So What: Local News, Notes & Links

One day earlier than usual thanks to the holidays, here's StLJN's weekly wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* Trumpeter, singer and U. City native Jeremy Davenport (pictured) made news this week in his current hometown New Orleans with a cover version of "The Christmas Song" recorded with his 15-year-old daughter (and also including a piano track from St. Louisan Adam Maness).

* Although Jim Manley wasn't able to do his annual Christmas show this year at Jazz St. Louis, the trumpeter earlier this week live-streamed a holiday-themed performance from the Gaslight Theater, joined by Bob Row on keyboard, Joe Weber on drums, Larry Johnson on saxophone, and Jim Owens on trombone. If you missed the original live stream, you can catch it now on YouTube.

* Singer Debby Lennon's recent holiday show at Blue Strawberry was reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

* Also debuting this week on video is A New Holiday, an original, locally produced Christmas musical written by singer Brian Owens and actor Sophia Stephens that features several jazz connections, starting with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, drummer Montez Coleman, bassist Jahmal Nichols, and pianist Peter Martin in the opening scene.

The production also includes appearances from saxophonist David Sanborn; singers Kennedy Holmes (seen recently on NBC’s The Voice), Anita Jackson, Bebe Winans, and Karen Clark-Sheard; dance students from Grand Center Arts Academy; and more, plus animation by St. Louis-based Lion Forge Animation. It was recorded in St. Louis at locations including Jazz St Louis, Powell Hall, and The Sheldon, and after two broadcast airings on Nine Network, now can be seen on YouTube.

* As reported by the St. Louis Labor Tribune's Sheri Gassaway, members of Musicians’ Association of St. Louis Local 2-197 this year during the pandemic have worked to raise funds for charity and put on numerous free outdoor performances in the community.

Jazz this week: Jeremy Davenport, Steve Ross, Jeanette Harris & Althea René, and more

While this week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis is slightly curtailed by the Thanksgiving holiday, there nevertheless are several noteworthy gigs happening, including the annual return of a noted local expat now living in New Orleans; a visit from one of NYC's most storied cabaret performers; and a tour stop by two "Queens of Soul Jazz." Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 27
This week's free "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" in Grand Center features multi-instrumentalist Jacob Alspach and friends at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Brady Lewis and BLStet at The Dark Room.

Also on Wednesday, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black are back at Scarlett's Wine Bar; Miss Jubilee performs vintage swing, hot jazz and more at Schlafly Bottleworks; and trumpeter Jim Manley does his weekly gig at Sasha's Wine Bar.

Friday, November 29
Trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport (pictured, top left) returns to his hometown for the first of two nights of his annual post-Thanksgiving performances at Jazz St. Louis. Davenport, who leads the house band at the Ritz-Carlton in his adopted home in New Orleans, usually draws a sell-out crowd, so advance reservations are strongly advised.

Elsewhere around town, singer and pianist Steve Ross, nicknamed the "Crown Prince of Cabaret" and a noted interpreter of the music of Cole Porter, will perform songs by Porter and more for the first of two nights at Blue Strawberry.

Also on Friday, there are two shows by local acts promoting debut recordings, with Annie and the Fur Trappers playing traditional jazz at the Focal Point and singer and pianist Katarra Parson offering songs from her album Cocoa Voyage at The Dark Room.

Saturday, November 30
Saxophonist Jeanette Harris and flute player Althea René (pictured, bottom left) bring their "Queens of Soul Jazz" tour to the Sheldon Concert Hall.

The two teamed up earlier this year to release the singer "We Are One," but both have had successful solo careers leading up to the collaboration. For more about both women, and some live performance videos, check out this post from Saturday before last.

Also on Saturday, saxophonist Tim Cunningham is back at Troy's Listening Room; pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True return to the Parkside Grille; and The Gaslight Squares are playing at the Frisco Barroom.

Sunday, December 1
Dizzy Atmosphere plays Gypsy jazz and vintage swing for brunch at The Dark Room; the Jazz Troubadours play their monthly show at Evangeline's; and pianist and singer Jesse Gannon leads a trio at The Judson House.

Monday, December 2
The Folk School of KDHX hosts their weekly Traditional Jazz Jam Session.

Tuesday, December 3
The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra plays their fourth annual "1/2 a Christmas Concert" 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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Bassist and St. Louis native Tom Kennedy (pictured) is the subject of an AllAboutJazz.com feature story by writer Jim Worsley.

* Drummer Marcus Baylor and The Baylor Project were featured on a recent episode of John King's Arts and Rhythm Live in San Antonio on NBC affiliate WOAI.

* The Gaslight Squares' New Years Eve performance at Pacific Opera House was reviewed by The Syncopated Times.

* The new documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, which premiered this week at the Sundance Film Festival, so far has been reviewed in the Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Salt Lake City's SLUG magazine. Director Stanley Nelson also was interviewed about the film on an episode of "Radiowest" on Salt Lake City NPR affiliate KUER.

* Ron Sikes, percussionist for the Funky Butt Brass Band and director of bands at Jefferson R-VII District in Festus, will direct the Southeast Missouri All-District Jazz Band and serve as a clinician at Three Rivers College's 28th annual Jazz Festival on February 7 and 9.

* The St. Louis Banjo Club has elected a slate of officers for 2019 including John Williams as the organization's new president and Tina Miller as the new treasurer, with Don Dempsey continuing as secretary and Joe Feager as music director. The group meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at Affton Elks Club, and will celebrate their 50th anniversary this year with an event in November at the National Blues Museum, date and details TBA.

* SeatGeek.com and the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans have teamed up to produce a video about trumpeter, singer and U City Native Jeremy Davenport as part of a online series called "The Sounds of New Orleans."

Jazz this week: Jeremy Davenport and more

As often happens here around major holidays, it's a slow week for touring jazz and creative music performers, but there still are a number of noteworthy performances by locals (plus one returning St. Louis expat) happening around town.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 21
This week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features singer Jenna Bauer and guitarist Dave Black 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.

Also on Wednesday, Cabaret Project of St. Louis presents their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club; and bassist/singer Janet Evra performs at Evangeline's.

Friday, November 23
Trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport (pictured) is back home from New Orleans for the first night of his annual Thanksgiving weekend gig at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; saxophonist Tim Cunningham returns to Troy's Jazz Gallery; and percussionist Herman Semidey and Son Montuno will play Latin jazz, salsa and more at The Dark Room.

Saturday, November 24
The St. Louis Jazz Club is presenting what's intended as the first in a series of monthly Saturday matinee jam sessions, hosted by pianist Bob Row, drummer Jon Gillick and & Scott Alberici, at J P's Corner in South County.

Saturday night, trumpeter Jim Manley and band return to Evangeline's; guitarist Dan Rubright will perform in a concert at .ZACK; and the Funky Butt Brass Band plays their monthly show at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Sunday, November 25
Drummer Montez Coleman and friends play for brunch at The Dark Room; the Folk School of KDHX hosts their monthly traditional jazz jam session; and DJ Pockets will be behind the turntables for his monthly "1950s/60s Jazz Record Spin" at The Royale.

Monday, November 26
Dizzy Atmosphere plays vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at The Shaved Duck.

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Following the last-minute cancellation of this weekend's LouFest music festival, a number of acts scheduled to play the event have managed to book replacement shows at various venues around town.

Most of the bands and musicians that were scheduled to perform on LouFest's jazz stage, plus some other local performers, now will be playing "The Sound of St. Louis" Showcase, a free event taking place from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 9 at the Grandel Theatre and The Dark Room.

The event will feature music from Ben Reece's Unity Quartet, Bob DeBoo, Jesse Gannon, Kasimu Taylor (pictured), Kevin Bowers' Nova, Mo Egeston, Owen Ragland, Ptah Williams Trio, and Tonina Saputo, as well as sets from The Burney Sisters, Dracla, Grace Basement, The Knuckles, The River Kittens, and Scrub & Ace Ha.

* Though local media outlets had to scrap many of their LouFest previews, the re-scheduling of many of the fest's jazz acts for the above-mentioned Sunday showcase did allow for the publication as originally planned of Kevin Johnson's Post-Dispatch feature on keyboardist Owen Ragland (link to Google cache).

* Also rescued from the LouFest-preview kill file, a feature story about drummer Kevin Bowers from the Riverfront Times' Christian Schaeffer.

* The late pianist and singer Jean Kittrell was the subject of a remembrance in the Edwardsville Intelligencer.

* Also in the Intelligencer, a brief preview of Saturday's Alton Jazz and Wine Festival, which has been moved indoors to Argosy Casino's music hall due to a forecast of heavy rain for Saturday.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold's recent performance for the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, NYC, was recorded for broadcast (and archived online) by radio station WBGO.

* Pianist Dred Scott, born here in St. Louis as Joseph Patrick Scott and now based in NYC, has a new album coming out on September 21. Titled Rides Alone, it features Scott playing solo on eight tracks of original music, and will be available as a CD or download from BandCamp.

* Thurman's in Shaw's new Sunday brunch was the subject of a brief feature by the Riverfront Times' Sarah Penske.

* The Davenport Lounge at the New Orleans Ritz Carlton hotel, which features music four nights a week from trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport, was mentioned in a CNN feature about celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse's list of New Orleans "must-dos."

* Bach to the Future's concert tonight at the Miller Performing Arts Center in Jefferson City was previewed in the Jefferson City News-Tribune.

Jazz this week: Erin Bode, Joe Policastro Trio, "Swing Symphony," Peter Martin, Jeremy Davenport, Dweezil Zappa, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music features jazz played by a variety of ensembles, from intimate duos and trios to a full symphony orchestra and big band teaming up to present the St. Louis premiere of a large-scale work from trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, May 2
Singer Erin Bode returns to Jazz at the Bistro for the first of two nights of performances, and the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" will feature T.J. Muller at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at The Dark Room.

Thursday, May 3
Chicago's Joe Policastro Trio, who are out on the road in support of their latest album Screen Sounds, will perform at The Dark Room.

Also on Thursday, singer Cheri Evans and CEEJazzSoul will perform at the Chase Club in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel, and singer Joe Mancuso will bring his organ trio plus guitarist Dave Black to Joe's Cafe & Gallery.

Friday, May 4
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra will join forces with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (pictured, top left) for the first of three performances of Marsalis' "Swing Symphony" at Powell Hall.

"Swing Symphony," which is Marsalis's third symphonic work, debuted in 2010 in Berlin and New York City, and has been performed by a number of other orchestras in the US and Europe in the ensuing years. You can see two different performances of "Swing Symphony," plus some interviews in which Marsalis talks about the work, in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, pianist Peter Martin (pictured, center left) will reunite his Inner Circle trio with bassist Chris Thomas and drummer Brian Blade for the first time in more than 20 years for the first of two nights of performances at Jazz at the Bistro; and singer David Giuntoli performs his cabaret show "We've Got A World That Swings" at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Saturday, May 5
Trumpeter and singer Jeremy Davenport will be the headliner for Hope Happens' "14th Annual Evening of Hope," a benefit performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall raising funds for the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders.

Also on Saturday, the Funky Butt Brass Band will play a free show at The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy, and trumpeter Jim Manley brings his band to Evangeline's.

Sunday, May 6
The St. Louis Record Collector & CD Show's spring event will take place at the American Czech Educational Center, and the Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe.

Monday, May 7
Trumpeter Jim Manley returns to his weekly residency at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, May 8
Guitarist Dweezil Zappa (pictured, bottom left), still embroiled in legal wrangling over the rights to perform his father Frank's music, will bring his "Choice Cuts" tour to The Ready 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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist and former St. Louisan Oliver Lake is featured in a new instructional video for Jazz at Lincoln Center's "Jazz Academy."

* Trumpeter/singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport's song "One Way Ticket to New Orleans," written to commemorate the city's tricentennial, was the subject of a feature story in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

* Grant Green Jr. will take his father Grant Green's music on the road this summer to help promote Resonance Records' release of two previously unheard albums by the guitarist and St. Louis native (pictured).

In addition to Green Jr, who is Green's eldest son and also a guitarist, the band billed as "Grant Green's Evolution of Funk" will include saxophonist Donald Harrison, keyboardist Marc Cary and drummer Mike Clark, and will make their debut with performances from June 28 to July 1 at NYC's Jazz Standard.

* On a related note, London Jazz News has reviewed Green's two new Resonance albums, Live at Oil Can Harry's and Funk in France, which will be released officially this Saturday, April 21 for Record Store Day.  You can find much more on this year's RSD jazz releases in this article from DownBeat.

* Drummer Kevin Bowers was interviewed about his shows this weekend at Jazz at the Bistro by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* Multi-instrumentalist Adam Maness has composed and produced music for a new video honoring the St. Louis Cardinals' Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson on the 50th anniversary of his historic performance in 1968, aka "The Year of the Pitcher."

With some coaching from Maness and singer Brian Owens, kids from the not-for-profit LIFE Arts, Inc wrote and performed the lyrics for the video, which can be seen on Major League Baseball's site MLB.com.

* Speaking of baseball, the Cardinals' Ernie Hayes was among the MLB ballpark organists featured in a recent post by JazzWax's Marc Myers.

* The Sheldon Concert Hall has posted to Facebook an album of photos from Ramsey Lewis' performance at last Friday night's benefit gala and an album from last Saturday's performance by pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and Ekaya.

* Singer Denise Thimes' Mothers Day show raising money to fight pancreatic cancer, which will be held this year at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, was previewed in an article by Ladue News' Emma Dent.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold has been on tour in the UK and Europe, and his show last week at Jazz Cafe in London got a rave review from Jazzwise magazine.

* Miles Davis was the subject this week of a BBC program hosted by Adrian Utley of the British "trip-hop" band Portishead. Also on the Miles beat, the recently released box set Miles Davis & John Coltrane — The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 was reviewed by the Village Voice's Michael J. Agovino.

* HEC-TV has produced a video featuring testimonials from two local students, Kendall Blumenthal and Brittany O'Reilly, who have benefited from music scholarships awarded by Jazz St. Louis.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer, actor, and Webster University faculty member Debby Lennon has won this year's award for "best actress in a comedy" from the St. Louis Theater Circle for her portrayal of would-be diva Florence Foster Jenkins in Max & Louie Productions' staging of Souvenir. The production won five awards in total from StLTC, including "outstanding comedy."

* St. Louis native and Washington University alumnus Olly Wilson (pictured), a composer, musician, musicologist, and emeritus professor of music at the University of California, Berkeley whose students included drummer Tony Williams, has died at age 80.

* Keyboardist Ryan Marquez appeared Thursday on the morning newscast at KTVI (FOX2) to promote his album release show this Saturday night at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

* The release this week of the CD box set Miles Davis/John Coltrane - The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 already has prompted media coverage including a column from The New Yorker's Richard Brody, a review on Pitchfork.com, and a story about "When Miles Davis and John Coltrane Scandalized Paris" via OZY.com.

* Pianist Peter Martin was profiled this week in Keyboard magazine's "Talent Scout" column.

* Just in time for New Orleans' tricentennial, singer, trumpeter (and University City native) Jeremy Davenport has released a song paying tribute to his adopted home, "One Way Ticket to New Orleans."

* Chris Hansen of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation was interviewed about the foundation's new residency program for musicians by McGraw Millhaven of KTRS .

* Keyboardist Jim Hegarty has released a new recording in his Secret Sessions series, available as a free download from Bandcamp. The latest volume, recorded on February 25, documents a live improv session featuring Hegarty on modular synthesizer with Tracy Andreotti (cello), Eric Paul Mandat (clarinets), Greg Mills (piano, melodica), Claude Montgomery (bass), George Sams (flugelhorn), Steven Thomas (guitar), and Fred Tompkins (flute, bass flute).

* The Riverfront Times is looking for up to 30 local musical acts who would like to be part of  ShowcaseSTL 2018, a two-day "concert crawl" on Saturday, June 16 and Sunday, June 17 that will feature more than 100 performances at various venues in the Grove. To find out more about the event and how to submit materials for consideration, go here.

Jazz this week: Jeremy Davenport comes home, Althea Rene & Elan Trotman's "Holiday Winds," and more

If you'd like some jazz and creative music to go with this year's Thanksgiving turkey and trimmings, here's what's happening on local stages over the next few days...

Wednesday, November 22
The weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" will feature guitarists Jake Weisman and Eric Slaughter at Squatters Cafe/The Stage at KDHX, along with the weekly jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor and band at The Dark Room.

Friday, November 24
Trumpeter and singer Jeremy Davenport, who grew up in U City and now resides in New Orleans, will be back in his hometown for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Davenport (pictured, top left) has a regular house gig at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New Orleans, and generally only makes it home once a year to do these shows, so they should be well-attended, with advance reservations a must. 

Also on Friday, Miss Jubilee will promote the release of a new CD, Throw Me In The Alley, with a show at  Focal Point; singer Chuck Flowers does the late show at The Dark Room; and Samba Bom will provide some Brazilian music to go with the Spanish cuisine at Barcelona Tapas Restaurant.

Saturday, November 25
Cornetist Bill Mason of the St. Louis Ragtimers will sit in with The Gaslight Squares for a matinee at Blues City Deli.

Saturday evening, flute player Althea Rene (pictured, bottom left) and saxophonist Elan Trotman will headline two performances of "Holiday Winds" at the Emerson Theater at Harris Stowe State University, with St. Louis'  Coleman Hughes Project as the opening act.

Sunday, November 26
The Webster Groves Concert Hall will host the musical equivalent of what used to be called a "day/night doubleheader" in baseball, with singer Wendy Gordon performing in the afternoon and drummer Chuck Kennedy and friends presenting "The Beatles Go Jazz" in the evening.

Also on Sunday, the Folk School of KDHX presents their monthly "Traditional Jazz Jam Session," and Wright's Project plays jazz-fusion and funk at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Monday, November 27
Dizzy Atmosphere will play Gypsy jazz and swing for diners at The Shaved Duck, and trumpeter Jim Manley will does his weekly gig at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, November 28
Erin Bode, Arvell Keithley, Brian Owens and Alan Ox will sing music by Al Hammerman in a benefit for the organization "Kids Rock Cancer" at the Ferring Jazz Bistro.

Also on Tuesday, "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective return to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups downtown, while out in St. Charles County, saxophonist Larry Johnson, pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True will play The Rack House Kitchen Wine Whiskey.

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: Jeremy Davenport, Kawabata Makoto & Tatsuya Nakatani, and more

This holiday weekend isn't a particularly busy one for the jazz and creative music calendar in St. Louis, but even so, there are some noteworthy shows happening around town over the next few days that you may want to know about.

Let's go to the highlights...

Friday, November 25
Trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport returns home for the first of two nights of his annual Thanksgiving weekend gig at Jazz at the Bistro.

Davenport (pictured), who spends most of the year leading the house band at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New Orleans, frequently sells out these homecoming gigs, but as of this writing on Friday morning, there still seem to be some tickets available.

Also on Friday, guitarist Eric Slaughter leads a quartet at Cigar Inn, and the Funky Butt Brass Band plays their monthly show at Broadway Oyster Bar.

Saturday, Nov 26
Drummer Marty Morrison leads a group in concert at The Dark Room, and jazz/fusion group Spaceship plays at Evangeline's.

Monday, November 28
Fans of free improv and/or noise will want to check out a rare early-week gig featuring the duo of Kawabata Makoto, guitarist for Japanese psychedelic rock band Acid Mother Temple, and improvising percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani at Foam, with Vernacular String Trio and Oxherding opening.

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.)

The Sheldon, Metrotix offering online discount on tickets for Jeremy Davenport

The Sheldon Concert Hall and Metrotix are offering discounted tickets to online buyers for the concert by trumpeter, singer, and U City native Jeremy Davenport (pictured) at 2:00 p.m. this Sunday, June 5 at The Sheldon.

With the discount, remaining tickets for the show are just $25. (Regular prices for the concert were $40 for orchestra level and $35 for the balcony.)

To get the ticket discount, go to the Metrotix site, and when prompted, enter the promo code TRUMPET16.

Jazz this week: Stefon Harris, Miles Davis Jazz Festival, Jeremy Davenport, and more

The unofficial start of summer in St. Louis this week brings with it several jazz and creative music events that local audiences have come to expect around this time of year, including the annual Miles Davis Jazz Festival in Alton; the start of the Whitaker Music Festival; benefit performances raising money for the Sheldon Concert Hall and for music scholarships awarded by Jazz St. Louis; and a gathering of ragtime musicians from all around the country. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 1
Tonight, singer Feyza Eren will perform in a free concert kicking off the summer-long Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Thursday, June 2
Minnesota-based jump-blues and swing band Davina and the Vagabonds will play at the Broadway Oyster Bar

Friday, June 3
The fried-dough enthusiasts comprising the staff of Jazz St. Louis will celebrate "National Donut Day" on Friday morning with a free, public event at the Ferring Jazz Bistro, featuring free coffee, milk and donuts from 15 local shops and bakeries, plus live music from students in JSL's education programs, kids' activities, and more.

That evening, vibraphonist Stefon Harris (pictured, top left) will join students from Jazz St. Louis' JazzU program for their annual weekend of performances as Jazz at the Bistro, with two sets on both Friday and Saturday nights.

Also on Friday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to Thurman Grill; the Original Knights of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and saxophonist Austin Cebulski leads a quartet at Cigar Inn.

Saturday, June 4
On Saturday afternoon, Stefon Harris will lead a free workshop for musicians at Jazz at the Bistro, talking about the "Harmony Cloud" ear training system he's created with trombonist and software developer Clif Swiggett.

Saturday evening, the 11th annual Miles Davis Jazz Festival will take place at the Jacoby Arts Center in Alton, featuring pianist Phil Dunlap leading a nonet playing music from Davis' Birth of the Cool, plus sets from saxophonist Fred Walker, the Dilbert Caldwell Band, and the duo Me and Bob.

Elsewhere around town, South Korean saxophonist Lukas Insung Lee will play at Evangeline's; guitarist Dave Black will present a concert of his original music at Focal Point; and trumpeter Jim Manley and guitarist Randy Bahr's All-Star Band returns to Nathalie's.

Sunday, June 5
Sunday afternoon offers several noteworthy shows, starting with trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport (pictured, bottom left) who will be back home to headline the annual spring benefit for the Sheldon Concert Hall.

At about the same time, the Friends of Scott Joplin will present their "Ragtime Afterglow Party" at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, featuring informal performances from various musicians involved in this weekend's Scott Joplin Festival in Sedalia, MO.

Meanwhile, Jazz St. Louis will be presenting the third annual Richard McDonnell Scholarship Concert at Jazz at the Bistro. The event, which raises money for music scholarships awarded in the name of the late founder of MAXJAZZ Records, runs from mid-afternoon through the evening, with performers including Jazz St. Louis' student All-Stars, alumni of JSL's JazzU program, pianist Carolbeth True's trio, Funky Butt Brass Band, Good 4 the Soul with singer Anita Jackson, a closing set featuring trumpeter Sean Jones and pianist Peter Martin, and more.

Monday, June 6
Trombonists Wayne Coniglio and Scott Whitfield will team up to lead a quintet at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

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

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

Jeremy Davenport to perform for benefit gala Sunday, June 5 at The Sheldon

Trumpeter, singer, and U City native Jeremy Davenport is returning to St. Louis to perform in a benefit gala at 2:00 p.m., Sunday, June 5 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Davenport (pictured), who now lives in New Orleans and leads the house band at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel there, has been coming back to his hometown each year for more than a decade to perform at Jazz at the Bistro over Thanksgiving weekend.

He also did a Twilight Tuesdays show back in 2010 at the History Museum, but otherwise has made few appearances here since the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when he moved back to St. Louis for a year and had a regular gig at the now-shuttered Busch's Grove.

Proceeds from this performance will benefit the programs and exhibits at The Sheldon's art galleries. Patron tickets for the gala are $250 and $125, and are available for purchase now by calling The Sheldon at 314-533-9900. These tickets include a pre-concert reception with "brunch-style appetizers and cocktails," plus complimentary parking, preferred concert seating, and a tax deduction.

Concert-only tickets for Jeremy Davenport will be priced at $40 orchestra, $35 balcony, and will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Friday, April 29 at Metrotix outlets, by phone at 314-534-1111, and via the The Sheldon's website.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Multi-instrumentalist Dwayne Bosman of the Bosman Twins (pictured) is one of ten recipients of a Regional Arts Commission Artist Fellowship for 2015.

Each of the ten selected artists receives $20,000, which is intended to "allow for the advancement of the individual artist’s creative journey to include time and space to study, reflect, experiment, explore and create."

* The late Don Wolff was remembered and memorialized by local media outlets including St. Louis Public Radio, St. Louis magazine, KMOV-TV, and HEC-TV.

* Euclid Records was featured in a recent "In Your Neighborhood" segment on KTVI/Fox 2 News.

* Just in time for his annual Thanksgiving weekend gig at Jazz at the Bistro, here's a a fairly lengthy new interview with trumpeter and singer Jeremy Davenport, via HollywoodSoapbox.com.

* Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap was featured by the Post-Dispatch in an "#STLStreetStyle" video.

* Bassist Stanley Clarke's concert last Saturday at the Touhill Performing Arts Center was reviewed by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

* Singer/songwriter Susan Werner's show last weekend for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was reviewed by Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX.

* Groove Jazz, a new streaming jazz radio station based in St. Louis, is now online and available to hear for free at www.theroots.fm and via free apps available in the iTunes and Google Play stores.

Described in a news release as "primarily a Contemporary Jazz station, featuring artists like Boney James, Paul Hardcastle, Cindy Bradley, George Benson and David Benoit," the station's playlist also will feature "Straight-Ahead Jazz, World Music, Fusion, Funk and other styles." Weekday hosts are Jason Church, Kristi Carson, Eddie Becton, and Darrel Eason, while the weekend voices include Kris Kelly, Bill Poole, Robin Boyce and C.J. Ellis.

Jazz this week: Jeremy Davenport, Perihelion Quartet, John King, and more

While the biggest-name jazz musician visiting St. Louis this week actually is an expat playing his annual homecoming gig, there nevertheless is a tasty selection of jazz shows from local performers available for your pre- and post-Turkey Day consumption. Let's go to the highlights...


Wednesday, November 25
The Perihelion Quartet, featuring pianist Greg Mills and friends, will offer free jazz and improvisation at the Tavern of Fine Arts, while over in Grand Center, the regular Wednesday gigs are in effect, with bassist Bob Deboo leading an early evening jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center, followed later by trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's trio at The Dark Room.

Friday, November 27
The aforementioned expat - trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport (pictured, top left) - will be back from his adopted home in New Orleans for the first of two nights of what's become an annual Thanksgiving weekend gig at Jazz at the Bistro. Given Davenport's popularity, tickets for the early shows may be hard to come by, but even for the late sets, advance reservations would seem to be a must. 

Elsewhere on Friday, saxophonist Jim Stevens and band will play an early show at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; saxophonist Jay Hutson and Da Wolvez will perform at Evangeline's; and singer Joe Mancuso brings a quartet to Nathalie's.

Saturday November 28
Saxophonist Stan Coleman and bassist Darrell Mixon will co-lead a quartet for an early show at Tavern of Fine Arts; the Midwest Jazz-tette plays West Coast jazz at Evangeline's; and guitarist Eric Slaughter and bassist Glen Smith will play duets at Thurman Grill.

Also on Saturday, bassist John King (pictured, lower left) brings another edition of his guest-star-laden, autobiographical show "My Life In Music" to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; and singer Ralph Butler and keyboardist Gigi Darr will play a concert at the Jacoby Arts Center in Alton.

Sunday November 29
If you still have relatives or friends visiting from out of town and want to take them to Sunday brunch, you can get some live jazz along with your meal courtesy of singer/guitarist Tommy Halloran's Guerilla Swing at Jazz at the Bistro, Elsie Parker and the Poor People of Paris at Nathalie's, Miss Jubilee at Evangeline's, or trumpeter Jim Manley with keyboardist Mark Friedricks at Jimmy's Cafe on the Park.

Monday, November 30
The Webster University Jazz Collective, featuring members of Webster's jazz faculty, will play a concert at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus; and saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective will be back for their monthly gig at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday December 1 
Harmonica master Sandy Weltman will lead a master class and workshop at City Music, and the First Tuesday Composer's Club will convene their monthly event showcasing new compositions at 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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Following up on a story from last week, artist Ray Harvey has completed his mural of the late trumpeter Clark Terry on a building in the Carondelet neighborhood, and St. Louis magazine has a photo of the finished work and an interview with Harvey.

* On a related note, the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, directed by trumpeter Byron Stripling, last week debuted a newly commissioned big band suite paying tribute to Terry. You can read a review of the performance here.

* A story in Wednesday's Alton Telegraph detailed the financial woes of radio station WSIE. With the state of Illinois poised to withdraw all support by 2018, the article says the station will need to replace approximately $140,000, or 80 percent, of its annual budget with additional sponsorships, underwriting, and listener support.

WSIE currently is conducting an IndieGoGo campaign with a goal of collecting $10,000. With 30 days to go, they've raised $1,155 from 21 backers.

* With the hull of what's left of the Goldenrod Showboat destroyed this past summer in a low-water mishap, an article in the St. Louis Business Journal says that preservationists now hope to salvage the Goldernrod's theater and various other artifacts for possible display in a museum setting.

* Drummer Mark Colenburg has been tapped to present a master class, "Connecting Generations," as part of the Percussive Arts Society's 2015 convention, which takes place Wednesday, November 11 through Saturday, November 14 in San Antonio, TX.

* One of guitarist Kevin Eubanks' performances last week at Jazz at the Bistro was reviewed for the Post-Dispatch by Terry Perkins.

* While Eubanks was in town, the former Tonight Show bandleader made several appearances on local broadcast media, including one on NBC affiliate KSDK and one on ESPN Radio affiliate 101Sports.

* Speaking of reviews, KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi has posted one of Lina Koutrakos and Rick Jensen's show last Sunday for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival.

* And speaking of KDHX, they've also posted to Facebook two photo sets of interest, one from Banu Gibson's performance last Sunday at the Sheldon and one from last weekend's St. Louis Gypsy Jazz Festival.

* Saxquest is introducing their own line of saxophone mouthpieces, and they're taking pre-orders now for the first two models, called "The Core" and "The Bridge".

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake has posted to YouTube some video footage from the Krakow show of his recent European tour with the Generations Quartet.

* Trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport was one of a number of musicians taking part last week in a tribute to 100 years of the legacy of Frank Sinatra at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans. Davenport (pictured) will be back in St. Louis next month for his annual Thanksgiving weekend gig at Jazz at the Bistro.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* New Music Circle's website has a brief interview with saxophonist Tim Berne (pictured) in advance of the show tonight by his band Snakeoil at the Stage at KDHX.

* Trumpeter Kasimu Taylor was profiled by Kevin Johnson of the Post-Dispatch. 

* A recent performance by drummer Dave Weckl's Acoustic Band at Ronnie Scott's in London was reviewed by Jazzwise magazine.

* Trombonist Joe Bowie will be the special guest with saxophonist Candy Dulfer's band for gigs on May 13 and 14 in Hannover, Germany.

* Dennis Owsley, who hosts "Jazz Unlimited" from 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays on St. Louis Public Radio (90.7 FM),was profiled as the "Person of the Week" on the website UMission.

* Trumpeter Jeremy Davenport was a guest this past week on the podcast of New Orleans TV personality Scott Walker.

* Jazz St. Louis is looking for customer feedback on the decor, service, menu, and other aspects of the newly renovated Jazz at the Bistro; you can fill out their online survey here.

* JSL also was one of a half-dozen local arts groups to announce new grants this week from the National Endowment for the Arts, having snagged $10,000 from NEA to help support their audience residency program.

* The Sheldon Concert Hall has posted to Facebook an album of photos from last Saturday's performance by singer Cécile McLorin Salvant.

* With warmer weather comes the summer festival season, and some St. Louis musicians already are headed out of town for weekend gigs to take advantage. For example, bassist Jim Widner and drummer Montez Coleman will be among the featured players tonight at the LaPorte Jazz Festival in Valparaiso, IN, while the itinerary of traditional jazz and swing band Cornet Chop Suey includes upcoming stops in Williston, ND and Great Falls, MT.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on his program “Somethin’ Else,” on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, Calvin Wilson will spotlight the music of saxophonist John Coltrane's classic 1960s quartet with McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison. 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.

Jazz this week: Jeremy Davenport returns to the Bistro, Cactus Truck, and more

A few quick suggestions for some post-Turkey Day jazz and creative music in and around St. Louis...

Tonight, trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport returns from his current home in New Orleans to play his annual post-Thanksgiving weekend gig at Jazz at the Bistro.

Though he's been leader of the house band in the lounge at the Ritz Carlton in New Orleans for more than 10 years now, these annual visits have helped ensure that Davenport still has a strong following here in St. Louis. As a result, the 7:30 shows on both nights are sold out in advance, and though tickets for the 9:30 shows still may be available, advance reservations would seem to be a must.

Elsewhere around town on Friday, singer Feyza Eren and guitarist Tom Byrne will duet at Tavern of Fine Arts; singer Joe Mancuso brings a quartet to Nathalie's; trumpeter Jim Manley plays at Thurman Grill; and saxophonist Willie Akins leads a quartet at Cigar Inn.

On Saturday, bassist John King and friends will present another of his "My Life In Music" shows at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; singer Wendy Gordon and pianist Carolbeth True will team up at Tavern of Fine Arts;
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play swing and jump blues at Evangeline's; and Miss Jubilee will perform at 612 Kitchen and Cocktails, a relatively new spot at 612 W Woodbine Ave in Kirkwood.

Then on Sunday, the Amsterdam-based free jazz trio Cactus Truck will be in town for a performance at  Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center, with saxophonist Dave Stone opening the show. For a video preview of Cactus Truck's high-energy, wall-of-skronk sound, check out this post from last week.

Also on Sunday, singer Erin Bode will present "An Evening of Holiday Music" to benefit Promise Christan Academy at the Purser Center at Logan University; and the Coleman-Hughes Project with singer Adrianne Felton will perform at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday guitarist Tom Byrne will lead a trio at BB's Jazz Blues & 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.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Fall 2014 jazz preview, part 4

Today, it's part four of StLJN's video preview of jazz and creative music performers who will be coming to St. Louis this fall. (In case you missed them, here's part 1, part 2, and part 3.)

For this installment, we resume with more of what's coming up in November, starting with a video featuring keyboardist Marco Benevento, who will be back to play Sunday, November 9 at 2720 Cherokee.

Benevento is touring this fall in support of his recent album Swift, which features him singing lead vocals for the first time. As someone who's generally enjoyed his instrumental music, I've not found what I've heard so far of his singing to be particularly compelling, so rather than showcasing one of his new songs here, we've got a live version of the Benevento concert staple "RISD", recorded in June of this year at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ. (For samples of Benevento new vocal material, check out these live performances of "At The Show" and "Eye to Eye.")

Later that week, saxophonist Tia Fuller, trumpeter Sean Jones and vibraphonist Warren Wolf will team up to perform on Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 16 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Although all three have recorded for the Mack Avenue label, and Fuller and Jones have worked together on occasion, this specific lineup is a custom one-off for Jazz St. Louis, so there's actually no footage online of all three of them playing together.So instead, we've got clips of them performing individually.

First up is Fuller, seen in a recording made in March of this year at Smoke in NYC that excerpts her solo on a tune that's not positively identified but may very well be "Impressions." The interesting thing about this is that it demonstrates that while some may think of Fuller as a slick R&B saxophonist, based on her tenure with pop singer Beyonce and other commercial gigs, she's also comfortable going outside in a post-Coltrane style.

And speaking of Coltrane, the next clip features Sean Jones' trumpet solo on a big band version of "Giant Steps" recorded with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, for whom he has spent nearly a decade as lead trumpeter. Below that, you can see Wolf in a duo performance of Chick Corea's "Senor Mouse" with pianist Alex Brown, recorded at a performance by Wolf's band in March of this year in Boston at Berklee College of Music's 939 Cafe.

After that, you can see singer Carole J. Bufford doing "Cry Me A River" in a recording made last year in NYC. She'll perform her show "Body and Soul" on Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14 for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival.

Next, it's guitarists Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola and Vinny Raniolo, who will bring their show "Swing Xing! Three Generations of Swing Guitar" to the Sheldon Concert Hall on Saturday, November 15. They're seen here performing "Three Little Words" in a recording made in May 2014 at the Cutting Room in NYC.

The very next evening, the all-female ensemble Jazz in Pink will take the Sheldon stage in a benefit performance for Community Women Against Hardship. In this clip from 2013, they're playing "Soulchestral Groove."

A few days later, saxophonist Jeff Coffin and his band, the Mutet, will make make their debut at Jazz at the Bistro with a four-night run starting Friday, November 19 and continuing through Saturday, November 22. This recording of "The Mad Hatter Rides Again" was made by an audience member at Coffin's show last October in Athens, GA.

That same weekend, clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen will be back in town to serve as special guest for pianist Peter Martin's concert on Saturday, November 21 at the Sheldon. Cohen, who led her own group for a week at the Bistro a couple of years ago and this year toured with Martin as part of the Newport Jazz Festival 60th anniversary band, is seen here last December at the Umbria Jazz Festival dueting with guitarist Howard Alden on "Espinha de Bacalhau."

Last but certainly not least, today's final video features trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport, who will return from his adopted home in New Orleans for his annual post-Thanksgiving performance on Friday, November 28 and Saturday, November 29 at Jazz at the Bistro. This is a full set of Davenport and his band, apparently recorded within the last year at some sort of private or corporate gig, but otherwise not labeled with a date or place.

You'll find the fifth and final part of the fall 2014 jazz preview in this space next week, and you can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...