Jazz this week: Regina Carter, Iva Bittová & Hamid Drake, and more

Wondering what's happening this week in live jazz and creative music in St. Louis?

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 18
Arguably the premier jazz violinist working today, Regina Carter (pictured, top left) opens a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

Like many a conservatory trained musician, Carter (pictured) certainly has fluid technique, but what really sets her apart from other equally proficient players are her expressive abilities as an improvisor, her feeling for blues and swing, and a canny sense of curation when conceiving albums and live performances.

On this visit to the Bistro, she'll be "performing music celebrating the 100th birthday of the great Ella Fitzgerald," and no doubt will have some interesting and enjoyable interpretations of material from the singer's vast catalog.

Thursday, January 19
Pianist Ptah Williams and guitarist Eric Slaughter will play at The Dark Room.

Friday, January 20
New Music Circle presents their first show of 2017, featuring a duo performance by Czech violinist and singer Iva Bittová and Chicago-based percussionist Hamid Drake (pictured, bottom left) at Joe's Cafe.

Also on Friday, Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; singers Rick Jensen and Lina Koutrakos present their cabaret show "After All Those Love Songs" at the Kranzberg Arts Center; and SpaceShip will bring their jazz/fusion sound to Evangeline's.

Saturday, January 21
Live jazz starts in the daytime, as trumpeter Jim Manley will play at Evangeline's as part of their new live music policy for Saturday brunch, and saxophonist Jason Swagler will be the first local player featured in a new monthly series of free Saturday matinee concerts at Saxquest.

Then on Saturday evening, saxophonist Tim Cunningham returns to @Nesby's in Sunset Hills.

Monday, January 23
Guitarist Tom Byrne and his quartet will kick off this semester's series of jazz concerts at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium, and Dizzy Atmosphere will play swing and Gypsy jazz at The Shaved Duck.

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: A tribute to 1970s fusion, trad jazz from Red Lehr, and more

With summer winding down and the fall presenting season yet to begin, it's not a particularly busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, but there still are some performances worth noting that are happening over the next few days.

Let's go to the highlights....

Thursday, August 25
Dizzy Atmosphere will play swing and Gypsy jazz as part of the "Sensational Summer Nights" series at Missouri Botanical Garden; and the Bruxism experimental music series continues at the Schlafly Tap Room, this month featuring Wiggpaw, Brett Williams, and UFO vs USA. 

Friday, August 26
An ad hoc quintet of St. Louis musicians will join forces to present "Weather Forever: The Music of Weather Report & Return to Forever," featuring music from two of the most popular jazz-fusion groups of the 1970s, for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

The ensemble attempting to bridge the disparate styles of these two iconic bands will include bassist Zeb Briskovich, drummer Montez Coleman (pictured, top left), keyboarist Adaron “Pops” Jackson, guitarist Eric Slaughter, and saxophonist Jason Swagler.

Also on Friday, singer Joe Mancuso brings a quartet to Nathalie's, and the Midwest Jazz-tette will play cool jazz in the West Coast style at Cigar Inn

Saturday, August 27 
Pianist Phil Dunlap's trio will play an early evening show at The Dark Room; trumpeter Danny Campbell returns with his Jazz Collective to Troy's Jazz Gallery; and Franglais will perform at Evangeline's

Sunday, August 28
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents sousaphonist Red Lehr's Powerhouse Five (pictured, lower left) playing traditional jazz and swing at the Doubletree Hotel St. Louis at Westport.

Monday, August 29
Trumpeter Jim Manley continues his Monday night residency at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, August 30
The Sidemen return to Evangeline's, and saxophonist Joe Bayer has a new weekly duo gig at Scarlett's Wine Bar in the Central West End, teaming up this week with bassist Glen Smith.

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.)

Ally Hany celebrating release of first CD Sunday, November 22 at Ferring Jazz Bistro

Trumpeter Ally Hany will celebrate the release of her first CD with a performance at 6:00 p.m. this Sunday, November 22 at Ferring Jazz Bistro.

Released by the indie label Armored Records, the album (pictured) is titled Journeys Ahead, and features six original compositions by Hany, performed with a backing band including saxophonists Devin Eddleman and Jon Mones, pianist Damian Garcia, bassist Jake Greenburg, and drummer Connor Kent.

At the Bistro show, her first local performance since moving last year to New York City, Hany will be joined by Jason Swagler (alto sax), Nathan Pence (bass), Adam Maness (piano), and Jharis Yokley (drums).

A native of Webster Groves, Hany played locally during her teen years with the Webster Groves High School jazz band, Jazz St. Louis All-Stars, Missouri All-State High School Jazz Band, and St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, as well as in Colorado with the Telluride Jazz Festival All Stars.

She then enrolled in the famed jazz studies program at the University of North Texas, where she performed, toured and recorded with the One O’Clock Lab Band and was featured on the their recording Lab 14, as well as on the Two O’Clock Lab Band's recordings Two’s Two and Kind of Two.

After graduating last year, Hany moved to NYC, where she's been teaching, gigging with the Seth Weaver Big Band and other local groups, and plans to begin graduate studies this fall at the Manhattan School of Music. While she's back home, Hany also will be taking part in the WGHS jazz program's annual fundraising concert on Tuesday, November 24 at Highway 61 Roadhouse.

Tickets for Ally Hany's CD release show are $16.50 and are on sale now via the Jazz St. Louis website and box office.

SIUE, St. Louis Jazz Club to present Essentially Ellington Regional Festival on Friday, March 27

The jazz studies program at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and the St. Louis Jazz Club are teaming up to present the Essentially Ellington Regional Festival on Friday, March 27 at Dunham Hall on the SIUE campus.

Funded by a grant from the Jazz Club and co-produced by NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center, the festival includes a full day of performances and workshops involving high school jazz ensembles from around the St. Louis metro area, culminating in a public concert at 7:30 p.m. featuring the participating bands, clinicians, and the SIUE Concert Jazz Band.

The visiting clinicians for the event will include saxophonist Ron Carter (pictured), former director of jazz studies at NIU, as well as former Count Basie Orchestra drummer Dennis Mackrel, trumpeter Derrick Gardner; tuba player Bob Stewart; and bassist Jeff Campbell. Participating musicians from the SIUE jazz faculty will include guitarist and jazz studies director Rick Haydon, trombonist Brett Stamps, saxophonist Jason Swagler, trumpeter Garrett Schmidt, pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson, and drummer Miles Vandiver.

Tickets for the concert are $12 for general admission, $9 for seniors and under 18, and free to SIUE students with valid student ID.

Jazz this week: Dave Scott & Jason Swagler, Denise Thimes, The Bosman Twins, St. Louis Big Band, and more

Here's a look at some of the most noteworthy jazz and creative music performances coming up over the next few days in and around St. Louis....

Tonight, California-based trumpeter Dave Scott, whose credits include gigs with Boz Scaggs, Toto, Michael Feinstein, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, and numerous others, will be in town to join forces with saxophonist Jason Swagler for a performance at the Kranzberg Arts Center; and guitarist Todd Mosby plays at Seedz Cafe.

On Friday, vocalist Erika Johnson will take the stage at Voce, while the singing sisters Feyza Eren and Ayse Eren will be accompanied by guitarist Dave Black at The Wine Press.

Also on Friday, singer Joe Mancuso, trumpeter Jim Manley and pianist Arthur Toney will team up to perform at Robbie's House of Jazz; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes play at Nathalie's; the Funky Butt Brass Band returns to the Broadway Oyster Bar; and Second Generation Swing plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

On Saturday, the Bosman Twins (pictured), singer Denise Thimes, and percussionist Herman Semidey's Latin Fire Ensemble will be the headliners of Gitana Productions' “Karamu: Fiesta of Latin and African American Music” at Union Avenue Christian Church in the Central West End.

Also on Saturday, pianist Carolbeth True plays at the Mahogany Grille in the Omni Majestic Hotel downtown; the WirePilots will perform at the Tavern of Fine Arts; and guitarist Larry Brown, Jr. returns to Robbie's House of Jazz.

Then on Sunday, saxophonist Jim Stevens will play a matinee at Chandler Hill Winery in Defiance; guitarist Tom Byrne and saxophonist Sam Hargadine will be at the Schlafly Brewery and Tap Room downtown; and Miss Jubilee performs at Nathalie's.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Tuesday the Coleman Hughes Project with Adrienne Felton will play a "Juneteenth" show in the Great Hall of the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park; and the St. Louis Big Band will perform for the "Notes From Home" series at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

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

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

Jason Swagler & Adaron Jackson to release Map of The World on Tuesday, January 28

Saxophonist Jason Swagler and pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson have teamed up for a new recording, Map of the World, to be released next Tuesday, January 28.

The EP (pictured) includes duo versions of four ballads from an eclectic group of songwriters, starting with Pat Metheny's "A Map of The World," and continuing with Henry Mancini's "Dreamsville," Ivan Lins' "Choro Das Águas," and Randy Newman's "When She Loved Me."

"As we worked through arrangements for a full length ballads album, these four tunes began to stand out almost as a collection or suite," said Swagler in an email to StLJN. "The original idea was to create an intimate and introspective backdrop, and these four songs did just that, and they stood best on their own. So we decided to release the four tunes as a singular statement, rather than as part of a traditional full length album."

Map of the World was produced by Swagler, engineered by Miles Vandiver, and recorded and mixed in the studio at SIU-E. It will be available as a digital download from iTunes and Amazon, and as a physical CD available for purchase via CD Baby and at Swagler's and/or Jackson's live shows.

Coincidentally, Swagler, Jackson and guitarist Rick Haydon also will be performing at 7:00 p.m. this Saturday, January 25 at Jacoby Arts Center in Alton. While the concert is not specifically intended to promote the album release, Swagler said they may have advance copies for sale if they arrive from the manufacturer in time for the show.

Edited 1/29/14 to add links to iTunes and CD Baby.

Jazz this week: The Wee Trio; Mardra & Reggie Thomas; CD release event for Swagler, Slaughter, Jost & Morrison; and more

With the annual Mardi Gras parade this Saturday, Valentine's Day just around the corner, and the usual mix of other performances happening around town, there's an eclectic selection of jazz and creative music on St. Louis stages this weekend. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, saxophonist Jason Swagler, guitarist Eric Slaughter, bassist Nick Jost and drummer Marty Morrison will promote the release of their first collaborative album, Rough Stuff, with two sets at Jazz at the Bistro. The ticket price includes a copy of the album, but if you can't make it to the show, it also is now on sale as a digital download from Amazon and iTunes.

Also tonight, drummer Ben Thigpen and his band will perform a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; and the Brazilian music group Samba Bom plays at the Central West End house concert venue Joe's Cafe.

On Friday afternoon, percussionist Mike Dillon, in town to open for Umphrey's McGee this weekend at The Pageant, will do a free in-store performance and CD signing at Vintage Vinyl.

Then on Friday evening, The Wee Trio (pictured), featuring St. Louis native Dan Loomis on bass, will be in town for the first of two evenings of recording a live album at Jazz at the Bistro. They were here most recently last January, performing at the Bistro in support of their then-new release of interpretations of the songs of rocker David Bowie.

Apparently, they must have found the setting congenial enough, for they decided to make their next record right there. For more about that, and some video samples of a couple of the songs they plan to record, see this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Also on Friday night, you can warm up for Saturday's Mardi Gras Parade with New Orleans' own Big Sam's Funky Nation and the Funky Butt Brass Band at the Old Rock House.

Elsewhere around town that evening, retro swing band Wack-A-Doo will play a free "happy hour" concert at the Kemper Art Museum on the Washington University campus; singer Ralph Butler is at Robbie's House of Jazz; singer Dean Christopher will present the first of three performance of a Valentine's-themed cabaret show at Dramatic License Theatre in Chesterfield Mall; and drummer Paul Shaw leads a trio at Cigar Inn.

On Saturday, Mardra and Reggie Thomas return from Michigan to perform at Robbie's House of Jazz. While the Thomases still lived in the St. Louis area, for many years they did an annual gig sometime around Valentine's Day at Jazz at the Bistro. This year, with Mardra and Reggie having relocated for his new job teaching at Michigan State University, and singer Sachal Vasandani making his St. Louis debut next week at the Bistro, this gig will have to suffice for their many hometown fans.

Also on Saturday, the Funky Butt Butt Brass Band and their longtime companions, New Orleans R&B cover band Gumbohead, will present a post-parade performance at Broadway Oyster Bar; and guitarist Dave Black will lead a trio in the first of a planned series of monthly gigs at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday guitarist Steve Schenkel performs at Webster University; and the Sessions Big Band plays their first show of the year at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups. BB's talent booker John May tells StLJN that, due to declining crowds, the Sessions band this year will only be playing once every other month at BB's. So if you're a fan of theirs, or of big bands in general, now might be a good time to show some support by turning out for the gig.

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 2/8/13 to fix a typo.) 

Swagler, Slaughter, Jost & Morrison to celebrate album release Thursday, February 7 at Jazz at the Bistro

Four St. Louis musicians known for their busy live-performing schedules will celebrate the release of their first collaborative recording with performances at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 7 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Rough Stuff is the first album jointly credited to saxophonist Jason Swagler, guitarist Eric Slaughter, bassist Nick Jost, and drummer Marty Morrison, who have worked together frequently in various local venues, sometimes under Swagler's name, sometime using Slaughter's.

The album (pictured) features nine tracks, including original compositions by members of the group and an interpretation of Charles Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," and currently is on sale as a digital download from both Amazon and iTunes.

Tickets for the album release event at Jazz at the Bistro, which will include a digital copy of Rough Stuff, are $20 for general admission, $10 for students, and on sale now via Metrotix.

(Edited 1/13/13 to fix a typo.)

St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers concert series announces 2012-13 season schedule

The St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers series has announced their schedule of free concerts for the 2012-13 season.

The concerts take place on the third Sunday of each month, except in December, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Second Baptist Church of St. Louis, 9030 Clayton Rd. (1/3 mile west of the St. Louis Galleria at McKnight).

The 2012-13 series will open on Sunday, October 21 with a performance featuring saxophonist Ray Vollmar and singer Deborah Sharn. The complete schedule for the 2012-13 season is:

Sunday, October 21: Ray Vollmar and Deborah Sharn
Sunday, November 18: Montez Coleman
Sunday, January 20: Ptah Williams
Sunday, February 17: Marquise Knox
Sunday, March 17: SIUE Jazz Faculty with Rick Haydon (pictured) and Jason Swagler
Sunday, April 21: Anita Rosamond

All concerts are free and open to the public, with no tickets needed. Free parking is available on the church's upper lot for guests who need to enter the building at sanctuary level, and also on the lower lot on the south side of the building.

Stages St. Louis production of Fats Waller musical Ain't Misbehavin' opens June 1

Stages St. Louis will present a revival of the Fats Waller musical Ain't Misbehavin' beginning at 8:00 p.m., Friday, June 1 and continuing through Sunday, July 1 at the Robert G. Reim Theatre, 111 S. Geyer Rd. in Kirkwood.

The show, which premiered on Broadway in 1978 and was one of the first successful examples of the now ubiquitous jukebox musical, is built around performances of well-known songs associated with Waller, including the title tune, "The Joint Is Jumpin'," "Lounging at the Waldorf," "Honeysuckle Rose," and many others. The original Broadway production included St. Louis native Ken Page in its cast, and won both the Tony and Drama Desk awards for best musical.

The cast for Stages' production of the show includes Raena White, Willena Vaughn, Eric Lajuan Summers, Dwelvan David and Wendy Lynette Fox. The band, which appears on stage as part of the show, will be led by pianist Adaron “Pops” Jackson, who also has a named role as "Luther," after Luther Henderson, pianist and musical director for the original Broadway cast. The band also will include Jason Swagler (alto sax), Kendrick Smith (tenor sax), Cody Henry (trombone), Matt Bittles (trumpet), Jahmal Nichols (bass) and Bernard Long, Jr. (drums). Stages' co-founder and artistic director Michael Hamilton is directing the show, with Lisa Campbell Albert as musical director.

After the opening weekend, Ain't Misbehavin' will play Tuesdays through Sundays until the conclusion of the run. Tickets are priced from $55 to $35, and are available in advance by phone at 314-821-2407 or online at www.stagesstlouis.org. Stages also offers $15 student/senior rush tickets, which are sold at the box office just before showtime if seats are available.

Young Friends groups to present "Jazz Under the Stars" on Thursday, January 26 at the Planetarium

The Young Friends of Jazz St. Louis and Young Friends of the Saint Louis Science Center will join forces to present the second annual "Jazz Under the Stars" event at 6:00 p.m., Thursday, January 26 at the Science Center's James S. McDonnell Planetarium in Forest Park.

The event will feature live music from drummer Marty Morrison & Friends, featuring Jason Swagler (saxophone), Adam Maness (keyboards) and Bob DeBoo (bass) with special guest vocalist Erin Bode (pictured). There also will be appetizers and beverages provided by Barefoot Wine, Square One Brewery and Distillery, and Augusta Brewing Company. Claire Kellett, co-anchor of the morning news broadcast on local CBS affiliate KMOV, will serve as host.

Admission includes three drink tickets and appetizers, and is priced at $25 before January 1, $30 after. Tickets are on sale now online and by phone at 314-289-4491.

Jazz this week: Eric Slaughter Trio with Jason Swagler, Ally Hany and Addison Frei, and more

The live jazz offerings are a bit sparse around town this long Independence Day weekend in St. Louis, but there still are a few shows worthy of your attention coming up over the next few days.

On Friday and Saturday, guitarist Eric Slaughter will bring his trio (pictured) plus saxophonist Jason Swagler to Jazz at the Bistro. Although Swagler is billed as special guest, he and Slaughter actually have played together fairly often, including co-hosting a jam session the first Sunday of every month at Bossanova restaurant and bar in Alton, and so already have some shared repertoire to draw on.

Update - July 1, 4:00 p.m.: Jason Swagler has had to undergo an emergency appendectomy, and thus will be unable to perform this weekend at the Bistro. Slaughter's aunt, the well-known blues and soul singer Marsha Evans, will perform with the band instead. In the meantime, here's hoping for a quick and complete recovery for Swagler.

Also on Friday, Robbie's House of Jazz will feature a duo gig by two young musicians, trumpeter and Webster Groves native Alexandra "Ally" Hany and Addison Frei, a young pianist originally from Kansas, who have just completed their freshman year in the well-known jazz studies program at the University of North Texas. Hany also is a former member of the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars student ensemble.

That same evening, pianist Tim Garcia will lead a trio with drummer Dave Sweet and bassist Jim Cady at the Cigar Inn in Belleville; guitarist Vince Varvel's trio will perform at Broadway Bean Coffee; and the Funky Butt Brass Band will play The Gramophone, opening for Austin, TX roots-rock band Uncle Lucius.

The FBBB will be back in action Saturday afternoon with a matinee performance at the Blues City Deli, and on Sunday, Slaughter and Swagler will lead the monthly jazz jam at Bossanova in Alton.

If you're up for some live music after the fireworks downtown on Monday evening, bassist David Certain and his band CertainBeat WorldBop will be playing at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups.

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 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 6/30/11 to add the Vince Varvel gig.)

Jazz St. Louis announces summer series at Jazz at the Bistro

Jazz St. Louis today released the summer 2011 schedule for Jazz at the Bistro. In addition to the previously announced concert by the Jazz Crusaders on Saturday, June 11 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, JSL will present St. Louis musicians on Fridays and Saturdays throughout June and July at the Bistro.

Of particular note are the performances by Reggie and Mardra Thomas scheduled for July 15 and 16. That's because Reggie Thomas (pictured), who currently teaches at SIUE, has accepted a job at Michigan State University beginning this fall, and so the Thomas' July gig at the Bistro is being billed as their "farewell performance" before they leave the St. Louis area.

In addition to the weekend shows by St. Louis musicians, the Bistro also will host a performance by the Monterey Jazz Festival's Next Generation Jazz Orchestra on Monday, June 27.

Here's the complete summer lineup:

Friday, June 3 & Saturday, June 4: Jim Manley’s Wild, Cool & Swingin’ Orchestra
Friday, June 10 & Saturday, June 11: Coco Soul
Saturday, June 11: Jazz Crusaders (at the Touhill)
Friday, June 17 & Saturday, June 18: Tim Cunningham & Jim Stevens
Friday, June 24 & Saturday, June 25: Denise Thimes
Monday, June 27: Monterey Jazz Festival Next Generation Jazz Orchestra

Friday, July 1 & Saturday, July 2: Eric Slaughter Trio with Jason Swagler
Friday, July 8 & Saturday, July 9: Legacy Jazz Quintet plays Miles Davis 1959-1968
Friday, July 15 & Saturday, July 16: Reggie Thomas and Mardra Thomas play Stevie Wonder
Friday, July 22 & Saturday, July 23: Willie Akins Quartet plays John Coltrane
Friday, July 29 & Saturday, July 30: Good 4 The Soul

The performances by the Legacy Jazz Quintet, Reggie and Mardra Thomas, and the Willie Akins Quartet will be presented in cooperation with the Center for the Humanities Summer Institute at Washington University, a program for schoolteachers that this year is entitled “The Sock Hop and the Loft: Jazz, Motown, and the Transformation of American Culture, 1959-1975.”

Tickets for the Jazz Crusaders at the Touhill are $100, $50 and $35, and are on sale now via the TouPAC ticket office.

Tickets for most of the performances at the Bistro are $20 each, $10 for students with ID. The exceptions are the Eric Slaughter show, which is priced at $15 and $10, and the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, which will be $10 and $5. Tickets for the Bistro summer shows will go on sale at 10:00 a.m., Monday, May 16 via Metrotix and the Jazz St. Louis box office.

(Edited after posting to correct prices on the Jazz Crusaders show and add info on the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra performance.)

Jazz this week: Stanley Clarke and Hiromi, Sister Swing, "O That Jazz," Hard Bop Heritage, and more

While the worst of this week's winter storm seems to have missed the immediate St. Louis area, it has caused travel problems throughout the region, with many businesses closing and a number of events canceled, postponed or rescheduled.

Most notably for local jazz fans, bassist Stanley Clarke and keyboardist Hiromi were scheduled to begin a series of duo shows tonight at Jazz at the Bistro, but the inclement weather prevented them from flying in on schedule. That forced them to cancel a performance scheduled last night in Columbia, MO as well as tonight's sets at the Bistro.

The latest word from Jazz St. Louis is that Clarke and Hiromi still are coming to St. Louis, and their performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday will go on as scheduled. However, at this writing, all shows except for the 10:15 set on Thursday are sold out. There may be some tickets available on the resale market, or, if you're feeling lucky, I suppose you could go down to the Bistro, wait, and see if anyone cancels their reservations, but frankly, that seems like a long shot, so caveat emptor.

For more about Clarke and Hiromi, see this video showcase post from last Saturday; this interview the bassist did with the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson, published earlier this week; and this piece by Chris King from last week's St. Louis American

(Jazz St. Louis has said they'll try to reschedule Wednesday's shows; Clarke and Hiromi already have reset their gig in Columbia for Sunday, February 27, so perhaps they'll be able to get here right after that. More details on that as they become available...)

Elsewhere around town, the majority of this weekend's events involve local musicians, most of whom ought to be able to get back to work as the roads are cleared and the area finishes digging out. The exception would be the California-based vocal trio Sister Swing, who are scheduled to perform Sunday at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey; one would hope things will be back to normal at the airport well before then.

Still, given the week's events, it can't hurt to check the local weather conditions, and to call ahead to your venue of choice before heading out in this frigid weather, OK?

Also on Thursday, the sextet Hard Bop Heritage, led by trumpeter Randy Holmes, plays a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; and the jazz bands from Webster Groves High School and Middle School will raise money for their band program with their "Cool Nights, Hot Jazz" concert at The Pageant.

On Friday, there's another benefit, as parents and friends of the school music programs in O'Fallon, IL will present "O That Jazz," a fundraising event for the district's student bands. The evening will feature dinner, dancing, and swing music from Wack-A-Doo, and takes place at The Fountains Hotel & Conference Center in Fairview Heights.

Also on Friday, saxophonist Willie Akins will be at Robbie's House of Jazz, accompanied by pianist Simon Rowe, bassist Willem vom Hombracht and drummer Montez Coleman, who back in the early 90s helped him record Alima, his only CD as a bandleader. Akins and the band also will do a free performance and workshop at 11:00 a.m. this Saturday at Saxquest.

On Saturday evening, pianist Heather Bosshardt will lead a trio at Robbie's in celebration of her debut CD release.

On Sunday, the Bossa Nova Restaurant and Lounge in Alton presents their monthly jam session hosted by a band including saxophonist Jason Swagler, guitarist Eric Slaughter, bassist Nick Jost and drummer Marty Morrison.

Looking beyond the weekend, the Sessions Big Band will play on Monday at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, and on Tuesday, Robbie's will host their weekly open jam session.

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 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.)

(Updated after posting to add the WGHS event at the Pageant.)

Jazz St. Louis announces new education faculty and programs, 2010 All-Stars

Jazz St. Louis director of education Phil Dunlap recently made a couple of blog posts with some announcements about JSL's education programs for the 2010-11 season. Here's what's news:

* Nearly 80 students from Missouri and Illinois auditioned during June to be part of the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars and JazzU programs; that's an increase of more than 60% compared to last year.

As a result of those auditions, the students selected for the 2010-11 All-Stars ensemble are bassist Sam Fruend and drummer Joe Winstein-Hibbs, both of Webster Groves High School; pianist Eliot Courtois (Lindbergh High School); alto saxophonist Matthew Baldwin (Westminster Christian Academy); tenor saxophonist Michael Ferrante (Ft. Zumwalt West High School) and guitarist Joseph Clayton Floyd and trombonist William Wolff, who both attend Belleville East High School.

The All-Stars will be led next year by saxophonist Jason Swagler (pictured), a new addition to the Jazz St. Louis faculty. Faculty for the JazzU program will include Anthony Wiggins (trumpet), Cody Henry (trombone), Aaron Lehde (saxophone), Andy Ament (saxophone) and Dunlap (piano).

* JSL also has added two new permanent artists-in-residence to its faculty. Pianist Reggie Thomas will be artist-in-residence with the All-Stars, while pianist Peter Martin will fill the same role for the top group in the JazzU program. These ongoing residencies augment JSL's existing residency program, which brings in visiting jazz artists and educators for a week at a time to work with the JazzU and All-Star participants.

* In addition to next year's previously announced educational residencies by Gene Aitken, saxophonist Ronald Carter, and pianist Cyrus Chestnut with special guest, trumpeter Jon Faddis, in November Jazz St. Louis will present a series of youth concerts at the Touhill Performing Arts Center featuring JazzReach with Metta Quintet. The programs will include "Stolen Moments: The First One Hundred Years of Jazz" for grades 6-12, "Big Drum/Small World for KIDS!" for grades 3-5 and "Hangin’ with the Giants" for grades K-4. Each performance will feature narration and an interactive media presentation along with live music from Metta Quintet.

* The newest addition to Jazz St. Louis’ education programs is "Jazz from the Inside," which will use video conferencing and fiber optic technology to "bring together students from St. Louis and all around the country."

All of these programs are offered free of charge to the participating students and schools. For more information on Jazz St. Louis' education programs, visit the JSL website or call Phil Dunlap at 314-289-4033.

Jazz this week: Dianne Reeves & Peter Martin, Lou Donaldson, FLOW, St. Louis Musicians for Haiti, and more

It's looking like a very good weekend of live music in St. Louis, with a number of events of interest to fans of jazz and creative music. Let's go to the highlights, presented in chronological order:

Things get started tonight with the veteran saxophonist Lou Donaldson (pictured), who's back in town to perform at Jazz at the Bistro through Saturday. For more on Donaldson, see this video post from a couple of weeks ago, and this recent podcast interview from Jazz St. Louis.

On Thursday, Broadway actress and singer Sutton Foster will perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall as part of a fundraising gala for Cabaret St. Louis. You can find links to a couple of interviews with Foster about the event here. Also on Thursday, saxophonist Jason Swagler will lead his group in a free concert for Washington University's Jazz at Holmes series.

On Friday, pianist Peter Martin's eponymous new series at the Sheldon kicks off with a duo performance featuring Martin and singer Dianne Reeves, for whom he has served as music director since 2001. For more on both, check out this video post, these previous posts on the Peter Martin Music series, and this interview with Martin from the St. Louis Beacon.

Also on Friday, NYC saxophonist Kim Bock and his organ-centric trio FLOW will perform an early show starting at 8:00 p.m. at The Gramophone. The next morning, they'll be at Saxquest at 11:00 a.m. for a concert and clinic.

Later on Saturday, the Nu-Art Series begins "The Jazz Composers Series: Re-Arrangements & Nu-Compositions" with a matinee concert at the Metropolitan Gallery downtown. The first installment of the series features an ensemble led by bassist Darrell Mixon doing original compositions and the music of Charles Mingus. For more on Nu-Art's jazz composers series, see this post.

On Saturday evening, percussionist and trumpeter "Baba" Mike Nelson will bring his group Sworn to the Drum to Robbie's House of Jazz.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday pianist Carolbeth True and her trio will back saxophonist Willie Akins in a concert at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium.

On Tuesday, the Sheldon Concert Hall will present "St. Louis Musicians For Haiti," an event raising funds for post-earthquake relief efforts in the beleaguered island nation. The lineup includes singer Brian Owens; folk group Mayor Taylor, featuring Lydia Ruffin and Charlie Pfeffer; the Bottoms Up Blues Gang; pianist Peter Martin; singer Mardra Thomas and her pianist/husband Reggie Thomas; singer Kim Massie; pianist Peter Henderson; singer Christine Brewer; and more. Author and former TV newscaster Julius Hunter will serve as host for the evening, and it appears as of this writing that there are still some tickets available.

Also, Jazz St. Louis has two Stevie Wonder-related events planned for the first part of next week. On Tuesday, the monthly meeting of the CD Listening Club at Borders in Brentwood will focus on Wonder's Songs In The Key of Life, with keyboardist and jazz educator Reggie Thomas as the special guest. Then on Wednesday, Thomas will lead his band in a free concert of music from the same album at East St. Louis High School as part of JSL's Whitaker Community Concerts series.

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.)

(Edited after posting to add the Carolbeth True concert at Webster U.)

Jazz at Holmes announces winter/spring 2010 schedule

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

Guitarist Matthew Von Doran, backed by bassist Bob DeBoo and drummer Steve Davis, will get things started for 2010 at 8:00 p.m. this Thursday, January 21.

In keeping with the pattern of the last several semesters, the Jazz at Holmes series this spring also will feature a visiting performer along with the lineup of St. Louis talent: singer Jan Shapiro (pictured), a former St. Louisan who now heads the vocal department at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and who will perform on Thursday, April 8.

The Jazz at Holmes series presents concerts at 8:00 p.m. most Thursdays while school is in session. This semester's schedule also includes a concert on Saturday, February 27 by pianist Jay Oliver's quartet. Here's the complete Jazz at Holmes winter/spring 2010 schedule:

Thursday, January 21: Matthew Von Doren Trio
Thursday, January 28: Ptah Williams Trio

Thursday, February 4: Jason Swagler
Thursday, February 11: Dave Stone & Randy Holmes play the music of Don Cherry & Ornette Coleman
Thursday, February 18: Curt Landes Quartet
Saturday, February 27: Jay Oliver Quartet

Thursday, March 4: Paul DeMarinis
Thursday, March 18: Bensid Thigpen
Thursday, March 25: Kara Baldus

Thursday, April 1: Vince Varvel
Thursday, April 8: Jan Shapiro
Thursday, April 15: Larry Johnson and Two Times True

All Jazz at Holmes concerts are free and open to the public. Holmes Lounge is located in Ridgley Hall, on the west side of Brookings Quadrangle near the intersection of Brookings and Hoyt drives. For further information, call Sue Taylor at 314-862-0874 or email staylor@wustl.edu.

(Edited 1/24/10 because Jazz at Holmes switched the originally announced dates for the Curt Landes and Dave Stone/Randy Hplmes concerts, and to add tags.)

Jazz this week: Dianne Reeves, Kim Massie, Jason Swagler, Mary Dyson and more

This week's notable jazz and creative music performances in St. Louis include a benefit concert featuring a well-known touring headliner and a number of shows spotlighting featuring local musicians.

The touring artist in question is singer Dianne Reeves (pictured), who performs Sunday night at the Sheldon Concert Hall in a benefit for Community Women Against Hardship. Touring in support of When You Know, her latest release on Blue Note, Reeves is working with a quartet including St. Louis native Peter Martin on piano, Romero Lubambo on guitar, Reuben Rogers on bass and Gregory Hutchinson on drums.

As for the local talent, on Thursday evening singer Kim Massie gives a free concert at the Foundry Arts Centre in St. Charles as part of Jazz St. Louis' new Whitaker Community Concerts series.

Then on Friday and Saturday, saxophonist Jason Swagler leads his group in a two-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro. A graduate of the jazz program at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Swagler now teaches at SIU-E in addition to gigging around town with various bands playing straightahead jazz and funk.

And speaking of funk, Friday night also is when self-described "groove oriented modern jazz and funk" band Elastik Soul performs at The Gramophone. Meanwhile, other notable shows on Saturday include New Music Circle's Rich O'Donnell and friends doing a multi-media performance piece called WORDSDROW at Satori, located at 3003 Locust downtown, and keyboard player Tony Simmons offering a tribute to Ray Charles at the Black Cat Theatre in Maplewood.

On Sunday, singer Mary Dyson and pianist Brock Walker's trio will inaugurate the new jazz and blues vespers series at Second Baptist Church, 9030 Clayton Rd. near the Galleria. Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band is at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, and on Tuesday, guitarist Pete Lombardo and his group perform at The Gramophone.

As usual, these are just some of the week's highlights, so to see listings of more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

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

SIUE Friends of Music "Hollywood Jazz" benefit scheduled for next Sunday, October 5

Singer Mardra Thomas (pictured) and her group plus the Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville Concert Jazz Band conducted by Jason Swagler will be the featured performers at "Hollywood Jazz," a dinner and benefit for the SIUE Friends of Music Scholarship Fund that will take place starting at 5:30 p.m. next Sunday, October 5 in SIUE's Meridian Ballroom.

In keeping with the Hollywood theme, guests will “walk the red carpet” as they enter the ballroom. A 30-minute visual montage from notable jazz films will serve as backdrop for cocktails and Thomas' performance, which will include jazz interpretations of songs from the movies. Following a formal dinner, the SIUE Jazz Concert Band will play big band dance music until 9:00 p.m.

Tickets for “Hollywood Jazz” are $60 per person or $480 for a table for eight. To make reservations or get more information, you can call the SIUE Department of Music at 618-650-3900 or toll-free at 888-328-5168, Extension 3900.