Jazz this week: Terence Blanchard and E-Collective, Michael Rosen, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features the return of a New Orleans trumpeter who has become a local favorite here, a free concert featuring a multi-national ensemble of players, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 20
Trumpeter Terence Blanchard (pictured, top left) is back in town with his band, the E-Collective, to perform for the first of five nights continuing through Sunday at Jazz St. Louis.

Blanchard already has spent a fair amount of time in St. Louis this year, as Opera Theater of St. Louis premiered his second opera Fire Shut Up in My Bones in June. Since then, the trumpeter has moved from his native New Orleans to Los Angeles to accept a job as the first Kenny Burrell Chairman in Jazz Studies at UCLA’s Herb Alpert School of Music.

Though he hasn't released any new recordings since 2018's Live, Blanchard is always writing new music, so don't be surprised to hear a few new compositions mixed in with pieces from the E-Collective's three albums.

Also on Wednesday, vocal group Java Jived teams up with pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True for a performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall, and guitarist Brian Vaccaro's organ group Spiral Trio plays at Evangeline's.

Thursday, November 21
Keyboardist Jim Hegarty will perform with bassist Paul Steinbeck and drummer Del Robles in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Also on Thursday, The Dark Room has a double-header, with guitarist Dave Black playing at the dinner hour and keyboardist Ryan Marquez and his trio performing the late-evening show.

Friday, November 22
Trumpeter Jim Manley returns to Evangeline's, and saxophonist Stan Coleman will play at The Dark Room.

Saturday, November 23
Saxophonist Michael Rosen, a former New Yorker now living in Italy, will front a multi-national ensemble in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Wash U.

Rosen (pictured, bottom left) will joined by two St. Louisans, guitarist William Lenihan and pianist Jay Oliver, plus British bassist Tony Grey and Italian drummer Lucrezio De Seta.

Also on Saturday, percussionist Herman Semidey and Orquestra son Montuno play salsa, Latin jazz and more at Club Viva; and fusion/funk band Wright's Project returns to Troy's Listening Room.

Monday, November 25
The Webster University Jazz Singers perform at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus, and singer and impressionist Dean Christopher returns with his "Rat Pack and More" show to One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar.

Tuesday, November 26
The Big Little Big Band with vocalist Steve Shininger performs at the Gaslight Theater.

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: TAUK, Clayton, Coffin & Wilson, River City Sound Clinic & Gerald Nicosia, Blue Strawberry opens, and more

It's another busy week for live jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with sounds from funk and fusion to free improv and straight-ahead swing, plus the opening of a new local venue for cabaret performances, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, October 30
Funk/jam quartet TAUK returns to perform at the Old Rock House, having recently released the third volume in their "Real Tauk" series of live recordings; and The 442s will debut some new music from bandleader Adam Maness and composers Christopher Stark and Stefan Freund in a concert at The Sheldon.

Elsewhere around town, this week's "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" features Miss Jubilee at The Stage at KDHX, the weekly jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and The People's Key doing a 1980s-themed show for Halloween at The Dark Room.

Thursday, 
October 31
The new Central West End cabaret venue Blue Strawberry opens with St. Louisan Ken Haller's latest show, "When I'm 65." The club will feature cabaret and other singers on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, plus additional live music on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and food and drinks throughout the week. To find out more, read this post from last week.

Also on Thursday, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University presents a free concert by Italian vibraphonist Marco Pacassoni (pictured, center left) with guitarist William Lenihan, bassist Joseph Lepore and drummer Steve Davis; and singer Denise Thimes is back home from Chicago to present the "Mildred Thimes Foundation 15th Annual Benefit Concert" at The Sheldon, with saxophonist Tim Cunningham providing the entertainment for the pre-show VIP event.

Friday, November 1
Bassist John Clayton, saxophonist Jeff Coffin and drummer Matt Wilson (pictured, top left), all in town for week-long educational residencies at Jazz St. Louis, will team up to conclude their stays with the first of two nights of performances at the Bistro.

As often happens with these ad hoc combinations, given the diversity of their respective experiences and usual modes of musical expression, it's hard to predict what they'll sound like together. All three do have their own catalogs of compositions from which to draw, and there definitely should be a high level of musicianship happening, even if there's some stylistic tension along the way.

Also on Friday, Dizzy Atmosphere plays vintage swing and Gypsy jazz in a concert at The Focal Point; the Sentimental Journey Dance Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and Blue Strawberry's opening weekend continues with a performance from St. Louisans Rosemary Watts and Joe Dreyer.

Saturday, November 2
Trumpeter George Sams' Nu-Art Series returns with "Jazz n' Tongues: Musical Improvisation to the poetry of Gerald Nicosia" featuring Sams and an ensemble of St. Louis musicians christened the River City Sound Clinic with Nicosia (pictured, with Sams, at bottom left) on stage at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Also on Saturday, former St. Louisan Mark Deutsch presents another performance on his invented instrument, the Bazantar, at the Focal Point;  nine different up-and-coming St. Louis bands and performers will be featured in "Labor of Love - A Kranzberg Arts Foundation Music Resident Benefit Concert" at .ZACK in Grand Center, and the opening weekend at Blue Strawberry concludes with Amy Friedl Stoner singing "A Little Bit of Everything."

Sunday, November 3
The St. Louis Record Show will present their last event of the year at the American Czech Center, and the St. Louis Jazz Club presents the Funky Butt Brass Band in a concert at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel St. Louis - Westport.

Then on Sunday evening, pianist Ptah Williams' trio performs at The Judson House, and the student musicians of the JazzU Big Band will perform at Jazz St. Louis.

Monday, November 4
Students in Webster University's Student Jazz Combos will show off what they've learned this semester in a performance at Webster's Community Music School.

Tuesday, November 5
Trumpeter Garrett Schmidt leads a quintet in a concert at the Gaslight Theater.

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: Freddy Cole & Houston Person, Arturo Sandoval & Jane Monheit, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes two shows featuring two visiting headliners for the price of one, plus a Middle Eastern instrumental virtuoso and the usual assortment of performances in various styles from our hometown's own.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, October 23
Pianist and singer Freddy Cole and his quintet with special guest saxophonist Houston Person (pictured, top left) will perform for the first of five nights continuing through Sunday at Jazz St. Louis.

Cole, the brother of the legendary Nat "King" Cole, shares his late sibling's general air of suavity and his good taste in songs and musicians, but has established his own identity as a performer, as defiantly noted in his original song "I'm Not My Brother, I'm Me." Person, a veteran steeped in bebop, blues and ballads, seems a fine match for Cole, as both not only are of the same generation but share an old-school musical sensibility.

Also in Grand Center, this week's "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" includes pianist Ethan Leinwand at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo, and singer Erika Johnson, debuting her new organ trio at The Dark Room.

Thursday, October 24
Guitarist Brian Vaccaro leads a quartet in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and keyboardist Andrew Stephen returns to The Dark Room.

Friday, October 25
Guitarist Dave Black, recovered from a serious cycling accident this summer that took him out of action for a couple of month, plays solo at The Dark Room; and Iraqi-American oud player Rahim Al Haj brings his trio, plus guest pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson, to the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Also on Friday, the Ambassadors of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and the Oîkos Ensemble teams up with SkyStone Conservatory Dance Ensemble and the Logos Readers for "Earth Walk Returns," a multi-disciplinary performance at the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves.

Saturday, 
October 26
The annual "Friends of the Sheldon Benefit" features trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, his band, and guest singer Jane Monheit (pictured, bottom left) in a performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Sandoval, the Cuban-born protege of Dizzy Gillespie turned multiple Grammy Award winner, certainly can bring the pyrotechnics on trumpet when the situation calls for it, while Monheit belongs in any discussion of the top women jazz singers working today.

Both usually headline their own shows, though they have done some select gigs in this configuration, and so it should be interesting to hear what musical ground brings them together, and how they choose to navigate it.  You can see some recent performances by Sandoval on video in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, The Gaslight Squares return to the Frisco Barroom.

Sunday, October 27
Miss Jubilee performs for jazz brunch at Evangeline's; and bassist Ben Wheeler’s Sketchbook plays an evening concert at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Monday, October 28
Dizzy Atmosphere plays vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at The Shaved Duck, and pianist Kim Portnoy leads a big band playing original works in a concert at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University campus.

Elsewhere around town, the Folk School of KDHX has moved their Traditional Jazz Jam Session to Monday nights, and made it a weekly event.

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: Cyrille Aimée, Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features the return of a rising star vocalist, a free, day-long festival, and more. Let's go to this highlights...

Wednesday, 
September 18
Singer Cyrille Aimée (pictured, top left) returns to perform for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis as part of the series they're co-presenting with Cabaret Project of St. Louis.

Aimée, who first performed in St. Louis in 2016 at the Bistro, released her ninth album Move On: A Sondheim Adventure in February of this year. (For more about her, check out this video showcase post from her previous appearance here.)

Also on Wednesday, NYC-based singer Miss Maybell and pianist Charlie Judkins continue their mini-tour of local nightspots with a show at Evangeline's; and this week's "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" in Grand Center features pianist Ethan Leinwand at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Thursday, September 19
Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and keyboardist Ryan Marquez and his trio will return to The Dark Room.

Friday, September 20
Elsie Parker and the Poor People of Paris will provide the music for "Wine & Jazz Under the Stars," a benefit for radio station Classic 107.3 FM at the Columbia Foundation for the Arts on The Hill.

Also on Friday, trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi and his band return to Evangeline's and the Ambassadors of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, September 21
The annual Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival starts at mid-day and continues through the evening with two stages in the Old Webster Business District, near the intersection of Lockwood & Gore Aves.

The free, family-friendly event will feature sets from the Webster University Faculty Jazz Ensemble, Bach to the Future, Dizzy Atmosphere (pictured, center left), Webster Groves High School Jazz Band, and trumpeter Jim Manley, plus blues performers including David Dee, Marquise Knox, Jeremiah Johnson, and more.

Also on Saturday, Miss Maybell wraps up her visit here with a performance at the Frisco Barroom (just down the road from the festival site); and Chicago-based guitarist, composer and improviser Daniel Wyche performs at Flood Plain gallery, with St. Louis' JoAnn McNeil and Michael Williams offering an opening set of electronics, found-sound manipulation, and guitar.

Sunday, September 22
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents pianist Bob Row's Mardi Gras Jazz Band at the Moolah Shrine Center's Oasis Room; and keyboardist Mo Egeston and his trio will perform at The Judson House.

Monday, September 23
Pianist Peter Martin and guitarist Romero Lubambo (pictured, bottom left) celebrate the release of their new duo album Rio Meets New Orleans: Live From Tokyo with a performance at the Open Studios space at Centene Center for the Arts in Grand Center.

Also on Monday, pianist Carolbeth True and her trio will play a concert at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University campus.

Tuesday, September 24
Pianist Curt Landes and his trio plus singer Feyza Eren will perform in concert at the Gaslight Theater.

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: Jazz at Holmes resumes, Polyphony Marimba, Miss Maybell, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the return of a local favorite series of free concerts, plus noteworthy performances in musical styles ranging from from vintage swing and ragtime to modern jazz and beyond.

Let's go to the highlights...


Wednesday, September 11
This week's "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" in Grand Center features multi-instrumentalist Jacob Alspach and friends playing traditional jazz at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and bassist Ben Wheeler's band Sketchbook at The Dark Room.

Thursday, September 12
The Jazz at Holmes series of free concerts at Washington University gets underway for the fall semester with a performance by pianist Ptah Williams (pictured, top left) in Holmes Lounge, located in Ridgley Hall on the Wash U campus.

Also on Thursday, while the sounds made by Polyphony Marimba (pictured, center left), who will be performing at Joe's Cafe & Art Gallery, aren't jazz, they definitely fall into the "creative music" category, mixing the instrumentation of a Zimbabwean percussion ensemble with classical, pop, and other genres.

Elsewhere around town, singer and impressionist Dean Christopher will bring his "Rat Pack and More" show LoRusso's Cucina; singer Cheri Evans and CEEJazzSoul return to the Chase Club; and guitarist Dan Rubright and his group will play at The Dark Room.

Friday, September 13
Dizzy Atmosphere will serve up vintage swing and Gypsy jazz in the "Garden Party Lights" area at Missouri Botanical Garden, and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Also on Friday, The Gaslight Squares perform at Yaquis on Cherokee, and saxophonist Lisella Martin takes the stage at The Dark Room.

Saturday, September 14
Saturday afternoon, the St. Louis Jazz Club presents their monthly jam session matinee hosted by pianist Bob Row and drummer John Gillick at J P's Corner, and radio host, author and photographer  Dennis Owsley will sign copies of his new book St. Louis Jazz: A History at the Webster Groves Public Library.

Then on Saturday evening, guitarist Vincent Varvel plays solo at The Dark Room; bassist and singer Janet Evra performs at Evangeline's; and the Funky Butt Brass Band returns to the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Sunday, 
September 15
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will perform for brunch at the Angad Arts Hotel, while just across the street, singer and guitarist Tommy Halloran will be playing at The Dark Room.

Then on Sunday evening, NYC-based singer Miss Maybell (pictured, bottom left) and pianist Charlie Judkins, who specialize in ragtime, early jazz, and other early 20th century music, will perform at Evangeline's, beginning a week of St. Louis shows that will include gigs at Thaxton Speakeasy, Yaquis, The Frisco Barrom, and The Dark Room.

Monday, September 16
Saxophonist Paul DeMarinis and his trio will perform at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University campus.

Tuesday, September 17
Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge.

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.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Fall 2019 jazz preview, part four

Today's post is part four of StLJN's Fall 2019 jazz preview, featuring videos of jazz and creative musicians who will be coming to St. Louis to perform between now and the end of the year. (You can see part one here, part two here, and part three here.)

Resuming the chronology of shows where last week's installment left off, the first video up above features the funk and fusion quartet TAUK, who will be returning here to perform on Wednesday, October 30 at the Old Rock House. The video shows a complete set from a show in April of this year at Concord Music Hall in Chicago, IL.

After the jump, you can see a video featuring vibraphonist Marco Pacassoni, who will perform in a free concert presented by the Jazz at Holmes series on Thursday, October 31 at Holmes Lounge in Ridgley Hall on the Washington University campus. The clip shows Pacassoni performing his original composition "Freedom" in 2017 with his quartet, which includes Enzo Bocciero (piano), Lorenzo De Angeli (bass), and Matteo Pantaleoni (drums).

That same week, bassist John Clayton, saxophonist Jeff Coffin, and drummer Matt Wilson will be in town doing educational residencies for Jazz St. Louis, culminating in group performances on Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2 at the Bistro.

You can see Clayton in the second video after the jump, which shows him performing "Blue Monk" with fellow bassist Thomas Pol and the JazzArt Orchestra in November 2015 at the Odeon de Spiegel Theater in Schouwburg, Netherlands.

Coffin is up next, playing a duet with cellist Helen Gillet in May 2019 at Sidebar NOLA in New Orleans, followed by Wilson playing a drum solo along with a recording of poet Carl Sandburg in September 2017 at the Jazz Standard in NYC.

The following week, violinist Regina Carter, this time accompanied by pianist Xavier Davis, will return for performances starting Wednesday, November 6 through Sunday, November 10 at Jazz St. Louis.

Carter can be seen playing "Strung Out" in a duet with bassist Bob Hurst, recorded last year at the Detroit Jazz Festival for NPR's "Jazz Night in America," followed by Davis and his trio performing "The Dance Of Life" in May 2018 at the Duende Jazz Bar in Thessaloniki, Greece.

The final video today features Mwenso and the Shakes, who will be bringing their show "Harlem 100" to the Sheldon Concert Hall on Saturday, November 9. The video shows their complete set recorded in August 2019 at the Erie Blues and Jazz Festival in Erie, PA.

Look for the fifth part of StLJN's Fall 2019 jazz preview next week in this space. You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University announces Fall 2019 schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series of free concerts at Washington University has announced their schedule for Fall 2019.

The series will get underway next Thursday, September 12 with a concert by pianist Ptah Williams at Holmes Lounge on the Wash U campus. Following the pattern of recent years, the Fall 2019 schedule will present a mix of local/regional jazz and creative music talent with some visiting performers.

Drawing on Wash U faculty member and series programmer William Lenihan's connections to the jazz scene in Europe, the Fall 2019 schedule will include a performance by Italian vibraphonist Marco Pacassoni (pictured) on Halloween night.

The complete lineup in chronological order is:

Thursday, September 12: Ptah Williams
Thursday, September 19: Carolbeth True & Two Times True
Thursday, September 26: Harvey Lockhart Quintet

Thursday, October 17: Trio de Cordes De Bonarense with Ken Kehner, William Lenihan & Joseph Lepore
Thursday, October 24: Brian Vaccaro Quartet
Thursday, October 31: Marco Pacassoni with William Lenihan, Joseph Lepore & Steve Davis

Thursday, November 7: Vehachi (Vincent Varvel, Joel Vanderheyden & Joe Pastor)
Thursday, November 14: "The Bridge 2.2" (at 560 Music Center)
Thursday, November 21: Jim Hegarty Ensemble

Thursday, December 5: Kim Portnoy/William Lenihan Quartet
Thursday, December 12: Wash U Jazz Combo Students

All concerts are free and open to the public. Concerts begin at 8:00 p.m. and except where noted, are presented in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall, which is located on Washington University’s campus at the west end of the Brookings Quadrangle, near the intersection of Brookings and Hoyt drives.

Edited 9/5/19 to correct the description of the November 14 program.

Jazz this week: Charlie Hunter Trio with Lucy Woodward, Good 4 The Soul, and more

With the summer weather in St. Louis forecast to be somewhat less sweltering than usual for a few days, it should be a good time to get out and hear some music. Here's what's happening with live jazz and creative music around town this week:

Wednesday, July 24
Singer Jenna Bauer and guitarist Dave Black will duet at Evangeline's; Miss Jubilee performs at Schlafly Bottleworks; and guitarist Joe Park's trio plays at Yaquis on Cherokee.

Thursday, July 25
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University wraps up their "Jazz in July" schedule of free concerts with a performance by drummer Maurice Carnes and his band.

Also on Thursday, guitarist Brian Vaccaro leads a trio at The Pat Connolly Tavern, trumpeter Brady Lewis and his BLStet perform at The Dark Room, and singer Robert Nelson and the Eddie Randle Jr. Trio are at the Angad Arts Hotel.

Friday, July 26
Funk/jazz quartet Good 4 The Soul (pictured, bottom left) returns for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band plays at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Saturday, July 27
Singer Jan Shapiro and pianist Dave Venn's trio return to the Ozark Theatre; trumpeter Jim Manley and band play at Evangeline's; pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True will perform at Parkside Grille; and The Gaslight Squares will bring their vintage jazz and swing to the Frisco Barroom.

Sunday, July 28
Guitarist Charlie Hunter brings his latest trio, featuring singer Lucy Woodward (pictured, top left with Hunter) and drummer Keita Ogawa to Off Broadway. Though Hunter has had a number of trios in the past, adding a singer definitely has brought new dimensions to his sound. You can see and hear for yourself by checking out the videos in this post from a week ago Saturday.

Elsewhere around town. the Folk School of KDHX presents their monthly Traditional Jazz Jam Session on Sunday afternoon, and singer and bassist Janet Evra performs in a free, outdoor concert Sunday evening at Oak Knoll Park in Clayton.

Monday, July 29
Pianist and singer Jesse Gannon returns to the Dark Room.

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: Tom McDermott, "Jazz in July" at Wash U, Carlos Brown Jr., and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features the return of a local expat who's become a popular practitioner of New Orleans piano styles; the start of a (brief) summer series of free music; the debut of a young saxophonist and bandleader at the city'stown's showcase club venue, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, July 10
This week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" will include Miss Jubilee at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and what is being touted on social media by trumpeter Kasimu Taylor as his group's final Wednesday night appearance at The Dark Room, at least for the time being.

Also on Wednesday, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black are back at Scarlett's Wine Bar, now starting a recurring gig on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month.

Thursday, July 11
Pianist Tom McDermott (pictured, top left) will be back from New Orleans to visit his hometown and play a gig at Joe's Cafe & Art Gallery.

Also on Thursday, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University presents the first of three free "Jazz in July" concerts at Holmes Lounge, this week featuring the trio of pianist Kara Merhmann, bassist Ben Wheeler and drummer Jerry Mazzuca.

Elsewhere around town, singer and impressionist Dean Christopher bring his "Rat Pack and More" show to LoRusso's Cucina on the south side, and saxophonist Kendrick Smith and his trio will perform at The Dark Room.

Friday, July 12
Saxophonist Carlos Brown Jr (pictured, bottom left) plays for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis, singer Erin Bode performs at Focal Point, and trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi and his band return to Evangeline's.

Saturday, July 13
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents their monthly jam session matinee, hosted by pianist Bob Row and drummer John Gillick at J P's Corner.

Later on Saturday, pianist Christopher Parrish plays a dinner set and keyboardist Andrew Stephen's Texturz takes the stage for the late show at The Dark Room; and singer and bassist Janet Evra performs at Evangeline's.

Sunday, July 14
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes play for brunch at the Angad Arts Hotel (south of Powell Hall at the corner of Grand and Samuel Shepard Dr), while pianist Adam Maness is at Thurman's in Shaw.

Then on Sunday afternoon, the St. Louis Jazz Club presents Miss Jubilee in concert at the Oasis Room of the Moolah Shrine Center.

Monday, July 15
Keyboard player Ryan Benthall leads a trio at The Dark Room.

Tuesday, July 16
In what would seem to be an inevitable pairing of performers and venue, The Gaslight Squares will play a concert at the Gaslight Theater.

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: Revisiting Louis Armstrong's early works, Julian Vaughn, a celebration of John Coltrane, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes events celebrating the music of two of the most important improvisers in jazz, an evening of smooth jazz in a historic concert venue, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, April 17
Jazz St. Louis ends their "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series for the 2018-19 season with a program about Louis Armstrong's Hot 5 and Hot 7, featuring a talk by noted Armstrong expert Ricky Riccardi followed by a live performance of some of the music recorded by the trumpeter's early groups.

Also on Wednesday, the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra performs at the Ozark Theatre, and Cabaret Project of St. Louis presents their monthly "Singers Open Mic" , relocated for this month only from Sophie's Artists Lounge to The Dark Room.

Thursday, April 18
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University wraps up for the semester with a free concert featuring Wash U jazz performance students playing the music of Charlie Parker, Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis, Bill Evans and more.

Elsewhere around town, singer Erin Bode returns to Cyrano's, and saxophonist Andy Ament leads a trio at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, April 19
Bassist Julian Vaughn (pictured, top left) headlines a concert of smooth jazz at The Sheldon, with saxophonist Phil Denny and keyboardist Mark Harris II also on the bill.

Also on Friday, saxophonist Freddie Washington (pictured, bottom left) and pianist Adam Maness' trio will be "Celebrating Coltrane" for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis; and saxophonist Dave Stone plays the final gig of his long-running residency at Mangia Italiano before his upcoming move to Oregon.

Saturday, April 20
Keyboardist Mo Egeston and friends play the late show at The Dark Room.

Sunday, April 21
Miss Jubilee performs for brunch at Evangeline's, while singer and guitarist Tommy Halloran returns to The Dark Room.

Monday, April 22
The Webster University Jazz Singers, directed by Debby Lennon, will perform in their final concert of the semester at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

Tuesday, April 23
Dizzy Atmosphere plays vintage swing and Gypsy jazz 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: Brad Mehldau Trio, Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival, Victor Wooten, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the long-awaited return of a critically acclaimed pianist; an all-woman big band headlining a local festival; a couple of free events examining the music of John Coltrane; and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, April 10
Pianist Brad Mehldau returns to St. Louis for the first time since 2011 for the start of a five-night engagement at Jazz St. Louis.

Though Mehldau has a new album of electric music recorded in collaboration with drummer Mark Guiliana coming out next month, this gig will be with his long-running acoustic trio (pictured, top left), which includes drummer Jeff Ballard and bassist Larry Grenadier.

Their most recent recording is Seymour Reads the Constitution!, which came out in 2018, and given how long it's been since Mehldau's last appearance here, it seems likely that this week's run at the Bistro will feature some of that material, as well as selections from 2016's Blues and Ballads.

Also on Wednesday, writer Ashley Kahn will give a presentation for Jazz St. Louis' "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series on "A Love Supreme: The Music and Message in John Coltrane's Magnum Opus."  The free event will take place at the St Louis Public Library's Schlafly Branch in the Central West End.

Thursday, April 11
There's more Coltrane content on tap for Thursday night, as the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will present a free concert featuring saxophonist Paul DeMarinis playing a program of the saxophonist's compositions. DeMarinis will be joined by pianist Nick Schlueter, bassist Jeff Anderson, and drummer Steve Davis, with Ashley Kahn also on hand to deliver some pre-concert remarks.

Also on Thursday, singer Erin Bode will celebrate the release on vinyl of her 2016 album Here and Now with a performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall; and guitarist Dave Black and friends return to The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, April 12
The 2019 Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival will present the DIVA Jazz Orchestra (pictured, center left) in concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.


The NYC-based, all-woman big band led by drummer Sherri Maricle last year celebrated their 25th anniversary with an album featuring all-original compositions and arrangements by members of the group.

For more about that, plus some videos of DIVA in action, as well as videos of musicians who will be featured in Saturday's GSLJF concert, check out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, Second Generation Swing Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and singer Anita Jackson returns to The Dark Room.

Saturday, April 13
The 2019 Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival's final concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center will be a tribute to UMSL jazz studies director Jim Widner featuring the "Ultimate Jazz All-Stars," an ad hoc group assembled for the occasion by drummer and producer Gregg Field and featuring musicians such as saxophonist Tom Scott, trumpeter Scotty Barnhart, pianist, saxophonist and arranger/composer Gordon Goodwin, bassist Carlitos del Puerto, pianist Shelly Berg, and more.

Also on Saturday, the Midwest Jazz-tette plays West Coast "cool" jazz at Evangeline's.

Sunday, April 14
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents the St. Louis Stompers playing traditional jazz in a matinee at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel St. Louis - Westport

Then on Sunday evening, multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman and pianist Carolbeth True will revisit some of the music from their 1998 album New World Harmonica Jazz at the house concert venue Judson House.

Monday, April 15
Students and faculty of Webster University will perform the music of Cole Porter at the annual "Shepard/Davis Scholarship Concert" at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

Tuesday, April 16
Bassist Victor Wooten (pictured, bottom left) returns with the Wooten Band for a show at Old Rock House. Along with the leader, the Wooten Band includes his brothers Regi and Joseph Wooten on guitars and keyboards and Derico Watson on drums.

The show also will feature the "Wooten Woods Experience," which involves an audience participation segment; guest musicians/educators drawn from a roster including bassist Steve Bailey and saxophonists Bob Franceschini and Bob Hemenger; and "a select group of students from his music and nature camps, an immersive educational program focusing on the relationship between music, nature, and life."

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: Branford Marsalis Quartet; Wilson, Miles & Strickland; Toby Foyeh & Orchestra Africa; and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a week full of headliners at Jazz St. Louis, plus noteworthy shows featuring Afrobeat, free improvisation, vintage swing, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, April 3
Saxophonist Branford Marsalis' quartet continues their run at Jazz St. Louis, with the 7:30 shows pretty much sold out, but with tickets available (as of this writing) for the 9:30 sets both tonight and Thursday.

Marsalis and company are touring in support of their new album The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, which was released last month. For more about that, and some videos featuring live performances of some of their new material, see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Wednesday, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black perform at SqWires Restaurant & Annex, and trumpeter Jim Manley will be doing his regular weekly gig at Sasha's Wine Bar.

Thursday, April 4
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University presents a free concert of improvised music featuring trumpeter George Sams, violinist India Cooke, pianist Greg Mills, clarinetist Eric Mandat and cellist Tracy Andreotti.

Update, 8:00 p.m. 4/3/19: George Sams has informed StLJN of a couple of late-breaking personnel changes on the gig, as violinist Alyssa Avery will perform in place of India Cooke, and bassist Darrell Mixon will be there instead of Tracy Andreotti.

Also on Thursday, guitarist Todd Mosby and his New Horizons Ensemble promote the release of a Mosby's new CD Open Water with a performance at Sky Music Lounge.

Elsewhere around town, fusion trio Tracer, with pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Darrell Mizon and drummer Gary Sykes, will be back at The Dark Room; singer Cherilyn Evans and CEEJazzSoul return to the Chase Club in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel; and saxophonist Vince Sala leads a trio at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, April 5
In town this week for educational residencies with Jazz St. Louis. drummer Matt Wilson, trumpeter Ron Miles, and saxophonist Marcus Strickland (who's stepping in for the previously announced Jeff Coffin) will wrap up their stay by joining forces for the first of two nights of performances at the Bistro.

Of the three (pictured, top left), Wilson is the most familiar to St. Louis audiences, having played here numerous times before with various bands of his own and as a sideman. However, both Miles, who's worked with Bill Frisell and Joshua Redman among others, and Strickland, whose credits include Roy Haynes, Christian McBride's New Jawn, and Dave Douglas, are formidable players and bandleaders in their own right.

Also on Friday, The Gentlemen’s Anti-Temperance League, a six-piece vintage swing band from Minneapolis, will be in town for a one-nighter at Evangeline's; Miss Jubilee performs for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and keyboardist and singer Jesse Gannon is back at The Dark Room.

Saturday, April 6
Guitarist Dan Rubright of the Wire Pilots plays a late-morning matinee featuring his original compositions at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Saturday evening, guitarist Toby Foyeh (pictured, bottom left) and Orchestra Africa will bring their lively mix of Afrobeat, jazz, rock, and more to the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Sunday, April 7
Pianist Adam Maness plays solo for Sunday brunch in a new weekly gig at Thurman's in Shaw, while Anita Jackson returns to The Dark Room.

Later that afternoon, the Ozark Theatre re-opens for the season with a performance from singer Wendy Gordon celebrating the birthday of Billie Holiday, followed by an open jam session; and the Genesis Jazz Project returns to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Then on Sunday evening, guitarist Tom Byrne will lead a quartet in a concert spotlighting some of his original music at Focal Point.

Monday, April 8
The faculty members who make up the Webster University Jazz Collective will present their final performance of the semester at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

Tuesday, April 9
The Gaslight Squares play the first of two morning "coffee concerts" 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.)

Jazz this week: Mark Guiliana Quartet, Mwata Bowden, Ahmad Jamal, Grand Marquis, Branford Marsalis Quartet, and more

It's another busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with a calendar featuring noteworthy performances by several visiting headliners, plus an assortment of gigs in various styles from hometown players. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, 
March 27
Drummer Mark Guiliana and his quartet will perform for the first of five nights at Jazz St. Louis

The NYC-based Guiliana is known for mixing acoustic drums and electronic beats in his own projects and while working with musicians including Brad Mehldau, Avishai Cohen, David Bowie, Meshell Ndegeocello, Lionel Loueke, and more.

However, for his St. Louis debut as a bandleader, he'll be bringing in a more straight-ahead, acoustic group, featuring bassist Chris Morrissey, saxophonist Jason Rigby, and pianist Shai Maestro.

Also on Wednesday, the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features singer Wendy Gordon and Friends at The Stage at KDHX, along with the jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at The Dark Room.

Thursday, March 28
Multi-instrumentalist Mwata Bowden (pictured, top left) will perform in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University. Bowden, a longtime member of Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and the head of the jazz program at the University of Chicago, will be joined by Wash U faculty members William Lenihan on guitar and piano and Paul Steinbeck on bass, plus drummer Steve Davis.

Friday, March 29
Singer Feyza Eren returns to Evangeline's; percussionist Herman Semidey and Son Montuno will play Latin jazz, salsa and more at The Dark Room; and the Sentimental Journey Dance Band performs at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, March 30
Pianist Ahmad Jamal (pictured, center left) performs for the annual benefit gala at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Now 88 years old, Jamal plays just a few selected dates a year, so his performance here should be a special occasion, both for diehard fans who have followed him over the course of his seven-decade career and for younger listeners seeking to experience his distinctive style in person.

For more about Jamal and some video samples of recent performances (plus a couple of throwback sets), check out this post from last Saturday. 

Elsewhere around town, Kansas City-based jump blues and swing band Grand Marquis returns to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; trumpeter Keith Moyer leads a quartet at Evangeline's; and Dizzy Atmosphere will play vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at Urban Chestnut Midtown Brewery and Biergarten.

Sunday, March 31
The University City Symphony Orchestra  presents a program titled "Jazzy Classical" at the 560 Music Center. The free concert will feature works by George Gershwin, Aaron Copland and William Grant Still performed by the orchestra with guest musicians including pianist Ptah Williams, Bach to the Future, guitarist Dave Black, and violinist Tracy Silverman.

Monday, April 1
Webster University's Student Jazz Combos will show off what they've learned this year with a performance at Webster's Community Music School.

Tuesday, April 2
Saxophonist Branford Marsalis (pictured, bottom left) and his quartet will perform for the first of three nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Appearing in St. Louis for the first time since their January, 2017 gig with singer Kurt Elling at the Bistro, Marsalis and his longtime band - pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis, and drummer Justin Faulkner  - are touring in support of a new album, The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, which was released last month to favorable reviews.

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.)