So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Sheldon this week announced that their annual fund-raising gala will take place online on Saturday, April 10. The event will be hosted by Chris Thile, the singer, mandolinist and former presenter of public radio's "Live From Here," and will include performances from Wynton Marsalis, John Pizzarelli, Dianne Reeves and Peter Martin, and more. For more information or to register, visit The Sheldon's website.

* Woodwind players and St. Louis natives J.D. Parran (pictured) and Marty Ehrlich are among the musicians featured in composer Joseph Daley's new commissioned work “Colorations-Explorations,” which debuted this week on video with Parran directing an ensemble featuring 18 clarinets of various ranges (including Ehrlich), percussionist Warren Smith, and a rhythm section.

* The Cabaret Project of St. Louis has posted a trailer for their upcoming online show featuring pianist and singer Billy Stritch performing music associated with Mel Torme. The concert will stream on Saturday, January 23 and Saturday, January 30, with advance reservations now available online.

* Saxophonist Greg Osby recently released an album called Reflections of the Eternal Line as part of an unusual trio with Swiss drummer ⁦Florian Arbenz⁩ and painter Stephan Spicher, and you can read the story behind the recording as recounted by Arbenz in a post on the website JazzItOut.com.

* St. Louis Public Radio's "St. Louis On The Air" on Thursday broadcast the story of “I’m Dreaming of No One But You,” written in 1942 by Leona Augustine of Washington MO and re-discovered by her grandson Jacob Luecke, who's releasing a brand new big-band recording of the song.

* In the latest developments in the recent story about trumpeter Keyon Harrold and his teenage son, Miya Ponsetto, the woman now facing assault charges after falsely accusing Harrold Jr. of theft, took part in a contentious and controversial interview with TV presenter Gayle King of CBS This Morhing, while the elder Harrold has called for a boycott of Arlo Hotels, which operates the NYC hotel where the incident took place.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: The BAG legacy, part 3

This week, StLJN's look at music from former members of the Black Artists Group (BAG) continues with some videos featuring the sounds of trumpeter Baikida Carroll and multi-instrumentalist J.D. Parran.

You can see part one, featuring videos of BAG-related ensembles the World Saxophone Quartet, Clarinet Family and more, plus some links to background info, here. Part two, with music from saxophonists Oliver Lake and Hamiet Bluiett, is here.

Like Lake and Bluiett, both Carroll and Parran have enjoyed diverse and productive careers since their early days with BAG, and while their respective catalogs resist easy summary, you can at least sample a few of their works, starting up above with a video of Carroll doing a solo performance recorded in October 2001 at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.

After the jump, you can see Carroll teamed up with Oliver Lake plus violinist Jason Kao Hwang and drummer Nasheet Waits in a set recorded on October 2014 at The Stone in New York City.

The next clip shows Carroll as part of bassist Charlie Haden's American Jazz Quartet, along with saxophonist Dewey Redman and drummer Paul Motian, and shows the first half of a set in 1986 at a festival in Germany.

Parran is featured in the next three videos, starting with one of his group Deep Ecology Trio recorded in January 2018 at the Clemente Center in NYC. Along with the leader, the ensemble includes guitarist Cristian Amigo and percussionists Andrew Drury and Jackson Krall.

The penultimate video is a recording of "Elevated Moon," described as "a ‘ritualistic happening’ with a combination of sound, movement, visual vibrance, and light projections" created by Parran and Amir Bey, who's credited with "installation, costumes, poetry, astrology." This performance was in November 2019 at Roulette in Brooklyn, NY, and also features the work of Bill Toles (lighting, stage direction), Michael TA Thompson (drums, percussion), and Chihiro Cute-Beat Kobayashi (dance).

The final video shows Parran's group Secret Music Society, as recorded in December 2017 at the Clemente Center, with Parran, Jackson Krall (drums, percussion), Mark Hennen (piano, percussion), ​Michelle Yung (flute, percussion), Elliott Levin (tenor sax, flute, poem), and Larry Roland (bass, percussion).

Look for part four of this series in this spot next week, featuring music from still more former members of the Black Artists Group. You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

Jazz this week: Kurt Rosenwinkel; Christian Sands; J.D. Parran, K. Curtis Lyle and friends; Too Many Zooz, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features headlining appearances from a top guitarist and a rising young pianist; free improvisation from a renowned St. Louis native and friends; a rowdy trio of former subway buskers; and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 5
Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel performs for the first of five nights continuing through Sunday at Jazz St. Louis.

Since his last headlining appearance here in 2006, Rosenwinkel (pictured, top left) has evolved from an up-and-coming player into a significant voice internationally among contemporary guitarists. You can see and hear some recent samples of his playing on video in this post from last Saturday.

Thursday, February 6
Multi-instrumentalist Jeff Anderson will pick up his tenor sax to lead a group in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Also on Thursday, pianist Adam Maness' trio is back at Thurman's in Shaw, and The Dark Room has a double feature with guitarist Dave Black at the dinner hour and saxophonist Scooter Brown playing the late show.

Friday, February 7
"Brasshouse" trio Too Many Zooz, featuring the flamboyant virtuoso baritone saxophonist Leo Pellegrino, will perform at Off Broadway.

In the last five years, they've gone from being literally an underground sensation, playing for tips in the NYC subway, to touring internationally and having their music featured in a national TV commercial from Google. And while Pellegrino's stage antics may get a lot of attention, he's a formidable musical presence as well.

Also on Friday, bassist Darrell Mixon and Friends will play at The Judson House; the Midwest Jazz-tette serves up West Coast cool jazz at The Abbey in Belleville; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes make their cabaret debut at Blue Strawberry.

Saturday, February 8
Pianist Christian Sands (pictured, bottom left) and his trio will be "Remembering Erroll Garner" in a performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Sands, one of the top young pianists in jazz, has played here before with bassist Christian McBride but will be making his St. Louis debut as a bandleader with this show. You can find out more about Sands and see and hear some samples of his playing on video in this post from Saturday before last.

Also on Saturday, multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis native J.D. Parran, poet K. Curtis Lyle and Friends will perform improvised music with spoken word in a free show at St. Louis University's Xavier Hall.

Sunday, February 9
Bassist and singer Janet Evra plays for brunch at The Dark Room, and Genesis Jazz Project will feature a guest performance from singer Robert Nelson as part of their matinee performance at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

Monday, February 10
Dizzy Atmosphere plays for diners at The Shaved Duck, and singer Debby Lennon leads a quartet in a concert at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University campus.

Tuesday, February 11
Keyboardist and singer Jesse Gannon returns to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

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

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

J.D. Parran and K. Curtis Lyle to perform Saturday, February 8 at SLU's Xavier Hall

Multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis native J.D. Parran (pictured) is coming home to team up with poet K. Curtis Lyle and a group of local improvisors for a performance at 8:00 p.m. Saturday, February 8 at Xavier Hall on the campus of St. Louis University.

The concert is part of the "Jazz 'n Tongues" music-and-poetry series sponsored by SLU and the Nu-Art Series. Nu-Art's impresario George Sams will be part of the ensemble on trumpet and flugelhorn, along with bassist Darrell Mixon, violinist Alyssa Avery, and cellist Tracy Andreotti.

Admission is free and open to the public.

Jazz this week: Grace Kelly, J.D. Parran & K. Curtis Lyle, Eighth Blackbird, and more

It's another busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with several noteworthy headliners in town, plus a whole bunch of shows from our hometown musicians, including a jam-packed Valentine's Day evening.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 13
Saxophonist and singer Grace Kelly (pictured, top left) begins a five-night engagement at Jazz St. Louis, continuing through Sunday. Kelly's most recent album Go Time: Brooklyn 2, which came out last October, expands her musical palette a bit, with more pronounced influences from pop, electronic music, and more. For more about that, plus some videos of recent performances by Kelly, check out the video showcase post from last Saturday.

Also on Wednesday, JSL's "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series continues with "Miles and Me: An Evening with Quincy Troupe," a free event at the St. Louis County Library's main branch on South Lindbergh. The poet, author, professor, St. Louis native, and Miles Davis biographer will speak about his work, his relationship with Davis, and more. For a preview, see Troupe's interview with Dan Durchholz for the Post-Dispatch.

Thursday, February 14
The evening of Valentine's Day offers more than dozen options for live jazz, so you'll probably want to visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes calendar to see the full range of options. 

If you're on a budget, the pick show might be the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University's presentation of "My Funny Valentine - Music of Miles Davis," a free concert featuring trumpeter Randy Holmes, saxophonist Paul DeMarinis, bassist/guitarist William Lenihan, pianist Ken Kehner, and drummer Steve Davis. As a bonus, author and scholar Enrico Merlin will give a talk about Davis before the concert, starting at 7:30 p.m.

Also of note, singer Jan Shapiro and pianist Dave Venn, both of whom gig less frequently than many local listeners might like, will be performing along with bassist Ben Wheeler at Bar Italia.

Meanwhile, singer Erin Bode will meet the demand from her fan base with the first of two nights at Cyrano's, and saxophonist Tim Cunningham will be on a similar schedule playing Thursday and Friday at Gauge Cigar Club (the latest re-branding of what originally was Troy's Jazz Gallery.)

Friday, February 15
Chicago-based new music ensemble Eighth Blackbird returns for a concert at 560 Music Center.

Also on Friday, singer Chuck Flowers performs at 50/Fifty Kitchen; the Joe Bozzi Band returns to Evangeline's; and Cornet Chop Suey plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, February 16
Multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis native J.D. Parran (pictured, bottom left) will team up up with poet K. Curtis Lyle and trumpeter George Sams for a performance at Xavier Hall on the SLU campus.

Sunday, February 17
Miss Jubilee will perform for brunch at Evangeline's, while guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran is at The Dark Room.

Monday, February 18
The Webster University Jazz Collective, featuring faculty members from Webster's music department, performs at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

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

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

Nu-Art Series to present concerts by J.D. Parran, Oliver Lake at St. Louis University

The Nu-Art Series has announced three more concerts in their "Jazz n’ Tongues" series presented in cooperation with St. Louis University's music department.

The series resumes with multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis native J.D. Parran, who will perform with poet K. Curtis Lyle and trumpeter and Nu-Art Series head George Sams on Saturday, February 16.  

Next up, saxophonist and former St. Louisan Oliver Lake (pictured) will play with Sams, pianist Greg Mills, and dancers Antonio Douthis-Boyd and Kirven Douthis-Boyd on Friday, March 22. 

Sams then will complete the spring series by leading a date of his own on Friday, April 5.

All three concerts will start at 8:00 p.m. in the University Theatre in Xavier Hall on the SLU campus. General admission is $10 per person, free for students with a valid student ID,  and tickets for all three shows are on sale now via Metrotix.

Jazz this week: Dweezil Zappa, Lettuce, Marilyn Maye, Project/Object, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes one grande dame of cabaret; a couple of danceable funk/jazz acts; two pianists sharing one stage at the city's most prestigious jazz club; and not one, but two tributes to the music of the eclectic guitarist and composer Frank Zappa, plus more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, October 12
Promoting their latest recording, Within You, The People's Key begin a two-night stand that marks their debut at Jazz at the Bistro.

For the details, check out their appearance Monday on KTVI-Fox 2's morning newscast, and the brief Q&A between keyboardist Ryan Marquez and the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

Thursday, October 13
Guitarist Dweezil Zappa (pictured, top left) brings his "50 Years of Frank: Dweezil Zappa Plays Whatever the F@%k He Wants—The Cease and Desist Tour" to The Ready Room.

Although he's still more-than-capably performing music from his father Frank Zappa's vast catalog of compositions, and using the same musicians formerly known as Zappa Plays Zappa, Dweezil can no longer use his dad's name or likeness, due to what's become a rather ugly legal battle with his mother and two of his siblings. As the name suggests, this year's tour offers a broad retrospective of FZ music going back to his first album Freak Out, which was released 50 years ago.

Also on Thursday, funk/jazz band Lettuce returns to The Pageant, with electronic music duo The Geek x Vrv as opening act.

Friday, October 14
The aforementioned grande dame of cabaret, Marilyn Maye, returns for the first of two nights at the Gaslight Theater, kicking off the fall series for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival.

With a career stretching back more than 60 years, Maye (pictured, bottom left) remains a compelling performer, even at 88 years old. Although she was here this summer for the St. Louis Cabaret Conference, both shows are likely to sell out, if they haven't already, so advance reservations are suggested.

Also on Friday, pianists Adaron “Pops” Jackson and Phil Dunlap will team up on two grand pianos for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, supported by bassist Nick Jost and drummer Kaleb Kirby.

Elsewhere around town, singer Feyza Eren will present an evening of Brazilian music at The Chapel, and The BonBon Plot, a new trio that describes their sound as "bossa nova and modern French jazz with an indie twist" will play for the first of two nights at the Ozark Theatre.

Saturday, October 15
Bassist Kent Miller is in from Washington, DC with his quartet for a show of straight-ahead jazz at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and Wack-A-Doo plays swing and Americana at Evangeline's.

Also on Saturday, trumpeter Jim Manley and guitarist Randy Bahr's All-Star Band returns to Nathalie's; and the Funky Butt Brass Band's monthly gig at the Broadway Oyster Bar will feature a second-set tribute to the music of Huey Lewis and the News. (Don't say we didn't warn you!)

Sunday, October 16 
The area gets a second helping of Zappa music for the week as the long-running FZ tribute act Project/Object plays at 2720 Cherokee, joined by two of Zappa's former sidemen, singer, guitarist and St. Louis native Ike Willis and keyboardist Don Preston.

Although Dweezil Zappa has been, until recently anyway, the most "official" and best-known keeper of his dad's musical legacy, Project/Object are worthy and experienced interpreters, too. Yr. StLJN editor saw them play a few years back at Cicero's here in St. Louis, with Willis and former FZ saxophonist Napoleon Murphy Brock as guest performers, and they performed Zappa's music with skill and enthusiasm to spare.

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: J.D. Parran & George Sams, "New World Harmonica Jazz," Chapter:SOUL, Chick Corea Trio, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis offers some early summer eclecticism, including a homecoming performance by one of our city's exemplars of the avant-garde; a couple of free, multi-venue festivals featuring a variety of local talent; sold-out shows featuring two touring pianists, and, as the saying goes, much, much more. Let's go the the highlights...

Wednesday, June 15
Saxophonist Doug Lawrence leads a quartet in a free show at Saxquest; Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Open Mic Night" at the Tavern of Fine Arts; and bassist Bob Deboo will have some special guests for his weekly performance and jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center, including drummer Matt Wilson, vibraphonist Peter Schlamb, and saxophonist Adam Larson.

Thursday, June 16
The esteemed multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis native J.D. Parran (pictured, top left) will be back home from NYC for a visit, joining forces with trumpeter George Sams and other free improvisers for a performance at the Tavern of Fine Arts; the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra plays at Jazz at the Bistro; and The 442s will celebrate the release of their latest album RELAY with a performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Friday, June 17
Grand Center's "Music at the Intersection" series returns for the second year, kicking off with an assortment of local funk, soul and hip-hop performers paying tribute to Prince at various venues in the district, including Good 4 The Soul at the Ferring Jazz Bistro and Fresh Heir at the Curtain Call Lounge, next to the Fox Theater.

Also on Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band plays a free outdoor concert at Edwardsville City Park; the St. Louis Big Band performs at St. Peter's United Church of Christ, and singer Chuck Flowers takes the stage at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Saturday, June 18
Starting on Saturday afternoon and continuing through the evening, the Riverfront Times will present their annual RFT Music Showcase, featuring more than 90 acts at nine venues in the Grove district.

While the lineup emphasizes rock and hip-hop, there are some performers of potential interest to StLJN readers, especially at Handlebar, which over the course of the day will host sets from singer/guitarist Tommy Halloran's Guerrilla Swing, saxophonist Dave Stone's trio, the Vernacular String Trio, Animal Children, and electronic musician Eric Hall.

Also on Saturday afternoon, singer Wendy L. Gordon will present a matinee performance at J&C BBQ and Blues.

Saturday night, the 12-year-old piano phenom Joey Alexander will play a one-nighter at Jazz at the Bistro. Both sets are sold out, but Jazz St. Louis is advising anyone still interested in tickets to check with the JSL box office on Friday and/or Saturday for cancellations and returns.

Elsewhere around town, pianist Carolbeth True and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman (pictured, center left) will reunite to revisit music from their collaborative album New World Harmonica Jazz at the Kranzberg Arts Center; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to the Venice Cafe; and Wack-A-Doo performs at Evangeline's.

Sunday, June 19
The Jazz Edge Orchestra will present a concert version of the musical Five Guys Named Moe, featuring songs made famous by saxophonist and singer Louis Jordan, in a matinee at the Sun Theater in Grand Center.

Also on Sunday, the recently formed New Orleans funk band Chapter:SOUL (pictured, lower left), which is fronted by saxophonist Calvin Johnson Jr. and features sousaphonist Kirk Joseph of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, will make their St. Louis debut with an early evening show at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Monday, June 20
Singer Dean Christopher and company return with their "Rat Pack and More" show to One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar.

Tuesday, June 21
Pianist Chick Corea's trio with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade will perform for the first of two sold-out nights at Jazz at the Bistro. As with the Joey Alexander performance, at this point any available tickets will be due to returns or cancellations, and prospective buyers are being advised to check with the Jazz St. Louis box office. In the meantime, you can sample a few performances by Corea, McBride and Blade on video by checking out this post from last Saturday.

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.

Jazz this week: The Wee Trio, Take 6, J.D. Parran & George Sams, Scott Kirby, Charlie Hunter & Scott Amendola, and more

With spring appearing finally to have sprung here in St. Louis, it should be a fine weekend to get out and hear some live jazz and creative music, and fortunately, our local stages will be filled with intriguing possibilities. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, Good 4 The Soul plays their monthly gig at  BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; Washington University's jazz studies students will perform a free concert to wrap up this semester's Jazz at Holmes series; the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center has a four-band bill topped by the Brazilian "punk rock with a bit of jazzy influence" band Lisabi; and the Gaslight Cabaret Festival continues with actress/singer Taylor Pietz performing her show "If I Only Had a Brain" at the Gaslight Theater.

Tomorrow night, The Wee Trio, featuring St. Louis native Dan Loomis on bass, returns to Jazz at the Bistro for the first of two nights officially celebrating the live album the group recorded there last year. For more about that, check this interview with Loomis from earlier this year on AllAboutJazz.com, and for some video samples of the Wee Trio in action, see this post from before their visit here last January.

Elsewhere around town, if you were hoping to see singer Storm Large's performance this weekend for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival but don't yet have tickets, you're out of luck, as both nights are sold out. Meanwhile, some spots may remain for the performance by vocal group Take 6 at Washington University Black Alumni Council's 30th anniversary dinner and concert in the Khorassan Ballroom of the Chase Park Plaza Hotel; click the "30th anniversary" link above for details.

There also should be some tickets remaining for MADCO's presentation of "Liquid Roads" at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. The modern dance company's latest and largest-ever production will be accompanied by a four-piece live band led by trumpeter Brian Casserly of Cornet Chop Suey, performing original songs and a variety of jazz, blues and gospel favorites. You can see a brief video about the show here, and read a preview story written by Terry Perkins for St. Louis Public Radio here.

And if all that's not enough for one night, there's also singer Joe Mancuso leading a trio at EdgeWild Restaurant & Winery; the St. Louis Big Band at the Casa Loma Ballroom; pianist Carolbeth True and  Two Times True at Robbie's House of Jazz; and the Charlie B Jazz'd Trio at Thurman Grill.

On Saturday, the sounds at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site will range from free improv to ragtime, as the venue hosts two concerts in one day. First up, multi-instrumentalist J.D. Parran returns home to team up with trumpeter George Sams for a matinee that serves as the spring finale for the Nu-Art Series, and then pianist Scott Kirby will take over for an early evening concert presented by the Friends of Scott Joplin.

Also on Saturday, Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center continues their "Quiet Concert Series" with more new compositions from Mark Sarich and Greg Farough, as Farough continues his focus on "pure waveforms which interact with the natural resonance of rooms to form and slowly transform complex sonic relationships," while Sarich will present a new work utilizing the Schumann Resonance and text of a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke.

Elsewhere on Saturday, pianist Pauline Stark, saxophonist Willie Akins and singer Cici Ranek will perform in the old "Just Jazz" space at the Omni Majestic Hotel; guitarist Dave Black and singer Feyza Eren will play at Pomme Café & Wine Bar; the Jim Widner Trio with Jim Manley and Randy Bahr holds forth at the Fox & Hounds Tavern at the Cheshire Inn; and singer Sarah Jane of the Blue Notes, pianist Tim Garcia and saxophonist Jerry Greene are at Robbie's House of Jazz.

On Sunday, Miss Jubilee begins what's projected to be a weekly jazz brunch at Evangeline's; and the "Inner Jazz" series at Kirkwood United Church of Christ continues with a free concert from guitarist Rick Haydon's quartet. StLJN also recently has learned that Freddie Washington is now leading a quartet in a weekly Sunday late afternoon session at Toast Time, 12781 New Halls Ferry Rd in Florissant, and no doubt the veteran saxophonist's many fans will welcome the opportunity to hear him regularly for as long as the gig continue. 

But the biggest names on Sunday arrive that evening, as guitarist Charlie Hunter and drummer Scott Amendola will be in town to perform a duo show at the Old Rock House. The two last fall released their second album together, Pucker, which focuses mostly on Amendola's compositions. But given Hunter's near-one-man-band capabilities and the inherent flexibility of the duo format, they certainly won't be limited to material from the recording. You can read a review of Pucker and hear a sample track here, and read an interview with Amendola from Modern Drummer magazine, in which he discusses his partnership with Hunter, here.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band returns to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups. Then on Tuesday, Lindy Hop St. Louis's weekly swing dance at the Grandel Theatre will feature live music from Philadelphia's' Perseverance Jazz Band; and Common Time and Jesse Gannon & Truth will perform on a double-bill at Plush.

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

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


(Edited after posting to add the venue name for the "Quiet Concert" series.)

Nu-Art Series returning with three concerts this spring

After more than a year of dormancy following the closing of its primary venue, the Metropolitan Gallery, the Nu-Art Series will return to presenting music starting next month with a series of concerts at the Scott Joplin House Historic Site, 2658 Delmar.

As frequently was the case in the series' past, the first set of performances in 2014 will present musicians wth a connection to the Black Artists Group and St. Louis' avant-jazz scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, the series' organizer, trumpeter George Sams, is taking a slightly different approach this time around, participating directly as a performer in all three concerts as well as producing them.

On Saturday, March 1, Sams will team with baritone saxophonist and clarinetist Hamiet Bluiett (pictured) for a duo performance. Then on Saturday, March 15, drummer Charles "Bobo" Shaw and pianist David Parker will be featured along with Sams.

The spring series wraps up on Saturday, April 12 with another duo concert featuring multi-instrumentalist J.D. Parran and Sams.

All concerts start at 3:00 p.m., and admission is $10 at the door. For more information, call 314-340-5790.

Freedonia Music releases four new CDs

Freedonia Music, the St. Louis-based independent label run by multi-instrumentalist Jay Zelenka, has released four new CDs from local/regional jazz and creative music performers:

Ghost Machines (pictured) is a sampler album showcasing the label's various recordings of "avant-garde, free jazz & free improv artists from St. Louis USA," including the Human Arts Ensemble, EXILES, The Free Jazz Posse, Squid Choir Orkestra, J.D. Parran, Michael Castro, Greg Mills, and Dave Stone.

Needle of Light is a previously unissued recording of vintage performances featuring saxophonist James Marshall's iteration of the Human Arts Ensemble teamed with poet Michael Castro for "old school free jazz avant-blues & theatrical constructions...deep roots performance poetry 30 years before it became a fashion & acquired a name."

Infinite Circus is the latest release from Squid Choir Orkestra, an electronic free-improv ensemble that includes Zelenka, Jeremy Melsha, Dave Stone, Ajay Khanna, Aaron Smith, and Derek Leu.

Zelenka and Stone also figure in the fourth new release, Lifeline, a series of improv duets and trios for voice, baritone sax and electronic alto sax that also features vocalist Lika Shubitidze.

StLJN will have some impressions of these recordings in a future post, but you can hear extensive audio excerpts from all four albums, and/or purchase your very own copies, right now at the Freedonia Music website.

StLJN Audio Archive: Human Arts Ensemble - Whisper of Dharma

This week's Audio Archive post comes to us once again from the fine avant-jazz music sharing blog Nothing Is v2.0, and features Whisper of Dharma, a rare album by the Human Arts Ensemble that originally was issued in 1972 on the Committee for Universal Justice label (pictured, above left), and later reissued in 1977 on Arista Freedom (pictured, below left).

The Human Arts Ensemble was an offshoot of St. Louis' Black Artists Group, created as a vehicle for musicians of all races to perform together, while including a core of musicians from BAG. HAE first recorded under the nominal co-leadership of drummer Charles "Bobo" Shaw and saxophonist James Marshall, who conceived the idea, and then just Shaw, but from all accounts the group essentially functioned as a musical collective.

Whisper of Dharma was recorded on October 6, 1972 in St. Louis, and features of lineup of players that includes Shaw (drums, small instruments) and Marshall (alto sax, radong, wooden flutes) as well as Joseph Bowie (trombone, congas, small instruments), Oliver Lake (tenor sax, radong, flute, small instruments), J.D. Parran (tenor and sopranos saxes, bass clarinet, small instruments), Floyd Leflore (trumpet, small instruments) and Baikida E.J. Carroll (gong, small instruments). The album also marks the recording debut of Oliver Lake's son Gene Lake, now a respected professional drummer, then just 6 years old and credited on the session with drums and small instruments. Whisper of Dharma includes what in the original LP format were two side-long pieces, the title track and "A World New," and has never been reissued on CD.

To download a copy of the Human Arts Ensemble's Whisper of Dharma, go here, scroll down to the bottom of the post and click on the link that says "Download Whisper of Dharma." That takes you to a Rapidshare page with the download; look for the green button that says "download" and follow the instructions there.

The StLJN Audio Archive links only to recordings that are out-of-print or that never have been commercially available. The purpose of the Audio Archive is encourage discussion, appreciation and knowledge of St. Louis jazz artists, and we encourage you to support them (or their estates) by purchasing authorized recordings and merchandise or, whenever possible, attending live performances.

(Edited after posting to fix a typo.)

Notes from the Net: Al Jarreau recovering; JazzReach gets funding; plus news, reviews, interviews, and more

Here's the latest compilation of assorted news briefs and links related to jazz, improvisation, and creative music in St. Louis, including news of musicians originally from the Gateway City, recent visitors, and coming attractions, plus assorted other items of interest:

* Starting with some recent linkage related to the St. Louis area's most famous jazz musician, the Miles Davis exhibit in Montreal was reviewed by J.D. Considine of the Toronto Globe and Mail here. Meanwhile, JazzOnline's Miles Davis Podcast series, which features interviews with famous folk talking about Davis, in recent weeks has added segments featuring singer, actor and spoken word performer Henry Rollins, trumpeter Mike Metheny, bassist/producer Bill Laswell, trumpeter Randy Brecker, pianist Steve Kuhn and guitarist Nels Cline. You can access the whole series here. Finally, Riffs on Jazz blogger John Anderson muses on Davis' score for Louis Malle’s 1958 film Ascenseur pour l’échafraud (Elevator to the Gallows) here.

* In news of another St. Louis native, multi-instrumentalist J.D Parran was part of two "Jazz Meets Classical" concerts presented last weekend by the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute at Columbia University's Miller Theater. The performances - reviewed here by Steve Smith of the New York Times, with a photo of Parran accompanying the online version of the story - were the culmination of a weeklong series of seminars bringing together musicians from the jazz and classical worlds.

* Turning to news of coming attractions, bassist Christian McBride is doing a trio tour this summer with pianist Chick Corea and drummer Brian Blade. McBride will be back in St. Louis in September for a duo concert at the Sheldon with pianist Peter Martin, and then again in March for a Ray Brown tribute at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Singer Al Jarreau (pictured) is recovering after being admitted to a hospital in France late last Thursday, July 22. Jarreau, 70, collapsed on stage with respiratory problems during a performance, and was taken to the intensive care unit of a clinic in the southern Alpine town of Gap, where he initially was listed in critical condition. Jarreau's condition subsequently improved enough for him to be moved by helicopter on Sunday to a hospital in Marseilles, where he is expected to continue to rest and undergo tests for several more days. His management is posting updates about Jarreau's condition on the singer's website. Jarreau is scheduled to come to St. Louis in February for a concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

* Everything Is Everything, saxophonist Kirk Whalum's CD of the music of singer/songwriter/pianist and St. Louis native Donny Hathaway, is set for release next month. Whalum will be back in St. Louis on August 13 for the Guitars and Saxes concert at the Pageant.

* The Preservation Hall Jazz Band also has a new CD, Preservation, a compilation featuring an eclectic selection of more than 20 guest artists, including Angelique Kidjo, Tom Waits, Del McCoury, Terence Blanchard, Pete Seeger, Dr. John, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Ani DiFranco, Steve Earle, Merle Haggard, Bobby McFerrin and more. The disc was recorded at Preservation Hall, with proceeds to benefit the historic New Orleans venue and its Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program. The PHJB and McCoury will perform in October at the Family Arena in St. Charles.

* JazzReach, Inc. is one of 79 NYC-based arts organizations to receive "a significant infusion of funding" from the Open Society Foundations, which last week announced $11 million in grants to support community and educational arts initiatives. The two-year operating-support grants ranging from $65,000 to $250,000. Founded in 1994 by drummer Hans Schuman, JazzReach is a nationally recognized not-for-profit organization that promotes a greater appreciation, awareness and understanding of jazz music through multi-media educational programs for young audiences. JazzReach's resident ensemble Metta Quintet will return to St. Louis in November to play at the Touhill under the auspices of Jazz St. Louis.

* Guitarist John McLaughlin will be one the headliners at The New Universe Music Festival, an event to be presented by his current record company Abstract Logix on November 20 and 21 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Guitarist Jimmy Herring and drummer Lenny White also will play the fusion-filled fest. McLaughlin will be in St. Louis earlier that same month to play at the Sheldon.

* Here's a review of drummer Stanton Moore's latest CD Groove Alchemy, written by Phillip Booth for his blog Between The Lines (via AllAboutJazz.com). Moore will be in St. Louis with Garage a Trois in September to play at the Old Rock House.

* Finally, a couple of online resources for your further edification and/or amusement during these steamy dog days: The venerable jazz mag Cadence recently beefed up its online presence considerably, and the BBC's Radio 3 has just put online much of their extensive archive of "world music" programming.

Jazz this week: Joey DeFrancesco, Peter Martin & Jeremy Davenport, J.D. Parran, Craig Hultgren, and more

Warmer weather is in the forecast for St. Louis, but before you make plans to spend the whole weekend outdoors, you also may want to check out what's coming coming up in jazz and creative music over the next few days.

Tonight, organist Joey DeFrancesco begins a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro. There's always been an enthusiastic audience for bluesy, organ-driven jazz in St. Louis, and in the past DeFrancesco has proven to be a good draw here, so advance reservations are recommended. For some video samples of DeFrancesco in action, see this post from last Saturday.

On Thursday, guitarist Vince Varvel will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series on Washington University campus, and the Black Rep's production of the Louis Jordan musical Five Guys Named Moe resumes at the Grandel Theatre, where it will continue through April 25.

On Friday afternoon, guitarist Steve Schenkel and singer Ashley Mason are doing a short Good Friday matinee concert at Webster University's Thompson Music Building.

Then on Friday evening, pianist Peter Martin resumes his eponymous series at the Sheldon Concert Hall with a show featuring two fellow University City natives - trumpet player and singer Jeremy Davenport and bassist Chris Thomas - plus drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. At this writing, word from Martin's Twitter feed is that the concert is approaching a sell-out, but if you can't get tickets, you still can check out the live, streaming webcast of the show.

Also on Friday evening, singer Jeanne Trevor will perform at Robbie's House of Jazz.

On Saturday afternoon, another St. Louis expat returns home, as multi-instrumentalist J.D. Parran (pictured) brings his saxophones, flutes, clarinets and assorted other woodwinds to the Metropolitan Gallery to play original compositions and the music of John Coltrane for this week's Nu-Art Series jazz composers concert.

On Saturday evening, New Music Circle is presenting cellist Craig Hultgren in concert at the Kranzberg Arts Center. Hultgren, who lives in Birmingham, AL, plays both improvised and composed music, including many pieces commissioned especially for him, and often employs extended techniques, amplification and electronic effects to expand his sonic pallette.

For more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, 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 by becoming a "fan" of the StLJN Facebook page.

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

Nu-Art Series matinees to feature St. Louis musicians interpreting famous jazz composers

The Nu-Art Series has announced a new series of weekend matinees presenting St. Louis musicians performing their own work and the music of a famous jazz composer.

"The Jazz Composers Series: Re-Arrangements & Nu-Compositions" will begin Saturday, February 6 with a concert featuring bassist Darrell Mixon's quartet and the music of Charles Mingus and continue each weekend until April 17. Each concert will feature one set of the musician's own compositions and one set highlighting the work of a jazz great.

Notable dates include a concert on Saturday, February 13 featuring the music of Eric Dolphy as interpreted by drummer Charles "Bobo" Shaw, a key member of the Black Artists Group and improvised music veteran whose local gigs have been comparatively rare in recent years; and the return of multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis expat J. D. Parran (pictured), who will perform the music of John Coltrane on Saturday, April 3. Here's the complete schedule:

Saturday, February 6:
Darrell Mixon Quartet/Charles Mingus

Saturday, February 13:
Charles "Bobo" Shaw Art Ensemble/Eric Dolphy

Saturday, February 20:
Ptah Williams Trio/Bud Powell

Saturday, February 27:
Chad Evans Ensemble/Charlie Parker

Saturday, March 6:
Chris Burchett Quartet/Thelonious Monk

Saturday. March 13:
Anthony Wiggins Quintet/Freddie Hubbard

Sunday, March 21:
Willie Akins Quartet/Sonny Rollins

Saturday, March 27:
Jerome "Scrooge" Harris Ensemble/Miles Davis & Wayne Shorter

Saturday, April 3:
J.D. Parran/John Coltrane

Saturday, April 17:
Stan Coleman Youth Jazz Band/Duke Ellington

Aadmission is $10 at the door, and all performances are from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Metropolitan Gallery, 2936 Locust St. For more information, call 314-535-6500, send email to nu-artseries@charter.net, or visit the Nu-Art Series website.

Notes from the Net: On The Corner reexamined; Osby, Harrold on tour; Parran live in NYC; plus news, interviews and more

Here's the latest compilation of assorted news briefs and links related to jazz, improvisation, and creative music in St. Louis, including news of musicians originally from the Gateway City, recent visitors, and coming attractions, plus assorted other items of interes

* On the Miles Davis beat, Howard Mandel had a couple of pertinent posts recently on his Jazz Beyond Jazz blog - one covering an NYC performance of music from the recent concept album Miles From India at Iridium and an On The Corner retrospective at Merkin Concert Hall, and another with his program notes for the On The Corner concert.

In related news, Davis' former drummer Jimmy Cobb, the only musician who played on the landmark Kind of Blue album who is still living, recently visited England with his So What Band and talked with the BBC about Davis and KoB. And the heirs of artist Mati Klarwein, who did the cover art for Davis' albums Bitches Brew and Live Evil as well other for other jazz and rock LPs of the period, have set up a Web site dedicated to Klarwein's art.

* Turning to news of other St. Louis narives, saxophonist Greg Osby (pictured) is touring with guitarist Jimmy Herring this summer. No St. Louis date, though.

* Trumpet player and St. Louis native Keyon Harrold also is on tour as a sideman this summer, working with the R&B singer Maxwell. The Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson has the Maxwell tour schedule - which, again, skips over St. Louis - here. .

* Saxophonist/multi-intrumentalist and former St. Louisan J.D. Parran just played at NYC's Downtown Music Gallery and is set to perform at the city's Vision Festival with reedman Douglas Ewart later this month.

* Following up on a story from the "general interest" a few weeks ago, the Jazz Bakery, a staple of the Los Angeles jazz scene, closed last Sunday after losing its lease. According to an article in the LA Times, though, owner Ruth Price "insists it's too early to write a eulogy for the club, which has occupied the same space at the Helms Bakery District for the last 16 years...Despite the tough economic climate and the fact that jazz continues to be faced with a shrinking and fragmented audience, she's fielding a number of offers to keep the Bakery alive." Read the whole story here.

* Last but not least, on July 1 the band the Shuffle Demons and the Toronto Jazz Festival will attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest saxophone ensemble. They're recruiting saxophonists to help with their challenge to the record currently held by the nation of Taiwan, which gathered an ensemble numbering 918 saxophonists last year.

Freedonia Music releases five new CDs

The St. Louis-based label Freedonia Music, which specializes in free jazz and improvisation, has just added five new CD titles to its catalog. The new releases are:

* Autonomous Oblast from The James Marshall Human Arts Ensemble, which originally was recorded in 1975 and has been digitally remastered from the original studio tapes. The CD (pictured) is described as "big band old school free-blown' free jazz. Featuring rare performances by Maurice Malik King, James Marshall, Luther Thomas, Thurman Thomas, Jim Miller, Carl Arzinia Richards, Papa Glen Wright, and others."

* Esfoma, a 1984 set of solo improvisations by pianist Greg Mills, also digitally remastered.

* Dave Stone Solo, featuring newly recorded improvisations from Stone on tenor, soprano and baritone saxes and alto, soprano and bass clarinets.

* Kokopilau, from poet Michael Castro and multi-reedman J.D. Parran, described as "a ceremony of the ancient future celebrating a 30 year collaboration...Retelling mythic tales of life, death & rebirth with voice, tenor sax, indigenous hand crafted instruments and postmodern techniques."

* Endless Root, a 1996 live recording of performance poetry with music, from Michael Castro and multi-instrumentalist Joe Catalano.

The label, which is headed by saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist Jay Zelenka, also has a revamped Web site with a new look, improved functionality and more information about the various products and artists. Listeners can hear numerous short excerpts from each CD on the home page, and download full length MP3s of selected tunes. All Freedonia Music releases are available from the site for $10 each, which includes shipping in the USA and Canada.

Notes from the Net: Miles from India reviewed; Ehrlich nominated for JJA award; St. Louisans at The Stone; Waits interviews himself; and more

From far and wide across the vastness of the Internets, here's the latest compilation of news bits about musicians with a St. Louis connection, recent visitors and coming attractions, plus a few other items of interest:

* Let's start, as we usually do, with some Miles Davis-related news. First up, AllAboutJazz.com has another review of the book Miles Davis, Miles Smiles and the Invention of Post Bop. Next up are three reviews of the new two-CD set Miles from India, from Blogcritics' Richard Marcus, Nick Coleman of the UK Independent, and from an Indian blogger who uses the handle Amitdas. And finally, a fine art and memorabilia exhibition entitled "A Tribute to Miles Davis and Carlos Santana" opened May 15 at Lush Life Gallery in San Francisco.

* The nominees for the 2008 Jazz Journalists Association awards include St. Louis native Marty Ehrlich (pictured) for clarinetist of the year.

* The July schedule at John Zorn's NYC performance space The Stone will have a distinct St. Louis flavor, courtesy of multi-reedman J.D. Parran, who's co-curating the shows for the month. St. Louisans past and present who will be performing include Parran, Ehrlich, trumpeter Bruce Purse, guitarist Kelvyn Bell, multi-instrumentalist Mark Deutsch, trombonist Joe Bowie, saxophonist Oliver Lake, and poet Michael Castro.

* Turning to news of some recent visitors to St. Louis, the Los Angeles Times has a review of bassist Christian McBride's recent concert at LA's Disney Hall featuring 'The Movement Revisited" a four-section suite inspired by the civil rights movement. McBride was in St. Louis this spring with the Ray Brown Tribute band to perform at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Bassist, singer and composer Esperanza Spalding, who played the Bistro last October, has a new CD Esperanza, reviewed here.

* Singer/pianist Freddie Cole and pianist Dave Brubeck recently performed on the same bill at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, and AllAboutJazz.com has a review of the show here. Both Cole and Brubeck performed at the Sheldon Concert Hall this past season, and Brubeck has a return engagement at the Sheldon this fall.

* Saxophonists Joe Lovano and Dave Liebman are reviving their Saxophone Summit project, with Ravi Coltrane joining in as a replacement for the late Michael Brecker. Coltrane played the Bistro in February.

* Pop/jazz singer Michael Buble, who performed at the Scottrade Center in March, continues his North American tour; a recent stop in San Jose, CA is reviewed here.

* Pianist Helen Sung recently was part of a "Women in Jazz" concert in Washington DC, reviewed here. Sung was a special guest at singer Denise Thimes' Mother's Day show at the Sheldon and will return to St. Louis in the fall to play Jazz at the Bistro with the Metta Quintet.

* Trumpeter Terence Blanchard and film director Spike Lee presented a program called "Jazz Goes to the Movies" at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, featuring excerpts from Blanchard's scores for Lee's movies Bamboozled, Inside Man, Clockers, Malcolm X, Jungle Fever, 25th Hour, Mo' Better Blues,and When the Levees Broke. Blanchard returns to St. Louis next February for a four-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro

* Lifecycle, the new collaborative album from the Yellowjackets and guitarist Mike Stern, is reviewed here. Stern was here to play the Bistro in March, and the Yellowjackets just wrapped up a four-night gig at the club. They'll return here to play the Bistro together next April 29 to May 2..

* Eccentric singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Tom Waits, who will be in St. Louis to play the Fox Theatre on June 26, recently did a rather amusing interview with himself about this summer's tour.

* And finally, a few miscellaneous items of interest, starting with the news that the city of Baltimore has accepted a bust of guitarist/composer Frank Zappa from FZ's Lithuanian fan club. Zappa was born in Baltimore, and his son Dweezil's project Zappa Plays Zappa will perform at The Pageant on Monday, June 9

* Here's another review of trombonist/composer George Lewis' new history of Chicago's Assocation for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.

* From freejazz.org comes an interesting discussion about why music goes out of print in the age of digital downloads. As it turns out, Amazon.com may have at least a partial solution to the problem with their new CreateSpace service, which duplicates out-of-print CDs and books on demand.

(Edited 6/3/08 to correct the date of the Zappa Plays Zappa show.)