The Sheldon announces 2021-22 schedule

After more than a year of presenting mostly livestreaming performances due to the COVID pandemic, The Sheldon has announced its schedule of concerts for the 2021-22 season, starting in September.

The hall's "Rhythm & Jazz" series will include performances from New Orleans drummer Herlin Riley (Saturday, November 20); singer Dianne Reeves (Saturday, January 22); "Bessie, Billie & Nina - Pioneering Women in Jazz," starring singers Charenée Wade,  Camille Thurman, and Tahira Clayton (Saturday, March 3); and "The Great Guitars," with guitarists Martin Taylor, Frank Vignola, and John Jorgenson (Saturday, May 7).

In addition to these shows, trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra (pictured) will perform in a non-subscription series concert on Thursday, October 21.

The Sheldon's "Coffee Concerts" series of Tuesday and Wednesday morning performances also will include some shows of interest to StLJN readers, with appearances scheduled for singers Erin Bode (October 12 & 13), Dean Christopher (November 9 & !0), Janet Evra (March 15 & 16) and Anita Jackson (April 18 & 20).

Subscriptions to the "Rhythm & Jazz" series are $160 each for orchestra seating, $140 for the balcony, while a "Coffee Concerts" subscription will be $75 for orchestra seating, $65 for the balcony. In addition to these two series, the Sheldon's 2021-22 schedule also includes slates of folk and classical concerts; see their website for details.

New series subscriptions will go on sale on Monday, June 7 via the Sheldon box office and Metrotix, with the date for single ticket sales and single ticket pricing still TBA.

Sunday Session: February 9, 2020

Albert Ayler

Here's this week's roundup of various music-related items of interest:

* Interview with Colin Stetson (FilmMusicMag.com)
* The 10 most groundbreaking avant-garde albums of all time (HappyMag.tv)
* 58 Minutes With the Omnivorous Composer Caroline Shaw (Vulture.com)
* Rodney Whitaker Explores Ellingtonia on Latest Disc (DownBeat)
* Michel Camilo: Teller of Tales (Jazz Times)
* Appeals Court Gives Drake a "Fair Use" Win in Sampling Case (Hollywood Reporter)
* Beatles, Rolling Stones Appear in New Chuck Berry Tribute Program (Rolling Stone)
* Myra Melford on Jazz’s Cutting Edge and Improvisation (San Francisco Classical Voice)
* Battle for the bass: the story of Fender and Gibson's fight for low-end supremacy (Guitar World)
* Why are pop songs getting sadder than they used to be? (Aeon.co)
* Jimmy Haslip: Amperes Beyond The BASSics, Part One (AllAboutJazz.com)
* The Overlooked Activist Power Of Marlena Shaw (NPR)
* One Company Now Owns The Only Record Store Chains Left In US, UK and Canada (Hypebot.com)
* Ballaké Sissoko's Kora Dismantled by American TSA (Afropop.org)
* Nights in Brazil: Dianne Reeves & Ivan Lins (SFJAZZ.org)
* Roscoe Mitchell Remembers Joseph Jarman (Jazz Times)
* “Round and Round and Round You Go” (WUSTL.edu)
* A Chronological Roadmap to Albert Ayler’s Almighty Free Jazz (Bandcamp.com)
* John McLaughlin Heads Out on the Road Again (DownBeat)
* Five Questions with Kermit Ruffins on His New 9th Ward Juke Joint (Offbeat)
* “Devastating” Manufacturing Plant Fire Threatens Worldwide Vinyl Record Supply (Pitchfork.com)
* New Company and Video Aim to Keep the Spirit of Roy Hargrove Alive (Jazz Times)
* We'll Soon Be Able To Stream Nina Simone's Late-Career Rarity 'Fodder On My Wings' (NPR)
* Ever-evolving guitar hero Mary Halvorson brings two distinct bands to Minneapolis (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
* This guy now owns Murfie’s nearly 1 million abandoned CDs (TheVerge.com)
* At 91, Charlie Parker protege Sheila Jordan still dedicating her life to the jazz music she loves (Calgary Herald)
* Take one: lost Dave Brubeck tapes reveal jazz hit originally sounded like ‘a bad student band’ (The Guardian)
* Ahmad Jamal on having a ‘spiritual anchor,’ remembering Jimmy Heath and the world beyond the piano (CapitalBop.com)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Intuition: Songs From The Minds of Women, the new album (pictured) from singer and St. Louis native Alicia Olatuja that's set for release next Friday, February 22,  was reviewed by DownBeat.

* Poet K. Curtis Lyle, who will perform tomorrow night with multi-instrumentalist J.D. Parran and trumpeter George Sams at St. Louis University, was interviewed by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn.

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation on Friday, March 15 will release The Sound of St. Louis - Jazz Compilation Volume 1, an album featuring original music from the nine participants in their music artists-in-residence program.

The album will include tracks from bassist Bob DeBoo; keyboardists Mo Egeston, Jesse Gannon, Owen Ragland and Ptah Williams; singer Anita Jackson, saxophonist Ben Reece; multi-instrumentalist and singer Tonina Saputo; and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor.

Recorded last year and mixed at Clayton Studios by Tazu Marshall and Mike Silverman, the compilation will be available on streaming services, as a digital download, and as a CD, which will be sold locally at Vintage Vinyl, Music Record Shop, and Euclid Records, and at various affiliated venues such as Sophie’s Artist Lounge and The Dark Room.

* In a separate announcement, the Kranzberg Arts Foundation has put out a call for applicants for their next group of music artists-in-residence. In addition to a chance to appear on next year's compilation album, selected participants will get "performance, rehearsal and recording opportunities, as well as marketing support, office space, and industry education and access to assist them with advancing and building their careers."

Sunday, March 31 is the deadline to apply; for more information or to complete an application, visit the KAF website.

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

* Poet and author Quincy Troupe, in town this week to discuss Miles Davis for Jazz St. Louis' "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series, was interviewed by Don Marsh of St. Louis Public radio.

Edited 3/7/19 to correct the date of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation album release.

Jazz this week: Chucho Valdes; Aldana, Cohen & Hill; Dianne Reeves; Branch, Lonberg-Holm & Solberg; and more

It's a busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with two very different shows featuring special combinations of multiple headliners on one stage, plus headlining performances from a couple of other major jazz stars, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 6
The estimable pianist Chucho Valdés continues with his "Jazz Bata" show, featuring a mix of jazz and Cuban folkloric elements, through Thursday at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Wednesday, this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features multi-instrumentalist TJ Muller and Friends at The Stage at KDHX, the weekly jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, February 7
Guitarist Dan Rubright of The Wire Pilots leads a quartet in a free concert of original music for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Also on Thursday, singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo performs at Joe's Cafe, and St. Charles County's own 636 Big Band, directed by trumpeter Keith Moyer, will be playing at Red Fish, Blue Fish, located just south of I-70 in Hawks Nest Plaza.

Friday, February 8
Saxophonist Melissa Aldana, pianist Emmet Cohen and trumpeter Marquis Hill (pictured, top left) will wrap up a week-long educational residency by joining forces for the first of two nights of performances at Jazz St. Louis.

At ages 30, 28, and 32 respectively, Aldana, Cohen and Hill all could be considered among the top young players on their respective instruments now working mostly in the mainstream tradition, and all three are bandleaders in their own right.

As is usually the case with one-off ensembles, it's hard to know how sympatico their individual styles may be until they actually hit the stage together, but on paper, these three seem like a good match. And if things are bit looser than they might be with a regular working band, listeners still will be getting three headliners for the price of one.

Also on Friday, the Arcadia Dance Orchestra will be joined by special guest multi-instrumentalist  Andy Schumm of the Chicago Cellar Boys for a show at The Stage at KDHX.

Saturday, 
February 9
New Music Circle presents trumpeter Jaimie Branch, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and percussionist Stäle Liavik Solberg (pictured, center left) at The Stage at KDHX

Though they're not a regular working band, the three have performed together before, which should provide just enough familiarity to ease them into an evening of freely improvised music.

The concert also marks the St. Louis debut of Branch, a Chicagoan-turned-New Yorker who is one of the more noteworthy young trumpeters to emerge on the improvised music scene in recent years. You can find out more about her and see some performance videos, including one with Lonberg-Holm and Solberg, in this post from last month.

Also on Saturday, singer Dianne Reeves (pictured, bottom left) performs at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Generally acknowledged as one of the most accomplished female jazz vocalists working today, Reeves last year was named an NEA Jazz Master, a significant milestone in a four-decade-long career that fortunately shows no signs of slowing down yet.

Reeves also has some musical connections to the St. Louis area, and you can find more about those and see some videos of recent performances in this post from last Saturday.

Sunday, February 10
Trumpeter Jim Manley plays for brunch at Evangeline's, while bassist/singer Janet Evra performs at The Dark Room.

Then on Sunday evening, singer Will Downing will be in town for a "Valentine's Weekend Kick-Off" performance at Harris-Stowe State University, with St. Louis' Lamont Hadley opening.

Monday, February 11
Dizzy Atmosphere returns to The Shaved Duck, and keyboardists Kim Portnoy and Nick Schlueter will team up for a duo concert at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium.

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

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

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Dianne Reeves

This week, let's check out some videos featuring singer Dianne Reeves, who will perform next Saturday, February 9 at The Sheldon.

Reeves, who last year was named an NEA Jazz Master, appeared here most recently in December 2016, presenting a Christmas show at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. She's considered one of the top jazz vocalists working today, having won five Grammy Awards for "Best Jazz Vocal Album," served as the first-ever creative chair for jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and won an honorary doctorate of music from Julliard, among many other honors.

The Denver native also has something of a St. Louis connection, as she was mentored early in her career by Clark Terry, and for years has employed two musicians from here - pianist Peter Martin, who's from U City and also serves as her music director, and drummer Terreon Gully, who's from East St. Louis.

Today's collection of videos features a couple of older performances showcasing those St. Louis connections, a couple of interviews with insight into Reeves' background and creative process, and a couple of recent performances, starting up above with the first clip, which shows Reeves singing Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood" during the 2018 International Jazz Day 2018 all-star concert in Saint Petersburg, Russia, accompanied by David Goloschekin (violin), Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez (drums), Makoto Ozone (piano), and Ben Williams (bass).

After the jump, you can see a short biographical video about Reeves produced by the NEA when she was named a Jazz Master last year.

Next, there's another clip of a recent performance, in which Reeves sings "The Windmills of Your Mind" with the NYO Jazz big band, directed by trumpeter Sean Jones, as recorded in August 2018 at the Konzerthaus in Berlin, German.

The fourth video features a full set of Reeves and her working band - Martin, Gully, guitarist Romero Lubambo, and bassist Reginald Veal - in 2012 at the Internationale Jazzwoche Burghausen in Germany. The fifth goes way back to show her alongside a couple of other musicians from St. Louis, saxophonist David Sanborn and singer David Peaston, singing the T-Bone Walker blues standard "Stormy Monday" in 1988 on Sanborn's NBC program Night Music.

The final video is an extended interview with Reeves, recorded in 2017 in conjunction with her concert "Dianne Reeves Sings Ella" at the Library of Congress, in which she discusses her career and and her interpretations of Ella Fitzgerald's music.

For more about Dianne Reeves, read the review of her concert in march 2018 at Wigmore Hall in London; her 2017 interview with SoundExchange.com; and the feature story about her published in 2018 on the NEA's Arts.gov site.

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

Sunday Session: November 11, 2018

Charles Mingus

Here's a roundup of various music-related items of interest that have shown up in one of StLJN's various inboxes or feeds over the past week:

* Edgefest 2018: The Chicago Connection (AllAboutJazz.com)
* Release of Live Mingus Recordings to be Celebrated at Jazz Standard (DownBeat)
* A Great Day in Harlem, Revisited (Wall Street Journal)
* In Memoriam: Roy Hargrove (DownBeat)
* Blown away: will we miss the sweet sound of school recorders? (The Guardian)
* Myra Melford: Taking Flight Where Life Leads Her (NationalSawdust.org)
* Roy Hargrove 1969 – 2018 (Jazz Times)
* Everything Adds Up for Lorraine Feather (DownBeat)
* Novelist Jeff Jackson on the 4 Best Rock Chronicles You’ve Never Heard of (Vulture.com)
* Aretha Franklin doc ‘Amazing Grace’ to finally see the light (Associated Press)
* Engineer Al Schmitt on Winning 23 Grammys and Working With Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney & Steely Dan (Billboard)
* Has stadium rock been unplugged? (BBC)
* Inside the booming business of background music (The Guardian)
* Sound decision: Why studios still matter in the age of smart phones (Toledo Blade)
* Aaron Parks Crafts a New Context (DownBeat)
* Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz to be Renamed in 2019 (DownBeat)
* The Free Music Archive is closing this month (TheVerge.com)
* 26 Abandoned Discos (Flashbak.com)
* At Tampere Jazz Happening, History and Revolution (DownBeat)
* Guitar Center Unveils Remodeled Hollywood Store and How It Plans to Come Back From the Brink (Billboard)
* Spotify debuts an analytics service for music publishers (TechCrunch.com)
* L.A.’s air raid sirens are blaring this week. Why composer Lawrence English says you should listen (Los Angeles Times)
* Blanchard Premieres New, Poignant Commission in Cleveland (DownBeat)
* Eliot Zigmund: A Sideman Moves to the Front (Jazz Times)
* Cécile McLorin Salvant: Wide Open Window (Jazz Times)
* Dianne Reeves: Christmas Time Is Here (FYIMusicNews.ca)
* There Was No Song of the Summer This Year — and There Won't Be Ever Again (Rolling Stone)
* 'Mingus: Jazz In Detroit' Catches A Giant At A Moment Full Of Possibility (NPR)
* Monsters of Rock Criticism: Greil Marcus Interviews Robert Christgau (Rolling Stone)
* Bar Four: A Vibraphone Summit (Jazz Times)
* A Jazz Legend Out of the Shadows (IberiaNet.com)
* Tyshawn Sorey Unveils a 3-Disc Extravaganza (Jazz Times)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Following last week's launch of "Dianne Reeves: Define Your Voice," a new online video course from singer Dianne Reeves, pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio Network has announced another new course coming soon, "Fundamentals of Jazz Saxophone," as taught by alto saxophonist Steve Wilson.

(Thanks to OSN manager Dan Martin, StLJN readers can get a 10% discount on these two courses or any of OSN's other offerings by using the promo code STLJAZZ.)

The company this week also announced that Peter Martin will present a free online masterclass/webinar for beginning jazz pianists at 3:00 p.m. Thursday, July 12. For more information or to sign up, go here.

* Keyboardist David Garfield, who grew up on the east side and currently serves as touring keyboardist and music director for George Benson, will release his latest album Jammin’ Outside the Box on Friday, July 20 on his own Creatchy Records label.

The album (pictured) features Garfield's arrangements of songs by Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Adele, Sting, Aretha Franklin, Toto, Isley Brothers, Rufus, Minnie Riperton, Bobby Caldwell and Joe Sample, performed by an all-star cast that includes Benson, David Sanborn, Smokey Robinson, Michael McDonald, Ray Parker Jr., Kirk Whalum, Rick Braun, Marcus Miller, Paul Jackson Jr., Eric Marienthal, Tom Scott, Vinnie Colaiuta, Greg Phillinganes, Steve Jordan, and more, plus members of the Zac Brown Band, Steely Dan, Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers, Chicago, Toto and Tower of Power.

* The results of DownBeat magazine's annual Critics Poll are out, and among the winners this year is Miles Davis & John Coltrane, The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 in the "Historical Album" category. You can see all the poll results here.

* On a related note, the 83rd edition of DownBeat's Readers Poll is open now for online voting, and you can cast your ballot here.

* Singer and bassist/guitarist Tonina Saputo was profiled by KDHX's Allison Woodworth.

* A story from St. Louis Public Radio highlights four branches of St. Louis County Library that now are offering musical instruments for checkout by library patrons. Currently, there are more than 20 instruments available, including ukuleles, acoustic guitars, banjos and bongos, with plans to add more.

* Also from St. Louis Public Radio, teenage keyboardist Owen Ragland is the guest on the latest episode of the station's "Cut & Paste" podcast.

Sheldon Concert Hall announces 2018-19 season

The Sheldon Concert Hall has announced their season schedule for 2018-19.

Keyboardist Jon Batiste will kick off the hall's jazz subscription series on Saturday, October 20. Other concerts in the series will feature singer Dee Dee Bridgewater (pictured), performing music from her recent release paying tribute to Memphis soul (Saturday, November 17); singer Dianne Reeves (Saturday, February 9); and pianist Eliane Elias (Saturday, March 2).

In addition, saxophonist James Carter will return to perform with pianist Peter Martin's trio in a non-subscription "special concert" on Sunday, May 19.

The hall's "Coffee Concerts" series, presented on select Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, also will feature some musicians of potential interest to StLJN readers, including Cornet Chop Suey (October 9 & 10); singer Feyza Eren (November 13 & 14); and The Gaslight Squares (April 9 & 10), while the Saturday matinee series will include concerts from singer Anita Jackson (February 2) and guitarist Dan Rubright of the Wire Pilots (April 6).

Season tickets for the jazz series are $160 orchestra, $145 balcony; Coffee Concerts are $70 orchestra, $60 balcony; and Saturday Matinee tickets are $25 for adult subscriptions, $10 per child. New subscriptions will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Monday, May 14 and continue through the first concert in each series via the Sheldon's website or by phone at 314-533-9900.

Single tickets, which range in price from $30 to $50 for concerts in the jazz series, will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 11 at the Sheldon and all MetroTix outlets.

Jazz this week: Take 6, Tatsuya Nakatani, Bonerama, Xmas jazz around town, and more

It's going to be a busy few days for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, and though a couple of high-profile shows are sold out (or nearly so), there's still going to be plenty of music - holiday and other - available on local stages. Let's go to the highlights.

Wednesday, December 13
Acappella vocal group Take 6 returns for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro. The run of shows was described by Jazz St. Louis on Tuesday as "nearly sold out," so if you want to hear the multiple Grammy winners in the intimate confines of the Bistro, you'll definitely need to call ahead for advance reservations, and perhaps a bit of luck as well.

As an alternative, you can see a live video stream of Wednesday's shows in the first floor lounge on the west side of Jazz St. Louis HQ, available with no cover charge in conjunction with the free, weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl".

This week's crawl also features the Jazz Troubadours at The Stage at KDHX, plus the jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Also on Wednesday, the musical show "An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas" resumes its run,  continuing with performances through Sunday afternoon at the Playhouse at Westport Plaza.

Thursday, December 14
Singer Dianne Reeves, who had been scheduled to headline "Gospel Christmas: A Soulful Celebration" with the St. Louis Symphony at Powell Hall, announced on Thursday that she would be unable to perform due to an unspecified health issue. Simultaneously, the SLSO announced that the show would go on as scheduled, with St. Louis' own Brian Owens standing in for Reeves.

Also on Thursday, singer Erin Bode will be in Edwardsville for a holiday concert at the Wildey Theatre; guitarist Dave Black will play at The Pat Connolly Tavern; and trumpeter Keith Moyer and his quintet return to The Dark Room

Friday, December 15
Percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani (pictured, top left) will be back for what has become an annual convening here of his Gong Orchestra, in which he teams up with and trains a group of local musicians in specific techniques for each performance.  This year's edition, presented at the William A Kerr Foundation on the riverfront, will feature a solo percussion set by Nakatani, followed by the Gong Orchestra set with him and 14 collaborators from St. Louis.

Also on Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band kicks off their annual "Holiday Brasstravaganza" weekend at Off Broadway. As of this writing, a few tickets may remain for Friday, but the Saturday night show and a newly added, family friendly Saturday matinee are already sold out.

Elsewhere around town, the Original Knights of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; singer Feyza Eren performs at the house concert venue KindaBlue Club; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play vintage swing, jump blues and more at the Venice Cafe

Saturday, 
December 16
New Orleans' trombone-centric band Bonerama (pictured, bottom left) returns to perform at The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy.

Currently touring in support of their new album Hot Like Fire - their first release as part of a new deal with New Orleans' Basin Street Records - Bonerama have been regular visitors to St. Louis for most of this decade, playing at venues including the Old Rock House, Broadway Oyster Bar and The Sheldon. If you've missed out on their brass/funk/rock sound up until now, you can find our more and see some video samples of recent performances in this post from last Saturday. 

Also on Saturday, Wack-A-Doo returns to Evangeline's; saxophonist Dave Stone's trio will play at Thurman's in Shaw; and Miss Jubilee performs at the Casa Loma Ballroom .

Sunday, December 17
There's more holiday jazz in the offing, as the Oikos Ensemble presents "Jazz Noel: A Child is Born" at the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, while the Dave Dickey Big Band celebrates a "Big Band Christmas" with singer Anita Jackson and guest intermission performers, the North County HS Jazz Ensemble, at .ZACK in Grand Center.

Monday, December 18
Trumpeter Jim Manley plays his weekly Monday night gig at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, December 19
Still more holiday jazz on tap, as the Jazz St. Louis Big Band will play Duke Ellington's "Nutcracker" Suite (plus additional Ellingtonia) for the first of three nights at Jazz at the Bistro, and The 442s present their "Holiday Spectacular" at 560 Music Center

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

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

Jazz this week: Vijay Iyer Trio, Dianne Reeves, Tomeka Reid's Artifacts Trio, and more

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

Let's go to the highlights...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday Session: December 13, 2015

George Duke

For your Sunday reading, some interesting music-related items that have turned up recently in StlJN's inbox:

* Oscar Peterson To Be Honored with New Box Set, Concert, Reproducing Piano (Down Beat)
* Need Music For A Video? Jukedeck’s AI Composer Makes Cheap, Custom Soundtracks (TechCrunch.com)
* Bagels And Bongos: The Jewish-Latin Music Connection (Houston Public Media)
* A Photojournalist’s Most Prolific Period, Set to Jazz (Newsweek)
* Four Women: The Enduring Influence of Nina Simone (Jazz Times)
* Ringo Starr's Personal 'White Album' Sells for World Record $790,000 (Rolling Stone)
* Ten things I learned as a tour manager (London Jazz News)
* What Data Tells us about the 2015-16 Orchestra Season (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra)
* Turmoil in the Weird Karaoke Market (Priceonomics.com)
* How Casio accidentally started reggae's digital revolution (Engadget.com)
* The Velvet Underground in California (The New Yorker)
* The man behind the “Hamilton” sound: Hidden Beatles references, the “hip-hop horse” sample and why if “it’s all computerized, there’s no heart to it” (Salon.com)
* Scofield, Schneider, Alexander Nominated for Grammy Awards (Down Beat)
* It’s Jazz, Charlie Brown: The Vince Guaraldi Story (WFIU)
* 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' at 50: The Making of a Classic Soundtrack (Rolling Stone)
* Box Set Review: George Duke — The Era Will Prevail (Part One) (Musoscribe.com)
* The business of the blues isn't what it once was (Marketplace.org)
* Fourplay Celebrates Twenty-Five Years Together (DownBeat)
* 10 ways that Frank Sinatra changed the world (USA Today)
* Walk-Up Revolution: Royce Clayton's Pitch to Change MLB At-Bat Music (Rolling Stone)
* When Are People Going To Stop Proclaiming The Death of the CD? (FutureOfMusic.org)

Sunday Session: October 11, 2015

Erroll Garner

For your Sunday reading, here are some interesting music-related items that have hit StLJN's inbox over the past week:

* Rise of the Synthesizer: How an Electronics Whiz Kid Gave the 1980s Its Signature Sound (Collector's Weekly)
* Review: Erroll Garner - The Complete Concert by the Sea (Jazz Times)

* Max Richter breaks world records with radio performance of Sleep (FactMag.com)
* Should Composers Read Music Critics? (New Music Box)
* Why You Can Never Tune a Piano (OpenCulture.com)
* Legendary Jazz Club Uses Virtual Reality to Bring Concerts to Your Couch (Yahoo)
* Eavesdropping on Dianne Reeves and Christian McBride (Indianapolis Star)
* The new jazz age: New York City's jazz venue renaissance (The Guardian UK)
* Making waves: classical music and the rise of streaming (Gramophone UK)
* Interview with Fusion Trailblazer John McLaughlin (ProgressiveRockCentral.com)
* A Cover That Gave Jazz Lots of Soul (Wall Street Journal)
* Reel-to-reel tape is the new vinyl (TheVerge.com)
* Full Stack Music: 1 Trillion Streams, 200 Million Tickets (TechCrunch.com)
* Ethan Hawke’s Chet Baker Biopic ‘Born to Be Blue’ Sold to IFC (Variety)
* 10 Things Sun Ra Can Teach You About Band Leadership (SonicBids.com)
* Innovative Saxophonists Enliven Guelph Jazz Festival (DownBeat)

Jazz this week: The Wee Trio, Yellowjackets, Ronnie Burrage, Dianne Reeves & Peter Martin, Diana Krall, Ahleuchatistas, and more

It's a jam-packed week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, so much so that there's no time to even attempt a clever opening paragraph for this post. So let's go straight to the highlights...

Tonight, the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra presents "A Tribute to Maynard Ferguson" with guest soloist Jim Manley on trumpet at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Also tonight, The Wee Trio, featuring St. Louis native Dan Loomis on bass, is in town to support the release of their new album Live at the Bistro, and will perform at Jefferson College's Fine Arts Theatre, 1000 Viking Dr in Hillsboro.

However, if you can't make it to Jefferson County tonight, there's another chance to hear The Wee Trio on Wednesday night, as they're playing at the Viragh Center for the Arts, Chaminade College Prep, 425 S. Lindbergh Blvd.

Also on Wednesday, Yellowjackets will open the 2013-14 Jazz at the Bistro season with the first of four nights of performances at the club. The celebrated contemporary jazz group is touring in support of their new album A Rise In The Road and features a new member, bassist Felix Pastorius, son of legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius.

On Thursday, drummer and U. City native Ronnie Burrage, back in town to be inducted into the University City High School Hall of Fame, will perform at Robbie's House of Jazz in the first of his three gigs here this week.

That same evening, singer Dianne Reeves and pianist Peter Martin are the headliners for "Divas For a Cause 3," a benefit for the local not-for-profit organization Beyond Housing that will take place at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Fulfilling the event name's promise of multiple divas, St., Louis' own Denise Thimes and Erin Bode also will perform.

Also on Thursday, Italian pianist Antonio Figura will perform a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, supported by locals William Lenihan on bass and Steve Davis on drums.

On Friday, singer and pianist Diana Krall (pictured) returns to St. Louis for the first time since 2007, bringing her "Glad Rag Doll" tour to the Fox Theatre. The concert will feature music from Krall's latest album, which offers her interpretations of early jazz and pop music from the 1920s.

Also on Friday, Ronnie Burrage and Band Burrage will play the first of two nights at the Kranzberg Arts Center; singer Tony Viviano performs at Fortel's in Creve Coeur; and singer Feyza Eren will be at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

On Saturday afternoon, Yellowjackets saxophonist Bob Mintzer will present a free saxophone clinic and workshop at Saxquest.

Then on Saturday evening, the experimental/noise music duo Ahleuchatistas will headline a show at Schlafly St. Louis Brewery & Tap Room celebrating the fifth anniversary of the KDHX program "Wrong Division."

Also on Saturday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes perform at the Venice Cafe; singer and flute player Erika May and Friends will play at Robbie's House of Jazz; and singer Joe Mancuso and pianist Nick Schlueter will duet at the house concert venue KindaBlue Club, 6101 1/2 Idaho.

On Sunday, Miss Jubilee will be doing back-to-back shows in St. Charles, performing in the afternoon at Magpie's and in the evening at the Moonshine Blues Bar.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday The Bad Plus will take part in a free lunchtime presentation and discussion at the Tavern of Fine Arts, previewing their performance next week of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring; and "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective will play their monthly gig at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups.

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

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

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Fall 2013 jazz preview

Today, we offer part one of StLJN's 2013 fall jazz preview, with a look at some of the touring jazz and creative music performers who will be coming to St. Louis to perform in September.

First up is singer Roseanna Vitro, with an interpretation of "Mama Told Me Not To Come," the Randy Newman song that was a major pop hit in 1970 for Three Dog Night. She recorded it a couple of years ago as part of an entire album of Newman songs; this version comes from a performance in June 2011 at Jazz at Lincoln Center in NYC, with pianist Mark Soskin, violinist Sara Caswell, bassist Dean Johnson, and drummer Tim Horner. Vitro will perform with pianist Kim Portnoy's trio next Saturday, September 7 at Robbie's House of Jazz, and on Sunday, September 8 at SIUE's Meridian Ballroom as part of a concert paying tribute to the late DJ Ross Gentile.

Down below is singer Michael Buble, seen in full-on Rat Pack mode with an uptempo version of "Come Fly With Me" recorded a few years ago for a live DVD. Though Buble's new album moves more in the direction of pop and rock material, it seems likely that he'll still deliver a few swinging numbers along the same lines when he performs on Saturday, September 14 at the Scottrade Center.

Next, we see saxophonist Jeff Coffin and his band the Mu'tet performing "Move Your Rug" in May of this year at the Loveless Cafe in Nashville. Coffin will return to St. Louis on Friday, September 20 to play at The Gramophone.

Also on Friday, September 20, Johnny Boyd will perform for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom. The former lead singer of Indigo Swing is seen here crooning "My Baby Just Cares For Me" in a performance from December, 2012 in Pasadena, CA.

Below that, it's The Wee Trio with "Ranthem," recorded last year at MiraCosta College in Oceanside, CA. The composition by bassist and St. Louis native Dan Loomis is included on Live at the Bistro, the group's new album recorded in February here in St. Louis and set for release in September on their Bionic Records label. The Wee Trio's tour supporting the album's release will include two public performances in St. Louis, on Tuesday, September 22 at Jefferson College and Wednesday, September 23 at Chaminade College Prep.

Wednesday, September 23 is also when Yellowjackets will open Jazz St. Louis' 2013-14 season, performing two sets nightly through Saturday, September 27 at Jazz at the Bistro. Since their last visit here, the group has a new bassist, Felix Pastorius, and a brand new album, A Rise In The Road, that features their newest lineup. The clip seen here in the sixth position is a full set recorded in May 2012 for something called MüpArt, and though Pastorius at that point was still technically a substitute, rather than an official member, he can be heard in the video along with material from the new album.

Last but not least, it's singer Dianne Reeves, who's been a relatively frequent visitor here in recent years, thanks in part to her music director and pianist, St. Louis native Peter Martin. Reeves, Martin, Erin Bode and Denise Thimes all will perform on Friday, September 26 as part of the "Divas For A Cause 3" benefit for Beyond Housing at the Sheldon Concert Hall. This clip features Reeves doing a wordless piece dubbed "Tango Du Jour" that was recorded on International Jazz Day 2013 in Istanbul, backed by Hüsnü Şenlendirici (clarinet), Bilal Karaman (guitar), Zakir Hussain (tabla), James Genus (bass), and Terri Lyne Carrington (drums).

Look for part two of StLJN's fall 2013 jazz preview right here next week.

Dianne Reeves to headline benefit on Thursday, September 26 at The Sheldon

Singer Dianne Reeves will return to St. Louis to headline "Divas For A Cause 3," a benefit event for the local not-for-profit Beyond Housing, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, September 26 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Reeves (pictured), who last performed at the Sheldon in April of this year, will be accompanied by her longtime musical director, pianist and St. Louis native Peter Martin. Fulfilling the event title's promise of divas, plural, St. Louis-based vocalists Denise Thimes and Erin Bode also will perform.

Founded in 1975, Beyond Housing provides support and services to help low-income families reach their long-term goals.

Concert-only tickets for "Divas For A Cause 3" are $50 per person; for the concert and reception, it's $100 per person. A variety of sponsorship packages, starting at $250 and going all the way up to $10,000, also are available. For more information or to purchase tickets, see the Beyond Housing website.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: An evening with Dianne Reeves

Today, let's take a look at some videos of singer Dianne Reeves, who's coming back to St. Louis to perform next Saturday, April 27 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Reeves has been a frequent visitor here in recent years. She appeared at the Sheldon in December 2005 as part of a large cast of musicians at a post-Hurricane Katrina fund-raising benefit, and came back to headline at Washington University's Edison Theatre in May 2007. She was back at the Sheldon for another show in October 2008, and performed there most recently in February 2010 in a duo with her longtime pianist and music director, St. Louis' Peter Martin, to help him kick off his eponymous concert series at the hall.

Often to compared to the classic jazz singers of the 1940s, 50s and 60s, particularly Sarah Vaughan, Reeves was born in Detroit and raised in Denver as part of a musical family. (One especially notable relative is her cousin, pianist and composer George Duke.) At the age of 16, she sang with her high school big band at the National Association of Jazz Educators convention and attracted the attention of another St. Louisan, the great trumpeter Clark Terry, who became an early mentor.

After graduating from high school, Reeves moved to Los Angeles, where she met pianist Eduardo del Barrio and eventually began touring with his band Caldera. She continued to pay dues over the next few years by touring with pianist Billy Childs' band Night Flight, Sérgio Mendes, and Harry Belafonte before launching her solo career in the mid-1980s. Over the course of her career she's made dozen of appearances on record in support of others, and has released a total of 19 albums as a leader, including four that won Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Performance in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2006.

Today's video clips will show you some of what Reeves has been doing since her last visit here to St. Louis. Up above, you'll find the first part of her complete set from Jazzwoche Burghausen 2012, with parts two and three down below. In addition to Peter Martin on piano, Reeves' band on this gig included another musician from our area, East St. Louisan Terreon Gully on drums, as well as bassist Reginald Veal and guitarist Romero Lubambo.

Below that, you can see Reeves and the groups performing an arrangement of Gershwin's "Fascinating Rhythm" recorded last August with the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine at the Jazz in Marciac festival in France. (This is an audience-shot video, so the camera work is a little shaky but the sound is good.)

The fifth clip features an excerpt from another 2012 show, with Reeves, Lubambo and guitarist Russell Malone engaging in a bit of freeform vocal and guitar improvisation, then launching into a version of Reeves' song "Mista" that seems to owe a debt to bluesman John Lee Hooker. For the final clip, we go back in time a version of "Skylark" recorded in 2005 at Jazz Baltica that serves a nice showcase for the ballad stylings of both Reeves and Martin.

For more about Dianne Reeves, see this 2011 interview with Jazz Times, her page at NPR music, and this 2008 interview with radio station WBGO.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Winter/spring 2013 jazz preview, part 4

Today, it's the fourth and final part of our preview of touring jazz musicians who will be coming to St. Louis during the first few months of 2013. (Here's part 1, part 2 and part 3.)

The first clip up top is a short promotional video for the Monterey Jazz Festival 55th Anniversary All-Stars, who will perform on Friday, April 19 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center as part of the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival.

The group, which includes singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, bassist Christian McBride, pianist Benny Green, drummer Lewis Nash, saxophonist Chris Potter and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, is seen here doing Horace Silver's tune "Filthy McNasty" at Monterey Jazz Festival last September. Next week, they'll begin a 40-city tour through the USA that continues until the end of April, which means they'll have had three months of playing together - plenty of time to gel - before they get here.

Down below, it's the Doc Severinsen Big Band, who will play the final night of the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival on Saturday, April 20 at the Touhill. Most of the video of Severinsen that's available online is either quite old, dating from his days as bandleader for The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, or shows him playing with groups other than his own big band.

However, yr. humble editor was able to find a clip of Doc and his own large ensemble playing fellow Tonight Show alum Tommy Newsome's arrangement of "Sing, Sing, Sing" from a concert in March, 2012 concert in Alma, AR. This excerpt happens to spotlight the contribution of drummer Stockton Helbing, but if you'd like further demonstrations of Severinsen's prowess on the trumpet, just go here and start clicking.

Next, it's organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, who will team up with saxophonist James Carter to play Wednesday, April 24 through Saturday, April 27 at Jazz at the Bistro. Both men have played the Bistro before separately, and since one of Carter's preferred ensembles is an organ trio, it certainly seems like a logical and musically promising pairing.

This video of Smith shows him with his trio performing "Play It Back" during a gig last June in Delray Beach, FL. Just below that, there's a excerpt from the performance by Carter and his organ trio at the 2012 Newport Jazz Festival. It's a bootleg, shot clandestinely by an audience member, so the camera work is all over the place, but audio quality is good.

Carter and Smith will have a bit of competition for the final night of their gig at the Bistro, for that Saturday, April 27 is when singer Dianne Reeves will be back in town to perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Reeves sang at The Sheldon most recently back in 2010 in a duo with her pianist and music director, St. Louis' Peter Martin, as part of Martin's concert series at the venue. This time, she'll be performing with her full band as part of the Sheldon's jazz series, as she did in 2008.

Reeves is seen here in a excerpt from the 2012 TD Victoria Jazzfest, in which she performs a new addition to her live repertoire, an as-yet unnamed Spanish-flavored piece that features a wordless vocal and improvised account of the inspiration for the tune. Martin is on piano, and that's East St. Louis' own Terreon Gully on drums.

The next clip features guitarist and singer Lionel Loueke, who will be making his St. Louis debut as a leader Wednesday, May 8 through Saturday, May 11 at Jazz at the Bistro. Loueke, who's originally from the west African country Benin, first played here back in 2005 with Herbie Hancock at The Pageant. Though he was little-known in this country at that time, his solo career since then has really taken off around the world, thanks to three critically acclaimed albums on Blue Note Records. This video shows him performing "Freedom Dance" at an October 2012 show in Denver.

Jazz St. Louis will close out the Bistro's spring 2013 schedule of touring acts with another custom-assembled collaboration, bringing together singer/pianist Freddy Cole and saxophonist Harry Allen for a week of shows starting Wednesday, May 22 and continuing through Saturday, May 25. Cole, who turned 81 last year, has been a popular draw at the Bistro for years, and Allen, who's in his mid-40s but plays in a style that recalls the swing era, should be a fitting complement to his sound.

This latest clip of Cole shows him performing "It's Only A Paper Moon," a song closely associated with his brother Nat "King" Cole. Below that, today's final video features Allen playing "I'm In The Mood For Love" with pianist Rossano Sportiello, bassist Richard Simon and drummer Ed Metz in April, 2012 at the Atlanta Jazz Party.

Sheldon Concert Hall announces 2012-13 season schedule

The Sheldon Concert Hall has announced the 2012-13 schedule for its various season series.

As tipped earlier here on StLJN, the jazz subscription series will include a performance by trumpeter Arturo Sandoval on Saturday, October 6, while the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will offer their "Creole Christmas" show on Sunday, December 9 as a non-subscription "special concert." Other performers in the jazz series will include pianist Marcus Roberts (pictured) and his trio (Saturday, December 1); trumpeter and singer Jeremy Davenport (Saturday, February 2); and singer Dianne Reeves (Saturday, April 27).

The Sheldon's "Coffee Concert" series of mid-morning shows by local performers will include singer Dean Christopher's “Tribute to Frank Sinatra” (Tuesday, April 2 and Wednesday, April 3) and Cornet Chop Suey (Tuesday, May 7 and Wednesday, May 8). Also, the St. Louis Stompers will play special coffee concerts that are not part of the subscription series on Tuesday, October 30 and Wednesday, October 31.

Looking at the rest of the non-subscription special concerts, jazz listeners also may be interested in the hall's official 100th anniversary celebration on Thursday, October 11, which will feature a multi-genre lineup of musicians including pianist Peter Martin, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. as well as classical singer Christine Brewer, violinist David Halen and members of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra.

In addition, singer Sylvia McNair will return for the Sheldon's annual ArtSounds fundraiser on Friday, November 9, and singer Denise Thimes will team with guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli for a "special concert" on Friday, February 15.

So what's the takeaway here for St. Louis jazz fans? While one really can't criticize the musical quality or skills of the jazz performers booked for 2012-13, it's also a conservative, risk-averse lineup, both in terms of musical styles and with regard to the potential box office draw of the performers. Except for Sandoval, who last played St. Louis in 2006, and Roberts, the former Wynton Marsalis sideman who's had a lower touring profile since joining the faculty at Florida State University in 2004, all of the touring bands and musicians on the schedule already have played St. Louis during the last couple of years.

While the Martin/Marsalis/McBride/Owens combo would seem to offer some real potential for surprise, the fact that it's a one-off gig for a benefit show that will be shared with other performers imposes some serious constraints. Overall, the Sheldon remains a great place to play and hear music, but it's too bad that the current circumstances there seem to preclude offering audiences more jazz that's different, new, or just previously unheard here in St. Louis.

Single tickets for the jazz series shows are priced from $35 to $45, while Coffee Concert tickets are $12 and $15. Pricing for "special concerts' varies from $20 and $25 for Thimes and Pizzarelli to up to $500 for patron seats for the 100th anniversary and ArtSounds shows. Single tickets will go on sale at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, August 11. Season subscriptions go on sale at 10:00 a.m. May 14 via phone at 314-533-9900 or the Sheldon's website.

(Edited after posting to add a link.)