Jazz this week: Sean Jones Quartet, Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Nutria, a new weekly jam session, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features some top talent on trumpet and trombone, the local debut of an up-and-coming band from New Orleans, a new weekly jam session, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 28
Trumpeter Sean Jones returns with his quartet for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Jones (pictured, top left)  has been a frequent visitor to St. Louis in recent years, turning up on the Bistro's schedule almost annually, and he even recorded his most recent album for Mack Avenue Records live at the venue a couple of years ago.

In addition to his popularity as a performer, Jones over the years also has participated in a number of educational activities for Jazz St. Louis, so advance reservations are suggested in anticipation of a good turnout from former students as well as fans.

Also on Wednesday, guitarist Brian Vaccaro's trio performs at Evangeline's; the Washington University Jazz Band plays a free concert at the 560 Music Center's Pillsbury Theater; and the "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" will feature the Jazz Troubadours at The Stage at KDHX, the weekly jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor 's band at The Dark Room.

Thursday, March 1
Pianist Kara Baldus-Mehrmann will lead her trio in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; saxophonist Arthur White brings his trio to The Dark Room; and singer Cherilyn Evans and CEEJazzSoul will perform in Chase Park Plaza's Chase Club.

Friday, March 2
Guitarist Dave Black's latest project, a trio called In Touch, performs at the house concert venue The Judson House in Grand Center, and pianist and singer Jesse Gannon and his band return to The Dark Room.

Saturday, March 3
Trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra will play at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Delfeayo, the second-youngest of the four musical Marsalis brothers, assembled the UJO a decade ago to showcase the musical traditions of New Orleans, but it wasn't until last year that the group released its first album, the pointedly titled Make America Great Again. You can find out more about Marsalis (pictured, bottom left) and the UJO and see them on video performing some of the music from that album and more in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, there's another New Orleans act in town for the night, as the group Nutria makes their St. Louis debut at Evangeline's.

Drummer Shawn Myers, bassist Trey Boudreaux and tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Byron Asher play original modern jazz compositions, exploring "traditional music of the African diaspora & Eastern Europe as well as the avant-garde," and they're playing ten Midwestern cities in March in support of their just-released new album Call To The Air.

Elsewhere around town, there's an eclectic bill of experimental and electronic music featuring Kyle Landstra, Oxherding, JoAnn McNeil and the Vernacular String Trio at the Cherokee Street art gallery Flood Plain.

Sunday, March 4
The St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show will present their spring event at the American Czech Educational Center; singer Anita Jackson performs for brunch at The Dark Room; and the Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe.

Monday, March 5
Jim Manley plays for diners at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, March 6
Drummer Montez Coleman and guitarist Eric Slaughter are teaming up to host "The Tuesday Night Hit," a new weekly 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 at Holmes announces Fall 2017 schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University has announced their schedule of free concerts for the Fall 2017 semester.

The series will begin on Thursday, September 14 with British bassist Tony Grey (pictured), who's probably best known as a member of pianist Hiromi's working band.

Grey will be accompanied by Jay Oliver on keyboards; Wash U faculty member and Jazz at Holmes series director William Lenihan on guitar; and Roger Guth on drums.

In addition to Grey and various shows featuring a selection of St. Louis performers, the Fall 2017 series also will include themed programs exploring Italian film music; the intersection of experimental jazz and contemporary classical; and folk and protest songs of the 1960s.

Here's the entire schedule in chronological order:

Thursday, September 14; Tony Grey
Thursday, September 21: Freddie Washington Quartet
Thursday, September 28: Montez Coleman/Eric Slaughter Quartet

Thursday, October 5: Kim Fuller
Thursday, October 19: "From Torino - Music of Italian Film Composers: Morricone, Gaslini, Rota, Umiliani, Giordano" with Filippo Cosentino, William Lenihan, and the Sogni D'Alba String Trio.
Thursday, October 26: "Streams of Extremity II" with Ptah Williams, William Lenihan, Steve Davis, Amy Greenhalgh, and Marcia Mann

Thursday, November 2: "Voices of Freedom, Songs of Social Justice" with R. Scott Bryan, Rick Schuler, and band.
Thursday, November 9: Joe Mancuso Organ Trio
Thursday, November 16: Arc of Light Ensemble with Paul DeMarinis, Randy Holmes, Wayne Coniglio, William Lenihan, and band
Thursday, November 30 - Vincent Varvel Quartet

Thursday, December 7: Holiday concert featuring Wash U singers & musicians TBA.

All concerts are free and open to the public. Concerts begin at 8:00 p.m. and are presented in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall, which is located on Washington University’s campus at the west end of the Brookings Quadrangle, near the intersection of Brookings and Hoyt drives.

Jazz this week: A tribute to 1970s fusion, trad jazz from Red Lehr, and more

With summer winding down and the fall presenting season yet to begin, it's not a particularly busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, but there still are some performances worth noting that are happening over the next few days.

Let's go to the highlights....

Thursday, August 25
Dizzy Atmosphere will play swing and Gypsy jazz as part of the "Sensational Summer Nights" series at Missouri Botanical Garden; and the Bruxism experimental music series continues at the Schlafly Tap Room, this month featuring Wiggpaw, Brett Williams, and UFO vs USA. 

Friday, August 26
An ad hoc quintet of St. Louis musicians will join forces to present "Weather Forever: The Music of Weather Report & Return to Forever," featuring music from two of the most popular jazz-fusion groups of the 1970s, for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

The ensemble attempting to bridge the disparate styles of these two iconic bands will include bassist Zeb Briskovich, drummer Montez Coleman (pictured, top left), keyboarist Adaron “Pops” Jackson, guitarist Eric Slaughter, and saxophonist Jason Swagler.

Also on Friday, singer Joe Mancuso brings a quartet to Nathalie's, and the Midwest Jazz-tette will play cool jazz in the West Coast style at Cigar Inn

Saturday, August 27 
Pianist Phil Dunlap's trio will play an early evening show at The Dark Room; trumpeter Danny Campbell returns with his Jazz Collective to Troy's Jazz Gallery; and Franglais will perform at Evangeline's

Sunday, August 28
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents sousaphonist Red Lehr's Powerhouse Five (pictured, lower left) playing traditional jazz and swing at the Doubletree Hotel St. Louis at Westport.

Monday, August 29
Trumpeter Jim Manley continues his Monday night residency at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, August 30
The Sidemen return to Evangeline's, and saxophonist Joe Bayer has a new weekly duo gig at Scarlett's Wine Bar in the Central West End, teaming up this week with bassist Glen Smith.

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 at Holmes series announces 2016 "Jazz in July" schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series of free concerts at Washington University has announced the schedule for this year's "Jazz in July" performances.

The Liberation Organ Trio will kick things off with a concert on Thursday, July 7, followed by performances by singer Feyza Eren (pictured) on Thursday, July 14; a quartet led by trumpeter Danny Campbell on Thursday, July 21; and a trio featuring guitarist Eric Slaughter and bassist Glen Smith on Thursday, July 28.

Admission to the "Jazz in July" concerts is free and open to the public.

In a change from previous years, all the concerts this summer will begin at 6:00 p.m., and will be held in the Tisch Commons of the Danforth University Center on the Wash U campus.

Jazz this week: Good 4 The Soul, Midwest Quintet, Cara Dineen, and more

While big-name touring musicians generally are off the road during major holidays, there still are some notable performances by local jazz and creative musicians happening over the next few days in and around St. Louis. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 23
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band offers their third and final performance of Duke Ellington’s "Nutcracker" at Jazz at the Bistro; guitarist Tom Byrne's Yule Vibe Trio plays at Thurman Grill; and singer Ralph Williams presents a Christmas-themed performance at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Friday, December 25
Byrne and singer Erika Johnson will host a Christmas night jam session at Evangeline's, and trombonist and former St. Louisan John Wolf will back in town to sit in with guitarist Dave Black at the River City Casino's 1904 Steakhouse. 

Saturday, December 26
Good 4 The Soul (pictured, top left) plays jazz, funk, and more for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro; Miss Jubilee performs for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and Wack-A-Doo plays swing and Americana at Evangeline's.

Also on Saturday, singer Joe Mancuso brings a quartet to Nathalie's, and guitarist Eric Slaughter and bassist Glen Smith will play duets at Thurman Grill.

Sunday,
December 27
St. Louis and Chicago musicians will join forces for a performance by a group dubbed the Midwest Quintet at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Saxophonist Christopher McBride (pictured, lower left) and trumpeter Quentin Coaxum will be representing the City of Big Shoulders, teamed with Eric Slaughter on guitar, bass phenom Nathan Pence (back home after his first semester at UMKC), and ESL's own Montez Coleman on drums.

Monday, December 28
Singer Cara Dineen, daughter of saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen, will be back home from NYC for a visit and sitting in with her dad and the Broadway Collective for their monthly gig at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, and Dizzy Atmosphere will play swing and Gypsy jazz for diners at The Shaved Duck.

Tuesday, December 29
Pianist Greg Mills will perform at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

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.)

Ronnie Burrage to perform June 26, 27 & 28 at Voce

Drummer, multi-instrumentalist, and U. City native Ronnie Burrage is coming back home to perform on Friday, June 26; Saturday, June 27; and Sunday, June 28 at Voce, 212 South Tucker Blvd. downtown.

A 1978 graduate of University City High School, Burrage (pictured) worked local gigs with visiting luminaries such as Arthur Blythe, Jackie McLean, Andrew Hill, and McCoy Tyner while still a teenager living in St. Louis.

After moving to NYC, he played with trumpeter Woody Shaw's quintet in the mid-1980s; formed Third Kind of Blue with saxophonist John Purcell and bassist Anthony Cox in 1986; and gigged with an impressive roster of jazz greats, including Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, and more.

During the 1990s, Burrage recorded with Courtney Pine, Sonny Fortune, Gunther Schuller, Hamiet Bluiett, the World Saxophone Quartet, and Billy Bang. More recently, he's been teaching at Penn State University while releasing a series of recordings as a leader, including Just Natural (2001), In It (2004), Blue Noise (2010), Spirit Guides (2011) and Heal (2013). Despite that busy schedule, Burrage has managed to make it home to perform most summers in recent years, including a weekend of gigs in 2013 supporting the release of Heal.

On this visit to St. Louis, he'll start by playing shows with a small band at 9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. That ensemble will feature Burrage on drums and keyboards fronting two slightly different lineups of local musicians, with Eric Slaughter (guitar), Nathan Pence (bass), Kendra Mahr (vocals), and Danny Campbell (trumpet) on Friday, and then with Jeff Anderson (tenor sax) in for Campbell on Saturday.

To cap off the weekend, Sunday's matinee at 3:00 p.m. will feature the 10-piece-plus RoBu Big Band, with Campbell, Anderson, saxophonists Chad Evans, Jerome "JDubz" Williams, Stanley Coleman, and Willie Akins; pianist Ptah Williams; bassist Darrell Mixon; percussionist Henry Claude; singer Charisse Swan, and other special guests.

Tickets are $20 per set on Friday and Saturday, and $25 on Sunday, with a service fee of $1.49 per ticket for online purchases, and are on sale now.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The deadline for student musicians to apply to Jazz St. Louis’ JazzU program for the 2015-16 school year is coming up next week on Friday, May 1.

Auditions for JazzU, which offers weekly jazz instruction to middle school and high school students in a small-combo setting, will take place Monday, June 1 through Thursday, June 4. For more information or to submit an application, call 314-881-3093 or visit the website.

* Coincidentally, JazzU and its current crop of student players also are featured in an article in the May issue of DownBeat, penned by St. Louis freelance writer Terry Perkins. The issue (pictured) also contains a nice tribute to the late Clark Terry, written by longtime DB contributor John McDonough.

* Speaking of Clark Terry, now that Keep On Keepin' On has been released on Netflix, the documentary film about the St. Louis-born trumpeter got a recommendation from London Jazz News.

* Pianist Herbie Hancock and filmmaker Ken Burns, whose PBS series Jazz is still the most extensive history of the music to air on TV in the US, are two of the five people receiving honorary degrees from Washington University this year. The commencement ceremony will be held at 8:30 a.m., Friday May 15 in Brookings Quadrangle on the main Wash U campus.

* Drummer and St. Charles native Dave Weckl's Acoustic Band begins a European tour this week, with dates scheduled in Norway, Greece, the UK, Italy, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, France and Sweden.

* Last Saturday's Record Store Day celebration was the subject of a feature story from St. Louis Public Radio's Willis Ryder Arnold. (And if you'd like to hear the tunes that yr. humble StLJN editor laid on the shoppers at Vintage Vinyl during my RSD DJ set there, you can listen to the whole set online here.)

* Guitarist Eric Slaughter is profiled by drummer (and now, writer) Joe Pastor in the latest issue of the St. Louis Blues Society's Bluesletter (PDF).

* The Funky Butt Brass Band are the Reader's Pick in the "Best Local Band" category of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's 2015 GO! List Awards.

* In his latest CD reviews in the Post-Dispatch, Calvin Wilson opines on the new releases from bassist Kyle Eastwood and tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby’s band Tubacello.

* Jazz radio update:  Meanwhile, on Saturday's edition of his Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis program  “Somethin’ Else,” Wilson will compare and contrast music from recent recordings by pianists Vijay Iyer and Myra Melford.

After that on "The Jazz Collective," host Jason Church will be playing some tracks from the new album by The Bosman Twins, as well as music from Wes Montgomery, Chuck Mangione, Miles Davis, 3rd Force, Dizzy Gillespie, Spyro Gyra, David Sanborn, and more

"Somethin' Else" can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by "The Jazz Collective" at 9:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Review: David Sanborn at Jazz at the Bistro

Opening his second set last Thursday with "Coming Home Baby" seemed a very appropriate choice for David Sanborn. Not only is the tune one of his longtime concert staples, but the Kirkwood High School graduate was in fact back in his hometown, headlining the first full week of shows at the newly expanded and renovated space of Jazz at the Bistro.

Accompanied by a quartet of St. Louis musicians, Sanborn seemed relaxed and relatively low-key as he ventured forth on familiar material like "Maputo" and "Benny," penned for him by, respectively, Bob James and Marcus Miller, as well as the ballad "What Will I Tell My Heart," and "Sofia," from his recent Quartette Humaine album with James.

Though his signature sound has mellowed slightly in recent years, Sanborn's alto still displayed some bite as he spun out his characteristic blues-inflected melodic lines. His approach, much closer to a vocal sound than the pattern-based soloing favored by many contemporary players, may have had its genesis in the blues and funk-based music for which Sanborn is best known, but it also serves the slower, prettier material quite well, as he's able to wring considerable emotion from both a standard like "...Heart" and the original "Sofia," dedicated to his wife.

Though all native to the St. Louis area, the band - Peter Martin on piano and Rhodes, Eric Slaughter on guitar, Chris Thomas on bass, and Montez Coleman on drums - was no mere "local rhythm section," as all have touring credits with major jazz artists. With just one brief rehearsal before beginning the four-night run, the quartet nevertheless provided very sympathetic and capable support for Sanborn, digging in for an extended jam on the opener but also showing appropriate concision when needed.

Martin, whose resume includes work with Dianne Reeves, Christian McBride, and Chris Botti, unsurprisingly got the most space to play, serving as an effective foil for Sanborn on both acoustic and electric keyboards and building thoughtful solos when called upon. Slaughter only got a couple of brief solos, but also acquitted himself well, using a rockish tone that evoked the late Hiram Bullock's work with Sanborn.

Thomas and Coleman mostly concentrated on establishing and protecting the groove, adding just enough variation to keep things building without overwhelming the soloists. Coleman did get a brief solo spot near the end of the set, cleverly punctuating his ideas with space instead of just serving up a rote flurry of fast licks.

With a well-established and highly successful musical persona, at this point in his career Sanborn may not deliver many surprises in terms of format or repertoire, but he's a very likeable performer, his playing remains quite engaging on a moment-to-moment basis, and the fans who turned out clearly found it to be a satisfying show all around.

Regarding the new Bistro, while the exterior looks mostly familiar except for some new signage, there's a brand new lobby area, and the remodeled performance area inside feels considerably more open and spacious than the old one. The new layout of the room, with the stage against the long wall on the east side of the room instead of the short wall at the back, achieves the desired goal of bringing more seats closer to the stage, and also allows for better positioning of the lighting instruments.

As for the decor of the room, when I first saw the drawings made public at the start of the project, I must admit my first thought was "cocktail lounge in a Scandinavian airport." While the actual room doesn't feel anywhere near that stark, as someone who prefers his music venues on the funky side, it would be nice to see some St. Louis jazz-related photos, posters, artwork, or memorabilia on some of the wall areas that aren't covered with material to reflect or absorb sound. Admittedly, this is kind of a nitpick, and something that can be dealt with as finishing touches are put on the facility, but I do hope there's a plan to add some sort of visual homage to local jazz history.

More importantly, the sound, though generally regarded as good at the old Bistro, has been noticeably improved. The design of the room and the purchase and installation of the sound system were done in consultation with Sam Berkow, who performed similar duties for Jazz at Lincoln Center and SFJAZZ's new building, and the results are impressive.

The gear is visually unimposing, with speakers flown above the stage and small subwoofers tucked into the front corners, but does a good job of distributing the sound throughout the space. While everything, including the drums, now runs through the PA (which can get dicey in a room the size of the Bistro) the mix seemed relatively natural, nicely balanced, and not too loud for the room. Slaughter's guitar solos did get a bit hot, at least from where I was sitting, but that's one small fader adjustment. For the most part, things seemed pretty well dialed-in for only the second week of operations.

All in all, the new Bistro seems a fine place in which to play or hear music, and I'd expect that musicians and listeners both will give it very favorable reviews. That said, I'm a bit skeptical of the notion that the mere existence of this new space somehow will transform the entire St. Louis jazz scene for the better. Look for a further examination of that topic in an upcoming commentary...

Photo provided by Madeline Dames of HEC-TV.

Jazz this week: Marcus Roberts Trio, Denise Thimes with Cyrus Chestnut and Tom Braxton, Pedrosaxo, and more

Although it's getting to the end of the spring presenting season for jazz and creative music here in St. Louis, this Mother's Day weekend nevertheless offers plenty of options for your listening enjoyment. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, pianist Marcus Roberts (pictured) and his trio will be the featured performers for the tenth annual "Evening of Hope" event benefiting the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Roberts last played in St. Louis in November 2012 concert for the Sheldon's jazz series, and you can read more about him and see some performance clips in this video showcase post from just before that gig. For info on ticket availability for tonight's show, contact The Sheldon directly.

Tomorrow night, guitarists Shaun Robinson and Eric Slaughter team up with drummer Montez Coleman and bassist Jahmal Nichols for "Great Guitars 2014" at Jazz at the Bistro; and the St. Louis Big Band will present an extravaganza they're calling "Gatsby Night," with "aerial dancers, music from the 2013 soundtrack, food, flappers and gangsters," at the Casa Loma Ballroom .

Also on Friday, the contemporary/smooth jazz quintet Dreaming In Colour plays at Robbie's House of Jazz; Koplant No performs at the Tavern of Fine Arts; guitarist Dave Black and Joe Mancuso return to Chaser's Lounge in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel; singer Mary Dyson takes the stage at Voce; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will be at Nathalie's.

Saturday offers several performances featuring female vocalists, as Wendy Gordon settles into a new weekly matinee at The Choice Restaurant, 3265 S. Jefferson Ave; Ann Dueren's trio with Jan Ammerman and Bob Stout is back at Il Bel Lago; Anita Rosamond sings for diners at Truffles; and Miss Jubilee will play at the Trainwreck Saloon in Westport Plaza.

Then on Sunday, singer Denise Thimes will present her annual Mother's Day concert at The Sheldon, with special guests including pianist Cyrus Chestnut, who was here last month to play with his trio and guitarist Russell Malone at the Bistro, and saxophonist Tom Braxton, just back from playing in Japan with guitarist Earl Klugh.

Also on Sunday, Saxquest presents another in their series of free workshops and performances, this time featuring Pedro Rafael Garcia Moreno, aka Pedrosaxo, who's developed a number of unusual performance techniques, allegedly including an ability to play, sing, beatbox, and throat-sing all at the same time.

Lastly, Sunday is when the "Inner Jazz" series Kirkwood United Church of Christ will present their final concert of the season, featuring Rev. Cliff Aerie's Oikos Ensemble plus some words from special guest, writer and filmmaker Phil Cousineau.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday singer Dean Christopher will perform his Rat Pack repertoire at One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar; and percussionist Joe Pastor's group will be back at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups

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

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

Troy's Jazz Gallery "grand opening" set for October 25 - 27

The Central West End venue Troy's Jazz Gallery will hold a "grand opening" celebration this weekend featuring a Sunday night performance from a specially assembled band of local jazz performers.

The weekend also will serve as an extended birthday celebration for club owner Troy Williams, with keyboardist Matt Villinger's trio getting it started with a performance at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, October 25.

Next up are singers Mary Dyson and Diane Vaughn, who will reprise their "Ladies Sing The Bluezz" show with a 5:00 p.m. performance on Saturday, October 26. After Dyson and Vaughn, saxophonist Tim Cunningham (pictured) and his band will take the stage at 8:00 p.m.

The main event is Sunday, October 27. The group for that evening, dubbed "Troy's All-Star Jazz Ensemble," will feature drummer Montez Coleman, pianist Tony Suggs, guitarist Eric Slaughter and bassist Darell Mixon, along with guest performers including pianist Ptah Williams, saxophonist Kendrick Smith, trumpeter Delano Redmond and singer Denise Thimes. They'll play from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with tickets priced at $20 each.

The club first had its "soft opening" nearly 11 month ago. Williams, who formerly operated Filter and Troy's on the Park, says that the long interval between opening and "grand opening" wasn't necessarily planned that way, but he's happy with the result. "I'm glad I'm doing it like this, because I've learned a lot," he said.

As for future plans, Williams says he's re-booked Ptah Williams' trio for Thursday, October 30 - his actual birthday - with the "All-Star Jazz Ensemble" set to return (but without the special guests) on Sunday, November 3.

He said he hopes to bring back Dyson and Vaughn as a recurring act, probably twice a month, and also will presenting a series of "Jazz Sunday Funk' shows featuring Mixon, Slaughter and drummer Chuck Smothers. Finally, Williams said he wants to establish a recurring Saturday afternoon jam session in the near future, and is looking for a musician to serve as organizer and host.

Jazz at Holmes series announces Fall 2013 schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University has announced their schedule of free concerts for Fall 2013.

The series begins on Thursday, September 12 with trumpeter Randy Holmes performing the music of saxophonist, composer and St. Louis native Oliver Nelson.

Other highlights of the semester will include an appearance by Italian pianist Antonio Figura (September 12); a tribute to St. Louis drummer Joe Charles (October 24); and a collaborative event involving choreographer Ashley Tate and company (November 14), which was rescheduled after a postponement this past spring.

Though born in Sicily, Figura (pictured) actually is something of a Wash U veteran, presenting seminars there from 2003 to 2007 and performing in 2005 on the Jazz at Holmes series with the band Cyclo.

Here's the complete lineup of concerts:

Thursday, September 12:  Randy Holmes plays the music of Oliver Nelson
Thursday, September 19:  Chad Evans Quartet
Thursday, September 26:  Antonio Figura Trio with William Lenihan and Steve Davis

Thursday, October 3:  Eric Slaughter/Tom Byrne Quartet
Thursday, October 10:  Three Tenors of St. Louis: Freddie Washington, Willie Akins & Paul DeMarinis
Thursday, October 24: A Tribute to Joe Charles

Thursday, November 7:  Jeff Anderson Quartet
Thursday, November 14:  Freedom Jazz Dance - Ashley Tate Dance Company
Thursday, November 21:  Carolbeth True Trio

Thursday, December 5: Washington University Jazz Students Performance

Presented most Thursday evenings when school is in session, the Jazz at Holmes concerts are free and open to the public. Concerts begin at 8:00 p.m. in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall, located on Washington University’s campus at the west end of the Brookings Quadrangle, near the intersection of Brookings and Hoyt drives.

Jazz this week: Molly Ringwald, Grand Marquis, "Great Guitars 2013," Hot Club of Cowtown, Bob Sheppard, Reunion Jazz Band, and more

In this slightly early edition of StLJN's weekly highlights post, we find a lineup of jazz and creative music performances that includes a movie star-turned-singer, plus a variety of musical styles ranging from jump blues and Western swing to straight-ahead jazz to fusion, both electric and acoustic. Let's see what's happening in the next few days....

Tonight, the aforementioned movie star, singer and actress Molly Ringwald (pictured), comes to town for the first of two evening at Jazz at the Bistro.

The daughter of a jazz pianist, Ringwald reportedly considered going into music even before she ever began acting in hit films like Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club. More  recently, she has acted and sung on stage in musicals such as Chicago. Now, nearly 30 years after conquering multiplexes all over the USA, she recently released her first album, Except Sometimes, to generally favorable notices. Though Ringwald's celebrity has attracted a measure of local media attention, there may be some tickets still remaining; call the Jazz St. Louis box office for the latest.

Also tonight, funk organ trio Downstereo plays their last regular Tuesday night gig at the Crow's Nest before going on a hiatus from performances to do some recording. According to the band's Facebook page, they'll also wrap up their weekly Thursday shows at Atomic Cowboy for the time being.

Tomorrow night, the Cabaret Project of St. Louis will present their monthly open mic night at the Tavern of Fine Arts, and singer Sarah Jane and a scaled-down version of her band the Blue Notes are playing at the Feasting Fox.

On Thursday, the Kansas City jump blues and swing band Grand Marquis will be back in town for a performance at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups.The group is preparing to release a new album, Blues and Trouble, next month, and so this gig likely will feature some of the 12 original songs from that project.

On Friday, Jazz at the Bistro offers up the first of two nights of a specially assembled program called "Great Guitars 2013," featuring six-string slingers Tom Byrne, Shaun Robinson and Eric Slaughter, backed by drummer Montez Coleman and bassist Jahmal Nichols. Byrne and Slaughter have been doing some gigs together recently, so they've already got some shared repertoire as a result of that; an email from Byrne says this weekend's gigs will feature a mix of originals and covers with a jazz-fusion sound.

Also Friday, the jazz/Western swing trio Hot Club of Cowtown will be in Edwardsville to perform at the Wildey Theatre; pianist Ptah Williams brings his trio to the Cigar Inn; and singer Tony Viviano and his band will return to Fortel's Creve Coeur.

On Saturday, the Bosman Twins will reunite with some old friends for a gig billed as the Reunion Jazz Band at Robbie's House of Jazz; singer Feyza Eren will perform at the Wine Press; and guitarist Randy Bahr and pianist Carolbeth True will be at One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar.

On Sunday afternoon, saxophonist Bob Sheppard, who's toured with Steely Dan and recorded countless sessions for TV, movies and albums, will be in town for a free concert and clinic at Saxquest.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective are at BB's; and the eclectic acoustic quartet The 442s, with multi-instrumentalist Adam Maness and bassist Syd Rodway of Erin Bode's group plus violinist Shawn Weil and cellist Bjorn Ranheim, plays at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

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 announces new shows in May at Jazz at the Bistro

Jazz St. Louis has announced two weekends of performances to fill out the schedule for May at Jazz at the Bistro. 

Trumpeter Sean Jones (pictured), who was here just a couple of weeks ago for the "Triumph of Trumpets" show, will return to serve as a guest star with the student musicians from the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars and  JazzU programs, who will present their annual weekend of performances at the Bistro on Friday, May 3 and Saturday, May 4. 

Then on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18, it's "Great Guitars 2013," featuring a team-up of St. Louis guitarists Tom Byrne, Shaun Robinson (from Good 4 the Soul), and Eric Slaughter, backed by bassist Jahmal Nichols and drummer Montez Coleman.

Sets will be at the Bistro's usual times of 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and tickets for both weekends are on sale now via Metrotix.

Jazz this week: Thomas, Whitaker, Hayward & Warfield; Chris Hazelton & Cory Weeds; Oikos Ensemble; and more

This week's schedule of live jazz and creative music includes a diverse group of musician/educators brought together here by a returning St. Louisan; visiting players from Kansas City, Vancouver and Mississippi; the debuts of two new ensembles featuring some top local musicians; and more. Let's go to the highlights....

Tonight, the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra performs at First Unity Church of St. Louis, 4753 Butler Hill Rd in south county.

On Thursday night, the Young Friends of Jazz St. Louis and two other local organizations' "young friends" groups will present the annual "Jazz Under The Stars" benefit at the Planetarium in Forest Park. The event will include live music from guitarist Eric Slaughter, bassist Bob Deboo, saxophonist Willie Akins, pianist Jesse Gannon, and drummer Marty Morrison.

Also tomorrow, the St. Louis Avant Garde Ensemble makes its debut at the Tavern of Fine Arts. This new project features Fred Tompkins, flute and melodica; Jim Hegarty, piano and electronics; Tracy Andreotti, cello; Lee Scott Price, guitar; and Thomas Zirkle, percussion and electronics.

And while all that's going on, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will have something a little different this Thursday: a free screening of the Mississippi blues documentary film We Juke Up In Here, produced and directed by St. Louis resident Jeff Konkel and former St. Louisan Roger Stolle. Along with the film, the event will include a Q&A with Konkel and Stolle and a performance by guitarist and singer Jimmy "Duck" Holmes.

On Friday, pianist Reggie Thomas, who grew up and worked here for most of his life but moved away last year for a teaching job in Michigan, will be back in town to perform for the second time since the move. Thomas (pictured) will join forces with bassist Rodney Whitaker (a fellow faculty member at Michigan State University), trombonist Andre Hayward, and saxophonist Tim Warfield for shows on Friday and Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

All four men have been in town throughout the week as part of an educational residency for Jazz St. Louis, performing and teaching at local schools and working with students in the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars and JazzU programs. Thomas, of course, is a longtime StLJN favorite who's well known to local jazz fans, and yr. humble editor found Hayward to be particularly impressive a few years ago here with the SF Jazz Collective at the Bistro. (And that's certainly not to slight Whitaker or Warfield, both of whom have impressive resumes of their own.)

Also Friday, the St. Louis Big Band plays for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom, singer Joe Mancuso brings a quartet to Robbie's House of Jazz; and Eric Slaughter will lead a quartet with Akins, Morrison and DeBoo at Cigar Inn.

On Saturday afternoon, singer Wendy Gordon and her band will be playing a new jazz brunch, this one at Ace's Bar and Grill, 9600 Natural Bridge Rd (inside the Comfort Inn) on the north side. Meanwhile, across town, trumpeter/vibraphonist Joe Bozzi and his group will be performing a matinee at Schoemehl's Southside Grill, 7529 Michigan Ave.

Then on Saturday evening, organist Chris Hazelton, who's from Kansas City, and Cory Weeds, a saxophonist from Vancouver, will team up for a performance at Robbie's. Hazelton is a former student of Hammond master Dr. Lonnie Smith, while Weeds frequently plays in the organ-trio format and also operates a club called the Jazz Cellar in Vancouver. As far as StLJN can tell, this gig is the St. Louis debut for both men; check out their respective websites for some music samples.

Also on Saturday, singer Danita Mumphard will perform at Jazz on Broadway; and the WirePilots, a new group featuring brothers Dan and Ted Rubright on guitar and percussion plus Ric Vice on bass, will debut at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

On Sunday, the Oikos Ensemble, featuring Rev. Cliff Aerie on saxophone, will present a free concert called "Inner Jazz" at Kirkwood United Church of Christ, 1603 Dougherty Ferry Rd. Aerie's collaborators for the performance will include Carolbeth True (piano), Danny Campbell (trumpet), Dave Troncoso (bass) and Kevin Gianino (drums).

Also on Sunday, multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris will present a free concert at Missouri History Museum in Forest Park, offering jazz interpretations of the music of the late hip-hop performer/producer J Dilla.

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: The Wee Trio; Mardra & Reggie Thomas; CD release event for Swagler, Slaughter, Jost & Morrison; and more

With the annual Mardi Gras parade this Saturday, Valentine's Day just around the corner, and the usual mix of other performances happening around town, there's an eclectic selection of jazz and creative music on St. Louis stages this weekend. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, saxophonist Jason Swagler, guitarist Eric Slaughter, bassist Nick Jost and drummer Marty Morrison will promote the release of their first collaborative album, Rough Stuff, with two sets at Jazz at the Bistro. The ticket price includes a copy of the album, but if you can't make it to the show, it also is now on sale as a digital download from Amazon and iTunes.

Also tonight, drummer Ben Thigpen and his band will perform a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; and the Brazilian music group Samba Bom plays at the Central West End house concert venue Joe's Cafe.

On Friday afternoon, percussionist Mike Dillon, in town to open for Umphrey's McGee this weekend at The Pageant, will do a free in-store performance and CD signing at Vintage Vinyl.

Then on Friday evening, The Wee Trio (pictured), featuring St. Louis native Dan Loomis on bass, will be in town for the first of two evenings of recording a live album at Jazz at the Bistro. They were here most recently last January, performing at the Bistro in support of their then-new release of interpretations of the songs of rocker David Bowie.

Apparently, they must have found the setting congenial enough, for they decided to make their next record right there. For more about that, and some video samples of a couple of the songs they plan to record, see this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Also on Friday night, you can warm up for Saturday's Mardi Gras Parade with New Orleans' own Big Sam's Funky Nation and the Funky Butt Brass Band at the Old Rock House.

Elsewhere around town that evening, retro swing band Wack-A-Doo will play a free "happy hour" concert at the Kemper Art Museum on the Washington University campus; singer Ralph Butler is at Robbie's House of Jazz; singer Dean Christopher will present the first of three performance of a Valentine's-themed cabaret show at Dramatic License Theatre in Chesterfield Mall; and drummer Paul Shaw leads a trio at Cigar Inn.

On Saturday, Mardra and Reggie Thomas return from Michigan to perform at Robbie's House of Jazz. While the Thomases still lived in the St. Louis area, for many years they did an annual gig sometime around Valentine's Day at Jazz at the Bistro. This year, with Mardra and Reggie having relocated for his new job teaching at Michigan State University, and singer Sachal Vasandani making his St. Louis debut next week at the Bistro, this gig will have to suffice for their many hometown fans.

Also on Saturday, the Funky Butt Butt Brass Band and their longtime companions, New Orleans R&B cover band Gumbohead, will present a post-parade performance at Broadway Oyster Bar; and guitarist Dave Black will lead a trio in the first of a planned series of monthly gigs at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday guitarist Steve Schenkel performs at Webster University; and the Sessions Big Band plays their first show of the year at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups. BB's talent booker John May tells StLJN that, due to declining crowds, the Sessions band this year will only be playing once every other month at BB's. So if you're a fan of theirs, or of big bands in general, now might be a good time to show some support by turning out for the gig.

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.)

(Edited 2/8/13 to fix a typo.) 

Jazz this week: Dave Holland Quintet, Jeremy Davenport, "Funky Dog Gumbo Ball," Bosman Twins, and more

This week's picks in live jazz and creative music around St. Louis include a multi-night gig featuring one of the top small groups in modern jazz, the return of a local "favorite son" to headline at one of our town's most prestigious concert venues, and much more. Let's go to the highlights....

Tonight, bassist Dave Holland (pictured) and his quintet open a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Generally acknowledged as one of the best working bands in jazz today, as well as one of the longest lived, Holland's group this week will feature three regular members - trombonist Robin Eubanks, vibraphonist Steve Nelson and drummer Nate Smith - plus saxophonist Mark Turner subbing for Chris Potter, who's on tour with the Monterey Jazz Festival All-Stars.

While Potter no doubt will be missed by his many fans here, Turner is an excellent musician, too, and historically, Holland's judgment in picking great players as collaborators seems beyond reproach. It'll be interesting to hear what sort of changes in the group dynamic and sound result from Turner's presence in Potter's stead. For more about Dave Holland, including videos of some of what he's been up to since his last visit here, plus links to reviews of the Quintet's last two appearances in St. Louis, check out this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Tomorrow night, you can choose between two gigs with an emphasis on free improv. The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will present "At Once: Improvisation Ensemble and the Art of Improvisation" a free concert featuring William Lenihan (guitar and keyboards), Steve Davis (drums) and Vince Varvel (guitar), while the Tavern of Fine Arts will have its monthly "Avant Garde Arts Night" featuring live improvised music from an ad hoc ensemble that often includes musicians such as keyboardist Jim Hegarty, flute player Fred Tompkins, and others associated with New Music Circle.

Also tomorrow night, swing revivalists Big Bad Voodoo Daddy are in town to play at the Lumiere Place Casino Theatre; and saxophonist Jim Stevens will have a couple of guest msucians from Nashville - singer/guitarist Andy Westcott and singer Leslie Craig - performing with his band at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups. (A former St. Louisan, Craig was known as Leslie White when she lived here and sang with local groups including trumpeter Jim Manley's dance band Fantasy and the rock cover band Trixie Delight.)

On Friday,  the Funky Butt Brass Band, the Dogtown All-Stars and Gumbohead will team up for a pre-Mardi Gras fete dubbed the "Funky Dog Gumbo Ball" at the Sheldon Concert Hall's upstairs ballroom, and Lindy Hop St. Louis will present their monthly "West End Stomp" swing dance with live music by The Sidemen at the Mahler Ballroom.

Also on Friday, pianist Brad Ellebrecht leads a group at Robbie's House of Jazz; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes play at Highway 61 Roadhouse; and guitarist Mason Baran's trio performs at the Cigar Inn.

Then on Saturday night, trumpeter, singer and St. Louis native Jeremy Davenport returns to St. Louis from his current home in New Orleans to perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Of course, since moving away Davenport has come back numerous times to play just a couple of blocks away at Jazz at the Bistro, and he was a guest artist on one of pianist Peter Martin's shows at the Sheldon a couple of years ago. But surprisingly, this will be the first time he's headlined with his own band at the venerable concert hall, which should prove to be a good match for his straight-ahead, acoustic jazz sound.

Also on Saturday, singer Miss Jubilee and her band will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Randy Bahr will duet at Mojo Tapas.  

On Sunday afternoon, those saxophone-playing siblings the Bosman Twins will present a free concert at Second Presbyterian Church, 4501 Westminster Place (at Taylor) in the Central West End.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday guitarists Eric Slaughter and Tom Byrne will co-lead a quartet offering a tribute to Wes Montgomery 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.)

Webster University announces winter/spring 2013 schedule of jazz concerts

The music department at Webster University has announced their schedule of jazz events for winter and spring 2013.

This semester's Monday night concert series will get started with a performance by Two Times True at 7:00 p.m. Monday, January 28 at Winifred Moore Auditorium, 470 E. Lockwood on the Webster campus.

The group features pianist and Webster University adjunct professor Carolbeth True (pictured) and her son, drummer David True, along with bassist Glenn Smith, saxophone player Larry Johnson, and guest vocalist Christi John Bye.

Guitarist Eric Slaughter will be up next, leading a quartet in a Black History Month tribute to jazz guitar legend Wes Montgomery at 7:00 p.m., Monday, February 4 in Moore Auditorium. Update, 12:30 p.m., 1/15/13: Slaughter tells StLJN that the quartet actually is co-led with guitarist Tom Byrne, whose presence on this gig means listeners will get two different perspectives on Montgomery's music.

On Monday, February 11, saxophonist Sheila Cooper will present a free one-hour seminar at noon and again at 3:00 p.m. on campus at Thompson Recital Hall, 8282 Big Bend Ave. That same evening, guitarist Steve Schenkel and singer Deborah Sharn will perform a concert at 7:00 p.m. in Moore Auditorium.

Next up is the Webster Jazz Collective, made up of musicians from the University's jazz faculty, who will perform at 7:00 p.m. Monday, February 26 at Moore Auditorium.

After spring break, the faculty performances for the semester wrap up at 7:00 p.m. Monday, March 18 with the annual Shepard & Davis Endowed Scholarship Concert at Moore Auditorium, which this year will feature pianist Kim Portnoy's ensemble in a tribute to songwriter Frank Loesser.

Student performances of interest at Webster this semester will include concerts by the student jazz combos at 7:00 p.m. Monday, April 1 and Monday, April 8 at Webster's Community Music School, 535 Garden Ave; the Webster Jazz Singers at 7:00 p.m. Monday, April 22 at Moore Auditorium; and Webster's New Music Ensemble at 7:00 p.m. Friday, April 26 at the Community Music School.

Tickets for concerts in the Webster University faculty series are $5 general admission, $3 seniors, free for Webster U. faculty/staff and students with valid ID. Tickets for student concerts are $3 general admission, free for Webster U. faculty/staff and students with valid ID.

Swagler, Slaughter, Jost & Morrison to celebrate album release Thursday, February 7 at Jazz at the Bistro

Four St. Louis musicians known for their busy live-performing schedules will celebrate the release of their first collaborative recording with performances at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 7 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Rough Stuff is the first album jointly credited to saxophonist Jason Swagler, guitarist Eric Slaughter, bassist Nick Jost, and drummer Marty Morrison, who have worked together frequently in various local venues, sometimes under Swagler's name, sometime using Slaughter's.

The album (pictured) features nine tracks, including original compositions by members of the group and an interpretation of Charles Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," and currently is on sale as a digital download from both Amazon and iTunes.

Tickets for the album release event at Jazz at the Bistro, which will include a digital copy of Rough Stuff, are $20 for general admission, $10 for students, and on sale now via Metrotix.

(Edited 1/13/13 to fix a typo.)

More on two new jazz venues

Following up on last week's post about the new Central West End jazz venue Troy's Jazz Gallery, we can tell you now that more information was added over the weekend to the club's website.

Among the additions were an "About" page, a map that suggests patrons will have access to a gated parking lot across the street from the club, and a beverage menu with a long list of cocktails and coffee drinks named after jazz musicians. The venue will not offer food service; a note on the drinks page says "We suggest you eat before coming to the jazz gallery."

The band schedule shows live music booked five times a week. Wednesday will feature the Soul Thump Chronicles, with a trio led by bassist John King backing performances by local poets. Guitarist Eric Slaughter will be fronting a group on Thursdays, with vibraphonist Peter Schlamb on Fridays, Tommy Holland and Friends on Saturday afternoons, and saxophonist Willie Akins' quartet on Saturday nights.

According to the "reservations" page, cover charges will range from $5 to $10, depending on the night of the week, with a two-drink minimum and advance reservations required on weekend evenings.

As no dates are listed, it's not clear yet exactly when this schedule will begin. (I also checked the Facebook page for Troy's Jazz Gallery, but it hasn't been updated since last week.) Slaughter and guitarist Tom Byrne last week had announced they'd be playing a gig there last Thursday, then a day later announced that it was postponed until this Thursday, December 6. We'll be checking back to see if that comes off as planned, and as soon as more information becomes available, we'll have it for you here.

In related news, Voce, a bar, restaurant and live music venue located downtown at 212 N. Tucker (at Pine St) and described on its Facebook page as "jazz themed," will open this weekend.

The pertinent question here is, of course, what exactly is meant by "jazz themed"? A graphic elsewhere on the Facebook page says "Voce invites all styles of music and comedy," and the club's opening on Friday, December 7 will feature rock/pop acts Billy Schuh, Foxing, and The Breaks.

On the other hand, the handful of other bookings listed on the page include dates for singers Kim Massie on Saturday, December 15 and Erin Bode (pictured) on Saturday, December 29. Voce's website sheds no additional light, however, as it's mostly empty right now.

Suffice it to say then that the venue's policy with regard to musical genres to be featured seems a bit unclear at this point. Again, yr. humble editor will be looking into this further, with updates here as warranted.

New jazz venue opening in Central West End

A new venue for live jazz in St. Louis is opening in the Central West End.

Located at 4519 Olive - a bit east of Kingshighway, and not far from what once was Gaslight Square - Troy's Jazz Gallery is the latest venture from Troy Williams, who from 1999 to the early 2000s operated a live music spot near Lafayette Square called Troy's on the Park. After that, Williams ran the bar Filter, located in the CWE where the Tavern of Fine Arts is now, and later, a cafe called Breakfast Tools in the Lindenwood neighborhood.

This new spot apparently has been in the works for a while; the business name was registered with the state a year ago, and the website says "Coming Spring 2012." Whenever the official opening date, the location may present a challenge for the proprietor, since it's on a block that currently has few other bars, restaurants or retail stores to draw foot traffic to the area. The closest similar business looks to be the Wine Press, which is to the east at 4436 Olive and features live music several nights a week, so perhaps the two rooms will benefit from proximity to one another.

Though neither the website for Troy's Jazz Gallery nor its Facebook page have a whole lot of information yet, we can tell you that guitarists Eric Slaughter and Tom Byrne (pictured) are promoting a gig there from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. this Thursday, November 29. The notice posted on Facebook says they'll be joined by bassist Bob DeBoo and drummer Marty Morrison, and there's a $5 cover. UPDATE - 10:00 p.m., 11/28/12: The Byrne/Slaughter gig has been "postponed" for one week to next Thursday, December 6.

Also, the club has been running paid ads on Facebook, promoting regular Saturday night performances by the "Jazz Session Quintet," with sets at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. and a "$5-10 cover (reservation required)." Other than a phone number - 314-932-1120 - there are no further details.

StLJN's call to that number today was not answered, and that band name is unfamiliar to yr. humble editor, so there's not much more to tell you right now. (In case you were wondering, an online search for "jazz session quintet" yields only a half-dozen results in total, none related to St. Louis.) I'll be trying over the next several days to track down more details, and will either update this post or add a new one as more information becomes available.