So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Jim Manley appeared Wednesday on KTVI-FOX2's morning newscast to promote his show "A Very Manley Christmas," happening this Friday, December 21 and Saturday, December 22 at Jazz St. Louis.

* If you missed pianist Geoff Keezer's concert last week at fellow pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio (or want to watch it again), you can see the whole thing via the archived video live stream on Open Studio's Facebook page.

* Also now available for your viewing and listening enjoyment: a video of the "holiday" half of Route 66 Jazz Orchestra's "Half a Holiday" show last week at The Sheldon.

* Speaking of The Sheldon, they're holding a reception to welcome new executive director Peter Palermo from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 10. The event is open to the public, but those wishing to attend are asked to RSVP to sdo@thesheldon.org by Thursday, January 3.

* And also new on YouTube, a "free jazz Christmas album" from Jazz Soup, the experimental student jazz group at Lindenwood University.

* Award alert: Pianist and St. Louis native Lawrence Fields (pictured) is co-composer of several tracks on trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah's album The Emancipation Procrastination, which is nominated for a Grammy in the "Contemporary Instrumental Music" category. The Grammy Awards ceremony is set for February 10, 2019 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in part on CBS.

* Low Key Music in Hazelwood is looking for saxophone, trombone, trumpet, and guitar teachers. For details, call them at 314-764-2222.

* An anecdote about Miles Davis figures prominently in an interview with San Francisco jazz pianist and radio host Dick Conte on last week's episode of Joe Dimino's Kansas City-based "Neon Jazz" program.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Pianist Adam Maness' trio is profiled as another of the Riverfront Times' "STL 77" for 2018.

* WSIE 88.7 FM "The Sound" will have a new boss as of next Monday, May 21, as Jason Church is leaving his job as news director at talk radio station KFTK-FM to become the new general manager of WSIE, which is based on the campus of SIU Edwardsville.

Church has been involved in various jazz radio ventures in St. Louis for more than a decade, including doing on-air and program development work at smooth jazz station WSSM, internet radio station The Oasis, and Hip 96.3 HD-3; and hosting Radio Arts Foundation's "The Jazz Collective" on Saturday nights, a job he'll continue along with his new duties at WSIE.

* The Young Friends of Jazz St. Louis are accepting applications from individuals who would like to serve next season on their board of directors. Board members plan and lead the group's various activities and events to support the mission of Jazz St. Louis.

For more information, go to http://www.jazzstl.org/support/young-friends, or email youngfriends@jazzstl.org for an application.

* Pianist and St. Louis native Lawrence Fields (pictured) can be seen with the band Sound Prints, co-led by trumpeter Dave Douglas and saxophonist Joe Lovano, in a new video of Wayne Shorter's composition "Juju," recorded earlier this month at New Morning in Paris.

* Pianist Peter Martin has posted to Facebook a video of a full set from his shows with bassist Chris Thomas and drummer Brian Blade two weekends ago at Jazz St. Louis. (The music starts at approximately 17:40 into the video, which is an unedited recording of a live stream from that night.)

* Saxophonist Eric Person has posted to YouTube a video clip of "Juicy Lucy," recorded during his team-up with fellow saxophonist Houston Person in March 2017 at Dizzy's in NYC.

* Also just up on YouTube, the STL Free Jazz Collective's complete first set from last Saturday's performance at the 14th St. Artists Community.

* The latest dispatch from the St. Louis American's Delores Shante offers her impressions of a recent performance by singer Anita Jackson at The Dark Room.

* The St. Louis Post-Dispatch/STLtoday has put online a gallery of photos from singer Denise Thimes' Mothers' Day show at the Touhill. 

* Trumpeter Terence Blanchard talked about his new album Live and his gig this Sunday at the Grandel Theatre for a story by the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson.

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.

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 has released a new album titled Points of View, available now via CD Baby and various digital music services.

The album (pictured) includes eight tracks - including one with a titular shout-out to St. Louis, "Gaslight Square Blues" - performed by a stellar cast of musicians including drummer and St. Charles native Dave Weckl; singer and former St. Louisan Karla Harris; trumpeter Randy Brecker; saxophonists Bill Evans, Bob Franceschini and Bob Malach; guitarists Mike Stern, Lee Ritenour and Chuck Loeb; drummers Obed Calvaire and Richie Morales; and more.

* Singer Chuck Flowers performed this week on the morning newscast of KTVI/Fox 2, promoting his upcoming gig on Sunday, April 23 at BB's Jazz Blues & Soups.

* Last week's homecoming performance by trumpeter Keyon Harrold, drummer Kimberly Thompson and pianist Lawrence Fields at Jazz at the Bistro got a shout-out from the St. Louis American's Delores Shante.

* Singer Brian Owens has released an animated music video for his song "For You," featuring additional vocals by fellow Ferguson native Michael McDonald, the singer known for his work as a Grammy winning solo artist and with classic rock bands The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan.

The video, which includes animated renderings of several St. Louisi landmarks, supports the release of Owens' latest album Soul of Ferguson, and can be seen on YouTube and on Owens' Facebook page and website.

* Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Alan Ox will provide the musical entertainment for "A Night In The Stacks," an event benefiting SIUE's Lovejoy Library to be held from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 13 at the Library on the SIUE campus.

Jazz this week: Laurence Hobgood, three young St. Louis jazz stars come home, COCA goes "Uptown," and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a visit from a fine veteran pianist, a homecoming gig for three St. Louis natives who have earned international recognition, a dance production with live music paying tribute to the Harlem Renaissance, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, April 5
Pianist Laurence Hobgood and his trio will perform for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Known to many jazz fans primarily for his long tenure working behind singer Kurt Elling, Hobgood (pictured, top left) stepped into the spotlight himself a few years ago, and has enjoyed success as a solo performer, bandleader, composer, and producer.

For more about his work as a solo artist, plus some videos of him playing in some different musical contexts, see this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Thursday, April 6
The Vernacular String Trio will promote the release of their new album Parlance with a performance at Foam; and the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University finishes the spring semester with a free concert featuring two Chicago-based musicians, saxophonist Rob Denty and drummer Tim Mulvenna, with St. Louis guitarist Vincent Varvel.

Friday, April 7
An ad hoc ensemble featuring three St. Louis natives now living in NYC - trumpeter Keyon Harrold, pianist Lawrence Fields, and drummer Kimberly Thompson (pictured) - plus saxophonist Adam Larson, who's originally from Normal, IL, will perform for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

These four rising jazz stars with Midwestern roots are back home this week for an educational residency with Jazz St. Louis, working with students in the organization's JazzU program and at local schools, and closing out their stay with a weekend of performances at the Bistro. 

Since this weekend is a one-off for this ensemble, it's difficult to preview in the usual way, but you can find out more about what Keyon Harrold has been up to since his last shows here (as a guest with pianist Robert Glasper in 2015), and see some videos from some recent performances of his in last Saturday's video showcase post.

Also on Friday, COCA presents the first of five performances this weekend of  "Uptown,"  a work about the Harlem Renaissance created by Alvin Ailey dancer/choreographer Matthew Rushing.

Described as "an episodic tour through 1920s Harlem bringing to life the rich artistic activity of the era," the production features students from COCA's dance programs accompanied by a live band including Phil Dunlap (piano), Andy Hainz (bass), Kaleb Kirby (drums), Adam Hucke (trumpet), Kwanae Johnson (tenor sax), Ben Reece (alto sax), and Cody Henry (trombone).

Elsewhere around town, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to Evangeline's; singer Joe Mancuso brings his Organ Trio to @Nesbys, and Miss Jubilee will perform for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, with special guest, Cincinnati blues pianist Ricky Nye.

Saturday, April 8
Trumpeter Jim Manley's trio will perform for brunch at Evangeline's, and saxophonist Tim Cunningham will play an afternoon show at Mount Pleasant Winery in Augusta.

Monday, April 10
Dizzy Atmosphere plays swing and Gypsy jazz for diners 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.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Winter/spring 2017 jazz preview, part four

Today, it's the fourth installment of StLJN's winter/spring 2017 jazz preview, presenting videos of the jazz and creative music artists who will be coming to our town to perform over the next few months. The preview posts are in chronological order of their appearances here; you can see part one here, part two here, and part three here.

Leading off today is pianist Laurence Hobgood, who will play with his trio on Wednesday, April 5 and Thursday, April 6 at Jazz at the Bistro. Hobgood, known for for his long association with singer Kurt Elling, has concentrated more on his own music since leaving Elling's band in 2013, and he's seen here playing solo back in August, 2014 for the Chicago Jazz Festival's "PianoForte Sessions" in a hour-long session that also includes interview segments with host Barry Winograd.

Next up, Jazz St. Louis will bring together four young jazz stars with Midwestern roots, as trumpeter Keyon Harrold, pianist Lawrence Fields, saxophonist Adam Larson, and drummer Kimberly Thompson join forces for two nights of performances on Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8 at the Bistro.

These dates should inspire a healthy turnout of hometown fans, as Harrold, Fields and Thompson all are originally from St. Louis, and Larson is from just up the the road in Bloomington, IL. All four will be working with local music students for the preceding week, then wrapping up their residencies with the weekend shows.

Since this a band brought together specifically for the occasion, there's no video of all four of them together; instead, they are featured here individually, starting with the first clip after the jump, a full set of Keyon Harrold and his band recorded in April, 2016 at the Boiler Room New York.

Below that, you can see Fields performing with trumpeter Christian Scott's band, playing John Coltrane's composition "Equinox" at the 2016 Montreux Jazz Festival. Fields is featured with a nice long solo that starts at about 6:50 into the clip and continues for more than three minutes. In addition to Scott and Fields, the rest of the ensemble includes Elena Pinderhughes (flute), Braxton Cook (alto sax), Kris Funn (bass), and Corey Fonville (drums).

The fourth clip features Larson, accompanied by pianist Fabian Almazan, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Jimmy Macbride, playing his composition "The Dope Pope" at Birdland in NYC. That's followed by Thompson showing off her chops and use of textures and space in an extended solo recorded during the "Hit Like A Girl" drum festival in April of last year.

The final two videos feature the following week's attractions at the Bistro, harmonica player Gregoire Maret and guest vocalist Alicia Olatuja, who will be in town to perform at the club starting Wednesday, April 12 through Saturday, April 15. Maret is seen here playing "The Gospel" at the 2016 Montreux Jazz Festival, followed by Olatuja singing her original composition "In The Dark" at a gig in August 2015 at Dizzy's Club in NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Look for the fifth part of StLJN's winter/spring 2017 jazz preview next week. You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* St. Louis native Lawrence Fields (pictured) can be heard playing piano on the upcoming release Live at Monterey Jazz Festival by SoundPrints, the Wayne Shorter-inspired band led by saxophonist Joe Lovano and trumpeter Dave Douglas. The album goes on sale everywhere Tuesday, April 7.

* Jazz St. Louis has posted on Facebook a photo album from Kneebody's opening night this week at Jazz at the Bistro. The group performs there through Saturday, with two sets per night plus a FREE lunchtime set open to the general public at 12:00 p.m. today (Friday, March 21).

* Did the late pianist Johnnie Johnson get a fair shake from the courts fifteen years ago when he sued rock 'n roll legend Chuck Berry claiming joint authorship of some of Berry's most famous songs? In an article published this week in St. Louis magazine, Byron Kerman talked to attorney Tim McFarlin, who after all these years has a new take on the case's implications.

* In a related development, McFarlin will give a "Business Edge" presentation for St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts on Monday, March 30 titled "The Case of Johnnie Johnson v. Chuck Berry and What Artists Should Do Before They Collaborate."

* Now that City of Music, Nine Network's special about the history of St. Louis music, has had its broadcast premiere, you can watch both parts of the program online at Nine's website. The special, which was filmed last October at the Sheldon and features performances from Alarm Will Sound, Denise Thimes, Peter Martin, Billy Peek, Illphonics, Carolbeth True and more, also will get a repeat broadcast airing at 7:00 p.m. this coming Tuesday, March 25.

* The 2015 St. Louis Cabaret Conference has added two-time Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown as a guest faculty member and festival performer. Deadline for performers wishing to attend this year's conference to submit their audition materials is Monday, April 13.

* Last week's funeral services for singer and nightclub owner Gene Lynn were covered by local Fox affiliate KTVI (Channel 2)

* A post this week on the Riverfront Times' music blog spotlights New Music Circle's sliding scale ticket prices for "struggling artists."

* Drummer and St. Charles native Dave Weckl will be one of the instructors at a "Drum Fantasy Camp" to be held this summer from August 7 - 11 in Chicago at Vic's Drum Shop/Music Garage.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake will reunite with bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille as Trio 3 for a week-long gig starting this coming Tuesday, March 24 at NYC's Village Vanguard.

* The latest remastered vinyl reissue of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue gets an "extended analysis" from AllAboutJazz.com's Nenad Georgievski.

* Jazz radio update: On this Saturday's episode of Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will be spinning contemporary pop tunes given jazz interpretations by musicians including Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, and Jason Moran. "Somethin' Else" can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* KDHX has posted online a photo set from last Saturday's New Music Circle concert featuring pianist Johanna Ballou at 560 Music Center.

* Euclid Records, both in St. Louis and New Orleans, was featured in the Vinyl Lives section of GlideMagazine.com.

* Saxophonist Joe Lovano and trumpeter Dave Douglas’ band Soundprints, featuring St. Louis native and Berklee grad Lawrence Fields (pictured) on piano, is set to release their debut album Live at Monterey Jazz Festival, which includes two new Wayne Shorter compositions.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake's NYC Winter Jazzfest show with Trio 3 and guest pianist Vijay Iyer was reviewed by Feast of Music.

* Guitarist Farshid Soltanshahi aka Farshid Etniko will be performing a live soundtrack of original music for Upstream Theater’s upcoming production Bashir Lazhar. Described as "a timely and poetic piece about grief and healing, love and survival," the play tells the story of "an Algerian refugee in Montreal who is hastily hired as a substitute teacher for a class of sixth graders who, like him, have experienced recent trauma."

The production opens next Friday, January 30 and continues weekends through Sunday, February 15 at the Kranzberg Arts Center, with tickets on sale now via Brown Paper Tickets.

* The Arts & Education Council's video tribute to singer Denise Thimes, first shown Monday night at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel when Thimes was honored at the annual St. Louis Arts Awards ceremony, has been posted to YouTube.

* Saxophonist Greg Osby's latest blog post ruminates about the potential difficulties and rewards for musicians trying to deal with change.

* Singer and East St. Louis native Phil Perry has released a new album, A Better Man, on the Shanahachie label. The CD, which features guest musicians including saxophonist Kim Waters and trumpeter Rick Braun, is Perry's sixth for the label and eleventh overall.

* Pianist Peter Martin's New Year's Eve performance with singer Dianne Reeves and the New York Philharmonic has been posted online by PBS. (Martin's bit begins in the second half of the concert at about 1:15, with his piano solo on "Embraceable You" starting at 1:35:53.)

* Singer Wendy L. Gordon has announced details on new scholarships funded with proceeds from her "Jazz Heaven" series of concerts. The two LeeVert & Wendy Gordon Scholarships are worth $500 each, and will be awarded to a Sumner High School student (or students) attending Harris Stowe State University in the fall of 2015. (Both Gordon and her husband LeeVert are alumni of Sumner HS.)

The 2015 edition of "Jazz Heaven" is scheduled for Sunday, August 30 at the Florissant Civic Center's James Eagan Theater.

* The St. Louis Cabaret Conference has announced July 18-25, 2015 as the dates for its tenth anniversary, with more details promised next week. To get on the email list for conference information, just send a request to info@stlouiscabaretconference.com.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's “Somethin’ Else” program will explore the influence of Charlie Parker via the bop stylings of alto saxophonists Frank Morgan, Jackie McLean, and Sonny Stitt. Wilson can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer and St. Louis native Lynne Fiddmont has just released a new holiday CD, Spirit of Christmas, featuring guest performances from singer Kevin Whalum, Yellowjackets' pianist Russell Ferrante, saxophonist Everette Harp and more. Fiddmont will celebrate with two CD release events this month in Los Angeles. The album (pictured) can be purchased online from iTunes and CDBaby.com.

* Jazz St. Louis has uploaded to their Facebook page a photo set from singer-guitarist John Pizzarelli's performance at Francis Howell North HS. While in town last week to play at Jazz at the Bistro, Pizzarelli also did an interview with KWMU's "Cityscape."

* St. Louis native Ronnie Burrage's show next Thursday, December 13 at NYC's Shapeshifter Labs will be viewable via an online stream for just $3. The gig by the drummer's ensemble Band Burrage will feature his regular collaborators Rick Tate on saxophone and Michael Stark on guitar, as well as special guests Wallace Roney (trumpet), Frank "Kuumba" Lacy (trombone), Essiet Essiet (bass), Benito Gonzalez (keyboards), and Curtis Stewart (violin).

* The London Jazz blog has a review of the recent re-issue of five late-career albums that Miles Davis recorded for Warner Brothers.

* The new band Sound Prints, fronted by saxophonist Joe Lovano and trumpeter Dave Douglas and including up-and-coming Berklee grad and St. Louis native Lawrence Fields on piano, made their debut last week at NYC's Village Vanguard. NPR recorded the gig for broadcast, and it also was reviewed by the New York Times' Nate Chinen.

* The Sheldon Concert Hall now has limited edition t-shirts celebrating the Hall's 100th anniversary for sale online.

* The new CWE venue Troy's Jazz Gallery, written about previously on StLJN here and here, apparently now is up and running, as documented by this photo from last night's performance by guitarists Eric Slaughter and Tom Byrne.

* Josh Weinstein, host of the Sunday night program All Soul, No Borders, is profiled on the KDHX website.

* HEC-TV is readying for telecast a new episode of I Love Jazz, featuring excerpts from saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett's performance last summer at the Missouri Botanical Garden's Whitaker Music Festival. The December episode also includes a feature on the south side woodwind retailer/museum Saxquest. Check your TV provider's program guide for a schedule, or watch online at hectv.org/programs/series/i-love-jazz.

The cable network also has put together a new special, St. Louis on Stage: Music for the Holidays, compiling past performances from various local musicians including some jazz performers. In addition to playing on cable and online, the program will get a broadcast airing at 6:00 p.m. this Sunday, December 9 on Fox channel 2.2 (aka Antenna TV).

* While he's in town next week to play at The Pageant, guitarist Dweezil Zappa will present a master class at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 12 at Blueberry Hill's Elvis Room. Sponsored by Fazio's Frets & Friends, the event has a very limited seating capacity; to reserve a spot, contact Fazio's Jim Holt at 636-227-3573 or jholt @ faziosmusic.com.

Jazz this week: Metta Quintet, Lenihan & Williams, and more

Whether it's because of Halloween, the impending end of Daylight Savings Time, pre-Election Day activities, the economic recession, or something else entirely, it's a relatively slow weekend for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with just a handful of shows to highlight:

Tonight, guitarist William Lenihan and pianist Ptah Williams will play music from Miles Davis' album Bitches Brew in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University. Also tonight, percussionist Thomas Zirkle gives a free concert at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park's Mildred E. Bastian Performing Arts Center. The concert will feature Zirkle's compositions for solo marimba as well as new music for the duo HaZMaT, which teams Zirkle with fellow percussionist Matt Henry.

On Friday and Saturday, the Metta Quintet performs at Jazz at the Bistro. The NYC-based ensemble led by drummer H. Benjamin "Hans" Schumann has been in town all week for an educational residency for Jazz St. Louis, and they've brought a lineup that's significantly different from the one described on their Web site and in a post here last Saturday.

Schumann and bassist Joshua Ginsburg remain with the ensemble, but saxophonists Marcus Stickland and Mark Gross and pianist Helen Sung are gone. For their St. Louis gig this week, the Metta Quintet instead is featuring trumpeter Phillip Dizack, a 2007 graduate of Manhattan School of Music who's worked with saxophonist Greg Tardy and done freelance jazz and Latin gigs around NYC; alto saxophonist Sharel Cassity (pictured), who went to Juilliard and has worked with the Diva Jazz Orchestra, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and guitarist Mark Whitfield; and the fine young pianist Lawrence Fields, a St. Louis native and recent graduate of Berklee College of Music.

Fields is, as many local listeners already know, an enormously promising player who has performed and/or recorded with notables such as Alvin Batiste, Branford Marsalis, Roy Haynes, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Terri Lynne Carrington and Nicholas Payton. You can see a profile of him done by Ruth Ezell for Living St. Louis, the local newsmagazine show of PBS affiliate KETC, in the embedded video window below.

As for Dizack and Kassity, I honestly can't tell you much beyond what you can see for yourself on their respective Web sites, though Jazz St. Louis director of operations Bob Bennett, a saxophonist himself, did note in an email that he digs Kassity's bop-flavored sound.

This just in: Jazz St. Louis is offering a two-for-the-price-of-one deal on tickets for Friday night's sets by the Metta Quintet. To take advantage of the special offer, order your tickets by calling the Jazz St. Louis offices at 314-289-4030 and using the coupon code METTA0801.

Looking beyond the weekend, the Sessions Big Band will be back at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups on Monday night, and on Tuesday, The Gramophone features saxophonist Bennett Wood along with election returns on the big-screen TV.

As usually happens at the end of one month and the beginning of another, gig information from both venues and musicians is still arriving at StLJN HQ. You'll find the latest updates on more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond on the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(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.)