StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: More local livestreams, plus the all-star International Jazz Day concert

This week's collection of videos features some of the latest livestreamed performances from St. Louis, plus a bonus video showcasing some of today's top jazz stars.

The first video up above is a program that was livestreamed this past Monday night as New Music Circle's 2020-21 season closer. It features a performance by the STL String Collective dedicated to the memory of Tracy Andreotti, the St. Louis cellist who passed away in December of last year. In addition to the concert by the Collective - violinst Alyssa Avery, cellist Ranya Iqbal, and violinist Sarah Vie - the video also includes an introduction from St. Louis musician Syrhea Conaway (aka SynaSoPro) and some archival footage of Andreotti.

After the jump, you can see the most recent livestream from Jazz St. Louis, featuring saxophonist Carlos "Scooter" Brown in a set recorded back in April and streamed for the first time this past Thursday evening. Along with Brown, the musicians are Antonio Foster (keyboards), Jordan Brewer (bass), and Dorian Sims (drums).

Next up, it's pianist Peter Martin, who last Friday expanded on his ongoing series of online solo concerts with a trio session including drummer Montez Coleman and bassist Bob DeBoo.

That's followed by another set from drummer Demarius Hicks' quintet, this one from last Saturday night at the "Open Air" tent outside The Grandel.

Drummer Dave Weckl is another St. Louis musician who has been doing weekly webcasts during the pandemic, and the fifth video is Weckl's "Weekend Hang" from Sunday, May 9, with a mix of solo performance, Q&A session, and educational material.

Lastly, there's the aforementioned bonus video of the 2021 International Jazz Day "Virtual Global Concert," first webcast live on April 30 with performances by Herbie Hancock, Kris Bowers, Billy Childs, Antonio Sánchez, Terri Lyne Carrington, Linda May Han Oh, Lionel Loueke, and more.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

April is Jazz Appreciation Month

It's almost time once again for Jazz Appreciation Month, the annual celebration of jazz music sponsored every April by the Smithsonian Institution.

Now in its 18th year, Jazz Appreciation Month (or JAM) was created "to draw greater public attention to the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz and its importance as an American cultural heritage. In addition, JAM is intended to stimulate the current jazz scene and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz—to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and support institutional jazz programs."

This year, JAM "celebrates jazz beyond borders by looking at the dynamic ways jazz can unite people across the culture and geography," tying in to an upcoming tour of cities in North America, Europe and Asia by the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, with the intent of using "the power of music as a springboard into important discussions around diversity, identity, diplomacy, and innovation."

The featured artist for 2019 is Nat "King" Cole, who is cited as "an innovative artist, world influencer, and dynamic performer" who "pushed racial boundaries that sought to prevent him from success" and was the first African-American to host his own television series. You can learn more about Cole at the Smithsonian's website.

At the end of the month, jazz fans worldwide also will celebrate the eighth annual International Jazz Day on Tuesday, April 30. Sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Jazz Day is designed to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.

The "global host city" for 2019 in Melbourne, Australia, which will serve as the site of an all-star International Jazz Day concert with artistic direction by pianist Herbie Hancock and Australian trumpeter James Morrison and featuring musicians from all around the world. There also will be hundreds of related events taking place in cities all over the world (though, alas, there are none scheduled here in St. Louis). Some of these performances will be live-streamed from the International Jazz Day website, though details are TBA.

In the meantime, if you'd like to plan your own festivities, the Smithsonian offers a list of "ways to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month," and has produced a poster (pictured) depicting seven musicians - drummer Gene Krupa, trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, and Miles Davis, and trombonists J.J. Johnson, Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey - who "pushed boundaries of innovation, race, politics, and music."

The final part of a three-year series featuring a triptych of artwork by LeRoy Neiman, the 2019 posters were distributed for free to schools, libraries, music and jazz educators, music merchants and manufacturers, radio stations, arts presenters, and U.S. embassies worldwide, and are available to the general public as a downloadable PDF. You also can see and download commemorative posters from the previous 17 years of JAM here.

April is Jazz Appreciation Month

It's almost time once again for Jazz Appreciation Month, the annual celebration of jazz music sponsored every April by the Smithsonian Institution.

Now in its 17th year, Jazz Appreciation Month (or JAM) was created "to draw greater public attention to the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz and its importance as an American cultural heritage. In addition, JAM is intended to stimulate the current jazz scene and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz—to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and support institutional jazz programs."

This year, JAM "celebrates the relationship between jazz and justice by looking beyond the music to the dynamic ways jazz has played a transformative role in social justice, musician's rights, and equality since its birth in America."

To tell this story, for the first time JAM will not feature a musician, but instead highlight "one of the most influential non-musicians in jazz history," producer Norman Granz, who "devoted his life to civil rights and equality - within the music industry and beyond. Through numerous record labels and his iconic touring show, Jazz at the Philharmonic, he helped propel many jazz musicians to greatness." You can learn more about Granz at the Smithsonian's website.

At the end of the month, jazz fans worldwide also will celebrate the seventh annual International Jazz Day on Monday, April 30. Sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Jazz Day is designed to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.

The "global host city" for 2018 is Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, and though there will be an all-star International Jazz Day concert, no plans have been announced yet regarding a broadcast or webcast of that show. There also will be hundreds of related events taking place in cities all over the world (though, alas, there are none scheduled here in Missouri).

In the meantime, if you can't wait to get started, the Smithsonian offers a list of "ways to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month," and has produced a poster (pictured) honoring Granz and six musicians - bassist Charles Mingus, clarinetist Benny Goodman, and saxophonists Gerry Mulligan, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane - whose careers intersected in some way with the producer and impresario.

The second in a three-year series featuring a triptych of artwork by LeRoy Neiman, the 2018 posters are distributed for free to schools, libraries, music and jazz educators, music merchants and manufacturers, radio stations, arts presenters, and U.S. embassies worldwide, and anyone can request  a copy here. You also can see and download commemorative posters from the previous 16 years of JAM here.

April is Jazz Appreciation Month

It's time once again to get ready for Jazz Appreciation Month, the annual celebration of jazz music sponsored every April by the Smithsonian Institution.

Now in its 16th year, Jazz Appreciation Month (or JAM) was created "to draw greater public attention to the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz and its importance as an American cultural heritage. In addition, JAM is intended to stimulate the current jazz scene and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz—to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and support institutional jazz programs."

This year, JAM is recognizing the centennial of the birth of singer Ella Fitzgerald, lauding her as "one of the greatest American singers in any genre of music" and noting that with "an unparalleled ability for mimicry and “scat” singing, Fitzgerald also produced melodic lines that put her in the category of great instrumental improvisers." You can learn more about Fitzgerald at the Smithsonian's website.

At the end of the month, jazz fans worldwide also will celebrate the sixth annual International Jazz Day on Sunday, April 30. Sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Jazz Day is designed to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.

Unlike in years past, there apparently will be no all-star International Jazz Day concert televised or webcast in 2017, but there will be hundreds of related events taking place in cities all over the world (though none, alas, here in St. Louis).

Meanwhile, if you can't wait to get started, the Smithsonian offers a list of "ways to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month," and has produced a poster (pictured) honoring Fitzgerald and fellow singer Billie Holiday.

The first in a special three-year series featuring LeRoy Neiman’s painting "Big Band," the posters were distributed for free to schools, libraries, music and jazz educators, music merchants and manufacturers, radio stations, arts presenters, and U.S. embassies worldwide, and anyone can download a copy in .pdf format here. You also can see and download commemorative posters from the previous 15 years of JAM here.

Sunday Session: May 8, 2016

Alice Coltrane

Some interesting music-related items that have landed in StLJN's inbox over the past week:

* Despite recognition, jazz sax player Steve Coleman finds respite in Allentown (Allentown Morning Call)
* Founding Fathers, A Documentary Narrated By Public Enemy’s Chuck D, Presents the True History of Hip Hop (OpenCulture.com)
* Architecture and explosion: Cecil Taylor, the composer (Dark Forces Swing Blind Punches)
* A conversation with Wayne Shorter, jazz’s patron bodhisattva (CapitalBop.com)
* How to Sound Check the World’s Most Powerful Rocket (Vice.com)
* 2016 Ertegun Hall of Fame Voting Ballot (Jazz at Lincoln Center)
* Jazz Fest Day 7: Dancing Across the Water (Offbeat)
* New York Is Killing Me: Albert Ayler’s Life and Death in the Jazz Capital (Pitchfork.com)
* Why Jazz Musicians Can Be The Biggest Jerks (LearnJazzStandards.com)
* Field Notes: Jazz at the White House - The Obamas host jazz greats to celebrate International Jazz Day (Jazz Times)
* Prince versus the internet: The love-hate relationship that predicted the future (FactMag.com)
* Kamasi Washington on the Pressures of Being Called Jazz's Savior (Esquire)
* The 30 best jazz films (The Telegraph UK)
* Why the Death of Greatest Hits Albums and Reissues Is Worth Mourning (Pitchfork.com)
* Radiohead erases internet presence – is it a cryptic message? (The Guardian UK)
* At 83, Bob Koester opens his newest record store (and how it compares to Jazz Record Mart) (Chicago Tribune)
* More Photos from the 2016 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest (DownBeat)
* Little Richard Denies Near-Death Rumors: 'I'm Still Singing' (Rolling Stone)
* Soul Survivor - The revival and hidden treasure of Aretha Franklin (The New Yorker)
* We should celebrate greats like Sly Stone while they're still with us (The Guardian UK)
* Spirits Loom Large at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest (DownBeat)
* Gorillas make up ‘little food songs’ while they eat: Listen to them here (DangerousMinds.net)
* Universal Consciousness: The Spiritual Awakening of Alice Coltrane (RedBullMusicAcademy.com)
* Red’s Bells (Do The Math)
* Apple Stole My Music. No, Seriously. (VellumAtlanta.com)
* Cuneiform Records – Thirty-plus Years of Essential Listening (Goldmine)
* Why Jazz Will Always Be Relevant (TheFader.com)
* Memes, MP3s and the explosion of album art (The Guardian UK)
* Wadada Leo Smith and Don Cheadle to Receive Honorary Degrees From CalArts - Awards to be given out May 13 (Jazz Times)
* Anthony Braxton: Ghost Trance Music - Mapping the Systems of the Jazz Musician’s Sound (RedBullMusicAcademy.com)
* How to Pick Music for People on LSD, From a Scientist Whose Job That Is (Vice.com)

April is Jazz Appreciation Month

It's time once again to get ready for Jazz Appreciation Month, the annual celebration of jazz music sponsored every April by the Smithsonian Institution.

Now in its 15th year, Jazz Appreciation Month (or JAM) was created "to draw greater public attention to the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz and its importance as an American cultural heritage. In addition, JAM is intended to stimulate the current jazz scene and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz—to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and support institutional jazz programs."

This year, JAM is honoring saxophonist and composer Benny Carter, who's being celebrated as a founding father of big band swing who "who made major contributions to the development of jazz, helped define the role of the alto saxophone, and whose work helped break down boundaries in the music and entertainment industries." You can learn more about him at the Smithsonian's website.

At the end of the month, jazz fans worldwide also will celebrate the fifth annual International Jazz Day on Saturday, April 30. Sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Jazz Day is designed to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.

Washington DC will be the host city for 2015, and on the evening of April 30, the ABC television network will broadcast "Jazz at the White House," an all-star concert featuring Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Diana Krall, Sting, and more. The concert will be one of hundreds of related events taking place in cities all over the world.

Meanwhile, if you can't wait to get started, the Smithsonian offers a list of "ways to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month," and has produced a poster (pictured) honoring Carter.

The posters were distributed for free to schools, libraries, music and jazz educators, music merchants and manufacturers, radio stations, arts presenters, and U.S. embassies worldwide, and anyone can download a copy in .pdf format here. You also can see and download commemorative posters from the previous 14 years of JAM here.

April is Jazz Appreciation Month

It's almost time once again for Jazz Appreciation Month, the annual celebration of jazz music sponsored every April by the Smithsonian Institution.

Now in its 14th year, Jazz Appreciation Month (or JAM) was created "to draw greater public attention to the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz and its importance as an American cultural heritage. In addition, JAM is intended to stimulate the current jazz scene and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz—to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and support institutional jazz programs."

This year, JAM is celebrating the legacy of composer, arranger and pianist Billy Strayhorn on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of his birth.

More than just one of Duke Ellington's key musical associates, Strayhorn was in some ways almost an alter ego for Ellington, composing and arranging many important works for the orchestra, including standards such as "Take The A Train," "Chelsea Bridge," and "Lush Life," and also serving as rehearsal pianist, copyist, sounding board and more.You can learn more about the Strayhorn-Ellington collaboration in the Smithsonian's online exhibition here.

At the end of the month, jazz fans worldwide also will celebrate the fourth annual International Jazz Day on Thursday, April 30. Sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Jazz Day is designed to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.

Paris, France will be the host city for 2015, but various related events will take place in cities all over the world, including an all-star concert with performances by Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, Al Jarreau, Wayne Shorter, Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and many more that will be streamed live online around the world. At the end of this post, you can see a short promotional video for International Jazz Day, and, if it's made available to bloggers this year, StLJN will present the live stream of the concert right here on April 30, too.

Meanwhile, if you can't wait to get started, the Smithsonian offers a list of "112 ways to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month," and once again has produced a poster honoring a famous musician. This year's JAM poster (pictured) features an image of Strayhorn by artist Keith Henry Brown.

The posters were distributed for free to schools, libraries, music and jazz educators, music merchants and manufacturers, radio stations, arts presenters, and U.S. embassies worldwide, and anyone can download a copy in .png format here. You also can see and download commemorative posters from the previous 13 years of JAM here.

Happy International Jazz Day!

In addition to being the final day of Jazz Appreciation Month 2014, Wednesday, April 30 is the third annual International Jazz Day, a worldwide celebration of jazz presented by UNESCO and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. Once again this year, the celebration will include a "global concert" featuring an lineup of top jazz talent, broadcast live from this year's host city, Osaka, Japan.

The concert at the famed outdoor Osaka Castle Park will feature performances by Toshiko Akiyoshi, John Beasley, Kris Bowers, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Terri Lyne Carrington, Theo Croker, Sheila E., Pete Escovedo, Roberta Gambarini, Kenny Garrett, James Genus, Roy Hargrove, Lalah Hathaway, Terumasa Hino, Earl Klugh, Marcus Miller, T.S. Monk, Gregory Porter, Claudio Roditi, John Scofield, Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding, Lew Tabackin, Steve Turre, and others.

The concert begins at 5:00 a.m. St. Louis time, and you can watch the live stream in the embedded video window down below. (For readers elsewhere, that time translates to 7:00 p.m. in the host city of Osaka, 11:00 a.m. in London, 6:00 a.m. in NYC, and 3:00 a.m. in Los Angeles.)

UPDATE - 11:00 a.m. 4/30/14: Apologies to anyone who's tried to watch the IJD concert via the YouTube embed on this page and got a message saying "This video is private." Following the conclusion of the live show from Osaka, there was supposed to be a streaming-on-demand version of the concert available, but it apparently has not come online yet. Not sure what's going on there, but until it gets sorted out, the video embed has been pulled.

UPDATE - 2:45 p.m., 4/30/14:: The technical issues appear to be resolved, and the concert now is available for viewing "on demand":



(Concert footage begins at 30:45 into the video.)

April is Jazz Appreciation Month

Along with more suitably spring-like weather here in St. Louis, and the start of baseball season - always a major local event here in the Gateway City - the first of April also signals the beginning of Jazz Appreciation Month, the annual celebration of jazz music sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution.

Now in its 13th year, Jazz Appreciation Month (or JAM) was created "to draw greater public attention to the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz and its importance as an American cultural heritage. In addition, JAM is intended to stimulate the current jazz scene and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz—to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and support institutional jazz programs."

The theme of this year's JAM celebration is “Jazz Alchemy: A Love Supreme,” in tribute to legendary saxophonist John Coltrane and the 50th anniversary of his composition "A Love Supreme." The original score of the work will be on display as part of the "American Stories" exhibition at the Smithsonian through June 17, 2014.

At the end of the month, jazz fans worldwide also will celebrate the third annual International Jazz Day on Wednesday, April 30. Sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Jazz Day is designed to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.

Osaka, Japan is the 2014 host city, but various related events will take place in cities all over the world, including a live broadcast of an all-star concert streamed over the Internet. At the end of this post, you can see a short promotional video for International Jazz Day featuring Herbie Hancock, and, if it's made available to bloggers again this year, StLJN will present the live stream of the concert right here on April 30, too.

Meanwhile, if you can't wait to get started, the Smithsonian offers a list of "112 ways to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month," and once again has produced a poster honoring a famous musician. This year's JAM poster (pictured) features an image of Coltrane by artist Joseph Holston.

The posters were distributed for free to schools, libraries, music and jazz educators, music merchants and manufacturers, radio stations, arts presenters, and U.S. embassies worldwide, and anyone can download a copy in .pdf format here. You also can see and download commemorative posters from the previous 12 years here.

Finally, in support of both Jazz Appreciation Month and International Jazz Day, the Jazz Journalists Association has launched a promotional effort under the name JazzApril, with suggestions on how to commemorate the occasion for individuals, organizations, businesses, media outlets and more.

To help raise awareness of the effort, the JJA also has asked bloggers and media outlets to display a JazzApril logo, pictured at left. Look for it on the StLJN sidebar starting tomorrow.

Happy International Jazz Day!

In addition to being the final day of Jazz Appreciation Month 2013, Tuesday, April 30 is the second-ever International Jazz Day, a worldwide celebration of jazz presented by UNESCO, the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, the Republic of Turkey and the city of Istanbul, which will host a "Global Concert" featuring an lineup of top jazz talent.

The extravaganza will be streamed live on the Internet, with scheduled performances featuring Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, Robert Glasper, Esperanza Spalding, Joss Stone, Marcus Miller, John McLaughlin, Terence Blanchard, Ruben Blades, Ramsey Lewis, Hugh Masekela, Eddie Palmieri, Al Jarreau, Dianne Reeves, George Duke, Lee Ritenour, Jean-Luc Ponty, Milton Nascimento, John Beasley, Igor Butman, Anat Cohen, Vinnie Coliauta, Imer Demirer, James Genus, Bilal Karaman, Pedrito Martinez, Keiko Matsui, Terri Lyne Carrington, Hüsnü Şenlendirici, Joe Louis Walker, Ben Williams, Liu Yuan and others.

It all begins at 1:00 p.m. St. Louis time, and you can watch the live stream in the embedded video window down below. (For readers elsewhere, that time translates to 9:00 p.m. in the host city of Istanbul, 7:00 p.m. in London, 2:00 p.m. in NYC and 4:00 a.m. the next day in Sydney.)

Here locally in St. Louis, tonight's live performances will include a free International Jazz Day jam session, hosted by pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson's trio, at Jazz at the Bistro; a revue of Billie Holiday songs by Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes at the Sheldon Concert Hall; and a free concert by the fusion band Steizuello and the Lindbergh High School orchestra at Lindbergh HS.

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.



(The video of the 2013 International Jazz Day concert will be available on YouTube until midnight on May 2.)

Jazz this week: Dr. Lonnie Smith & James Carter, Bobby McFerrin, Dianne Reeves, Bill Frisell, Alarm Will Sound, Christian Howes, and more

As we head into the final week of Jazz Appreciation Month, culminating next Tuesday in International Jazz Day, there's a fine selection of jazz and creative music performances taking place over the next few days in St. Louis, with several touring headliners on local stages. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, organist Dr. Lonnie Smith (pictured) and saxophonist James Carter join forces for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro. Although the two men don't normally work together, Carter performs frequently with his own organ trio, and certainly can go deeply into the kind of funk and soul grooves that are Smith's stock in trade. So the pairing seems like a natural combination. while still offering something out of the ordinary for the Bistro's habitués. You can see some videos of both Smith and Carter performing and read more about them in this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Also tonight, trumpeter Jim Manley plays at Sasha's Wine Bar, and pianist and singer Al Oxenhandler is at Frontenac Grill. 

Tomorrow night, singer Bobby McFerrin will be in town for the annual benefit gala at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The man who famously sang "Don't Worry, Be Happy" will perform with SpiritYouAll, a vocal ensemble informed by the traditions of African-American spirituals and gospel music. While the expensive patron tickets for the evening are sold out, some concert-only tickets still are available; contact the Sheldon for details. You can read an interview that McFerrin did with the St. Louis Beacon's Terry Perkins here.

Also on Thursday, the Tavern of Fine Arts presents their monthly "Avant-Garde Arts Night" featuring live improvised music from local musicians such as pianist Jim Hegarty, flute player Fred Tompkins, and others associated with New Music Circle.

And speaking of new music, on Friday the new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound closes out their first St. Louis season* with a performance of the multimedia show 1969 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. The work combines the music of 1960s icons including The Beatles, Leonard Bernstein, and avant-garde composers Karlheinz Stockhausen and Luciano Berio with projection video and stills and spoken word performances. For more, read this preview piece about 1969, again from Terry Perkins and the Beacon.

Also on Friday, singer Feyza Eren performs at Robbie's House of Jazz, singer Tony Viviano will serenade diners at Talayna's, and saxophonist Tim Cunningham continues his weekly Friday sets at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

On Saturday, singer Dianne Reeves returns for another performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall. One of the top female jazz vocalists working today, Reeves has been a frequent visitor here in recent years, thanks in no small part to the fact that her music director and pianist Peter Martin is from St. Louis. Should you somehow be unfamiliar with her considerable talents, you'll find some biographical information and some recent video clips of Reeves (and Martin) performing in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, trumpeter Keith Moyer leads a quartet at Thurman Grill, and saxophonist Willie Akins will bring his quartet to Robbie's.

On Sunday, guitarist Bill Frisell will be back the Old Rock House, this time performing with his group Beautiful Dreamers, which features violist Eyvind Kang and drummer Rudy Royston. Having played everything from free jazz to the music of Bob Dylan, Frisell is a guitarists' guitarist who manages to mix jazz with country twang, rock crunch, and lots more, without making it seem artificial or forced. If online comments are any indicator, there should be a crowd of local guitar players in attendance to applaud his efforts.

Also Sunday, violinist Christian Howes will be in town for a house concert performance at the Deco Fortress on the south side. Howes formerly was an associate professor at Berklee College of Music, and won first place in the "Rising Star - Violin" category of the 2011 Down Beat Critic's Poll. And if that weren't enough for one night, the Dave Dickey Big Band also has their monthly gig at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company on Sunday evening, this month including an intermission set from the Kirkwood High School jazz ensemble.

Looking beyond the weekend,on Tuesday the annual celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month ends with International Jazz Day and a plethora of live jazz performances all over the world. Here in St. Louis, there are several options for celebrants this year, notably Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes performing a tribute to Billie Holiday at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Singer Sarah Jane Ulrich will present Holiday's most famous songs, as arranged by saxophonist Jerry Greene and played by an ensemble including Greene and Zac Minor on saxes, Doug Burns on trombone, Tim Garcia on piano, Ben Osborne on guitar, Marlene Long on bass, and Mike Major on drums.

Also on Tuesday, Jazz St. Louis will present their second annual International Jazz Day open jam session hosted by pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson's trio. Admission for this event is free for musicians and patrons, but if you're an instrumentalist who wants to jam, plan on showing up early at the Bistro to sign up.

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.)

*Department of Full Disclosure: I am employed by the public relations firm Slay & Associates to assist Alarm Will Sound with publicity and marketing for their St. Louis shows, and to work on other music-related projects. Whatever you think about that, you should go hear AWS anyway, as I'd be recommending their gig whether I was working with them or not.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The April episode of HEC-TV's I Love Jazz, featuring interviews with and performance footage of the Montez Coleman-Willie Akins group, premiered on the cable network last night and now can be viewed online.

Meanwhile, HEC-TV gave a much-appreciated shout-out to StLJN in a blog post this week offering suggestions on "10 Ways to Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month in St. Louis."

* Speaking of Jazz Appreciation Month, Jazz St. Louis will present their second annual International Jazz Day jam session at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 30 at Jazz at the Bistro. Pianist Adaron “Pops” Jackson’s trio will serve as hosts. Musicians wishing to participate are encouraged to sign up beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Bistro. Admission is free for musicians and patrons, but seating is limited.

* JSL also has posted to Facebook a photo album of this week's educational residency by Jon Faddis, Terell Stafford, and Sean Jones. The trio of trumpeters will perform tonight and Saturday night at the Bistro.

* And lastly for this week from Jazz St. Louis, auditions for the 2013-14 JazzU program for middle school and high school musicians will be held June 3 through June 6 at the Centene Center for Arts and Education, 3547 Olive St. in Grand Center. Applications must be postmarked by Friday, May 3. For all the details, visit the JSL website

* While we're on the subject of jazz education, pianist Peter Martin will conduct a master class next Friday, April 12 at the Sheldon Concert Hall for jazz students from three area high schools. Martin will work with young musicians from University City High School, led by Stanley Coleman; St. Charles West High School, taught by by Ben Meyer; and East St. Louis High School, under the direction of Delano Redmond.

* KWMU's Jazz Unlimited will begin airing host Dennis Owsley's updated documentary on the history of St. Louis jazz at 9:00 p.m. this Sunday, April 7. The series will run for eight weeks, and features music and exclusive interviews gathered by Owsley over the past 30 years.

Sunday's first installment focuses on "The Ragtime Era and The Roaring Twenties," and includes music from Tom Turpin, Scott Joplin, Charles Creath, Dewey Jackson, and more, plus interviews with St. Louis historian Judge Nathan Young, ragtime expert Trebor Jay Tichenor, tuba player Singleton Palmer, bandleader Eddie Johnson, trumpeters Clark Terry and David Hines, and Charles Creath IV, great-grandson of Charles Creath.

* After being elected this week to Jazz at Lincoln Center's Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame, legendary trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry also is featured in Jazz Times magazine, reminiscing about his friend, the late tenor saxophonist Red Holloway.

* The New York Times' Ben Ratliff reviewed an NYC gig by the Monterey Jazz Festival 55th Anniversary All-Stars. The group will be in St. Louis to perform as part of the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival on Friday, April 19 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

* Rob Endicott, trumpeter for the Voodoo Blues Band, attorney, and board member of the National Blues Museum, was the subject of a profile in his hometown paper, the Carmi (IL) Times.

* HD radio station Hip 96.3 HD-3 has posted to their Facebook page an album of photos from last Friday's "Autumn Hill Jazz Festival" at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* Singer Miss Jubilee was featured this week in a news story on local NBC affiliate KSDK.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native David Sanborn (pictured) and keyboardist Bob James will release Quartette Humaine, their first collaborative effort for the revived OKeh label, on Tuesday, May 21. The all-acoustic album, which also features drummer Steve Gadd and bassist James Genus, is Sanborn and James' first new recording together since 1986’s Double Vision. It will pay tribute to the late pianist Dave Brubeck and his frequent musical partner, alto saxophonist Paul Desmond.

Sanborn and James also will be touring together this year, with 37 dates between June and November in the USA, Europe and Japan (but nothing in St. Louis) announced so far.

* Entertainment Cruise Productions, LLC of St. Louis has announced the lineup for The Jazz Cruise 2014, which will take place aboard the Holland America MS Eurodam from January 26 to February 2, 2014.

First-time participants will include Manhattan Transfer, Poncho Sanchez, Cedar Walton, Dick Hyman and Gregory Porter. Returning performers include Randy Brecker, Ann Hampton Callaway, Bill Charlap, Clayton Brothers, Freddy Cole, Kurt Elling, Nnenna Freelon, Wycliffe Gordon, Tommy Igoe, Lewis Nash, Houston Person, John Pizzarelli, Arturo Sandoval, Shelly Berg, John Fedchock, and Ken Peplowski. Cabins start at $1725 per person and can be booked now online or by phone at 888-852-9987.

April is Jazz Appreciation Month

Each year, the first day of April marks the start of Jazz Appreciation Month, the annual celebration of jazz music sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution.

Now in its 12th year, Jazz Appreciation Month (or JAM) was created "to draw greater public attention to the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz and its importance as an American cultural heritage. In addition, JAM is intended to stimulate the current jazz scene and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz—to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and support institutional jazz programs."

The theme of this year's JAM celebration is “The Spirit and Rhythms of Jazz” and the programming and materials distributed by the Smithsonian are designed "for individuals and communities to explore jazz principles of freedom, inclusion and creativity to learn how jazz has transformed America and inspired the world."

At the end of the month, jazz fans worldwide also will celebrate the second International Jazz Day on Tuesday, April 30. Sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Jazz Day is designed to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe. Istanbul, Turkey has been named the 2013 Global Host City for this year, but various related events will take place in cities all over the world, including a live broadcast of an all-star concert streamed over the Internet.

Meanwhile, the Smithsonian offers a list of "112 ways to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month," and once again has produced a poster honoring a famous musician. This year's JAM poster (pictured) features an image of vibraphonist Lionel Hampton based on artwork by Frederick J. Brown that is on permanent display at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.

The posters were distributed for free to schools, libraries, music and jazz educators, music merchants and manufacturers, radio stations, arts presenters, and U.S. embassies worldwide, and anyone can download a copy in .pdf format here. You also can see and download commemorative posters from the previous 11 years here.