Win free CDs from MAXJAZZ

MAXJAZZ and AllAboutJazz.com have teamed up to give jazz fans a chance to win free CDs.

The St. Louis-based independent label is sponsoring a contest in which five AAJ readers will each win free copies of four recent MAZJAZZ releases, including Jeb Patton's New Strides, Dena DeRose's Live at Jazz Standard Volume Two, Jack Wilkins' Until It's Time and Manuel Valera's Currents.

The contest ends on April 3. For information on how to enter, go here.

MAXJAZZ to release new CDs from pianists Manuel Valera and Jeb Patton

The latest email newsletter from MAXJAZZ brings word that the St. Louis-based indie label will release CDs this fall from pianists Manuel Valera and Jeb Patton.

Valera is a native of Cuba and the son of saxophonist Manuel Valera, who has played with Paquito D’Rivera, Chucho Valdes, Gonzalo Rubacalba and Tito Puente. The younger Valera has performed and recorded with well-known musicians in both jazz and Latin music, including D’Rivera, Vincent Herring, Donny McCaslin, Claudio Roditi, Louis Hayes, Bobby Sanabria, Dave Valentin, and many others. Though he has not (as far as I know) played in St. Louis yet as a bandleader, he is one of two keyboardists in the band Waverly Seven, who performers here in November 2007 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Valera's MAXJAZZ debut Currents will be released on Tuesday, October 6. It features Valera performing a mix of standards and original compositions with James Genus on bass and Ernesto Simpson on drums. You can see and hear a sample of Valera's playing in the embedded video window at the end of this post.

Jeb Patton is the pianist for the Heath Brothers Quartet, who played at Jazz at the Bistro in March 2008. Patton also works regularly with singer Sachal Vasandani, and in the past has played with Etta Jones, the Faddis/Hampton/Heath Sextet, Winard Harper, Antonio Hart, Rufus Reid, Jimmy Cobb, Carl Allen, Jackie McLean, Frank Wess, James Moody, Terell Stafford, Sean Jones, and many others.

His CD New Strides, also a debut for MAXJAZZ, will be released Tuesday, November 7. It features Patton, bassis David Wong and drummer Pete VanNostrand in a program of originals and new interpretations of standards, aided by special guests including saxophonist Jimmy Heath and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath.

Pollstar: Bistro adds Waverly Seven to 2007-08 schedule

The online touring information service Pollstar has just listed Waverly Seven (pictured) as the latest addition to the 2007-08 season schedule at Jazz at the Bistro, showing the group set to perform in St. Louis from Wednesday, November 28 through Saturday, December 1.

So who are Waverly Seven? Well, don't feel too bad if you don't recognize the name, because the band was formed just six months ago and only did its first public performance in March 2007.

However, you may very well be familiar with some of the individual musicians, all young New York-based players, including brother and sister Avishai Cohen (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Anat Cohen (saxophones and clarinets), along with Joel Frahm (saxophones), Manuel Valera (keyboards), Jason Lindner (keyboards), Barak Mori (bass) and Daniel Freedman (drums, percussion). The band's debut recording Yo, Bobby, a reimagining of 24 songs associated with singer Bobby Darin, is set for release on June 26.

I'll reserve judgment on the CD until I actually hear it, but based on the concept, instrumentation and reputations of the individual musicians, this seems like a very interesting booking. Gene Dobbs Bradford, Bob Bennett and the rest of the JSL crew deserve some kudos for taking a chance on something new and, one hopes, musically adventurous.

As longtime readers know, in the past I've criticized JSL and other St. Louis presenters for being too risk-averse and for repeatedly booking too many of the same artists. Thus, when they do try to do something different, it only seems fair to give credit where it's due. Although the half-dozen artists and groups that have leaked out so far via Pollstar only give part of the picture, next season at the Bistro appears to be shaping up to be a strong one.

However, and as always, the information published by Pollstar is subject to change, and should not be considered official until confirmed by the presenter or venue. In this case, that confirmation should be coming fairly soon, since mid-May is usually the time that Jazz St. Louis announces the complete Bistro schedule for the following season. Keep an eye on StLJN for updated information.
In the meantime, you can sample a bit of Waverly Seven on video by clicking on the window below, activating a clip of a performance of "Black Coffee" recorded at the band's sold-out public debut in March at NYC's Jazz Standard.

(Edited 5/18/07 to fix a misspelled tag.)