Jazz this week: Pat Martino, Snarky Puppy, a tribute to Mae Wheeler, and more

This week's notable jazz and creative music shows in St. Louis include return appearances from a top guitarist and one of the hottest young bands in jazz, plus a rare visit from some prog-rock veterans and a tribute to a fondly remembered local vocalist and mentor. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, May 11
Guitarist Pat Martino (pictured, top left) returns to St. Louis for the first of four nights continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

Martino's guitar/organ/drums trio continues to capture the classic sound and feel associated with that instrumentation, but the leader's harmonically adventurous playing also adds another dimension beyond the blues-based fare that's often a staple of the format. For some recent samples on video of Martino in action, see this post from last Saturday.

Also tonight, the band Stick Men, featuring former King Crimson members Tony Levin on Chapman Stick and Pat Mastelotto on drums, plus Stick player and guitarist Markus Reuter, performs at the Old Rock House; and pianist Pat Joyce plays at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Thursday, May 12
Trumpeter Jim Manley continues his regular Thursday night gig at Momo's Greek Restaurant, and the quartet Danbury Street plays at Nathalie's.

Friday, May 13
Pianist Carolbeth True's trio will team up with singer Kim Fuller to interpret material associated with Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson, and more in "Songs from the Ladies," the first of two shows featuring True this weekend at the Ozark Theatre.

Also on Friday, singer Joe Mancuso and Dave Black play at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel's newly renamed Sidecar Lounge (formerly Chaser's Lounge); The Sidemen return to Evangeline's; and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, May 14
Carolbeth True and Two Times True will be joined by singer Debby Lennon for "Mercer, Mancini and Mandel" at the Ozark Theatre, while singer Erin Bode will provide the music for "A Night In The Stacks at SIUE,", a fundraiser held at the Lovejoy Library on the SIUE campus.

Sunday, May 15
The Oikos Ensemble will present "Earth Walk: A Concert for Mother Earth" at the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves.

Monday, May 16
The jazz/funk/world music ensemble Snarky Puppy returns to St. Louis to perform at The Ready Room,
with guitarist Charlie Hunter as opening act.

Now touring in support of the albums Family Dinner, Vol. II, which was released in February, and Culcha Vulcha, which came out a couple of weeks ago, Snarky Puppy (pictured, bottom left) has been moving up to larger venues in many cities they've played before, so this chance to see them here in a relatively small space may be the last for a while if their star continues to rise. In any event, even though the show is on a Monday, advance purchase of tickets is highly recommended.

Also on Monday, saxophonist Jerry Greene's Greene Jazz Project will play at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, May 17 
Singer Wendy Gordon has recruited an eclectic lineup of St. Louis vocalists including longtime local favorite Jeanne Trevor for "A Tribute to Mae Wheeler" at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Also joining Gordon and Trevor for the "Unforgettable Legends" show will be singers Linda Kennedy, Diane Vaughan, Mary Dyson, Marty Adbullah, Jeff Hardin, and more.

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Terry Perkins wrote an article for the St. Louis Beacon about Reggie and Mardra Thomas' weekend of farewell concerts.
Also, Jazz St. Louis' Bob Bennett penned a nice tribute to Reggie Thomas on JSL's Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to view it.)

* St. Louis American editor Chris King profiled drummer and St. Louis native Ronnie Burrage (pictured), who's coming home next weekend to play Friday and Saturday at Robbie's House of Jazz.

* The Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson reviewed Monday's night concert at The Sheldon paying tribute to the late Mae Wheeler. The concert was recorded by HEC-TV, and you now can watch it online on their website.

* Writing for St. Louis magazine's Look/Listen blog, Thomas Crone has more on the closing of Drum Headquarters

* Pianist Peter Martin is preparing to launch a new service offering piano lessons online.

(Updated after posting to add a link to Bob Bennett's piece.)

Jazz this week: A tribute to Mae Wheeler, Legacy Jazz Quintet, Dave Black, Ritmo Caliente, and more

It's not a big week for name-brand touring jazz musicians in St. Louis, but local and regional players are keeping area stages relatively well-stocked with a variety of musical projects in styles ranging from straight-ahead to Latin jazz to original compositions in several different genres. Let's see what's coming up over the next few days...

Tonight, saxophonist Jeff Riley, a recent transplant to St. Louis who's from Cincinnati by way of Colorado, is having a CD release party at The Gramophone for his new disc Jeff Riley Jazz Suite. With a sound billed as "Frank Zappa meets Charles Mingus," Riley has assembled a large cast for the gig, including reed player Joshua Quinlan from Colorado, trumpeter and singer Shane Jonas from Chicago, and a crew of St. Louis-based players including Jim Sawyer (trombone), Nate Boxdorfer (tenor sax), Marc Bowyer (trombone), Jesse Gannon (keyboards), Matt McCallie (guitar), Willem Von Hombracht (bass), Steve Haake (drums), and Hannah McDonald (vocals).

On Thursday, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University begins its skein of free summer concerts with a performance by Ritmo Caliente, a Latin jazz project with guitarist Tom Byrne, keyboardist Myron Williams, bassist Phil Burton, percussionist Rich Tokatz and drummer Ron Carr.

Also on Thursday, guitarist Dave Black will play at Robbie's House of Jazz with a quartet including saxophonist Paul De Marinis, bassist Marc Torlina and drummer Kevin Gianino. You can see several video clips of Black in action in this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

On Friday and Saturday, the Legacy Jazz Quintet will perform at Jazz at the Bistro. Led by pianist and Jazz St. Louis director of education Phil Dunlap, they'll play music drawn from the repertoire of Miles Davis between 1959 and 1965, bridging the period from Kind of Blue to Davis' famous quintet with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. The gig is presented in cooperation with the Center for the Humanities Summer Institute at Washington University, an annual program for schoolteachers that this year is entitled “The Sock Hop and the Loft: Jazz, Motown, and the Transformation of American Culture, 1959-1975.”

Also on Friday, keyboard player Brock Walker's group will play at Robbie's; Tom Byrne will lead a trio with Ron Carr and bassist Chris Watrous at the Cigar Inn in Belleville; and the Kansas City based jump blues band Grand Marquis makes a stop at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

On Saturday, Byrne teams with singer Ralph Butler for a gig at Robbie's, and singer Erin Bode and her band will play the newly renovated Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville. On Sunday, singer Ellen Martinez will do a matinee at Sugar Creek Winery.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday night the Sheldon Concert Hall will present a performance honoring the late singer Mae Wheeler and raising money for her scholarship charity. The event will feature singers Jeanne Trevor (pictured), Denise Thimes, Gene Lynn, Marsha Evans, Bill Tucker, Renee Smith, A.J. Dickerson Sr, and Wendy Gordon; Elvis tribute artist Steve Davis; the Gateway Men's Chorus; Trio Trés Bien; the Bosman Twins; and classical pianist Kalid McGhee. The backing band will include Jeff Anderson (tenor sax and upright bass), Jimmy Hinds (electric bass), Eric Slaughter (guitar), Al Barnes (drums), Carolbeth True (piano) and Tony Simmons (keyboards), with jazz broadcaster Don Wolff and KTVI newswoman Bonita Cornute as hosts. Tickets are $10 for general admission, and will be available at the door starting at 6:00 p.m. the evening of the show.

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

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

(Edited 7/6/11 to add info on the Erin Bode concert at the Wildey Theatre.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* This week's St. Louis American has an obituary for singer Mae Wheeler, penned by staff writer Kenya Vaughn.

* The Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson has a very short preview story on Monday night's performance by the Monterey County HS All Star Band at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Speaking of student jazz bands, the one from Belleville West High School just got back from a trip to Germany, as chronicled here by the Suburban Journals' Jim Merkel.

* Changes may be coming to the streetscape of the Grand Center district, which includes Jazz at the Bistro, the Sheldon Concert Hall, the Fox Theatre and other venues for musical performances. The Post-Dispatch's Marlon Walker wrote about the public meeting to discuss the plan here.

* Terry Perkins profiled the eclectic roots music band Sins of the Pioneers for the St. Louis Beacon.

* StLJN got a shout-out last week from The Bad Plus' Ethan Iverson in a post on his blog Do The Math that mentioned various blogs devoted to local jazz scenes around the US. Thanks, Ethan!

Mae Wheeler funeral services, memorial concert scheduled

Information on funeral services for Mae Wheeler has been released, as well as details on other events honoring the late singer, who died last week at 77 after a long illness.

* There will be a "Jam Session Celebration" from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. this Friday, June 24 at Eddie Randle & Sons Funeral Home, 4600 Natural Bridge Ave.

* Wheeler's funeral will be held this Sunday, June 26 at Greater Grace Church, 3690 Pershall Rd. Viewing will be from 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m., with the funeral program at 4:30 p.m. and a repass immediately following. At 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 27, Wheeler's body will be taken by horse-drawn carriage from Randle & Sons to Memorial Park Cemetery, 5200 Lucas & Hunt Rd., for interment.

* A memorial concert to benefit Wheeler's charity, a scholarship fund for C students who want to go to college, has been scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Monday, July 11 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

The event will feature performances from singers Jeanne Trevor, Denise Thimes, Gene Lynn, Marsha Evans, Bill Tucker, Renee Smith, A.J. Dickerson Sr, and Wendy Gordon; Elvis tribute artist Steve Davis; the Gateway Men's Chorus; Trio Trés Bien; the Bosman Twins; and classical pianist Kalid McGhee. The house band will include Jeff Anderson (tenor sax and upright bass), Jimmy Hinds (electric bass), Eric Slaughter (guitar), Al Barnes (drums), Carolbeth True (piano) and Tony Simmons (keyboards).

The event will be hosted by jazz broadcaster Don Wolff and KTVI newswoman Bonita Cornute, and St. Louis city license collector Mike McMillan will present a proclamation honoring Wheeler. Tickets are $10 for general admission, and be available at the door starting at 6:00 p.m. the evening of the show.

* A.J. Dickerson Sr tells StLJN there also are plans in the works for a "Gospel Showcase" in honor of Wheeler on August 30 at the Sheldon, with more details to be released at a later date.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Gaslight Square Remembered

More often than not, this weekly feature is dedicated to previewing upcoming concerts of jazz and creative music in St. Louis. However, talking this past week with people about the late Mae Wheeler and her long career got me thinking about both the history of jazz in St. Louis and the need to occasionally to remember and celebrate the musicians and singers who made it happen.

With that in mind, this week we're taking a look at St. Louis' Gaslight Square district and some of the people who played and sang there, where Wheeler launched her music career. Lets start at the beginning, as many younger readers and those not from St. Louis may have heard the name Gaslight Square, but may not know much about it.

Briefly, Gaslight Square was a small entertainment district, just a few blocks long really, that flourished in the city of St. Louis during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The area began to decline in the mid-1960s, as crime rose, the city's population dropped, and shady operators tried to cash in on its previous popularity. By the end of the 1960s, it was pretty much all over. Gaslight Square became a collection of mostly vacant buildings, and the area remained in ruins for more than 30 years.

The 2005 documentary Gaslight Square: The Legend Lives On, which you can watch in the embedded video window up above, tells the whole story, at a length of more than 2 hours. The film has lots of archival footage, still photos, and interviews, and remains the most extensive audio/visual presentation of Gaslight Square's history. The producers also created an accompanying website that has still photos and some other material.

At the time The Legend Lives On documentary was made, redevelopment plans for Gaslight Square were stalled for the umpteenth time and the area was still blighted. Since then, some small progress has been made, with a few new homes built and some older buildings rehabbed. That brings us to the video down below, which was produced in 2008 by the staff of KETC's Living St. Louis. Over 25 minutes, producer/host Margie Newman recounts the history of Gaslight Square and looks at the still-ongoing efforts to renew the neighborhood for the 21st century.

Of course, the buildings weren't really what made Gaslight Square memorable - it was the people. One performer from the era who remains active is singer Jeanne Trevor, who no longer gigs every week but still plays out with some regularity. In the second window below, you can see Trevor with pianist Curt Landes singing "God Bless The Child" during a show last year at the alternative performance space Joe's Cafe.

Another Gaslight Square veteran still working is pianist Jeter Thompson, who played back in the day with Quartette Tres Bien and now performs with his brothers Harold, a bassist, and Howard, a drummer, as Trio Tres Bien. They can be seen in the third window below backing Harold's daughter, singer Danita Mumphard, in a version of the Burt Bacharach song "A House Is Not A Home." (Jeter Thompson's piano solo starts about at 3 minutes, 50 seconds into the tune.)

In the window below that, you can hear Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum, yet another mainstay of the Gaslight Square district, playing "I Close My Eyes" at a 2006 gig in Santa Monica, CA. The band includes St. Louisan Jeff Anderson on bass and former St. Louis resident Rob Block on guitar, and that's Peanuts' nephew, the well-known contemporary jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum, sporting the fedora. Now 82 years old, Peanuts Whalum has not been seen playing out in a while, and, sadly, I've heard talk that he's had health problems, but no specific information has been made public.

For today's final video, there a Mae Wheeler clip that went unposted the other day, a feature story about a tribute to her filmed back in 2007 for KETC's Living St. Louis.

If you'd like to learn more about the history of Gaslight Square, there have been two books written on the subject in recent years. The first, Gaslight Square: An Oral History by Thomas Crone, came out in 2004 and chronicles "the rise and fall of Gaslight Square" in the words of people who worked, played and/or lived there.

The second, Gaslight Square Illuminated: The Rise & Fall of St. Louis' Premier 'Hot Spot'" by Richard Fuegner and David Roth, was released earlier this year and purports to offer a more comprehensive historical look at the district. (Note that if you use the links above to buy a copy of either book from Amazon.com, a few pennies in commission will eventually find their way back to StLJN, thereby supporting the continued operation of this website.)

Last but not least, for those who want to wear their nostalgia and/or local pride on their chests, stlstyle.com offers for sale a Gaslight Square t-shirt. (No commission for StLJN on this, just thought maybe you'd dig the shirt.)

More about Mae

Following up on the death of the iconic singer Mae Wheeler, yesterday I talked with people who knew and worked with her for another article that's now up on the Riverfront Times website. Check it out!

Update - More coverage from around town of Wheeler's passing:

The Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson recalled the first time he met Wheeler, and reposted the story that resulted from that encounter. He followed up with a more detailed story/obituary, including comments from family members and Wheeler's musical colleagues, here.

Meanwhile, Sauce Magazine dug into their vaults for a 2007 article about Wheeler by Thomas Crone.

Local NBC affiliate KSDK ran a brief item about Wheeler's passing on their newscasts yesterday. It's good that they covered the story, but bad in that the text published on KSDK's site looks to be nothing more than a thinly disguised, condensed rewrite of my piece that ran Wednesday on the Riverfront Times website. A giant media corporation like Gannett, which owns KSDK and reportedly took in $5.4 billion (with a b) in revenues in 2010, really ought to be able to do their own reporting, don't you think?

That's what local CW affiliate KPLR did, sending a camera crew out to interview one of Wheeler's daughters.

On a related and happier note, Jazz Times mentioned and linked to StLJN's coverage of Wheeler and two other items in their weekly wrap-up of the jazz blogosphere, for which yr. humble editor is most grateful.

Finally, for those who'd like to hear more of Mae Wheeler's singing, Michael Major of Major Creative has posted several free MP3s of Mae Wheeler holding forth during a jam session at Brandt's. The recording date isn't specified, but given the location and the personnel announced by Wheeler during "Killer Joe" - Jeff Anderson on bass, Arthur Toney on keyboards, and "Marty" (perhaps Marty Spikener or Marty Morrison?) on drums - it's fairly recent.

Update - 7:20 p.m., 6/17/11: Funeral arrangements for Mae Wheeler have been announced. Here's the full text of a post made today on her Facebook account:

"THE FUNERAL FOR MAE "LADY JAZZ" WHEELER WILL BE HELD @ THE GREATER GRACE CHAPLE@3690 PERSHALL RD ST.LOUIS, MO - JUNE 26,2011. VIEWING AND VISITATIONS WILL BE HELD FROM 3 PM TO 4:30 PM FUNERAL SERVICES WILL BEGIN @ 5 PM REPASS TO FOLLOW.. *(FOR MAP GO TO WWW.GGCSTL.ORG)*
**THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS**"

Mae Wheeler 1934 - 2011

Singer Mae Wheeler (pictured), known to generations of St. Louis music fans as "Lady Jazz," died this evening at her home in Maryland Heights after a long illness. She was 77.

Wheeler, known for her charity fundraising efforts as well as for a musical career that spanned six decades, had been battling colon cancer since 2006, and was diagnosed two years ago with leukemia. Her doctors had sent her home from the hospital last month, saying that further treatment would be ineffective. In recent weeks, Wheeler was surrounded by and cared for by family and friends, including a granddaughter who established a Facebook account for her so friends and fans could send their best wishes. During that time, she gave a final interview to Terry Perkins of the St. Louis Beacon, which you can read here.

Born on May 15, 1934 in Memphis, TN, Wheeler moved with her family to the St. Louis suburb of Richmond Heights when she was five. She graduated in 1951 from Douglass School in Webster Groves, and according to published reports, later attended Forest Park Community College for about a year, majoring in music and communications, before meeting her husband Jimmie Lee, who was in the landscaping business.

The couple had five children, but when Jimmy Lee died of kidney disease in 1964, Wheeler was left as the family's sole breadwinner. She worked as a restaurant cook, took in laundry, and cleaned houses to make ends meet, but never gave up on her desire to sing. Wheeler eventually broke in to the music business at the tail end of St. Louis' Gaslight Square era, crediting fellow singer Jeanne Trevor for helping her to get her first gigs at places such as Vanity Fair, the Black Horse, the Dark Side and the Red Carpet.

Wheeler often referred to herself not as a jazz singer, but as a "song stylist" who interpreted a wide variety of material, from jazz and blues to pop, rock, Broadway and more. In the 1970s and into the 1980s, Wheeler was a regular performer at Hannegan's on Laclede's Landing and also worked at other spots such the Moose Lounge in north St. Louis and an early incarnation of Kennedy's, also on the Landing. In later years, she performed frequently at the now-defunct Brandt's in University City, as well as at other restaurants, lounges and clubs around town.

Over the course of her career, Wheeler worked with hundreds of St. Louis musicians and singers, and also appeared with nationally known entertainers including Pearl Bailey, Count Basie, Sonny Stitt, Mitch Miller and Arthur Prysock. As best as can be determined, she released two recordings, Live in 2000, and Just Friends in 2002. Both seem currently to be out of print.

Wheeler also became known as an event producer and philanthropist, putting on the first version of what would come to be called "The Divas Show" in 1996 at Westport Playhouse. Subsequent editions of the concert would follow annually for the next dozen years, showcasing many St. Louis female vocalists and raising money for Wheeler's favorite charity, a scholarship fund for high school graduates with C averages who wanted to attend college. One of the best known recipients of one of Wheeler's $1,000 scholarships is drummer Kim Thompson, who put the money toward her education at Manhattan School of Music and has gone on to become a successful professional musician, performing with pop singer Beyonce and many others.

“Maybe now, she’ll reach back,” Wheeler said of Thompson in a 2010 interview with Kenya Vaughn of the St. Louis American. “In doing all of this I just want people to know that we need to help one another. Plus, I want these children to know to always reach for the sky and don’t ever stop trying to be a winner.”

Wheeler moved from her longtime home in Richmond Heights to Maryland Heights in 2007, as her old neighborhood was bought out for a redevelopment project. Her final production "Unforgettable Legends" took place on Halloween night 2010 at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Mae Wheeler is survived by a brother, Darde Smith; three sisters, Delores Laster, Samella Miller and Ernestine Stith; two daughters, MarYam Aaten and Mary Wheeler, and three sons, Steve Wheeler, Kenneth Wheeler and Khamaron Wheeler, as well as 15 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. As of this writing, there's been no announcement made yet about funeral arrangements or a memorial service.

For more about Mae Wheeler's life and career, see the embedded video below, which is a segment aired on local PBS affiliate KETC's program Living St. Louis earlier this year when Wheeler won a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis. You also may enjoy the video below that, which features an brief informal conversation between Wheeler and a fan at Brandt's back in 2006.

A personal note: Although I didn't know Mae Wheeler well, I had a chance to perform with her (and for her) a few times in recent years at various benefits and all-star shows, and to cover her as a journalist. I liked her as a person, and admired her philanthropic efforts and fighting spirit. The St. Louis community certainly is diminished by her passing, but our town also benefited greatly from the things she did while she was passing through. Rest in peace, Lady Jazz.





(Photo of Mae Wheeler courtesy of BB's Jazz Blues and Soups.)

(Updated 6/17/11 to correct the information on Mae Wheeler's survivors.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer Mae "Lady Jazz" Wheeler's doctors sent her home from the hospital last week, saying that further medical treatment of her colon cancer and leukemia was unlikely to be effective. Freelance music journalist Terry Perkins visited Wheeler at her home, where she's spending time with family and friends, and wrote about her life and musical legacy in this feature story for the St. Louis Beacon.

* Dennis Owsley's latest blog entry for St. Louis magazine looks at two myths about St. Louis jazz that were dispelled by the research for his book City of Gabriels: The History of Jazz in St. Louis 1895-1973.

* The Belleville News-Democrat's Carolyn R. Smith talked with band members and parents for a feature about the East St. Louis High School Jazz Band's recent trip to NYC for the Essentially Ellington festival at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

* And speaking of East St. Louis High School, the St. Louis American's Rebecca S. Rivas has written a feature story about drummer Bryan Carter, an ESL HS alumnus who's also the son of its former band director, saxophonist Ronald Carter (who's now at Northern Illinois University). The younger Carter, now studying at the Juilliard School in NYC, has just released his first CD, Enchantment.

* Illustrator and music historian Kevin Belford has written an interesting blog post about the Palladium Building (pictured) on Enright just west of Grand. Once the home of the Club Plantation, site of many significant jazz and blues performances, the building is now in rough shape and up for sale.

Photo by Kevin Belford/Devil at the Confluence.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer Carla Cook will perform and fellow vocalist Mae Wheeler will be honored for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts at this year's St. Louis Arts Awards.

* Guitarist Todd Mosby (pictured) went on the 4:00 p.m. newscast at KPLR (Channel 11) this week to demonstrate and talk about his Imratgitar, a custom-built hybrid of a guitar and a sitar. You can see the segment archived online here.

* Radio station WSIE (88.7 FM) is now offering to record and air free promotional spots featuring local jazz talent. From the blog entry on the station's site: "Here’s the plan: Any business owners, booking agents, promoters, music enthusiasts, or musicians are welcome to send us their contact information and/or audio file of who you are, what you do, why you like jazz, why supporting local music is important to you and (of course – the call tag of the station) “88.7 the jazz station”. We will gladly put your 30 second spot on the air! If need be, we can come record you."

WSIE this week also has been airing an interview with pianist Carolbeth True about her concert this Saturday at the Sheldon. The interview will be rebroadcast again today (Friday, January 21) at 6:00 p.m..

* The trombone ensemble Original Boneheads recently visited schools in Granite City to work with music students in the district, as recounted here by Suburban Journals reporter Scott Cousins.

* The University of Missouri St. Louis' Gallery 210 this week opened a new exhibit called “Post-Gig,” a traveling collection of 130 original, contemporary music posters from the 2000s drawn from Clifford Stoltze’s book 1000 Music Graphics. The exhibit runs through March 12, with a closing reception featuring Stoltze at 5:30 p.m. on March 10.

* The Missouri Association of Jazz Educators (MOAJE) has a number of events planned during next week's 73rd Annual Missouri Music Educators Conference at Lake of the Ozarks, including a jam session on Wednesday night and a reading session on Friday. For a complete schedule, see the MOAJE website.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of links and short local news items of interest that you may have missed:

* There's a new post on the Jazz St. Louis blog in the continuing series highlighting staff members' favorite jazz albums. This week, director of education Phil Dunlap writes about his 15 faves here.

* Calvin Wilson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch this week reviewed the new box set reissue of music from saxophonist and composer Henry Threadgill; read the review here. Wilson also interviewed violinist Regina Carter about her gig next week at Jazz at the Bistro, and that article is online here.

* Kevin Johnson of the Post talked to singer Mae Wheeler about Sunday's "Unforgettable Legends" concert at the Sheldon.

* Don Wolff has posted on his site some videos featuring up-and-coming St. Louis ragtime/stride pianist Stephanie Trick (pictured); check 'em out here and here.

* Drummer and St. Louis native Mark Colenburg was name-checked in an article in the British mag JazzWise about Robert Glasper's set at the recent Cork Jazz Festival; see it online here.

* Is Powell Symphony Hall haunted? The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra last week called in some ghost hunters to investigate potential paranormal activity at their performing home, prompting coverage from Sarah Bryan Miller of the Post-Dispatch here and Abbe Goldberg of the West End Word here.

Jazz this week: Reggie Thomas, Lamar Harris, Denise Thimes, Classical Jazz Quartet, and more

If you can evade the ghosts, ghouls, zombies, vampires, werewolves and assorted other creatures of the night that no doubt will be stalking the streets of St. Louis this Halloween weekend, there's plenty of jazz and creative music to be heard around town over the next few days. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, singer Denise Thimes performs at the Sheldon Concert Hall in her annual benefit for the Mildred Thimes Foundation, named after her late mother. Thimes' special guest this year is singer/songwriter Billy Valentine. For more about the concert, the foundation, Valentine, and Thimes, see this article by Terry Perkins published earlier this week by the St. Louis Beacon.

Also tonight, guitarist Steve Schenkel and friends perform a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; and jazz DJ and historian Dennis Owsley begins his three-week class on "The Great Jazz Singers" at the Ethical Society.

On Friday, trombonist/composer/arranger Lamar Harris opens a two-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro with the latest iteration of his ever-evolving jazz/funk/R&B/hip-hop sound.

That same evening, the Classical Jazz Quartet - a.k.a. the Downtown Trio plus violinist Andrew Driscoll, and not the similarly named group featuring Ron Carter, Kenny Barron, Lewis Nash and Stefon Harris - will serve up some classical-influenced jazz-fusion at the Focal Point in Maplewood. For more about them, check out the interview Don Wolff did with CJQ keyboard player Michael Silverman, posted on Wolff's site here. (Click on the word "Enclosure" to download the .MP3 file.)

Also on Friday, keyboardist Reggie Thomas will lead his ensemble Four in a performance at Robbie's House of Jazz. The group features Thomas on organ and frequent collaborator Rick Haydon on guitar, teamed with visiting players Clay Jenkins on trumpet and Gary Hobbs on drums.

On Saturday afternoon, Thomas will present a recital at 2:00 p.m. at Newsong Fellowship Church, 201 St. Louis St. in Edwardsville. The free concert sounds like quite an extravaganza - it's an all-original program, including Thomas' "Suite Sankofa," performed by an extensive cast that includes Hobbs, Jenkins and Haydon, plus dancer/choreographer Betty Jenkins, saxophonist Jason Swagler, drummer Marty Morrison, bassist Nick Jost, the SIUE Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and the SIUE-ESL Center for Performing Arts Dancers under the direction of Theodore Jamison and Andrea Smythe.

On Sunday, singer and philanthropist Mae "Lady Jazz" Wheeler has rounded up an extensive roster of local talent for her "Unforgettable Legends" concert at the Sheldon. With planned tributes to everyone from Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson to Etta James and Mongo Santamaria, the show being billed as Wheeler's final concert as a producer should, in typical fashion, offer a little something for everyone.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Webster University student Jazz Combos 1 will perform a free concert at the university's Community Music School, 535 Garden Avenue, and drummer Joe Pastor's trio will be at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

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

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

(Edited after posting to fix a typo.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of links and short local news items of interest that you may have missed:

*Euclid Records will have their third annual "Sidewalk Sale" tomorrow and Sunday at their Webster Groves store (pictured), along with a similar event at their new New Orleans location. The sale will include LPs, CDs, posters, record crates, cassettes, videotapes, and ephemera, all "priced to move." Get the details at the store's blog, Lockwood and Summit.

* In the latest entries in Jazz St. Louis' ongoing series of blog posts recounting staff members' favorite jazz albums, volunteer coordinator Devin Rodino picks his 15 favorites here, and development director Melissa Jones writes about her 10 selections here.

* The Pageant concert club is celebrating 10 years of operation this week, and the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson recaps the venue's first decade here.

* Singer Mae Wheeler was interviewed by the Suburban Journals' Mary Shapiro for a story about the "Unforgettable Legends" concert coming up on Halloween at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The concert is being billed as the final such production to be overseen by Wheeler, 76, who's been battling cancer for the last several years.

* Singer Brian Owens was interviewed this week by the Belleville News-Democrat's Teri Maddox about his upcoming CD, Love, Life and Legacy, and why he doesn't really want to be known as a jazz singer any more.

* Finally, condolences to the family and friends of bassist and singer Russ Polette, a veteran of the Gaslight Square era who died on Sunday at age 92 of complications from congestive heart failure. Polette performed frequently on local TV and radio in the 1950s and 1960s and played traditional jazz, pop and ragtime at venues including the Admiral, the Robert E. Lee Riverboat and the riverboats the Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher. You can read more about him here.

St. Louis musicians join forces for two upcoming concerts

Catching up with our email inbox, StLJN recently received word of two upcoming shows featuring collaborative efforts from St. Louis musicians:

* Saxophonists Michael Anthony Fitzgerald and Readus Miller (pictured), keyboardist Jeremiah Allen and singer Anita Jackson will join forces for a concert at 7:00 p.m. this coming Sunday, October 3 at the Starlight Room, inside Lights On Broadway at 8350 N. Broadway.

The idea of putting several featured performers together in a package show seems to work well for many touring artists mining the same smooth jazz/R&B territory as these four St. Louisans, and hearing about this show makes one wonder why more local musicians haven't tried the same idea. Tickets for the Fitzgerald/Miller/Allen/Jackson "Jazz Cabaret on Broadway" are available online and at the Fox Theatre box office and all Metrotix locations, or for more information call 314-616-9418.

* Meanwhile, singer and philanthropist Mae Wheeler, ably abetted by longtime production manager AJ Dickerson, will present "Unforgettable Legends" at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 31 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Appropriately for Halloween, the show will feature St. Louis performers paying tribute to musical legends including Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Mongo Santamaria, Michael Jackson, Lena Horne, and many more, with a talent roster including Oliver Johnson, Kim Massie, Steve Davis, Wendy Gordon, Carmen Emborski and plenty of others. Proceeds will benefit Wheeler's scholarship fund for C-average students, and tickets are on sale now via Metrotix.

Jazz this week: Support your local jazz musicians

It's the last weekend before the Labor Day holiday, and though many concert series and presenters are still on summer hiatus, and there are no major touring jazz performers in St. Louis over the next few days, there still are a number of noteworthy events on tap featuring local musicians.

On Thursday, Robbie's House of Jazz has singer Carmen Emborski doing a tribute to Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn with Bob Deboo (bass), Dave Stone (saxophones), Joe Pastor (vibes) and Paul Shaw (drums).

On Friday night, Robbie's will feature trumpeter Scott Vignassi's "Big Little Big Band." Vignassi has played with El Caribe Tropical and with various Air Force musical ensembles, most recently at Scott Air Force Base in southern Illinois. On Saturday afternoon, the club will host a reunion of performers from singer Mae Wheeler's "Divas" and "Troubadours" fundraisers, and on Saturday night, pianist Ed Nicholson's trio with vocalist Myla Brown will take the stage.

Elsewhere around town on Saturday, trumpeter Jim Manley and the Wild Cool & Swingin' Orchestra will perform a free concert at 6:00pm at Lafayette Park; and the Presenters Dolan have singer Pegi Johns at the Kranzberg Arts Center doing a World War II-themed cabaret show called "A Window Into Our Hearts: The Songs That Saw Us Through The War." The show includes songs made famous by the Andrews Sisters, Judy Garland, Glenn Miller, Cole Porter, Fats Waller, Richard Rodgers, Frank Loesser and Harold Arlen, with pianist Carolbeth True as music director and bassist Ric Vice as director.

On Sunday, Nu-Element, fronted by trumpeter Keith Moyer and keyboardist Dave Becherer, plays at Riddle's, and on Monday, pianist Phil Gomez and Clave Sol will do their Latin/jazz thing at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

Also on Monday, it's the first Webster University jazz faculty concert of the semester at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus, featuring lesser known repertoire of Duke Ellington. Selections will include "The Feeling of Jazz," "Daydream," "All Too Soon," "I Didn't Know About You," "Star Crossed Lovers," "Isfahan," "Azure," "Drop Me Off in Harlem," and "Love You Madly," performed by Debby Lennon (vocals), Paul DeMarinis (pictured, tenor saxophone), Steve Schenkel (guitar), Kim Portnoy (piano), Willem von Hombracht (bass) and Kevin Gianino (drums).

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

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

Jazz this week: Frank Vignola, David Fiuczynski, the Miles Davis Jazz Festival, Mae Wheeler's 75th birthday gala, and more

This weekend's menu of jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a couple of first-rate guitar players with very different styles, and birthday tributes to a couple of St. Louis' most beloved jazz performers.

Let's start with guitarist Frank Vignola (pictured), who's playing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Vignola draws on influences ranging from swing and the Gypsy jazz sound of Django Reinhardt to bluegrass, and somehow manages to make it all work together. For some video samples of his playing, see this post from last Saturday.

Then there's the fourth annual Miles Davis Jazz Festival on Saturday at the new riverfront amphitheater in Alton. Saxophonist Willie Akins; trumpeter Jim Manley; drummer Howard Neal and his band, and the Alton High School Jazz Band will perform in celebration of the legendary trumpeter, who was born in Alton on May 26, 1926.

UPDATE - 10:55 a.m., 5/16/09: For more about the new Alton amphitheater and the Miles Davis Jazz Festival, check out this post I wrote for the Riverfront Times' music blog "A to Z".

On Saturday evening, guitarist David Fiuczynski will perform at The Gramophone. While the aforementioned Frank Vignola often can be found playing acoustic or lightly amplified guitar, "Fuse" Fiuczynski is best known as a plugged-in fusionmeister who comes out blazing, and then cranks it up from there. He'll be playing in a trio setting at The Gramophone, which should allow maximum room to stretch his considerable chops.

Then on Sunday, what I can only assume will be a constellation of St. Louis musical luminaries will gather for Mae Wheeler 75th birthday gala at the Sheldon Concert Hall. I say "assume" because, as best as I've been able to determine, there's been no announcement of the lineup of performers for this event.

(The Sheldon's Web site and the event's page at Metrotix both call it "An Affair To Remember," but don't list any singers or musicians. Similarly, while a Cotton Club-themed flyer received here at StLJN HQ notes that there will be a prize for the best vintage 1930s/1940s attire, and lists some other "Celeb's" who share Ms. Wheeler's astrological sign - Taurus, in case you wondering - there's no mention of who's performing. Calls to Ms. Wheeler, who has been battling cancer, were not returned.)

All of that said, given the esteem in which the local music community holds "Lady Jazz," and her long-established practice of assembling a whole parade of talented singers and musicians for her productions, the proceedings should be worth checking out even if the exact details are a bit vague before show time. There must be hundreds, if not thousands, of fans, friends, musicians, singers and students who have been touched over the years by Ms. Wheeler's music, philanthropy and fighting spirit, and surely many of them will show up Sunday at the Sheldon to help celebrate her 75th.

UPDATE - 10:34 a.m., 5/16/09: An updated version of the flyer for Wheeler's birthday gala arrived in my email inbox last night, listing the following as scheduled to perform: Adrianna Larkin, Babz Robnett, Denise Thimes, Kecia Davis, Kim Massie, Eneazer Moore, Jeff Hardin, Wendy Gordon, Renee Smith, Jeanne Trevor, Gene Lynn, Janice Battle, Craig Cervantes, Sherrie White, Merry Keller, Joyce Hines and Satin. Also, for a bit more about Wheeler, check out the Critic's Pick on the show I wrote for this week's Riverfront Times, available online here.

Elsewhere around town this weekend, the St. Louis Jazz Cafe has saxophonists Readus Miller on Thursday and Rod Tate on Friday, with Trio Tres Bien and vocalist Danita Mumphard on Saturday. Also on Saturday, guitarist Rex Bauer and his trio are at Brandt's.

For more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, please visit 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.)

Mae Wheeler tribute previewed in Playbill

The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra tonight is paying tribute to veteran vocalist Mae "Lady Jazz" Wheeler as part of their Black History Month programming, and St. Louis American editor Chris King has written a freelance piece for Playbill magazine previewing the tribute. You can read it online here.

Jazz this week: Blue Note 7, Pat Martino, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and more

There's lots going on in St. Louis this week with regard to jazz and creative music, and yr. humble editor's time is somewhat short today due to other pressing business, so let's go right to the highlights:

Tonight, guitarist Pat Martino (pictured) and his trio, featuring organist Tony Monaco, open a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro, with two sets a night through Saturday. For more about Martino, including some video clips, see this post from a couple of weeks ago.

On Thursday night, Washington University's Jazz at Holmes series resumes with a free concert from the Todd Mosby Group.

Then on Friday, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will bring their traditional New Orleans sound to Powell Symphony Hall for a Mardi Gras-themed concert. (For more about St. Louis' local Mardi Gras events over the next few days, go here or here.) Also on Friday is the opening reception for the Sheldon Art Galleries' "Visions of Sound" exhibit of musical instruments, which was covered earlier by StLJN here.

On Saturday, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra will honor singer Mae "Lady Jazz" Wheeler during a special concert at Powell Hall celebrating Black History Month. Singers Denise Thimes, Zella Jackson Price and Skeet Rogers will pay tribute to Wheeler, with Brian Owens serving as MC. The program also will feature the SLSO's In Unison Chorus, directed by Robert Ray, and will include orchestral works from Still and Beethoven as well as James Weldon Johnson's "Lift Every Voice And Sing."

That same evening, just down the street at the Kranzberg Arts Center, keyboardist and electronic musician James Hegarty will debut his new ensemble Off-Topic, which also includes saxophonist Dave Stone, percussionist Henry Claude and bassist Willem von Hombrecht. From the program description sent out by New Music Circle, it sounds like they'll be working at the intersection of free improv, jazz and contemporary classical. If you like that style of music, this gig seems quite promising.

Also on Saturday: The Southwestern Illinois College Jazz Festival in Belleville, which will feature a day of performances by student bands from schools in Metro East, and culminating in an free evening concert spotlighting the fest's guest artist, bassist Rodney Whitaker, with Reggie Thomas on piano, Marty Morrison on drums and Rick Haydon on guitar. Whitaker also will present a clinic/master class at 1:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

Then on Sunday night, the Blue Note 7 perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall. For more about this all-star ensemble and their tour commemorating the 70th anniversary of Blue Note records, plus videos of performances by the individual members of the group, see this post from last Saturday. (UPDATE: 12:00 p.m., 2/22/09 - The Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson previewed the Blue Note 7 concert in an interesting story for Sunday's paper that includes quotes from the band's pianist, Bill Charlap, and producer Michal Cuscuna. For some reason, the article isn't being promoted on the front page of the Post's Web site STLtoday, but you can read it online here.)

Also on Sunday, Bud Shultz and the You Can't Beat Experience Jazz Band will present their monthly performance of traditional jazz in a matinee session at VFW Hall in Alton.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday morning singer Mardra Thomas and pianist Reggie Thomas will do a "Coffee Concert" at the Sheldon. (The program repeats at the same time on Tuesday.) Then on Monday night, the Webster University Big Band performs at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

As always, these are just a few of the performances going on around town over the next few days; for more jazz-related events this weekend and beyond, please visit 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.)

(Updated 2/19/09 to add info on two more events on Saturday.)

Brunch and concert honoring Don and Heide Wollf to be held at Harris-Stowe this Sunday, October 5

Longtime St. Louis jazz radio host and advocate Don Wolff and his wife Heide will be honored at an event this Sunday, October 5 at Harris-Stowe State University.

"An Afternoon of Jazz" gets started with a brunch from 11:00 a.m. to noon, followed by tours of HSSU's Wolff Jazz Institute and a concert beginning at 1:00 p.m. with featured performers including singers Mae Wheeler, Gene Lynn, Anita Rosamond, Anita Jackson, Bill Tucker and Jeffrey Hardin and saxophonist Willie Akins. Tickets for the event are $10, and you can make reservations by calling 314-340-3386.

The Wolff Jazz Institute was established in April, 2002 when the Wolffs donated their personal collection to the University. It includes jazz recordings, books, periodicals, films and other materials that, according to HSSU, are valued at more than a million dollars.

Jazz this week: Bluiett's IYO debuts, jazz on New Year's Eve, and more

The week between Christmas and New Year's Day is usually a slow one for the local music scene. For example, both Jazz at the Bistro and Cookie's Jazz and More are closed this weekend, all the school- and university-based venues are shut down for the holiday break, and the stages of most local concert halls also will be dark.

However, if you're in the mood to hear some jazz on Friday, you can check out the Dave Stone Trio at Mangia Italiano, and on Saturday, there's Willie Akins' early evening show at Spruill's, both regular weekly gigs for the two talented tenor saxophonists. Beyond that, the picking are pretty slim, but there are at least three other noteworthy events worth your attention over the next several days.

On Sunday afternoon, baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett's Improvising Youth Orchestra (IYO) performs at Union Avenue Christian Church. This is the debut for this group of young musicians that Bluiett has taken under his wing, so it's hard to know exactly what to expect, but based on Bluiett's track record, it nevertheless would seem to be a project worth supporting.

For Monday's New Year's Eve celebration, Brandt's has a triple bill of headliners, with singers Mae Wheeler and Jeanne Trevor and singer/pianist/saxophonist Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum performing seperately and perhaps together, all backed by guitarist Dave Black's trio. Also on New Year's Eve, Finale Music and Dining will bring down the curtain for the last time at its current location with a performance by Wild Cool and Swingin' (pictured). Since both rooms have very limited capacities, reservations definitely would be in order.

For a more extensive listing of local jazz-related events, both this weekend and in the new year, please visit 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.)