Jazz this week: David Sanborn, U City Jazz Festival, two Miles Davis tributes, and more

It's a week to celebrate St. Louis' hometown jazz heroes, as the calendar of upcoming jazz and creative music performances includes the return of the best-known living jazz musician who grew up here; a couple of tributes to the most famous St. Louis-area jazz musician of them all; plus plenty of other noteworthy gigs featuring local players. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 6
Saxophonist David Sanborn (pictured, top left) is back home with his new quintet for the first of four nights of performances at Jazz St. Louis.

You can see some videos of Sanborn's new band and find out more about what he's be up to recently in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Wednesday, multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris is the featured performer this week at Missouri Botanical Garden's Whitaker Music Festival.

Thursday, June 7
Eclectic instrumental quartet The 442s will play at Joe's Cafe & Art Gallery; saxophonist Vince Sala leads a trio at The Pat Connolly Tavern; and saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet continues their month-long residency at The Dark Room.

Friday, June 8
Trumpeter Randy Holmes will lead a quintet for the first night of the "3rd Annual Miles Davis Festival" at the Webster Groves Concert Hall, expanding the group to a sextet for Saturday's performance.

Elsewhere around town, the Brooklyn, NY-based jam band Ikebe Shakedown plays "cinematic instrumental soul" at the Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, and the Funky Butt Brass Band will perform at Beale on Broadway.

Over on the east side, saxophonist Freddie Washington leads a trio at Cigar Inn, and Eckert's in Belleville presents a free outdoor concert from "Trombonanza," featuring trombonists Mark Kellogg, Jim Martin, Aaron Eckert and Brendan Lanighan,

Saturday, June 9
The U City Jazz Festival runs from mid-afternoon through the evening at Heman Park, with a lineup that includes a tribute to Stanley Clarke from the Fusion Warriors, plus sets from Bach to the Future, Joe Mancuso, Soul Cafe, Mo Egeston (pictured, bottom left), Maurice Carnes and the Avant Gardians, and Morphelonious.

Also on Saturday, Alton's annual "Miles Davis Jazz Festival" will feature music from saxophonist Fred Walker, guitarist Tim Jarden, singer Saman Swanson, and Retro Boogie at the Jacoby Arts Center; and the Jazz Edge Orchestra and guest trombonists Steve Turre, Steve Davis and Andre Hayward will present a "Tribute to J.J. Johnson" at Harris-Stowe State University's Emerson Performance Center.

Sunday, June 10
The Arcadia Dance Orchestra will perform a matinee at the Webster Groves Concert Hall, and Miss Jubilee plays a free outdoor concert at Carondelet Park.

Monday, June 11
Dizzy Atmosphere plays swing and Gypsy jazz at The Shaved Duck.

Tuesday, June 12
Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True will be joined by singer Joe Mancuso for a "Notes From Home" concert at The Sheldon.

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: Chesterfield Jazz Festival, "Ballad of Atlantis," Denise Thimes, and more

For the first official week of summer, the calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features some noteworthy free outdoor concerts; shows paying tribute to a jazz guitar giant and some old-school soul/funk favorites; and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 21
Though there's no live music at Jazz at the Bistro until the weekend, the weekly Grand Center Jazz Crawl proceeds as usual, with live music at four different venues within the district.

Also on Wednesday, guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran will play the Venice Cafe, and singer Feyza Eren will be among the performers taking part in an observance of "Make Music Day St. Louis" at Evangeline's.

Thursday, June 22
Saxophonist Ben Reece’s Unity Quartet will perform at The Dark Room; the Gateway City Big Band plays a free outdoor concert at the Chesterfield Amphitheater; and singer Erin Bode returns to Cyrano's.

Friday, June 23
The Jazz Edge Big Band will offer a "Tribute to Wes Montgomery" featuring guest guitarists Eric Slaughter, Rick Haydon and Gregg Haynes at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Over on the other of Grand, multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris (pictured, center left) will be presenting "Ballad of Atlantis: The Music of The Isley Brothers" for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Saturday, June 24
The free, outdoor Chesterfield Wine and Jazz Festival will feature performances from the Wooten Brothers (pictured,top left), Bach to the Future with violinist Tracy Silverman, singer Anita Jackson, Soul Cafe, and singer Kim Fuller-Barnes at the Chesterfield Amphitheater.

For more about the Wooten Brothers - bassist Victor Wooten and drummer Roy "Futureman" Wooten, of Bela Fleck's Flecktones, plus their siblings Regi on guitar and Joseph on keyboards - plus some video of them in action, see this post from last Saturday.

Sunday, June 25
The St. Louis Record and CD Collector's Show will present their summer event at the American Czech Educational Center; the Folk School of KDHX hosts their monthly traditional jazz jam session; and singer Denise Thimes (pictured, bottom left) will perform in a free outdoor concert at Ivory Perry Park.

Monday, June 26
Singer and impressionist Dean Christopher returns with his "Rat Pack and More" show to One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar

Tuesday, June 27
Saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective return to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, and saxophonist and singer Cary Colman's trio plays at Evangeline's.

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 this week's wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* Saxophonist Bobby Watson, who's visiting St. Louis to play tonight with the Jazz Edge Orchestra at the Touhill, was interviewed by the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson.

Watson also was interviewed Thursday about the show by KMOX's Charlie Brennan.

* Jazz St. Louis has announced a celebration of National Donut Day at their Grand Center HQ, with tastings of donuts from 15 local bakeries, plus a photo booth, kids' activities, and live music. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Friday, June 3.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn announced that he'll be touring North America this summer jointly with saxophonist Dave Koz (pictured, with Sanborn). The tour starts July 30 at Thornton Winery in Temecula, CA and continues through the end of August. No St. Louis show this time around, but you can see the full list of dates at Sanborn's website.

* "Da-Dum-Dun," an event presented tonight by the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club in celebration of the lives of East St. Louisans Miles Davis, Henry Dumas and Katherine Dunham, was previewed by Kenya Vaughn of the St. Louis American.

* Singer Erin Bode's performance last week at a charity concert for St. Louis Children’s Hospital patients was the subject of a news story on KTVI/Fox 2.

* Saxophonist Greg Osby was the subject of an extended feature story by AllAboutJazz.com's Victor Schermer.

* Drummer and St. Louis native Emanuel Harrold performed with singer Gregory Porter last week on PBS's The Tavis Smiley Show, and the performance and interview with Porter now have been posted online.

Jazz this week: Peter Martin, Bobby Watson & Angela Hagenbach, Rhys Chatham, and more

This week's lineup of jazz and creative music performances in St. Louis includes a rare nightclub appearance by a favorite hometown pianist, several noteworthy touring performers, and a rather eclectic selection of tribute shows.

Let's go to the highlights....

Wednesday, May 18
Pianist Peter Martin will lead his trio for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, the first time he's played the room since it was expanded and renovated in 2014.

Martin (pictured, top left) will be joined by bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, both first-rate players who contributed to his most recent album What Lies Ahead and have been working with him on some touring dates as well, so they should be primed and ready from the first downbeat. Given Martin's local popularity - he grew up in U City, and continues to live in St. Louis while touring internationally as music director for singer Dianne Reeves - tickets may be hard to get, so advance reservations are recommended.

Also tonight, the experimental noise-rock duo Ahleuchatistas return to headline a four-band bill at 2720 Cherokee, and Cabaret Project St. Louis will celebrate the fourth anniversary of their "Open Mic Night" at the Tavern of Fine Arts

Thursday, May 19
The New Orleans-based band Nutrio makes their St. Louis debut at Evangeline's. The group, which includes saxophonist and clarinetist Byron Asher, bassist Trey Boudreaux, and drummer Shawn Myers, is touring the Midwest in support of their self-titled debut EP.

Also on Thursday, singer Feyza Eren and friends will perform at Nathalie’s

Friday, May 20
The Jazz Edge Orchestra will present a concert paying tribute to Kansas City jazz at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, featuring as special guests the veteran alto saxophonist Bobby Watson (pictured, center left), who once was a key part of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and now co-leads the jazz program at UMKC's conservatory of music; and vocalist and KC native Angela Hagenbach.

Elsewhere on Friday, the funk/jazz quartet Good 4 the Soul will join forces with keyboardist Reggie Thomas for the first of two nights of a tribute to the late keyboardists Joe Sample and George Duke at Jazz at the Bistro; Western swing favorites Asleep At The Wheel will be in town to perform at the Old Rock House, and guitarist Eric Slaughter and bassist Glen Smith will play duets at Tavern of Fine Arts.

Saturday, May 21
Saxquest continues their series of free performances and workshops with a matinee from the New Horizon Saxophone Quartet, which features faculty members from the University of Cincinnati, Drake University, and Colorado State University and "combines the rhythmic and improvisatory language of jazz with elements of modern chamber composition."

Then on Saturday night, trumpeter Kasimu Taylor leads a quintet playing the music of Miles Davis at Kranzberg Arts Center, while the Funky Butt Brass Band will turn their monthly show at Broadway Oyster Bar into a tribute to Prince. Also on Saturday, trumpeter Jim Manley and guitarist Randy Bahr's All-Star Band returns to Nathalie's, and Wack-A-Doo plays swing, vintage pop and Americana at Evangeline's.

Sunday, May 22
On Sunday afternoon, the St. Louis Jazz Club presents Cornet Chop Suey in a matinee performance of traditional jazz and swing at the Doubletree Hotel St. Louis at Westport.

Sunday night, composer and multi-instrumentalist Rhys Chatham will be visiting for a rare solo performance at The Luminary, with St. Louis' Vernacular String Trio as opening act.

A seminal figure in NYC's experimental music scene of the 1970s and '80s, Chatham (pictured, bottom left) has lived in France for the past 30 years, and his appearances stateside are infrequent and often confined to the coasts. For more about Chatham and some video samples of his music, see this post from last Saturday. 

Also on Sunday night, the Dave Dickey Big Band will play their regular monthly show at Jazz at the Bistro, with an intermission performance from the Sperring Middle School Jazz Ensemble.

Monday, May 23
Dizzy Atmosphere plays swing and Gypsy jazz at The Shaved Duck.

Tuesday, May 24
Two groups associated with improvising pianist Greg Mills, the Mount Everest Trio and the Perihelion Ensemble, will share an evening at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

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

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

Jazz this week: Danilo Pérez, Jay Oliver, Denise Thimes, a big band Sunday, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a visit from a top touring jazz pianist, the return of a favorite local singer to the city's showcase club, and one day that may seem like a time warp back to the big band era.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 24
Singer Denise Thimes (pictured, top left) returns to Jazz at the Bistro for the first of three evenings, continuing through Friday.

Also tonight, the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra plays at Riverbend Restaurant & Bar.

Thursday, February 25
Keyboardist and St. Louis native Jay Oliver is back in town for a visit and will team up with guitarist/bassist William Lenihan and drummer Steve Davis to play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Elsewhere on Thursday, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black perform at Thurman Grill; and the Tavern of Fine Arts presents their monthly "Open Improv Night" with live improvised music.

Friday, February 26
Singer Tim Schall does his cabaret show "1961" at The Stage at KDHX; singer Chuck Flowers performs at Tavern of Fine Arts; and The Sidemen play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom

Saturday,
February 27
Pianist Danilo Pérez (pictured, lower left) plays the Sheldon Concert Hall, featuring music from his 2014 recording Panama 500, a sort of world-fusion concept that posits the music of that nation as part of a continuum of styles stretching around the globe. For more about that, and to see and hear Pérez performing some of the music from the album, check out the video showcase post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Also on Saturday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to Thurman Grill, and singer Eve Seltzer will perform at Evangeline's.

Sunday, February 28
While the "big band era" is supposed to have ended officially more than 60 years ago, you wouldn't necessarily know that by looking at the calendar for Sunday, which features four different big band performances in St. Louis on the same day.

For starters, the students in the McKinley High School Goldbug Jazz Band will be celebrating their first recording as a group with a matinee concert & CD release party at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Meanwhile, just a few blocks to the south, The Big Little Big Band will present a free concert at the Scottish Rite Cathedral Auditorium on Lindell.

Then on Sunday evening, the Dave Dickey Big Band will present their monthly performance at Jazz at the Bistro, with the North County HS Jazz Ensemble playing at intermission, while the Jazz Edge Big Band
returns to the Kirkwood Station Brewing Company (where Dickey's band played until the opening of the expanded Ferring Jazz Bistro in 2014).

Monday, February 29
Saxophonists Christopher Braig and Paul DeMarinis will join forces for a concert at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium; Dizzy Atmosphere plays swing and Gypsy jazz at The Shaved Duck; and pianist Ptah Williams continues his Monday night residency at Thurman Grill.

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: Warren Wolf, Susan Alcorn & Frank Rosaly, Bonerama, and more

While the winter weather may have taken a turn for the worse this week in St. Louis, the jazz and creative music touring activity here is heating up, with three (or four, depending on you count) visiting headliners in town over the next few days, plus an eclectic assortment of shows from local performers. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 20
Vibraphonist Warren Wolf (pictured, upper left) and his band Wolfpack will begin a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro

Wolf, now considered one of the top mallet percussionists in jazz (and who also plays piano and drums) was here most recently in November 2014, co-leading a band with trumpeter Sean Jones and saxophonist Tia Fuller for a weekend at the Bistro. This time, he's fronting his own group, which includes saxophonist Tim Green, who also contributes as a composer, plus pianist Alex Brown, bassist Kris Funn and drummer Billy Williams Jr.

Also on Wednesday, Cabaret Project St. Louis will present their monthly "Open Mic Night" at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Thursday, January 21
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play vintage swing and blues in the Ritz Carlton Hotel's Lobby Lounge; guitarist Dave Black and Friends featuring singer Feyza Eren will perform at Nathalie’s; and actress/singer Anna Blair offers her latest cabaret show, "I am Reddy, Hear Me Roar" at The Emerald Room at The Monocle.

Friday, January 22
Pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn, who usually works solo, will team up with drummer Frank Rosaly (pictured, lower left with Alcorn) for a duo concert of improvised music presented by New Music Circle at Joe’s Cafe.

Also on Friday, New Orleans-based brass/funk/rock band Bonerama is back for another performance at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Elsewhere around town, the Original Knights of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; singer Joe Mancuso leads a quartet at Nathalie's; and guitarist Tom Byrne's trio will play at Cigar Inn.

Saturday, January 23
On Saturday afternoon, singer Wendy L. Gordon returns to J&C BBQ and Blues, and the Stan Coleman - Darrell Mixon Quartet performs at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Saturday evening, Wack-A-Doo serves up swing, pop, and Americana at Evangeline's; singer Erika Johnson and guitarist Tom Byrne will duet at Thurman Grill; and guitarist Brian Vaccaro's trio plays at the house concert venue Kinda Blue Club.

Sunday, January 24
The Jazz Edge Big Band returns to Kirkwood Station Brewing Company, and trumpeter Jim Manley plays at Nathalie's.

Monday, January 25
Trumpeter Randy Holmes leads his quintet in a concert at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium.

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

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

Jazz this week: Marcus Miller, Jonah Parzen-Johnson, Pamela Rose's "Wild Women of Song," Jazz Edge Big Band, and more

There's lots going on in jazz and creative music this week in St. Louis, and so you don't miss out, here's a special early edition of our weekly highlights post...

Tuesday, June 16
Tonight, bassist Marcus Miller and his band return to St. Louis to begin a three-night stand continuing through Thursday at Jazz at the Bistro.

Miller, also known for his production work on behalf of musicians including Miles Davis and David Sanborn, is on tour promoting a new album, Afrodeezia. As the title suggests, the recording adds some African and "world music" flavors to Miller's usual stew of funk and jazz elements.

For more about that, plus videos of performances of music from Afrodeezia, see this post from a week ago Saturday. And for even more, Miller (pictured, top left) talked with Calvin Wilson of the Post-Dispatch for a brief preview story about the gig.

Also tonight, baritone saxophonist Jonah Parzen-Johnson will be in town to perform at Foam, 3359 Jefferson Ave. You can find out more about him and see some examples of his electronically augmented solo performances in this post from last Saturday.

Wednesday, June 17
Singer Joe Mancuso will be this week's featured performer for the Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden; Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Open Mic Night" at Tavern of Fine Arts; and guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran plays at Nathalie's.

Update - 1:30 p.m. 5/16/15: Due to rain saturating the grounds of the Missouri Botanical Garden, Joe Mancuso's concert has been postponed until next year. Instead, Mancuso and band will play a free show starting at 7:30 p.m. at Thurman Grill.

Thursday, June 18
Guitarist Dave Black and friends, including featured vocalist Feyza Eren, will perform at Nathalie’s; and pianist Brad Ellebrecht and singer Diane Vaughn will play a duo show at Tavern of Fine Arts.

Friday, June 19
The trio of bassist Bob DeBoo, saxophonist Dave Stone, and drummer Montez Coleman will perform for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro; and the Jazz Edge Big Band presents "A Tribute to St. Louis Saxophonists" at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, with guest performances from Eric Person (pictured, center left) as well as the Bosman Twins, Willie Akins and Paul DeMarinis.

Also on Friday, the St. Louis Big Band will present "Tap + Jazz," featuring tap dancer Tommy Wasiuta performing with the band, at Casa Loma Ballroom; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to the Backstreet Jazz & Blues Club in Westport.

Saturday, June 20 
The Old Rock House presents their second annual "Summer Gras," an all-day event with music from New Orleans' Dumpstaphunk, with Ivan Neville on keyboards, plus Austin, TX funk band Mingo Fishtrap, singer-songwriter Marc Broussard, the Funky Butt Brass Band, and more. 

Elsewhere around town, trumpeter Jim Manley and friends - singer Charlie B, keyboardist Arthur Toney, guitarist Randy Bahr and drummer Joe Weber - return to Nathalie's; guitarist Todd Mosby and cellist Traci Andreotti will greet the summer solstice with a duo performance at Seedz Café; and Gypsy jazz band Franglais hosts a late-night jam session at Evangeline's.

Sunday, June 21
San Francisco-based singer Pamela Rose (pictured, lower left) makes her St. Louis debut with a benefit performance of her show "Wild Women of Song” at the Ferring Jazz Bistro.

Monday, June 22
Rose presents a free performance of "The Life and Music of Etta James" at the  Emerson Performance Center on the campus of Harris Stowe State University; and singer Dean Christopher reprises his "Rat Pack & More" show at One 19 Tapas and Wine Bar.

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: Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival, Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience, Kneebody, Jazz Edge Big Band, and more

It's looking like the busiest weekend so far this year for live jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with a number of touring bands and musicians passing through town in the next few days, as well as some particularly noteworthy shows from local players.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, March 18
The eclectic quintet Kneebody makes their St. Louis debut, opening a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Although their instrumentation (trumpet, sax and rhythm section) may seen familiar, Kneebody pulls in a lot of influences from beyond the jazz tradition, ranging from punk rock to contemporary classical. You can see and hear the results for yourself in this video showcase post from last Saturday.   

Also tonight, Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Open Mic Night" at the Tavern of Fine Arts

Thursday, March 19
Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Friday, March 20
The 2015 Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival opens with a concert featuring a ad hoc group fronted by saxophonist "Blue" Lou Marini, trombonist Steve Wiest, and trumpeter Clay Jenkins at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. The UMSL Jazz Ensemble will open the show. 

Also on Friday, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will duet at Chaser's Lounge in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel; and the Sentimental Journey Dance Band performs at Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, March 21
The Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Cuban Experience will perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Led by Dizzy Gillespie’s long-term bassist John Lee, the group pays tribute to Gillespie’s pioneering efforts to fuse jazz and Latin music in the 1940s and 50s, with a repertoire featuring the trumpeter's compositions as well as contemporary Latin jazz that draws on the tradition he helped establish.

Back at the Touhill, the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival continues with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.

Led by bassist John Clayton, his brother, saxophonist Jeff Clayton, and drummer Jeff Hamilton, and often featuring St. Louis native Keith Fiddmont in the saxophone section, the Los Angeles-based big band is a hard-swinging outfit with original charts that puts contemporary touches on the mainstream tradition, not unlike a West Coast version of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

Also on Saturday, singer/actress Anna Blair will perform music composed by a famous former St. Louisan in her show "Inside Story - The Songs of Fran Landesman" for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will be swinging at the Backstreet Jazz and Blues Club at Westport; guitarist Brian Vaccaro's trio adds singer Feyza Eren as special guest for a gig at The Wolf; and drummer Montez Coleman and Friends play at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Sunday, March 22
The Jazz Edge Big Band will present a "Salute to St. Louis Women in Jazz" at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Inspired by Women's History Month, the concert will feature the 17-piece band and guest performers including singers Marsha Evans and Denise Thimes, trumpeter/singer Dawn Weber, pianist Carolbeth True, and saxophonist Hope Walker playing "jazz standards and also a few soon to be standards."

Monday, March 23
Guitarist and St. Louis native Daryl Darden, who's been based on the West Coast in recent years, will be back home for a performance at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; and pianist Matt Villinger will play while artist Vesna Delevska paints at Tavern of Fine Arts.

Tuesday, March 24
Keyboardist Jim Hegarty doubles down on his Off Topic trio to launch STL, The Free Jazz Septet with a debut performance at the Tavern of Fine Arts. In addition to Hegarty, the septet includes Off Topic members Paul Steinbeck on bass and Gary Sykes on drums, plus "Baba" Mike Nelson (trumpet, shells, poetry), Jay Dubz (alto sax, percussion, vocals), John Tamm-Buckle (electronics), and Michael Castro (poetry).

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 local news items of interest:

* Today, we salute the memory of guitar great Grant Green (pictured), who was born in St. Louis on this day in 1935.

For more about Green, and a previously unreleased album of his recorded here in his home town back in 1959, check out this article from NPR's Kevin Whitehead. You can see the only known video footage of Green, playing "Blue Mist" with fellow plectrists Kenny Burrell and Barney Kessell, here.

* Drummer Dave Weckl is headed next month to Europe, where he'll spend July teaching large group clinics and one-day intensive workshops with just 12 to a class. Weckl will be in Copenhagen, Denmark; Stockholm, Sweden; Oslo, Norway; Naples, Italy; Winterswijk, Norway; Treppendorf, Germany; Reykjavik, Iceland; and more.

For more about what Weckl's been up to lately, check out this new interview with the drum website The Black Page.

* Drummer Kimberly Thompson is featured in a new magazine ad for Gretsch drums.

* Saxophonist Eric Person has posted on Facebook an album of photos from his big band's gig last week at Dizzy's in NYC.

* Speaking of photo sets on Facebook, the Jazz Edge Big Band has posted an album of pictures from their show last Friday at the Touhill.

* And while he was in town last week to perform with Jazz Edge, trumpeter Keyon Harrold was the subject of a feature story on local NBC affiliate KSDK.

* Actor/director Don Cheadle this week talked with USA Today about Miles Ahead, his film about trumpeter Miles Davis that will shoot this summer in Cincinnati.

* In related news, Cheadle turned to crowdfunding via IndieGoGo to raise an additional $325,000 in funds for the film between now and July 6. As of Thursday night, the campaign had garnered $78,370 toward the total. For more, see the embedded video update from Cheadle below, or visit the campaign page on IndieGoGo.



* Jazz radio update: WSIE's spring fundraising drive begins today at 4:00 p.m. and continues, with some breaks, through 4:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon. As part of a procession of supporting appearances from people involved with the local jazz scene, yr. humble StLJN editor will be on the air to help stump for pledges for a few minutes around 1:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Meanwhile on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis, this Saturday's episode of Calvin Wilson's “Somethin’ Else” will highlight musicians who have performed at NYC's forward-looking Vision Festival, including pianists Myra Melford and Matthew Shipp and saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell.

Following that on "The Jazz Collective,"  host Jason Church will spin music from Mindi Abair, Harvey Mason, The Ault Sisters, The Rippingtons, Cookin' on 3 Burners, Oscar Peterson, Bob James, John Klemmer, Ramsey Lewis, Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band, Clave Sol, The LP Outsiders, Jim Manley and Erin Bode.

Wilson's program airs at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by Church at 9:00 p.m., on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen. 

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* It's been a busy week for Miles Davis news, as on what would have been his 88th birthday Monday, New York City unveiled "Miles Davis Way" as the new name for the stretch of West 77th St. (pictured) where the trumpeter resided in NYC.

The ceremony got extensive media coverage, with stories in outlets ranging from USA Today and Billboard to NY1 and Broadway World. Meanwhile, Davis’ son Erin and nephew Vince Wilburn were interviewed about the occasion by, oddly enough, Parade magazine.

* It also was announced this week that Davis' album Bitches Brew will be the subject of a new volume in the "33 1/3" series of books.

* And last but not least on the Davis front, NPR's Kevin Whitehead reviewed Davis' new Live at the Fillmore box set, while actor/director Don Cheadle was talking more about the pending start of filming of his movie about Davis.

* In a short essay published on Medium.com, pianist Peter Martin asks the musical question, "Did Oscar Peterson swing?" and answers in the affirmative.

* Saxquest proprietor Mark Overton was interviewed by KDHX's Kevin Korinek.

* Tonight's Jazz Edge Big Band concert with trumpeters Keyon Harrold and Russell Gunn at the Touhill was previewed in stories by Calvin Wilson of the Post-Dispatch and Kenya Vaughn of the St. Louis American.

* St. Louis' Euclid Records is one of a select group of stores across the nation selling special limited edition titles on vinyl from Blue Note records as part of the label's 75th anniversary celebration.

* Jazz radio update: Coming up Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's “Somethin’ Else,” will feature jazz versions of music from the John Lennon-Paul McCartney songbook, including interpretations from singer Paula West, clarinetist Don Byron, and pianist Fred Hersch.

After that, "The Jazz Collective" host Jason Church will be doubling down on local music with a two-hour, all-St. Louis program featuring tracks from Erin Bode, Farshid Etniko, Joe Mancuso, Groove Thang, Common Time, Sarah Jane & The Blue Notes, Jim Manley, Dawn Weber, Vincent Varvel, Jim Stevens, Jesse Gannon, Anthony Hines, Funky Butt Brass Band, Elliott Ranney, Tim Cunningham, Tommy Halloran, Brian Vaccaro, Carolbeth True, Dreaming In Colour, Michael and Robert Silverman, Dizzy Atmosphere, "Peanuts" Whalum, and Soul Cafe.

Wilson's program airs at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by Church at 9:00 p.m., on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Jazz this week: Jazz Edge Big Band with Russell Gunn & Keyon Harrold, Byron Stripling, Chicago Afrobeat Project, Alarm Will Sound, and more

Yes, St. Louis jazz fans, Jazz at the Bistro is closed for the next four months, but don't despair; while we wait with bated breath for the newly expanded and swankified Bistro to reopen in the fall, there's still a good deal of jazz and creative music to be heard around town, and StLJN will help you find it. Let's go to this week's highlights...

On Thursday night, the 13th annual John L Baker Memorial Concert, featuring a big band made up of Parkway West HS faculty, friends and alumni, will take place at Sky Music Lounge. Proceeds benefit a scholarship fund named after Baker, who was band director at Parkway West from 1978 to 1994.

Also on Thursday, the Tavern of Fine Arts presents their monthly "Experimental Arts Open Improv Night" with live improvised music; and guitarist Tom Byrne brings his Pat Metheny-inspired project Have U Heard to the house concert venue Joe's Cafe.

Friday offers several intriguing possibilities in widely disparate styles, starting with the Jazz Edge Big Band's "Tribute to St. Louis Trumpeters" at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, for which they've assembled a constellation of guest performers including trumpeters Russell Gunn and Keyon Harrold (pictured), pianist Danny Mixon and singer Denise Thimes. 

Also on Friday, trumpeter Byron Stripling is back in town, this time to perform his show "The Gospel According to Swing" with the St. Louis Symphony at Powell Hall; the Chicago Afrobeat Project returns to 2720 Cherokee; and the Original Knights of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

And if all that weren't enough, Friday also is when the new music chamber orchestra Alarm Will Sound* closes out their second St. Louis season at the Sheldon Concert Hall  with a performance including some of their students from Webster University's Community Music School. You can read more about that in two preview stories, one by Terry Perkins for St. Louis Public Radio, and one by Stef Russell for St. Louis magazine. 

On Saturday afternoon, woodwind mouthpiece guru Mike Lomax will give a free workshop and clinic at Saxquest. (The event originally was scheduled last month, but was canceled at the last minute due to illness.)

Also starting on Saturday afternoon and continuing through the evening, Thurman Grill will present their annual "Loopfest" event, with music from The Freedom, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes, trumpeter Keith Moyer's quartet, and more

Elsewhere on Saturday evening, saxophonist Jason Swagler leads a quartet at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and Miss Jubilee will perform at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

On Sunday, the Friends of Scott Joplin will present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site; and Sound Unlimited will welcome a variety of guest players for a mini "jazz fest" at Vito's in the Valley.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Tuesday singers Joe Mancuso and Charles Glenn will host up-and-coming vocalists Michelle Knollhoff, Andrew Patrick, Jeanitta Perkins and Paige Alyssa in a show they're calling "The Voices of St. Louis" at the Sheldon.

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.)

*Disclaimer: As mentioned here before, yr. humble editor is retained by the local public relations firm Slay & Associates, with duties including helping Alarm Will Sound with promotional activities in St. Louis and Columbia. As also mentioned here before, I'd still recommend this concert to StLJN readers even if I weren't working with the band.

Jazz Edge Big Band's "Tribute to St. Louis Trumpeters" to feature Russell Gunn, Keyon Harrold and Danny Mixon

St. Louis' Jazz Edge Big Band will enlist expat trumpeters Russell Gunn and Keyon Harrold and veteran NYC pianist and organist Danny Mixon in a "Tribute to St. Louis Trumpeters" at 7:00 p.m., Friday, May 30 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

"Miles Davis, Clark Terry, George Hudson, Lester Bowie and W.C. Handy are among the revered horn legends who will be remembered," according to the news release.

While both Gunn and Harrold have developed successful solo careers and have performed in St. Louis numerous times since moving away, this show seems to be the first ever to team them up as headliners. Gunn, who grew up in East St. Louis, attended Lincoln HS and now lives in Atlanta, has been recording and playing recently with singer Dionne Farris, while Harrold, an alumni of McCluer HS in Florissant, has continued to work steadily as part of the band for Cirque du Soleil's "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour" tribute show.

Local audiences may not be as familiar with Mixon, but he's an in-demand player in NYC and surroundings who's been on the scene long enough to have played with jazz luminaries including Betty Carter, Charles Mingus, Joe Williams, Lionel Hampton, and Frank Foster, as well as a long list of currently active performers.

The Jazz Edge Big Band (pictured) is directed by Thomas Moore, who co-founded the group with George Davis and Robert Edwards.

Tickets for the Jazz Edge Big Band's "Tributes to St. Louis Trumpeters" with Russell Gunn, Keyon Harrold and Danny Mixon are $28 each and can be purchased at the Touhill box office, by phone at 314-516-4949, or online at the Touhill website.

(Edited after posting.)