"All That Tap XXIII" set for Saturday, August 2 at Edison Theatre

Jazz fans and musicians historically have taken an interest in tap dancing, as the two art forms evolved in parallel, often sharing the same dance halls and theaters, during the middle of the 20th century. Famed drummer Buddy Rich actually started his show business career as a child tap dancer, and other jazz drummers, including Max Roach and Louis Bellson, have been tap dancers, or at least tap fans, too.

Here in present-day St. Louis, the connection between jazz and tap will be demonstrated for local enthusiasts once again during "All That Tap XXIII," the grand finale of the week-long St. Louis Tap Festival that will take place at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, August 2 at the Edison Theatre.

Pianist Carolbeth True's trio will provide the music for a cast of dancers including the festival's founder, Robert L. Reed (pictured); Emmy Award-winning choreographer Jason Samuels Smith; dancer and author Karen Callaway Williams; the Israeli dance team of Avi Miller and Ofer Ben; Reed’s protégé Logan Miller; multi-media choreographer Bob Audy; Evan Ruggiero; Maud and Chloe Arnold, who were featured on this past season of the Fox network's So You Think You Can Dance; Martin 'Tre' Dumas III; and Megan Maltos.

(If you'd like to know more about the connections between jazz and tap dancing, check out the links here, here, here and here.)

Audiences also are invited to attend some of the Festival's other special events held throughout the week of July 28 at the Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel, including the annual "Tap Jam," a free event at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 30; a free panel discussion at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, July 31; and the annual "Participants Showcase," which has a $5 admission charge, at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, August 1.

Tickets for "All That Tap XXIII" are $25 each and are on sale now at the Edison box office and online.

Jazz this week: Tiempo Libre, Eric Person, Musica Slesa, and more

Once again, there's a varied selection of jazz and creative music on tap this weekend in St. Louis, and time is short, so let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, there's a memorial for Blake Travis at the Sheldon Concert Hall, the first of two events this week honoring the late percussionist, singer and storyteller.

Though Travis didn't usually work in the jazz idiom per se, he played with all sorts of St. Louis musicians over the course of his career, and many of them, including pianist Carolbeth True and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman, will gather tonight to pay tribute to him. The roster of performers also will include Lydia Ruffin, Tom Hall, Lisa Campbell, Tim Albert, the Road Apples, January Kiefer, Barton and Sweeney, Charlie Pfeffer, John Higgins and Colleen Heine.

This evening also is the first preview performance for the Black Rep's production of the Louis Jordan musical Five Guys Named Moe, which runs at the Grandel Theatre through April 25. For more about the show, see this post.

On Thursday, pianist Kara Baldus and her group will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Then on Friday, the weekend takes on a distinct Latin flavor as the Miami-based band Tiempo Libre (pictured) brings their mix of jazz and Cuban rhythms to Washington University's Edison Theatre. For more about Tiempo Libre and some video of them in action, see this post from Saturday.

Meanwhile, a few miles to the east, the St. Louis-based Latin jazz band Musica Slesa will open a weekend stand at Jazz at the Bistro. Jazz St. Louis' Bob Bennett tells me that Musica Slesa has proved to be a good draw at the Bistro, and you can hear samples of their music on their MySpace page.

Also on Friday, the performance space Open Lot has a triple bill of ambient/noise music, featuring electronic musician Kyle Parker a.k.a. Infinite Body, the tape loops and guitar of Earn, and music and 8mm film from Ghost Ice.

On Saturday afternoon, drummer Jerome "Scrooge" Harris and his band will play the music of Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter at the Metropolitan Gallery as part of the Nu-Art Series' jazz composers shows. Saturday evening will provide a double dose of swinging vocals, as Jeanne Trevor performs at Robbie's House of Jazz and Denise Thimes takes the stage at Harris-Stowe State University in a benefit concert for the Delta Child Development Center.

On Sunday, saxophonist Eric Person is back in town to headline a show paying tribute to (and raising funds for) his father Thomas Person, who's recovering from a stroke. The event at the Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., will get started at 4:00 p.m. with a jam session, followed by sets featuring Philip Gomez, Ed Nicholson, Person and pianist Ptah Williams, and Willem Von Hombracht's X-tet.

Also on Sunday, there will be a "jazz funeral" for Blake Travis at the Schlafly Tap Room, with music from the Funky Butt Brass Band and others.

For more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, 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 by becoming a "fan" of 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, Eliane Elias, Jeff Coffin, ScrapArts Percussion, and more

This week brings a number of potentially interesting jazz and creative music performances to St. Louis, so let's go straight to the highlights:

Tonight, pianist Vijay Iyer (pictured) opens a four-night stand continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Iyer will be making his St. Louis debut as the man of the moment with jazz critics and fans, as his most recent CD Historicity has emerged as a consensus choice as one of 2009's best. For more on Iyer, check out this video post from a few Saturdays back; this interview from Jazz St. Louis' podcast series; and this interview published last weekend in the Post-Dispatch.

On Thursday, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University resumes for the winter/spring semester with a free concert by guitarist Matthew Von Doran, backed by drummer Steve Davis and bassist Bob DeBoo.

Then on Friday, the versatile saxophonist Jeff Coffin, who's known for his work with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and the Dave Matthews Band, will bring his own band the Mu'Tet and their their brand of jam-band jazz to 2720, the former south side furniture store now operating as a gallery and music venue.

There are a couple of noteworthy shows on Saturday, starting with Eliane Elias at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The Brazilian-born pianist and singer first made her mark here in the States in the early 1980s as a member of the latter-day fusion band Steps Ahead, and went on to team with her ex-husband, trumpet player Randy Brecker, for a series of well-received albums mixing straight-ahead, contemporary and Brazilian jazz. As a solo artist, Elias has continued to tap her roots in Brazil, but also has been involved in projects ranging from a big-band album arranged by Bob Brookmeyer to an intimate tribute to pianist Bill Evans.

Also of interest on Saturday, the ScrapArts Percussion ensemble will perform at Washington University's Edison Theatre. The five-member group builds their own instruments "from the castaway scraps of industrial production,' resulting in "a groove-based fusion of world music traditions and 21st century sounds."

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday pianist Kim Portnoy will perform at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium as part of the University's series of bargain-priced Monday concerts.

For more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, 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 by becoming a "fan" of 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.)

Edison Theatre offering online presale of tickets for Ovations series

Washington University's Edison Theatre is offering a special online pre-sale of single tickets for shows in its 2009-10 Ovations series. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Monday, August 17, but can be purchased online now by going here and entering the promotion code OVATIONS9.

In addition to theatre and dance, the Edison's 2009-10 season will include concerts by percussion ensemble ScrapArtsMusic, Latin/jazz group Tiempo Libre, and Abraham Inc., a funk/jazz/hip-hop/klezmer group featuring clarinetist David Krakauer, trombonist Fred Wesley, and DJ Josh Dolgin (aka SOCALLED).

Edison Theatre announces 2009-10 season

Washington University's Edison Theatre has announced its 2009-10 season, and among the venue's offerings of theater, dance and music next year will be three performances that may be of interest to St. Louis fans of jazz and creative music:

On Saturday, January 23, 2010, the "action percussion" ensemble ScrapArtsMusic will take the Edison stage, using "kinetic, one-of-a-kind instruments built from recycled and salvaged materials such as sewage pipe and artillery shells."

Then on Saturday, February 27, the Edison will feature Abraham Inc., described as "an all-star ensemble fusing funk, jazz, hip-hop and klezmer...led by virtuoso clarinetist David Krakauer, trombonist Fred Wesley (pictured) and "beat architect" Josh Dolgin, aka SOCALLED."

The Edison's season concludes on Friday, March 26 with Tiempo Libre, a Grammy-nominated group that performs timba, a Cuban version of salsa that's "an irresistible mix of high-voltage Latin jazz and seductive rhythms."

Single tickets are are priced at $32, $28 for seniors and Washington University faculty and staff, and $20 for students and children. Subscriptions are available at two levels: three, four or five events at $28 per ticket, and six or more events at $24 per ticket.

The Edison Theatre is located in the Mallinckrodt Student Center, 6445 Forsyth Blvd, on the Washington University campus. For more information or to order tickets, call the box office at 314-935-6543 or email edison@wustl.edu.

"Decades of Divas 2008" coming to Edison Theatre on Saturday, June 14

St. Louis singers Jeanne Trevor, Kim Massie (pictured), Anita Rosamond and Monya are teaming up for "Decades of Divas 2008," a performance of songs associated with some of the legendary women of jazz, soul and pop that will be presented Saturday, June 14 at the Edison Theatre on the Washington University Campus.

With radio personality, journalist and author Bernie Hayes serving as MC, the four vocalists will offer their versions of tunes made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Etta James, Carole King, Nancy Wilson, Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight for two shows, a matinee at 3:00 p.m. and an evening performance at 7:00 p.m.. Tickets are priced from $25 to $40 and can be purchased at the Edison Theatre box office or through Metrotix. A portion of the proceeds from the show will be donated to ALIVE (Alternatives for Women Living in Violent Environments).

StLJN Saturday at the Movies: Claudia Acuna sings "My Man's Gone Now"plus Chris Botti's "My Funny Valentine"

This week's videos showcase a couple of performers who will be coming to St. Louis later this month.

First up is singer Claudia Acuna, who's returning to the Gateway City on Friday, January 18 with the Pablo Ziegler Quintet for New Tango as part of the Ovations series at Washington University's Edison Theatre. This clip shows Acuna doing her version of the Gershwin Standard "My Man's Gone Now."

Down below, it's trumpeter Chris Botti, who will be at the Touhill Performing Arts Center for a two-night stand on Friday, January 18 and Saturday, January 19. He's seen here playing another well-known standard, "My Funny Valentine," in a clip from the PBS series Legends of Jazz.

Claudia Acuna to perform in Edison Theatre's "Ovations" series

Chilean vocalist Claudia Acuna (pictured), who has recorded for the St. Louis-based MAXJAZZ label and performed at Jazz at the Bistro, will return to St. Louis in 2008 as the only jazz-oriented performer in next year's "Ovations" series at the Edison Theatre on the Washington University campus.

The series includes a variety of performances, including music, theatre and dance, and often has featured a musical artist of interest to jazz listeners. This year, it's Acuna, who will take the Edison stage on January 18 with the Pablo Ziegler Quintet for New Tango. Ziegler is an Argentinean pianist who worked for many years with tango master Astor Piazzolla. You can read about the rest of the "Ovations" series in the Post's story by theater critic Judith Newmark, found online here.

StLJN Saturday at the Movies: Dianne Reeves sings "How High The Moon," plus the Greyboy Allstars live at the 2006 All Good Festival

This week's featured video clips offer a little taste of two acts that will be playing in St. Louis next week.

Up top is a clip of singer Dianne Reeves performing the standard "How High The Moon," accompanied by Billy Childs on piano, Billy Kilson on drums and Chris Severin on bass. Reeves will be in concert at Washington University's Edison Theatre next Saturday, May 19.

Down below you'll find a sampling of the funk-jazz stylings of the Greyboy Allstars, recorded in July, 2006 at the All Good Festival. The Allstars will be at the VooDoo Cafe and Lounge in Harrah's St. Louis casino next Thursday, May 17. In addition, their saxophonist Karl Denson will return to St. Louis with his trio to play Finale Music and Dining on Thursday, June 7.