Jazz this week: Oliver Lake Organ Trio with Russell Gunn, Garaj Mahal, Funky Butt Brass Band, and more

We're heading into the proverbial holiday home stretch of 2009, and though some local music venues have gone dormant for the holidays (such as the various university-based concert series) and others are deep into Christmas music to the exclusion of all else, there are still some noteworthy events over the next few days in St. Louis for fans of jazz and creative music. Here's a quick look at some of the highlights:

Fittingly for the holiday season, the weekend's marquee event involves a homecoming of sorts, as saxophonist and former St. Louisan Oliver Lake brings his Organ Trio to town with trumpeter and East St. Louis native Russell Gunn (pictured) as special guest. This band is essentially Lake's version of the classic soul-jazz ensemble, though seasoned with more adventurous and/or contemporary flavors, and they'll be at Jazz at the Bistro through Saturday. For more on Lake and Gunn with some video samples of both, see this post from last week

On Friday, the jam/funk/jazz-fusion band Garaj Mahal will be performing at 2720, a new performance space and gallery in a former furniture store 2720 Cherokee on the south side. Also, on Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band will be doing a holiday show at the south side rock club Off Broadway, and smooth jazz combo 3 Central will take the stage at Robbie's House of Jazz.

On Saturday, Robbie's has their house band, the Robert Edwards Ensemble, featuring vocalist Larry Hamilton. Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band will do their last performance of the year at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

UPDATE - 11:00 a.m., 12/17/09: Drummer Kyle Hunnicutt sends word that New Orleans steel guitarist Dave Easley will be in town on Monday evening for a workshop at Fazio's Frets and Friends music store in West County. (Scroll down the linked page to the second item for details.) Easley's resume encompasses jazz, blues, jam bands and more, and his workshop will cover "tetral harmony (harmony based on thirds), quartal harmony (harmony based on fourths), some exotic scales, diversification vs. specialization and the role of the producer." Hunnicutt and bassist Bob DeBoo will provide the musical backing. The cost is $20; to reserve a spot, call Fazio's at 636-227-3573 or email brianv@faziosmusic.com

For information on more jazz and creative music events this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, available for viewing on the left sidebar, or by clicking here.
Also, you can follow St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes and become a "fan" by signing up 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.)

Garaj Mahal performing at 2720 on Friday, December 18

The jam/funk/jazz-fusion group Garaj Mahal (pictured) is returning to St. Louis on Friday, December 18 to perform at 2720, the performance space and gallery recently opened by the production company Loyal Family in a former furniture store at 2720 Cherokee on the south side.

Garaj Mahal features guitarist Fareed Haque, bassist Kai Eckhardt, keyboardist Eric Levy and drummer Sean Rickman, who replaced founding member Alan Hertz. St. Louis guitarist Teddy Presberg and his band will open the show.

Tickets for Garaj Mahal are $8 in advance, $10 day of show, and can be purchased at the Loyal Family Web site.

Jazz this week: Garaj Mahal, Bonerama, Erin Bode, Anita Rosamond and more

With Independence Day falling on Friday, there are plenty of non-musical distractions to be had over the next few days, and the most prominent jazz venue in town, Jazz at the Bistro, is taking a break in its summer schedule for the holiday weekend. Nevertheless, there are several noteworthy shows of potential interest to jazz fans happening around town.

Tonight, the jazz-fusion/jam/world music ensemble Garaj Mahal, featuring guitarist Fareed Haque, comes to town to perform at Lucas School House, while singer Anita Rosamond will do a free concert as part of the Whitaker Music Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden. Look for Rosamond to do at least few selections from her new live album, backed by a band that includes Bill Elrod on saxophone and EWI, Ron Carr on drums, Carl Casperson on bass, Mike Carosello on keyboards and Grant Krener on guitar, plus three backup singers.

On Thursday, there's another free concert, as perennial local favorite and tenor sax titan Willie Akins opens this week's Whitaker Urban Evenings show for singer Erin Bode at St. Louis Place Park. Bode also has a new CD, The Little Garden, and perhaps if the fates align, Akins will sit in with her for a tune or two, adding his take on some of that saxophonic flavor that was provided the recording by John Ellis.

On Sunday, the New Orleans-based funk band Bonerama (pictured), which features a front line of four trombone players, will perform at the Broadway Oyster Bar, while just up the block, BB's Jazz Blues and Soups will feature two bands, with Good 4 the Soul taking the early slot and Rosamond and band performing from 9:30 until closing.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Tuesday the veteran singer, pianist and saxophonist Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum will perform at Brandt's, while up-and-coming saxophonist Bennett Wood takes the stage for a no-cover-charge show at The Gramophone.

For more St. Louis jazz-related events this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(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.)

Garaj Mahal featured in Post-Dispatch

Guitarist Fareed Haque of the jazz-fusion/jam/worldbeat band Garaj Mahal talked to writer Terry Perkins for a feature in the Post-Dispatch about the band's show next Wednesday at Lucas School House. You can read the article online here.

For a sample of Garaj Mahal's music, see the embedded video below, which features a performance of the tune "Mondo Garaj" recorded in April at the Bamboo Room in Schaumberg, IL.

Coming attractions for St. Louis include Alyse Black, Garaj Mahal, Tom Waits and Manhattan Transfer

The past couple of days have brought announcements of several concerts coming to St. Louis that may be of potential interest to jazz fans:

* Singer, songwriter and guitarist Alyse Black, who won first place in the Jazz category of Billboard magazine's 2007 World Song Contest for her song "Stood for Stand for," is coming to St. Louis next Friday, May 16 to perform at The Gramophone. Black, who's from Seattle but is now based in Austin, calls her music "indie-pop-jazz," and has drawn comparisons to artists ranging from Fiona Apple, Regina Spektor and Fiest to Billie Holiday, Maria Muldaur and Norah Jones.

* Jazz-influenced jam band Garaj Mahal has scheduled a show in St. Louis on Wednesday, July 2 at Lucas School House. The group includes guitarist Fareed Haque, bassist Kai Eckhardt, keyboardist Eric Levy and drummer Alan Hertz.

* Singer-songwriter Tom Waits (pictured) will make St. Louis the midpoint of his 13-city summer tour, stopping in our town on Thursday, June 26 to play the Fox Theatre. Waits' early music had a distinct jazz influence, incorporating walking bass lines, woozy horns, barroom piano and Beat-influenced lyrics, while some of his later compositions, with their unusual instrumentation and Nino-Rota-meets-Harry-Partch-at-the-circus arrangements, almost certainly must meet someone's criteria for experimental music.

* Last but not least, Pollstar has added a listing indicating that the famed vocal group Manhattan Transfer will be returning to the Touhill Performing Arts Center on Friday, December 19 with what must surely will be a reprise of their popular touring holiday show. As always, Pollstar listings should be considered tentative until confirmed by the venue, but given that the Transfer has been a solid draw at the TouPAC since the venue first opened, this one seems like a lock.