So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Funky Butt Brass Band sousaphonist Cody Henry was the featured guest on a recent episode of the Rock Paper Podcast.

* Bassist Darin Gray (pictured) this week released Soundtrack 1, an album of previously unheard recordings made in 2006 by On Fillmore, Gray's duo project with drummer Glenn Kotche.

* Singer and Webster University adjunct professor Debby Lennon will star in Max and Louie Productions' upcoming revival of "Songs for Nobodies," a one-woman play with music by Joanna Murray-Smith in which Lennon will perform songs associated with "legendary divas" Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf, and Maria Callas. The show will run Thursday, December 2 through Sunday, December 12 at the Grandel Theatre.

* Bob Koester, a former St. Louis University student who went on to found Chicago’s famed Jazz Record Mart and the Delmark record label, died Wednesday at age 88. Koester got his start in the music business selling records from his SLU dorm room, then dropped out in 1952 to open the Blue Note record shop here, which he ran until moving to Chicago in 1958.

* Saxophonist and educator Harvey Lockhart was a guest on Thursday's episode of the webcast talk program "The Own Your Now Show."

* Guitarist and former St. Louisan Carl Weingarten has a new release, Ember Days, out this month on his label Multiphase Records

* Saxophonist Julius Hemphill and The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony, the new seven-CD box set of his previously unreleased Hemphill's music, are the subject of an essay by Adam Schatz in the most recent New York Review of Books.
* Keyboardist Michael Silverman was interviewed by SmoothJazz.com.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

One day earlier than usual thanks to the holidays, here's StLJN's weekly wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* Trumpeter, singer and U. City native Jeremy Davenport (pictured) made news this week in his current hometown New Orleans with a cover version of "The Christmas Song" recorded with his 15-year-old daughter (and also including a piano track from St. Louisan Adam Maness).

* Although Jim Manley wasn't able to do his annual Christmas show this year at Jazz St. Louis, the trumpeter earlier this week live-streamed a holiday-themed performance from the Gaslight Theater, joined by Bob Row on keyboard, Joe Weber on drums, Larry Johnson on saxophone, and Jim Owens on trombone. If you missed the original live stream, you can catch it now on YouTube.

* Singer Debby Lennon's recent holiday show at Blue Strawberry was reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

* Also debuting this week on video is A New Holiday, an original, locally produced Christmas musical written by singer Brian Owens and actor Sophia Stephens that features several jazz connections, starting with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, drummer Montez Coleman, bassist Jahmal Nichols, and pianist Peter Martin in the opening scene.

The production also includes appearances from saxophonist David Sanborn; singers Kennedy Holmes (seen recently on NBC’s The Voice), Anita Jackson, Bebe Winans, and Karen Clark-Sheard; dance students from Grand Center Arts Academy; and more, plus animation by St. Louis-based Lion Forge Animation. It was recorded in St. Louis at locations including Jazz St Louis, Powell Hall, and The Sheldon, and after two broadcast airings on Nine Network, now can be seen on YouTube.

* As reported by the St. Louis Labor Tribune's Sheri Gassaway, members of Musicians’ Association of St. Louis Local 2-197 this year during the pandemic have worked to raise funds for charity and put on numerous free outdoor performances in the community.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* A story by St. Louis Public Radio's Eric Schmid reports that Miles Davis' childhood home (pictured), now restored and operated as a museum by the not-for-profit organization House of Miles East St. Louis, is the centerpiece of a new weekly tour focused on ESL history and culture.

* In related news, PBS has announced that the American Masters episode featuring the documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool will premiere on Tuesday, February 25. (Check local affiliate listings for the broadcast time in your area.)

* The new vinyl reissue box set of Davis' The Legendary Prestige Quintet Sessions released last week is the subject of a brief feature in DownBeat and a longer story from UDiscoverMusic.com.

* Guitarist Vincent Varvel and Gaslight Theater owner William Roth were interviewed on Monday's episode of the KTRS program "St. Louis In the Know with Ray Hartmann and Jay Kanzler."

* The holiday cabaret shows of singers Debby Lennon and Dean Christopher last week at Blue Strawberry were reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

* And speaking of Debby Lennon, she'll star next month in Max and Louie Productions' staging of "Songs for Nobodies," a one-woman play by Joanna Murray-Smith that features the music of Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf, and Maria Callas in "a mosaic of stories told by the everyday women who had unexpected life-changing encounters with these musical icons." The production will run from Thursday, January 23 through Saturday, February 1 at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

* Singer, actor, and Belleville native Lea DeLaria was interviewed about her new streaming TV show Reprisal and plans for her next album by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

*  Oikos Ensemble has produced a video looking back on past editions of their annual "Jazz Noel" program and promoting this year's performances, which will take place tomorrow at Parkway United Church of Christ and Sunday at First Congregational Church of Webster Groves.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Just when you thought there couldn't possibly be any more un-issued Miles Davis recordings sitting on a shelf somewhere, Sleepy Night Records has announced the release on CD of Miles Davis Best of Live 1986 - 1991.

As the name implies, the album (pictured) features newly mastered versions of nine tracks recorded in the last five years of Davis' life during live performances in Paris, Melbourne, New York City, and Milan, Italy, and includes a 12-page booklet with "rare photos and insightful commentary."

Sleepy Night Records previously has released DVDs and live audio recordings featuring trumpeters Maynard Ferguson and Don Ellis.

* The Riverfront Times this week published a photo gallery documenting Sunday's "Sound of St. Louis" showcase at the Grandel Theatre and The Dark Room.

* Jazz St. Louis' 2018-19 season is previewed in an article in Alive magazine.

* Bassist and Wash U professor Paul Steinbeck's book Message to Our Folks: The Art Ensemble of Chicago will be the subject of a program and discussion at the Padova Jazz Festival, held in November in Padova, Italy.

* Max & Louie Productions has announced that singer Debby Lennon will star and Ken Page will direct the company's upcoming staging of Love, Linda, a play with music about Cole Porter's wife Linda Lee Thomas that features a number of Porter's classic songs. Tickets go on sale on Monday, October 1 for the production, which will run from Thursday, January 17 through Sunday, January 27 of next year at the Marcelle Theater in Grand Center.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer, actor, and Webster University faculty member Debby Lennon has won this year's award for "best actress in a comedy" from the St. Louis Theater Circle for her portrayal of would-be diva Florence Foster Jenkins in Max & Louie Productions' staging of Souvenir. The production won five awards in total from StLTC, including "outstanding comedy."

* St. Louis native and Washington University alumnus Olly Wilson (pictured), a composer, musician, musicologist, and emeritus professor of music at the University of California, Berkeley whose students included drummer Tony Williams, has died at age 80.

* Keyboardist Ryan Marquez appeared Thursday on the morning newscast at KTVI (FOX2) to promote his album release show this Saturday night at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

* The release this week of the CD box set Miles Davis/John Coltrane - The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 already has prompted media coverage including a column from The New Yorker's Richard Brody, a review on Pitchfork.com, and a story about "When Miles Davis and John Coltrane Scandalized Paris" via OZY.com.

* Pianist Peter Martin was profiled this week in Keyboard magazine's "Talent Scout" column.

* Just in time for New Orleans' tricentennial, singer, trumpeter (and University City native) Jeremy Davenport has released a song paying tribute to his adopted home, "One Way Ticket to New Orleans."

* Chris Hansen of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation was interviewed about the foundation's new residency program for musicians by McGraw Millhaven of KTRS .

* Keyboardist Jim Hegarty has released a new recording in his Secret Sessions series, available as a free download from Bandcamp. The latest volume, recorded on February 25, documents a live improv session featuring Hegarty on modular synthesizer with Tracy Andreotti (cello), Eric Paul Mandat (clarinets), Greg Mills (piano, melodica), Claude Montgomery (bass), George Sams (flugelhorn), Steven Thomas (guitar), and Fred Tompkins (flute, bass flute).

* The Riverfront Times is looking for up to 30 local musical acts who would like to be part of  ShowcaseSTL 2018, a two-day "concert crawl" on Saturday, June 16 and Sunday, June 17 that will feature more than 100 performances at various venues in the Grove. To find out more about the event and how to submit materials for consideration, go here.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold (pictured) was interviewed this past Tuesday on Worldwide FM by British jazz broadcaster Gilles Peterson.

* Guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran has finished his next album, Just As Good As Feeling Good, and before releasing it on physical media, he's made it available for a limited time as a free download from his website.

* Speaking of free downloads, keyboardist Jim Hegarty has made available for free a new recording in his "Secret Sessions" series, this one featuring cellist Tracy Andreotti, flute player Fred Tompkins, pianist Greg Mills, and clarinetist Eric Paul Mandat.

* The musical comedy Souvenir, starring singer Debby Lennon, was reviewed by Mark Bretz of Ladue News. The production runs through this Sunday, December 31 at the Marcelle Theatre in Grand Center.

* Lea DeLaria's show Wednesday at Jazz at the Bistro was reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Guitarist and St. Louis native Kelvyn Bell has a new recording, Cubed Root Cure, set for release in January, and you can hear a sample now on SoundCloud.

The EP (pictured) will be available from CD Baby and all the major digital music services.

* The Gateway Jazz Festival, a day-long "smooth jazz" event that made its St. Louis debut last summer at the Chesterfield Amphitheater, has a date for 2018 - Saturday, July 21 - and a headliner, saxophonist Boney James.

Last year's event featured a half-dozen acts, including saxophonist Najee, singer Maysa, and Pieces of A Dream; the rest of the 2018 bill currently is TBA.

* "The World of Spectacular Strings" exhibit on view through Saturday, April 21 at the Sheldon Art Galleries was reviewed by Ladue News' Bryan A. Hollerbach.

* The Funky Butt Brass Band has posted to Facebook a photo album of last weekend's  "Holiday  Brasstravaganza" shows. Friday's performance also was reviewed for KDHX.org. by Mike Vachow.

* Saxophonist Greg Osby will join forces with the experimental multimedia duo Mn'JAM for a performance in January at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.

* Drummer and St. Louis native Marcus Baylor and singer Jean Baylor, the husband-and-wife duo behind The Baylor Project, were interviewed Tuesday on the nationally syndicated radio program "The Tom Joyner Morning Show" about their two nominations in this year's Grammy Awards, their careers, and more.

* The Bosman Twins were interviewed for the most recent episode of KDHX's "Collateral Damage" podcast by guest host Hank Thompson.

* And speaking of podcasts, former WSIE DJ E.B. Stevenson has released a Christmas episode of his "The Jazz Mixer" podcast.

* Max and Louie Productions' current staging of Souvenir, the musical comedy starring singer and Webster U faculty member Debby Lennon as tone-deaf diva Florence Foster Jenkins, was reviewed by the Post-Dispatch's Judith Newmark and OnStL.com's Chuck Lavazzi.

* Also in the Post-Dispatch, singer Dom Thomas' show this Saturday at The Stage at KDHX is previewed in a short feature from the paper's Kevin Johnson.

* Voting is now open in Jazz Times magazine's annual readers poll.

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.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trombonist Steve Swell will present a free, public "artist's talk" at 4:00 p.m. today (Friday October 6) in Room 102 of Washington University's music classroom building.

Swell (pictured) is in St. Louis to lead his quintet in New Music Circle's season-opening concert on Saturday night at The Stage at KDHX.

* Speaking of Washington University, bassist, educator and author Paul Steinbeck will discuss Message To Our Folks, his book about the history of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, as part of Wash U's library faculty book talk series at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 24 in room 142 of the Olin Library on the Wash U campus. The event is free and open to the public.

* Saxophonist and singer Grace Kelly is the subject of a photo feature on the website Sound of STL, and her performance Wednesday night at Jazz at the Bistro was briefly reviewed on the website of Sophisticated Living magazine. Kelly continues at the Bistro through Saturday night.

* The Wee Trio's upcoming concert on Tuesday, October 17 at SIU Edwardsville was previewed by the Edwardsville Intelligencer.

* KDHX's Magnolia Cafe, which serves as one of the sites on the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl," is getting a new menu, a new operator, and a new name. According to reports published this week by Feast magazine and others, chef Rob Connoley will take over the restaurant, renaming it Squatter's Cafe, on Wednesday, November 1.

* The annual musical instrument drive sponsored by Music for Lifelong Achievement was the subject of a feature story on KTVI-Fox 2's morning news.

* "Wayfaring Traveler," a track from trumpeter Keyon Harrold's new album The Mugician that features guest performances from Jermaine Holmes, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Robert Glasper, this week made it onto Apple Music's jazz playlist "The A List."

* Singer Debby Lennon will star in the upcoming production of the musical comedy Souvenir being staged by Max & Louie Productions from Thursday, December 14 through Sunday, December 31 at The Marcelle in Grand Center.

The show tells the story of the notoriously tone-deaf Florence Foster Jenkins, "a real-life socialite who set elite eardrums in Manhattan a-trembling in a series of notorious private concerts during the 1930s and 1940s...Her flamboyant costumes and uninhibited love of music was as much her trademark as her inability to sing on key."  Jenkins' story also was the subject of an eponymous 2016 feature film starring Meryl Streep in the title role.

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: Billy Childs' tribute to Laura Nyro; Funky Butt Brass Band; and more

This week in St. Louis jazz and creative music, the Sheldon Concert Hall resumes their jazz series with pianist Billy Childs' tribute to an under-appreciated singer-songwriter of the 1960s and 70s; two local favorites play two nights each at Jazz at the Bistro; and more. Let's go the highlights...

Wednesday, January 27
Pianist Ptah Williams leads a group in the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro; singer Erin Bode performs for the monthly concert series at the World Chess Hall of Fame; and Elsie Parker and the Poor People of Paris return to Nathalie's.

Thursday, January 28
Bassist Darrell Mixon and friends will be at The Dark Room, substituting for Ptah Williams as he plays the Bistro, while the Tavern of Fine Arts presents their monthly "open mic" night with live improvised music. Also on Thursday, Miss Jubilee plays swing, jump blues and more at Thaxton Speakeasy and singer Joe Mancuso returns to Thurman Grill.

Friday, January 29
The Funky Butt Brass Band get warmed up for Mardi Gras season in the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, and trumpeter Jim Manley plays at Thurman Grill.

Saturday, January 30
Pianist Billy Childs will present "Re-Imagining Laura Nyro," featuring live performances of the material from his best-selling, Grammy Award winning album Map to the Treasure, at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Childs (pictured, upper left) first came to wide attention with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard's group in the late 1970s, and still takes the occasional road gig in support of Chris Botti, but these days most of time and artistic energy seems to be spent on arranging and composing, including writing a number of commissioned works for symphony orchestra.

His latest project features interpretations of music written by Nyro, a teenage songwriting prodigy whose tunes were huge hits for The Fifth Dimension, Blood Sweat and Tears, and others, but who then experienced various career and health setbacks before her untimely death from ovarian cancer in 1997, when she was only 49 years old. For more about the project, read the preview story about Childs' concert by Calvin Wilson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch/STLtoday.com.

(The Sheldon and Metrotix are offering a discount on tickets for Childs' concert to online buyers, reducing prices to $30 for orchestra seats, $25 for the balcony. To get the discount, go here and enter the promotional code TREASURE.)

Also on Saturday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes perform at Evangeline's; trumpeter and singer Dawn Weber is at Nathalie's; and the Liberation Organ Trio plays the house concert venue KindaBlue Club.

Sunday, January 31
The Dave Dickey Big Band (pictured, lower left) will present their monthly show at Jazz at the Bistro, with the Francis Howell Central HS Jazz Band playing at intermission.

Monday, February 1
Singer Debby Lennon and members of the Webster University jazz faculty will perform 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.)

Webster University announces 2013-14 jazz concert schedule

The music department at Webster University has announced their schedule of Monday night jazz concerts for 2013-14.

The series will kick off with a tribute to Cannonball Adderly at 7:00 p.m. Monday, September 9 in Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus, 470 E. Lockwood Ave.

The performance will feature songs associated with Adderly such as “Unit Seven,” “Jive Samba,” “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” and “Sack O’ Woe,” performed by an ensemble including Paul DeMarinis (pictured, saxophones), Keith Moyer (trumpet), Steve Schenkel (guitar), Kim Portnoy (piano), Willem von Hombracht (bass), Kevin Gianino (drums) and Debby Lennon (vocals).

Here's the complete schedule for the year:

Monday, September 9: A Tribute to Cannonball Adderley
Monday, September 16: Four in One: The Thelonious Monk Project
Monday, September 23: Paul DeMarinis & Friends with DeMarinis (saxophones), Dave Black (guitar), Ben Wheeler (bass) and Kyle Honeycutt (drums).
Monday, October 28: TKT Scholarship Benefit Concert
Monday, November 18: Webster Jazz Collective

Monday, January 27: TBA
Monday, February 3: Black History Month Concert
Monday, February 10: Kim Portnoy Ensemble
Monday, February 24: Webster Jazz Collective
Monday, March 17: Shepard/Davis Scholarship Benefit Concert

All Monday night faculty concerts begin at 7:00 p.m. and take place in Moore Auditorium. Tickets for most concerts are $5 for general admission; $3 for seniors; free for students.

Tickets for the TKT concert will be $20 $10 general admission; free for Webster faculty, staff, & students, and for the Shepard/Davis concert, $10 general admission; $5 seniors; free for Webster faculty, staff, and students. The two Webster Jazz Collective concerts are priced at $3 general admission; free for faculty, staff and students. For more information, call 314-647-1415.

In addition to the concert series featuring Webster's faculty members, the University also will present a seminar by famed alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, October 10 in the recital hall on campus. Donaldson will be in town that week to perform with his quartet at Jazz at the Bistro.

Lastly, Webster also has released the schedule of student jazz performances for the year. The student jazz combos will present performances for the fall semester on November 4 and 11, and in the spring on March 31 and April 7. The free concerts start at 7:00 p.m. in Room #10 of Webster's Community Music School, 535 Garden Ave.

The university's student jazz singers will present their fall performance on December 8 and their spring concert on April 21. Both concerts take place at 7:00 p.m. in Moore Auditorium, with admission at $3 for the general public, free for students, faculty and staff.

Edited 10/11/13 to correct the ticket price of the TKT Scholaship concert.

Tommy Money Orchestra releases debut CD

Trumpeter and bandleader Tommy Money has released the debut CD from his 17-piece big band, the Tommy Money Orchestra.

Titled Unblued, the disc (pictured) features 15 tracks of mostly familiar material in the straightahead swing style identified with Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and bandleader and arranger Nelson Riddle's work for Frank Sinatra, with St. Louisan Debby Lennon and Misty Daniels contributing guest vocals.

Unblued is now on sale at CD Baby, and you can hear samples of the music there, or on Money's own website.

The Sheldon's "Coffee Concerts" to feature local jazz artists

Although we covered the announcement of the Sheldon Concert Hall's 2009-10 jazz series here a couple of weeks ago, at the time yr. humble StLJN editor did not have access to next year's schedule of the Sheldon's "Coffee Concerts," a series of late-morning performances that typically features a number of local St. Louis jazz musicians. The Sheldon subsequently sent along a news release with details on all of the various season series, and so, here's the schedule for the 2009-10 series of "Coffee Concerts":

Tuesday, October 6 & Wednesday, October 7: Singer Debby Lennon (pictured) and pianist Carolbeth True in a tribute to George Gershwin

Tuesday, November 10 & Wednesday, November 11: St. Louis Ragtimers

Tuesday, December 8 & Wednesday, December 9: The Clarion Brass Ensemble performs Christmas songs

Tuesday, March 9 & Wednesday, March 10: Trumpeter Bob Ceccarini and pianist Pat Joyce (of the St. Louis Rivermen) mix jazz and Irish favorites in a pre-St. Patrick’s Day show

Tuesday, April 6 & Wednesday, April 7: St. Louis Stompers

All of the Sheldon's "Coffee Concerts" begin with complimentary coffee and pastries at 9:00 a.m. in the Louis Spiering Room, followed by a one-hour concert at 10:00 a.m. in the main concert hall. Subscriptions are $55 for orchestra seats, $45 for balcony seats. Current subscribers can renew now, while new subscriptions will go on sale Wednesday, May 13. (Single tickets will be priced at $12 and $10, but won't be available for purchase until later this year.) To order a subscription, call the Sheldon at 314-533-9900 or visit their Web site.

Jazz this week: Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival, Brian Owens, Willie Akins, Cornet Chop Suey, and more

While there are no major touring jazz musicians visiting St. Louis this week, there's plenty of activity involving local players. Let's look at some of the highlights:

Tonight, the great saxophonist Willie Akins does a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, while guitarist Dave Black performs at Brandt's

On Friday and Saturday, singer Brian Owens brings his mix of jazz, pop, R&B and gospel back to Jazz at the Bistro for a two-night stand. Also on Friday, the St. Louis Rivermen will present a traditional jazz performance at St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Belleville, kicking off the church's fall arts series.

In addition, Friday evening is the opening reception for the "Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design, and Culture At Midcentury" exhibit at the Kemper Museum. The Museum's promotion for the free event says they'll have "a live jazz band performing Miles Davis's seminal album Birth of the Cool" (although they don't identify who the musicians will be, which seems a fairly significant omission).

The biggest music event of the weekend for jazz (and blues) enthusiasts happens on Saturday, when the annual Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival is staged in suburban Webster Groves. The free event starts in the morning with a workshop at Webster University for student musicians, and then the music begins at noon down the street in the old Webster Groves business district. This year's festival once again features two stages, with acts including singers Erin Bode (pictured) and Debby Lennon; the New Orleans-style funk band Gumbohead; the Webster University jazz faculty; guitarist Todd Mosby, and more.

On Sunday, the St. Louis Jazz Club kicks off its fall season with a concert of traditional jazz and swing by Cornet Chop Suey at the Bel-Air Bowl in Belleville. Also on Sunday afternoon, saxophonist Tim Cunningham brings his smooth jazz sound to the the Mount Pleasant Winery in Augusta.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday guitarist Tom Byrne and Friends will perform at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium, and trumpeter Keith Moyer's group plays at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups. And on Tuesday, the David Wiatrolik Trio returns to the The Gramophone and singer Jeanne Trevor performs at Brandt's.

As always, the performances mentioned here are just some of the week's highlights, so to see listings of more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(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 at Holmes Fall 2008 schedule includes concert by Dave Liebman

The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University has announced its lineup of free concerts for Fall 2008, and, given that the series presents mostly local talent along with the occasional up-and-coming touring performer, they've snagged a relatively big name for this fall in the person of saxophonist Dave Liebman (pictured), who will perform on Thursday, November 13.

Liebman is nationally and internationally known as a saxophonist and composer, leading his own bands and playing with the group Saxophone Summit and with many jazz greats including Miles Davis, Chick Corea and Elvin Jones.

Other concerts in the Jazz at Holmes series, which begins next Thursday, September 11 with a performance by clarinetist Scott Alberici and his quartet, will feature St. Louis mainstays such as saxophonists Willie Akins and Dave Stone, pianists Carolbeth True and Ptah Williams, and guitarists William Lenihan and Steve Schenkel. Less familiar performers on the schedule include Austrian pianist Elizabeth Harnick and something called the FO[U]R PEACE BAND (neither of whom seem to have much of an Internet presence).

Here's the full Jazz at Holmes series schedule for Fall 2008:

Thursday, September 11: Scott Alberici Quartet

Thursday, September 18: Willie Akins Quartet

Thursday, September 25: Two Times True with pianist Carolbeth True and drummer David True

Thursday, October 9: Paul DeMarinis with vocalist Debby Lennon

Thursday, October 23: Dave Stone with pianist Adam Maness

Thursday, October 30: William Lenihan and Ptah Williams perform music from Miles Davis' Bitches Brew

Thursday, November 6: Elizabeth Harnick Trio

Thursday, November 13: Dave Liebman Quartet

Thursday, November 20: FO[U]R PEACE BAND

Thursday, December 4: Steve Schenkel with vocalist Ashley Mason

All concerts take place from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in Holmes Lounge, and are free and open to the public. Holmes Lounge is located in Ridgley Hall,on the west side of Brookings Quadrangle, near the intersection of Brookings and Hoyt drives.

For more information about the Jazz at Holmes series, you can call (314) 862-0874 or email staylor@wustl.edu. To receive email notices about future events, send an email to tvs2@wustl.edu.

Jazz this week: Musica Slesa, Debby Lennon, Hot Club Caravan, Dave Black and more

There are no major touring jazz musicians visiting St. Louis this week, but there's still plenty of worthwhile musical activity involving local performers, including several free outdoor concerts. Let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, keyboardist Tony Simmons will play a free concert at Missouri Botanical Garden as part of the Whitaker Music Festival.

On Thursday, the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars, a student ensemble made up of the most accomplished young musicians participating in the organization's education programs, will open the show for pop-soul singer Ralph Butler, who's performing a free concert at St. Louis Place Park as part of the Whitaker "Urban Evenings" series. Also on Thursday, multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman will bring his group Hot Club Caravan to Brandt's.

Then on Friday and Saturday nights, Latin jazz group Musica Slesa returns to Jazz at the Bistro. (Sorry, no link, as apparently Musica Slesa have not yet gotten around to putting up a Web site or even a MySpace page.) Also on Friday, guitarist Dave Black and his trio will play at Brandt's. And on Saturday, singer Debby Lennon (pictured) will perform at the Cabaret at Savor.

On Sunday, singer Anita Rosamond will do a free concert at Carondelet Park, and on Monday, pianist Michael Lacey bring his traditional jazz band to St. Louis Square Park for yet another free show.

For more St. Louis jazz-related events this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(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.)

Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival set for Saturday, September 20

The Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival has announced the musical lineup for its eighth annual event, which will be held from noon to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 20 in the Webster Groves Historic District at Gore and Lockwood Avenue.

A total of ten bands will be featured on two outdoor stages, with headlining sets from singer Erin Bode (on the Allen Avenue stage) and the New Orleans-style funk/R&B/zydeco band Gumbohead and special guests the Funky Butt Brass Band (on the Gore Avenue stage).

The event also will include jazz performances from guitarist Todd Mosby (pictured), the Pfeffer Trio with Debby Lennon, Anita Rosamond, the Webster University Faculty Jazz Band and the Webster Groves High School Jazz Band, as well as blues from the Soulard Blues Band, the SteamRollers, and Marquise Knox.

The Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival is free and open to the public, and goes on rain or shine. For more information, visit their Web site.

Cabaret at Savor showcasing St. Louis singers

The Cabaret at Savor, located at 4356 Lindell in the Central West End, is an intimate 65-seat room that usually presents touring performers, like the upcoming gig by singer Paula West with the George Mesterhazy Trio next Wednesday, May 14 through Saturday, May 17.

However, the club is also devoting a number of weekend evenings this spring to St. Louis vocalists. Next up is singer Renee Smith (pictured), who's appearing at the club this Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10 under the auspices of what's being called the "Cabaret in Blue" series. A veteran performer on the blues and R&B circuit who's sung with St. Louis legends such as Oliver Sain and Johnnie Johnson, Smith will be singing a program of love songs drawn from a variety of genres, including blues, soul, jazz, pop and standards, backed by none other than yr. humble StLJN editor on piano.

After West's four-night run, the "Cabaret in Blue" series continues with singer Uvee Hayes, whose CDs have included guest appearances from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Luther Ingram and the Phoenix Horns, and have received airplay as far away as Japan and the UK. Hayes also will be doing a wide variety of material, ranging from blues to jazz to country, and, as fate would have it, also will be backed by yr. humble editor on piano, plus another musician or two yet to be announced.

(Regular readers know that, other than linking to an occasional story I've written for the Riverfront Times, I don't use this space much for self promotion. In this case, it's more than a little awkward for me to be plugging two shows that I'm playing in, but I expect that both Renee and Uvee will put on entertaining performances, and my musical participation notwithstanding, I figure that if you're reading this far, you're certainly capable of making your own judgment as to whether or not it seems like your sort of thing. More to the point, it would be even more awkward to write about what Savor is doing with St. Louis singers and not mention these two weekends. So, now that all the disclosures have been disclosed...)

Other St. Louis vocalists who will be featured in upcoming performances at the Cabaret at Savor include Kim Massie on Friday, May 30; Erin Bode on Thursday, June 5; Sherry Drake on Saturday, June 14; Dean Christopher on Friday, June 20 and Saturday June 21; and Debby Lennon on Saturday, June 28.

You can read more about all of the performers at the Cabaret at Savor's Web site; advance tickets are available online via LicketyTix.com.

Webster University announces 2007-08 concert schedule

Webster University has finally posted a complete schedule of the concerts they'll be presenting during the 2007-08 school year, and as usual, there are a number of performances that will be of interest to jazz fans:

Monday, October 22 - The annual TKT Memorial Jazz Scholarship Concert, which raises money for scholarships in the names of three former Webster students who were killed in a plane crash while touring with singer Reba McIntyre, will present "Music from the Movies" with singers Debby Lennon and Sherry Drake and the Webster Faculty Jazz Ensemble.

Monday, November 19 - The Webster University Big Band will perform a program called "1967 to Today-The Big Band plus a 70th Birthday Tribute to Joe Henderson".

Monday, January 28 - Guitarist Tom Byrne and Friends.

Monday, February 4 - "Electric Miles; The Music of Miles Davis 1969-74," featuring the Webster University Faculty Jazz Ensemble, which includes Randy Holmes (trumpet), Paul DeMarinis (woodwinds), Steve Schenkel (guitar), Kim Portnoy (keyboards), Carolbeth True (keyboards, pictured), Jay Hungerford (bass) and Ron Carr (drums).

Monday, Feburary 11 - "A Tribute to Thelonious Monk," featuring pianist Carol Schmidt and Friends.

Monday, February 18 - Guitarist Steve Schenkel and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman.

Monday, February 25 - The Webster University Big Band and the Genesis Jazz Project will team up for a program called "The St. Louis Blues & All That Jazz!"

Monday, April 7 - Debby Lennon and the Webster Faculty Jazz Ensemble.

In addition, Webster U also is teaming up with Jazz St. Louis to present free master classes with singers Kurt Elling (Friday, November 16) and Sara Gazarek (Friday, February 15) while they're in town to perform at Jazz at the Bistro.

The master classes will take place at the Webster U's Community Music School building, 8282 Big Bend Blvd, while the other concerts listed above will be at the Winifred Moore Auditorium, 470 E. Lockwood. You can see the complete schedule of all of the Webster music department's performances, including concerts by the various student jazz ensembles, here.