlight at least some of the music from his 2010 recording Journeys, which included nine of his own compositions. You can see and hear some video samples of Cyrus Chestnut playing with a trio and solo in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Wednesday, guitarist Dave Black plays at Evangeline's, and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features guitarist Joe Park's trio at The Stage at KDHX, along with the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor and his band at The Dark Room.

Thursday, February 1
Saxophonist Freddie Washington and guitarist Tom Byrne will lead a quartet in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and percussionist Joe Pastor's trio returns to The Dark Room.

Friday, February 2
Saxophonist Dave Stone's trio will be joined by guitarist Eric Slaughter for a concert at Focal Point, and singer/guitarist Tommy Halloran continues his weekly gig at Das Bevo Underground.

Saturday, February 3
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play a mid-day concert at The Sheldon, while The Sidemen perform for the brunch crowd at Evangeline's.

On Saturday evening, pianist Peter Martin (pictured, bottom left), singer Brian Owens and special guest trumpeter Terence Blanchard will headline a benefit concert for Metro Theater Company at the Grandel Theatre.

The company's production of Bud, Not Buddy, a "concert play" with a musical score by Blanchard that will be played live on stage by a 13-piece band, opens Sunday and continues through February 25 at the Grandel.

Sunday, February 4
The Bonbon Plot will play bossa nova and French-influenced jazz for brunch at The Dark Room, and the Friends of Scott Joplin will present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe.

Monday, February 5
Dizzy Atmosphere plays swing and Gypsy jazz for diners at The Shaved Duck, and Webster University presents drummer Nick Savage's quartet with singer Paige Alyssa Hegwood in a Black History Month tribute to "The First Ladies of Song" 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.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Cyrus Chestnut

This week, our video spotlight is focused on pianist Cyrus Chestnut, who will be back in town next week with his trio to perform from Wednesday, January 31 through Saturday, February 3 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Chestnut, who last played St. Louis in May 2016 at The Sheldon, is in some ways a stylistic throwback as a pianist. At 55 years old, the Baltimore native is of the right generation to have been influenced by the major jazz pianists most prominent in the 1960s and 70s, such as Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Keith Jarrett, but his playing more often evokes that of older generations of piano players.

For example, Oscar Peterson, and by extension, Art Tatum clearly are points of reference for Chestnut, as his prodigious technique allows him to execute the same sorts of split-second chromatic digressions and flourishes they often deployed.

Listening to some of Chestnut's solo work, it's also possible to hear echoes of Erroll Garner, Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, and others whose careers bridged the swing and bebop eras, albeit filtered through a contemporary sensibility.

You can get an idea of how Chestnut plays in a trio setting in the first video up above, which is a full set of him with drummer Victor Lewis and bassist Buster Williams, recorded in September 2016 at public radio station WBGO's Yamaha Piano Salon in New York City.

After the jump, you can see Chestnut playing solo, starting with a version of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" from the 2017 Vitoria-Gasteiz Jazz Festival in Spain.

Below that, there's a solo mini-set recorded in June 2016 for Kansas Public Radio, starting with "I've Never Been In Love Before," continuing with a version of Vince Guaraldi's "Skating" from A Charlie Brown Christmas and wrapping up with "Tea for Two."

The last three videos all were made in June 2016 in the studios KNKX in Tacoma, WA, and feature Chestnut playing "It Could Happen To You," "The Door of No Return," and "I Cover the Waterfront."

For more about Cyrus Chestnut, check out his video interview from last September with the web series The Pace Report, and his interview from earlier in 2017 with Time Out Israel.

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

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Winter/spring 2018 jazz preview, part 2

This week, it's part two of StLJN's winter/spring 2018 jazz preview, featuring videos of the jazz and creative music performers who will be visiting St. Louis in the first few months of the new year. (You can see part one here.)

Picking up in mid-January where last week's installment ended, the first video up above features singer Storm Large, who will be returning to perform on Wednesday, January 17 at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Large has presented her cabaret show here a couple of times before, but this concert will feature her band Le Bonheur, who back her up in this 2014 performance of "I've Got You Under My Skin."

That same week, The Bad Plus will return to St. Louis to present their first-ever live shows featuring their new pianist Orrin Evans, starting Wednesday, January 17 and continuing through Saturday, January 20 at Jazz at the Bistro.

With founding pianist Ethan Iverson' departure from the trio being a long-planned event, Evans already has recorded an album, Never Stop 2, with TBP, but will be making his live-performance debut with group during their St. Louis run.

Given those circumstances, there's really no way to "preview" their shows here, but after the jump, you can see a performance by the original TBP lineup from this year's Moers Festival in Germany, followed by a clip of Evans, rethinking the standard "Autumn Leaves" with bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Obed Calvaire, in 2012 at NYC's Jazz Standard.

The same night TBP concludes their run, Grand Center also will be the site of a "Winter Jazz Fest" at the Grandel Theatre, featuring a headlining performance by Yellowjackets, plus saxophonist Eric Marienthal performing with St. Louis' own Bach to the Future, and more.

The next clip, shot by the prolific St. Louis videographer James Ross, shows Yellowjackets performing "Civil War" during their last visit here in September of this year at Jazz at the Bistro.

After that, there's a video of Marienthal playing Eddie Harris' "Cold Duck Time" at Vandojam 2017, an event presented by the reed and mouthpiece manufacturer Vandoren at the 2017 NAMM show in Los Angeles.

Next up is saxophonist Maceo Parker, who's playing Wednesday, January 24 through Saturday, January 27 at the Bistro, making his long-awaited debut at that venue. Parker can be seen in today's sixth clip performing "Pass the Peas" in August 2017 at the Music Box in San Diego, CA.

While Parker is funking up the Bistro on Saturday night, a couple of blocks away the Kranzberg Arts Center will present "Come Together - Barb Jungr & John McDaniel Perform The Beatles" on Saturday, January 27.

This is the St. Louis debut of a show that Jungr, a British-born cabaret singer, and McDaniel, the pianist, singer and Kirkwood native who gained national celebrity as musical director for Rosie O'Donnell's talk show, have been doing for a couple of years now. In the penultimate video, a promotional clip featuring excerpts from several songs, you can get an idea as to how they go about reinterpreting the Fab Four's catalog.

Last but not least, today's final video features pianist Cyrus Chestnut, who will be back with his trio to perform starting Wednesday, January 31 through Saturday, February 3 at the Bistro.

Chestnut, a familiar visitor to St. Louis who last played here in May, 2016 at The Sheldon, can be seen in fine form with bassist Michael Hawkins and drummer Neal Smith, playing a whole set recorded in August 2017 at the Montclair Jazz Festival in New Jersey.

Look for part three of StLJN's winter/spring 2018 jazz preview next week in this space. You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

Jazz this week: Cyrus Chestnut, Tortoise, Denise Thimes' Mothers Day show, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis features sounds ranging from straight-ahead jazz to "post-rock," with plenty of other styles in the mix, too. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, May 4
Drummer Montez Coleman plays the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, with a bit of help from pianist Adam Maness, bassist Bob DeBoo and singer Anita Jackson.

Elsewhere in Grand Center, saxophonist Dave Stone takes over Bob DeBoo's hosting duties for the weekly jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center; cornetist TJ Muller of the Gaslight Squares will play at The Stage at KDHX, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor will do his weekly set at The Dark Room.

Thursday, May 5
Latin/jazz band Clave Sol will be celebrating Cinco de Mayo starting in the afternoon and continuing through evening at Rosalita's Cantina downtown; Miss Jubilee plays an early evening show at Blues City Deli; and singer Ralph Williams returns to Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Friday, May 6
Singer Brian Owens performs for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro; the Midwest Jazz-tette brings the sound of West Coast cool jazz to Evangeline's; and Tom Byrne switches to bass for a night, ceding the guitar duties to Eric Slaughter for a show by what Byrne's calling the Bassic Instinct Trio at Cigar Inn.

Also on Friday, singer/actor Ben Nordstrom performs for the first of two nights in the cabaret room at The Monocle; and singer Joe Mancuso and bassist Willem von Hombracht will duet at Tavern of Fine Arts.

Saturday, May 7
Pianist Cyrus Chestnut returns with his trio to offer some "African Reflections" at Sheldon Concert Hall. You can read more about Chestnut (pictured, top left) and see some videos of him performing in this post from last Saturday. Note also that The Sheldon is offering a discount on remaining tickets to online buyers, cutting the price to $25.

Also on Saturday, trumpeter Jim Manley and guitarist Randy Bahr lead their All-Star Band at Nathalie's.

Sunday, May 8
Singer Denise Thimes will present her annual Mothers Day extravaganza this year at a new venue, the Touhill Performing Arts Center, with help from guest stars including pianist Tamir Hendelman, saxophonist Tom Braxton, and comedian Monique Marvez.

Monday, May 9
The "post-rock" band Tortoise, who mix up a half-dozen genres or more in their mostly instrumental music, will play at the The Ready Room. The Chicago-based group (pictured, bottom left) is touring in support of their first new album in seven years, The Catastrophist, that was released in January.

Also on Monday, saxophonist Doug Webb, a veteran of many movie and TV soundtrack sessions in Los Angeles studios who's also enjoyed a long association with trumpeter Doc Severinsen, will present a free performance and workshop at Saxquest.

Tuesday, May 10
Doug Webb will perform again with Saxquest's Little Big Band at the Tavern of Fine Arts, and pianist "Ragtime" Jack Radcliffe, a Massachusetts-based performer specializing in stride, pre-WWII blues, and yes, ragtime, will play at a one-nighter 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.)

Discounted tickets for Cyrus Chestnut at The Sheldon available via Metrotix

The Sheldon Concert Hall and Metrotix are offering discounted tickets to online buyers for the concert by pianist Cyrus Chestnut (pictured) at 8:00 p.m. this Saturday, May 7 at The Sheldon.

With the discount, remaining tickets for the show are just $25, a significant savings from the regular prices of $45 for orchestra level and $40 for the balcony.

To get the ticket discount, go to the Metrotix site, and when prompted, enter the promo code CYRUS25.

You can see some videos of recent performances by Cyrus Chestnut in this post from last Saturday.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: A Cyrus Chestnut sampler

This week, let's check out some videos of pianist Cyrus Chestnut, who will be performing at the Sheldon Concert Hall next Saturday, May 7.

Chestnut has been a frequent visitor to St. Louis over the last decade-plus, most recently serving as the pianist for the all-star band assembled for the "Jazz St. Louis at 20" celebration last fall at Jazz at the Bistro. He also has co-headlined at the Bistro with guitarist Russell Malone, and has led his own band there on several occasions. Yet somehow he's never been in StLJN's video spotlight before, an omission that this post now rectifies with a sampling of recent performances by the pianist and his trio.

Now 53 years old, Chestnut grew up in Baltimore and graduated from Berklee College of Music. He served an early career apprenticeship in the bands of Jon Hendricks, Terrence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, Betty Carter, and, briefly, Wynton Marsalis. In the ensuing years, Chestnut also has performed and/or collaborated on record with many other well-known musicians and singers, including Freddy Cole, Bette Midler, Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Scott, Isaac Hayes, Kevin Mahogany, Christian McBride, Kathleen Battle, Vanessa L. Williams, Brian McKnight, Manhattan Transfer, and the Boys' Choir of Harlem.

As a leader, Chestnut has released 17 albums, the most of recent of which was 2015's A Million Colors in Your Mind on the Highnote label. A versatile player with plenty of keyboard chops, he has a sound rooted in gospel and blues, yet also is known to deploy more than occasionally the sort of melodic and harmonic digressions associated with Oscar Peterson and especially Art Tatum.

So, it's probably not a coincidence that the tune Chestnut is playing in the first video up above - "Brotherhood of Man" from the 1960s musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying - entered the jazz repertoire thanks to a very successful recording made by Peterson's trio (with guest trumpeter Clark Terry). This version, recorded last year at Shanghai Jazz in New Jersey, clearly draws some inspiration from Peterson, even as Chestnut does his own thing.

After the jump, you can see Chestnut perform the standard "I've Never Been in Love Before," recorded at the same Shanghai Jazz gig. Below that, there are performances recorded last year in Cuernavaca, México of Chestnut's original "Ami's Dance" and a version of Lionel Richie's 1980s pop hit "Hello."

Those two clips are followed by a full set from a concert by Chestnut's trio last year at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME. The final video features Chestnut in an episode of the Voice of America's program Beyond Category, being interviewed and playing with his trio.

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

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Winter/spring 2016 jazz preview, part 5

This week, let's wrap up StLJN's winter/spring 2016 jazz preview, with the fifth and final post featuring videos of bands and musicians who will be performing here in the next few months. (If you came in late, or just want revisit the previous installments, here are links to part one, part two, part three, and part four.)

Picking up roughly when part four concluded, today's edition begins with saxophonist Melissa Aldana, who will be making her St. Louis debut with a four-night gig starting Wednesday, April 27 and continuing through Saturday, April 30 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Aldana, who's originally from Chile and now is based in NYC, is a 2009 graduate of Berklee College of Music whose career got a big boost when she won the 2013 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. In the first video up above, you can see Aldana, bassist Pablo Menares, and drummer Francisco Mela performing a full set in 2013 at Berklee.

After the jump, there's a full set from pianist Cyrus Chestnut, who should be familiar to local jazz fans from his numerous previous appearances here over the past decade. Chestnut will be returning to perform on Saturday, May 7 at the Sheldon Concert Hall, and today's video shows him with his trio at a concert in 2014 at Bowdoin College in Maine.

Next, it's guitarist Pat Martino, who will be back in St. Louis to play starting Wednesday, May 11 through Saturday, May 14 at the Bistro. Like Chestnut, Martino has been a fairly regular visitor here in recent years, performing most recently at the Bistro in December 2013. In the third video, you can see and hear his set from February 2014 at the Lotos Jazz Festival in Poland, accompanied by organist Pat Bianchi and drummer Carmen Intorre.

The final two videos feature pianist and singer Freddy Cole and saxophonist Harry Allen, who will revisit their team-up from 2013 and 2015 for a week of performances starting Wednesday, May 25 through Saturday, May 28 at the Bistro.

You can see Cole and his band performing a full set in 2014 at the Jazz San Javier festival in Spain and then, in the final video, Allen's first set from a gig in July 2015 at Dizzy's in Jazz at Lincoln Center, accompanied by pianist Ehud Asherie, bassist/vocalist Nicki Parrott, drummer and vibraphonist Chuck Redd, and percussionist Little Johnny Rivero.

In the coming weeks and months, some of the bands and musicians featured in this preview series will get a more extensive look, and of course, as additional jazz and creative music bookings for this year in St. Louis are announced, StLJN will have the news for you right here. In the meantime, you can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

Jazz this week: "Jazz St. Louis at 20," "3 Nights in September," Bonerama, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in and around St. Louis includes an anniversary celebration for the city's most prolific jazz presenter, plus a gathering of our town's free improvisors, the return of a favorite New Orleans band, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, September 23
The "3 Nights in September" festival of improvised music continues at Tavern of Fine Arts, with sets from Ghost Ice, Mister Ben, and Dave Stone with Henry Claude, Glenn "Papa" Wright, and Joe Hess. The event wraps up on Thursday with music from the Experimental Arts Ensemble STL, Vernacular String Trio (pictured, top left), STL Free Jazz Collective, and George Sams and Charles "Bobo" Shaw.

Also on Wednesday, Jazz St. Louis presents the first of four nights of "Jazz St. Louis at 20," an anniversary celebration featuring an all-star band comprised of musicians who have played Jazz at the Bistro multiple times over the last 20 years.

Since the group has been put together just for this occasion, there's no video footage available of all of them together, but you can see individual clips of bassist Christian McBride, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, drummer Gregory Hutchinson, guitarist Russell Malone, trumpeter Terell Stafford (pictured, center left) and saxophonist Tim Warfield in part 1 of StLJN's fall jazz preview.

Elsewhere around town, the jazz-inflected hip-hop group Sidewalk Chalk will perform at the Old Rock House, heading a bill that also includes Lamar Harris in his "DJ Nune" identity. To kick off their two-month tour of more than 50 cities, last week the group released a video of their cover of Kendrick Lamar‘s “Alright.”

Thursday, September 24
Pianist Ptah Williams leads a quartet in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; singer Joe Mancuso and bassist Willem von Hombracht will be in duo mode at Thurman Grill; and pianist Brad Ellebrecht and singer Diane Vaughn will perform at Evangeline's.

Friday, September 25
Orquesta Son Montuno will bring the salsa for a free outdoor concert as part of the Greater St. Louis Hispanic Festival at Soulard Market Park; guitarist Eric Slaughter and bassist Glen Smith will play duets at Thurman Grill; and the Matt McCallie Orchestra will make their debut at Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, September 26
Singer Feyza Eren will lead a quartet in a concert at the Jacoby Arts Center in Alton; multi-instrumentalist Joe Bozzi and band return to Evangeline's; trumpeter Randy Holmes and his quartet will perform in a benefit for local food pantries at the Ozark Theatre; and guitarist Larry Brown Jr. will be back home to celebrate the release of his latest album, The Music And The Moment, at 2720 Cherokee.

Sunday, 
September 27
The sound of multiple trombones will be thundering on South Broadway as New Orleans'
Bonerama (pictured, lower left) returns to the Broadway Oyster Bar, while just up the street, blues/rock guitarist Billy Barnett and friends will present a "Tribute to Danny Gatton" at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Also on Sunday, the Jazz Edge Orchestra and singer Marsha Evans return to Kirkwood Station Brewing Company; and guitarist Vincent Varvel plays at Nathalie's.

Monday, September 28
Saxophonist and Webster University faculty member Paul DeMarinis and his ensemble will perform a program of original compositions and more at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

Tuesday, September 29
The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra presents a "Tribute to Frank Sinatra" as part of the Sheldon Concert Hall's "Notes From Home" series.

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: Fall 2015 jazz preview, part 1

As the start of the fall presenting season approaches, it's time once again for a video preview of the touring jazz and creative musicians and bands who will be visiting St. Louis in the next few months. Here's a look at who's coming to town during the fall of 2015, presented in chronological order.

Jazz at the Bistro's first touring attraction of the season will be the Dave King Trucking Company, who will perform there on Friday, September 4 and Saturday, September 5.

Although bandleader and drummer King has played the Bistro many times with The Bad Plus, this will be the Trucking Company's debut at the venue. You can hear them in the first video clip up top, playing a piece called "Blue Candy" that was recorded in June, 2010 at the Artists Quarter in St. Paul, MN with King on drums, Erik Fratkze on guitar, Brandon Wozniak on sax, and Adam Linz on bass.

The following week, pianist Monty Alexander will return to the Bistro for the first time to perform with his trio on Wednesday, September 9 and Thursday, September 10. After the jump, you can see a clip of Alexander, bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton playing "Mojo" back in 2013 at the studios of radio station KPLU in Seattle.

A couple of days after that, trumpeter Bobby Shew will be in the area to take part in the festivities surrounding the unveiling of the Miles Davis commemorative statue in Alton, IL. Shew will play with drummer Montez Coleman's band after the ceremony on Saturday, September 12 at Elijah P's in Alton. In today's third video, he can be seen performing his own composition "The Red Snapper" earlier this summer with the Airmen of Note big band.

Next up, Jazz St. Louis will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Bistro from Wednesday, September 23 through Saturday, September 26 with a band assembled especially for the occasion, featuring musicians who have been frequent visitors to the Bistro over the years as bandleader or co-leaders - specifically, bassist Christian McBride, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, drummer Gregory Hutchinson, guitarist Russell Malone, trumpeter Terell Stafford, and saxophonist Tim Warfield.

Since the band has been put together just for this occasion, for purposes of this preview you'll have to settle for seeing clips of the musicians individually (with one exception). So, today's fourth video shows McBride's trio with pianist Christian Sands and drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. playing - "Fried Pies" earlier this year, also at KPLU.

That's followed by Chestnut's trio playing Charlie Parker's "What Price Love," recorded earlier this year at Shanghai Jazz in Madison, NJ; and then a clip of a drum solo by Greg Hutchinson, recorded last year at the Drum Daze expo in Columbus, OH.

The seventh video shows Russell Malone fronting his own quartet at the 2009 Jazz at Marciac festival in France, playing the Duke Ellington standard "Caravan."

Last but not least, Stafford and Warfield - old friends who grew up near each other in Pennsylvania, and frequently share the same bandstand - can be heard in the final clip performing "The Touch of Your Lips" at the 2006 Jazz Baltica festival in Salzau, Germany, assisted by Matt Wilson on drums, Martin Wind on bass, and the late pianist Mulgrew Miller.

Look for part 2 of the Fall 2015 jazz preview in this space next week. You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

The Sheldon announces 2015-16 season

The Sheldon Concert Hall has announced their various series lineups for the 2015-16 season, with a jazz series featuring four piano players, plus various other events that may be of interest to jazz and creative music fans.

Brazilian-born pianist Eliane Elias (pictured, top left) will begin the jazz series on Saturday, November 21, followed by Billy Childs presenting his show "Re-Imagining Laura Nyro" on Saturday, January 30.

The Panamanian native Danilo Pérez (pictured, center left) is next, with a program called, appropriately enough, "Panama 500" on Saturday, February 27, and Cyrus Chestnut, who's quite familiar to St. Louis listeners from numerous previous appearances at Jazz at the Bistro and The Sheldon, wraps up the series with "African Reflections" on Saturday, May 7.

Two of the Sheldon's big fundraising events of the year also will feature jazz headliners, with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (pictured, bottom left) booked to perform at the Friends of the Sheldon benefit gala on Saturday, October 3, and pianist Ramsey Lewis celebrating the 50th anniversary of his hit "The In Crowd" at the annual ArtSounds! event on Saturday, November 7.

(While the benefit gala ticket prices start at $150 for JaLCO and Marsalis, and $125 for Lewis, and go up from there, there also will be concert-only tickets sold for both, priced at $45 orchestra, $40 balcony for JaLCO and $65 orchestra, $55 balcony for Lewis.)

Also of potential interest to jazz fans, singer Banu Gibson will pay tribute to "40 Years of Randy Newman" in a special non-subscription matinee concert on Sunday, October 25.

Pianist Peter Martin turns up on three different programs - first, in a concert for his eponymous series, with a special guest TBA, on Saturday, October 10; then with St. Louis Symphony violinist David Halen and friends for a holiday program on Wednesday, December 2; and finally, with Halen and other St. Louis Symphony members playing classical music on Wednesday, April 6.

New music ensemble Alarm Will Sound also will be back for their fourth St. Louis season, with concerts scheduled for Tuesday, October 20; Friday, November 20; Friday, February 12; and Thursday, May 26.

The popular Coffee Concert series of mid-week morning performances will include Alan Ox doing “Songs of Great American Crooners” on Tuesday, October 6 and Wednesday, October 7; actor/singer Ben Nordstrom on Tuesday, February 16 and Wednesday, February 17; Wack-A-Doo on Tuesday, April 5 and Wednesday, April 6; and cabaret singer Tim Schall in a tribute to music of the Gaslight Square era, “The Gaslight Generation,” on Tuesday May 10 and Wednesday, May 11. Last (from a jazz perspective) but not least, trumpeter and singer Dawn Weber will play a Saturday matinee on Saturday, April 2.

So what's the "hot take" on this lineup? Longtime readers may recall that in the past, yr. humble StLJN editor has taken the Sheldon's management to task for being too risk-averse when booking the jazz series, and the phrase "talented, but safe" once again could be used to describe pretty much all this year's choices. Consider also that, although some of the individual programs presented might have been different, the entire jazz series  could have been booked with these exact same artists 10 years ago, and the dimensions of the challenge become more apparent.

Of course, there's always potential for additional individual concerts to be added as the fall approaches, and if past years are any guide, there likely will be at least a couple more shows of interest to jazz fans. But given that this year's lineup contained some arguably riskier choices, such as the Spokfrevo Orquestra and Cécile McLorin Salvant, the 2015-16 slate seems like a bit of an artistic retrenchment.

Subscriptions for the four-concert jazz series are $150 for orchestra seating, $135 balcony, with prices for other shows varying according the specific event. New subscriptions go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Monday, May 11, with sales will continuing through the first concert in each series, via phone at 314-533-9900 and online at http://www.thesheldon.org/. Single tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. August 8 at 10 a.m. via MetroTix or the Sheldon website.

Jazz this week: Marcus Roberts Trio, Denise Thimes with Cyrus Chestnut and Tom Braxton, Pedrosaxo, and more

Although it's getting to the end of the spring presenting season for jazz and creative music here in St. Louis, this Mother's Day weekend nevertheless offers plenty of options for your listening enjoyment. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, pianist Marcus Roberts (pictured) and his trio will be the featured performers for the tenth annual "Evening of Hope" event benefiting the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Roberts last played in St. Louis in November 2012 concert for the Sheldon's jazz series, and you can read more about him and see some performance clips in this video showcase post from just before that gig. For info on ticket availability for tonight's show, contact The Sheldon directly.

Tomorrow night, guitarists Shaun Robinson and Eric Slaughter team up with drummer Montez Coleman and bassist Jahmal Nichols for "Great Guitars 2014" at Jazz at the Bistro; and the St. Louis Big Band will present an extravaganza they're calling "Gatsby Night," with "aerial dancers, music from the 2013 soundtrack, food, flappers and gangsters," at the Casa Loma Ballroom .

Also on Friday, the contemporary/smooth jazz quintet Dreaming In Colour plays at Robbie's House of Jazz; Koplant No performs at the Tavern of Fine Arts; guitarist Dave Black and Joe Mancuso return to Chaser's Lounge in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel; singer Mary Dyson takes the stage at Voce; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will be at Nathalie's.

Saturday offers several performances featuring female vocalists, as Wendy Gordon settles into a new weekly matinee at The Choice Restaurant, 3265 S. Jefferson Ave; Ann Dueren's trio with Jan Ammerman and Bob Stout is back at Il Bel Lago; Anita Rosamond sings for diners at Truffles; and Miss Jubilee will play at the Trainwreck Saloon in Westport Plaza.

Then on Sunday, singer Denise Thimes will present her annual Mother's Day concert at The Sheldon, with special guests including pianist Cyrus Chestnut, who was here last month to play with his trio and guitarist Russell Malone at the Bistro, and saxophonist Tom Braxton, just back from playing in Japan with guitarist Earl Klugh.

Also on Sunday, Saxquest presents another in their series of free workshops and performances, this time featuring Pedro Rafael Garcia Moreno, aka Pedrosaxo, who's developed a number of unusual performance techniques, allegedly including an ability to play, sing, beatbox, and throat-sing all at the same time.

Lastly, Sunday is when the "Inner Jazz" series Kirkwood United Church of Christ will present their final concert of the season, featuring Rev. Cliff Aerie's Oikos Ensemble plus some words from special guest, writer and filmmaker Phil Cousineau.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday singer Dean Christopher will perform his Rat Pack repertoire at One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar; and percussionist Joe Pastor's group will be back at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups

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

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

Jazz this week: Cyrus Chestnut & Russell Malone, Claire Chase & ICE, St. Louis Stompers, and more

This week's jam-packed calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis offers something for listeners of just about any stylistic preference, from ragtime and traditional New Orleans style to straight-ahead modern jazz to free improvisation and contemporary chamber music. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, pianist Cyrus Chestnut and his trio will team up with guitarist Russell Malone for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro. Revisiting an alliance forged a couple of years ago at the Bistro, Chestnut and Malone both are technically accomplished musicians who also swing hard and usually manage to incorporate elements of blues and/or gospel into their playing. For some video samples and interviews with both men, see this post from last Saturday.

Tomorrow night, Claire Chase - flute player, founder of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), and recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant" - will give a talk and take questions in an early evening event presented by New Music Circle at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Blvd.

Chase (pictured) and ICE then will perform in an NMC-sponsored concert on Friday at the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts. For more about her and ICE, see this video showcase post from a couple of weeks ago. 

After Chase's talk, you should be able to get to the Washington University campus in time to hear trumpeter Anthony Wiggins lead a quartet in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series entitled "Mandela: Improvisation & The Music of Social Justice."

Also tomorrow night, the Gaslight Cabaret Festival resumes with Morgan A. Faulkner performing her show "I Got It All From My Mother" at the Gaslight Theater; and guitarist Dave Black and singer Feyza Eren will play at Nathalie's.

On Friday, after the Claire Chase and ICE concert, cornetist Rob Mazurek of the Chicago Underground Duo/Trio/Quartet and/or Orchestra will join bassist Darin Gray for a late set of improvised music at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Also on Friday: For those in the mood to hear a vocalist, Katie McGrath will be performing her show "Love in the Desert: Romance in an Age of Scarcity" for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival; Tony Viviano will return to Talayna's of Chesterfield; and Wendy Gordon will be back at DeLeo's Cafe & Deli.

Meanwhile, swing dancers can check out Miss Jubilee at Lindy Hop St. Louis' monthly "West End Stomp" at the Mahler Ballroom, or the Knights of Swing at Casa Loma Ballroom, while those looking for some straight-ahead jazz may enjoy saxophonist Kendrick Smith's trio at Cigar Inn or pianist Brad Ellebrecht "Little Quartet" at Robbie's House of Jazz.

On Saturday evening, trumpeter Scott Vignassi's big band will perform at Robbie's; the Coleman Hughes Project will play smooth jazz and R&B at Troy's Jazz Gallery; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will swing the Venice Cafe; and the Funky Butt Brass Band returns to the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Sunday afternoon potentially has a bit of a throwback feel, as the Metro South Arts Council will showcase the young winners of their 14th Annual Scott Joplin Ragtime Competition in a performance at Robbie's House of Jazz, while the St. Louis Jazz Club will present the traditional jazz sound of the St. Louis Stompers at the Doubletree Hotel in Westport.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday pianist Jim Hegarty and bassist Paul Steinbeck will play improvised music at the Tavern of Fine Arts; Webster University's student jazz combos will give a free performance at the Community Music School on the Webster campus; and guitarist Tom Byrne plays at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

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

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

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: A few minutes with Cyrus Chestnut and Russell Malone

This week, let's spend a little time with pianist Cyrus Chestnut and guitarist Russell Malone, who will be returning to St. Louis to join forces for a series of performances Wednesday, April 2 through Saturday, April 5 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Both men are quite familiar to St. Louis audiences, as they first teamed up for a series of dates at the Bistro back in April 2012, and each has led their own band there several times before that. So today we'll skip the biographical information and go straight to some music and interviews.

In the first clip above, you can see a solo performance by Chestnut recorded in August 2012 in the studios of KPLU in Tacoma, WA, in which he plays "Tonk," "Polka Dots And Moonbeams," and "No Problem".

In the second video, Chestnut performs his composition "Solace" with a band of students from Berklee College of Music at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola in NYC. Along with Chestnut, the featured musicians are Edmar Colon (soprano sax), Joseph Streater (trumpet), Ido Meshulam (trombone), Tabari Lake (bass), and John Lee (drums).

The third and fourth clips feature Malone, bassist Ron Carter and pianist Donald Vega playing "Candlelight" and "Samba de Orpheus," and are taken from an October 2013 gig at the Teatro Gran Rex in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The fifth video is a short interview with Chestnut, in which he discusses his influences and early career work with singer Betty Carter, while the sixth clip features Malone talking about his influences and mentors, such as Jimmy Smith and Kenny Burrell.

Check out the rest of today's videos after the jump...

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Winter/spring 2014 jazz preview, part 4

This week, we continue with part four of StLJN's winter/spring 2014 jazz preview, featuring bands and musicians who will be coming to our town in the first few months of this year. (Here are part one, part two and part three.)

Today's first clip features guitarist Pat Metheny and his Unity Band, with saxophonist Chris Potter, bassist Ben Williams and drummer Antonio Sanchez, performing "Breakdealer" at a show in July 2012 in Rome, Italy. Metheny and the ensemble, now known as the Unity Group with the addition of multi-instrumentalist Giulio Carmassi, will be touring in support of a new album this year and will play St. Louis on Sunday, March 9 at The Pageant.

Down below, you can see pianist Cyrus Chestnut who will be here with his trio and special guest guitarist Russell Malone to perform Wednesday, April 2 through Saturday, April 5 at Jazz at the Bistro.

In this clip, Chestnut, bassist Darryl Hall and drummer Willie Jones III are playing his adaptation of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake," recorded in 2011 for his album Moonlight Sonata, an import-only release from Japan. Below that, you can see a video of Malone playing "There Will Never Be Another You" with pianist Billy Taylor's trio.

The fourth clip shows flute player and composer Claire Chase, who will perform here in a concert presented by New Music Circle on Friday, April 4 at the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts. This video is an excerpt from a performance by Chase and her ensemble last January at Le Poisson Rouge in NYC.

Next up are The Wee Trio, featuring St. Louis native Dan Loomis on bass, who will be returning to St. Louis to perform on Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12 at Jazz at the Bistro. In this clip, you can see them in a 2012 show at MiraCosta College in California, performing the arrangement of "Queen Bitch" originally conceived for Ashes to Ashes, their album of David Bowie music, and then revisited on Live at the Bistro, recorded here in St. Louis last February.

The sixth clip features singer Storm Large, who's performing Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12 at the Gaslight Theater as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival. Large, whose career in entertainment has ranged from rock singer to reality TV to cabaret, is heard here in a 2011 recording singing the standard "Brasil" with Pink Martini, the retro-style dance band for which she is co-lead vocalist.

Today's seventh video features percussionist Poncho Sanchez, who was here in 2012 to perform at the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival and will return this year to play Wednesday, April 16 through Saturday, April 19 at the Bistro. Sanchez and his band are seen here performing their complete set from the 2012 Montreux Jazz Festival.

Look for the fifth part of the winter/spring 2014 jazz preview next week.

Jazz this week: Russell Malone & Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Craig Hultgren & Luna Nova, NIU Jazz Ensemble & Victor Lewis, and more

It's a mixed bag of jazz and creative music happening this weekend around the St. Louis area, with performances including straight-ahead, mainstream jazz sounds from both small groups and big bands; a triple bill of female guitarists; a cabaret take on Southern rock; an innovative cellist who bridges free improv and contemporary compositions; and more. Let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, guitarist Russell Malone and pianist Cyrus Chestnut and his trio will team up for the first time ever in St. Louis*, beginning a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro. Both Malone and Chestnut have proved popular with local jazz fans, and to sweeten the deal, Jazz St. Louis is offering two tickets for the price of one for Wednesday and Thursday nights.

Tomorrow night, Lewis and Clark Community College presents a "Musicians' Gathering" at Jazz on Broadway in Alton, while saxophonist Paul Antion, a senior at Washington University, is the featured performer for this week's Jazz at Holmes concert on the Wash U. campus.

Friday, the Old Rock House will host "La Guitara," a package show highlighting female guitarists including singer-songwriter Patty Larkin, "new acoustic music" performer Muriel Anderson, and Vicki Genfan, whose resume includes a variety of genres including jazz.

Also on Friday, singer Jeffrey M. Wright, backed by pianist Carol Schmidt and guitarist Steve Schenkel, performs the first of two nights of his "Southern Roots" cabaret show at Kranzberg Arts Center under the auspices of the Presenters Dolan; saxophonist Jay Hutson leads a quartet at Robbie's House of Jazz; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham is back at Jazz on Broadway, where management has announced that he'll continue weekly through at least June 8.

On Saturday, New Music Circle presents cellist Craig Hultgren (pictured) and members of the Memphis-based experimental music group Luna Nova at Christ Church Cathedral. Hultgren has played St. Louis several times before, but if you don't know him or his music yet, you can catch up by checking out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, singer Feyza Eren performs at Robbie's, fronting a rhythm section including pianist Brad Ellebrecht, bassist Willem Von Hombracht and drummer Tom Kernan.

On Sunday afternoon, the Northern Illinois University Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of saxophonist Ron Carter, will return with a special guest, veteran drummer Victor Lewis, to play at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Also on Sunday, the Saint Louis Jazz Club will present pianist Pat Joyce and his All-Stars in a matinee performance at the DoubleTree Hotel Westport.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band returns for their monthly performance at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups.

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

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

*Update - 4/11/12, 11:50 p.m.: As longtime reader (and stalwart fan of Russell Malone) Kandie Webster points out in the comments, this week's gig at the Bistro is not the first time Malone and Cyrus Chestnut have played together, as stated in the first version of this story. That statement was based on information supplied by Jazz St. Louis that may have been incorrect, or simply just misinterpreted by me. At any rate, this week's gig definitely is the first time they've played together here in St. Louis...

Jazz St. Louis offering 2-for-1 tickets for Malone & Chestnut, Tia Fuller

Jazz St. Louis is offering two tickets for the price of one for sets by guitarist Russell Malone and pianist Cyrus Chestnut's trio this Wednesday and Thursday at Jazz at the Bistro, and for the shows on Wednesday, April 25 and Thursday, April 26 at the Bistro by saxophonist Tia Fuller's quartet.

Single tickets for Malone and Chestnut are priced at $30, while tickets for Fuller (pictured) are $25.

To get the two-for-one discount, purchase your tickets by calling Jazz St. Louis at 314-289-4030 and using the promo code FCAPR12. The discount applies only to tickets for Wednesday and Thursday for these two shows.

Jazz at the Bistro: Marlena Shaw postponed, Russell Malone & Cyrus Chestnut added

This just in: Jazz St. Louis has announced that due to "circumstances beyond their control," singer Marlena Shaw's upcoming engagement at Jazz at the Bistro, scheduled for Wednesday, April 11 through Saturday, April 14, has been postponed. JSL director of operations and artistic administration Bob Bennett says they're working with Shaw's representatives to reschedule for next season.

Shaw's place on the calendar will be taken by guitarist Russell Malone (pictured) and pianist Cyrus Chestnut's trio. Both have played the Bistro as headliners several times before - Malone most recently in October 2010, Chestnut in April 2011 - but this will be the first time they've teamed up for joint performances there.

Bennett added that "those who purchased tickets for Marlena Shaw may use them for the new shows with Russell Malone and the Cyrus Chestnut Trio (same night/set) or return them to the point of purchase for a refund.”

Tickets for Russell Malone and the Cyrus Chestnut Trio are $30 for Wednesday and Thursday, $35 for Friday and Saturday, $15 for students. Sets are at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Jazz this week: Brad Mehldau, Cyrus Chestnut with Jon Faddis, John Pizzarelli, Marlin Bonds, Diverse, New Tricks, and more

It's a very busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with several well-known touring musicians coming to town to perform over the next several days.

Perhaps the most highly anticipated performances are those of pianist Brad Mehldau, who brings his trio with bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard to Jazz at the Bistro tonight and Thursday as part of a short spring tour. Mehldau currently is riding a wave of critical acclaim for his two most recent recordings; you can read more about it and see some video of the trio in action in this post from last Saturday. Also, you can read my Critic's Pick on Mehldau for the Riverfront Times here.

Also on Thursday, the young Kansas City band Diverse, featuring trumpet player Hermon Mehari, returns to St. Louis to perform at Robbie's House of Jazz; and pianist Kara Baldus Vandiver plays the music of Bill Evans in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

On Friday, another fine pianist, Cyrus Chestnut (pictured), checks into the Bistro for a two-night engagement with his trio and their special guest, trumpeter Jon Faddis. Chestnut's vivid, gospel-influenced style has made him a local favorite, and he, Faddis and the band are in town all week doing an educational residency for Jazz St. Louis. They're performing at area schools and working with the student musicians in JSL's various educational programs, and Faddis also is doing a free master class this afternoon.

On Saturday afternoon, trumpeter and St. Louis native Marlin Bonds, who's also enjoyed success as a producer for various hip-hop performers, comes home to play the music of Herbie Hancock in a concert for the Nu-Art Series at the Metropolitan Gallery. See this post for more on Bonds and the Nu-Art Series' spring schedule.

Then on Saturday evening, singer-guitarist John Pizzarelli, another frequent visitor to St. Louis, returns with his band the Swing Seven to play the music of Duke Ellington for the Sheldon Concert Hall's annual benefit gala. Some single tickets may remain for the show; check Metrotix for the latest.

On Sunday, the Webster University jazz faculty will do a matinee performance for the St. Louis Jazz Club at the Doubletree Hotel at Westport Plaza; and New Tricks, a quartet co-led by saxophonist Mike Lee and trumpeter Ted Chubb, will play an early evening show at the Bistro at Grand Center, with the Webster Groves High School jazz combos as opening acts.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday pianist Dave Becherer's trio plays at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups. On Tuesday morning, Swing Deville will play the first of two Coffee Concerts this week at the Sheldon. (The performance will be repeated at the same time on Wednesday.) On Tuesday evening, bassist Bob Deboo and his quartet will play Brandt's, and Robbie's will host their weekly jazz jam session.

For more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, 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 add a link to the RFT item on Brad Mehldau.)