Jazz this week: Christine Ebersole & Billy Stritch, Adam Larson, Craig Pomranz, Dave Koz & Friends, Storm Large, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes an exploration of the compositions of a legendary jazz saxophonist, several servings of holiday music, some contemporary cabaret, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...  

Wednesday, December 5
Singer Christine Ebersole and singer/pianist Billy Stritch present their cabaret show "Snowfall" for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis, with just a handful of tickets still available at this writing.

Also on Wednesday, the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" will feature trumpeter and banjo player T.J. Muller at The Stage at KDHX; the weekly jam session hosted by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, this week featuring students from some of Jazz St. Louis' JazzU groups; and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at The Dark Room.

Thursday, December 6
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will close out the semester with a free concert featuring the Arc of Light Ensemble, a sextet including trumpeter Randy Holmes, saxophonist Paul DeMarinis, trombonist Wayne Coniglio, pianist Ken Kehner, bassist Jeff Anderson and drummer Montez Coleman.

Also on Thursday, the Funky Butt Brass Band will be getting in the spirit with a show at the Blues City Deli that could include a preview of some numbers from their upcoming "Holiday Brasstravaganza"; and pianist Jim Hegarty leads a quintet at The Dark Room.

Elsewhere around town, Latin/funk/hip-hop band Ozomatli plays at the Old Rock House, and new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound returns to the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Friday, December 7
Saxophonist Adam Larson (pictured, top left) plays the music of Sonny Rollins for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Though Rollins is esteemed as one of the all-time greatest improvisors in jazz, he's also written a number of tunes that have become standards, including "St. Thomas," "Alfie's Theme," "Oleo," "Doxy," "Pent-Up House," and "Airegin." These compositions, and others from deeper in the Rollins catalog, should provide Larson and friends with ample opportunities for improvisation and interpretation.

Also on Friday, St. Louis native Craig Pomranz (pictured, center left) will be back home from NYC to perform his latest cabaret show, "Love: It Takes Time..." for the first of two nights at the Kranzberg Arts Center; saxophonist Tim Cunningham plays at Troy's Jazz Gallery; and Jesse Gannon returns for a late show at The Dark Room.

Saturday, December 8
Singer Mardra Thomas and keyboardist Reggie Thomas, once mainstays on the St. Louis scene and now living in northern Illinois, will be back for a visit and, along with guitarist Rick Haydon, playing a set of holiday music for "Saturday With Santa" at the Missouri Botanical Garden's Ridgway Visitors Center.

Sunday, December 9
Miss Jubilee performs vintage jazz and blues for brunch at Evangeline's, and the North County Big Band and the City of Music All-Star Chorus will perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Tuesday, 
December 11
Saxophonist Dave Koz (pictured, bottom left) brings the 14th annual edition of his holiday show to the Family Arena, with guest stars including saxophonist Mindi Abair, singer and guitarist Jonathan Butler, and keyboardist Keiko Matsui; and singer Storm Large, who's performed here several times in a cabaret setting, gets a slightly bigger stage for her show "Holiday Ordeal" at the Sun Theatre.

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.)

A guide to holiday jazz in St. Louis

The holiday season has always brought with it plenty of thematic music, and here in St. Louis, recent years have seen a proliferation of performances aimed at those who'd like to mix some jazz with their jingle bells.

Here's a quick look at some noteworthy holiday-themed jazz shows starting this week and continuing throughout the next month:

Kenny G "The Miracles Holiday and Hits Tour"
8:00 p.m., Friday, November 30
Touhill Performing Arts Center
If the G-Man's albums were filed in a record-store bin labeled "instrumental pop," he'd probably attract less scorn from many jazz fans. In the meantime, he's on tour with his annual holiday show, and presumably laughing all the way to the bank. $49 - $99.

Washington University Student Big Band and Jazz Combos "Jazz Celebration"
8:00 p.m., Friday, November 30
560 Music Center
Wash U students perform a program of holiday songs. Free and open to the public.

"Holiday Jazz" with Marion Meadows, Alex Bugnon & Mark Harris II
7:00 p.m. Saturday, December 1
Sun Theatre
Smooth jazz saxophonist Meadows and keyboardist Bugnon team up for a program of seasonal favorites, with some help from St. Louis keyboardist Harris. $67.50 plus $10 service charge.

"Jazz for the Holidays" with the UMSL Jazz Ensemble, Vocal Point and University Symphony Orchestra
3:00 p.m. Sunday, December 2
Touhill Performing Arts Center
UMSL music students perform in their annual holiday concert. Free and open to the public.

Lynne Fiddmont
4:00 p.m., Sunday, December 2
Sheldon Concert Hall
Singer and St. Louis native Fiddmont, who now lives in California, comes home for a concert that will include selections from her album Spirit of Christmas. $35 general admission plus $4.75 service charge.

Webster University Jazz Singers 
7:00 p.m., Monday, December 3
Winifred Moore Auditorium
Webster U students under the direction of Debby Lennon present a program of seasonal songs. $5 general admission, free to students with ID.

Route 66 Jazz Orchestra's Third Annual "Half A Holiday Concert"
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 4
Sheldon Concert Hall
St. Louis-based Route 66 Orchestra presents one set of big band jazz and one set of holiday music. $15 general admission.

Christine Ebersole & Billy Stritch - "Snowfall"
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 5
7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 6
Jazz St. Louis
A winter-themed show from singer and Broadway actress Ebersole and singer/pianist Stritch, part of the cabaret series being co-presented this year by Jazz St. Louis and Cabaret Project of St. Louis. $46.50 & $41.50 adults, $11.50 students

Dave Koz Holiday Show with Mindi Abair, Jonathan Butler & Keiko Matsui
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 11
Family Arena
Smooth jazz saxophonist Koz has been doing holiday shows for more than a decade, and is supported this year by fellow saxophonist Abair, singer and guitarist Butler and keyboardist Matsui. $50-$90, "VIP Experience" $198.

Storm Large "Holiday Ordeal"
8:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 11
Sun Theatre
Singer and actress Large, who has performed her cabaret show here several times in recent years, gets a bigger stage for her holiday extravaganza, which already is a sell-out annual tradition in her hometown of Portland, OR. $25 & $35, "VIP" $85.

Kirk Whalum's "Gospel According to Jazz Christmas" with Sheila E, Lynn Mabry, John Stoddart & Kevin Whalum
7:00 p.m., Friday, December 14
Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church
Memphis-based saxophonist (and nephew of St. Louis' Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum) returns with guest stars for his annual holiday show. $20 & $35, "VIP" $50.

Funky Butt Brass Band "Holiday Brasstravaganza"
9:00 p.m. Friday, December 14
3:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. Saturday, December 15
3:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. Sunday, December 16
Off Broadway
St. Louis' popular New Orleans-style brass band has expanded again for the eighth year of their holiday show, adding a family-friendly Sunday matinee and Sunday evening show for a total of five performances. $18-$25 for evening performances, $5 and $10 for matinees.

"Jazz Noel" with Oikos Ensemble and Java Jived
3:00 p.m., Saturday, December 15
Parkway United Church of Christ
3:00 p.m., Sunday, December 16
First Congregational United Church of Christ
"Re-imagining the Christmas story through jazz for today’s audience." Free and open to the public.

The 442s and Friends "Holiday Spectacular"
7:30 p.m., Monday, December 17
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 18
560 Music Center
Eclectic instrumental quartet plus guest stars present originals and holiday favorites. $15 - $30.

Jazz St. Louis Big Band plays Ellington's "Nutcracker"
7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 18
7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 19
7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Thursday, December 20
Jazz St. Louis
Hear Duke Ellington's re-imagining of Tchaikovsky's famous work played live by a big band of St. Louis musicians, plus additional favorites from the Ellington catalog. $21.50 balcony; $26.50 floor; $21.50 military, police & fire; $11.50 students.

"A Gospel Christmas" with Take 6 and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 20
Powell Hall
The Grammy Award-winning vocal group, orchestra and In Unison chorus perform "unforgettable contemporary gospel renditions of favorite holiday classics and more." Sold out; for information on standing room tickets, call the SLSO box office at 314-534-1700.

Dean Christopher "Rat Pack Christmas"
7:30 p.m., Thursday, December 20
Sheldon Concert Hall
Singer and impressionist Christopher offers seasonal songs in the style of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and more. $15 general admission.

Harry Connick Jr. "A New Orleans Tricentennial Celebration... Holiday Edition"
7:30 p.m., Thursday, December 20
Stifel Theatre
The famed singer, pianist, actor, and talk show host and his big band perform Christmas music and more in a New Orleans style. $147, $112, $77 and $52.

Jim Manley's Mad Brass and Rhythm "A Very Manley Christmas"
7:30 p.m., & 9:30 p.m., Friday, December 21
7:30 p.m., & 9:30 p.m., Saturday, December 22
Jazz St. Louis
St. Louis trumpeter and his seven-piece band offer high-energy versions of holiday favorites. $21.50 & $15.50, students $11.50.

Do you know of any holiday jazz shows in St. Louis that we missed? If so, please share the relevant info in the comments.

Edited 11/27/18 to add the Webster University Jazz Singers performance.

Dave Koz holiday tour booked for Tuesday, December 11 at Family Arena

Saxophonist Dave Koz is bringing his 2018 Christmas tour to the St. Louis area for a performance on Tuesday, December 11 at the Family Arena.

This is the 21st year that Koz (pictured) has done a holiday-themed tour, and for this year's edition, his "special guests" will include saxophonist and singer Mindi Abair, guitarist and singer Jonathan Butler, and keyboard player Keiko Matsui.

Tickets are priced from $50 to $90 (plus service charges), and there's also a "VIP Experience" for $198 per person.

Tickets will go on sale at noon this Friday, September 7, but there's also a presale beginning at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, September 6, and continuing until 10:00 p.m. tomorrow night. To get in on the presale, go to the the Metrotix website and when prompted, use promo code HORNS.

Jazz this week: Jane Monheit, Kenny G, and more

As the winter break begins for local universities and we head toward the holidays, the amount of jazz and creative music activity here in St. Louis tends to drop rather precipitously for a couple of weeks and then pick up again in the new year.

That said, there are several noteworthy events happening this week, starting with singer Jane Monheit (pictured), who this evening will open a four-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro. Monheit's got a considerable fan base here in St. Louis, and word is that the early shows are already sold out. So if you're interested in going, advance reservations would seem to be a must.

Tomorrow night, saxophonist Kenny G brings his holiday show at the Family Arena in St. Charles. While the popular performer certainly has plenty of detractors, he's got his share of fans, too. (In fact, the stats show info on Mr. G's St. Louis performance has been one of the most-searched-for items here on StLJN over the last month.) If you're one of those fans, it appears that as of this writing, some tickets remain on sale.

Elsewhere around town, the Funky Butt Brass Band will present their second annual "Holiday Brasstravaganza" on Saturday at the south side rock club Off Broadway, and Robbie's House of Jazz has blues from singer/guitarist and teenage phenom Marquise Knox on Friday and Latin jazz from pianist Phil Gomez and Clave Sol on Saturday. On Sunday afternoon, Robbie's will host a jazz brunch and CD release event for trumpeter Randy Holmes.

That same afternoon and just around the corner, Webster Records will present free in-store performances from singer/pianist Anita Rosamond, guitarist Steve Schenkel and vocalist Kiersten Rose, and trumpeter Jim Manley. All the musicians will donate a portion of sales of their CDs that day to Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, and Webster Records will kick a donation based on CD sales as well.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band returns to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups for their final performance of the year.

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.)

(Edited after posting.)

Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Del McCoury postpone concert at Family Arena

The concert by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Del McCoury Band that had been scheduled for next Saturday, October 23 at the Family Arena in St. Charles has been postponed until April 13, 2011. Here's the statement that went up today on the site of Metrotix, the ticket agency for the show:

"Due to circumstances beyond our control, The Del McCoury Band & Preservation Hall Jazz Band show originally scheduled for October 23 has been postponed. The new date for the show will be April 13, 2011. Tickets for the original date will be honored. If you are unable to attend the new date, ticket holders can receive a face value refund at their original point of purchase. For more information, call MetroTix at 314.534.1111."

Kenny G to play December 16 at Family Arena

Some people love him, while others seem to love to hate him - either way, saxophonist Kenny G (pictured) often inspires some strong feelings.

If you're a fan, you'll be glad to know that the G-Man, born Kenny Gorelick, is coming to the St. Louis area to perform at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 16 at the Family Arena in St. Charles. Haters can consider this as an advance warning to either make plans to avoid the affected area during that time or, alternatively, to purchase a couple of dozen eggs and set them out to start rotting right now.

All kidding aside, while yr. humble StLJN editor is not a fan of Kenny G, I've never quite understood the level of vitriol directed at him by many jazz listeners and critics. Yes, his overdubbing of tepid sax licks on a 45-year-old Louis Armstrong record represents an egregious lapse in judgment and taste. But Pops' original "What A Wonderful World" isn't exactly a jazz classic on the order of "West End Blues," and, regardless, it also endures in its original form despite G's recording.

And yes, Pat Metheny's famous remarks about Kenny G made for some entertaining reading. But really, why waste a lot of time and effort thinking and/or complaining about someone whose music (or art, or writing) bores or annoys you? Better to just ignore them, and spend the equivalent resources looking for and listening to something you'll enjoy.

For those who enjoy Kenny G, tickets for his Family Arena performance will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Friday, July 30 via MetroTix and at the Family Arena box office.

Metrotix offering online ticket presale for Preservation Hall Jazz Band & Del McCoury

Starting today, Metrotix is having an online presale of tickets for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band/Del McCoury concert scheduled for October 23 at the Family Arena.

Tickets officially go on sale to the general public at 10:00 a.m Friday, May 28, but online buyers can purchase tickets beginning at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, May 26 until 10:00 p.m. Thursday, May 27. To access the offer, go here and enter the promo code "CIRCLE."