Jazz this week: A benefit starring Johnny O'Neal, free outdoor concerts, and more

It's mid-summer in St. Louis, and though as usual for this time year, it's mostly another slow week with regard to touring musicians visiting St. Louis, the fine pianist and singer Johnny O'Neal (pictured) will be in town for a benefit show on Sunday.

And of course, St. Louis' hometown musicians keep on keepin' on no matter what, with a variety of jazz and creative music performances happening around town over the next few days.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, July 27
The Grand Center "jazz crawl" starts this week with singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black at KDHX's Magnolia Cafe, and continues as usual with bassist Bob DeBoo and friends at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's trio at The Dark Room.

Thursday, July 28
Singer Erin Bode will perform in a free outdoor concert at Kirkwood Station Plaza in downtown Kirkwood, and bassist Glen Smith will lead a trio in a concert at Tisch Commons in the Danforth University Center at Washington University, wrapping up this year's free "Jazz in July" concerts from Wash U's Jazz at Holmes series.

Also on Thursday, singer/guitarist Tommy Halloran and his Guerrilla Strings will be recording in public view at the Gaslight Lounge; and this month's edition of the Bruxism experimental music series, with Blank Thomas, Alberto Patino, Schievvf, will be presented at the Schlafly Tap Room.

Friday, July 29
Soul-jazz/funk quartet The Service returns for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro; and guitarists Farshid Soltanshahi and Dave Black will team up with multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman for a concert at Focal Point.

Elsewhere around town, the Midwest Jazz-tette performs West Coast-style cool jazz at Evangeline's; Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and trumpeter Jim Manley will be back at One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar.

Also on Friday, singer Ken Haller presents his cabaret performance "The TV Show" at The Emerald Room at The Monocle. Haller will return to the same venue on Saturday night to perform his show "Song by Song by Sondheim".

Saturday, July 30
Take your pick of R&B-influenced saxophonists doing free outdoor concerts, as Tim Cunningham performs at Carondelet Park while Jim Stevens plays at Lafayette Park.

Also on Saturday, the Funky Butt Brass Band will play their monthly gig at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Sunday, July 31
The Community Women Against Hardship will present their annual jazz benefit concert at the Ferring Jazz Bistro, this year featuring pianist and singer Johnny O'Neal.

The Detroit native, now based in NYC after many years living in Alabama, has been compared to Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum. Now 59 years old, O'Neal worked early in his career with Clark Terry and Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, but geography, bad health, and bad luck mostly kept him from gaining wider recognition until this decade, when he re-established his presence on the NYC scene with weekly gigs in Manhattan.

For this show, O'Neal will be accompanied by a contingent of St. Louisans including singer Anita Jackson, guitarist Eric Slaughter, bassist Jeff Anderson, and drummer Jerome “Scrooge” Harris.

Monday, August 1
Singer and impresisonist Dean Christopher will present his "Rat Pack & More" show at One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar.

Tuesday, August 2
The Jazz Troubadours, featuring vibraphonist Tom Rickard, bassist Guy Cantonwine, and drummer Steve Helfand, have begun a weekly Tuesday late-night gig and jam session at Evangeline's, continuing until further notice.

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.)

Dennis Owsley named a "Jazz Hero" by Jazz Journalists Association

Dennis Owsley, the longtime host of "Jazz Unlimited" on St. Louis Public Radio and author of a book about the history of St. Louis jazz, has been named a "Jazz Hero" for 2016 by the Jazz Journalists Association.

The award is one of 26 given this year by the JJA to "advocates, altruists, activists, aiders and abettors of jazz who have had significant impact in their local communities." Owsley (pictured) will be the second St. Louisan to be honored by the organization, which last year included the late Don Wolff among 23 "Jazz Heroes" nationwide.

Owsley will receive his "Jazz Hero" award in a ceremony held from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at the Ferring Jazz Bistro. The event is free and open to the public and will feature live music by a combo of Jazz St. Louis' JazzU students and complimentary Brother Thelonious Ale. A cash bar also will be available. (Separate admission will be required for the 7:30 p.m. set at the Bistro by Anat Cohen, Matt Wilson, Marquis Hill and Linda Oh.)

Dennis Owsley's book City of Gabriels: The History of Jazz In St. Louis 1895-1973 was published in 2006 and remains the definitive volume on the subject. His radio program, which began in 1983, continues to air weekly from 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays on KWMU/St. Louis Public Radio (90.7 FM). He also is an accomplished photographer who over the years has shot many pictures of jazz musicians, some of which can be seen on his website.

Based in NYC, the Jazz Journalists Association is a national non-profit organization "dedicated to promoting the best use of media of all kinds --new and old, online and off-- to tell the story of jazz and develop new jazz audiences."

Ally Hany celebrating release of first CD Sunday, November 22 at Ferring Jazz Bistro

Trumpeter Ally Hany will celebrate the release of her first CD with a performance at 6:00 p.m. this Sunday, November 22 at Ferring Jazz Bistro.

Released by the indie label Armored Records, the album (pictured) is titled Journeys Ahead, and features six original compositions by Hany, performed with a backing band including saxophonists Devin Eddleman and Jon Mones, pianist Damian Garcia, bassist Jake Greenburg, and drummer Connor Kent.

At the Bistro show, her first local performance since moving last year to New York City, Hany will be joined by Jason Swagler (alto sax), Nathan Pence (bass), Adam Maness (piano), and Jharis Yokley (drums).

A native of Webster Groves, Hany played locally during her teen years with the Webster Groves High School jazz band, Jazz St. Louis All-Stars, Missouri All-State High School Jazz Band, and St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, as well as in Colorado with the Telluride Jazz Festival All Stars.

She then enrolled in the famed jazz studies program at the University of North Texas, where she performed, toured and recorded with the One O’Clock Lab Band and was featured on the their recording Lab 14, as well as on the Two O’Clock Lab Band's recordings Two’s Two and Kind of Two.

After graduating last year, Hany moved to NYC, where she's been teaching, gigging with the Seth Weaver Big Band and other local groups, and plans to begin graduate studies this fall at the Manhattan School of Music. While she's back home, Hany also will be taking part in the WGHS jazz program's annual fundraising concert on Tuesday, November 24 at Highway 61 Roadhouse.

Tickets for Ally Hany's CD release show are $16.50 and are on sale now via the Jazz St. Louis website and box office.

Jazz this week: Terry Parrish, "A White Affair," Liberty Jazz Band, and more

It's shaping up to be an eclectic late-summer weekend of jazz and creative music in and around St. Louis, with performances in styles ranging from ragtime to swing to smooth jazz and R&B to experimental. Let's go to the highlights...

Thursday, August 13
Pianist Adam Maness will play while artist Vesna Delevska paints at Lilly's Music & Social House, and bassist Willem von Hombracht will team up with saxophonist Dave Stone at Thurman Grill.

Friday, August 14
The Funky Butt Brass Band will perform at Broadway Oyster Bar, and the Original Knights of Swing play for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom. Also on Friday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to Nathalie's, and pianist Rick Zelle will back singers Rebecca Drury, Erik Olson and Karen Zelle at Tavern of Fine Arts.

(Jazz at the Bistro, meanwhile, is on pause this weekend, as the Bistro will serve as a venue for Grand Center's "Music at the Intersection" series on Friday, and will host a third-party production - see below for more - on Saturday.)

Saturday, 
August 15
You can take your pick from three different pianists working in three very different styles, as the Friends of Scott Joplin will present Terry Parrish (pictured, top left) playing ragtime at the Scott Joplin State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe; Greg Mills will offer free improv, contemporary and experimental sounds at Tavern of Fine Arts; and Marvin F. Cockrell and Focus with special guest singer Alvin Garrett (pictured, center right) will perform smooth jazz and R&B for “A White Affair” at the Ferring Jazz Bistro.

Elsewhere around town, trumpeter Jim Manley and his All-Star Group return to Nathalie's; Wack-A-Doo plays swing and Americana at Evangeline's; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham performs at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Sunday, August 16
St. Louis Jazz Club presents Mexico, MO's Liberty Jazz Band (pictured, lower left) playing traditional jazz and swing in a matinee at the Doubletree Hotel in Westport.

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: A tribute to Ray Kennedy, "Music at the Intersection," Marquis Hill, Mike Dillon Band, and more

If you're trying to shake the mid-summer doldrums after some punishing heat and humidity over the past few days in St. Louis, getting out to hear some live jazz and creative music could be just the thing.

This weekend's musical menu features a benefit for the family of a well-known local musician, a visit from a fast-rising trumpet talent, a free evening of music at multiple venues in Grand Center, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, July 15
Warming up for next week's St. Louis Cabaret Conference, Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Open Mic Night" at Tavern of Fine Arts.

Thursday, July 16
Drummer Maurice Carnes leads a quintet in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; guitarist Dave Black and friends, with singer Feyza Eren, perform at Nathalie’s, and singer Joe Mancuso and pianist Nick Schlueter will boldly go where no jazz musician has gone before with a happy-hour show at the dueling-piano bar Jive and Wail in Westport Plaza.

Friday, July 17
"A Celebration of the Life & Music of Ray Kennedy," featuring singer/guitarist John Pizzarelli's trio along with his dad, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, at the Sheldon Concert Hall will pay tribute to the late St. Louis pianist (pictured, top left, with the Pizzarellis) and raise money for his widow and two young daughters.

Also on Friday, Grand Center presents the first evening of its new "Music at The Intersection" series, this month featuring free sets by local jazz and blues acts at eight different venues throughout the district. 

That same evening, the St. Louis Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and the trio of pianist Jim Hegarty, bassist Paul Steinbeck, and drummer Gary Sykes will play the music of Miles Davis, Oliver Nelson, and more at the Jacoby Arts Center in Alton.

Saturday, July 18
St. Louis Community College-Meramec and Saxquest present a day-long "Saxfest" on the Meramec campus with workshops and performances from saxophonists Paul DeMarinis, Christopher Braig, Jason Swagler, Arthur White, Jeffrey Collins, and more. Following the events at Meramac, Braig also will lead a quartet for an evening after-party at Tavern of Fine Arts.

Also on Saturday evening, singer Anita Jackson will perform at Jazz at the Bistro; Gypsy jazz quartet Franglais plays at Evangeline's; pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True return to the Ozark Theatre; and pianist Matt Villinger, who's moving to Kansas City shortly, will present a "going-away" show at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Sunday, July 19
Chicago-based trumpeter Marquis Hill (pictured, lower left), winner of the 2014 Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition, will be in town to raise funds for Community Women Against Hardship with a performance at the Ferring Jazz Bistro.

Billed as "A Tribute to Freddie Hubbard," the benefit will feature Hill fronting a group of St. Louisans including Villinger, Jerome "Scrooge" Harris (drums), Jeff Anderson (bass), and Chad Evans (alto sax).

Also on Sunday, percussionist Mike Dillon and band will headline an all-ages matinee also featuring The Feed and Richie Kihlken Band at 2720 Cherokee.

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.)

Get free tickets to "Wild Women of Song"

The presenters of singer Pamela Rose's show "Wild Women of Song" are offering StLJN readers free tickets to see the performance at 7:00 p.m. this Sunday, June 21 at the Ferring Jazz Bistro.

"Wild Women of Song" is a multi-media show incorporating songs, projected images, and narration to help Rose (pictured) and her quartet tell the stories of Memphis Minnie, Alberta Hunter, Mary Lou Williams, Ann Ronnel, Dorothy Fields, Peggy Lee, and other female jazz and blues composers.

To get a pair of tickets for free, just leave a comment on this post before 5:00 p.m on Saturday, June 20 saying why you'd like to go to the show.

StLJN will send the names of the first 10 commenters along to the producers, and your tickets will be waiting for you before the show Sunday at the Bistro box office.
  
Updated after posting to correct the time of Sunday's performance. 

Pamela Rose to perform June 21 at Ferring Jazz Bistro, June 22 at Harris Stowe

Pamela Rose, a San Francisco-based singer who mixes music with blues and jazz history, will make her St. Louis debut with two benefit performances later this month.

In her first appearance, Rose (pictured) will present her show "Wild Women of Song" at 7:00 p.m., Sunday, June 21 at the Ferring Jazz Bistro (the official post-renovation name of the space housing the Jazz at the Bistro series).

Described as “an exuberant celebration of the fascinating women who helped create the American Songbook,” the show incorporates songs, projected images, and narration as Rose and her quartet tell the stories of Memphis Minnie, Alberta Hunter, Mary Lou Williams, Ann Ronnel, Dorothy Fields, Peggy Lee, and other female jazz and blues composers.

Tickets are $40 per person, and can be purchased online or by phone at 314-571-6000. Admission includes a post-performance reception at which Rose will sign her CDs and copies of Wild Women of Song, the book she wrote as companion to the show.

The next evening, Rose will narrow her focus a bit, paying tribute to a single performer with "The Music and Life of Etta James," a free, public concert to be presented at 7:00 p.m. Monday, June 22 at the Emerson Performance Center on the campus of Harris Stowe State University.

Proceeds from both events will benefit the Don and Heide Wolff Jazz Institute at Harris-Stowe State University and The Laura X – Laura Rand Orthwein, Jr. Institute for the Legacy and Learning of Social Justice Movements.

(You can see a promo video for "Wild Women of Song" in the embedded video window below.)



Updated 6/16/15 to correct the phone number for ticket purchases.