So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Etienne Charles of the SFJAZZ Collective talked with the Post-Dispatch's Daniel Durchholz about the group's latest project, a re-imagining of music by Miles Davis and Sly Stone.

The Collective was scheduled to perform here in St. Louis tomorrow night at The Sheldon, but they've cancelled that show and the remainder of their spring tour due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

* Guitarist Dave Black was the subject of a short feature story in St. Louis magazine.

* This weekend's Carol Moore Memorial Jazz Festival at Mineral Area College, featuring trombonist Michael Dease (pictured), was previewed in a feature story in the Park Hills Daily Journal.

* Jazz St. Louis has published on their website a Q&A with keyboardist Dave Grelle. Grelle's band Playadors performs at the venue tonight and tomorrow night.

* The St. Louis Post-Dispatch/STLToday.com went into their archives to republish photos from when W.C. Handy, composer of "St. Louis Blues," came back to St. Louis for a visit in 1932.

* The venue formerly known as The Stage at KDHX will get a makeover and a new name, Bennie's Blues Room, as it becomes the new headquarters for the St. Louis Blues Society. Focusing on the history of St. Louis blues, the venue (named in honor of the late guitarist and singer Bennie Smith) will present live music, educational events, and more, as detailed in a story by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* The Regional Arts Commission this week unveiled a five-year plan that would have them working more closely with local arts groups to set priorities and foster collaborations as well as providing funding. For details, see this story by St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin.

Jazz this week: Etienne Charles, University City Symphony, Marilyn Maye, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a Trinidadian trumpeter with a distinctive sound, the grand dame of cabaret singers, a community orchestra collaborating with local jazz musicians, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, March 4
Trumpeter Etienne Charles (pictured, top left) performs for the first of five nights continuing through Sunday at Jazz St. Louis

Originally from the island nation of Trinidad, Charles incorporates Caribbean rhythms and culture into his style, which he calls "Creole soul." Look for his sets to feature material from his most recent album Carnival: The Sound Of A People, Vol. 1, which was released last year.

Thursday, March 5
Trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi's band will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and The Dark Room has a double bill featuring Chicago-based pianist Lara Driscoll and her trio at the dinner hour, and saxophonist Carlos "Scooter" Brown in late night.

Also on Thursday, pianist Adam Maness and his trio return to Thurman's in Shaw, and saxophonist Vince Sala will play at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, March 6
Experimental guitarist Mark Shippy, another Chicago-based musician who's known for his work with noise-rockers U.S. Maple, Shorty, Invisible Things, and various other projects, will perform at Flood Plain.

Also on Friday, singer and bassist Janet Evra plays at the Wildey Theatre, and singer and impressionist Dean Christopher presents "A Dean Martin Tribute" at Blue Strawberry.

Saturday, March 7
Saxophonist Tim Cunningham performs at Troy's Listening Room, and keyboardist Mo Egeston and friends will bring the "Late Night Grooves" at The Dark Room.

Also on Saturday, singer Robert Nelson returns to the Parkside Grille, and the Triplets of Grubville play Swing and Gypsy jazz at Evangeline's.

Sunday, March 8
The University City Symphony presents a free concert at the 560 Music Center, with guest performances including pianist Ptah Williams playing Gershwin and selections featuring Bach to the Future with violinist Tracy Silverman and guitarist Dave Black, plus two orchestral works composed by guitarist Todd Mosby.

Monday, March 9
Guitarist Eric Slaughter returns to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, March 10
Marilyn Maye (pictured, bottom left), the nonagenarian phenomenon known to many as the "grand dame of cabaret," will front the Jazz St. Louis Big Band for the first of three nights of performances, with some tickets still remaining as of this writing.

Also on Tuesday, keyboardist and singer Jesse Gannon returns to 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: Fred Frith, "A Very Manley Christmas," The Motet, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the long-awaited return of an influential experimental guitarist, a whole bunch of holiday-themed shows, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 11
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band will perform Duke Ellington's arrangements of Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker' plus more Ellington favorites at Jazz St. Louis, with one more performance on Thursday.

Elsewhere in Grand Center, the weekly "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" will feature Miss Jubilee at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and bassist Ben Wheeler's Sketchbook at The Dark Room.

Thursday, December 12
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University wraps up the semester with a free concert from the university's jazz combo students; singer Tony Viviano returns to Fallon's Grill & Tap; and saxophonist Kendrick Smith brings his trio to The Dark Room.

Friday, December 13
Trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured, center left) returns with his holiday show "A Very Manley Christmas" for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, guitarist Dave Black and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman bring their "3rd Annual Holiday Show" to Focal Point, and singer and impressionist Dean Christopher reprises his "A Rat Pack Christmas" at Blue Strawberry

Elsewhere around town, the Second Generation Swing Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and traditional jazz and swing band Annie and the Fur Trappers return to the Frisco Barroom.

Saturday, December 14
Guitarist Fred Frith (pictured, top left) will perform solo in a concert presented by New Music Circle at Joe's Cafe. He'll also present a free artist talk/workshop on Sunday afternoon at 14th Street Artist Community.

Frith has been an important voice in improvised music for nearly a half-century, bringing innovative guitar techniques to a variety of bands and collaborative projects. For a brief overview of his storied career, plus some videos of recent solo performances, take a look at this post from Saturday before last.

Also on Saturday, the Oikos Ensemble presents this year's edition of their annual "Jazz Noel" program in a matinee at Parkway United Church of Christ (with another performance on Sunday at First Congregational Church in Webster Groves); and Chicago pianist Paul Asaro, last seen here in November as part of the Nevermore Jazz Ball, headlines an evening at Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, 
December 15
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes are back to perform for brunch at the Angad Arts Hotel, while just across Grand, guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran will play at The Dark Room,

Then on Sunday night, Denver-based funk/jam band The Motet (pictured, bottom left) returns to the Old Rock House. After putting out their ninth album Death or Devotion in January, they've been doing shows all year to promote the release, including the current 30-date tour that brings them here.

Monday, December 16
Eclectic instrumental quintet The 442s and some special guests will perform in their annual "Holiday Spectacular" for the first of two nights at 560 Music Center.

Tuesday, December 17
Cabaret Project St. Louis presents a "gala holiday edition" of their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge.

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:

* A newly restored version of Say Amen Somebody, the award-winning 1982 documentary about gospel music that features St. Louisans including Willie Mae Ford Smith, Zella Jackson Price, and the O'Neal Twins, is being re-released in theaters this fall. The film will play locally from Friday, September 13 through Thursday, September 19 at the Chase Park Plaza Cinemas.

* A performance by Miss Jubilee earned a favorable mention in The Syncopated Times' review of the 2019 Bix Biederbecke Memorial Jazz Festival in Davenport, IA.

* St. Louis saxophonist Kwanae Johnson and his family recently lost their home to a fire, and friends are stepping up to help. A concert to raise funds for the Johnsons, with details still TBA, will be presented from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 29 at .ZACK. For those who can't attend that day or prefer to give directly, there's a donation page on Facebook.

* Also in need of a hand right now is guitarist Dave Black (pictured), a mainstay of the St. Louis music scene for more than 30 years. Black last week was involved in a serious cycling accident, suffering injuries that will keep him from performing or teaching for several months.

A benefit concert is in the works, but in the meantime, friends have set up a GoFundMe page to help Black with medical and living expenses during his recovery. Black's situation also was the subject of a story by KMOX radio's Maria Keena.

* As reported by St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy D. Goodwin, a new $30 million development will bring single family homes (and some new apartments) to the Grand Center arts district.

* Jazz St. Louis has announced the selections for this year's edition of their book club, which once again will be led by Washington University professor Gerald Early. You can see the complete list of books and meeting dates here.

* The second annual St. Louis Drum Show will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 19 at the Koken Art Factory.

* Neuka Bowie Mitchell, an executive with Bayer and the daughter of trumpeter Lester Bowie and singer Fontella Bass, has been named to the board of directors of the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis.

* Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, the new documentary about the famed trumpeter, was the subject of a feature story in DownBeat. The film also was reviewed by Glenn Kenny for the New York Times  and by the Los Angeles Times' Glenn Whipp.

* The music made by Davis in 1959, including Kind of Blue and the Gil Evans-arranged Porgy and Bess, will be revisited at a tribute concert by Richard Pite’s Jazz Repertory Company on Saturday, September 21 at Cadogan Hall in London.

Jazz this week: Bistro All-Stars with Sean Jones, Tia Fuller, Warren Wolf & Peter Martin; Chucho Valdes' "Jazz Bata"; and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis provides an opportunity to hear four bandleaders joining forces for the first time on one stage, a powerful pioneer of Afro-Cuban jazz piano, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 30
The Bistro All-Stars (pictured, top left),  featuring trumpeter Sean Jones, saxophonist Tia Fuller, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, and pianist Peter Martin, will perform for the first of five nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Given that each of the four principals is a bandleader and composer in their own right, the All-Stars, assembled specifically for this gig, should have plenty of material to draw upon. And while an ad hoc group like this may not have the established chemistry of a regular working band, the jolt of discovery among musicians working together for the first time can be a lot of fun to watch.

Thursday, January 31
Guitarist Dave Black's newest ensemble, the itti bitti Swing Orchestra, plays a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and saxophonist Ben Reese's Unity Quartet returns to The Dark Room.

Friday, February 1
Ptah Williams will play solo piano for "happy hour" at The Dark Room, and pianist Adam Maness' trio with singer Malena Smith resumes their late-night Friday residency at Sophie's Artist Lounge and Cocktail Club.

Saturday, February 2
Anita Jackson will sing music associated with Ella Fitzgerald for a mid-day matinee at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Then on Saturday evening, The Wire Pilots play original jazz/fusion at The Focal Point, and the Funky Butt Brass Band performs at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Sunday, February 3
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents keyboardist Bob Row's "Mardi Gras Party" at Royale Orleans, and the Jazz Troubadours play an early evening show at Evangeline's.

Monday, February 4
Saxophonist Harvey Lockhart leads a quartet in a concert at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University campus.

Tuesday, February 5
Cuban-born pianist Chucho Valdés (pictured, bottom left) will mix jazz with the rhythms and folk traditions of his home country in the first of three nights of performances with his "Jazz Bata" project at  Jazz St. Louis.

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: Support your local musicians

While there are no touring jazz or creative music performers visiting St. Louis in the next few days, you still can hear plenty of hometown musicians playing in a variety of styles at various spots around town. Here are a few suggestions...

Wednesday, January 9
This week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" includes bassist Glen Smith and friends at The Stage at KDHX, along with the weekly jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor (pictured, top left) and band at The Dark Room.

Also playing their regular Wednesday night gigs are Miss Jubilee at the Schlafly Bottleworks; guitarist Joe Park's trio at Yaquis on Cherokee, and trumpeter Jim Manley at Sasha's Wine Bar.

Thursday, January 10
Guitarist Dave Black and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman perform at The Pat Connolly Tavern; pianist Eddie Randle Jr leads a trio at The Dark Room; and singer Joe Mancuso will be doing his weekly gig at 50/Fifty Kitchen.

Friday, January 11
Pianist Ptah Williams plays solo for happy hour at The Dark Room, followed by singer Anita Jackson performing for the late show.

Also on Friday, Falling Fences (pictured, bottom left) plays for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis. Known locally both for two well-received albums of original Americana material and for a Sunday night residency at McGurk's playing mostly Irish music, they'll present an expanded version of their usual five-piece lineup at the Bistro, adding Funky Butt Brass Band trumpeter Adam Hucke, saxophonist Charlie Cerpa, and multi-instrumentalist Paul Niehaus IV.

Based on that configuration of the band's show last August at Delmar Hall, listeners can expect to hear those original Americana tunes, with the addition of some horn arrangements plus expanded segments for solos on some songs.

Saturday, January 12
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents a mid-day jam session hosted by keyboardist Bob Row and drummer John Gillick at J P's Corner. Then on Saturday night, keyboardist Mo Egeston plays late night at The Dark Room.

Sunday, January 13
Singer and bassist Janet Evra provides the music for brunch at The Dark Room, and the Arcadia Dance Orchestra will play vintage jazz for a matinee show at Focal Point.

Monday, January 14
Dizzy Atmosphere plays swing and Gypsy jazz at The Shaved Duck.

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Guitarist Dave Black (pictured) and his "itti bitti Swing Orchestra" are the latest local musicians to record a video for the St. Louis Open Media Integration Center's "Songday Afternoon" series, with a clip of Black's original composition "See Ya at 5" posted to YouTube last week.

* The second half of New Music Circle's 60th season was previewed in an article in the West End Word.

* A celebration of the life of the late Michael Castro, St. Louis' first poet laureate and a member of the STL Free Jazz Collective, will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, January 20 at Central Reform Congregation, 5020 Waterman in the Central West End.

* Shirley Harrold, mother of trumpeter Keyon Harrold and drummer Emanuel Harrold, passed away on Christmas Eve. The wake and funeral services were held this week on Wednesday and Thursday. Ms. Harrold and her experiences raising 16 children were featured last year in an article by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn. StLJN's condolences go out to the Harrold family.

* Beale on Broadway, the bar and music venue that has made up one third of the South Broadway "blues triangle" since the turn of the century, closed this week with final performances from singers Roland Johnson and Kim Massie. In a story in the Post-Dispatch, proprietor Bud Jostes said that he was forced to close when the Beale's landlords sold the building to new owners, adding that after some time off, he may eventually look for a new venue to run.

Jazz this week: No BS! Brass Band, a Grover Washington Jr. tribute, Funky Butt Brass Band turns 10, and more

The calendar of live jazz and creative music calendar typically thins out a bit this time of year, as summer concert series begin to wind down and the fall presenting season still is weeks away.

Nevertheless, there are several noteworthy shows happening over the next week, including a birthday celebration for one of St. Louis' most popular jazz-adjacent bands, plus soul-jazz, Latin jazz, traditional jazz and swing, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, August 1
No BS! Brass Band (pictured, top left) returns to perform at the Old Rock House. Based in Richmond, VA, they put their own spin on the classic New Orleans sound, as you can see in the videos contained in this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Also on Wednesday, trumpeter Jim Manley is at Sasha's Wine Bar; guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran plays at Evangeline's; and this week's edition of the free "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features pianist Marty Eggers at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, August 2
Guitarist Dave Black brings his "In Touch" trio with bassist Marc Torlina and drummer Kyle Hunnicutt to The Dark Room.

Friday, August 3
Jazz St. Louis presents the first of two nights of "Groovin' on Grover Washington Jr,"  a tribute show featuring saxophonist Amos Brewer (in for the previously announced Tim Cunningham) with bassist John King, keyboardist Pete Ruthenburg, guitarist Leland Crenshaw and drummer Montez Coleman.

Also on Friday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes perform at The Abbey in Belleville; vibraphonist Tom Rickard leads a trio at Cigar Inn; and saxophonist Kendrick Smith plays at Thurman's in Shaw.

Saturday, August 4
The Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured, bottom left) celebrates their tenth birthday with an early show at Broadway Oyster Bar.

Also on Saturday, percussionist Herman Semidey and Orquestra Son Montuno play salsa, Latin jazz and more at the Ozark Theatre
and Dizzy Atmosphere performs in the beer garden at Missouri Botanical Garden's Flora Borealis exhibit.

Sunday, August 5
Miss Jubilee plays for brunch at Evangeline's, and the Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe.

Tuesday, August 7
The Tick Tock Jazz Band, featuring multiple generations of traditional jazz musicians going back to the Gaslight Square era, will play the first of what's projected to be a monthly series of gigs at the Tick Tock Tavern.

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:

* Singer and bassist Tonina Saputo (pictured) is the latest musician to be featured as one of NPR's 2018 "Slingshot" artists, in what's described as "a collective effort among taste-making music stations to introduce exceptional up-and-coming artists."

* A video of guitarist Dave Black performing his original composition "Still The Same" is the latest release in the St. Louis Open Media Integration Center's "Songday Afternoon" series.

* Trumpeter Russell Gunn has released another track from the forthcoming album by his Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra, previewing “Sybil’s Blues” via a post on Revive Music.

* The LouFest music festival has announced its 2018 lineup, which includes trumpeter Keyon Harrold on the main stage, as well as a secondary stage featuring jazz musicians from the Kranzberg Arts Foundation's artists-in-residence program.

* Teenage piano phenom Royce Martin, who's headed for Berklee College of Music this fall, was profiled in a story by Art Holliday of KSDK.

* The Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis has announced seven honorees for their 2019 St. Louis Arts Awards, and the group includes actor and singer Ken Page for "Lifetime Achievement in the Arts" and Chris Hansen of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation for "Arts Innovator." The awards will be presented at a celebratory dinner next January.

* Pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio Network has added another product to their line of instructional videos, as singer Dianne Reeves' new course "Define Your Voice" went online this week.

* The recently issued box set Miles Davis & John Coltrane—The Final Tour from Columbia/Legacy Recordings’ has inspired a feature story about the record and the tour from DownBeat's James Hale.

* Singer and pianist Diana Krall's performance last week at the Peabody Opera House was reviewed for the Post-Dispatch/STLtoday by Dan Duchholz. (Link may be paywalled)

Jazz this week: Marilyn Maye, Jeanne Trevor & Dave Black, Funky Butt Brass Band, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes return gigs for an acclaimed veteran of cabaret singing and a favorite local act at the city's premier jazz club; a rare performance by one of St. Louis' own jazz divas; and more.

Let's go to the highlights...


Wednesday, March 7
Marilyn Maye (pictured, top left), who's sometimes called "the grand dame of cabaret," returns for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Not unlike Tony Bennett, Maye, who's set to turn 90 next month, draws on a deep knowledge of the Great American Songbook and seven decades of show business experience to deliver still-relevant performances seemingly in defiance of the passage of time. If you have any serious interest in cabaret singing and are not already a fan, catch her while you can, but know that Maye has a substantial local fan base, thanks to multiple appearances here in recent years, so advance reservations definitely are suggested.

Maye's opening night performance will be video-simulcast to the first-floor lounge adjacent to the Bistro as part of this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl," which also features guitarist Eric Slaughter and bassist Glen Smith at The Stage at KDHX; the jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Thursday, March 8
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will present a free concert titled "Women's Voices in Music" featuring Wash U students Helen Kaul, Hannah Gilberstadt, Nadia Irvin, Ella-Marie West, and Eden Diamond, accompanied by clarinetist Linda Gurney, pianist Kara Baldus, bassist Jeff Anderson, and drummer Eddie Campbell.

Also on Thursday, singer Jeanne Trevor will make a rare appearance in a duet with guitarist Dave Black at The Pat Connolly Tavern, and the fusion/funk band SpaceShip returns to The Dark Room.

Friday, March 9
The Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured, bottom left) will perform for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, with various friends sitting in to augment the ensemble, including singers Roland Johnson and Anita Jackson, guitarist Jimmy Griffin, keyboardist Dave Grelle, and more.

Also on Friday, the Original Knights of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, March 10
Troy's Jazz Gallery celebrates five years in business with music from the Coleman Hughes Project; saxophonist and singer Cary Colman and her trio return to Evangeline's; and saxophonist Dave Stone and his trio continue their Saturday night residency at Thurman's in Shaw.

Sunday, March 11
Singer Chuck Flowers and pianist Dave Becherer will play for brunch at The Dark Room, and then that evening, the Dave Dickey Big Band returns to the adjacent Grandel Theatre, this month featuring guest vocals from singer Anita Jackson and an intermission performance by the Parkway Central High Schooll Jazz Band.

Monday, March 12
Trumpeter Jim Manley continues his regular Monday night gig at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, March 13
Miss Jubilee plays for the weekly "NOLA Swing" event at HandleBar.

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:

* Record megalabel Columbia/Legacy last week announced the release of a sixth volume in their "Bootleg Series" of Miles Davis live recordings.

Miles Davis & John Coltrane - The Final Tour is a four-CD set (pictured) documenting five shows from Davis' 1960 tour of Europe, and is set for release on Friday, March 23, 2018.

* A story in UMSL Daily details the upcoming travels of the UMSL Big Band directed by Jim Widner, including a trip next week to Chicago for the annual Midwest Clinic and appearances in January at the Jazz Education Network convention in Dallas and the Missouri Music Educators Association conference at the Lake of the Ozarks.

* Singer, actor and Belleville native Lea DeLaria was the subject of a feature story on the website OutInStL.com. DeLaria, who's starred on Broadway and in cabaret, TV, and film, will make her debut at Jazz at the Bistro with shows on Wednesday, December 27 and Thursday, December 28 that also will feature singer Janis Siegel of Manhattan Transfer as a guest performer.

* The STL Free Jazz Collective has posted to YouTube a video of their complete performance with multi-instrumentalist Douglas Ewart earlier this month at the 14th St. Artist Community. 

* Also on YouTube, saxophonist Eric Person has posted a video from his show with fellow saxophonist Houston Person in March of this year at Dizzy's Club in NYC.

* The Sheldon has posted to Facebook a photo album from the Spanish Harlem Orchestra's performance there last week.

* Guitarist Dave Black's upcoming album, a collaboration with blues guitarists Tom Hall and Brian Curran, is previewed in a Riverfront Times story by Thomas Crone.

* Also in the RFT, the Funky Butt Brass Band's "Holiday Brasstravaganza" and their new Christmas album are the subjects of a brief feature story by Christian Schaeffer.

* Right Up On, saxophonist/composer Oliver Lake's recent recording in collaboration with the FLUX Quartet, made the New York Times' recently published list of "The 25 Best Classical Music Recordings of 2017."

* Singer Debby Lennon's latest theatrical role, as tone-deaf diva Florence Foster Jenkins in Max and Louis Productions' upcoming staging of the musical Souvenir, is the subject of a short feature by St. Louis Post-Dispatch theater critic Judith Newmark.

* Percussionist Moacyr Marchini of Samba Bom will lead a series of eight Brazilian percussion workshops for adult students beginning Wednesday, January 10 at Lucha in Grand Center. For more info about the workshops and how to sign up, go here.

* The venerable Edwardsville drinking spot Laurie's Place, which in recent months has featured a jazz jam session on Tuesday nights, will close at the end of this year.

Jazz this week: Harold López-Nussa, Filippo Cosentino, Alice Ripley, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a pianist from Cuba, a guitarist from Italy, a cabaret show from a singer and actress who has earned Broadway's highest honor, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, October 18
Cuban-born pianist Harold López-Nussa makes his St. Louis debut in the first of four evenings at Jazz at the Bistro. For more about López-Nussa (pictured, top left) and some video samples of him and his trio in action, see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Wednesday, Bach to the Future and guitarist Dave Black will perform for the Webster Arts series at Cyrano's, and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features guitarist Eric Slaughter and bassist Glen Smith at KDHX's Magnolia Cafe, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at The Dark Room.

Thursday, October 19
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will present "From Torino - Music of Italian Film Composers," a free concert featuring Italian guitarist Filippo Cosentino, guitarist and bassist William Lenihan, and the Sogni D'Alba String Trio.

Elsewhere around town, violinist Christopher Voelker's trio plays The Pat Connolly Tavern, drummer Kaleb Kirby’s Animal Children returns to The Dark Room, and Cabaret Project St. Louis will present their monthly "Broadway Open Mic" at the Curtain Call Lounge.

Friday, October 20
The Gaslight Cabaret Festival's fall series resumes with Tony Award-winning actress and singer Alice Ripley (pictured, bottom left) performing for the first of two nights at the Gaslight Theater.

Also on Friday, singer Feyza Eren returns to the Webster Groves Concert Hall.

Saturday, October 21
Saxophonist Dave Stone will play a free matinee show at Saxquest, and trumpeter/vibraphonist Joe Bozzi and his band return to Evangeline's

Sunday, October 22
Miss Jubilee will play for brunch at Evangeline's, and singer Chuck Flowers will perform a late-afternoon show BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups

Monday, October 23
Trumpeter Jim Manley plays for diners and drinkers at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, October 24
Bassist, educator and author Paul Steinbeck will discuss his book Message to Our Folks: The Art Ensemble of Chicago in Room 142 of Olin Library on the Washington University campus. The free, public event is part of the Washington University Library Faculty Book Talk 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.)

Fred Tompkins releases new CD Another Place

Flute player and composer Fred Tompkins has released a new CD, Another Place, featuring eight original compositions performed by a cast of St. Louis musicians and singers.

In addition to Tompkins' work on flutes, piano, and sampler, the self-produced release (pictured) features performances from guitarists Dave Black and Lee Scott Price, saxophonist Paul DeMarinis, drummers Gary Sykes, Kevin Cheli and Charlie Dent, keyboardists Jim Hegarty, Greg Mills and Henry Palkes, and singer Debby Lennon.

While most of the album was recorded in Tompkins' studio, several tracks also incorporate live improvisations from performances at the now-closed Tavern of Fine Arts.

Another Place is available as a CD from Vintage Vinyl, Euclid Records, CD Baby and Tompkins' website, and also can be purchased in digital form at iTunes, Amazon, and other online retailers.

Jazz this week: The Bad Plus and more

While the first part of January is famously a slow time for the music business in general, and the touring industry in particular, there still are jazz and creative music performances happening this week in St. Louis that should be worth braving the winter chill.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 4
The Bad Plus opens a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro, marking the tenth consecutive year that pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson, and drummer Dave King have been the first touring band of the new year to play the Grand Center venue.

After making a return visit to the Bistro last April with saxophonist Joshua Redman, the trio released their most recent album It’s Hard, which came out in August and features a return to the sort of unexpected cover songs, from Prince and Kraftwerk to Johnny Cash and Ornette Coleman, that helped make their early albums distinctive.

In addition to his work with The Bad Plus, Iverson has been involved in some outside projects this year, including a solo album called The Purity of the Turf, a trio effort with bassist Ron Carter and drummer Nasheet Waits that was released in September. Iverson talked about that and The Bad Plus' latest with the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson for a preview story, which you can read online here.

Thursday, January 5
The Schlafly Tap Room will host a bill featuring the improv duo Marble//Wall, Vernacular String Trio, and singer/songwriter Toni Saputo, and pianist Ptah Williams and guitarist Eric Slaughter will play their weekly gig at The Dark Room.

Friday, January 6
Pianist Peter Martin will host "A Conversation With The Bad Plus," a free, public lunchtime event at Jazz at the Bistro featuring a discussion with the members of TBP about the band's history and music that also will be recorded for Martin's podcast "The Process."

Then on Friday evening, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black return to the Sidecar Lounge at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel; trumpeter Jim Manley leads a trio at Evangeline's; and the quartet Danbury Street plays at The Abbey Espresso Bar and Cafe in Belleville.

Saturday, January 7
Trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi brings his band to Evangeline's, and saxophonist/singer Cary Colman's trio plays at Howard's in Soulard.

Sunday, January 8
The First Unitarian Church of St. Louis in the Central West End will offer a special "Jazz Sunday" Service with music from guitarist Rick Haydon and pianist Greg Hoeltzel, and the St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show will present their first event of the year at the American Czech Center.

Also on Sunday, Miss Jubilee will provide music for the jazz brunch at Evangeline's, and trumpeter Keith Moyer returns to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups for a matinee show.

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.)

Updated 6:00 p.m. 1/4/16 with info about "A Conversation With The Bad Plus."

Jazz this week: Some picks for Independence Day weekend

To be candid, it's a relatively thin week for live jazz and creative music in St. Louis.

But even with no major touring artists visiting our town; venues including Jazz at the Bistro, The Sheldon, and Casa Loma Ballroom going dark for the holiday weekend; and the recent demises of a couple of smaller neighborhood spots (Tavern of Fine Arts and Thurman Grill) that regularly featured live jazz, there still are a few options for those who'd like celebrate Independence Day with one of the USA's great indigenous art forms.

Here's what's happening...

Friday, July 1
Singer Joe Mancuso brings a quartet to Nathalie's, bassist Darrell Mixon leads a trio at Cigar Inn, and saxophonist Dave Stone will be in his customary Friday night spot at Mangia Italiano.

Also on Friday, the apparently-ironically-named Johnny Cilantro & The Well-Seasoned Sextet, a young band from Peoria, IL that, based on music samples they've put online, seems to have some promise, will be performing at Evangeline's.

Saturday, July 2
On Saturday afternoon, pianist David Parker will lead his group Spiritual Revolution Ensemble in a free, "child-friendly" performance of his original work “In the Beginning, God created Xochitl/ En el principio creó Diós Xochitl” at the Yeyo Arts Collective. With an ensemble including percussionists Charles "Bobo" Shaw and Glenn "Papa" Wright, guitarist Dave Black, poet Shirley LeFlore, and several other musicians, this show definitely ranks as the intriguing "sleeper" pick of the weekend.

On Saturday evening, the Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured) plays a free outdoor show at Lafayette Park, and guitarist Todd Mosby will bring his New Horizons Ensemble to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, with bassist Ben Wheeler's group Sketchbook opening.

Sunday, July 3
Multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman will join guitarist Dave Black to provide some music for the jazz brunch at Nathalie's.

Monday, July 4
If you're in St. Charles and are resolute enough to deal with the crowds and traffic, you can catch the Funky Butt Brass Band playing a free outdoor set as part of the St. Charles Riverfest 4th of July Celebration in Frontier Park.

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Jazz St. Louis has posted to Facebook an album of photos from last Friday's National Donut Day celebration at their HQ in Grand Center. A panel of judges sampled donuts from 15 local shops and bakeries, and selected downtown's Pharoah's Donuts as the winner.

* Pianist Simon Rowe, a native of Australia who lived in St. Louis for a number of years and performed with saxophonist Willie Akins and others, was the subject of a feature story on the website OpenSkyJazz.com. Rowe now resides in California, where he serves as executive director of the Brubeck Institute at University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA.

* Bassist Chano Cruz is this year's recipient of the Richard McDonnell memorial scholarship from Jazz St. Louis. The scholarship is named for the late founder of MAXJAZZ Records, and was presented to Cruz last Sunday during the annual concert at Jazz at the Bistro raising money for the scholarship fund. Cruz (pictured, with his bass teacher Bob DeBoo) is from Saint Peters and will study jazz performance at Northern Illinois University.

* Guitarist Dave Black has posted to YouTube a video of his original song "Night Traveler," recorded last Saturday during his concert at Focal Point.

* Multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris' shows this weekend paying tribute to George Clinton and Parliament/Funkedelic were previewed in a segment on KTVI/FOX 2's morning newscast on Tuesday. Harris will present the P-Funk tribute tonight and tomorrow night at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Drummer and U City native Ronnie Burrage is taking time out from leading his own band to gig this weekend with saxophonists Gary Bartz and Rene McLean at Smoke Jazz & Supper Club in NYC, paying tribute to McLean's dad, the great alto saxophonist Jackie McLean.

Jazz this week: STL Free Jazz Collective, Erin Bode, a tribute to Charlie Christian, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis offers an eclectic selection of shows for Valentine's Day weekend, from free jazz to smooth romantic balladry.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 10
As of this writing late on Wednesday afternoon, the 7:30 set of Branford Marsalis' third and final night at Jazz at the Bistro is sold out, but some tickets remain for the 9:30 set and will be available at the door.

If you're shut out of the Marsalis show, you can watch on video in the Bistro's adjoining first floor lounge, which has no cover charge.

Also in the Grand Center neighborhood and with no cover, you can check out the regular weekly gigs featuring bassist Bob DeBoo and friends at the Kranzberg Arts Center or trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's trio at The Dark Room; or head a little farther west to hear pianist Brad Ellebrecht and drummer Kyle Honeycutt at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Thursday, February 11
The STL Free Jazz Collective (pictured, top left) will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; singer Erika Johnson and guitarist Tom Byrne return to Evangeline's; and the Ptah Williams/Eric Slaughter band will pay tribute to the late Maurice White by interpreting some Earth, Wind & Fire songs during their weekly gig at The Dark Room.

Friday, February 12
Continuing the annual Valentine's Day weekend tradition she inherited from former St. Louisans Mardra and Reggie Thomas, singer Erin Bode (pictured, center left) will perform for the first of three nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Friday, New Orleans funk/R&B band Big Sam's Funky Nation will return to the Broadway Oyster Bar; new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound will perform a program focusing on the life and music of composer György Ligeti at the Sheldon Concert Hall; and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, February 13
Singer Tony Viviano will perform the first of two Valentine's Day-themed shows at Patrick's Westport Grill, with another on Sunday; and guitarist Brian Vaccaro and keyboardist Ryan Marquez will play for diners at Grapeseed.

Sunday, February 14
Singer Craig Pomranz, back home from NYC for the weekend, will present his cabaret show "Spend The Night With Craig" at The Boom Boom Room; singer Truenessia Combs and saxophonist Tim Cunningham team up for a Valentine's show at Troy's Jazz Gallery; and Coco Rico will play Gypsy jazz and swing at Nathalie's.

Monday,
February 15
Guitarists Dave Black, Tom Byrne, and Steve Schenkel (pictured, bottom left) will join forces for "The Musical Legacy of Charlie Christian, A Centennial Celebration" at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium; and Chicago-based jazz/rock band Marbin returns to 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.)