So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist Kendrick Smith was interviewed by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson, talking about this Saturday's jazz fundraiser show at the Grandel Theatre's "Open Air" tent. There's also a short video accompanying the article.

* Also from Kevin Johnson in the Post, pianist and singer John McDaniel talks up his return engagement tomorrow night at Blue Strawberry.

* Stories, the forthcoming album from bassist Tom Kennedy (pictured), is previewed in an article in Bass magazine. The album is set for release by Autumn Hill Records on Friday, May 21.

* The Sheldon Art Galleries will open a new exhibit of musical instruments created by local students on Friday, April 30 in the AT&T Children's Gallery.

* An interview with drummer Dave Weckl by Daniel Durchholz in the Post-Dispatch discusses Weckl's new live album, his recent move back to the St. Louis area, and more.

"All-Star Jazz Fundraiser Festival" set for Saturday, April 17 at The Grandel

More than two dozen St. Louis musicians will team up for "The All-Star Jazz Fundraiser Festival," a benefit event to be held from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 17 in the "Open Air" tent on the grounds of The Grandel in Grand Center.

The event is being organized by saxophonist Kendrick Smith (pictured), and will feature five different groups of musicians performing individually ticketed, hour-long sets. The tent will be cleared, and the seating areas cleaned and sanitized after each set before a new audience is seated. The set times and lineups are:

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.: Demarius Hicks, Kasimu Taylor, Janet Buchanan, Bernard Terry, Will Buchanan
1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Anita Jackson, Jahmal Nichols, Jason Swagler, Mark Harris II, Dhoruba Hill
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.: Adam Maness, Brady Lewis, Joseph Hibbs, Ben Wheeler, Carlos Brown Jr.
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.: Darrell Mixon, Dawn Weber, Josiah Joyce, Ryan Marquez, Gary Sykes
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.: Ptah Williams, Bob Deboo, Micah Walker, Joe Mancuso, Kendrick Smith

Proceeds from the event will go towards helping two small local jazz venues, Thurman's in Shaw in south St. Louis and The Cigar Inn in Belleville; radio station WSIE; and "some musicians heavily affected by the pandemic."

Tickets are $20 per set, and are on sale now via MetroTix.

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: Marilyn Maye, "Kind of Blue" at 60, St. Louis Record Show, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a celebration of one of the most influential and best-selling jazz albums in history, a singer known mostly for her intimate cabaret performances stepping out in front of a brassy big band, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, March 6
Singer and grande dame of cabaret Marilyn Maye (pictured), who most frequently works with a trio or solo pianist, will change things up by performing with a 17-piece big band for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

At this writing, only a handful of tickets remain for Maye's performances, but as usual, the sets will be live-streamed on video and can be viewed for free in the first-floor lounge adjacent to the Bistro at JSL HQ. 

Also on Wednesday, this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features multi-instrumentalist T.J. Muller and Friends at The Stage at KDHX, along with the jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, March 7 
Vincent Varvel and William Lenihan will play guitar duets in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; pianist Adam Maness leads a trio at Thurman's in Shaw; and pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Darrell Mixon and drummer Gary Sykes will revisit their jazz fusion days as Tracer at The Dark Room.

Friday, March 8
In celebration of 60 years since the recording of Kind of Blue, saxophonist Kendrick Smith leads a sextet performing music from Miles Davis' landmark album (pictured) for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Elsewhere around town, the Ambassadors of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and the Funky Butt Brass Band plays for the first time at a new spot downtown, the Rhone Rum Bar.

Also on Friday, Jazz St. Louis will hold their $500-per-person annual benefit gala, with music from drummer Herlin Riley's band, and for which some tickets still remain, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Saturday, March 9
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents their monthly jam session matinee at J P's Corner, hosted by keyboardist Bob Row and drummer John Gillick, with trumpeter Brian Casserly as special guest.

Then on Saturday evening, pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson will play at the house concert venue KindaBlue Club; and keyboardist Mo Egeston performs at The Dark Room.

Sunday, March 10
Miss Jubilee is back for brunch at Evangeline's, while trumpeter Jim Manley will be making his debut at The Dark Room with a quartet at their brunch. 

Also on Sunday, the St. Louis Record Show presents their spring event at the American Czech Center, and Sunday evening, the local students in Jazz St. Louis educational programs who make up the Jazz U Big Band will perform for the public at the Bistro.

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: Grand Marquis, Anita Jackson, a tribute to Louis Armstrong, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a tribute to Louis Armstrong, a couple of summer concert series coming to a close for the year, jump blues from Kansas City, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, July 25
Trumpeter and vocalist Dawn Weber and her Electro Funk Assembly play a free concert to wrap up this summer's Whitaker Music Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden.

Also on Wednesday, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black perform at SqWires Restaurant & Annex; and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features Feyza Eren at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at the Dark Room.

Thursday, July 26
Kansas City jump-blues band Grand Marquis (pictured, top left) returns to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups; and saxophonist Kendrick Smith leads a quartet in a free concert for Jazz at Holmes' summer series at Washington University, 63105

Also on Thursday, saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet performs at The Dark Room, and singer Erin Bode will be the special guest of the Alton Municipal Band for a free concert at Riverview Park. (The same program also will be presented Sunday at Alton's Haskell Park.)

Friday, July 27
Singer Anita Jackson (pictured, bottom left) performs for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis, and trumpeter Randy Holmes leads a sextet in the first of two nights of a "Louis Armstrong Festival" at the Ozark Theatre.

Saturday, July 28
Miss Jubilee presents a free outdoor concert at Eckert's in Belleville; the Dave Stone Trio is back at Thurman's in Shaw; and keyboardist Mo Egeston holds down the late night slot at The Dark Room.

Sunday, July 29
Guitarist Tom Byrne and singer Kim Fuller perform for brunch at The Dark Room; saxophonist Tim Cunningham plays on the patio at Mount Pleasant Estates in Augusta; and the Folk School of KDHX presents their monthly traditional jazz jam session.

Monday, July 30
Singers Chuck Flowers and Tambra Cross lead a tribute to 1970s funk in a free concert at Heman Park in U City.

Tuesday, July 31
"Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective return to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* "Rubberband," a "lost" Miles Davis recording made after the trumpeter's mid-'80s switch of record labels from Columbia to Warner Brothers and then shelved, will be released as a vinyl EP (pictured) for Record Store Day 2018.

* On a related note, Paste magazine has posted online some tracks featuring Davis' band recorded live in 1970 at NYC's Fillmore East, just before the release of the trumpeter's landmark album Bitches Brew.

* And while we're on the subject of Miles Davis, Pitchfork's ongoing series of retrospective album reviews this week found a lot to like about his album Get Up With It, a compilation of tracks from various early '70s sessions released in 1974, just before Davis' infamous six-year hiatus from performing.

* Speaking of Record Store Day, pianist and St. Louis native Lawrence Fields performs on a special RSD release from Sound Prints, the band co-led by trumpeter Dave Douglas and saxophonist Joe Lovano. The limited-edition, green vinyl 45 RPM record on Douglas' Greenleaf Music label features Lovano’s new original tune “On Pebble Street” and an alternate take of "Scandal," a Douglas composition that's the title track of the band's forthcoming album.

* Trumpeter Kasimu Taylor, The Dark Room, saxophonist Kendrick Smith, and Thurman's in Shaw all were mentioned this week in an article about St. Louis by the New York Times' "Frugal Traveler" columnist Lucas Peterson.

* Applications for program grants from the Arts & Education Council of Greater St. Louis are due on Friday, April 20.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn recently sat down with journalist/author Cal Fussman for an episode of Fussman's new podcast "Big Questions." The interview goes online soon at https://www.calfussmanpodcast.com/.

* Singer Denise Thimes was interviewed on the latest episode of the "Chicago Jazz" podcast from  ChicagoJazz.com.

* Jazz St. Louis is now accepting applications for their 2018-19 JazzU program for middle school and high school student musicians, with auditions set for Monday, June 4 through Thursday, June 7. Applications are due by Friday, April 27.

* Trumpeter and former East St. Louisan Russell Gunn's residency this week at Columbia College Chicago is the subject of an article in DownBeat.

* The Funky Butt Brass Band has posted to SoundCloud more than 30 tracks of audio from last weekend's gigs at Jazz at the Bistro.

Troy's Jazz Gallery "grand opening" set for October 25 - 27

The Central West End venue Troy's Jazz Gallery will hold a "grand opening" celebration this weekend featuring a Sunday night performance from a specially assembled band of local jazz performers.

The weekend also will serve as an extended birthday celebration for club owner Troy Williams, with keyboardist Matt Villinger's trio getting it started with a performance at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, October 25.

Next up are singers Mary Dyson and Diane Vaughn, who will reprise their "Ladies Sing The Bluezz" show with a 5:00 p.m. performance on Saturday, October 26. After Dyson and Vaughn, saxophonist Tim Cunningham (pictured) and his band will take the stage at 8:00 p.m.

The main event is Sunday, October 27. The group for that evening, dubbed "Troy's All-Star Jazz Ensemble," will feature drummer Montez Coleman, pianist Tony Suggs, guitarist Eric Slaughter and bassist Darell Mixon, along with guest performers including pianist Ptah Williams, saxophonist Kendrick Smith, trumpeter Delano Redmond and singer Denise Thimes. They'll play from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with tickets priced at $20 each.

The club first had its "soft opening" nearly 11 month ago. Williams, who formerly operated Filter and Troy's on the Park, says that the long interval between opening and "grand opening" wasn't necessarily planned that way, but he's happy with the result. "I'm glad I'm doing it like this, because I've learned a lot," he said.

As for future plans, Williams says he's re-booked Ptah Williams' trio for Thursday, October 30 - his actual birthday - with the "All-Star Jazz Ensemble" set to return (but without the special guests) on Sunday, November 3.

He said he hopes to bring back Dyson and Vaughn as a recurring act, probably twice a month, and also will presenting a series of "Jazz Sunday Funk' shows featuring Mixon, Slaughter and drummer Chuck Smothers. Finally, Williams said he wants to establish a recurring Saturday afternoon jam session in the near future, and is looking for a musician to serve as organizer and host.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Alto saxophonist Kendrick Smith was profiled by the St. Louis American's Bridjes O’Neil in a story spotlighting Smith's weekly Saturday matinees at Premiere Lounge.

* This week in Facebook photo albums, you can check out pix of Lionel Loueke at Jazz at the Bistro, Steizuello at Lindbergh High School and New Music Circle's presentation of Trinity Piano Trio at the William Kerr Foundation.

* The NYC brownstone at 312 West 77th St that formerly belonged to Miles Davis was named an official cultural landmark this week by the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission. Davis' nephew Vince Wilburn Jr., his former saxophonist George Coleman, and trumpeter Wallace Roney were among those present at a ceremony on Thursday unveiling a medallion placed on the building to commemorate the honor. Davis (pictured) bought the townhouse in 1958 and lived and worked there for the next 25 years.

* Saxophonist and composer John Zorn, who once upon a time studied at our town's Webster University, is celebrating his 60th birthday with "a series of concerts on four continents, including a marathon Sunday, May 19 at the Festival international de musique actuelle in Victoriaville."

* On the jazz radio beat, this Saturday on RAF-STL's "Somethin' Else," host Calvin Wilson will offer up a selection of jazz guitarists "from Montgomery to Metheny." Meanwhile, over at KWMU, Dennis Owsley continues his documentary history of St. Louis jazz on Sunday's "Jazz Unlimited" program with part seven of the series, which covers the 1970s and '80s and will include music from Exiles, David Parker, Asa Harris, Jasmine, Willie Akins and Kelvyn Bell.

* Farshid Soltanshahi of Farshid Etniko is doing the music for Upstream Theater's upcoming production of An Iliad, which will run from May 24 through June 9 at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

* The Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson offers his impression of one of actress/singer Molly Ringwald's sets on Tuesday at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Last but not least, woodwind retailer and repair shop Saxquest has given their website a brand new look, which you can see online now at the familiar URL of saxquest.com.

Troy's Jazz Gallery owner says club will showcase St. Louis musicians

If there's any truth to the old saying that "the third time's a charm," Troy Williams is hoping it applies to running a jazz club.

Williams, whose past ventures into presenting live music included Troy's on the Park near Lafayette Square and Filter in the Central West End, recently re-entered the business with the opening of Troy's Jazz Gallery, 4519 Olive. "This is my third space doing jazz," he told StLJN in a phone conversation last week. "You learn, and you try not to make the same mistakes."

Responding to previous posts here about the club, Williams reached out to offer some additional information on what he's got planned for his new space. Regarding the venue's soft opening and relative lack of marketing to date, he said that plans for a grand opening and accompanying advertising campaign are in the works. "I wanted to get the kinks out first," he said. "The most important thing was trying to line up the right bands for the different nights."

For Williams, that means emphasizing local talent, and as 2013 begins, he said he's booked four St. Louis musicians for weekly appearances. Vibraphonist Peter Schlamb (pictured) will perform from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays, with up-and-coming saxophonist Kendrick Smith's quartet slotted in from 9:00 p.m. to midnight Fridays. Williams said East St. Louis High School jazz band director and trumpeter Delano Redmond, who taught Smith at ESL HS, will be performing with Smith's group.

Saturdays will feature saxophonist Willie Akins and his group playing from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., as a sort of successor to Akins' long-running Saturday matinee gig at the now-defunct Spruill's. "I've wanted to work with Willie for five years," said Williams. Saturday evenings will feature bassist Darrell Mixon leading a group from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Williams hopes that presenting the same bands each week will help both the club and the musicians to get repeat business. "We all agreed to three to six months to try to build a following over time," he said. However, he's also continuing to talk about possible bookings with other local musicians, mentioning singer Erin Bode and guitarist Dave Black as two performers of interest.

As for the rest of the week, Williams said that by February, he hopes to be open on Wednesdays, presenting a weekly poetry night, and on Thursdays with a DJ spinning, presumably jazz, soul and other compatible music. Watch this space for more info on that, and on the "grand opening" of Troy's Jazz Gallery.