Jazz this week: Revisiting Louis Armstrong's early works, Julian Vaughn, a celebration of John Coltrane, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes events celebrating the music of two of the most important improvisers in jazz, an evening of smooth jazz in a historic concert venue, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, April 17
Jazz St. Louis ends their "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series for the 2018-19 season with a program about Louis Armstrong's Hot 5 and Hot 7, featuring a talk by noted Armstrong expert Ricky Riccardi followed by a live performance of some of the music recorded by the trumpeter's early groups.

Also on Wednesday, the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra performs at the Ozark Theatre, and Cabaret Project of St. Louis presents their monthly "Singers Open Mic" , relocated for this month only from Sophie's Artists Lounge to The Dark Room.

Thursday, April 18
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University wraps up for the semester with a free concert featuring Wash U jazz performance students playing the music of Charlie Parker, Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis, Bill Evans and more.

Elsewhere around town, singer Erin Bode returns to Cyrano's, and saxophonist Andy Ament leads a trio at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, April 19
Bassist Julian Vaughn (pictured, top left) headlines a concert of smooth jazz at The Sheldon, with saxophonist Phil Denny and keyboardist Mark Harris II also on the bill.

Also on Friday, saxophonist Freddie Washington (pictured, bottom left) and pianist Adam Maness' trio will be "Celebrating Coltrane" for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis; and saxophonist Dave Stone plays the final gig of his long-running residency at Mangia Italiano before his upcoming move to Oregon.

Saturday, April 20
Keyboardist Mo Egeston and friends play the late show at The Dark Room.

Sunday, April 21
Miss Jubilee performs for brunch at Evangeline's, while singer and guitarist Tommy Halloran returns to The Dark Room.

Monday, April 22
The Webster University Jazz Singers, directed by Debby Lennon, will perform in their final concert of the semester at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

Tuesday, April 23
Dizzy Atmosphere plays vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at 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: L.A. Swing Barons, John Wiese, Chesterfield Jazz Festival, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes something for almost every taste, with shows on tap featuring traditional jazz; big band swing; contemporary jazz-fusion; the music of John Coltrane; original works by local composers; and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 20
This week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran 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.

Also on Wednesday, Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Cabaret Open Mic" at its new location, Sophie's Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club in the .ZACK Building at 3224 Locust in Grand Center.

Thursday, June 21
Thursday is "Make Music Day," an international holiday celebrating music, and several local venues are taking part with extended or day-long programming. For example, Evangeline's will present a different band or performer every hour starting at lunch time, with a lineup including Jim Manley and Chris Swan, Eric Slaughter and Glen Smith, Valerie "Miss Jubilee" Kirchhoff and Ethan Leinwand, Tommy Halloran, and more.

Meanwhile, the National Blues Museum downtown will supplement their roster of blues bands with sets from bossa nova trio The Bonbon Plot and the STL Free Jazz Collective. 

Thursday evening, the L.A. Swing Barons (pictured, bottom left), a 14-piece big band from Los Angeles heavily influenced by Count Basie and Duke Ellington, will perform for a swing dance at the Intersect Arts Center.

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

Elsewhere around town, saxophonist Paul DeMarinis and pianist Kim Portnoy will team up with poet and author David Clewell for "Cocktails + Conversation: No Hard Feelings - A Night of Poetry + Jazz" at Laumeier Sculpture Park.

Friday, June 22
Veteran saxophonist Freddie Washington will be backed by pianist Adam Maness' trio as they "Celebrate Coltrane" at Jazz St. Louis.

Saturday, June 23
The Chesterfield Jazz Festival will present a lineup including drummer Simon Phillips' band Protocol (pictured, top left) as headliner, plus sets from St. Louis' own Bach to the Future with violinist Tracy Silverman, Trace, Two Times True, and Maurice Carnes.

Also on Saturday, electronic musician, filmmaker and St. Louis native John Wiese, who did an ambitious show here last year for New Music Circle, will headline a bill of experimental musicians in a free show at El Lenador; The 442s will perform at Jazz St. Louis; and the Funky Butt Brass Band returns to the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Sunday, June 24
The St. Louis Record Collector & CD Show will hold their summer event at the American Czech Educational Center, and the St. Louis Jazz Club presents Cornet Chop Suey playing traditional jazz and swing at the Moolah Shrine Center.

Monday, June 25
Dizzy Atmosphere plays for diners at The Shaved Duck.

Tuesday, June 26
Singer Joe Mancuso has organized "Voices of St. Louis,"  a benefit concert raising money to fight MS, with performers including former American Idol contestant Ashley Lusk, Richie G. Kihlken, Erika Johnson, and more at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Jazz this week: Cyrus Chestnut; Peter Martin, Brian Owens & Terence Blanchard; and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a couple of first-call piano players - one visiting, one home-grown - plus the usual assortment of performances in a variety of musical styles from the city's talented contingent of local players.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 31
Pianist Cyrus Chestnut returns with his trio for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Chestnut (pictured, top left) has applied his virtuoso technique to all sorts of material over the course of his career. He's recorded original compositions influenced by blues and gospel music, and plenty of standards drawn from the Great American Songbook, as well as "high concept" projects like an album of songs made famous by Elvis Presley, and a 21st century take on pianist Vince Guaraldi's music for A Charlie Brown Christmas.

With such a varied catalog, it's hard to predict precisely what Chestnut may get into over the course of four nights, but chances are he'll spotlight at least some of the music from his 2010 recording Journeys, which included nine of his own compositions. You can see and hear some video samples of Cyrus Chestnut playing with a trio and solo in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Wednesday, guitarist Dave Black plays at Evangeline's, and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features guitarist Joe Park's trio at The Stage at KDHX, along with the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor and his band at The Dark Room.

Thursday, February 1
Saxophonist Freddie Washington and guitarist Tom Byrne will lead a quartet in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and percussionist Joe Pastor's trio returns to The Dark Room.

Friday, February 2
Saxophonist Dave Stone's trio will be joined by guitarist Eric Slaughter for a concert at Focal Point, and singer/guitarist Tommy Halloran continues his weekly gig at Das Bevo Underground.

Saturday, February 3
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play a mid-day concert at The Sheldon, while The Sidemen perform for the brunch crowd at Evangeline's.

On Saturday evening, pianist Peter Martin (pictured, bottom left), singer Brian Owens and special guest trumpeter Terence Blanchard will headline a benefit concert for Metro Theater Company at the Grandel Theatre.

The company's production of Bud, Not Buddy, a "concert play" with a musical score by Blanchard that will be played live on stage by a 13-piece band, opens Sunday and continues through February 25 at the Grandel.

Sunday, February 4
The Bonbon Plot will play bossa nova and French-influenced jazz for brunch at The Dark Room, and the Friends of Scott Joplin will present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe.

Monday, February 5
Dizzy Atmosphere plays swing and Gypsy jazz for diners at The Shaved Duck, and Webster University presents drummer Nick Savage's quartet with singer Paige Alyssa Hegwood in a Black History Month tribute to "The First Ladies of Song" at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

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 winter/spring 2018 concert schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series of concerts at Washington University has announced their schedule for the winter/spring semester of 2018.

Here's the entire lineup in chronological order:

Thursday, January 25: Richard Deja Quartet

Thursday, February 1: Freddie Washington/Tom Byrne Quartet
Thursday, February 8: Steve Davis Band
Thursday, February 15: Tony Viviano (pictured)
Thursday, February 22: Eileen G'Sell (poet) with Jay Oliver, William Lenihan & Steve Davis

Thursday, March 1: Kara Baldus-Mehrmann Trio
Thursday, March 8: "Women's Voices in Music" with Washington University student musicians & singers
Thursday, March 22: "52nd Street/To Be Or Not To Bop" with Randy Holmes Quintet & a pre-show lecture by Patrick Burke
Thursday, March 29: Washington University jazz studies students

Thursday, April 5: Brianna Black Band

All concerts are free and open to the public. Concerts begin at 8:00 p.m. and are presented in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall, which is 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: Yellowjackets, Pangea, Greater St. Louis Hispanic Festival, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features the return of a jazz-fusion favorite; a weekend of Latin jazz and salsa at a free outdoor festival, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, September 20
Jazz-fusion band Yellowjackets (pictured, top left) opens a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

Although Jazz St. Louis at this writing is describing the shows as "almost sold out," a few tickets remain; call the box office for availability.  For those that can't make it in person, video of the set at 7:30 p.m. Friday will be streamed live on the Jazz St. Louis website and Facebook page and on UStream.

Thursday, September 21
Saxophonist Freddie Washington leads a quartet in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and saxophonist Harvey Lockhart will perform at The Dark Room.

Friday, September 22
Percussionist Herman Semidey and Orquestra Son Montuno will play salsa, Latin jazz, and more at the Greater St Louis Hispanic Festival, a free event running through Sunday at Soulard Park; and the Funky Butt Brass Band returns to the Broadway Oyster Bar

Saturday, September 23
Pangea,"a contemporary world music band" featuring composer/multi-instrumentalists Hong Wang and Albert Chang, plays at the Touhill Performing Arts Center; singer Erin Bode will perform at Missouri Baptist University's Pillsbury Chapel Fine Arts Center; and Chicago Latin Groove (pictured, bottom left) provides the soundtrack for the evening at the Hispanic Festival.

Sunday, September 24
Jazz brunch possibilities for the day include Miss Jubilee at Evangeline's and drummer Montez Coleman and friends at The Dark Room; and later that afternoon, the Folk School of KDHX will present their monthly "Traditional Jazz Jam Session." 

Monday, September 25
Bassist Ben Wheeler leads a quartet in a concert at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium.

Tuesday, September 26
Farshid Etniko will present their brand of multi-ethnic fusion in a free outdoor concert for the Missouri History Museum's "Twilight Tuesdays" series

 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 announces Fall 2017 schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University has announced their schedule of free concerts for the Fall 2017 semester.

The series will begin on Thursday, September 14 with British bassist Tony Grey (pictured), who's probably best known as a member of pianist Hiromi's working band.

Grey will be accompanied by Jay Oliver on keyboards; Wash U faculty member and Jazz at Holmes series director William Lenihan on guitar; and Roger Guth on drums.

In addition to Grey and various shows featuring a selection of St. Louis performers, the Fall 2017 series also will include themed programs exploring Italian film music; the intersection of experimental jazz and contemporary classical; and folk and protest songs of the 1960s.

Here's the entire schedule in chronological order:

Thursday, September 14; Tony Grey
Thursday, September 21: Freddie Washington Quartet
Thursday, September 28: Montez Coleman/Eric Slaughter Quartet

Thursday, October 5: Kim Fuller
Thursday, October 19: "From Torino - Music of Italian Film Composers: Morricone, Gaslini, Rota, Umiliani, Giordano" with Filippo Cosentino, William Lenihan, and the Sogni D'Alba String Trio.
Thursday, October 26: "Streams of Extremity II" with Ptah Williams, William Lenihan, Steve Davis, Amy Greenhalgh, and Marcia Mann

Thursday, November 2: "Voices of Freedom, Songs of Social Justice" with R. Scott Bryan, Rick Schuler, and band.
Thursday, November 9: Joe Mancuso Organ Trio
Thursday, November 16: Arc of Light Ensemble with Paul DeMarinis, Randy Holmes, Wayne Coniglio, William Lenihan, and band
Thursday, November 30 - Vincent Varvel Quartet

Thursday, December 7: Holiday concert featuring Wash U singers & musicians TBA.

All concerts are free and open to the public. Concerts begin at 8:00 p.m. and are presented in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall, which is located on Washington University’s campus at the west end of the Brookings Quadrangle, near the intersection of Brookings and Hoyt drives.

St. Louis Jazz Hall of Fame honoring five new inductees at gala on Sunday, October 23

Clockwise from top left: Bass, Bluiett, Lake and Washington

The St. Louis Jazz Hall of Fame will induct five musicians in a ceremony to be held at 5:00 p.m. Sunday, October 23 at the Emerson Performance Center on the campus of Harris Stowe State University.

The hall, which is part of the Don and Heide Wolff Jazz Institute at Harris Stowe, will welcome three new living members - saxophonists Hamiet Bluiett, Oliver Lake, and Freddie Washington - and two posthumous inductees, singer Fontella Bass and trumpeter David Hines.

As most readers of this site will already know, Bluiett and Lake both were members of the Black Artists Group in the late 1960s and went on to co-found the World Saxophone Quartet with David Murray and former St. Louisan Julius Hemphill. Both Bluiett and Lake continue to enjoy busy careers, recording and touring both nationally and internationally.

Washington has been a mainstay of the St. Louis scene for more than 50 years, teaching and performing regularly in local clubs and concert venues since the 1960s.

Bass, who died in 2012, was best known for her 1965 pop and soul mega-hit "Rescue Me," but also recorded jazz with the Art Ensemble of Chicago (which included her then-husband, St. Louis trumpeter Lester Bowie) and earned a Grammy nomination in 1995 for her gospel album No Ways Tired.

Hines was a highly regarded trumpeter, teacher and mentor who toured with Albert King, T-Bone Walker, Little Milton, Woody Herman, and Ray Charles, and worked frequently in St. Louis until his untimely death at age 49 in a 1991 motorcycle accident.

The induction ceremony is held in conjunction with the university's 18th annual "Homecoming Gold Gala" for alumni and supporters. Ronn Nichols, who serves as curator of the Wolff Jazz Institute, also will be honored with a "Lifetime Achievement Award."

Jazz at Holmes series announces Fall 2014 schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University has announced their schedule of free concerts for the Fall 2014 semester.

The series begins this Thursday, September 11, with a reunion performance by Tracer, the jazz-fusion trio featuring keyboardist Ptah Williams (pictured), bassist Darrell Mixon, and drummer Gary Sykes.

As has been the custom in recent years, the series also includes a couple of themed programs. The first, a look back at the Gaslight Square entertainment district of the late 1950s and early '60s, will take place on Thursday, September 25 and will be preceded by a short panel discussion featuring pianist Dave Venn, trumpeter Bob Ceccarini, and saxophonist Freddie Washington, who all gigged at various establishments in Gaslight Square, and Wash U professors Pat Burke and William Lenihan.

The second, "Freedom Summer '64: A Love Supreme" will take place on Thursday, October 9, and will feature the music of John Coltrane as performed by Washington, Lenihan, Paul DeMarinis, Maurice Carnes, Steve Davis, Kara Baldus, and others.

The complete schedule for the semester is:

Thursday, September 11: Tracer
Thursday, September 18: Vince Varvel
Thursday, September 25: "Gaslight Square" with Bob Ceccarini, Scott Alberici, Wayne Coniglio, William Lenihan, Eric Stiller and Steve Davis.

Thursday, October 2: Brian Vaccaro Trio
Thursday, October 9: "Freedom Summer '64: A Love Supreme"
Thursday, October 23: Bob DeBoo plays the music of Charles Mingus
Thursday, October 30: Adam Schefkind

Thursday, November 6: Mike Buerck Orchestra
Thursday, November 20: Jeff Anderson Quartet

Thursday, December 6: Wash U Student Jazz Combo

Presented most Thursday evenings when school is in session, the Jazz at Holmes concerts are free and open to the public. 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.

Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival set for Saturday, September 20

The Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival has announced their musical lineup for the 2014 fest, which will take place from noon to 10:00 p.m., Saturday, September 20 in the Old Webster business district, near the intersection of Lockwood and Gore.

This will be the 14th year for the event, and as in the past, it will feature live music on two stages and is free and open to the public.

The Webster University stage on Gore Ave will be the site for sets from the Funky Butt Brass Band, Big Brother Thunder and the Master Blasters, Gene Dobbs Bradford Blues Experience, Webster University Jazz Ensemble, and Marquise Knox with Big George Brock.

Music on the Allen Ave stage begins with the winner of this year's "Webster's Got Talent" contest, followed by The 442s with Erin Bode; a made-to-order jazz ensemble featuring Ptah Williams (piano), Bob DeBoo (bass), Montez Coleman (drums), Danny Campbell (trumpet), Freddie Washington (saxophones), and Joe Mancuso (vocals); the Webster Groves High School Jazz Band; and Jim Manley (pictured) and Wild, Cool and Swingin'.

Jazz this week: Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Jazz at Lincoln Center Quartet, and more

Here's a look at some of the most noteworthy jazz and creative music performances happening this week in and around St. Louis:

Tonight, the Jazz at Holmes series of free concerts at Washington University presents "A Tribute to Jim Hall" with guitarists William Lenihan & Vincent Varvel; and it's the monthly "Experimental Arts Open Mic Night" with live improvised music at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Tomorrow night, four musicians who are part of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra - trombonist Vincent Gardner (pictured), saxophonist Walter Blanding, trumpeter Kenny Rampton and drummer Jerome Jennings - will take the stage for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro. The four have been in town all week for an educational residency with Jazz St. Louis, presenting workshops and master classes at area schools and working with student musicians in the JazzU and Jazz St. Louis All-Stars programs. They'll be joined for the Bistro gig by JSL's education director, pianist Phil Dunlap, and bassist Nick Jost.

Also on Friday night, pianist Travis Wesley Hoover brings his trio to Robbie's House of Jazz; the Ann Dueren Trio performs at Il Bel Lago; Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; guitarist Mason Baran's trio will be at the Cigar Inn; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham will continues with what's now being billed as a regular weekly Friday show at Troy's Jazz Gallery. 

Then on Saturday, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey returns to St. Louis for the first tme since 2011 to perform at  The Demo. To see some performance videos and find out what JFJO has been up to since they were here last, see this post.

Also on Saturday night, the Coleman Hughes Project plays at Troy's Jazz Gallery; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will perform at Venice Cafe; singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will duet at Thurman Grill; and the Funky Butt Brass Band will be back at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

On Sunday, the Friends of Scott Joplin will present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday saxophonist Freddie Washington will join members of the Webster University Jazz Faculty to play the music of Sonny Rollins at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus; and guitarist Tom Byrne will play 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.)

(Edited after posting to fix some formatting problems.) 

Willie Pickens to play jazz brunch benefit for CWAH on Sunday, February 9

Willie Pickens, the veteran pianist and mainstay of the Chicago jazz scene, is coming to St. Louis as the featured performer for a jazz brunch benefiting the not-for-profit organization Community Women Against Hardship.

Perhaps best known outside Chicago for his work with the legendary drummer Elvin Jones, Pickens (pictured) will join a group of St. Louis musicians led by drummer Jerome "Scrooge" Harris for CWAH's annual Black History Month event, which will be held at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, February 9 at the Bistro at Grand Center, 3536 Washington Blvd.

In addition to Pickens and Harris, the ensemble will include saxophonist Freddie Washington, singer Anita Jackson and bassist Bob DeBoo. Students from Harris' Institute for the Advancement of Jazz Study & Performance also will perform as part of the event.

Tickets are $60 for reserved seating, which includes a free CD, or $40 for general admission. All tickets include brunch, which will be served at 1:30 p.m., followed by the performance at 2:30 p.m. To purchase tickets, call 314-289-7523 or visit CWAH's website.

Jazz this week: Lou Donaldson, Alarm Will Sound, Three Tenors of St. Louis, David Grisman, St. Louis Stompers, and more

Though Cardinal baseball may be preoccupying large segments of the populace in St. Louis, the fall jazz and creative music presenting season nevertheless continues this week with a full slate of performances in a wide variety of styles.

Music fans who care to venture forth into clubs and concert halls over the next few days will find everything from traditional New Orleans jazz  to bluesy, bop-inflected saxophone from an old-school jazz master to top touring groups showcasing recombinant genres rooted in classical and bluegrass. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, the veteran alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson will begin a four-night gig continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Performing with an organ trio, the 86-year-old Donaldson mixes blues, bop, ballads, and backbeats in a crowd-pleasing fashion, and usually adds additional entertainment with some wry, between-song quips along the way. For more about Donaldson (pictured) and some video samples of what you're likely to hear this weekend, see this post from last Saturday.

Also tonight, the 20-member new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound begins their second St. Louis season at the Sheldon Concert Hall, previewing the program they'll play this weekend at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. Elsewhere around town, the 442s play at the Tavern of Fine Arts; singer Joe Mancuso leads a trio at EdgeWild Restaurant and Winery in Chesterfield; and vibraphonist Peter Schlamb's group performs at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tomorrow night, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University presents a free concert featuring "Three Tenors of St. Louis," namely Freddie Washington, Willie Akins and Paul DeMarinis. While Washington and Akins have performed together occasionally in the past, the three-tenor format adds a new wrinkle and should make for some friendly but spirited competition. Also on Thursday, funk/R&B/jazz group Good 4 The Soul plays their monthly show at BB's.

On Friday, mandolinist David Grisman, inventor of the acoustic swing/folk/rock/bluegrass hybrid style he calls "dawg music," brings his FolkJazz Trio to the Sheldon Concert Hall. Also on Friday, saxophonist Jay Hutson and Da Wolvez are at Robbie's House of Jazz; and pianist Ptah Williams leads a trio at Cigar Inn.

On Saturday afternoon, guitarist Corey Christiansen will present a jazz improvisation workshop at Mozingo Music. Christensen, who lived in St. Louis for several years before moving back to Utah in 2007, also will lead a trio in a Saturday night performance at Robbie's.

Elsewhere on Saturday night, the Bosman Twins and friends from several different locales are teaming up for one of their periodic "Reunion Jazz Band' gigs at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes trio perform at Thurman Grill.

On Sunday, the St. Louis Jazz Club presents the St. Louis Stompers at the Doubletree Hotel in Westport.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday guitarist Robben Ford, who's played with jazz stars including Tom Scott, Jimmy Witherspoon and Miles Davis, will present a guitar clinic sponsored by Mozingo Music at Sky Music Lounge in Ballwin. Also on Monday,  the Sessions Big Band plays 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 at Holmes series announces Fall 2013 schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University has announced their schedule of free concerts for Fall 2013.

The series begins on Thursday, September 12 with trumpeter Randy Holmes performing the music of saxophonist, composer and St. Louis native Oliver Nelson.

Other highlights of the semester will include an appearance by Italian pianist Antonio Figura (September 12); a tribute to St. Louis drummer Joe Charles (October 24); and a collaborative event involving choreographer Ashley Tate and company (November 14), which was rescheduled after a postponement this past spring.

Though born in Sicily, Figura (pictured) actually is something of a Wash U veteran, presenting seminars there from 2003 to 2007 and performing in 2005 on the Jazz at Holmes series with the band Cyclo.

Here's the complete lineup of concerts:

Thursday, September 12:  Randy Holmes plays the music of Oliver Nelson
Thursday, September 19:  Chad Evans Quartet
Thursday, September 26:  Antonio Figura Trio with William Lenihan and Steve Davis

Thursday, October 3:  Eric Slaughter/Tom Byrne Quartet
Thursday, October 10:  Three Tenors of St. Louis: Freddie Washington, Willie Akins & Paul DeMarinis
Thursday, October 24: A Tribute to Joe Charles

Thursday, November 7:  Jeff Anderson Quartet
Thursday, November 14:  Freedom Jazz Dance - Ashley Tate Dance Company
Thursday, November 21:  Carolbeth True Trio

Thursday, December 5: Washington University Jazz Students Performance

Presented most Thursday evenings when school is in session, the Jazz at Holmes concerts are free and open to the public. 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: Kurt Elling, Ronnie Burrage, Phil Woods, Andre Delano, and more

It's another busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with the return of one of the top male singers in jazz; a rare local appearance by a legendary saxophonist; homecoming gigs featuring three different musicians who grew up in the area, and much more. Let's go the highlights....

Tonight, the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra, directed by bassist Jim Widner and featuring top musicians from all around the metro area, plays the music of Count Basie at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Tomorrow night, singer Kurt Elling opens a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro. One of the most critically acclaimed jazz singers working today and a relatively frequent visitor to St. Louis, Elling was here most recently in 2011. His latest album 1619 Broadway – The Brill Building Project, which came out last year, focuses on novel interpretations of pop tunes created at the famous NYC address that was home to  Bacharach and David, Lieber and Stoller, Goffin and King, and other hit songwriters of the 1950s and 60s. For more about that album, and some video samples of some recent performances by Elling, see this post from last Saturday.

On Thursday, drummer and U. City native Ronnie Burrage (pictured), who's played with jazz greats including Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner and Joe Zawinul and now teaches at Penn State University, will be back home for the first of several events this week, leading a trio in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University. Also on Thursday, it's the monthly "Avant Garde Arts Night" featuring live improvised music at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Then on Friday evening, Burrage and a quartet featuring saxophonist Freddie Washington will perform for the first of two nights at The Office, located at 5917 Delmar (east of Skinker, in the building most recently home to Binion's).

Update - 3:30 p.m., 2/28/13:  The performances by the Ronnie Burrage Quartet on Friday and Saturday have been moved to the clubhouse of the Probstein Golf Club in Forest Park. See this post for details.

That same evening, Lindy Hop St. Louis presents their monthly "West End Stomp" swing dance at the Mahler Ballroom with music from guitarist-singer Tommy Halloran's quintet; and guitarist Tom Byrne leads a trio with drummer Steve Davis and bassist Nathan Pence at Cigar Inn.

On Saturday afternoon, Burrage will present a drum workshop and master class at the Wolf Public House in Ballwin; tickets are available through the event's sponsor, Mozingo Music.

On Saturday evening, an hour or so to the south of St. Louis down in Park Hill, MO, renowned saxophonist Phil Woods will be the special guest performer for this year's Carol Moore Memorial Jazz Festival at Mineral Area College. Now 81, the bebop master continues to spread the musical legacy of Charlie Parker, with whom he was personally acquainted. (In fact, after Parker's death, Woods wound up marrying his widow, Chan Parker, who died in 1999.) The event will feature a series of student bands from around the area performing throughout the day, and conclude with an evening concert featuring Woods, the MAC Jazz Ensemble, and MAC Kicks Band.

Update, 12:30 a.m., 2/27/13:  Michael Goldsmith, director of jazz at Mineral Area College, emailed to add that Woods will be presenting a free, public master class at noon on Saturday. Also, there actually will be two separate concerts that night featuring Woods and the MAC bands: one at 6:00 p.m., which already is sold out, and one at 8:30 p.m., for which tickets still remain.

Also on Saturday, saxophonist Willie Akins fronts a quartet at Robbie's House of Jazz, Miss Jubilee will perform for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom, singer Joe Mancuso leads a trio at EdgeWild Restaurant and Winery, and singer Ann Dueren's trio will be at Il Bel Lago.

On Sunday, saxophonist and East St. Louis native Andre Delano, whose R&B-flavored style has been featured on tours and recordings with Maxwell, Jeff Lorber, Bobby Womack, Lionel Richie and many others, returns home from California to perform in an early evening show with Good 4 The Soul at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Tuesday guitarist Larry Brown Jr., who grew up in Venice, IL and attended SIUE, will return from Chicago to present a jazz tribute to Motown great Marvin Gaye as part of the "Notes From Home" series at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Nu-Art Series getting "Tenor Madness" starting Saturday, October 13

The Nu-Art Series has announced two fall concerts to be presented under the theme "The Tenor Madness Project," that, fittingly, will feature two of St. Louis top veteran tenor saxophonists.

Willie Akins (pictured) will get it started at 3:00 p.m., Saturday, October 13, followed by fellow tenor man Freddie Washington at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, November 17.

Both Akins and Washington have been widely admired mainstays of the local jazz scene since the 1960s, though Washington took a hiatus during the 2000s for business and personal reasons. Both could be said to have a post-bop sensibility, influenced notably by John Coltrane, but each brings his own set of distinctive touches to even the most familiar material.

The Nu-Art Series "Tenor Madness" concerts will take place at the Metropolitan Gallery, 2936 Locust downtown. Tickets are $20 general admission, $10 for students at the door.

Jazz this week: Bobby Broom & Deep Blue Organ Trio, Bonerama, Kirk Whalum, SPOKE, Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival, St. Louis Jazz Club picnic & more

It's shaping up to be a busy weekend for live jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with several touring musicians and bands in town, plus some noteworthy free events that should appeal to those looking for some budget-friendly entertainment. Let's go to the highlights...

On Thursday night, Chicago guitarist Bobby Broom, best known as a longtime sideman to saxophonist Sonny Rollins, and his Deep Blue Organ Trio will be in town for a one-nighter at Robbie's House of Jazz.

Also on Thursday, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University opens its season with a free concert from saxophonist Freddie Washington; and the Bosman Twins, guitarist Daryl Darden and poet Cheryl D.S. Walker will perform a free concert at Schlafly Branch Library in the Central West End.

On Friday, the New Orleans-based band Bonerama will be back in town, this time at The Gramophone. Also on Friday, singer Jeanne Trevor will do a free outdoor concert sponsored by Ferguson CityWalk at the Plaza at 501 in Ferguson; saxophonist Jerry Greene and singer Sarah Jane Ulrich team up for an evening of double-entendre songs at Robbie's; and guitarist Mason Baran leads a quartet with vibraphonist Peter Schlamb, bassist Ben Wheeler and drummer Joe Winstein-Hibbs at the Cigar Inn.

Then on Saturday, it's the annual Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival, a free, all-day outdoor event in the old business district of Webster Groves that features two stages and ten bands, including the St. Louis Ragtimers, Dave Black, Jim Stevens, and the Webster University jazz faculty.

Also on Saturday, the Broadway Oyster Bar presents the seventh annual edition of Funkfest, an all-day event featuring eight bands including the Funky Butt Brass Band, Lamar Harris, Teddy Presberg, and others.

On Sunday, the St. Louis Jazz Club will host their annual picnic at the Concord Farmers Club. The event is free and open to the public and will feature live music from Utter Chaos and Banjos & Brass.

Also on Sunday, saxophonist Kirk Whalum will be playing at the Sheldon Concert Hall as part of a fundraiser for the Gamma Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and that evening, bassist and St. Louis native Dan Loomis brings his post-bop quartet SPOKE (pictured) back home for a free concert at Parkway United Church of Christ.

Looking beyond the week, on Monday drummer Joe Pastor's trio returns to BB's Jazz Blues and Soups, and on Tuesday, fusion group Steizuello plays a "Notes From Home" concert at the Sheldon.

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 Fall 2012 schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series of free concerts at Washington University will kick off its Fall 2012 series at 8:00 p.m. this coming Thursday, September 13, with a performance by the Freddie Washington Quartet.

Washington, a local favorite from the late 1960s through the early 1990s, recently reemerged on the St. Louis scene after a hiatus from performing and some time spent out of town. Though his concert will basically be just a straight-up showcase Washington's hard-bop influenced work on tenor and soprano, most of the other Jazz at Holmes concerts this semester seem to have at least a nominal theme, with several including collaborations with other artistic disciplines or University departments.

Here's the complete Jazz at Holmes schedule for Fall 2012:

Thursday, September 13: Freddie Washington Quartet

Thursday, September 27: "Intimacy in Improvisation" with guitarist Vince Varvel and bassist Eric Stiller;

Thursday, October 4: "Stories: The New Beat Generation" featuring poet Eileen Gsell reading with music from guitarist William Lenihan (pictured) and his trio;

Thursday, October 11: "Tin Pan Alley and the Music of Jerome Kern" with trumpeter Bob Ceccarini's group and an introduction by Todd Decker, assistant professor and head of musicology at Wash U;

Thursday, October 25: "New Jazz" featuring saxophonist Ron Goff's quartet;

Thursday, November 1: "Music of Cannonball Adderley and Nancy Wilson" featuring saxophonist Rob Nugent and vocalist Kim Fuller with Kara Vandiver (piano), Zeb Briskovich (bass) and Miles Vandiver (drums);

Thursday, November 8: "Turning Point: Electric Miles and Hendrix Confluence," a celebration of the 70th birthday of Jimi Hendrix, featuring "an all-star lineup" led by William Lenihan;

Thursday, November 15: "Freedom Jazz Dance" featuring dancer/choreographer Ashley Tate with the St. Louis Creative Artists Jazz Ensemble;

Thursday, November 29: "Songs of Love and Other Difficulties: Work and Protest Songs" featuring the Kim Fuller Quartet, with an introduction by Patrick Burke, associate professor of ethnomusicaology; and

Thursday, December 6: Washington University jazz studies student groups, directed by William Lenihan.

Presented most Thursday evenings when school is in session, the Jazz at Holmes concerts are free and open to the public. 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: Dan White Sextet, Willie Akins-Montez Coleman Quartet, Freddie Washington's Coltrane tribute, and more

This week's menu of noteworthy jazz and creative music shows around St. Louis includes headlining appearances by two longtime local favorite tenor saxophonists, as well as the local debut of an up-and-coming touring band. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, the Dan White Sextet from Columbus, Ohio will be in St. Louis for the first time to perform at Robbie's House of Jazz. Their debut release, New York Sessions, features a tight ensemble sound and some interesting solos in service of an enjoyable selection of original tunes and off-the-beaten-path covers. You can see and hear some samples of their music here.

Also tonight, the Cabaret Project St. Louis will present their monthly "open mic" night at the Tavern of Fine Arts

On Thursday evening, singer Erin Bode and her group will do a free concert at Bluebird Park in Ellisville.

Then on Friday, saxophonist Willie Akins and drummer Montez Coleman will team up to co-lead a quartet for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro. Akins has been a St. Louis hard bop/post-bop stalwart since the early 1960s, while Coleman, who's originally from East St. Louis and is roughly half Akins' age, already has made his mark recording and touring with major musicians including Roy Hargrove, Russell Malone and McCoy Tyner.

That same evening, the young saxophonist Kendrick Smith, having recently concluded a month-long run as part of the band for Stages St. Louis' production of Ain't Misbhavin', will lead a trio at the Cigar Inn; and the Ambassadors of Swing will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

On Saturday, the Funky Butt Brass Band plays at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

On Sunday afternoon, there are several shows on tap, starting with the St. Louis Jazz Club presenting trad jazz and swing band Cornet Chop Suey in a matinee concert at Bel Air Bowl in Belleville.

Also on Sunday afternoon, saxophonist Freddie Washington will headline a concert that's being billed as "a tribute to John Coltrane" at the Bistro at Grand Center. A benefit for Community Women Against Hardship, the event includes brunch plus music from Washington, bassist Jeff Anderson, drummer Jerome "Scrooge" Harris, pianist Matt Villinger and singer Anita Jackson.

Then early Sunday evening, you can choose between two big band performances, as saxophonist Stan Coleman leads the STL Metro Youth Jazz Band in a free concert at Ivory Perry Park, 800 Belt Ave., while at the same time trombonist Dave Dickey's big band does their monthly gig at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday pianist Dave Becherer's trio will be 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.)

Freddie Washington to open Black Rep concert series on Sunday, January 29

Saxophonist Freddie Washington (pictured) and his group will be the first performers for a Sunday night concert series being presented by the Black Rep. Washington will kick off the series at 7:00 p.m. this Sunday, January 29 at the Grandel Theater.

A mainstay on the local jazz scene from the 1960s through the mid-2000s, Washington recently returned to St. Louis after living in Dallas, Nashville and Atlanta. The Black Rep's marketing director Joe Hanrahan tells StLJN that Washington's concert is the first of a planned series of four or five Sunday night shows that will take place about once a month this winter and spring. (We'll have info on any further jazz-related performances right here when more details are revealed.)

Tickets for Freddie Washington at the Grandel Theater are $20, and can be reserved by calling the Black Rep box office at 314-534-3810.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* There's some difficult news in the latest blog post from Gwen Terry, wife of Clark Terry. Doctors this week had to amputate the right leg of the 90-year-old legendary trumpeter, who has been hospitalized in Arkansas for the past couple of months. At last word, Terry (pictured) was recovering from the surgery in the intensive care unit, and fans in his hometown of St. Louis and across the globe are being encouraged to send their thoughts, prayers and well-wishes to him via the blog's comment section.

* In a happier story, Terry Perkins reports for the St. Louis American on the return to St. Louis of saxophonist Freddie Washington, who will play a concert for the Nu-Art Series this Saturday afternoon at the Metropolitan Gallery.

* The St. Louis Beacon's Bob Duffy reviewed the show of jazz-related art and photos by Ralston Crawford currently on exhibit through January 7 at the Sheldon Art Galleries.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native Greg Osby, who will be back home to play next Wednesday through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro, was interviewed by the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson.

* Writing on his personal blog, St. Louis American editor Chris King shares some impressions of last night's "Buddhism and the Beats" event at the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts.

* HEC-TV has posted online a full-length video of Jazz St. Louis' family concert in October at the Touhill. The concert, presented in conjunction with the music education organization JazzReach, featured Metta Quintet in a tribute to Miles Davis.

* St. Louis-based music and music instruction publisher Mel Bay is offering free freight on all online orders through the end of the year. To take advantage of the offer, enter promo code MBFF12 at checkout.

* Former St. Louisan Benjamin Cawthra's new book Blue Notes in Black and White: Photography and Jazz was reviewed by Down Beat's Hilary Brown for the magazine's 2012 holiday gift guide.

* Radio station WSIE (88.7 FM) last weekend conducted its first on-air pledge drive in more than 30 years, and the management of "The Jazz Station" is calling the effort a success. Dick Ulett, the St. Louis radio veteran and owner of Clayton Studios who serves as consultant to WSIE on operations and programming, told StLJN on Thursday that staff and volunteers are still tabulating the contributions and contacting listeners who will receive CDs and other premiums for their pledges. He called the drive "good for the station," noting that "the phones are ringing, and there's a little bit of a buzz that's been generated."

While there's no final dollar figure yet for the amount raised during the weekend, Ulett said that WSIE will need additional money to meet their current goal of $50,000 towards the purchase of new equipment (specifically, a backup generator at the station's transmission tower). He said plans are underway for another on-air fund drive in the spring, and that they'd learned a number of things during this drive that would be useful in future fundraising efforts.

Ulett added that listeners who missed the fund drive but would like to support WSIE don't have to wait until spring, as the station also happily accepts contributions via its website. (Donations made by check should be marked "WSIE Radio Fund" to make sure they are directed to the proper account.)