New recordings from Ryan Marquez, Jim Manley, Erika Johnson, and Janet Evra & Ptah Williams

Whether it's the coming of spring, the appearance of some light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, or something else entirely, St. Louis musicians have been busy, with several new releases of potential interest to StLJN readers announced or already out:

* Keyboardist Ryan Marquez of The People's Key and Fresh Heir is set to drop Saint Unity, a solo album featuring guest appearances from 20 St. Louis musicians and vocalists, including singers Anita Jackson, Erin Bode, Lola Kristine, Janet Evra, Paige Alyssa, and Chrissy Renick.

The material is a mix of Marquez's originals and covers, including songs by The Beatles, Foo Fighters, and No Doubt. A single, "Serenity," featuring Jackson and trumpeter Dawn Weber, already has been released, with the full album set to come out in June. For more, check out Marquez's interview with Kim Hudson of FOX 2 News and the feature story on the album from the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson. 

* Meanwhile, the ever-prolific trumpeter Jim Manley has released his second recording since the start of quarantine last year. Still Kickin' Brass includes 15 tracks of original music created in Manley's home studio, and is available now directly from his website as both a download and physical CD.

* Vocalist Erika Johnson will celebrate the release of her latest recording, Raising Standards, with a show next Tuesday, June 1 at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups. The album (pictured), which includes both Johnson originals and covers including "Strange Fruit," was produced by keyboardist Antonio Foster and saxophonist Carlos "Scooter" Brown, and already is available on the major streaming services.

* Last but not least, singer/bassist Janet Evra has teamed with pianist Ptah Williams on a new album titled New Friends, Old Favorites. Recorded live at the Sheldon Concert Hall with a band including saxophonist Kendrick Smith, drummer Demarius Hicks, and Evra's husband, guitarist Will Buchanan, the album features Evra and Williams' arrangements of ten familiar tunes, including songs associated with Ray Charles, Nina Simone, The Shirelles, and more. You can see their rendition of "My Baby Just Cares For Me" on Facebook Video, and find the album streaming online.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Keyboardist David Garfield (pictured) next month is releasing a new single, "Hunting Heads," that pays tribute to Herbie Hancock.

* The St. Louis Post-Dispatch went into their archives to republish vintage photos and a story about St. louis' 1960s entertainment district Gaslight Square.

* Singer Erika Johnson was interviewed for a profile on the site of women's shoemaket Walking Cradles.

* A travel article in USA Today touting Midwest sites of interest for music fans mentions notable St. Louis locations including BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, Broadway Oyster Bar, National Blues Museum, and Vintage Vinyl.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold and the mother of his son Keyon Jr. have filed a racial profiling lawsuit against the Arlo Hotels chain and Miya Ponsetto, the woman who in a widely reported incident last year accosted Harrold and his son at the hotel's NYC location and accused the younger Harrold of stealing her iPhone.

* Jazz St. Louis will share in the prize for "Arts Collaboration" when the Arts and Education COuncil of Greater St. Louis presents the 2021 St. Louis Arts Awards in an event on Monday, May 24 at the Big Top in Grand Center. The award will be shared with St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, Nine Network of Public Media, and The Big Muddy Dance Company for the joint presentation of "Such Sweet Thunder" staged in October 2019 at the Nine Network's Public Media Commons.

* Multi-instrumentalist and singer Tonina Saputo is featured on the latest episode of "Classical:BTS", a web video series produced by Illinois Public Media.

* The Don and Heide Wolff Jazz Institute and the National Black Radio Hall of Fame at Harris-Stowe State University will present the induction of four musicians into the Wolff Institute's St. Louis Jazz Hall of Fame in a online ceremony at 3:00 p.m. this Saturday, March 27.

Trumpeter Clark Terry; pianist, singer and saxophonist Hugh 'Peanuts ' Whalum; and singer Kim Massie are the St. Louis performers scheduled to be honored, along with, for reasons that presently are obscure, saxophonist Kirk Whalum, a Memphis native and nephew of "Peanuts" Whalum. (No knock against Kirk Whalum, a fine player who has had a nice career, but apart from his uncle, he doesn't really have much to do with St. Louis.)

The event will be webcast from the National Blues Museum downtown, and can be viewed on the Facebook pages for the NBM or Harris-Stowe.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold has written an essay for USA Today about the recent incident at a New York City hotel in which he and his teenage son were assaulted and falsely accused of theft.

* Keyboardist David Garfield's re-release of a track featuring singer-guitarist Boz Scaggs was the subject of a brief feature in American Songwriter magazine.

* Rhythm City, the recent album from pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Larry Kornfeld, and drummer Rob Silverman, received a four-star review in the February 2021 issue of DownBeat magazine.

* Singer Erika Johnson (pictured) talked about her new band The Gemini Project in an interview with the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson. The group debuts this Saturday at Blue Strawberry.

* As also reported by Kevin Johnson in the Post-Dispatch, The Sheldon has postponed its "Coffee Concerts" series that had been scheduled to resume this spring until the fall and winter of 2021-22.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn is starting a new series of online master classes on Sunday, January 31. For details on the classes and pricing, or to register, visit his website.

* A story from St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin looks at the potential impact of government relief funds on local arts and cultural organizations affected by the COVID pandemic.

* AllAboutJazz.com recently surveyed readers to find out what they consider to be the "top jazz cities" in the world, and St. Louis came in at #42. (Insert your own Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy joke here.) The top five jazz cities as determined by AAJ.com readers are New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Paris, and London; Kansas City was ranked as #13.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo (pictured) gave St. Louis Post-Dispatch readers a look into her living space in a recent feature in the paper's "At Home" series

* Saxophonist Greg Osby was interviewed by JazzFuel.com.

* Drummer Rob Silverman was one of the guests on last week's Modern Drummer Magazine video podcast.

* Radio station WSIE, headquartered on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, recently reached the milestone of 50 years on the air, and trumpeter Jim Manley has written and recorded a new tune, "Blasting the Airwaves (50 Years of WSIE)," to commemorate the occasion.

* Singer Erika Johnson is hosting a new podcast, "My Black Auntie (MBA)," presenting what she calls "an educated Black woman's perspective with sass and class."

* The Black Artists’ Group of St. Louis: Creation Equals Movement, the new documentary that will get its local premiere next month at the St. Louis International Film Festival, was the subject of a feature story by the St. Louis American's Chris King.

* Pianist, singer and St. Louis native John McDaniel was home this past Sunday to do a performance and webcast from Blue Strawberry, and KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi reviewed the show.

* Miles Davis may have been known for "cooking" on the bandstand, but the trumpeter was no stranger to the kitchen either, according to the latest episode of Jazziz magazine's "Miles Monday" podcast, which features Davis' nephew, drummer and producer Vince Wilburn Jr. and "rising-star jazz musicians and culinary media personalities" Adeev and Ezra Potash.

Jazz this week: Funky Butt Brass Band, Erika Johnson sings the Stones, Jazz at Holmes summer series begins, and more

As often happens around major holidays, there's not much happening this week in the way of touring jazz and creative musicians visiting St. Louis, so it's up to our hometown performers to take up the slack.

Here are a few shows you may want to check out...

Wednesday, July 4
The Funky Butt Brass Band playing a free concert for the Missouri Botanical Garden's Whitaker Music Festival,

There's no Grand Center Jazz Crawl this week, as all the participating venues will be closed for Independence Day, and other local establishments that usually feature live music on Wednesdays may be following suit. Best to call ahead if you're planning on going out.

Thursday, July 5
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University kicks off their "Jazz in July" series with a free concert from trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band; and bassist Chano Cruz leads a trio at The Dark Room.

Friday, July 6
Singer Erika Johnson (pictured) returns to Jazz St. Louis for the first of two nights performing music made famous by the Rolling Stones; and Dizzy Atmosphere will play a free concert before the Old Orchard Gazebo Music & Movie Series screens Alfred Hitchcock's film Charade, starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant.

Saturday, July 7
The Coleman Hughes Project plays a free afternoon concert at Heman Park in U City; and saxophonist Dave Stone's trio is back at Thurman's in Shaw.

Sunday, July 8
The Bonbon Plot plays for brunch at The Dark Room, and trumpeter/banjoist TJ Muller's Arcadia Dance Orchestra will present a matinee at the Ozark Theatre/Webster Groves Concert Hall.

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.)

Willie Akins Jazz Festival set for Sunday, May 27 at Grandel Theatre

The second annual Willie Akins Jazz Festival will take place starting at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, May 27 at the Grandel Theatre.

The event honors the late St. Louis saxophonist by raising money for music scholarships in his name at Webster University, where Akins (pictured) was an adjunct faculty member. Singer Joe Mancuso is organizing the fest and will serve as co-MC with singer Erika Johnson, who worked with Akins early in her career.

The concert will feature music from saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet, trumpeter Danny Campbell's quartet, and the "Willie Akins All-Stars," an ad hoc group of musicians who worked with and/or knew Akins, including saxophonists Freddie Washington, Paul DeMarinis and Kendrick Smith, guitarist Tom Byrne, bassist Willem von Hombracht, and drummer Kyle Honeycutt.

Following the concert, the action moves to The Dark Room, where pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Darrell Mixon and drummer Gary Sykes will host a post-performance jam session.

Tickets for the Willie Akins Jazz Festival will be $12 for general admission, available at the door.

Jazz this week: Ptah Williams, Erika Johnson, a salute to the Nat "King" Cole Trio, and more

Summer definitely is sizzling in St. Louis this week, but if you're brave enough to venture out in the steamy weather, there are a number of  noteworthy jazz and creative music shows happening this weekend, including several free concerts.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, 
July 12
Pianist Ptah Williams (pictured, top left) will perform in a free outdoor concert for the Missouri Botanical Garden's Whitaker Music Festival.

Also on Wednesday, the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" proceeds as usual, featuring live jazz with no cover or admission charge at The Stage at KDHX's Magnolia Cafe, Kranzberg Arts Center, Curtain Call Lounge and The Dark Room.

Thursday, July 13
Pianist Kara Baldus will lead her trio in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes "Jazz in July" series at Washington University; saxophonist Harvey Lockhart and The Collective will take the stage at The Dark Room; and vibraphonist Tom Rickard and guitarist Dave Black will perform at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, July 14
Singer Erika Johnson (pictured, center left) will return to Jazz at the Bistro for the first two nights.

Well-grounded in the tradition thanks to jazz studies at East St. Louis HS (with noted educator Ronald Carter) and at SIU Edwardsville, and an early apprenticeship with the late Willie Akins, Johnson has a repertoire that ranges from Bird to the Beatles, and is one of the better scat singers among St. Louis female vocalists.

She often works in a duo format, but she'll have a full band at the Bistro, making these dates especially attractive for fans both old and new.

Also on Friday, there will be free concerts featuring singer Erin Bode at Ferguson CityWalk; singer Joe Mancuso's organ trio at Lakeside 370 Park in St. Peters; and drummer Steve Davis' "Super Band," featuring singer Feyza Eren at the Webster Groves Concert Hall

Elsewhere around town, the Funky Butt Brass Band will be back for their monthly appearance at the Broadway Oyster Bar, and Miss Jubilee will perform for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, July 15
The Jazz Troubadours will perform for brunch at Evangeline's, serving as the first half of a jazz double-bill there that also will feature an evening performance from the Joe Bozzi Band.

Also on Saturday night, singer Chuck Flowers (pictured, bottom left) will salute the music of the Nat 'King' Cole Trio at The Monocle; and trumpeter Jim Manley returns to One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar.

Sunday, July 16
Guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran plays for brunch 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: Christmas jazz in St. Louis

With Christmas Eve and Christmas Day filling the weekend, the calendar of upcoming jazz and creative music events this week in St. Louis is understandably rather modest, though there are a few noteworthy shows in the days leading up to the holiday. Let's take a look...

Wednesday, December 21
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band presents two final performances of Duke Ellington’s re-imagining of Tchaikovsky's “Nutcracker” at Jazz at the Bistro, while nearby, the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" proceeds with guitarist Tom Byrne and singer Erika Johnson at KDHX's Magnolia Cafe, a jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's trio playing at The Dark Room.

Thursday, December 22
Singer Feyza Eren, who has just released a new album of holiday music, will lead a quartet at Evangeline's, and trumpeter Jim Manley will play his weekly Thursday show at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Friday, December 23
Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, saxophonist Kendrick Smith leads a trio at Cigar Inn, and the Yule Dig Trio, aka Tom Byrne, Erika Johnson and bassist/saxophonist Jeff Anderson will play at the KindaBlue Club.

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: Laurence Hobgood & Ernie Watts, Brad Mehldau & Joshua Redman, Frank Stemper & Altgeld Chamber Players, Erika Johnson, and more

This week's schedule of jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a variety of sounds, including what amounts to a mini-festival of piano players at Jazz at the Bistro, with the two out-of-town participants bringing along top tenor saxophonists. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, pianist Laurence Hobgood leads a quartet at Jazz at the Bistro for one night only, featuring tenor sax great Ernie Watts as special guest. Hobgood is best known for his long association with Kurt Elling, but he's taking advantage of some downtime in the singer's schedule to get out and do some touring on his own. His band also features drummer Jared Schonig, who was here earlier this year with the Wee Trio, and bassist Matthew Rybicki. For more about what to expect, check out this interview from the start of their tour, published by the Chicago edition of Examiner.com, and this story from last week in the Post-Dispatch.

Also tonight, guitarist Vince Varvel leads a quartet in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

On Friday, pianist Dave Venn checks into the Bistro for a rare one-nighter there. A longtime veteran of the local scene, Venn is an accomplished player who began back in the Gaslight Square era and is known particularly for a long association with the Chase Park Plaza hotel. He'll be accompanied by bassist David Troncoso and guitarist and former St. Louisan Rob Block.

Also on Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band is at the Broadway Oyster Bar; vibraphonist Peter Schlamb leads a quartet at Robbie's House of jazz; drummer Paul Shaw's trio plays at the Cigar Inn; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham returns to Jazz on Broadway.

On Saturday afternoon, the Nu-Art Series will present Erika Johnson singing the music of Betty Carter in a concert at the Metropolitan Gallery. Johnson will be backed by guitarist Eric Slaughter, drummer Montez Coleman and bassist Bob Deboo.

Then on Saturday night, the Bistro completes its weekend trifecta of pianists with Brad Mehldau and saxophonist Joshua Redman (pictured). Longtime friends who worked together in Redman's band early in their respective careers, the two are doing a brief tour together this spring before going back to their respective "day jobs" as bandleaders. In an unusual bit of scheduling, they'll be back at the Bistro on Sunday night for two more sets. For more, check out this feature story by the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson.

Also on Saturday night, New Music Circle presents a program of music by composer Frank Stemper, as performed by the Altgeld Chamber Players at the Kranzberg Arts Center; and drummer Marty Morrison will lead a quartet at Robbie's.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Webster University Jazz Combos will perform at Winifred Moore Auditorium the Community Music School on the Webster campus, and pianist Dave Becherer leads a trio 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.)

Nu-Art Series to present Erika Johnson in Betty Carter tribute on Saturday, April 7

The Nu-Art Series has announced that Erika Johnson (pictured) will sing works associated with legendary jazz vocalist Betty Carter in a concert at 3:00 p.m., Saturday, April 7 at the Metropolitan Gallery, 2936 Locust St.

Originally from East St. Louis, Johnson has performed around the area since the mid-1990s, and also serves as the voiceover artist for station identity spots on radio station WSIE (88.7 FM). She'll be accompanied during her Betty Carter tribute by guitarist Eric Slaughter, drummer Montez Coleman and bassist Bob Deboo.

Tickets for the performance are $10 at the door.

Jazz this week: Christian Pincock, Musica Slesa, Moyindau, Eric Slaughter Trio, Erika Johnson, and more

It's more than likely to be freezing cold in St. Louis this weekend, but with the 2011 portion of the presenting season starting to heat up, there are a number of jazz and creative music performances that could justify the effort required to bundle up and brave the chill.

If you're looking specifically for something to put you in mind of warmer climes, the St. Louis based Latin jazz band Musica Slesa will be performing on Friday night at Jazz at the Bistro and presumably will be, as the saying goes, muy caliente.

Also on Friday, pianist and singer Curt Landes' trio will play at Robbie's House of Jazz, and trombonist/composer/electronic musician Christian Pincock will perform at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center. Pincock's music is concerned with the interaction of live, sampled and synthesized sounds, with lots of computer processing of his trombone. You can see a couple of videos of him in performance in last Saturday's video showcase post.

On Saturday afternoon, singer Erika Johnson will reprise her take on the music of Nina Simone for a concert presented by the Nu-Art Series at the Metropolitan Gallery downtown. That evening, drummer Brian Sullivan leads a trio with bassist Darrell Mixon and pianist Mat Dillinger at Robbie's.

On Sunday, guitarist Eric Slaughter's trio (pictured) will do a free, early evening concert at Second Baptist Church in Richmond Heights for the St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers Series.

After that, if you hurry, you can make it down to the south side for a Sunday evening performance from Moyindau at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center. The Michigan-based quartet brings together influences from jazz, classical, Eastern European folk music, free improv and more, and you can sample some of their sounds from that same video post from last week.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday BB's Jazz Blues and Soups has pianist Dave Becherer's trio, and on Tuesday, the weekly open jam sessions continue at Robbie's House of Jazz.

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 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.)

Erika Johnson, Quincy Troupe & Kelvyn Bell to perform for Nu-Art Series

The Nu-Art Series this week announced two upcoming events at the Metropolitan Gallery, located downtown at 2936 Locust Street.

Singer Erika Johnson (pictured, above left) will reprise "Erika Sings Nina," a tribute to the music of Nina Simone, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, January 15. A native of East St. Louis, Johnson studied music with Ron Carter at Lincoln HS and Jackson State University, and has performed around St. Louis both as a leader and with saxophonist Willie Akins and others.

Then next month, poet and author Quincy Troupe and singer/guitarist Kelvyn Bell (pictured, below left) will return home to join forces for a performance under the name "SoundArt" at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 19.

Both natives of the St. Louis area who years ago relocated to the East Coast, Troupe and Bell first teamed up in 2009 for a performance with drummer Ronnie Burrage at Robbie's House of Jazz here in St. Louis. The "SoundArt" project is described as "a driving, mystical, melodic music that has sparked an unexpected buzz among lovers of jazz, hip-hop, and the spoken word and promises to energize audiences around the world."

Tickets for both concerts will be $10 for general admission, available at the door.

Nu-Art Series to present jazz singers in July

The Nu-Art Series has announced a slate of four Saturday afternoon concerts in July featuring St. Louis singers interpreting songs associated with famous jazz vocalists.

Nikki Washington gets it started on Saturday, July 3 with the songs of Sarah Vaughan, followed on July 10 by Felicia Ezell doing the music of Ella Fitzgerald. After a week's respite, the series resumes on July 24 with Mardra Thomas (pictured) singing Nancy Wilson, and wraps up on July 31 with Erika Johnson interpreting the repertoire of Anita O'Day.

All four performances will take place starting at 3:00 p.m. at the Metropolitan Gallery, 2936 Locust St. Admission is $10 at the door. For more information, call 314-535-6500, or visit the Nu-Art Series website.

Stan Hale CD release event set for Sunday, April 19

Drummer and St. Louis native Stan Hale will perform at a CD release party celebrating The Stan Hale Experience, his debut recording as a leader, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 19 at the Jazz Spot, 400 N. Washington Ave. in downtown St. Louis. Admission to the show is $10, and includes a copy of the CD.

Known primarily as a blues drummer, Hale has worked with a number of well-known musicians and singers, including Joe Louis Walker, Maria Muldaur, Son Seals, Charlie Musselwhite, Angela Strehli, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Alvin "Youngblood" Hart, Kenny Wayne, Theo Peoples, and many others.

The CD includes Hale's original jazz compositions "Few and Far Between," "Active Ingredient" and "Red, White and Blue" plus his arrangements of tunes such as Wayne Shorter's "Footprints," and the standards "My One and Only Love," "Lullaby of Birdland," "It Could Happen To You," and "My Heart Belongs To Daddy."

In addition to the leader on drums, the cast of musicians on The Stan Hale Experience CD includes Carolyn Day (piano), Henry Taylor (guitar) and Jeff Anderson (bass, tenor sax), plus vocalists Erika Johnson and Ben Garrett and rapper Zaire Imani. As for the CD release party, Hale says he's still putting together the band, but has already secured the services of singer Ralph Butler to handle vocals.

Hale added that the CD also will be available for purchase at local retailers, such as Vintage Vinyl and Webster Records, soon after the release event.

(Full disclosure: Yr. humble editor has played a number of gigs with Stan Hale over the past couple of years, both as part of Hale's own group and backing up singers such as Uvee Hayes and Renee Smith.)