Jazz this week: Kuzu, Galactic, Julian Lage & Dave King, Dikeman/ACA Quartet, Soul Message Band, SFJAZZ Collective, and more

It's a busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with a half-dozen noteworthy shows from visiting performers offering funk, free jazz, re-imaginations of music from two iconic artists, and much more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, March 11
Improvising trio Kuzu (pictured, top left), featuring guitarist Tashi Dorji, drummer Tyler Damon and saxophonist Dave Rempis, will perform in a New Music Circle concert at Joe's Cafe.

You can find out more, and see and hear performances on video from all three of them, separately and together, in this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Also on Wednesday, cabaret grande dame Marilyn Maye continues with her second of three nights of performances with the Jazz St. Louis Big Band; and Jazz St. Louis' "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series presents a free event with author William Studdart discussing his book The Jazz War: Radio Nazism, and the Struggle for the Airwaves in WW2 at the St. Louis County Library.

Thursday, March 12
New Orleans funk/jazz band Galactic (pictured, center left) returns to perform at Delmar Hall.

You can find out more about what they've been up to since their last appearance here, and see videos of some recent performances in this post from Saturday before last.

UPDATE - 10:00 a.m., 3/12/20: In an announcement made this morning on Twitter,  Galactic has canceled all tour dates, including tonight's show in St. Louis, until Saturday, March 28.

Also on Thursday, guitarist Julian Lage and drummer Dave King bring their "pop-up" tour to Gaslight Studio, and Dutch saxophonist John Dikeman headlines a bill of free improvisors at the Way Out Club.

Elsewhere around town, Chicago-based organ trio Soul Message Band will perform at The Dark Room, and two more Chicago-based musicians, saxophonist Rob Denty and drummer Tim Mulvenna, will team up with guitarist Vincent Varvel to play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

UPDATE - 7:45 a.m., 3/12/20: In a message published Wednesday night on Facebook, the Jazz at Holmes series announced that the remaining shows for the spring semester, including this week's Denty/Mulvenna/Varvel concert, have been cancelled, in keeping with Wash U's policy regarding current public health concerns over the coronavirus.

Friday, March 13
Keyboardist Dave Grelle's Playadors perform for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis, and singer Erin Bode will present at a concert at Focal Point.

Also on Friday, the Ambassadors of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and the Mineral Area College Carol Moore Memorial Jazz Festival, with trombonist Michael Dease as the featured guest, gets underway for the first of two nights at the Mineral Area College Theater in Park Hills, MO.

Saturday, March 14
The all-star SFJAZZ Collective (pictured, bottom left) will perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall, featuring new arrangements of music from Miles Davis' In A Silent Way and Sly and the Family Stone's Stand!.

You can find out more about about the Miles/Sly project and see some brief musical excerpts on video in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, bassist and singer Janet Evra leads her quartet at Evangeline's, and saxophonist Tim Cunningham returns to Troy's Listening Room.

Sunday, March 15
The Original Knights Of Swing will play a matinee at the Opera House of Pacific; the Coleman Hughes Project celebrates seven years as a band with a show at HollyLou Entertainment; and the JazzU Big Band student ensemble performs at Jazz St. Louis.

Tuesday, March 17
Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge, and pianist Kim Portnoy teams up with voice faculty members from Webster U and Webster alumna Erin Bode for  "The Poetry Project" at Union Avenue Christian 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.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Improvising trio Kuzu set for St. Louis debut

This week, let's take a look at some videos featuring the musicians in Kuzu, an improvising trio who will be coming to St. Louis to perform in a concert presented by New Music Circle on Wednesday, March 11 at Joe's Cafe.

Saxophonist Dave Rempis, guitarist Tashi Dorji and drummer Tyler Damon all are veterans of the improvised music scene, with Rempis and Damon based in Chicago and Dorji living in Asheville, NC. They formed Kuzu in the fall of 2017, following a Rempis solo tour earlier in the year that included collaborations with both Dorji and Damon individually. The guitarist and drummer already had been working together for several years as a duo, so adding Rempis into the mix to make it a trio seemed like a "logical next step."

Kuzu put out their debut recording Hiljaisuus (which means “silence” in Finnish) in 2018, supporting the release with live dates in the late summer and fall, and since have continued to perform together when their individual schedules permit.

Improvised music performances are inherently difficult to "preview," but it is possible to get some idea of what to expect by listening to the sorts of things the individuals involved have done previously. Toward that end, today's set of videos includes both a complete show by Kuzu in trio form, as well as some duo performances and one solo from its three members.

What would seem to be the best available video document of one of their shows available online, the first video up above is a recording of the first set of a performance from October 2018 at the If Art Gallery in Columbia, South Carolina. After the jump, you can see the second set from the same show.

Next are two excerpts from duo shows by Damon and Dorji, the first recorded in November 2016 at Grunwald Gallery on the campus of Indiana University, and the second from September 2017 at the Cropped Out festival in Louisville, KY.

After that, there's an excerpt from a show by Rempis and Damon in April 2017 at Spot Tavern in Lafayette, IN, and finally, part of a Rempis solo set in October 2019 at Curiosity Coffee Bar in Columbia, SC.

For more about Kuzu and drummer Tyler Damon, read the interview he did in 2018 with the Free Jazz Collective blog. For more about Tashi Dorji, read his chat with St. Louis' own Alex Cunningham, published in 2016 on KDHX's web site. And for more about Dave Rempis, read the feature about him published last year in the Chicago Reader, and his 2017 interview with radio station WNUR.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Winter/spring 2020 jazz preview, part three

Today it's time for another installment of StLJN's winter/spring 2020 jazz preview, presenting videos of bands and musicians who will be visiting St. Louis over the next few months. This is part three of the series, covering those shows in chronological order; you can see part one here, and part two here.

Picking up where last week's post left off, the first video up above features Kuzu, an improvising trio from Chicago that includes guitarist Tashi Dorji, drummer Tyler Damon, and saxophonist Dave Rempis

They're coming here for a concert presented by New Music Circle on Wednesday, March 11 at Joe's Cafe, and can be seen in the video performing a full set of music in October 2018 at if ART Gallery in Columbia, SC.

After the jump, it's the SFJAZZ Collective, who will be playing on Saturday, March 14 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

This season's edition of the group is commemorating the 50th anniversaries of the release of Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way and Sly & The Family Stone’s Stand!, with a touring show featuring original arrangements of music from both albums. The video is a promotional clip for the tour, outlining the concept with some brief interview quotes and musical excerpts.

Next, it's keyboardist and singer Kandace Springs, who will make her St. Louis debut with shows starting Wednesday, March 18 continuing through Sunday, March 22 at Jazz St. Louis.

She's seen here in the first episode of saxophonist David Sanborn's new online video series "Sanborn Sessions," released earlier this month.

The following week, cabaret singer and pianist Billy Stritch will perform music associated with Mel Torme on Wednesday, March 25 and Thursday, March 26 at Jazz St. Louis. You can get a feel for Stritch's style by checking out the video excerpt from his show "Lucky To Be Me" recorded in 2018 at Birdland in NYC.

Today's fifth video features guitarist Dweezil Zappa, who's returning to St. Louis to perform on Saturday, March 28 at The Ready Room.

While he's currently forbidden from using his father's name and image, Dweezil still is keeping Frank Zappa's music alive for a new generation of listeners, as seen in this performance of the complete Hot Rats album recorded in September, 2019 at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ.

The final video showcases harmonium player Amirtha Kidambi’s group Elder Ones, who will perform in a concert presented by New Music Circle on Saturday, March 28 at Xavier Hall on the St. Louis University campus. It shows a complete set recorded on March 25, 2019 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC,

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump. Look for part four of StLJN's 2020 winter/spring jazz preview next week in this space...

Jazz this week: Fred Frith, "A Very Manley Christmas," The Motet, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the long-awaited return of an influential experimental guitarist, a whole bunch of holiday-themed shows, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 11
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band will perform Duke Ellington's arrangements of Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker' plus more Ellington favorites at Jazz St. Louis, with one more performance on Thursday.

Elsewhere in Grand Center, the weekly "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" will feature Miss Jubilee at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and bassist Ben Wheeler's Sketchbook at The Dark Room.

Thursday, December 12
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University wraps up the semester with a free concert from the university's jazz combo students; singer Tony Viviano returns to Fallon's Grill & Tap; and saxophonist Kendrick Smith brings his trio to The Dark Room.

Friday, December 13
Trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured, center left) returns with his holiday show "A Very Manley Christmas" for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, guitarist Dave Black and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman bring their "3rd Annual Holiday Show" to Focal Point, and singer and impressionist Dean Christopher reprises his "A Rat Pack Christmas" at Blue Strawberry

Elsewhere around town, the Second Generation Swing Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and traditional jazz and swing band Annie and the Fur Trappers return to the Frisco Barroom.

Saturday, December 14
Guitarist Fred Frith (pictured, top left) will perform solo in a concert presented by New Music Circle at Joe's Cafe. He'll also present a free artist talk/workshop on Sunday afternoon at 14th Street Artist Community.

Frith has been an important voice in improvised music for nearly a half-century, bringing innovative guitar techniques to a variety of bands and collaborative projects. For a brief overview of his storied career, plus some videos of recent solo performances, take a look at this post from Saturday before last.

Also on Saturday, the Oikos Ensemble presents this year's edition of their annual "Jazz Noel" program in a matinee at Parkway United Church of Christ (with another performance on Sunday at First Congregational Church in Webster Groves); and Chicago pianist Paul Asaro, last seen here in November as part of the Nevermore Jazz Ball, headlines an evening at Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, 
December 15
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes are back to perform for brunch at the Angad Arts Hotel, while just across Grand, guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran will play at The Dark Room,

Then on Sunday night, Denver-based funk/jam band The Motet (pictured, bottom left) returns to the Old Rock House. After putting out their ninth album Death or Devotion in January, they've been doing shows all year to promote the release, including the current 30-date tour that brings them here.

Monday, December 16
Eclectic instrumental quintet The 442s and some special guests will perform in their annual "Holiday Spectacular" for the first of two nights at 560 Music Center.

Tuesday, December 17
Cabaret Project St. Louis presents a "gala holiday edition" of their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge.

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

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

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Fred Frith

This week, let's have a look at some videos featuring guitarist Fred Frith, who's coming to St. Louis to perform in a concert presented by New Music Circle on Saturday, December 14 at Joe's Cafe. While he's in town, he also will present a free master class on Sunday, December 15 at the 14th St. Artists Collective in north St. Louis.

Fred Frith, who turned 70 this year, was born in Sussex, England and first came to wide attention in the late 1960s and early 70s as a member of the art-rock band Henry Cow. His 1974 album Guitar Solos made a splash showcasing his unusual approach to improvising, using lots of effects and deploying various found objects, including ball bearings, egg beaters, drumsticks and many more, both to strike the guitar and sometimes to "prepare" it in a manner recalling John Cage's prepared pianos.

In 1979, Frith moved to New York City, where he became part of the then-burgeoning downtown experimental music scene, which led to him forming groups such as Massacre and Skeleton Crew and eventually, collaborating with Brian Eno, Robert Wyatt, Syd Barrett, Mike Oldfield, The Residents, John Zorn, Bill Laswell, and many others.

Frith in the 1980s also began writing music for dance, film, and theater. After spending a couple of years living in Germany, he moved in 1997 to Oakland, CA to join the faculty at Mills College, where he taught composition until retiring last year, all the while maintaining an active performing and recording schedule.

For his St. Louis show - his first since a duo performance with John Zorn many years ago at The Sheldon - Frith will be playing solo, and so today, we've collected some performance videos including four solo shows, starting up above with a full performance recorded in April of this year at the Torino Jazz Festival in Turin, Italy.

After the jump, there are two more solo concerts, from February 2019 in Ottensheim, Austria and June 2016 in Paris, France.

Next is a combination solo performance and Q&A session recorded in January 2013 in New York City, in which Frith plays and also talks about five of his favorite songs, followed by another older solo show from March 2007 in Mexico City.

The final video shows Frith and his West Coast trio with bassist Jason Hoopes and drummer Jordan Glenn in December 2018 at Starline Social Club in Oakland, CA.

For more about Fred Frith and his distinctive approach to guitar, check out his interview from 2013 with the website Prepared Guitar, his 2014 interview with Chicago Reader, conducted by experimental filmmaker Lori Felker, and his 2016 Q&A with HitChannel.com.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

A guide to holiday jazz in St. Louis

The holiday season always comes with lots of thematic music, and here in St. Louis, listeners can take in plenty of performances aimed at those who'd like to mix some jazz with their jingle bells.

Although this year's calendar includes fewer touring shows than last year, our hometown performers are stepping up with a variety of seasonal programs to suit a diversity of musical tastes.

Here's a quick look at some noteworthy holiday-themed jazz (and jazz-adjacent) shows starting next week and continuing throughout the next month:

Route 66 Jazz Orchestra - "1/2 a Christmas Concert"
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 3
Sheldon Concert Hall
St. Louis-based Route 66 Orchestra presents one set of big band jazz and one set of holiday music. $15 at the door.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis - "Big Band Holidays"
7:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 4
Powell Hall
NYC-based big band led by the famed trumpeter offers swinging arrangements of holiday tunes. $50 - $90.

Funky Butt Brass Band - "Holiday Warmup"
8:00 p.m., Thursday, December 5
Joe's Cafe
St. Louis' New Orleans-style brass band gets ready for their annual "Holday Brasstravaganza' (see below). $15 at the door.

Debby Lennon - "My Favorite Christmas"
8:00 p.m., Thursday, December 5
Blue Strawberry
Singer and Webster University voice teacher offers her versions of seasonal favorites. $30 & $35.

Dean Christopher - "A Rat Pack Christmas"
8:00 p.m., Friday, December 6 & Friday, December 13
Blue Strawberry
Singer and impressionist offers seasonal songs in the style of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and more. $25 & $30.

Cornet Chop Suey - "St. Louis Jazz Club Christmas Party"
2:00 p.m. Sunday, December 8
Moolah Shrine Center - Oasis Room
St. Louis-based septet plays traditional jazz and swing, plus some selected holiday music. $15 members, $20 non-members, Free for students with ID

UMSL Jazz Orchestra, Vocal Point & Wind Ensemble - "Jazz for the Holidays"
3:00 p.m. Sunday, December 8
Touhill Performing Arts Center
UMSL music students perform in their annual holiday concert. Free and open to the public.

Jazz St. Louis Big Band plays "Ellington's 'Nutcracker"
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 10 continuing daily until Thursday, December 12
Jazz St. Louis
Duke Ellington's re-imagining of Tchaikovsky's famous work played live by a big band of St. Louis musicians, plus additional favorites from the Ellington catalog. $10 & $26.

Jim Manley - "A Very Manley Christmas"
7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Friday, December 13 & Saturday, December 14
Jazz St. Louis
St. Louis trumpeter and his seven-piece band offer high-energy versions of holiday favorites. $10 & $21.

Dave Black & Sandy Weltman - "3rd Annual Holiday Show"
8:00 p.m., Friday, December 13
Focal Point
Guitarist Black and multi-instrumentalist Weltman play acoustic versions of seasonal tunes. $15.

The 442s - "Holiday Spectacular"
7:30 p.m., Monday, December 16 & Tuesday, December 17
560 Music Center
Eclectic instrumental quintet (plus guest stars) presents originals and holiday favorites. $30, $25 & $15.

Erin Bode - "Holiday Concert"
7:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 18
Wildey Theatre
One of St. Louis' favorite vocalists sings original music and seasonal songs. $25.

David Giuntoli - "A Swinging Holiday Soiree"
Thursday, December 19⋅8:00 – 9:30pm
Blue Strawberry
Holiday music in the vintage style of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. $30 & $25.

Funky Butt Brass Band - "Holiday Brasstravaganza"
8:00 p.m., Friday, December 20 & Saturday, December 21
3:00 p.m., Saturday, December 21
Delmar Hall
St. Louis' popular New Orleans-style brass band moves to a new venue for the ninth year of their holiday show, with a family-friendly Saturday matinee in addition to two evening shows. $20 advance, $25 day of show for evening performances; $10 for Saturday matinee (free for kids under 5 years old).

John McDaniel - "A John McDaniel Christmas"
8:00 p.m., Friday, December 20
Blue Strawberry
St. Louis native, singer and pianist, known for his work on Broadway and on TV's Rosie O'Donnell Show, returns home for a solo performance in an intimate setting. $30 & $35.

Ken Haller - "Happy HallerDays!"
8:00 p.m., Saturday, December 21
Blue Strawberry
A St. Louis cabaret favorite reprises his popular holiday show. $30 & $25.

Dean Christopher - "A 'Rat Pack and More' Christmas Show"
6:30 p.m., Sunday, December 22
St. Peters Cultural Arts Centre
Singer & impressionist offers holiday favorites with an expanded seven-piece band. $15.

Katie McGrath - "Home(sick) for the Holidays"
8:00 p.m., Saturday, December 28
Blue Strawberry
Singer and former St. Louisan, now based in New York City, performs her versions of seasonal songs. $35 & $30.

Do you know of any holiday jazz shows this year in St. Louis that we missed? If so, please share the relevant info in the comments.

Jazz this week: Joshua Redman Quartet, a benefit for Kwanae Johnson, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features the return of one of the top tenor saxophonists in modern jazz; a benefit concert to raise funds for a local musician in need of help; and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, September 25
Saxophonist Joshua Redman and his quartet return for the first of five nights of performances at Jazz St. Louis.

Redman (pictured, top left) and the quartet last performed here in January 2018 at the Bistro, but this time, they've got a new album to support.

Though they first played together more than 20 years ago, Redman's quartet with pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Greg Hutchinson has had long stretches of inactivity while the leader pursued other projects, including in recent years tours with the cooperative band James Farm and with The Bad Plus.

As a result, the new album Come What May, released this spring on the Nonesuch label, actually is the quartet's first recording since 2001, and only their third overall.  Featuring seven new Redman originals, the album likely will provide the backbone of at least a few of their sets this week, although the extended run also should provide opportunities to get into the back catalog as well.

Also on Wednesday, the free "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" in Grand Center features Tommy Halloran and Rob Nugent at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and guitarist Joe Park's trio at The Dark Room.

Thursday, September 26
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University presents a free concert from saxophonist Harvey Lockhart and his quintet; the French father-and-son guitar duo Paquito and Sandro Lorier (pictured, center left) play Gypsy jazz and swing at Joe's Cafe; and trumpeter Brady Lewis and his BLStet return to The Dark Room

Friday, September 27
Vincent Varvel presents a guitar recital at 560 Music Center; keyboardist Ryan Marquez and his trio with guest vocalist Lola return to Evangeline's; and jazz/funk collective Orchestrated 9th offers a tribute to the music of Herbie Hancock at Troy's.

Saturday, September 28
Singer and bassist Janet Evra teams up with Americana group The Main Street Remnants for a performance at The Monocle; singer Jan Shapiro and the Dave Venn Trio return to the Ozark Theater; and The Gaslight Squares are back at the Frisco Barroom

Sunday, 
September 29
On Sunday afternoon, "ONE LOVE: A Benefit For Kwanae Johnson & Family" at .ZACK will raise money for saxophonist Kwanae Johnson and his family, who earlier this year lost their home to a fire. The event will feature music from trumpeter Kasimu Taylor, singer and bassist Janet Evra, the Funky Butt Brass Band, R&B vocalist Roland Johnson, and more.

Also on Sunday, saxophonist Tim Cunningham returns to Mount Pleasant Estates, and the Ambassadors of Swing play a free outdoor concert at the Sunset Hills Community Center.

Then on Sunday evening, Dallas-based drummer Stefan Gonzalez (pictured, bottom left), who's the son of veteran free-jazz trumpeter Dennis Gonzalez, will team up with violinist Alex Cunningham and bassist Damon Smith, a recent transplant to St. Louis, for a performance of improvisational music at Foam.

Tuesday, October 1
Kicking off this year's "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series, Jazz St. Louis presents "An Evening with Benny Golson," featuring a conversation with the veteran saxophonist and composer, plus a short performance. While the free event already is "sold out," it might be worth checking with the box office on the day of the event for cancellations or no-shows.

Also on Tuesday, the Tick Tock Jazz Band plays traditional jazz in their monthly gig at the Tick Tock Tavern.

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

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

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

This week, it's time for the fifth and final part of StLJN's Fall 2019 preview, featuring videos of noteworthy jazz and creative music performers who will be coming to St. Louis before the end of the year. (This installment was preceded by parts one, two, three, and four.)

Picking up where last week's edition left off, today's first video features keyboardist Marco Benevento, who will be returning to perform on Wednesday, November 13 at the Old Rock House. Benevento, whose most recent recordings have found him exploring more concise, pop-oriented material, can be seen performing a complete set at a gig in November 2018 at Brooklyn Bowl.

After the jump, you can see a video featuring trumpeter Terence Blanchard, who will be playing Wednesday, November 20 through Sunday, November 24 at Jazz St. Louis. The video shows a full set by Blanchard and his band, the E-Collective, recorded in November 2018 at New Morning in Paris.

Next up, it's saxophonist Jeanette Harris and flute player Althea René, who will share a bill on Saturday, November 30 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Harris is featured in the second video after the jump, performing "Just Keep Holding On" in 2013 at Spaghettini's in Los Angeles, followed by René playing "Gypsy Soul" at a gig in 2018 in Chicago.

The following week, singer and St. Louis native Alicia Olatuja returns home for a series of shows starting Wednesday, December 4 and continuing through December 8 at Jazz St. Louis. She can be seen singing "Child of The Moon" from her most recent album Intuition: Songs from the Minds of Women, recorded in March of this year in the Studios of TSFJAZZ radio in Paris.

The next weekend, guitarist Fred Frith will return to St. Louis for the first time in nearly 30 years for a concert presented by New Music Circle on Saturday, December 14 at Joe's Cafe. He can be seen in today's penultimate video, which documents a full set of music performed at a gig in April 2019 in Torino, Italy.

The final video of the Fall 2019 jazz preview features drummer Nate Smith and his band Kinfolk, who will make their St. Louis debut starting Wednesday, December 18 and continuing through Sunday, December 22 at Jazz St. Louis. The clip shows them playing a piece called “Rambo” in May 2019 at Dazzle Jazz in Denver, CO.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

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

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

Let's go to the highlights...


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jazz this week: Tribute to Count Basie, Clint Baker salutes New Orleans "cornet kings," Webster Groves Piano Festival, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes tributes to one of the greatest big band leaders in jazz and to New Orleans' tradition of producing memorable cornet players, a free outdoor concert featuring four St. Louis pianists, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, August 21
Saxophonist Kendrick Smith (pictured, top left) has assembled an eight-piece band plus vocalist Joe Mancuso to pay "Tribute to Count Basie" in a concert at the Ozark Theatre.

Also on Wednesday, Jazz St. Louis will raise funds with "Cocktails for a Cause" at 33 Wine Shop & Bar, and this week's Grand Center Jazz Crawl features saxophonist Andy Ament at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the  Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor returning to The Dark Room.

Thursday, August 22
The Ptah Williams Trio with bassist Darrell Mixon and drummer Gary Sykes will play at Joe's Cafe, and trumpeter Jim Manley performs at Evangeline's.

Friday, August 23
The Focal Point continues their late-summer traditional jazz series with the Rudy Torrini Swing Project, featuring the St. Louis clarinetist and friends playing music from the 1920s, 30s and 40s.

Also on Friday, Miss Jubilee performs in a free outdoor show for "Jungle Boogie" at the St. Louis Zoo; and keyboardist Ryan Marquez will promote the release of his new CD Cosmic Perspective with a late-night show at The Dark Room.

Saturday, August 24
The first-ever Webster Groves Piano Festival
will feature music from Carolbeth True and Two Times True, Jay Oliver, Michael Silverman and Bach to the Future, and Ptah Williams with Darrell Mixon and Steve Davis, all for free on the front lawn of the Masonic Hall, 12 E. Lockwood Ave in downtown Webster.

Also on Friday, San Francisco-based multi-instrumentalist Clint Baker (pictured, bottom left) will offer "A Tribute to the Cornet Kings of New Orleans" with some help from cornetists T.J. Muller and "Wild" Bill Mason at the Focal Point; and Dizzy Atmosphere plays vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at Urban Chestnut Midtown Brewery and Biergarten.

Sunday, August 25
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to play for brunch at the Angad Arts Hotel, and the Folk School of KDHX presents their monthly Traditional Jazz Jam Session.

Monday, August 26
Drummer Kaleb Kirby and friends perform at The Dark Room.

Tuesday, August 27
Pianist Pat Joyce plays solo at Evangeline's.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jazz this week: Byron Stripling; Bonearama; Lee, McPhee, Corsano & Orcutt; Dave King & Chris Weller; and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes New Music Circle's first concerts of their 60th season; the return of a popular trumpeter and singer to Jazz St. Louis; the drummer of The Bad Plus in one of his several side projects; and more.

Let's go to the highlights ...

Wednesday, September 19
Trumpeter Byron Stripling (pictured, top left) returns to Jazz St. Louis for the first of five nights of performances.

Stripling, who directs the Columbus (OH) Jazz Orchestra and also is known for his tribute to the music of Louis Armstrong, will be the first musician to do a five-night run at the Bistro since Sunday matinees and evening performances were added for select artists.

Elsewhere in Grand Center, Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club; and the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features the Jazz Troubadours at The Stage at KDHX, plus the jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Also on Wednesday, Wright's Project plays jazz-fusion and funk at Al's Lounge, and bassist Glen Smith and guitarist Eric Slaughter perform at Evangeline's.

Thursday, September 20
Guitarist Daryl Darden, back home from California for visit, will lead a quartet in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Also on Thursday, The People's Key play at the Chase Club, and the Joe Park Trio performs at The Dark Room.

Friday, 
September 21
New Music Circle presents cellist Okkyung Lee, multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee, percussionist Chris Corsano and guitarist Bill Orcutt (pictured, bottom left) at Joe's Cafe in the first of two nights of improvised duo performances.

While they're in town, Lee also will present a workshop and artist talk at 3:00 p.m. Thursday at SLU’s Xavier Hall Studio Theatre, and McPhee will do a solo performance at 1:00 p.m. Saturday at the Contemporary Art Museum, responding to CAM’s exhibit of works by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Both events are free and open to the public.

Also on Friday, New Orleans' Bonerama returns for a show at the Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, with an opening set from the Funky Butt Brass Band

Elsewhere around town, jazz-fusion band Koplant No plays a free concert at 560 Music Center, and Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson returns to the Parkside Grille.

Saturday, September 22
New Music Circle presents a second evening of improvisational duets from Okkyung Lee, Joe McPhee, Chris Corsano and Bill Orcutt, this time at Off Broadway; and trumpeter Jim Manley leads a trio at Evangeline's.

Sunday, September 23
Drummer Montez Coleman and friends will play for brunch at The Dark Room, while Miss Jubilee performs at Evangeline's.

Then on Sunday evening, drummer Dave King of The Bad Plus and Happy Apple teams with Chicago-based saxophonist Chris Weller for a duo performance at The Dark Room.

Monday, September 24
Dizzy Atmosphere plays vintage swing and Gypsy jazz for diners at The Shaved Duck, and guitarist Daryl Darden gets in another gig on his visit home, this time at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, September 25
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo and band perform 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.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Fall 2018 jazz preview, part one

With the start of the season just a few weeks away, it's time once again for StLJN's fall jazz preview, presenting videos featuring the jazz and creative music performers and bands who will be visiting St. Louis in the next few months.

The Fall 2018 presenting season opens with a big name, as pianist Chick Corea will be bringing his latest trio, featuring Carlitos Del Puerto on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums, to town to perform on Tuesday, September 11 and Wednesday, September 12 at Jazz St. Louis.

You can see and hear them in the first video up above, performing Corea's signature song "Spain" last year as the encore to a set at the Blue Note Hawaii in Honolulu.

After the jump, you can see a clip featuring another talented pianist, Cuban-born Harold Lopez-Nussa, who will be here for a one-night-only show on Thursday, September 13 at Jazz St. Louis. The video captures Lopez-Nussa performance's in December 2017 at the studios of WGBH in Boston, accompanied by with his brother, Ruy López-Nussa on drums, and Gastón Joya on bass.

Next up is Big Sam's Funky Nation, who will be bringing their New Orleans funk on Friday, September 14 to the Old Rock House. Big Sam and company can be seen here performing "We Gon' Do It/Gimme Dat" in May of this year at The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton, FL.

The following week, trumpeter and vocalist Byron Stripling will return to perform starting Wednesday, September 19 through Sunday, September 23 at Jazz St. Louis. He's shown in the third video after the jump, a recording of a set from May 2016 that has Stripling backed by a local rhythm section in Havana, Cuba.

That same week, another New Orleans favorite, Bonerama, will return for a show on Friday, September 21 at the Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, with St. Louis' own Funky Butt Brass Band opening. Bonerama can be seen in the next video, offering their take on the Allman Brothers Band's "Whipping Post" in March of this year, also at The Funky Biscuit.

The last three clips feature musicians who will be performing as part of New Music Circle's first event of the season. NMC will kick off their 60th anniversary year with a weekend of shows featuring four improvising musicians - cellist Okkyung Lee, multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee, percussionist Chris Corsano, and guitarist Bill Orcutt - combined in different duo pairings on Friday, September 21 at Joe's Cafe and Saturday, September 22 at Off Broadway.

The antepenultimate clip shows a solo performance by Lee, recorded in February 2017 at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, CA. That's followed by a video documenting a duo set by McPhee and percussionist Paal Nilssen-Love during a residency in December 2017 at Cafe Oto in London. The final video captures a duo performance by Corsano and Orcutt in January 2018 at the Hemlock Tavern in San Francisco.

Look for part two of StLJN's Fall 2018 jazz preview next week in this space. You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

Jazz this week: Rebirth Brass Band, Shotgun Jazz Band with Charlie Halloran, and more

With the start of the fall presenting season still a couple of weeks away, the schedule of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis is a bit light this weekend, but it does feature two bands bringing a bit of New Orleans to our town, plus some other noteworthy shows.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, August 30
Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson will perform at Evangeline's, and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes at KDHX's Magnolia Cafe, a jam session with bassist Bob Deboo and friends at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, August 31
Up for the weekend from New Orleans, the Shotgun Jazz Band - with St. Louis native Charlie Halloran on trombone - will play the first show of their visit at Joe's Cafe & Gallery.

Also on Thursday, Animal Children will perform at The Dark Room, and pianist and singer Jesse Gannon plays solo at The Monocle.

Friday, September 1
Also visiting this weekend from New Orleans, the Rebirth Brass Band (pictured, top left) returns to headline an outdoor show at the Atomic Cowboy Pavilion,  with support from fellow New Orleans denizens Dumpstaphunk. You can get a taste of Rebirth's contemporary spin on the traditional brass band sound via video in this post from a couple of weeks ago.

Elsewhere around town, singer-guitarist Tommy Halloran's Guerrilla Swing will play a free show at Eckert's Country Store & Farms in Belleville; singer Meghan Kirk performs her cabaret show "Out of My Head" at The Stage at KDHX; and Cafe Danza, featuring guitarist Farshid Etniko and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman. will promote their new recording with a concert at Focal Point.

And although it's not a jazz event per se, StLJN readers also may be interested in the Big Muddy Blues Festival, which gets underway on Friday and will feature performances from dozens of local acts throughout the weekend.

Saturday, September 2
Shotgun Jazz Band plays their second show of the weekend, this time at Focal Point; and keyboardist Mo Egeston and friends will keep up the late night grooves at The Dark Room.

Sunday, September 3
The Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" matinee at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe; Wright's Project play jazz-fusion and funk at Patois Eatery & Social Lounge (in the space formerly occupied by the Rustic Goat at 2617 Washington Ave downtown), and the Genesis Jazz Project with guest vocalist Joe Mancuso will play straight-ahead and modern jazz 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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer and educator Jan Shapiro has taken retirement from the faculty of Berklee College of Music and is moving from Boston back home to St. Louis.

Once she's resettled, Shapiro (pictured), who chaired the vocal department at Berklee from 1997 to 2010, will be accepting students for private voice lessons. For details on that, see her website.

* Jazz St. Louis is one of nine local arts organizations to receive a grant this year from the PNC Foundation. The "PNC Arts Alive" program will provide a total of $250,000 to the nine recipients, with JSL using their portion to produce a web video series, “Jazz from the 314 Presented by PNC Arts Alive,” with pianist Peter Martin as host.

* Singer, actor and impressionist Dean Christopher was profiled in a story on the St. Louis County Arts blog.

* Singer (and physician) Ken Haller's most recent performance of "The TV Show" last month at The Stage at KDHX was reviewed for CabaretScenes.org by Chuck Lavazzi.

* The St. Louis Post-Dispatch's annual "GO! List" issue (in which readers and staff rate various St. Louis people, places and things) was released last week, and in what might be described as an upset victory, BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups was voted by readers as "Best place to hear jazz," while the staff pick in the same category was Joe's Cafe & Gallery.

* St. Louis based independent label Freedonia Music recently has made it onto Facebook, where they are posting "an endless stream of new and old CD releases from our catalog of Creative music, Free Jazz, Free Improv, Avant-garde Electronics and Spontaneous Combustion St. Louis Style." You can check out what they're sharing here.