Sunday Session: December 20, 2020

Stanley Cowell

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

* “Up From the Streets: New Orleans: The City of Music” Documentary Debuts Today (Offbeat)
* A Marvelous Marble Machine for Making Music (Kottke.org)
* Art Tatum on V-Disc (Jazz Times)
* Sir Barry Gibb: 'Christmas songs haven't been appropriate for 50 years' (BBC)
* Watch Legendary Saxophonist Azar Lawrence Share His Favorite LPs (UDiscoverMusic.com)
* 50 Years Later, 'Feliz Navidad' Still Delivers On Its Bilingual Message (NPR)
* "My goal is to reach people on an emotional level" — The Kenny Barron interview (Ottawa Citizen)
* Danny Jonokuchi & The Revisionists Win Inaugural Count Basie Contest (DownBeat)
* An Examination of Black Coffee by Peggy Lee (Jazz Times)
* Brilliant Acting Makes ‘Ma Rainey’ A Transcendent Film (DownBeat)
* Chicago blues harmonica player Sugar Blue: Running one step ahead of the coronavirus around the world (Chicago Tribune)
* How Branford Marsalis recreated the perfectly imperfect style of 1920s blues for ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ (GoldDerby.com)
* In Memoriam: Jazz Night in America Remembers 10 Musicians Who Altered Shape Of Jazz (NPR)
* 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' composer Branford Marsalis says blues legend Rainey commanded attention (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
* The Mutual Musicians Foundation is fighting the gentrification of Jazz in Kansas City (ScalawagMagazine.org)
* Big Data will analyse the mystery of Beethoven's metronome (Phys.org)
* Stanley Cowell, Pianist, Composer and Educator with a Kaleidoscopic View of Jazz, Is Dead at 79 (WBGO)
* Nels Cline Double-Sizes The Singers (DownBeat)
* Jeff Clayton 1955–2020 (Jazz Times)
* Black Mystery School Pianists (New Music Box)
* Jeff Clayton, Versatile Saxophonist and Flutist, and Devoted Jazz Educator, Has Died at 66 (WBGO)
* A Christmas Waltz with Duke Ellington (Jazz Times)
* For midsized music venues, ‘thoughts & prayers’ won’t be enough (Buffalo News)
* Stanley Cowell, Pianist, Composer and Educator with a Kaleidoscopic View of Jazz, Is Dead at 79 (WBGO)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Clark Terry plays Duke Ellington

With live music in St. Louis shut down for at least a couple of months, this weekly feature - which frequently, though not exclusively, previews performances by jazz and creative music artists coming to town - will need a different focus for a while. While yr. humble editor isn't exactly sure right this minute what that will be, it likely will involve showcasing the work of St. Louis' own bands and musicians, with some sort of theme or unifying element to tie each post together.

In the meantime, after what has been a rough week for a lot a people, today's entry is essentially a visit with an old friend - trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry, who not only was a great musician, but who exemplified the sort of resilience and good humor that we could all use right about now. (This year also marks 100 years since Terry's birth, a subject which we will return to a later date.)

More specifically, today's topic is Terry's relationship with the music of Duke Ellington. It began, formally at least, in the 1950s when Terry played in Duke's orchestra, and continued for the rest of the trumpeter's life, as he included some Ellington works in just about every gig he played.

You can get a taste of that enduring relationship by perusing today's compilation of videos, which show Terry in three different musical settings - quartet, big band, and duo.

In the first video up above, Terry is playing Ellington's "Satin Doll" at a gig in April 1985 at Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen, Denmark, accompanied by pianist Duke Jordan, bassist Jimmy Woode, and drummer Svend Nørregaard. After the jump, you can see a performance of "Mood Indigo" from the same session.

Next, there's a clip of Terry's Big BAD Band from 1981, performing a new arrangement of Ellington's theme "Take The "A" Train" at a gig in France. (Look closely and you can spot a very young Branford Marsalis in the sax section.)

That's followed by a clip of Terry with the actual Ellington band, recorded in November 1958 as part of an Italian TV broadcast. The performance of "El Gato" features the entire Ellington trumpet section, which at the time included Terry, high-note specialist Cat Anderson, Ray Nance, and another St. Louis native, Harold "Shorty" Baker. While Anderson gets to do all the splashy high-register playing, all four men get a solo for a bit, and given that any one of them might have been considered the "star" of another band, it's a vivid reminder of the formidable stockpile of talent Ellington had in his orchestra at the time.

After that, there are two videos of duets by Terry and bassist Red Mitchell, recorded at a gig in 1987, in which they deliver more intimate versions of "Mood Indigo" and "Take The "A" Train."

Last but not least, there's an excerpt of an interview with Terry in which he talks about how he was recruited by Ellington and discusses their musical and personal relationship.

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

Jazz this week: Fred Frith, "A Very Manley Christmas," The Motet, and more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Jazz documentary film festival, part 2

With the schedule of touring jazz and creative musicians visiting St. Louis looking sparse for the next couple of weeks, this feature once again is back in "lazy summer" mode, setting aside the usual custom of previewing an upcoming concert to offer a mini-festival of jazz-related documentary films.

First up is Love You Madly, a documentary about Duke Ellington produced in 1965 for San Francisco public TV station KQED by famed jazz journalist, critic and author Ralph J. Gleason.

After the jump, you can see The Swing Thing, a BBC documentary from 2008 about the Swing Era.

That's followed by three films about three very different saxophonists, starting with Art Pepper: Notes from a Jazz Survivor, a critically acclaimed documentary from 1982 that offers an unflinching view of its subject.

That's followed by Jazz Goes To College, a BBC film from 1966 focusing on a performance by Stan Getz, and My First Name Is Maceo, the 1996 biographical film about jazz/funk saxophonist and former James Brown sideman Maceo Parker.

The final film is The Cry of Jazz, a 1959 documentary film by composer Ed Bland that "uses footage of Chicago's black neighborhoods and performances by Sun Ra and others to connect jazz to African American history."

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

Sunday Session: July 7, 2019

Duke Ellington

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

* Mo’ Fess: Professor Longhair’s band brings the magic back (Offbeat)
* Fight The Power: The Most Provocative Song Ever (BBC)
* The Lighthouse celebrates 70th year as bastion of jazz in Hermosa Beach (The Beach Reporter)
* Remembering American Roots Inspiration Delaney Bramlett (UDiscoverMusic.com)
* Ivan Conti’s Been Combining Jazz, Rock, Samba for Decade (DownBeat)
* Suzanne Ciani Gets Loud at the Library (Pro Sound News)
* Epidemic Sound raises $20M at a $370M valuation for its soundtrack music discovery and licensing platform (TechCrunch.com)
* The story of Duke Ellington’s Anatomy of a Murder score (Little White Lies)
* Rick Lawn: The Evolution of Big Band Sounds in America (AllAboutJazz.com)
* Spotify ends direct music uploads for indie artists (Engadget.com)
* Jazz Community Takes Action for Kenny Burrell (Jazz Times)
* Jimmie Vaughan: Emperor of Tone (Premier Guitar)
* Gibson Guitar Declares Shift In IP Enforcement After Most Recent Public Backlash (TechDirt.com)
* Stevie Wonder has ongoing medical issue but remains in 'great spirits,' friends say (Detroit Free Press)
* Stevie Wonder Announces Plans for Kidney Transplant Surgery: 'I Have a Donor, It’s All Good' (People)
* How music about space became music about drugs (MIT Technology Review)
* Dr. John: A Pianist’s Remembrance (Jazz Times)
* JazzTimes 10: Very Late Duke Ellington Albums (Jazz Times)
* João Gilberto, a pioneer of bossa nova, has died at 88 (CNN)

Jazz this week: Pedrito Martinez, Boney James, STL Free Jazz Collective, a New Music Circle "pop-up" concert, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis offers Afro-Cuban rhythms, smooth jazz with a backbeat, free improvisation, a tribute to one of the greatest composers and bandleaders in jazz, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...


Wednesday, April 24
Percussionist Pedrito Martinez brings his band to Jazz St. Louis for the first of five nights of performances, continuing through Sunday.

Born in Cuba and now based in NYC, Martinez (pictured, top left) has spent the past two decades lending his considerable talents to a variety of well-known jazz and pop performers, and in recent years has been getting more attention as a bandleader, too.

You can find out more about him and see some videos of his band in action in this post from Saturday before last.

Thursday, April 25
The 442s and Erin Bode will headline "Hope Happens - 15th Annual Evening of Hope," a benefit for the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders at Washington University School of Medicine, at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Also on Thursday, singer Jan Shapiro, pianist Dave Venn and bassist Ben Wheeler perform at the Ozark Theatre, and singer Chuck Flowers croons at Jazzy 159, a relatively new spot across the river in Fairview Heights.

Friday, April 26
Saxophonist Boney James still a popular favorite among those who enjoy jazz in the form of R&B- and funk-infused grooves, plays at The Pageant.

Though James (pictured, center left) hasn't released any new music since his most recent St. Louis appearance at the Gateway Jazz Festival last summer, fans no doubt will relish the opportunity to hear a full-length show while seeing him up close.

You can see him on video performing some of the material from his most recent album, 2017's Honestly, in this post from last Saturday.

Elsewhere around town, the Hot Club of St Louis, a new group featuring guitarists Joe Park and Paul Davis, violinist/guitarist Christopher Voelker, and bassist Willem von Hombracht, will make their debut playing Gypsy jazz and vintage swing at Focal Point; and Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson return to Parkside Grille.

Also on Saturday, out west in Union, MO the Dave Dickey Big Band will headline the East Central College Jazz Festival at Anglin Performing Arts Center on the ECC campus.

Saturday, April 27
In their first performance since the passing of one of their founding members, poet Michael Castro, the STL Free Jazz Collective (pictured, bottom left) is inviting other poets to sit in with them for a concert at Link Auditorium in the Central West End.

Also on Saturday, the Funky Butt Brass Band returns for their monthly gig at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Sunday, April 28
In what they're caling a "pop-up" show, New Music Circle has a last-minute addition to their 60th season schedule, presenting an concert of improvised music by trombonist Steve Swell, percussionist Michael Zerang, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and saxophonist Gebhard Ullmann at Foam.

Monday, April 29
Pianist Christopher Parrish leads a quartet celebrating the legendary pianist, composer and bandleader with a show called "Duke Ellington's 120th Birthday: Ellington Plugged In" at Focal Point.

Tuesday, April 30
Trumpeter Jim Manley and keyboardist Chris Swan return to Evangeline's.

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

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

Jazz this week: Harry Connick Jr, Take 6, "A Very Manley Christmas" and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features one last round of holiday music performances, including shows from two noteworthy touring headliners, plus some local favorites.

Let's go to the highlights...


Wednesday, December 19
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band will present the final two performances this year of Ellington's "Nutcracker" at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Wednesday, Cabaret Project of St. Louis has their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club; and the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features the Jazz Troubadors at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session hosted by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at The Dark Room.

Thursday, December 20
Pianist and singer Harry Connick Jr. (pictured, top left) celebrates this holidays New Orleans style at the Stifel Theatre; vocal group Take 6 teams up with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for the standing-room-only "A Gospel Christmas" at Powell Hall; and singer and impressionist Dean Christopher presents a "Rat Pack Christmas" at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Friday, 
December 21
Trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured, bottom left) and his Mad Brass and Rhythm band present "A Very Manley Christmas" for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, singer Tony Viviano and band will perform seasonal favorites and more at  Table Three; keyboardist Owen Ragland's quintet plays at The Dark Room; and pianist Adam Maness' trio plus singer Malena Smith will be back at Sophie's Artist Lounge.

Saturday, December 22
Musicians including Webster Groves High School band director Kevin Cole, multi-instrumentalist Kevin Mitchell and friends will perform in a late-afternoon matinee benefit for the WGHS jazz band at Hwy 61 Roadhouse in Webster.

Saturday evening, piano and cello duo HämmerString plays at Evangeline's, and saxophonist Dave Stone and his trio will be at Thurman's in Shaw.

Sunday, December 23
Miss Jubilee performs for brunch at Evangeline's, while mandolinist Knez Jackovac and band are playing at The Dark Room.

Then on Sunday evening, there's one last chance for the year to hear some holiday-themed jazz, from singer Anita Jackson at The Dark Room.

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 16, 2018

Nancy Wilson

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:

* American Pop Music No Longer The Global King, But Its Christmas Music Can't Be Beat (Forbes.com)
* The Untold Labor That Helped Make Charlie Chaplin’s Film Scores (The Atlantic)
* Michael League: Snarky Puppy's Jazz-Schooled, Grassroots Visionary (AllAboutJazz.com)
* John Scofield: Old and New Inspirations (DownBeat)
* Blood on the Tracks: How Bob Dylan Birthed Bootleg Culture (ConsequenceOfSound.net)
* Jason Moran offers sublime tribute to WWI hero and ragtime pioneer James Reese Europe (Washington Post)
* Charles Lloyd is not into ‘ageism.’ The musician still loves touring at 80 (Durham Herald-Sun)
* The Wild Story Behind Aretha Franklin’s Long-Delayed Documentary (Vulture.com)
* Dave Douglas Interview (BurningAmbulance.com)
* We Jazz Festival Fosters Surprise and Discovery in Helsinki (DownBeat)
* Rediscovered Duke Ellington Film to Be Reshown After More Than 50 Years (Jazz Times)
* In a world of ‘algorithmic culture,’ music critics fight for relevance (Columbia Journalism Review)
* Wayne Shorter: How the Future Would Be (Stereophile)
* Streambait Pop - The emergence of a total Spotify genre (TheBaffler.com)
* Interview with Billy Cobham – Crosswinds and more! (Jazz in Europe)
* WFMU’s Free Music Archive Is Saved, Moving to New Home (Pitchfork.com)
* Donny McCaslin: In a Different Place (Jazz Times)
* Is It Important To Own Music? (Offbeat)
* The Cure, Janet Jackson, Radiohead Among Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees For 2019 (NPR)
* John Coltrane’s Giant Steps and My Favorite Things Earn Gold Status (Jazz Times)
* Nancy Wilson, Legendary Vocalist And NPR 'Jazz Profiles' Host, Dies At 81 (NPR)
* Placemakers: Why Midsize Cities Are the Next Music Hubs (Hypebot.com)
* Van Morrison Discusses How Music Used to Be More Spontaneous and Communal (The New Yorker)
* Photographer Spends 10 Years Tracking Down The Original Locations Of Vinyl Covers (Demilked.com)
* 15 Saxophone Albums You Should Hear (SFJAZZ.ORG)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Two new releases of previously unheard live recordings helped guitarist and St. Louis native Grant Green make the cover (pictured) of the July/August 2018 issue of Jazz Times nearly 40 years after his death.

Though the article about Green isn't online (yet), the magazine is on sale now, and they're also conducting an online poll asking readers to name their favorite Grant Green album.

* St. Louis native Mark Colenburg is profiled in the August 2018 issue of Modern Drummer magazine.

* Colenburg also will be one of the featured clinicians at the Australia Ultimate Drummer's Weekend, held August 25 & 26 in Victoria, Australia.

* Singer Denise Thimes, who recently moved from St. Louis to Chicago, is the subject of a brief profile by the Chicago Tribune's Howard Reich. 

* Here's a review of trumpeter Keyon Harrold's performance at last weekend's Love Supreme festival in England.

* The Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis has posted to YouTube a video of a performance by violinist Regina Carter and pianist Peter Martin at the 2018 St. Louis Arts Awards.

* Bassist Darin Gray has collaborated with Japanese singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Eiko Ishibashi on a new album, Ichida, which will be released on Friday, July 20 by the Black Truffle label.

* St. Louis photographer Tiffany Sutton last week launched a crowd-funding campaign for "Black, Brown and Beige," a series of portraits inspired by the Duke Ellington suite of the same name. Her plans also include an exhibition of the photos with a choir performing Ellington's music for the exhibit's opening. Find out more and, if you wish, donate at the project's GoFundMe page.

Jazz this week: John Scofield & Joe Lovano, Julian Vaughn, Eddie Gomez Trio, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the reunion tour of two major jazz stars; a rare visit from a famed bassist; a couple of tributes to Duke Ellington; and plenty of other sounds ranging from vintage to experimental. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, April 25
Guitarist John Scofield and saxophonist Joe Lovano (pictured, top left) bring their quartet to Jazz at the Bistro for the first of four nights, continuing through Saturday.

Though their musical relationship goes back to the early 1990s, Scofield and Lovano both are so busy with their own projects that they've only been able to tour together occasionally, with their most recent reunion before this one coming in 2015. You can see some videos of performances from that tour and read more about them in this post from last Saturday.

Thursday, April 26
Pianist Ptah Williams, who usually plays on Fridays at The Dark Room, also will be there on Thursday this week, performing the music of George Gershwin and recording a promotional video for a prospective tour featuring Gershwin's songs.

Also on Thursday, the Bruxism experimental music series continues with a three-act bill of Popular Housing, Azaleas and Ron S. at the Schlafly Tap Room; and the Adam Maness Trio is back at Thurman's in Shaw.

Friday, April 27
Bassist Julian Vaughn, a Kansas City native who works mostly in smooth jazz and R&B styles, will perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall, with St. Louis' Tim Cunningham opening.

Also on Friday, trumpeter Randy Holmes convenes a quintet and a ten-piece band for his  "2nd Annual Duke Ellington Birthday Tribute" at the Ozark Theatre (which seems to have abandoned, at least for the time being, its attempt to re-brand as the "Webster Groves Concert Hall").

Elsewhere around town, the Hard Bop Messengers spread the gospel of Blakey, Silver et al at Evangeline's; saxophonist Harvey Lockhart returns to The Dark Room; and saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet is substituting this week for Dave Stone on his long-running gig at Mangia Italiano.

Saturday, April 28
The People's Key will play a mid-day matinee at the Sheldon Concert Hall; and drummer Kyle Honeycutt leads a trio at Thurman's in Shaw.

Sunday, April 29
Bassist Eddie Gomez (pictured, bottom left) will lead a trio with pianist and drummer Rodrigo Villanueva at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Now 73 years old, Gomez still may be best known for spending more than a decade near the start of his career with the late pianist Bill Evans' trio. Over the ensuing years, he's also released more than dozen albums as a leader and has performed and recorded with many other notable jazz musicians, including Chick Corea, JoAnne Brackeen, Jeremy Steig, Steps Ahead, and many more.

Given that it's a chance to see a musician of Gomez' stature in an intimate venue (and the fact that, as best as can be determined, he's never played here before as a bandleader), this definitely is StLJN's pick for the "sleeper" show of the week.

Also on Sunday, pianist Christopher Parrish leads an octet for "Duke Ellington’s 119th Birthday Celebration" at Focal Point, and the students in Jazz St. Louis' JazzU Big Band will perform at Jazz at the Bistro.

Monday, April 30
Kosi, an NYC-based singer who cites Abbey Lincoln and Nina Simone as influences, will perform at Evangeline's; "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective return to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups and guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran is back at Yaquis on Cherokee.

Tuesday, May 1
Drummer Montez Coleman and saxophonist Eric Slaughter host "The Tuesday Night Hit" jam session at The Dark Room/

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: Ellington's "Nutcracker, "A Very Manley Christmas," and more

Although most touring jazz and creative music performers now are off the road until the holiday season is over, there's still some noteworthy music - holiday and otherwise - to be heard this week, thanks to our local St. Louis musicians and singers.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 20
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band continues their presentation of Duke Ellington's adapation of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" plus additional Ellingtonia through Thursday night at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Wednesday, singer Joe Mancuso continues at Taha'a Twisted Tiki; singer Feyza Eren returns to Evangeline's; and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Thursday, December 21
Guitarist Stuart Johnson plays for diners at The Shaved Duck; Cabaret Project St. Louis presents a holiday edition of their "Broadway Open Mic" at the Curtain Call Lounge; and bassist Chano Cruz leads a trio at The Dark Room

Friday, December 22
Trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured) convenes his Mad Brass & Rhythm septet for the first of two nights of "A Very Manley Christmas" at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Friday, the Big Little Big Band with vocalist Steve Shininger will present a "Frank Sinatra Christmas" at The Abbey Espresso Bar & Cafe in Belleville.

Saturday, December 23
If you haven't had your fill of holiday music yet, there's one last chance, as Webster Groves Christian Church presents “A Jazz and Choral Christmas” with Two Times True and the church's Chancel Choir, and the Yule Vibe Trio, with guitarist Tom Byrne, percussionist Joe Pastor, and bassist Bob DeBoo, plays at the KindaBlue Club.

Also on Saturday, multi-intrumentalist Joe Bozzi and his band return to Evangeline's, and drummer Chuck Kennedy has put together a "Christmas Eve Eve Jam Session" at Mike Duffy's in downtown Kirkwood.

Sunday, December 24
Miss Jubilee performs for jazz brunch at Evangeline's, while drummer Montez Coleman and friends play at The Dark Room.

Tuesday, December 26
Saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective play their last gig of the year at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soup. 

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: John Wiese, "Duke Ellington and Film," Weather Forever, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a concert of music written for the movies by one of the greatest composers and bandleaders in jazz; a tribute to two of the most successful bands in jazz/fusion; a brand-new work created by a St. Louis expat for more than 20 local musicians, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 8
Jazz St Louis presents "Duke Ellington and Film," a free event at Jazz at the Bistro featuring Dr. John Hasse, who's the curator of American music at the Smithsonian Institute, and the Jazz St. Louis Big Band.

Hasse will give a presentation about Ellington's involvement with movies, and then the band will play some of the music the maestro wrote for films such as Anatomy of a Murder, the musical short Black and Tan Fantasy, Check and Double Check, Paris Blues, and Assault on a Queen.

Also in Grand Center, the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features cornetist TJ Muller at The Stage at KDHX, a jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, November 9
New Music Circle presents one of several free events this week involving electronic musician, composer, multi-media artist and St. Louis native John Wiese (pictured), screening nine short films by Wiese at the Moolah Theatre and Lounge.

Also on Thursday, bassist and educator Jim Widner's big band will play at the Bistro; and the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University presents a free concert from singer Joe Mancuso's trio plus guest saxophonist Freddie Washington.

Friday, November 10
The 1970s jazz/fusion tribute Weather Forever returns for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro; the Funky Butt Brass Band will play their monthly show at Broadway Oyster Bar; and pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson will perform at the Parkside Grill.

Saturday, November 11
Wrapping up his New Music Circle residency, John Wiese will lead a cast of more than 20 local musicians in a new, site-specific work created for this performance at University Theatre in St. Louis University's Xavier Hall. You can find out more about Wiese and see video of some of his solo performances in this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Also on Saturday, singer Tony Viviano will offer a tribute to military veterans at Candicci's; and the Gaslight Cabaret Festival wraps up their fall series with a sold-out show featuring singer and Tony Award-nominated actress Emily Skinner doing "Broadway Her Way" at the Gaslight Theater. (Though the show is sold out, you can get on the wait list for notifications of any last-minute ticket availability by sending an email to sales@licketytix.com.)

Sunday, November 12
Enjoy some jazz with your brunch, either from Miss Jubilee at Evangeline's or The BonBon Plot at The Dark Room.

Monday, November 13
Webster University's student jazz combos will show off what they've learned this semester in a concert at the Community Music School, 535 Garden Ave in Webster Groves.

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 St. Louis adds shows to Bistro schedule

Jazz St. Louis has announced nine more events for the 2017-18 season at Jazz at the Bistro, filling in some gaps in the previously-announced schedule for the fall and adding one more headliner in the spring.

Three of the shows are co-productions with Cabaret Project of St. Louis, as the two organizations will team up to present singer and actor Kyle Dean Massey on Wednesday, September 27 and Thursday, September 28; actor, singer and Bellevile native Lea DeLaria (pictured), who will make her debut at the Bistro with shows on Wednesday, December 27 and Thursday, December 28; and Marilyn Maye, the 89-year-old known as the "grand dame of cabaret," on Wednesday, March 7 and Thursday, March 8.

Three other newly-scheduled events will pay tribute to jazz greats.

Drummer Montez Coleman will helm "The Art of Blakey," a celebration of the iconic drummer and his Jazz Messengers, on Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 10, joined by saxophonist Ben Reece, trumpeter Danny Campbell, bassist Bob DeBoo, and pianist Adam Maness.

Coleman, DeBoo and Maness then will return the following month for a "Thelonious Monk Centennial" tribute on Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26.

Then on Wednesday, November 5, a free event titled "Duke Ellington and Film" will examine Ellington's music for film and his onscreen appearances via a talk by John Edward Hasse, curator of American music at the Smithsonian Institute, and a performance from the Jazz St. Louis Big Band.

Also added to the fall schedule are a performance by the JazzU Big Band student ensemble on Sunday, October 29, and return dates for the 1970s jazz-fusion tribute Weather Forever on Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11, and trumpeter Jim Manley's holiday show "A Very Manley Christmas" on Friday, December 22 and Saturday, December 23 .

Tickets for all these shows are available now via the Jazz St. Louis website.

Sunday Session: August 27, 2017

DeeDee Bridgewater

Here's the roundup of various music-related items of interest that have appeared in StLJN's inbox over the past week:

* How Did Pop Music Get So Slow? (Rolling Stone)
* Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, and One Night in New York City (The New Yorker)
* Where Have All the V Chords Gone? The Decline of ‘Functional’ Harmony in Pop (Soundfly.com)
* Sing Your Heart Out (Tedium.co)
* Monk and Coltrane Return to Vinyl - A Conversation with Producer Nick Phillips (PopMatters.com)
* PODCAST INTERVIEW: Martin Pearson (sound engineer for Swiss Radio and for Keith Jarrett) (London Jazz News)
* The Man-Machine: How bio-hacking can change the future of music (FactMag.com)
* Opinionated and Unpredictable: Louis Armstrong as music critic (Offbeat)
* YouTube Says It Pays $3 for Every 1,000 Views. A Musician Says He’s Making 1/50th of That. (DigitalMusicNews.com)
* As Jazz Fest Looks At 50, What Keeps It Alive? (NPR)
* Jack DeJohnette Recalls Stint in Bill Evans’ Trio (DownBeat)
* Q&A with Dee Dee Bridgewater: Memories of Memphis (DownBeat)
* John Abercrombie, Wry And Exploratory Jazz Guitarist, Dies At 72 (NPR)
* John Abercrombie, Guitarist and Composer, Dies - Inventive guitarist recorded over 60 albums as a leader or co-leader (Jazz Times)
* Forebears: Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The Godmother Of Rock 'N' Roll (NPR)
* The 200 Best Albums of the 1960s (Pitchfork.com)
* Inside One Montreal Music Festival's (Unfortunately Rare) Dedication To Sound (NPR)
* Cécile McLorin Salvant looks for the contradictions in jazz (Los Angeles Times)
* Sounds Great! But It Sounds Very Familiar . . . Where to Draw the Line on Digital Sampling of Sound Recordings? (NOVA.edu)
* Alice Coltrane’s Songs of Bliss (New York Review of Books)
* Herbie Hancock and Kamasi Washington cross the generational divide at the Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles Times)
* Why Are So Many Bands Surprising Fans With Snail Mail This Year? (Stereogum.com)
* Did Technology Kill Your Local Music Scene? (HypeBot.com)
* Kenny Barron revels in the never-ending jazz journey (San Jose Mercury-News)
* Former Village Voice Editors And Writers Remember Its Outsized Impact On Music (NPR)
* The 50 Greatest Jazz Drummers Of All Time (UDiscoverMusic.com)
* Vijay Iyer On Jazz's 'History Of Defiance,' His Influences And Playing In A Sextet (NPR)

Sunday Session: March 26, 2017

Lee Morgan

Here are some interesting music-related items that have landed in StLJN's inbox over the past week:

* How Spotify is finally gaining leverage over record labels (TechCrunch.com)
* Chuck Berry's Family Move Forward With Planned 'Chuck' LP (Rolling Stone)
* That Time Chuck Berry Punched Keith Richards in the Face (Guitar World)
* Chuck Berry's Guitarist Billy Peek Looks Back on 50 Years of Music and Friendship (Billboard)
* How Chuck Berry's Hometown St. Louis Inspired -- and Embittered -- Him (Billboard)
* Business-Savvy Chuck Berry Left Behind An Estimated $50 Million Estate (Billboard)
* Q&A with Dan Brubeck: Exploring Dad’s Songbook (DownBeat)
* Splitting Adams: John Adams' Chamber Symphonies (WQXR)
* Vision Festival 22 Lineup Announced (Jazz Times)
* Detroit Jazz Fest Names Wayne Shorter Artist-in-Residence (DownBeat)
* Rob Mazurek: The Aquarium Drunkard Interview (AquariumDrunkard.com)
* Back when pop music was literary (The-TLS.co.uk)
* Is Texas, not Mississippi, the true home of the blues? (ABC.net.au)
* Cracking the Columbia Records Code (AnalogPlanet.com)
* Q&A with Gary Burton: A Fond Farewell (DownBeat)
* Inside Kamasi Washington's New Ode to Unity (Rolling Stone)
* Bob Dylan Talks Amy Winehouse, Leonard Cohen, Much More in Rare, Extensive Interview (Pitchfork)
* The Most Expensive Record Never Sold (NPR)
* From 'Hamilton' to Jazz at Lincoln Center: 10 Music Projects You Have the NEA to Thank For (Billboard)
* How Weather Report Rewrote the Rules of Jazz on ‘Heavy Weather’ (Observer.com)
* Muldrow Meets Mingus (NPR)
* Perspectives on music-making in a hyper-connected world (Ableton.com)
* Duke Ellington’s Faith (FirstThings.com)
* Q&A: Making sense of music through math (CBC)
* 'I Called Him Morgan' Is A Tale Of Marriage, Murder And Jazz, Told From Two Sides (WBGO)
* Stop Everything and Behold this Mini Art Deco Telephone Jukebox circa 1935 (MessyNessyChic.com)
* The Unofficial History of Home Recording: Big Hits from Bedroom Studios (SonicScoop.com)

Jazz this week: Emmet Cohen, Madeleine Peyroux, Victor Wooten, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the local debut of a promising young pianist, a festival of student big bands, return appearances from a jazz-influenced singer and a virtuoso electric bassist, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, March 22
The NYC-based pianist Emmet Cohen will perform at the Curtain Call Lounge with his trio, which customarily features bassist Russell Hall, of the house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and drummer Kyle Poole.

Praised by DownBeat for his “kaleidoscopic sense of musical narrative,” Cohen (pictured, top left) has played at jazz festivals including Monterey, Newport, North Sea, Bern, and Edinburgh, and performed, recorded or collaborated with Christian McBride, Herlin Riley, Kurt Elling, Billy Hart, Jimmy Heath, Brian Lynch, Lea DeLaria, and many others. His most recent album Masters Legacy Series, Vol. 1 features legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb, the only surviving musician from Miles Davis' Kind of Blue.

Note also that in addition to his free gig Wednesday as part of the Grand Center Jazz Crawl, Cohen and his trio also will perform in a ticketed concert on Thursday night at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Also on Wednesday, pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson will open a two-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro.

Thursday, March 23
With Washington University students back on campus after spring break, the Jazz at Holmes series will present a free concert featuring pianist Ken Kehner, accompanied by William Lenihan on bass and Montez Coleman on drums.

Friday, March 24
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will host the "Essentially Ellington" Regional Festival at Dunham Hall on the SIUE campus. Affiliate with the similarly named annual event at NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center. The day-long festival will culminate in a public concert featuring performances from the participating high school bands; clinicians Zeb Briskovich, Rick Haydon, Adaron Jackson, Garrett Schmidt, Jason Swagler, and Miles Vandiver; and the SIUE Concert Jazz Band.

Also on Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band will open a two-night gig at Jazz at the Bistro; the Midwest Jazz-tette returns to Evangeline's; and singer and impressionist Dean Christopher brings his "Rat Pack & More" show to the Kinda Blue Club.

Saturday, March 25
Pianist James Matthews plays an early-evening show at the Palomino Lounge, and singer Joe Mancuso, guitarist Dave Black and multi-instrumentalist R. Scott Bryan will team up for a concert at Focal Point.

Sunday, March 26
Miss Jubilee plays for brunch at Evangeline's, and the Folk School of KDHX will present their monthly matinee Traditional Jazz Jam Session.

Then on Sunday evening, singer and guitarist Madeleine Peyroux returns for two shows at the Old Rock House.

Squeezing this date into a brief break in her joint tour with singer Rickie Lee Jones, Peyroux (pictured, center left) will be accompanied by Steely Dan guitarist Jon Herington and Israeli-born bassist Barak Mori, performing a variety of music from her catalog including songs from her most recent release, 2016's Secular Hymns.

Also on Sunday evening, the Williams Brothers - trumpeter Joshua, saxophonist Jo-e’l, and pianist Jaydon - will perform together for a one-nighter at Jazz at the Bistro.

Monday, March 27
Dizzy Atmosphere plays Gypsy jazz and swing for diners at The Shaved Duck, and Webster University's student jazz combos will show off what they've learned so far this year in a free concert at Webster's Community Music School.

Tuesday, March 28
Bassist Victor Wooten (pictured, bottom left) returns for a performance with his trio, featuring the great drummer Dennis Chambers and saxophonist Bob Franceschini, at the Old Rock House.

The bass virtuoso, who made his name as a member of banjo player Bela Fleck's band the Flecktones, has been touring with this lineup since the end of last year, so they should be in fine form by the time they reach St. Louis.

Also on Tuesday, the Washington University Jazz Band, directed by Chris Becker, performs at Jazz at the Bistro; and BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups has a jazz double-header, with percussionist Joe Pastor's Legacy Jazz Ensemble playing in the early evening, followed by saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective.

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.)