StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: 2016 St. Louis GypsyJazz Festival

Today, let's take a look at some of the musicians who will be part of this year's St. Louis GypsyJazz Festival, which is set for Friday, October 21 through Sunday, October 23 at Evangeline's in the Central West End.

Organized by Eve Seltzer and Ben Wood of the St. Louis band Franglais, the festival will include performances, jam sessions and workshops spotlighting three featured guest performers, violinist/mandolinist Jason Anick, singer Miles Griffith, and guitarist Dario Napoli, plus Franglais and fellow St. Louis-based bands Phatz Django and Fleur De Lou.

You can see and hear Anick in the first clip up above, performing his composition "Sleepless" at a gig this past January at Rotary Records in Springfield, MA with the Rhythm Future Quartet (guitarists Olli Soikkeli and Max O'Rourke and bassist Greg Loughman).

After the jump, you can check out Anick with guitarists Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo, playing the venerable swing number "Joseph, Joseph" at the 2015 Hot Jazz Fest in NYC.

Go searching online for video of Miles Griffith, and you can find clips of him doing all sorts of material, from free improv to knotty prog-rock to a version of "Lift Every Voice" with pianist Orrin Evans' Captain Black Big Band, but the next two clips feature him singing songs from the more familiar jazz and swing repertoire.

First up is a version of "Toot Toot Tootsie" with pianist Kirk Nurock, recorded in 2009 at NYC's Symphony Space, followed by an otherwise-unlabeled clip of Griffith, drummer David Pleasants and keyboardist Chip Crawford (best known for his work with singer Gregory Porter) offering a very loose-limbed version of "In A Mellow Tone.":

The last two videos feature Dario Napoli, performing Django Reinhardt's "Anouman" as a live solo over prerecorded accompaniment, and playing "Nuages" with the Cheek to Cheek Trio (singer Anna Rossi and vibraphonist Gianni Maestrucci).

Admission to St. Louis GypsyJazz Festival performances and jam sessions is free, but because space is limited, those interested in attending are encouraged to make advance reservations by calling Evangeline's at 314-367-3644. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit the St. Louis GypsyJazz Festival's Facebook page.

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

Second annual St. Louis GypsyJazz Festival set for October 21-23 at Evangeline's

The St. Louis GypsyJazz Festival has announced their lineup and schedule for this year, with festivities set for Friday, October 21 through Sunday, October 23 at Evangeline's in the Central West End.

Founded and run by spouses Ben Wood and Eve Seltzer - respectively, the guitarist and singer for the St. Louis band Franglais - the festival is now in its second year and aims to "celebrate the culture and music of Django Reinhardt," the Belgian guitarist whose work in the 1930s and '40s popularized the Gypsy jazz.style around the world.

Performers this year will include violinist/mandolinist Jason Anick, singer Miles Griffith, and guitarist Dario Napoli (pictured, from left) as well as Franglais and fellow St. Louis-based bands Phatz Django and Fleur De Lou.

The festival kicks off on Friday, October 21 with a performance by Fleur De Lou and Jason Anick, followed by an open jam session to close out the evening. Events on Saturday, October 22 will begin with a jazz brunch, followed by a late-afternoon workshop, an evening performance by Franglais and Miles Griffith, and another jam session.

The third and final day of the festival on Sunday, October 23 will feature another jazz brunch, more workshops, a performance by Phats Django and Dario Napoli, and one final late-night jam session.

Admission to the performances and jam sessions is free, but because space is limited, those interested in attending are encouraged to make advance reservations by calling Evangeline's at 314-367-3644. There will be a fee for attending the music workshops, with details on that TBA. For more information, visit the St. Louis GypsyJazz Festival's Facebook page.