So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* In a ceremony this past Monday at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel, pianist, guitarist and composer Adam Maness (pictured) received a St. Louis Arts Award from the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis.

In conjunction with the award recognizing Maness as 2020's top "Arts Collaborator," the Council produced a brief video about him, which you can see here.

* Writing in Syncopated Times, Friends of Scott Joplin board member Magdalene Linck ponders the organization's future after the recent death of board president Bryan Cather.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold was interviewed on the online video series PopkillerTV Plus.

* In an article for American Songwriter magazine, guitarist Pat Metheny tells "Why A Miles Davis Album Changed His Life Forever."

* Rhino Records and the Miles Davis estate have released an official music video for "So Emotional," a track from Davis' "lost" album Rubberband that was released late last year. The track and the video both feature vocalist Lalah Hathaway (daughter of the late singer, pianist and former St. Louisan Donny Hathaway), and you can see the video online here.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* A memorial service for the late Bryan Cather, ragtime historian and president of the Friends of Scott Joplin, will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January 25 at St. John's Episcopal Church, 3664 Arsenal (across from Tower Grove Park).

* The recent vinyl reissue box set (pictured) of Miles Davis' The Legendary Prestige Quintet Recordings was reviewed by Jazz Times.

* The soundtrack from director Stanley Nelson's documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool is set for release on Friday, February 21.

Titled Music From and Inspired by Miles Davis: Birth Of The Cool, the album has 28 tracks of music and dialog from the film selected by Nelson. One of those tracks is a previously unheard recording, "Hail to the Real Chief," which combines unreleased studio trumpet performances by Davis with music by drummer Lenny White, performed by White, Davis' nephew Vince Wilburn, Jr, Marcus Miller, Jeremy Pelt, Antoine Roney, John Scofield, Bernard Wright, and others. You can listen to "Hail to the Real Chief" here.

* Also on the Miles Davis beat, fans of the trumpeter are being invited to submit original artwork to be used on an upcoming vinyl single release of "Miles Runs The Voodoo Down" from Bitches Brew. For details, go to http://secret-7.com/

* KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi reviewed recent cabaret shows at Blue Strawberry by singers Christy Simmons and Emily Skinner.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The second episode of saxophonist David Sanborn's new online video series "Sanborn Sessions" went "live" this week on YouTube and elsewhere.

The episode is an all-St. Louis affair with singers Michael McDonald and Brian Owens (pictured, with Sanborn) as the featured guests, and you can see it in the video embed at the bottom of this post.

* Bryan Cather, a ragtime historian and president of the Friends of Scott Joplin, has died. He was 53 years old, and was found Sunday by friends at his south St. Louis home after he apparently suffered a heart attack.

Cather came to St. Louis in 2004 from Arlington, TX, and subsequently played a major role as a volunteer with the Friends and the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, as detailed in this obituary in Syncopated Times. Funeral arrangements are pending, but the article says that "a memorial service is likely to be held at Bryan’s John’s Episcopal Church in the Tower Grove Neighborhood of St. Louis and his cremains will be interred in Oklahoma."

* Treasure Shields Redmond, daughter of East St. Louis Poet Laureate Eugene Redmond, was a guest Thursday on St. Louis Public Radio's "St. Louis On The Air" to talk about the "Historic Jazz & Poetry Excursion" tour of East St. Louis, in which trumpeter Miles Davis and his now-restored childhood home play a major role.

* Also on the Davis beat, the recent biographical documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, directed by Stanley Nelson, has been nominated for a 2020 NAACP Image Award as "Outstanding Documentary (Film)."

* In a related story, Davis' son Erin and nephew Vincent Wilburn Jr. recently appeared on the program California Live on KNBC in Los Angeles to promote the film.

* And last but not least regarding Davis, a feature out this week from Jazzwise magazine looks at "How Miles Davis put together ‘the greatest rock ’n’ roll band you ever heard’."

* Pianist, singer and songwriter Rick Jensen's cabaret show last week at Blue Strawberry was reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

* A story in the St. Louis American offers a brief preview of the "34th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Statewide Celebration Kick-Off Program for Missouri," which takes place tomorrow night at Harris-Stowe State University and will include appearances by saxophonist Kirk Whalum and singer Denise Thimes.

* Bassist Sam AuBuchon, a senior at West County High School in Park Hills, MO and a member of the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars student ensemble, was the subject of a feature story in the St. Francois County Daily Journal.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* A tribute to Ella Fitzgerald by singer Anita Jackson (pictured), set for Saturday, February 2 at The Sheldon, is previewed in a short article by St. Louis magazine's Amanda Woytus.

* Opera Theatre of St. Louis is sponsoring a series of events to promote Fire Shut Up In My Bones, the new opera by trumpeter Terence Blanchard that will premiere in June at OTSL.

You can read about the first event, a film screening and talk by the opera's librettist, writer/director and St. Louis native Kasi Lemmons, in this story by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn.

* Singer and actor Lea DeLaria was a guest Wednesday on KSDK's Show Me St. Louis program. DeLaria performs tonight and tomorrow night at Jazz St. Louis.

* Keyboardist and singer Jesse Gannon talked about his eponymous new album for a story by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* The Friends of Scott Joplin are conducting their annual membership drive; find out more on their web site.

* Benjamin Cawthra, the former St. Louisan who in 2001 curated the Missouri History Museum's exhibit "Miles: A Miles Davis Retrospective," writes in a recent blog post about consulting with director Stanley Nelson on Nelson's documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, which premieres this Sunday at the Sundance Film Festival.

* Two local music venues that are experiencing hard times financially are asking the public for help. Foam, the south side spot that serves up coffee, beer and performances ranging from alt-rock to free improv, has set up a GoFundMe page to help keep the doors open after revenue shortfalls in recent months.

Meanwhile, The Focal Point, which in recent years has featured vintage jazz and swing along with folk, bluegrass, singer-songwriters, and Americana, is "faced with the loss of a key subsistence grant and some unexpected expenses." As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, they're able to solicit and accept donations directly via their website.

* The UMSL Symphonic Band is looking for additional woodwind, brass, and percussion players. The band is open to all musicians with at least six years of experience on their instrument, and rehearses under the direction of professor Gary Brandes on Monday evenings starting January 28 at the Lee Theater in the Touhill Performing Arts Center. For information on auditions, contact Brandes by email at brandesg@umsl.edu.

Jazz this week: Sy Smith, Shake 'Em Up Jazz Band, "Labor of Love," and more

For Labor Day weekend, the calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features plenty of traditional and vintage jazz, a showcase of a local foundation's artists-in-residence, the region's largest festival of homegrown blues talent, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, August 29
Singer Sy Smith, whose vocal and piano work runs along the borderline between neo-soul and jazz, will perform with keyboardist Mo Egeston and friends at the .ZACK building in Grand Center.

A couple of blocks away, the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" will guitarist Tom Byrne and saxophonist Austin Cebulski at The Stage at KDHX; the weekly jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center; and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, August 30
The New Orleans-based Shake 'Em Up Jazz Band (pictured, top left), including former St. Louis resident Chloe Feoranzo on clarinet, will play at the Blues City Deli in the first of three shows at different local venues this weekend.

Also on Thursday, saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet returns to The Dark Room, and guitarist Carol Eder plays at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, August 31
The Shake 'Em Up Jazz Band plays at The Stage at KDHX; trumpeter Jim Manley returns to Evangeline's; Miss Jubilee performs at Focal Point; and funk/jazz band The Service takes the stage for the late show at The Dark Room.

Though it's not jazz, it's worth noting that Friday also is the kickoff of the annual Big Muddy Blues Festival, which will feature dozens of St. Louis blues acts on outdoor stages and at indoor venues on Laclede's Landing, and continues through Sunday.

Saturday, September 1
Trombonist Charlie Halloran, back home from New Orleans for the weekend, will play two shows on Saturday, a matinee at the Blues City Deli and an evening concert at Focal Point.

Also on Saturday, the Kranzberg Arts Foundation presents its first-ever resident showcase "Labor of Love,"  with music from Anita Jackson (pictured, bottom left), Mo Egeston, Tonina, Owen Ragland and more, at the Grandel Theatre.

Also that same night, guitarists Paquito and Sandro Lorier, a father-and-son duo of swing and Gypsy jazz guitarists from Alsace, France will perform at the house-concert venue Judson House.

Sunday, September 2
The Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, and the Shake 'Em Up Jazz Band plays their final show of the weekend at Focal Point.

Tuesday, September 4
The Tick Tock Jazz Band plays vintage jazz and swing at the Tick Tock Tavern.

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 8/29/18 to correct info for Grand Center Jazz Crawl.

Jazz this week: A tribute to Joe Sample & George Duke, free outdoor concerts, and more

While things may be relatively quiet for the next week in terms of touring artists visiting St. Louis, the calendar of live jazz and creative music does feature a variety of sounds from hometown performers to suit almost any taste, including several free outdoor concerts.

Here's a look at what's coming up...

Wednesday, 
June 27
Acoustik Element plays a free concert for the Missouri Botanical Garden's Whitaker Music Festival, and the Ambassadors of Swing are back at Tin Roof for another "Shake & Shout Wednesday."

Elsewhere around town, this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features bassist Glen Smith and guitarist Dave Black at The Stage at KDHX along with the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Thursday, June 28
Guitarist and violinist Christopher Voelker of Dizzy Atmosphere leads a trio at The Pat Connolly Tavern, and singer Joe Mancuso will do what's now a regular Thursday night gig at 50/Fifty Kitchen.

Also on Thursday, saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet is back at The Dark Room, and this month's edition of Nathan Cook's "Bruxism" series will features experimental music from William Morris, Tony Patti, and Deux Plex at the Schlafly Tap Room.

Friday, June 29
Funk/jazz quartet Good 4 The Soul teams up with keyboardist Reggie Thomas (pictured) plus other special guests to offer a one-night-only tribute to "The Sounds of Joe Sample & George Duke" at Jazz St. Louis.

Saturday, June 30
Catch some vintage jazz sounds for free at an outdoor concert with Tommy Halloran's Guerrilla Swing at Eckert's in Belleville or Miss Jubilee at Kirkwood Park.

Also on Saturday, the Funky Butt Brass Band headlines a bill of funk and Louisiana-influenced bands at the Old Rock House 's day-long "Summer Gras" event.

Sunday, July 1
The Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe.

Monday, July 2
Trumpeter Jim Manley plays his weekly gig at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

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: Jazz St. Louis students with Antonio Hart, "Miles Fest 2018," and more

Post-Memorial Day, St. Louis' not-for-profit presenters mostly have wound down their season schedules and are transitioning to summer, but there still are some noteworthy jazz and creative music shows coming up in the next week.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, May 30
This week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features saxophonist Jacob Alspach at The Stage at KDHX along with the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.


Thursday, May 31
The Arcadia Dance Orchestra will perform jazz from the 1920s and '30s in a free out door concert at the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site; Ben Reece’s Unity Quartet returns to The Dark Room, where they'll be doing Thursday nights for the next month; and guitarists Carol Eder and Chip Katz play at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, June 1
Saxophonist Antonio Hart (pictured, top left) will be the special guest star as students from JazzU and the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars present the first of two nights of their annual performances at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, The Gaslight Squares will play outdoors at the Public Media Commons in Grand Center; the Midwest Jazz-tette brings their West Coast jazz sound to The Chapel, the Funky Butt Brass Band performs at the Chase Club; and the Ambassadors of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, June 2
House of Miles East St. Louis, the not-for-profit organization that has restored Miles Davis' childhood home, will present "Miles Fest 2018," featuring live music, an art show, and more.

Sunday, June 3
Following up on the annual festival celebrating the music of Scott Joplin this weekend in Sedalia, MO, the Friends of Scott Joplin will present some of the performers from the fest during their "Sedalia Afterglow Party" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe. 

Also on Sunday, the Columbus Youth Jazz Orchestra will team up with the JazzU student big band and guest saxophonist Antonio Hart for a performance at Jazz St. Louis; and the Jazz Troubadours return to Evangeline's.

Monday, June 4
Trumpeter Jim Manley is back at Momo's Greek Restaurant, and pianist Ethan Leinwand hosts the third annual "St. Louis Piano Festival" featuring seven different pianists performing blues, barrelhouse, and ragtime at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, June 5
Drummer Montez Coleman and guitarist Eric Slaughter host "The Tuesday Night Hit" jam session at The Dark Room.

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: Melissa Aldana Quartet, Ben Wendel's "The Seasons," Galactic, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features performances from two stellar saxophonists, one of New Orleans' favorite funk bands, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, 
March 14
Saxophonist Melissa Aldana returns with her quartet for the first of four nights of performances at Jazz at the Bistro.

Aldana, who was born in Chile and educated at Berklee, has enjoyed a fast rise in the jazz world since becoming the first female instrumentalist and the first South American to win the annual Thelonious Monk competition in 2013, thanks to her distinctive tone on tenor sax and a musical approach influenced by players such as Sonny Rollins, Don Byas and Mark Turner.

For more about Aldana, you can see and hear some samples of her playing on video in this post, which dates from her St. Louis debut two years ago, and read an interview with her published a few weeks ago by the Chicago Tribune here.

Aldana's sets also will be simulcast on video to the first-floor lounge opposite the Bistro, where they can be viewed for free as part of the "Grand Center Jazz Crawl,"  which this week also includes Jacob Alspach and Friends at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at The Dark Room.

Thursday, March 15
Saxophonist Ben Wendel performs at The Ready Room. Wendel (pictured, top left), best known as a member of the cooperative band Kneebody, currently is touring with music from a project called "The Seasons," which featured 12 original compositions dedicated to musical friends and colleagues that were released as a series of duo performances on video over the course of a year.

You can find out more about Wendel and "The Seasons," and hear some of the compositions that have been expanded to full-band arrangements for the tour, in this post from a week ago Saturday.

Update: 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 14: StLJN has just gotten word from Ben Wendel's publicist that his St. Louis date has been cancelled. If you bought tickets, contact your point of purchase for refund details.

Also on Thursday, New Orleans funk/jazz band Galactic (pictured, bottom left) will be back for another visit to St. Louis, their destination this time being Delmar Hall; Cincinnati "garage jazz" band Animal Mother tops a bill that also includes Animal Children and saxophonist Dave Stone at Foam; and saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet returns to The Dark Room.

Friday, March 16
Catch some of St. Louis' own at one of several weekly residencies happening on Fridays, including pianist Ptah Williams' trio at The Dark Room; singer and guitarist Tommy Halloran at Das Bevo Underground, or saxophonist Tim Cunningham at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Saturday, March 17
Pianist Christopher Parrish plays a matinee at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe as part of a new monthly series presented by the Friends of Scott Joplin.

Then on Saturday night, singer Tony Viviano will be doing his thing at Table Three, while keyboardist Mo Egeston offers late night grooves at The Dark Room.

Sunday, March 18
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents Miss Jubilee in concert at the Moolah Shrine Temple in Maryland Heights.

Monday, March 19
Trumpeter Jim Manley will be back at Momo's Greek Restaurant, and pianist Carolbeth True and saxophonist Paul DeMarinis will perform 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: Anita Jackson sings King, Mitchell & Nicks, Miss Jubilee, Funky Butt Brass Band, and more

With the Independence Day holiday coming up, there's not much going on over the next few days in terms of touring jazz and creative music performers visiting St. Louis.

Yet while much of the city will be occupied with fireworks, backyard barbecues, and, perhaps, Fair St. Louis, our intrepid local musicians and singers still will be plying their trade on local stages. Let's see what's coming up...

Wednesday, June 28
The weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" proceeds as usual with live music and no cover charge at four different venues in the district. Also on Wednesday, trumpeter Jim Manley will be playing his weekly gig at Sasha's Wine Bar.

Thursday, June 29
Percussionist Joe Pastor brings his trio to The Dark Room's new Thursday night series; guitarist and singer Victor Andrada plays at Evangeline's; and pianist Adam Maness and his trio will be back at Thurman's in Shaw.

Friday, June 30
Singer Anita Jackson (pictured, top left) will return to Jazz at the Bistro for the first of two nights interpreting music from singer-songwriters Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Stevie Nicks. She'll be backed by Dave Black on guitar, Phillip Graves on keyboards, Theodore Brookins on bass, and Demarius Hicks on drums.

Also on Friday, the Original Knights of Swing will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and the Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured, bottom left) will be back for their monthly gig at the Broadway Oyster Bar,

Saturday, July 1
Miss Jubilee plays swing and jump blues at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, July 2
The Friends of Scott Joplin will present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site.

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: Kneebody, a tribute to Scott Joplin, "Sculptures in Sound," and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis offers a century-spanning variety of sounds, ranging from a tribute to legendary composer who helped lay the foundation for jazz to a group offering their own contemporary version of a musical melting pot.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, March 29
The eclectic electro-acoustic fusion quintet Kneebody performs for the first of four nights continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

The group (pictured, top left) is touring in support of their latest recording Anti-Hero, their eighth studio album, released earlier this month. For more about Kneebody, plus videos featuring performances of some of the music from Anti-Hero, see this post from Saturday before last.

Elsewhere in Grand Center, the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" proceeds with guitarist/singer Tommy Halloran at KDHX's Magnolia Cafe, Farshid Etniko at the Curtain Call Lounge, the jam session with bassist  Bob Deboo and friends at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Also on Wednesday, the weekly jam session with pianist Curt Landes, bassist Glen Smith and drummer Chuck Kennedy continues at @Nesby's in South County.

Thursday, March 30
The Jazz at Holmes series presents a free concert by students from Washington University's jazz studies program; the Schlafly Tap Room hosts the March edition of the Bruxism experimental music series, this month featuring music from Ice, Catholic Guilt, and Beauty Pageant; and pianist Adam Maness' trio plays at Thurman's in Shaw.

Friday, March 31
Trumpeter Jim Manley returns to One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar, and singer Tony Viviano will perform at @Nesby's.

Saturday, April 1
Paying tribute on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of Joplin's death, the Friends of Scott Joplin will present "Scott Joplin: A Centennial Reflection" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site.

The event will feature music by pianist John Reed-Torres (pictured, bottom left), members of the Confluence Chamber Orchestra, and vocalists from the University of Missouri St Louis, plus  speakers from UMSL's history department.

Saturday night, the St. Louis Artists' Guild's "Sculptures in Sound" series resumes with a concert from trumpeter Keith Moyer's quintet.

Sunday, April 2
The Friends of Scott Joplin continue their observance of the centennial of Joplin's death with their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, and the Jazz Troubadours will perform and host a jam session at Evangeline's.

Monday, April 3
Student from the jazz program at Webster University will present a free concert at Webster's Community Music School.

Tuesday, April 4
Singer Kim Fuller performs "A Tribute to Nancy Wilson" in the first of two late-morning "Coffee Concerts" - there's a second show on Wednesday morning - 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: Stefon Harris, Miles Davis Jazz Festival, Jeremy Davenport, and more

The unofficial start of summer in St. Louis this week brings with it several jazz and creative music events that local audiences have come to expect around this time of year, including the annual Miles Davis Jazz Festival in Alton; the start of the Whitaker Music Festival; benefit performances raising money for the Sheldon Concert Hall and for music scholarships awarded by Jazz St. Louis; and a gathering of ragtime musicians from all around the country. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 1
Tonight, singer Feyza Eren will perform in a free concert kicking off the summer-long Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Thursday, June 2
Minnesota-based jump-blues and swing band Davina and the Vagabonds will play at the Broadway Oyster Bar

Friday, June 3
The fried-dough enthusiasts comprising the staff of Jazz St. Louis will celebrate "National Donut Day" on Friday morning with a free, public event at the Ferring Jazz Bistro, featuring free coffee, milk and donuts from 15 local shops and bakeries, plus live music from students in JSL's education programs, kids' activities, and more.

That evening, vibraphonist Stefon Harris (pictured, top left) will join students from Jazz St. Louis' JazzU program for their annual weekend of performances as Jazz at the Bistro, with two sets on both Friday and Saturday nights.

Also on Friday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to Thurman Grill; the Original Knights of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and saxophonist Austin Cebulski leads a quartet at Cigar Inn.

Saturday, June 4
On Saturday afternoon, Stefon Harris will lead a free workshop for musicians at Jazz at the Bistro, talking about the "Harmony Cloud" ear training system he's created with trombonist and software developer Clif Swiggett.

Saturday evening, the 11th annual Miles Davis Jazz Festival will take place at the Jacoby Arts Center in Alton, featuring pianist Phil Dunlap leading a nonet playing music from Davis' Birth of the Cool, plus sets from saxophonist Fred Walker, the Dilbert Caldwell Band, and the duo Me and Bob.

Elsewhere around town, South Korean saxophonist Lukas Insung Lee will play at Evangeline's; guitarist Dave Black will present a concert of his original music at Focal Point; and trumpeter Jim Manley and guitarist Randy Bahr's All-Star Band returns to Nathalie's.

Sunday, June 5
Sunday afternoon offers several noteworthy shows, starting with trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport (pictured, bottom left) who will be back home to headline the annual spring benefit for the Sheldon Concert Hall.

At about the same time, the Friends of Scott Joplin will present their "Ragtime Afterglow Party" at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, featuring informal performances from various musicians involved in this weekend's Scott Joplin Festival in Sedalia, MO.

Meanwhile, Jazz St. Louis will be presenting the third annual Richard McDonnell Scholarship Concert at Jazz at the Bistro. The event, which raises money for music scholarships awarded in the name of the late founder of MAXJAZZ Records, runs from mid-afternoon through the evening, with performers including Jazz St. Louis' student All-Stars, alumni of JSL's JazzU program, pianist Carolbeth True's trio, Funky Butt Brass Band, Good 4 the Soul with singer Anita Jackson, a closing set featuring trumpeter Sean Jones and pianist Peter Martin, and more.

Monday, June 6
Trombonists Wayne Coniglio and Scott Whitfield will team up to lead a quintet 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 this week: Cyrille Aimée, Gregory Porter, Branford Marsalis, Jeff Barnhart, and more

Although the official celebrations during Mardi Gras week in St. Louis typically don't offer much for jazz fans, leaning heavily on rock cover/tribute bands and DJs, this year the concert calendar countdown to Fat Tuesday just happens to feature several noteworthy touring jazz headliners, plus an assortment of shows from local performers. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 3
Singer Cyrille Aimée makes her St. Louis debut in the first of four nights continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

Born in France and working in the US for much of the last decade, the 31-year old Aimée (pictured, top left) has musical roots in Gypsy jazz and swing, but also deploys some very non-traditional techniques, like using a looping pedal to create one-woman acapella arrangements in real time.

You can read more about her and her just-released album Let's Get Lost in the preview story written by Calvin Wilson for the Post-Dispatch/STLtoday, and see and hear her in action in StLJN's Saturday video post from a couple of weeks ago.

Thursday, February 4
The Funky Butt Brass Band, one of the few jazz or jazz-related local acts that does get extra work at Carnival time, will play an early evening "Mardi Gras Party" at the Blues City Deli.

Around the time that's wrapping up, pianist Ken Kehner, singer and saxophonist Elsie Parker and the Poor People of Paris will be kicking off this semester's Jazz at Holmes series of free concerts at Washington University, and singer Ken Haller will be doing an encore of his popular cabaret performance "The TV Show" at The Monocle.

Also on Thursday, trumpeter Jim Manley will be working his weekly gig at Momo's Greek Restaurant; pianist Ptah Williams and guitarist Eric Slaughter return to their regular spot The Dark Room after taking off to play the Bistro last week; and traditional jazz and swing band The Gaslight Squares will perform at Thaxton Speakeasy.

Friday, February 5
The Saint Boogie Brass Band will headline "The People Party Gras M@squerade Ball on Cherokee" at 2720 Cherokee; saxophonist Christopher McBride will be in from Chicago to lead a trio at Cigar Inn; saxophonist Jay Hutson and Da Wolvez perform at Evangeline's; and the Ambassadors of Swing will play for dancers the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, February 6
To hear some jazz, funk and/or R&B after the big parade on Saturday, your best bet downtown may be the Old Rock House's Mardi Gras Parade Day celebration featuring the Funky Butt Brass Band and Al Holliday & the East Side Rhythm Band.

However, the most-anticipated local jazz event on Saturday would have to be the return to St. Louis of singer Gregory Porter for the first time in three years for a concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

When Porter (pictured, center left) was here last back in 2013, he was just starting to enjoy some crossover success. Since then, he's released a Grammy winning album and, as his audience has continued to grow, moved up to headline at bigger venues and major festivals.

He's also now employing two St. Louis musicians - drummer Emanuel Harrold (brother of trumpeter Keyon Harrold) and bassist Jahmal Nichols - in his band, which should make for a lively homecoming feel at the Touhill. You can read more about Porter's successes, and see some of his recent performances, in last week's Saturday video post.

Sunday, February 7
For those not committed to Super Bowl Sunday, the Friends of Scott Joplin will present the versatile pianist Jeff Barnhart, a skilled player in ragtime, stride and more modern styles, in a concert at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe.

Monday, February 8
While a three-night, Monday-through-Wednesday booking isn't the usual for Jazz at the Bistro, Jazz St. Louis understandably was willing to change things up a bit to secure the services of saxophonist Branford Marsalis and his quartet, who have proven to be both a good draw and of high musical quality for years now.

Marsalis (pictured, lower left) and pianist Joey Calderazzo played a duo show at the Sheldon back in January 2012, but given that it's been even longer since the saxophonist did a full-band show here, demand for tickets should be substantial. The good news is that while seats for Marsalis' 7:30 sets may be hard to come by at this point, tickets for the 9:30 performances may be more available for shows early in the week than they would be on a weekend. Regardless, advance reservations are recommended.

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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The STL Free Jazz Collective's show this coming Tuesday at the Sheldon is previewed in an article by Calvin Wilson of the Post-Dispatch.

* A bit later than originally anticipated, the National Blues Museum downtown (pictured) finally has an official opening day: April 2, 2016. The complete schedule of events for the opening will be revealed closer to that date.

* Jeffery M. Wright's performance last week at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was reviewed by the website Critical Blast.

* St. Louis' newest record store, Planet Score, is now open for business in Maplewood.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn's latest album, Time and the River, has made it into the first round of Grammy nominations in the categories for Improvised Jazz Solo and Jazz Instrumental Album.

* Singer/guitarist Tommy Halloran has posted online a free sample song, "State Streets," from his forthcoming album. The recording will get a digital release in conjunction with Halloran's gig next weekend at Jazz at the Bistro, with a vinyl version to follow.

* The Sheldon's North County Big Band, directed by saxophonist Harvey Lockhart, has posted a brief promotional video to YouTube, in which some of the participating students talk about the impact of being  part of the ensemble.

* While you're on YouTube, you also can check out the promo clip for trumpeter Jim Manley's upcoming CD Groove Therapy. The album, Manley's 14th release as leader, will be available on Tuesday, November 17 via his website, iTunes, CD Baby, and Amazon.

* The Friends of Scott Joplin have posted to YouTube a half-dozen videos from their fall "East Coast Meets West Coast" concert featuring pianists John Reed-Torres and Frank Livolsi. You can see all the footage on the Friends' YouTube Channel.

* Ten St. Louis pianists representing a variety of musical genres will perform in "100 Fingers," a fundraiser for the not-for-profit organization Pianos For People, on Sunday, November 22 at the Stage at KDHX.

East Coast, West Coast ragtime pianists to meet in concert on Saturday, October 24

Ragtime pianists from the East Coast and West Coast will meet in the Midwest when the Friends of Scott Joplin present Frank LiVolsi and John Reed-Torres (pictured) in a concert at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, October 24 in the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's New Rosebud Cafe.

LiVolsi, who's from Rhode Island, travels the country several times a year to play in ragtime and early jazz festivals, while Reed-Torres, a Californian, has performed extensively around the Los Angeles area, and also has visited Missouri before in 2012 and 2013 to play at the Blind Boone Festival in Columbia.

Tickets for the "East Coast Meets West Coast" concert will be $20 at the door.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli chatted with KMOX's Charlie Brennan about the concert next month paying tribute to and raising money for the family of the late St. Louis pianist Ray Kennedy.

* While in town to perform at Jazz at the Bistro, trumpeter Terence Blanchard on Thursday also visited bassist Jim Widner's jazz camp at UMSL to teach and perform for the students there.

* In Denmark, a 2-CD set issued last year featuring the late saxophonist and former St. Louisan Luther Thomas (pictured) performing with various Danish musicians, was reviewed by AllAboutJazz.com's Jakob Baekgaard.

* Multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis expat J.D. Parran recently played on a new recording with Marshall Allen and Danny Thompson of the Sun Ra Arkestra, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sun Ra's Heliocentric Worlds, Volume 2 using same instrumentation, and even the exact same bass marimba, and recording at the same studio used at Ra's session a half-century ago.

* The Friends of Scott Joplin now have a YouTube channel, featuring clips of ragtime performances from a variety of pianists.

* The latest episode of HEC-TV's I Love Jazz features singer Feyza Eren and her quartet, plus a segment on host Don Wolff's recent "Jazz Hero" award from the Jazz Journalists Association, and more. Unfortunately, the newly redesigned HEC website makes it very difficult to find out when the show airs, so you'll have to consult your TV provider's program guide for airdates and times, or just watch online here.

* LaVerne Holliday, a former on-air personality for radio station WSIE in the 1990s and early 2000s, has died of complications from breast cancer. She was 60.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's program “Somethin’ Else” features the jazz-influenced works of composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, as interpreted by Linda Oh, Jason Moran, Paula West, and more.

Immediately following on "The Jazz Collective," host Jason Church will spin tracks from George Benson, Junior Walker and the All Stars, Simply Red, Nathan East, Soul Ballet, John Coltrane, Common Time, the Bosman Twins, Jesse Gannon, Beth Bombara, and more.

"Somethin' Else" airs at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by "The Jazz Collective" at 9:00 p.m., on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Then on Sunday, Dennis Owsley's "Jazz Unlimited" program on St. Louis Public Radio will present the second part of a special devoted to the "cool school" of West Coast jazz. Tune in from 9:00 pm to midnight Sundays on KWMU (90.7 FM) or listen online at http://www.news.stlpublicradio.org.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The soundtrack album to Keep On Keepin’ On, the 2014 documentary about the friendship between the late Clark Terry and up-and-coming pianist Justin Kauflin, was released this week on the Varèse Sarabande label.

The soundtrack (pictured) features performances by Terry and Kauflin, with an original score by Kauflin and Dave Grusin. Kauflin also was interviewed this week about Terry and the film by Peter Hum of the Ottawa Citizen.

* KDHX has posted online a photo set from last Saturday's New Music Circle concert by Okkyung Lee and Lotte Anker.

* The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra has posted to Facebook a photo album from their most recent gig at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company.

* According to a story published yesterday by the Riverfront Times, smooth jazz guitarist Olufunsho Adeshina has been charged and now is wanted by federal authorities in a scheme involving tax fraud and identity theft. The Nigerian-born Adeshina hasn't performed much here locally, but reportedly has lived in St. Louis for the last several years, and has an active online presence.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn's upcoming album, which reunites him in the studio with bassist/producer Marcus Miller for the first time in many years, now has a title: Time and the River. The crowd-funded project has been mixed and mastered and is ready for pressing, with release date TBA.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native Eric Person's quintet will be featured in a free "jazz vespers" concert on Saturday, March 7 at St. Albans Congregational Church in Queens, NYC.

* The Friends of Scott Joplin are holding their annual membership drive. Contributions to the all-volunteer organization are tax-deductible, and help support a concert series, monthly open-piano events, and a quarterly magazine, the Euphony Review.

Membership levels are $25 for Individual, $35 Couple, $50 Supporter, $100 Sponsor, and $200 Legacy. For more information or to pledge your support, visit the Friends of Scott Joplin website.

* The continuing effort to rescue and restore the historic Goldenrod Showboat is the subject of a feature story from St. Louis Public Radio. Supporters from the Historic Riverboat Preservation Association will hold a fundraiser on Saturday, March 21 at the Left Loft, 1817 Cherokee St.

* Jazz radio update: On this Saturday's edition of Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will be showcasing live tracks from the career of trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.