Jazz this week: Keyon Harrold, a tribute to Michael Jackson, Mardi Gras, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the return of a favorite local son, a tribute to the late "King of Pop," various Mardi Gras festivities, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 7
Trumpeter Keyon Harrold returns home to perform for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro

Harrold (pictured, top left) currently is riding high thanks to the critical and commercial success of The Mugician, his second album as a leader, and the publicity last year surrounding the feature film Miles Ahead, which prominently featured the Ferguson native on its soundtrack.

This is his first appearance in St. Louis since the album was released back in September, so advance reservations would seem to be a must. For more on Harrold and some video samples of recent performances, check out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Wednesday, bassist Glen Smith and guitarist Eric Slaughter are back at Evangeline's, and singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will return to Taha'a Twisted Tiki.

Thursday, February 8
Kicking off the Mardi Grad parade weekend, the Funky Butt Brass Band will play for the annual "King Cake Party" at the Blues City Deli.

Also on Thursday, new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound returns for their first performance of the year at the Sheldon Concert Hall; drummer Steve Davis and his band, featuring vocalist Feyza Eren, will play a free concert for the  Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; trumpeter Keith Moyer's quintet will perform at The Dark Room; and friends, family and musical colleagues will be presenting a "Celebration of the Life & Music of Nathan Jatcko" at Off Broadway.

Friday, February 9
The People's Key (pictured, bottom left) with guest multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris will reprise their "Jazz Memories of Michael Jackson" show for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Friday, singer Erin Bode teams up with The Wire Pilots for a concert at Focal Point, and singer Anita Jackson returns to The Dark Room.

Saturday, February 10
Although the "official" Mardi Gras events on parade day once again are relying on DJs and rock cover bands, Beale on Broadway will feature blues and jazz bands including a morning set from Miss Jubilee and a late-afternoon performance from the Funky Butt Brass Band.

Also on Saturday night, guitarists Paul Davis, Joe Park and Glenn Meyers will pay "Tribute to the Masters" at Evangeline's; and percussionist Herman Semidey and Orquesta Son Montuno will play salsa, Latin jazz and more at VooDoo St. Louis downtown.

Sunday, February 11
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents pianist Bob Row's "Mardi Gras Celebration" at the Ladue Elks Club.

Monday, February 12
Dizzy Atmosphere returns to The Shaved Duck, and pianist Kim Portnoy and band will perform at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium.

Tuesday, February 13
The Funky Butt Brass Band will wrap up Mardi Gras for 2018 with a Fat Tuesday gig at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

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: Maceo Parker, Barb Jungr & John McDaniel, Ryan Keberle, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features one of the godfathers of funk saxophone, cabaret interpretations of the music of the Beatles, the return of a popular free concert series, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 24
Saxophonist Maceo Parker opens a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

Parker (pictured, top left) made his reputation in the 1970s and '80s as a member of James Brown's band, the JBs. He went on to play with George Clinton's P-Funk organization and numerous others, and over the last 20 years has developed a busy solo career extending and adding his own flavor to Brown's funk legacy.

Listeners at the Bistro can expect to hear interpretations of material like "Cold Sweat" and "Pass The Peas" from Brown's catalog as well as originals featuring Parker's tart, angular alto solos.

Also on Wednesday, the Ambassadors of Swing provide the music for "Shake And Shout Wednesdays," the first of what's projected as a monthly series of swing dance events at Tin Roof St. Louis; and Miss Jubilee and The Gaslight Squares perform on a double bill at The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy as part of the venue's week of shows with free admission.

Thursday, January 25
Saxophonist Richard Deja leads a quartet in the first free concert of the semester from the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and singer Feyza Eren returns to Evangeline's.

Friday, January 26
Saxophonist Harvey Lockhart and The Collective play a late show at The Dark Room.

Saturday. January 27
Singer Barb Jungr and singer, pianist and Kirkwood native John McDaniel will present two performances of their cabaret show based on the music of The Beatles at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Sunday, January 28
Trombonist Ryan Keberle and his band Catharsis will perform at The Dark Room.

The NYC-based Keberle and band (pictured, bottom left) are in the Midwest for a week of one-nighters in support of their fourth album Find the Common, Shine the Light, which the Los Angeles Times called “a potent blend of cinematic sweep and lush, ear-grabbing melodies.”

Monday, January 29
Members of Webster University's jazz faculty will present a program called "As If It Were the Seasons" at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus. Singer Debby Lennon, saxophonist Paul DeMarinis, pianist Nick Schlueter, bassist Ben Wheeler and drummer Nick Savage will perform a "repertoire that reflects on the distinct character of each of the four seasons," drawing on songs including "You Must Believe in Spring," "Summer in Central Park," "Autumn Nocturne" and more.

Tuesday, January 30
"Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective play their monthly gig 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.)

Jazz this week: Ellington's "Nutcracker, "A Very Manley Christmas," and more

Although most touring jazz and creative music performers now are off the road until the holiday season is over, there's still some noteworthy music - holiday and otherwise - to be heard this week, thanks to our local St. Louis musicians and singers.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 20
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band continues their presentation of Duke Ellington's adapation of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" plus additional Ellingtonia through Thursday night at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Wednesday, singer Joe Mancuso continues at Taha'a Twisted Tiki; singer Feyza Eren returns to Evangeline's; and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Thursday, December 21
Guitarist Stuart Johnson plays for diners at The Shaved Duck; Cabaret Project St. Louis presents a holiday edition of their "Broadway Open Mic" at the Curtain Call Lounge; and bassist Chano Cruz leads a trio at The Dark Room

Friday, December 22
Trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured) convenes his Mad Brass & Rhythm septet for the first of two nights of "A Very Manley Christmas" at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Friday, the Big Little Big Band with vocalist Steve Shininger will present a "Frank Sinatra Christmas" at The Abbey Espresso Bar & Cafe in Belleville.

Saturday, December 23
If you haven't had your fill of holiday music yet, there's one last chance, as Webster Groves Christian Church presents “A Jazz and Choral Christmas” with Two Times True and the church's Chancel Choir, and the Yule Vibe Trio, with guitarist Tom Byrne, percussionist Joe Pastor, and bassist Bob DeBoo, plays at the KindaBlue Club.

Also on Saturday, multi-intrumentalist Joe Bozzi and his band return to Evangeline's, and drummer Chuck Kennedy has put together a "Christmas Eve Eve Jam Session" at Mike Duffy's in downtown Kirkwood.

Sunday, December 24
Miss Jubilee performs for jazz brunch at Evangeline's, while drummer Montez Coleman and friends play at The Dark Room.

Tuesday, December 26
Saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective play their last gig of the year at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soup. 

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: Femi Kuti and Positive Force, "Jazz in July" begins, and more

As mid-summer weekends go, this isn't an especially busy one for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, but there still are a number of noteworthy performances worth seeking out over the next few days, including the return of a popular free summer concert series and a rare visit from one of the best-known Afrobeat musicians in the world. Let's go the highlights...

Thursday, July 7
The Liberation Organ Trio will open this year's Jazz at Holmes series of free "Jazz in July" concerts at Washington University. (Note that the summer series will be presented in a different location, the Tisch Commons in Danforth University Center, with an earlier start time than the Jazz at Holmes shows presented during the school year.)

Also tonight, guitarist Dave Black, singer Feyza Eren and friends perform at Nathalie's, and pianist Ptah Williams and guitarist Eric Slaughter will be holding forth in their usual Thursday night spot at The Dark Room.

Friday, July 8
Singer Eve Seltzer returns to Evangeline's; the Original Knights of Swing will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and roots-rock/Americana band the Brothers Lazaroff will make their debut at Jazz at the Bistro in the first of two nights of performances at that venue. They'll be offering new arrangements of their material that have been expanded to accommodate a roster of guest soloists including saxophonist Ben Reece and trumpeter Adam Hucke.

Saturday, July 9
On Saturday afternoon, singer Wendy Gordon and friends will return for another matinee performance at J&C BBQ & Blues, and saxophonists Jeffrey Collins and Jessica Knopf, aka the Atlas Saxophone Duo, will present a free performance and workshop at Saxquest.

Saturday night, singer and actor Ben Watts, who's moving to NYC, will give his final cabaret performance locally before departing at The Emerald Room at The Monocle; and multi-instrumentalist Femi Kuti (pictured), the son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, and his band Positive Force will be in town for a performance at The Ready Room. For some video samples of Kuti and Positive Force in action, see this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Sunday, July 10
Miss Jubilee returns to perform for brunch at Evangeline's; and Sound Unlimited continues their Sunday night residency at Frederick’s Steakhouse and Pizzeria.

Monday, July 11
Percussionist Joe Pastor and the St. Louis Legacy Ensemble will perform at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, July 12
The loosely organized collective of musician involved with the the new CD New Music/Free Improv Live at the Tavern of Fine Arts will hold a CD release event for the album at Jackson Pianos in the Central West End.

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: Melissa Aldana, Keri Johnsrud, Peter and Will Anderson, and more

Although this week's schedule of jazz and creative music is considerably less jam-packed than last week's, listeners still will have a chance to check out several intriguing young performers visiting St. Louis, plus an assortment of shows from various hometown favorites.

Let's go to this highlights...


Wednesday, April 27
Saxophonist Melissa Aldana (pictured, top left) makes her St. Louis debut with the first of four evenings of performances continuing though Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro

Aldana, a 27-year-old native of Chile who studied at Berklee College of Music, draws significant inspiration from saxophonists a couple of generations her elder - most notably Sonny Rollins, but also Joe Henderson, Cannonball Adderly, and even older players as Don Byas and Lucky Thompson, whom she learned about as a young girl from her father, also a professional sax player.

She first made a big splash here in the US in 2013 when she became the first female instrumentalist ever to win the annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. For more about Aldana, and some video samples of her performances - including her award-winning set at the Monk competition - see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Wednesday, The 442s will perform for the monthly music series at the World Chess Hall of Fame.

Thursday, April 28
Saxophonist Jim Stevens leads a quartet at Hammerstone's; pianist Brad Ellebrecht and singer Wendy Gordon will perform at Evangeline's; the Tavern of Fine Arts hosts their monthly open mic featuring live improvised music; and singer Ken Haller reprises the cabaret show "Song by Song by Sondheim" at The Monocle.

Friday, April 29
Chicago-based singer Keri Johnsrud, who made her St. Louis debut a few weeks ago with a concert at The Chapel in Clayton, will be back in our town for a more informal show at Evangeline's.

Johnsrud (pictured, center left) is a third-generation singer who's originally from Iowa. She's played top Chicago venues including the Green Mill and the Jazz Showcase, and has released two albums, the most recent of which, 2015's This Side of Morning, featured all original material.

Also on Friday, the saxophone-playing brothers Peter and Will Anderson will perform at the Tavern of Fine Arts. Hailing from Washington DC, the brothers both studied at the Juilliard School and then took up residence there in NYC after graduation. Since then, in addition to fronting their own group on tour and as leaders on a couple of recordings, they've also appeared with the Jimmy Heath Big Band, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

Elsewhere that evening, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play for a swing dance sponsored by Lindy Hop St. Louis at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and the Funky Butt Brass Band plays their monthly gig at Broadway Oyster Bar.

Saturday, April 30
Guitarist Todd Mosby (pictured, bottom left) will play music from his new album On Eagle Mountain at the Focal Point in Maplewood; singer Feyza Eren will perform at Alton's Jacoby Arts Center; and guitarist Vincent Varvel leads a trio at The Dark Room.

Sunday, May 1
The Spring edition of the St. Louis Record & CD Collector Show will take place Sunday morning and afternoon at the American Czech Hall, and that evening, the St. Louis Low Brass Collective will present their annual "Showcase Concert" at Ladue Horton Watkins High School, 1201 S Warson Rd, 63124

Monday, May 2
Trumpeter Jim Manley continues his regular Monday night residency at Momo's Greek Restaurant in U City.

Tuesday, May 3
Pianist Greg Mills and friends will present "Soliloquy IV," a night of solo improvised performances, 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.)

Whitaker Music Festival announces schedule for 2016 concert series

Expressed as a percentage of the whole, there's a 40% chance of jazz at this summer's Whitaker Music Festival.

Put another way, the lineup announced Monday for the 2016 edition of the free summer concert series presented Wednesday nights at Missouri Botanical Garden will feature four performers of particular interest to jazz fans among ten weeks of shows.

Specifically, singer Feyza Eren (pictured) will kick off this year's series with a concert on Wednesday, June 1, with additional jazz performances to follow by pianist Ptah Williams (July 13); singer Erin Bode, who will have a new album out this summer (July 20); and singer Joe Mancuso, who's doing the series' final show of the year on August 3 to make up for a 2015 date cancelled due to inclement weather.

Other performers for this year's Whitaker Music Festival will include the Steve Ewing Band (June 8), Clusterpuck (June 15), The Grooveliner (June 22), Saint Louis Social Club (June 29), Jay Farrar (July 6), and the Cree Rider Family Band (July 27).

All Whitaker Music Festival concerts are free and open to the public, and begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Cohen Amphitheater at Missouri Botanical Garden. For more information, visit the series' website or call 314-577-5100.

Jazz this week: Holiday shows from Kirk Whalum, Jim Manley, and more

This week's schedule of jazz and creative music in St. Louis is highlighted by a lot of holiday-themed performances and several tributes marking Frank Sinatra's centenary, but there's also traditional jazz and swing, an evening of solo free improvisations, and much more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 9
The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra plays a Christmas concert at the Ozark Theatre, and funk quartet The Service will take the stage for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also tonight, singer Eve Seltzer and Franglais will play Gypsy jazz and swing at Nathalie's , and pianist Brock Walker performs at Evangeline's.

Thursday, December 10
As the name implies, "Soliloquy III" at the Tavern of Fine Arts will feature a set of solo improvisations from players including pianists Greg Mills and James Hegarty, percussionist Henry Claude, cellist Tracy Andreotti, flute players Colleen O’Shea Jones and Fred Tompkins, poets Michael Castro and Ruth Garnett, and more. In the second set, the participants will combine into duos and trios for more freely improvised sounds.

Also on Thursday, singer Feyza Eren will be celebrating "A Bossa Nova Christmas" at The Emerald Room at The Monocle (a new cabaret venue at 4510 Manchester in the Grove neighborhood); and students from Washington University's jazz performance program will show off what they've learned this term in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Wash U.

Friday, December 11
Trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured, top left) and a full band will revisit his holiday show "A Very Manley Christmas" for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, while singer Tony Viviano offers a "Happy 100th Birthday Tribute to Frank Sinatra" at Patrick's in Westport Plaza.

Elsewhere around town, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi and his band return to Evangeline's; and guitarist Tom Byrne and singer Erika Johnson will perform at Thurman Grill.

Saturday, December 12
In two more tributes to the "Chairman of the Board," singer and impressionist Dean Christopher will present a "Holiday Rat Pack & Frank Sinatra Birthday Celebration" as a matinee at the Wildey Theatre, while the St. Louis Big Band and singer Joe Scalzitti reprise their show "Sinatra at 100" at the Maryland Heights Community Center.

Sunday, 
December 13
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents Red Lehr and the St. Louis Rivermen playing traditional jazz, swing, and probably a holiday song or two in a matinee performance at the DoubleTree Hotel at Westport.

That evening, saxophonist Kirk Whalum (pictured, lower left) brings his "Gospel According To Jazz Christmas" to the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, with a cast including his brother, singer Kevin Whalum, along with saxophonist Gerald Albright, guitarist Norman Brown, singer Shelea, and keyboardist and singer John Stoddart, plus Tiffany Mosley, Leslie Johnson, Darius Bradford, the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church Mass Choir, and the R.F. Specials Choirs.

Also on Sunday, jazz/fusion band Common Time teams up with singers Joe Mancuso, Debby Lennon, and Arvell Keithly Jr for a Christmas show at Blueberry Hill, with proceeds going to benefit a family from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's "100 Neediest Cases" list.

Monday, December 14
Dizzy Atmosphere will play for diners at The Shaved Duck, and trumpeter Keith Moyer and his band return to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, December 15
The Chicago-based new music group Ursa Ensemble performs at 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 this week: Kurt Elling, Zappa Plays Zappa, SIUE big bands, and more

As Jazz Appreciation Month 2015 reaches the halfway point, St. Louis gets a visit from one of the top male singers in jazz, a tribute to a memorable moment in 1970s jazz/fusion, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, April 15
Tonight, singer Kurt Elling returns to St. Louis to begin a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro

A regular visitor here for the past decade-plus, Elling (pictured, top left) has won the DownBeat Critics Poll for male vocalist each year for the last fourteen years; has been named “Male Singer of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association eight times during that same period, and had had every one of his ten albums nominated for a GRAMMY.

Since parting with longtime pianist and music director Laurence Hobgood a couple of years ago, Elling has gigged with several different keyboardists, including the German pianist Mads Baerentzen and Gary Versace, known for his work with Carla Bley, John Scofield and many others. This week, his ensemble will feature the 24-year-old NYC pianist Emmet Cohen, along with longtime guitarist John McLean, bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Bryan Carter.

While listeners at the Bistro over the course of the week may hear some selections from Elling's last album, 1916 Broadway: The Brill Building Project, and from his recently developed touring show, "Elling Swings Sinatra," the word from other recent tour stops suggests that there also will be a lot of music from his forthcoming album Passion World, which features "ballads of love and loss from across the globe" and is scheduled for release at the end of May.

Elsewhere around town, trumpeter Keith Moyer brings his group back to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly open mic night at Tavern of Fine Arts; and keyboardist Bob Werner and singer Ellen Martinez are hosting a new weekly open mic night at Shakers, which took over the former location of Jazz on Broadway at 554 W. Broadway in Alton.

Thursday, April 16
Guitarist Dave Black, singer Feyza Eren (pictured, center left) and friends perform at Nathalie’s, and guitarist Tom Byrne and his Pat Metheny-inspired project Have U Heard will play a concert at Lewis and Clark Community College.

Friday, April 17
The Gateway City Big Band plays for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom, and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play swing, hot jazz and blues at the Backstreet Jazz & Blues Club in Westport.

Saturday, April 18
Trumpeter Jim Manley leads a band including singer Charlie B, keyboardist Arthur Toney, guitarist Randy Bahr and trumpeter Joe Weber in a gig at Nathalie's, while Wack-A-Doo plays swing and Americana at Evangeline's.

Also on Saturday, singer Joe Mancuso and Dave Black will duet at Element STL; bassist David Certain will celebrate his birthday with an afternoon jam session and an evening gig with his CertainBeat WorldBop, both at Thurman Grill; and Miss Jubilee performs at Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, April 19
Drummers Montez Coleman and Brandon Jones will co-lead a quintet with keyboardist Adam Maness, saxophonist Kendrick Smith and bassist Jahmal Nichols at Troy's Jazz Gallery

Monday, April 20
Repertory band Zappa Plays Zappa, led by Dweezil Zappa, guitarist and son of Frank, will play at The Ready Room, at 4195 Manchester Ave in the Grove district.

For this show, relocated from the now-closed Plush STL, ZPZ will mark the 40th anniversary of Frank Zappa's 1975 album One Size Fits All by performing the entire record, as they did last year with Apostrophe (').

Also on Monday, the Webster University Jazz Collective and student jazz singers will play at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus, and drummer/percussionist Joe Pastor and band will perform at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, April 21
The SIUE Concert Jazz Band and SIUE Alumni Jazz Band will return for another one-show-only evening at  Jazz at the Bistro.

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 return of Rene Marie, Gaslight Cabaret Festival, and more

This week's lineup of jazz and creative music performances in St. Louis puts the spotlight on vocalists, starting with an internationally known singer once signed to a local label, and continuing with the latest set of shows featuring performers from the thriving local cabaret scene.

Mix in some improvised music with a side order of poetry, and various instrumental performances in a variety of styles, and there should be something to entice just about any jazz listener. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday March 4
Tonight, singer Rene Marie (pictured, above left) returns to St. Louis for the first time since the mid-2000s to begin a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro.

Marie was one of the first artists signed to the St. Louis based MAXJAZZ label back in 1999, and cut six albums for them over the next five years while also performing here a number of times. More recently, she put out a couple of albums on her own, and then signed with Motema, which last year issued her most recent recording project, a tribute to Eartha Kitt. For more about that, see this Saturday video post from a couple of weeks ago.  

Also tonight, singer Eve Seltzer returns to Evangeline's; and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor and his trio continue their weekly gig at the The Dark Room in Grand Center.

Thursday March 5
Pianist Greg Mills' project The Perihelion Ensemble, with saxophonist Dave Stone, percussionist Henry Claude, cellist Tracy Andreotti, Ajay Khanna on electronics, and recently named St. Louis poet laureate Michael Castro, will perform at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Also on Thursday, clarinetist Scott Alberici, guitarist Steve Schenkel and bassist Ric Vice will team up to play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes at Washington University; and singer Feyza Eren (pictured, center left) and a band featuring drummer Steve Davis and pianist Scott Sheperd will perform Sheperd's original material in "Colored Sky - An Evening of St. Louis Jazz," a benefit for the Diversity Awareness Partnership at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Friday, March 6
The Gaslight Cabaret Festival's first weekend of the spring begins with singer and pianist Neal Richardson performing his show "Pennies From Heaven," with a guest appearance from singer Ben Nordstrom, at the Gaslight Theater.

Elsewhere that evening, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will return to Highway 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen; the Original Knights of Swing will play for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom.; and keyboardists Ptah Williams and Matt Villinger will join forces at Thurman Grill.

Saturday, March 7
Pianist Carolbeth True (pictured, below left) and Two Times True will be doing a free early evening performance in the St. Louis Art Museum's Sculpture Hall as part of SLAM's annual "Art In Bloom" event.

Also on Saturday, the husband-and-wife team of pianist Joe Dreyer and singer Rosemary Watts will present their show "Transitions" at the Gaslight Theater; trumpeter Jim Manley, singer Charlie B. and friends will perform at Nathalie's; and singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will be doing their duo thing for the diners and drinkers at  Element STL.


Sunday, March 8
The late winter/early spring edition of the St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show takes place at the American Czech Hall, 4690 Lansdowne (at Kingshighway) on the south side.

Monday, March 9
Trumpeter Keith Moyer and his group will be back 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.)

Feyza Eren releases new album

St. Louis vocalist Feyza Eren has released a new recording, I Wish I Knew, that is available for purchase now on iTunes.

The album (pictured) features Eren and a backing band of guitarist Vincent Varvel, bassist Ric Vice, and drummer Steve Davis, who also engineered and mixed it.

It contains 13 tracks comprising an eclectic program of standards and covers, including Eren's version of the title song, plus familiar numbers such as "The Look of Love," "Bye Bye Blackbird," "All Blues," and "Feeling Good."

While the album is download-only for now, Eren says she plans to have physical CDs made later for sale online and at gigs.

Jazz this week: Gateway Jazz Festival, MOAJE jam session, and more

As the dog days of August wind down and we look forward to the start of the fall presenting season, here's a look at some of the more noteworthy live jazz performances happening in and around St. Louis this Labor Day weekend.

On Friday night, singer Ann Dueren's trio will provide the music for the annual Queeny Park Art Fair; The Sidemen will play at Evangeline's; guitarist Tom Byrne's trio will perform at Thurman Grill; saxophonist Kendrick Smith leads a trio at Cigar Inn; and Boisiac will do a late-night set at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Saturday afternoon, British clarinet phenom Julian Bliss will present a free public clinic/workshop at Saxquest.

Saturday evening, singer Feyza Eren and pianist Carolbeth True will duet at The Wine Press; singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Randy Bahr will perform at Mahogany Grille in the Omni Majestic Hotel downtown; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will take the stage at Thurman Grill; and drummer Montez Coleman leads a trio at Tavern of Fine Arts.

Sunday afternoon, the St. Louis Jazz Club will present their second "Gateway Jazz Festival" at the DoubleTree Hotel St. Louis at Westport, featuring sets from Cornet Chop Suey (pictured), Red Lehr's Powerhouse Five, St. Louis Stompers, Miss Jubilee and more during two sessions on Sunday and a daytime session on Monday. 

Also on Sunday, the Missouri Association for Jazz Education will sponsor a jam session at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company; saxophonist Jim Stevens returns to The Loading Dock in Grafton; and vibraphonist 
Peter Schlamb will be back in town to lead a trio in a concert at the Kranzberg Arts Center

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the St. Louis Jazz Club's "Gateway Jazz Festival" continues during the day; and that evening the improvising ensemble Numbers, featuring pianist David Parker and drummer Charles "Bobo" Shaw, 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.)

Jazz at Holmes series returns this Thursday, January 23 with Feyza Eren

The Jazz at Holmes series of free concerts at Washington University will begin its winter/spring 2014 schedule of shows with a performance by singer Feyza Eren (pictured) at 8:00 p.m. this Thursday, January 23.

Eren previously performed for the series in July of last year. The rest of this semester's schedule apparently is still being confirmed, as the email announcing Eren's appearance actually was the second sent out by Jazz at Holmes over the weekend, superseding Saturday's announcement that drummer Montez Coleman's trio would be the opening performer of the year.

That first email also made reference to "forthcoming highlights in the lineup (including) solo piano by Washington University's very own Kara Baldus, an evening of Chick Corea's music, music on the famed ECM label, and 'Mandela and Music of Social Justice.'" but no other details of the schedule have been released so far.

Presented most Thursday evenings when school is in session, the Jazz at Holmes concerts are free and open to the public. Unless otherwise noted, 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: Anita Jackson, Feyza Eren & Steve Davis, Erin Bode, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes, and more

Once again this week, the schedule of touring jazz musicians visiting St. Louis is light to non-existent. And once again, local musicians are more than filling the gap with a variety of events, including some free outdoor shows plus gigs showcasing several of our town's fine female vocalists. Here's what's going on over the next few days...

Tonight, the multi-instrumentalist Bosman Twins kick off a four-week series of free outdoor concerts at O'Fallon Park, located on the north side at W. Florissant & Adelaide. 

Also tonight, bassist Willem von Hombrecht and his New St. Louis Jazz X-Tet play at Cafe Eau in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel.

Tomorrow night, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University presents the first of three free concerts they're doing this summer, featuring a group co-led by singer Feyza Eren and drummer Steve Davis.

Also on Thursday, the Funky Butt Brass Band will play a free concert at Bluebird Park in Ellisville. 

On Friday, singer Anita Jackson takes the stage for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro. For more about Jackson, read this profile written by Terry Perkins and published Monday by the St. Louis Beacon.

Also Friday, the Old Orchard Gazebo Music and Movie Series in Webster Groves wraps up its schedule of free concerts for the year with a set by singer Erin Bode, followed by a screening of the 2011 high-school-football documentary Undefeated.

That same evening, guitarist Brian Vaccaro bring his organ-trio-plays-The-Beatles show to Pop's Blue Moon; singer Charlie B. and trumpeter Jim Manley play at Thurman Grill; and alto saxophonist Carlos Brown, Jr. will lead a trio with pianist Corey Fuller and drummer Montez Coleman at Cigar Inn.

On Saturday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes (pictured) will host an evening of music on the rooftop of the Deco Fortress, a restored vintage building that doubles as singer Sarah Ulrich's not-so-secret HQ. (See also: the Fantastic Four and the Baxter Building, the Avengers and Avengers Mansion, etc. The event also apparently will serve as a release party for the group's new CD, though we can't tell you any more than that, because our request for more details yielded no response.)

Update, 2:25 p.m. 7/10/13: Seemingly within seconds after pushing the "publish" button on this post, yr. humble editor received a missive from the aforementioned Ms. Ulrich. The CD is titled simply Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes, and includes seven tracks featuring their interpretations of vintage tunes including "Them There Eyes," "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You" and "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen." The album was recorded by Ulrich and a six-piece band, then mixed and mastered, all in the home studio of Sam Olhausen.

Also on Saturday, the jazz/electronic/new music ensemble Koplant No will deploy their various devices at Tavern of Fine Arts; and singer Ann Dueren's trio is at Il Bel Lago.

On Sunday, Miss Jubilee will perform for a jazz brunch at the Rustic Goat, even as guitarist Tom Byrne and saxophonist/clarinetist Sam Hargadine are playing for the brunch crowd at Bar Italia.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show's summer event also takes place on Sunday in the usual location - the American Czech Hall at 4690 Lansdowne on the south side - and the St. Louis Jazz Club will present the cryptically named Time and Place in a matinee performance at Bel-Air Bowl in Belleville. 

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday trumpeter Keith Moyer brings his group back to 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.