Jazz this week: Pedrito Martinez, Boney James, STL Free Jazz Collective, a New Music Circle "pop-up" concert, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis offers Afro-Cuban rhythms, smooth jazz with a backbeat, free improvisation, a tribute to one of the greatest composers and bandleaders in jazz, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...


Wednesday, April 24
Percussionist Pedrito Martinez brings his band to Jazz St. Louis for the first of five nights of performances, continuing through Sunday.

Born in Cuba and now based in NYC, Martinez (pictured, top left) has spent the past two decades lending his considerable talents to a variety of well-known jazz and pop performers, and in recent years has been getting more attention as a bandleader, too.

You can find out more about him and see some videos of his band in action in this post from Saturday before last.

Thursday, April 25
The 442s and Erin Bode will headline "Hope Happens - 15th Annual Evening of Hope," a benefit for the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders at Washington University School of Medicine, at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Also on Thursday, singer Jan Shapiro, pianist Dave Venn and bassist Ben Wheeler perform at the Ozark Theatre, and singer Chuck Flowers croons at Jazzy 159, a relatively new spot across the river in Fairview Heights.

Friday, April 26
Saxophonist Boney James still a popular favorite among those who enjoy jazz in the form of R&B- and funk-infused grooves, plays at The Pageant.

Though James (pictured, center left) hasn't released any new music since his most recent St. Louis appearance at the Gateway Jazz Festival last summer, fans no doubt will relish the opportunity to hear a full-length show while seeing him up close.

You can see him on video performing some of the material from his most recent album, 2017's Honestly, in this post from last Saturday.

Elsewhere around town, the Hot Club of St Louis, a new group featuring guitarists Joe Park and Paul Davis, violinist/guitarist Christopher Voelker, and bassist Willem von Hombracht, will make their debut playing Gypsy jazz and vintage swing at Focal Point; and Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson return to Parkside Grille.

Also on Saturday, out west in Union, MO the Dave Dickey Big Band will headline the East Central College Jazz Festival at Anglin Performing Arts Center on the ECC campus.

Saturday, April 27
In their first performance since the passing of one of their founding members, poet Michael Castro, the STL Free Jazz Collective (pictured, bottom left) is inviting other poets to sit in with them for a concert at Link Auditorium in the Central West End.

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

Sunday, April 28
In what they're caling a "pop-up" show, New Music Circle has a last-minute addition to their 60th season schedule, presenting an concert of improvised music by trombonist Steve Swell, percussionist Michael Zerang, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and saxophonist Gebhard Ullmann at Foam.

Monday, April 29
Pianist Christopher Parrish leads a quartet celebrating the legendary pianist, composer and bandleader with a show called "Duke Ellington's 120th Birthday: Ellington Plugged In" at Focal Point.

Tuesday, April 30
Trumpeter Jim Manley and keyboardist Chris Swan return to Evangeline's.

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: Chucho Valdes; Aldana, Cohen & Hill; Dianne Reeves; Branch, Lonberg-Holm & Solberg; and more

It's a busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with two very different shows featuring special combinations of multiple headliners on one stage, plus headlining performances from a couple of other major jazz stars, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 6
The estimable pianist Chucho Valdés continues with his "Jazz Bata" show, featuring a mix of jazz and Cuban folkloric elements, through Thursday at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Wednesday, this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features multi-instrumentalist TJ Muller and Friends at The Stage at KDHX, the weekly jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, February 7
Guitarist Dan Rubright of The Wire Pilots leads a quartet in a free concert of original music for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Also on Thursday, singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo performs at Joe's Cafe, and St. Charles County's own 636 Big Band, directed by trumpeter Keith Moyer, will be playing at Red Fish, Blue Fish, located just south of I-70 in Hawks Nest Plaza.

Friday, February 8
Saxophonist Melissa Aldana, pianist Emmet Cohen and trumpeter Marquis Hill (pictured, top left) will wrap up a week-long educational residency by joining forces for the first of two nights of performances at Jazz St. Louis.

At ages 30, 28, and 32 respectively, Aldana, Cohen and Hill all could be considered among the top young players on their respective instruments now working mostly in the mainstream tradition, and all three are bandleaders in their own right.

As is usually the case with one-off ensembles, it's hard to know how sympatico their individual styles may be until they actually hit the stage together, but on paper, these three seem like a good match. And if things are bit looser than they might be with a regular working band, listeners still will be getting three headliners for the price of one.

Also on Friday, the Arcadia Dance Orchestra will be joined by special guest multi-instrumentalist  Andy Schumm of the Chicago Cellar Boys for a show at The Stage at KDHX.

Saturday, 
February 9
New Music Circle presents trumpeter Jaimie Branch, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and percussionist Stäle Liavik Solberg (pictured, center left) at The Stage at KDHX

Though they're not a regular working band, the three have performed together before, which should provide just enough familiarity to ease them into an evening of freely improvised music.

The concert also marks the St. Louis debut of Branch, a Chicagoan-turned-New Yorker who is one of the more noteworthy young trumpeters to emerge on the improvised music scene in recent years. You can find out more about her and see some performance videos, including one with Lonberg-Holm and Solberg, in this post from last month.

Also on Saturday, singer Dianne Reeves (pictured, bottom left) performs at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Generally acknowledged as one of the most accomplished female jazz vocalists working today, Reeves last year was named an NEA Jazz Master, a significant milestone in a four-decade-long career that fortunately shows no signs of slowing down yet.

Reeves also has some musical connections to the St. Louis area, and you can find more about those and see some videos of recent performances in this post from last Saturday.

Sunday, February 10
Trumpeter Jim Manley plays for brunch at Evangeline's, while bassist/singer Janet Evra performs at The Dark Room.

Then on Sunday evening, singer Will Downing will be in town for a "Valentine's Weekend Kick-Off" performance at Harris-Stowe State University, with St. Louis' Lamont Hadley opening.

Monday, February 11
Dizzy Atmosphere returns to The Shaved Duck, and keyboardists Kim Portnoy and Nick Schlueter will team up for a duo concert at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium.

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: SFJAZZ Collective, Champian Fulton, Lonberg-Holm & Gjerstad, and more

It's looking like it'll be a good weekend to get out and hear some live music, and fortunately, there's an ample selection of jazz and creative music happening in and around St. Louis over the next few days.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, March 30
The SFJAZZ Collective performs for the first of four nights, continuing with two sets per night through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

The Collective (pictured, top left) is an all-star ensemble assembled by the San Francisco not-for-profit presenter SFJAZZ that tours each year with original music plus new arrangements of works from a single featured composer. This year, they're taking on the song catalog of the late Michael Jackson, and if you're wondering how hit singles from the "King of Pop" can be translated into instrumental jazz, see this video post from a couple of Saturdays ago for some live performance samples.

Thursday, March 31
The Gaslight Cabaret Festival's spring series resumes with singer Lisa Rothauser and pianist/songwriter Tor Hyams performing their show "Life. Who Knew?" at the Gaslight Theater.

Also on Thursday, the latest installment of musician NNN Cook's "Bruxism" experimental music series will feature Jeff Kolar, the Vernacular String Trio, and Strong Force at the Schlafly Tap Room downtown; and Dave Black, Aaron Burlbaw, Farshid Soltanshahi, and Paul Quinn will team up for "A Night of Guitars" at Joe's Cafe.

Friday, April 1
The regional edition of Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington festival, sponsored by the St. Louis Jazz Club, will take place in Dunham Hall on the SIU Edwardsville campus. The day-long event culminates in an evening concert that's open to the public, featuring performances from the participating bands representing area high schools, members of SIUE's jazz faculty, and visiting clinicians including pianist (and SIUE alumnus) Reggie Thomas, saxophonist Ron Carter, drummer Dennis Mackrel, bassist Jeff Campbell, and pianist Jim Gasior.

Elsewhere on Friday, singer Amy Friedl Stoner performs her cabaret show "Tapestry: The Music of Carole King" at the Gaslight Theater; Dreaming in Colour brings some jazz/fusion to West County at the Sky Music Lounge; and Jazz St. Louis will host their first-ever "Sophisticated Singles" mixer in the first floor lounge adjacent to the Ferring Jazz Bistro space.

Also of interest on Friday, the new feature film Born to Be Blue, starring Ethan Hawke as the talented-but-troubled singer and trumpet player Chet Baker, opens its St. Louis run at the Tivoli Theatre. Mixing fact with some fictional elements, the movie "zeroes in on Baker’s life at a key moment in the 1960s, just as the musician attempts to stage a hard-fought comeback, spurred in part by a passionate romance with a new flame." You can watch the trailer for Born to Be Blue here.

Saturday, April 2
On Saturday afternoon, the Scott Air Force Base Jazz Combo will present a free performance and workshop at Saxquest.

Also on Saturday afternoon, there will be a public ceremony dedicating a new mural of the late trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry, which was painted by St. Louis artist Ray Harvey on commission from the Carondelet Community Betterment Association on a building at 7714 South Broadway.

In addition to plenty of laudatory words about Terry, the event also will feature a set of music by Champian Fulton (pictured, center left) and her quartet.

Fulton, born in Oklahoma and now based in NYC, is a swinging pianist and singer who will make her St. Louis debut with this performance. Now in her early 30s, she's known Terry since her childhood, having befriended him through her father, trumpeter Stephen Fulton. Fulton currently is touring in support of a new album, After Dark, and will be joined on this gig by her dad to perform songs written by and/or associated with Terry.

On Saturday evening, singer Joe Mancuso will incorporate some of his original songs into his first-ever cabaret show "That's (My) Life" at the Gaslight Theater; guitarist Tom Byrne leads a trio at The Dark Room; and the Jim Manley/Randy Bahr All-Star Band returns to Nathalie's.

Sunday, April 3
The Gaslight Cabaret Festival wraps up the weekend with a double-header, with singers Katie McGrath and Nicole Hudson performing a matinee of their show "Where the Heart Is," followed in the evening by a showcase for singers from the St. Louis Cabaret Conference's professional track, both at the Gaslight Theater.

Monday, April 4
Pianist Greg Mills returns to the Tavern of Fine Arts; the student jazz combos from Webster University will show off what they've learned this semester with a free performance at Webster's Community Music School; and saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective will play their monthly show at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups. 

Tuesday, April 5
Chicago-based cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, a mainstay of that city's improvised music scene, will join forces with Norwegian saxophonist Frode Gjerstad (pictured with Lonberg-Holm, lower left) for a performance of spontaneous music at Jackson Pianos.

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.)

April gets adventurous with concerts by Fred Lonberg-Holm & Frode Gjerstad, Tyondai Braxton, and Thurman Barker

Three shows recently added to the St. Louis concert calendar mean the first full week of April could be a busy one for local fans of adventurous jazz and creative music:

* Chicago-based cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and Norwegian saxophonist Frode Gjerstad (pictured, top left) will team up for a concert of improvised music at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 5 at Jackson Pianos, 4354 Olive St.

Lonberg-Holm is an active participant in Chicago's busy free-improv and jazz scenes, and has collaborated there and around the globe with musicians including Joe McPhee, Peter Brötzmann, Ken Vandermark, Chris Corsano, Lotte Anker, Mats Gustafsson, Glenn Kotche, Jim O'Rourke, Jeff Parker, Michael Zerang, and many more. He's also contributed to recording projects by rock groups such as Califone, Freakwater, God-is-my-co-pilot, L'altra, Smog, Super, US Maple, Wilco, and others.

Gjerstad, who concentrates on alto sax but also plays clarinet and flute, has contributed to more than 50 recordings since beginning his career in the 1970s. He too has played with Peter Brötzmann, and also has performed with many other well-known improvising musicians, such as William Parker, Borah Bergman, Derek Bailey, and Evan Parker.

Admission to the Fred Lonberg-Holm/Frode Gjerstad performance will be "$10-$15 suggested" at the door, a price that includes "free beer/wine/food."

* Composer Tyondai Braxton will perform at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, April 7 at The Luminary.

Braxton, former front man for the experimental rock band Battles and the son of famed saxophonist/composer Anthony Braxton, has created a wide variety of music during his career, ranging from a recent duo collaboration with Phillip Glass to symphonic works such as his album Central Market, which has been performed live by orchestras including the London Sinfonietta and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

His multimedia installation "HIVE" recently premiered at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC, with an accompanying soundtrack set for release next month on Nonesuch Records.

Braxton (pictured, center left) will perform solo at The Luminary, with St. Louis' Hylidae as opening act. Tickets are $15 in advance, $17 day of show.

* Another well-known, Chicago-based improviser, drummer Thurman Barker, already was scheduled to be in St. Louis that same week to perform on Thursday, April 7 for Washington University's Jazz at Holmes series.

Now, Wash U has announced another performance by Barker (pictured, bottom left), a free event at 7:00 p.m. Friday, April 8 in the auditorium (aka Room 100) of Brown Hall, which for many years has been a site for film screenings on campus.

"Sonic Visions: Experimental Film + Live Jazz" will feature Barker, saxophonist Joel Vanderheyden, and bassist and Wash U faculty member Paul Steinbeck creating improvised scores for silent films by Stan Brakhage, Tomonari Nishikawa, and Walter Ruttmann.