So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Jazz on Broadway, which featured first weekly and later only occasional live jazz at 554 East Broadway in downtown Alton, has closed after a three-year run.

A message sent to the club's email list by manager Jimmie Small said in part, "I do not have the liberty to divulge the overwhelming circumstances that led to this sad event. I would like to, on behalf or all who worked hard during these last 3 years to make the establishment a fine upscale venue for live entertainment, thank each and everyone for all their support, their time, and their encouragement."

* In happier news, favorable reviews keep coming in for Keep On Keepin' On, the new documentary about trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry. Media outlets weighing in recently include the Philadelphia Inquirer, Arizona Republic, Toronto Globe and Mail, and DVD Talk.

* Drummer and St. Charles' own Dave Weckl is the subject of the cover feature in the January 2015 issue of Modern Drummer magazine (pictured), coming soon to subscribers' mailboxes and to booksellers and newsstands everywhere.

* Saxophonist Greg Osby has posted a new blog entry in which he opines that critics might gain some much needed empathy from experiencing first-hand the rigors of the road and the effects they have on musicians.

* And speaking of critics, here another review of Osby's new CD with fellow saxophonist Tineke Postma, via AllAboutJazz.com's Dan Bilawsky.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake was interviewed by Revive Music's Natalie Weiner.

* Meanwhile, (R)anthems, the latest album from Wee Trio bassist and St. Louis native Dan Loomis' "other" band Spoke, was reviewed by AAJ's Ernest Barteldes.

* The Toronto Star has a feature on trumpeter Eugene Gillis, who's been playing his horn at the protests in Ferguson.

* The weekend's best local music-related long read, though, though is "The 100 Greatest St. Louis Songs," compiled and written for the Riverfront Times by Roy Kasten, Christian Schaeffer and assorted RFT colleagues.

The list covers all musical genres, including entries representing a number of St. Louis jazz musicians, and better yet, the article contains YouTube audio for nearly all the listed songs so readers can easily hear them. (Full disclosure: Although I didn't write any of the entries, yr. humble StLJN editor is one of a number of people ostensibly knowledgeable about local music who were solicited for their input and are name-checked in the piece.)

* New music ensemble Alarm Will Sound's recent performance at the Public Media Commons in Grand Center was the subject of a feature story on Nine Network's program Arts America. You can view the segment online here.

* Un Grand Bonheur (A Great Happiness), the first album from recent-transplants-to-St. Louis Franglais, was reviewed by the website The Noise Beneath The Apple. The Django Reinhardt-inspired Gypsy jazz group, fronted by St. Louis-born singer Eve Seltzer and her husband, guitarist Ben Wood, will make their official local debut on Thursday, December 11 at Evangeline's.

* The Bosman Twins were featured last week on the website Jazz For A Saturday Night.

* Chris Limber's show for the just-concluded Gaslight Cabaret Festival was reviewed by Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX.

* Saxquest has posted on Facebook photo albums from recent appearances at the shop by Jeff Coffin and the Mu'tet and Frank Catalano.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday night on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis, “Somethin’ Else” host Calvin Wilson will be breaking out the Blue Note, featuring recordings made for the legenday label by the likes of Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean and Bobby Hutcherson. The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Edited after to posting to the link to the Alarm Will Sound video. As noted any time AWS is mentioned here, I've been working with the firm Slay & Associates since 2010 providing publicity help to them for their performances in St. Louis and Columbia.

Jazz this week: Terence Blanchard, Erin Bode, Valentine's Day jazz around town, and more

With a slight warmup in the weather coinciding with  Valentine's Day, it should be a good weekend in St. Louis to get out and celebrate your love of live jazz and creative music. Let's see what's happening around town over the next few days...

Tonight, pianist Kara Baldus will play solo in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; and songwriter Al Hammerman will joined by singers Alan Ox, Kim Fuller and Arvell Keithley plus other special guests for "I Got A Song - The Words and Music of Al Hammerman," a benefit for the charity Kids Rock Cancer at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Tomorrow night, singer Erin Bode returns to Jazz at the Bistro for the first of two evenings. The Valentine's Day weekend shows, established by Mardra and Reggie Thomas and then taken over by Bode after the Thomases moved to Michigan, usually have been strong sellers at the Bistro, so advance reservations are a must. Update - 2:30 p.m. 2/13/14: Jazz St. Louis is reporting via social media that the only tickets remaining are standing room for the 9:30 p.m. shows.

Also on Friday, Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center continues their Quiet Concert Series with a performance of Mark Sarich’s new work “Book of Songs” plus more new music from Greg Farough.

Elsewhere around town, Miss Jubilee will be swinging it at the Schlafly Bottleworks; trumpeter and singer Dawn Weber will play two shows at Nathalie's in the Central West End; singer Feyza Eren brings a quartet Tavern of Fine Arts; Herman Semidey plays Latin jazz at Robbie's House of Jazz; and the St. Louis Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

On Saturday,  trumpeter Terence Blanchard returns to the Sheldon Concert Hall, filling in for pianist Chuco Valdes, who had to cancel his tour due to a knee injury.  You can see some videos of recent performances and interviews featuring Blanchard here, and the trumpeter also was interviewed by Terry Perkins of St. Louis Public Radio for an article you can find online here.

Also on Saturday, singer Danita Mumphard performs at Jazz On Broadway; singer Tony Viviano will headline a Valentine's dinner/dance at Four Seasons Winery in Chesterfield; singer Ann Dueren's trio returns to Il Bel Lago;  trumpeter Keith Moyer leads a trio at Thurman Grill;  and way out west, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to John G's Tap Room in Washington, MO.

On Sunday night, The People's Key will take the stage at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups. And looking beyond the weekend, on Monday singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will be at BB's, while guitarist John Farrar's Park Avenue Jazz trio continues their weekly Monday night gig at Evangeline's Bistro and Music House.

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:

* Music for Lifelong Achievement's recently concluded musical instrument drive was the subject of a feature story this week on local Fox affiliate KTVI.

* The new cabaret ensemble Women Under the Influence is profiled by the St. Louis Beacon's Terry Perkins. The group will make their performing debut Saturday night in a sold-out gig at Joe Buck's restaurant downtown.

* And speaking of cabaret, Post-Dispatch theater critic Judith Newmark reports that producer/director Tim Schall is convening a town hall meeting of "stakeholders" in the local cabaret scene at 2:00 p.m. this Saturday, November 17 at the Regional Arts Commission building, 6128 Delmar Boulevard.

* Jazz on Broadway has posted to their Facebook page photo albums of recent performance by funk/fusion band Soul Cafe and singer Joe Mancuso.

* Jazz Times has put online an excerpt from the new autobiography by saxophonist Dave Liebman, in which Liebman talks about his experiences joining Miles Davis' band in the early 1970s.

* Also at Jazz Times, they've collected online several videos of saxophonist David Sanborn (pictured) talking about how he selected the tunes and assembled his new retrospective CD set Then Again.

* The blog Destination: Out this week featured a vintage downloadable track from St. Louis' Human Arts Ensemble.

Jazz this week: David Sanborn & Brian Culbertson, Steve Davis, Dave Dickey Big Band, and more

With the return of one of the best known jazz musicians ever to come out of St. Louis, plus a nice variety of local gigs on tap, this week's jazz and creative music calendar is relatively busy for the end of August, which usually is a fairly slow time of year. So without further ado, let's go to the highlights...

The local-boy-made-good is saxophonist and Kirkwood native David Sanborn (pictured), who last performed here a year ago with Marcus Miller and George Duke at the Touhill. Sanborn's touring partner this year is multi-instrumentalist Brian Culbertson, and they'll be in town on Thursday night at The Pageant.

The two have been touring together all summer, and rather than an opening act/headliner arrangement, they're co-fronting the same band and alternating feature tunes during the set. For interviews and some sample performances recorded earlier in the tour, see this post from last Saturday.

Elsewhere around town, on Friday saxophonist Jay Hutson will be at Robbie's House of Jazz; guitarist Eric Slaughter leads a trio at Cigar Inn; and saxophonist Corey Allen will play at Jazz on Broadway. Also on Friday, singer Christy Simmons will perform her cabaret show "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not" at the Gaslight Theater in the Central West End.

On Saturday, drummer Steve Davis will lead a band featuring guitarist Matthew Van Doran at Robbie's; singer Feyza Eren and guitarist Tom Byrne will play at Mojo Tapas Restaurant and Bar; saxophonist Jerry Greene and singer Sarah Jane Ulrich of Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will offer a tribute to Billie Holiday at the Wine Press; and Good 4 The Soul will perform at Jazz on Broadway.

Then on Sunday, the Dave Dickey Big Band will play their monthly gig at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen and his Broadway Collective will perform their monthly show at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups; and on Tuesday, guitarist Dave Black will take the stage for an early show at BB'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: Jeff Coffin and the Mutet performance & workshop, Tim Cunningham, Thomas Person, and more

As is usual for the latter half of August, the menu of jazz and creative music for this weekend in St. Louis is light on touring performers and relatively heavy on local musicians.

It'll be a few weeks before our town's various not-for-profit presenters and university music programs start their fall schedules and fatten up the calendar a bit, but in the meantime, there still are some noteworthy gigs to enjoy along with the unusually nice weather forecast for for this weekend. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, singer Erin Bode returns to Cyrano's in Webster Groves, while just a couple of blocks away, guitarist Tom Byrne will host the weekly jam session at Highway 61 Roadhouse.

On Friday, saxophonist Jeff Riley will lead a trio at Robbie's House of Jazz, and saxophonist Tim Cunningham returns to Jazz on Broadway in Alton.

Then on Saturday afternoon, Cunningham will play at Mount Pleasant Winery in Augusta. That evening, saxophonist Thomas Person, father of the well-known saxophonist and St. Louis native Eric Person, will front a group at Robbie's; guitarist Brian Vaccaro leads a trio at the Wine Press; and singer Joe Mancuso and pianist Tim Garcia perform at Mojo Tapas Restaurant and Bar on South Grand.

On Sunday afternoon, Cornet Chop Suey will play a free outdoor concert at Carondelet Park.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday saxophonist Jeff Coffin (pictured), known for his work with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones and the Dave Matthews Band, will be in town with members of his band Mutet for a free performance and workshop at Saxquest.

Also on Monday, the Sessions Big Band will perform their monthly gig at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups.

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

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

Jazz this week: JazzU with Tim Warfield, Benjamin Cawthra on jazz photography, "Ain't Misbehavin'" and more

With Memorial Day come and gone and local presenters now on their summer schedules, the number of touring jazz musicians coming through St. Louis definitely takes a noticeable drop at this time of year. At the same time, there are plenty of other things competing for the public's attention, from summer outdoor activities to musical events like this Saturday's RFT Music Showcase.

But even with all that, there still are some noteworthy jazz events featuring both visitors and local musicians happening around town over the next few days, if you know where to look. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, singer Ralph Butler is at Robbie's House of Jazz; keyboard player and singer Jesse Gannon plays at the Delmar Lounge; and guitarist Tom Byrne leads the weekly jam session at the Highway 61 Roadhouse.

On Friday, the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars and other students from the organization's JazzU program will open their annual weekend of performances at Jazz at the Bistro. This year, the young musicians also have on board a special guest star, saxophonist Tim Warfield, who's played with Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton, Terrell Stafford, and numerous others.

Friday also is the opening night for Stages St. Louis' revival of the Fats Waller musical Aint' Misbehavin'. The cast (pictured) performs more than two dozen songs associated with Waller, accompanied by a seven-piece live band led by pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson. The show runs through the end of the month, with multiple performances each week; see the Stages website for details.

Also on Friday, singer Ken Haller will perform "The TV Show" at the Kranzberg Arts Center under the auspices of cabaret producers The Presenters Dolan. As the name implies, the show features "songs written for TV from Sesame Street to Smash, from Cinderella to Animaniacs."

Other gigs on Friday include guitarist Matt McCallie and his band at Robbie's House of Jazz; tenor saxophonist Austin Cebulski leading a quartet with pianist Dave Grelle, bassist Ryan Chamberlain and drummer Marty Morrison at the Cigar Inn; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham's weekly performance at Jazz on Broadway.

Last but not least, Friday's also the first day of the annual Art & Air Festival in Webster Groves. This year's lineup of entertainment for the free outdoor event includes several acts that may be of interest to jazz listeners, including Bridge with Dave Black and singer Erin Bode with Orange on Friday; singer Anita Rosamond on Saturday; and singer Heather Matthews and Sandy Weltman & Hot Club Caravan on Sunday.

On Saturday afternoon, the St. Louis Big Band performs a matinee concert at the Missouri History Museum. Admission is free for anyone who brings a can of food to donate to local food banks. Then on Saturday night, the eclectic roots music band Sins of the Pioneers, who mix up western swing, New Orleans jazz, jump blues, and several other genres, will play at Focal Point, 2720 Sutton in Maplewood.

On Sunday afternoon, Bob Coleman's Legacy Big Band will perform their Glenn Miller-themed show "Miller Magic" at the Sheldon Concert Hall; and author and former St. Louisan Benjamin Cawthra will be at the Missouri History Museum to speak about his book Blue Notes in Black and White: Photography and Jazz. Saxophonist Kelvin Evans will play a short set of standards before the lecture.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday, Tom Byrne brings his Pat Metheny-inspired project Have You Heard? back to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups; and on Tuesday, guitarist Dave Black plays an early evening set at BB'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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The HEC-TV program I Love Jazz will be doing a live recording for a future episode at 7:00 p.m. this coming Tuesday, May 8 at Jimmy's Cafe on the Park. A quartet led by trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured) will perform for an hour before the cameras, and the taping is open to the public.

* Speaking of televised performances, while saxophonist Tia Fuller was in town last week to play at Jazz at the Bistro, she and bassist Mimi Jones stopped by the studios of local NBC affiliate KSDK for an interview and brief performance on the station's afternoon newscast. You can watch the segment online here

* Online voting has begun for the Riverfront Times' 2012 RFT Music Poll. You can vote for your favorite bands and musicians here.

* The latest entry on Clark Terry's blog reports on the benefit concert held last week in NYC to raise money for Terry's medical expenses.

* JazzTimes has a new video interview with saxophonist Bobby Watson, who will be in St. Louis next weekend to play at Robbie's House of Jazz. You can watch Watson describe how he got his first big break with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers here.

* Jazz on Broadway has posted more photos in a Facebook album documenting recent Friday shows featuring saxophonist Tim Cunningham.

* While you're on Facebook, you also can check out photos of the Meramec Jazz Band's spring concert at the Black Cat Theatre.

* If you wanted to attend the recent workshop at the Regional Arts Commission about how to use the online crowd funding site Kickstarter, but couldn't make it that night, check out a slide show recapping the presentation here (.pdf file).

* Keyboard player, composer and New Music Circle board member Jim Hegarty has just posted free mp3s of two albums on his website. One of the recordings features duos and trios with drummer Shane Robles and bassist Willem von Hombracht; the other is of a quartet with von Hombracht, saxophonist Dave Stone and percussionist Henry Claude.

* And speaking of New Music Circle, they'll wrap up their 2011-12 season next Friday, May 11 at the William A. Kerr Foundation, 21 O’Fallon St, with a showcase concert featuring music from regional and local performers including Olivia Block, Joseph Raglani, Kevin Harris, Pat Boland, and Jeremy Kannapell. You can watch a promo video for the concert in the embedded window below.



(Edited to add three more items inadvertently omitted from the first version of this post.)

Jazz this week: Sara Gazarek, Alan Evans Trio, Javier Mendoza, and more

Though we're getting close to the end of the academic year as well as the nominal seasons of several of our local not-for-profit presenters, there's still a good amount of live jazz and creative music on tap over the next few days in St. Louis. This week's touring attractions include one of the best young female jazz singers working today, and the local debut of a new organ-driven jazz/funk trio from one of the genre's most well-regarded drummers. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, the Webster Groves High School Jazz Band, one of the outstanding student groups in the area, gives their final concert of the spring semester at WGHS, 100 Selma Ave. Afterwards, it's just a few blocks to the Highway 61 Roadhouse, where guitarist Tom Byrne will be leading the weekly jam session.

On Friday, singer, songwriter and guitarist Javier Mendoza returns to Jazz at the Bistro for the first of two nights of performances with his "Latin Jazz Experiment," in which his usual band is augmented by guitarist Dave Black, percussionist R. Scott Bryan, trumpeter Rob Endicott and saxophonist Jim Stevens. Unfortunately, since I haven't caught one of their live gigs yet, I can't tell you much about what they sound like, for there still are no recordings or videos extant of this group save for a couple of QuickTime audio clips on Mendoza's website that I could not get to play. I'm told that if you're a fan of Mendoza's pop/rock work, you'll likely enjoy this as well, but caveat lector, as I can't personally vouch for the amount of jazz content in the show.

Also on Friday, trombonist and vocalist Doug Burns fronts a quartet at Robbie's House of Jazz; saxophonist Tim Cunningham continues his ongoing weekly gig at Jazz On Broadway in Alton; and pianist T. Chandler and Friends will play at the Cigar Inn in Belleville.

On Saturday, trumpeter and vibes player Joe Bozzi and his band will play their monthly matinee at Frontenac Grill.

Then on Saturday evening, singer Sara Gazarek (pictured) returns to town for the first time since 2009 to perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Though she has not received as much hype as some of her peers, Gazarek is one of the best young female jazz singers working right now. She's both technically accomplished and swinging, and quite adept at selecting (and sometimes writing) songs that suit her performing persona.

She has a new album, Blossom & Bee, due out next month on Palmetto Records, and so it seems likely that the audience at the Sheldon will get a chance to hear some of that material this weekend. For more about Gazarek and some videos of her singing, check out this video post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday evening, drummer Alan Evans, best known as a member of the funk/jazz trio Soulive, brings his new eponymous trio to the Old Rock House. The group has just released their debut album Drop Hop, and you can hear a podcast in which Evans talks about the group and the recording here.

On Sunday, the spring edition of the St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show takes place at the American Czech Center, 4690 Lansdowne Ave; bassist Willem von Hombracht, singer Joe Mancuso and company will lead their weekly jam at Johnny Gitto's, 6997 Chippewa; and Dizzy Atmosphere plays at the St. Louis Brewery & Tap Room, 2100 Locust downtown. Also on Sunday evening, the group Shades of Jade from Kansas City will perform at the Grandel Square Theatre.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band will be back in action for their monthly gig at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups; and the East St. Louis High School jazz combos will perform at the Sheldon in the first of two shows there this month to raise money for the school's scholarship fund for band students.

Then on Tuesday, the Sheldon will play host to two more jazz performances. In the morning, the final "Coffee Concert" of the 2011-12 season will feature trumpeter Bob Ceccarini and pianist Pat Joyce (with the same program repeated on Wednesday morning). That evening, saxophonist/educator Stan Coleman leads the University City Big Band in a "Notes From Home" concert.

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

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

(Edited 5/3/12 to fix a typo and add some tags. Edited again to add mentions of the Shades of Jade and ESL HS shows.)

Jazz this week: Russell Malone & Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Craig Hultgren & Luna Nova, NIU Jazz Ensemble & Victor Lewis, and more

It's a mixed bag of jazz and creative music happening this weekend around the St. Louis area, with performances including straight-ahead, mainstream jazz sounds from both small groups and big bands; a triple bill of female guitarists; a cabaret take on Southern rock; an innovative cellist who bridges free improv and contemporary compositions; and more. Let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, guitarist Russell Malone and pianist Cyrus Chestnut and his trio will team up for the first time ever in St. Louis*, beginning a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro. Both Malone and Chestnut have proved popular with local jazz fans, and to sweeten the deal, Jazz St. Louis is offering two tickets for the price of one for Wednesday and Thursday nights.

Tomorrow night, Lewis and Clark Community College presents a "Musicians' Gathering" at Jazz on Broadway in Alton, while saxophonist Paul Antion, a senior at Washington University, is the featured performer for this week's Jazz at Holmes concert on the Wash U. campus.

Friday, the Old Rock House will host "La Guitara," a package show highlighting female guitarists including singer-songwriter Patty Larkin, "new acoustic music" performer Muriel Anderson, and Vicki Genfan, whose resume includes a variety of genres including jazz.

Also on Friday, singer Jeffrey M. Wright, backed by pianist Carol Schmidt and guitarist Steve Schenkel, performs the first of two nights of his "Southern Roots" cabaret show at Kranzberg Arts Center under the auspices of the Presenters Dolan; saxophonist Jay Hutson leads a quartet at Robbie's House of Jazz; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham is back at Jazz on Broadway, where management has announced that he'll continue weekly through at least June 8.

On Saturday, New Music Circle presents cellist Craig Hultgren (pictured) and members of the Memphis-based experimental music group Luna Nova at Christ Church Cathedral. Hultgren has played St. Louis several times before, but if you don't know him or his music yet, you can catch up by checking out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, singer Feyza Eren performs at Robbie's, fronting a rhythm section including pianist Brad Ellebrecht, bassist Willem Von Hombracht and drummer Tom Kernan.

On Sunday afternoon, the Northern Illinois University Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of saxophonist Ron Carter, will return with a special guest, veteran drummer Victor Lewis, to play at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Also on Sunday, the Saint Louis Jazz Club will present pianist Pat Joyce and his All-Stars in a matinee performance at the DoubleTree Hotel Westport.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band returns for their monthly performance at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups.

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

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

*Update - 4/11/12, 11:50 p.m.: As longtime reader (and stalwart fan of Russell Malone) Kandie Webster points out in the comments, this week's gig at the Bistro is not the first time Malone and Cyrus Chestnut have played together, as stated in the first version of this story. That statement was based on information supplied by Jazz St. Louis that may have been incorrect, or simply just misinterpreted by me. At any rate, this week's gig definitely is the first time they've played together here in St. Louis...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* We regret to report that there's some more difficult news on Clark Terry's health this week, as the legendary trumpeter had to go back into a hospital near his home in Arkansas and undergo surgery to amputate his left leg. Terry's wife Gwen has details about his condition in a blog post titled "Quitting Is Not An Option".

There is some good news, though - the amputation site on Terry's right leg, which doctors removed just a few weeks ago, is "healing very well." And according to a Twitter message sent out last night by JazzCorner.com, which hosts Terry's web site, "Clark Terry's leg amputation went well. He's in ICU & resting comfortably. Prayers r being answered!"

* The Sheldon Concert Hall announced this week that drummer Karriem Riggins will be replacing Ulysses Owens, Jr. on the upcoming concert by Peter Martin on Saturday, March 10. The show will mark the debut of Inner Circle, Martin's new band that "interprets classic pop and R&B songs and originals through a jazz lens." In addition to Martin and Riggins, the concert also will feature bassist Robert Hurst and guest singer Vivian Sessoms.

No reason for the switch was announced, but Riggins (pictured) certainly brings an interesting resume to the mix. His first big jazz gig at age 19 was with bassist Ray Brown's trio, and he currently works with singer/pianist Diana Krall, among others. But he's also has done production work with hip-hop artists included Common, J Dilla, The Roots, Talib Kweli and others, and is featured on the new album by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney.

* Guitarist Larry Brown Jr, a native of Venice, IL and alumnus of SIUE who's now living in Chicago, is the subject of the latest "Jazz Preview" segment airing on radio station WSIE (88.7 FM). The interview with Brown will be broadcast at 10:00 a.m. Friday, February 24; 2:00 a.m. Saturday, February 25; 2:00 p.m. Saturday, February 25; 6:00 p.m. Sunday, February 26; and 2:00 p.m. Monday, February 27.

* Jazz on Broadway has posted on their Facebook page an album of photos from saxophonist Tim Cunningham's weekly "Jazzy Friday" gig, which currently is scheduled to continue through the end of April.

* New Orleans funk band Galactic, who will be in St. Louis on Wednesday, March 14 to play The Pageant, have released a new music video, "Heyna," from their new album Carnivale Electricos.

(Edited after posting to fix a typo.)

Jazz this week: Dr. Lonnie Smith and more

After a couple of very busy weeks, things look a bit slower this weekend for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with just one well-known touring jazz musician passing through town.

All the more reason, then, to go check out the veteran organist Dr. Lonnie Smith (pictured) who's back with his trio for a four-night engagement that opens tonight and continues through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. For more on the good Doctor, please see last Saturday's video showcase post and/or read this interview that Smith did a few years ago with journalist Ted Panken for Down Beat.

On Thursday, clarinetist Scott Alberici is a late substitution as the performer for this week's free concert in the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, as the previously scheduled artist, guitarist Scott Jones, is unable to appear. Alberici will be aided and abetted by bassist Ric Vice, pianist Kim Portnoy, and drummer Marty Morrison. Also on Thursday, the Dixie Dudes will play traditional New Orleans favorites in an early-evening, no-cover-charge show at Jazz On Broadway in Alton.

On Friday, singer Cheryl Brown and keyboardist Tony Simmons will be at Robbie's House of Jazz; and trombonist/vocalist Doug Burns will lead a quartet with drummer Paul Shaw, guitarist Tom Byrne and bassist Willem von Hombracht at Cigar Inn.

Then on Saturday, the Funky Butt Brass Band will do a matinee at Blues City Deli and an evening performance at Broadway Oyster Bar; Jazz On Broadway will present saxophonist Michael Fitzgerald; and Robbie's will feature keyboardist Eddie Brown and Elements.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday saxophonist Willie Akins will perform at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium; and Byrne's Pat Metheny-inspired project Have You Heard? will be at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups. Then on Tuesday, there's more guitar at BB's, as Dave Black and Friends take the stage.

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

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

(Edited after posting to add Saturday's shows by Funky Butt Brass Band.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist, composer and former St. Louisan Oliver Lake (pictured) is the latest musician to go the crowd-funding route to finance his next project. Lake is using the website IndieGoGo to attempt to raise $6,000 between now and April 1 to pay for a new album by his big band. The budget includes rehearsal, recording, musician fees, mixing, mastering and pressing.

IndieGoGo functions much like Kickstarter, the site that saxophonist Eric Person recently used successfully to raise money for his next recording project; for more details on how it works, go here. Depending on the amount pledged, contributors to the project will receive premiums ranging from a copy of the finished CD to concert tickets or even a piece of Lake's original visual artwork. Lake plans to complete the big band album by early summer and release it on his own Passin' Thru label.

* Jazz On Broadway has posted a photo album from New Year's Eve on their Facebook page.

* The Missouri History Museum is looking for young musicians from a variety of genres, including jazz, to take part in a concert on March 19 at the Museum that will "reflect the diversity of Missouri and the strength of its young musicians." For more info, see here (.pdf file).

* The online concert information Pollstar has released their list of the Top 100 club venues worldwide based on total ticket sales during 2011, and The Pageant in St. Louis once again was among the leaders, coming in at number five.

Jazz this week: New Year's Eve and more

The week between Christmas and New Year's usually is fairly quiet for live jazz in St. Louis, and New Year's Eve, contrary to what you might think, hasn't been an especially busy night either in recent years. Nevertheless, there are a few noteworthy shows coming up, and a handful of NYE jazz performances as well. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, Robbie's House of Jazz continues its policy of periodically presenting little-known young musicians with the debut of the Andrew Williams/Tim Aubuchon Quartet, featuring up-and-coming saxophonists Williams and Aubuchon with Chris Turnbaugh on bass and Brian Steever on drums.

On Friday, Wack-A-Doo plays at the Map Room in Soulard; drummer Paul Shaw's trio with Daryl Mixon (bass) and Ptah Williams (piano) will be at Cigar Inn; and Robbie's will feature guitarist Stan Stapleton and his band in a tribute to Santana. Also on Friday, singer Dean Christopher, pianist Carolbeth True and bassist Dave Troncoso will perform at the Frontenac Grill.

New Year's Eve offerings on Saturday night include singer Erin Bode (pictured) and her band at Cyrano's; saxophonist Tim Cunningham , singer Anita Jackson and keyboard player/singer Jeremiah Allen at Jazz on Broadway; and guitarist Eric Slaughter's trio with singer Erika Johnson at Robbie's.

Meanwhile, Jazz at the Bistro once again will be dark on New Year's Eve this year, as the club's location in the Grand Center neighborhood puts it near the center of the annual First Night celebration, which runs from 6 p.m. to midnight on Saturday. The alcohol-free event features a variety of live entertainment and "family friendly" activities, and includes a number of performers who may be of interest to jazz fans, including singers Wendy Gordon and Jeanne Trevor and the husband-and-wife piano/vocal duo Joe Dryer and Rosemary Watts at the Kranzberg Arts Center; Le Jazz Hot at St. Francis Xavier College Church; Samba Bom and Kim Massie at the Sheldon; and Funky Butt Brass Band at the Third Baptist Church.

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

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

(Edited 12/29/11 to fix a typo and add the Dean Christopher/Carolbeth True gig.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Tim Halpin, guitarist for the Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured), was interviewed twice this week about the FBBB's "Holiday Brasstravaganza" on Saturday at Off Broadway, by both the RFT's Christian Schaeffer and the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson.

* Former St. Louisan Benjamin Cawthra’s new book Blue Notes in Black and White: Photography and Jazz was reviewed by Ben Ratliff for the New York Times. Cawthra also has a short essay excerpted from the book now online at the Montreal Review.

* Dennis Owsley's most recent blog post for St. Louis magazine is an appreciation of singer Kurt Elling, who was in St. Louis last month to perform at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Jazz on Broadway has posted on Facebook an album of photos from last weekend's gig at the Alton club by bassist Bob DeBoo's quartet.

* The RFT's Kholood Eid has a look inside Native Sound, a new recording studio on Cherokee St.

* St. Louis based Jazz Cruises LLC has changed its name to Entertainment Cruise Productions, reflecting the company's expansion into cruises featuring other musical genres, including "Malt Shop Memories" and the new "Soul Train" cruise, featuring soul, funk and R&B stars from the 1970s and 1980s.

Jazz this week: "Follow That Star: A Jazz Nativity," Good 4 The Soul, Freddie Washington, Montez Coleman, and more

This week's offerings of jazz and creative music in St. Louis include a number of shows with a holiday theme, as well as homecomings for a couple of St. Louis musicians who aren't heard performing locally nearly often enough. Let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, saxophonist Dave Stone's trio provides the music for "Buddhism and the Beats," a free event at the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts that also will feature Buddhist art and readings from Beat writers of the 1950s by various St. Louis performers, artists and writers.

Also tonight, saxophonist Jeff Riley and the St. Louis Big Band will be getting in the Christmas spirit at Robbie's House of Jazz, while singer Erin Bode performs at Cyrano's.

On Friday, Good 4 The Soul opens a two-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro, while singer Debby Lennon and pianist Carolbeth True's trio offer another holiday program at Robbie's House of Jazz.

Also on Friday, bassist Bob DeBoo's quartet with Willie Akins and Ptah Williams plays at Jazz on Broadway in Alton; guitarist Dave Black leads a trio at the Cigar Inn in Belleville; and Erin Bode and her group will team up with Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra violinist and concertmaster David Halen and other SLSO members for a holiday concert at the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles.

On Saturday afternoon, saxophonist Freddie Washington will lead a group in a matinee at Metropolitan Gallery for the Nu Art Series. Washington, a full-toned modernist seriously influenced by John Coltrane, was a fixture on the local scene from the 1960s through the early 1990s, and has recently returned to St. Louis and to live performing after a hiatus.

On Saturday evening, the holiday theme continues with "Follow That Star: A Jazz Nativity", a jazz version of the Christmas story performed by the Oikos Ensemble, featuring saxophonist Rev. Clifford Aerie (pictured) and pianist Christopher Bakriges, and singer Denise Thimes at Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 826 Union Blvd. in St. Louis. "Follow That Star" will get a second performance on Sunday afternoon.

Also on Saturday night, drummer Montez Coleman, a St. Louis native who's been a regular for several years with trumpeter Roy Hargrove and also has recorded with Russell Malone, Willie Akins, Erin Bode and others, leads a group at Jazz on Broadway

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band plays their final gig of 2011 at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups.

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Living St. Louis, which airs Monday evenings on local PBS affiliate KETC, this week included a segment on New Music Circle. The story by Ruth Ezell featured excerpts from a concert by the St. Louis Laptop Ensemble, and can be seen online here.

* Meanwhile, a recent blog entry on Clark Terry's website, written by the beloved trumpeter's wife, says he's still hospitalized but in good spirits and showing some improvement. Read more about how Terry's doing and how you can send well wishes to him here.

* The Post-Dispatch's Marlon Walker on Sunday reported on Lou "Fatha" Thimes' BBQ and Pork House, a restaurant opened this summer by relatives of singer Denise Thimes.

* Jazz on Broadway in Alton has made a couple of changes recently, reducing their cover charge to $5 for "most shows" and offering delivery menus from nearby restaurants "as we prepare to make other food options in the future." The club's website still is not up and running, but they're on Facebook, and you can subscribe to email updates by sending a request to jazzonbroadway @ gmail.com.

* Last but not least, the annual musical instrument drive by local not-for-profit Music for Lifelong Achievement (MFLA) began this week, and continues through November 20. For details on how to donate, see this post.

New clubs featuring jazz open in Alton, Florissant

The St. Louis area in recent years has lost a number of bars and restaurants that regularly featured live jazz, so it's a welcome development to see two new jazz venues - one on each side of the Mississippi - opening for business.

Jazz on Broadway, located at 554 East Broadway in downtown Alton, IL was mentioned here briefly here in the "jazz this week" post a couple of weeks back, when the club held its grand opening with music from saxophonist Tim Cunningham.

This week, I got a chance to chat by phone with the club's owner Cindy Crawford, who told me that she plans to feature live music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The hours for most acts will be 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., though Crawford said she eventually hopes to present two separate shows, at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., on weekend nights.

In addition to Cunningham and guitarist Bryan White, who played for the club's soft opening in July, Jazz on Broadway (pictured) so far has booked pianist Roley Overmeyer, who's playing some Fridays, including September 2; and saxophonist Fred Walker, who's playing Sundays including September 4. Also on the schedule are the blues group Mondinband (September 3); Bob and Me, with singer Ellen Martinez and pianist Bob Werner (September 9); singer Danita Mumphard (October 22); saxophonist Jim Stevens (October 28); trumpeter Jim Manley (November 12) and keyboardist Brock Walker (November 18). Although the musicians booked to date lean toward smooth jazz and R&B, Crawford says she plans to present a variety of jazz styles.

In the near future, perhaps by October, Crawford said she hopes to work with radio station WSIE, SIUE and other local colleges to present open jam sessions on Wednesdays. She said the club, which holds about 200 people, also will offer special events for occasions such as Halloween, the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras.

Jazz On Broadway's website isn't online yet, but the club does have a Facebook page and an email list, which you can subscribe to by emailing them at jazzonbroadway@gmail.com; or you can call them at 618-465-JAZZ (5299).

Meanwhile, back on the Missouri side of the river up North County way, the Halls Ferry Inn Jazz Cafe, 3425 N. Lindbergh, will have its grand opening weekend this Friday, September 2 and Saturday, September 3 featuring music from singer Danita Mumphard and her band, with special guest guitarist Daryl Darden. Mumphard will perform at 7:30 and 9:30, and there's a $10 cover.

The HFIJC is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to midnight, with music from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.. Located on the site of the old Halls Ferry Inn, the club also serves food, with a menu that reportedly incorporates a few favorites from the previous tenants.

The club's website (warning: autoplay music) presently is a bit sparse, but among the upcoming bookings listed are "Special Guitarist & Patio music" on Thursday, September 8, saxophonist Michael Fitzgerald on Saturday, September 10, and "Coming Soon - Spoken word night (and) Comedy night." Yr. humble StLJN editor will try to track down some more details in the next week, but in the meantime, for more information you can check out the website or call HFIJC at 314-972-8410.

(Edited 9/1/11 to fix a typo.)