Jazz this week: Erik Jekabsen, Shana Tucker, Kimmie Horne, and more

Although it's summer vacation season, and jazz gigs in and around St. Louis are somewhat fewer than usual as a result, there still are plenty of shows worth hearing - if, as we're fond of saying around these parts,  you know where to find them.

Here, then, are a few suggestions for the next several days...

Tonight, trumpeter Erik Jekabson's quintet will play a free concert on the Washington University campus for the Jazz at Holmes series. Because of construction, this summer's "Jazz in July" concerts are being presented in Tisch Commons of the Danforth University Center, 6475 Forsyth Blvd.

Also tonight, Irish blues/jazz guitarist and singer Nigel Mooney, fresh off a performance Wednesday night at Missouri Botanical Garden, will team up with St. Louis guitarist Vince Martin for a gig at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; and guitarist Dave Black and band are playing at Nathalie’s.

On Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band will play an outdoor concert at Jefferson Barracks Park amphitheater, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the St. Louis Backstoppers.

Also on Friday, singer Wendy Gordon and pianist Arthur Toney will duet at the Tavern of Fine Arts; the Original Knights of Swing will play at Casa Loma Ballroom; and trumpeter Jim Manley and pianist Kara Baldus are at One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar.

On Saturday, singer and multi-instrumentalist Shana Tucker (pictured) will make her St. Louis debut at the Kranzberg Arts Center. Tucker, who alternates between personal projects and work-for-hire playing cello and singing for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, really is more of a jazz-influenced singer-songwriter than a straight-up jazz musician, but she's a talent to watch. Find our more about her and see some performance videos in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, saxophonist Jim Stevens and band will play a free outdoor concert at Lafayette Park; Wack-A-Doo will perform at Urban Chestnut Brewing Company downtown; and Miss Jubilee will be swinging for the dancers down at Casa Loma Ballroom.

On Sunday, Community Women Against Hardship (CWAH) will hold their annual jazz brunch fundraiser, with this year's event moved to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups due to the ongoing construction at Jazz at the Bistro.

The benefit will feature music from singer Kimmie Horne, grand-niece of the legendary Lena Horne, backed by a band led by drummer Jerome "Scrooge" Harris and including Jeff Anderson (tenor sax), Matt Villinger (piano), and Ben Wheeler (bass). (Advance reservations can be made via the CWAH website, and are strongly recommended.)

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday, singer Dean Christopher brings his "Rat Pack and More" show back to One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar; and on Tuesday, pianist and singer Jesse Gannon is now doing a regular weekly gig with his band Truth at The Engine 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 "Jazz in July" series begins Thursday, July 10

The first of four free summer concerts presented by the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will take place this week when saxophonist Jay Hutson and Da Wolvez perform at 8:00 p.m., Thursday, July 10 on the Wash U campus.

Because the university is doing some construction work this summer in Ridgely Hall, the usual site for the Jazz at Holmes series, the 2014 "Jazz in July" concerts will be presented at Tisch Commons in the Danforth University Center, 6475 Forsyth Blvd (at Wallace).

After Hutson, next up are trumpeter Erik Jekabson (pictured) and his quintet on Thursday, July 17; and singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black on Thursday, July 24. A trio performance by pianist Kara Baldus, bassist Eric Stiller, and drummer Kyle Honeycutt will conclude the series on Thursday, July 31.

All of the Jazz at Holmes "Jazz in July" concerts start at 8:00 p.m., and are free and open to the public.

Jazz this week: Erik Jekabsen, "Music for Mutts," Tim Cunningham, free outdoor concerts, and more

Looks like we're in for some steamy weather in St. Louis for the next few days, but fortunately there will be ample opportunities to cool out with some live jazz and creative music, both indoors and outdoors. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, there are two free outdoor shows of interest, as Good 4 The Soul plays a free concert at O'Fallon Park while the Willie Akins/Montez Coleman group performs for the Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Also tonight, trumpeter Delano Redmond starts a new recurring Wednesday night gig at the Premier Lounge, and Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly open mic night at Tavern of Fine Arts.

Tomorrow night, trumpeter Erik Jekabsen (pictured), with a band that will include Kansas City saxophonist Matt Otto, will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; and Miss Jubilee performs for a free outdoor event at St Peters City Centre Amphitheater.

On Friday, there are plenty of choices for the discerning listener, starting with the return of saxophonist Tim Cunningham for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro. Elsewhere around town, mandolinist Knez Jakovac leads a quartet in a concert at the Lemp Grand Hall, 1817 Cherokee (at Lemp); Feyza Eren performs at the Wine Press; Danita Mumphard sings at Jazz on Broadway; and the St. Louis Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Also on Friday, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis presents "Chromaconditional," a multi-media performance featuring Kevin Harris, Mike Murphy, Adrian McBride, and Jeremy Kannapell, who will "use special sensors to connect the motion and colors of a gigantic video projection to sound patterns, creating a musical soundscape that will fill CAM’s Performance Space."

On Saturday, "Music for Mutts," a benefit for four local animal rescue organizations, will feature music from the cabaret quartet Women Under the Influence, singer Christy Strickland, Miss Jubilee, and more. Proceeds from the event, which will be held at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Dr in Clayton, go to Act Now Rescue, Gateway Pet Guardians, Operation Spot and Pound Pals.

Also on Saturday, guitarist Randy Bahr and flute player/singer Margaret Bianchetta will perform at One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar, and drummer Robbie Tucker leads a quartet at Robbie's House of Jazz.

On Sunday, trumpeter Jim Manley continues his long-running brunch gig at Jimmy's Cafe on the Park, while singer-guitarist Tommy Halloran and his band Guerilla Swing will entertain the brunch crowd at The Rustic Goat.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday Clave Sol plays Latin jazz at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

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

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

Jazz at Holmes series announces dates of free summer concerts

The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University has announced a summer schedule of three free concerts during the month of July.

The summer series starts on Thursday, July 11 with a performance by singer Feyza Eren and her band.

Next up, trumpeter Erik Jekabson (pictured), who's from San Francisco, will play with a quartet of local St. Louis musicians on Thursday, July 18. Drummer Maurice Carnes and his group will close out the summer series on Thursday, July 25.

All concerts are free and open to the public, and 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.