So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Although David Sanborn has wrapped the "official" first season of his online video series "Sanborn Sessions," in recent weeks the saxophonist has added a couple of postscripts in the form of short "remote sessions" with keyboardist Cory Henry and singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke.

* Singer Mardra Thomas and her husband, pianist Reggie Thomas, both are part of the cast of "Day Dream," an online audio drama "inspired by the life of jazz artist and composer Billy Strayhorn." Reggie is handling the musical direction, while Mardra, appropriately, is playing the role of a jazz singer named Alice. Two of the eight planned episodes have been released so far, and can be heard at https://www.daydreamseries.com/.

* Multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris (pictured) was interviewed on last Friday's episode of KTRS radio's "In The Know with Ray Hartmann."

* As reported by the Riverfront Times' Daniel Hill, The Monocle, the venue in the Grove neighborhood that sometimes featured cabaret and jazz performers as part of an eclectic entertainment policy, has closed permanently.

* In more venue news, according to a report from the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson, construction has begun on The Factory, a new concert club located at The District in Chesterfield, on the site of what was the Chesterfield Outlets mall. The facility, which will have a maximum capacity of 3,000 people, will present a variety of musical genres and is scheduled to open in May, 2021.

* Also in the Post-Dispatch, Ian Froeb reports that the Venice Cafe will close "until spring 2021."

* Tomorrow will be the third and final "RSD Drops" day of 2020, replacing the annual Record Store Day celebration in April that was canceled due to the pandemic. For a list of participating stores in Missouri offering the special RSD releases, go here.

Jazz this week: Mardra & Reggie Thomas, Jahmal Nichols, Todd Mosby + Bach to the Future, Lamar Harris, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis puts the spotlight on hometown performers, with the return of a local favorite couple who have moved away, a show teaming up two bands with distinctive approaches to jazz fusion, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 15
Bassist Jahmal Nichols, who's spent most of his time in recent years on the road with singer Gregory Porter, is back home for a visit and will lead his own band for the first of two nights performing at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Wednesday, drummer Steve Davis leads a trio at Evangeline's, Miss Jubilee performs at Schlafly Bottleworks, and trumpeter Jim Manley continues his weekly gig at Sasha's Wine Bar.

Thursday, 
January 16
Guitarist Todd Mosby (pictured, center left) and his New Horizons Ensemble team up with Bach to the Future for a double-bill of jazz-fusion at Sky Music Lounge, and singer Anna Blair performs her cabaret show "Always..." at Blue Strawberry.

Also on Thursday, singer Cheri Evans and CEEJazzSoul perform at the Chase Club; keyboardist Ryan Marquez and his trio return to The Dark Room; and keyboardist Adam Maness' trio continues their weekly gig at Thurman's in Shaw.

Friday, January 17
Spouses and former St. Louisans Mardra and Reggie Thomas (pictured, top left), on vocals and keyboards respectively, will be back in town to headline "An Evening Of Jazz" at Chaminade College Preparatory School.

Also on Friday, multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris will perform for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Elsewhere around town, electro-jazz trio Vehachi plays at the house-concert venue the Judson House, and The Way Out Club hosts "Descension 1" the first installment in a new experimental music series produced by Josh Levi, this time featuring Jack Callahan aka die Reihe, Brain Transplant, and Martin Carriel and Joann McNeil.

Saturday, January 18
Multi-instrumentalist Joe Bozzi and his band return to Evangeline's, and The Dark Room features pianist Jesse Gannon at the dinner hour and drummer Kaleb Kirby's quintet for the late show.

Sunday, January 19
Singer and bassist Janet Evra (pictured, bottom left) performs for brunch at Evangeline's, while singer and guitarist Tommy Halloran is on stage at The Dark Room.

Then on Sunday afternoon, the St. Louis Jazz Club presents a matinee performance of vintage jazz by The Gaslight Squares in the Oasis Room of the Moolah Shrine Center.

Also on Sunday afternoon, Oikos Ensemble presents "Dreams and Visions - A Jazz Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King" at St. John United Church of Christ in Collinsville.

Monday, January 20
The Folk School of KDHX hosts their weekly Traditional Jazz Jam Session.

Tuesday, January 21
Cabaret Project of St. Louis presents their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge.

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

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

Jazz this week: Mardra & Reggie Thomas, "Jazz Triple Play," Moon Hooch, and more

As often happens around major holidays, the calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis this week is light on visiting acts, but there still are some noteworthy shows happening, including a homecoming show for a couple of favorite former St. Louisans; a tour stop from from one of the more distinctive all-instrumental bands touring today; a concert featuring three hometown groups on one bill, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, July 3
Back in St. Louis for a visit, singer Mardra Thomas and keyboardist Reggie Thomas will present a free concert for the Whitaker Music Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden.

Also on Wednesday, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will duet at Scarlett's Wine Bar; and Miss Jubilee performs at Schlafly Bottleworks.

Thursday, July 4
While some local venues will be closed for the Independence Day holiday (for example, Jazz St. Louis will be dark the entire weekend),  if you're in the mood for some live music after or instead of fireworks, singer Cheri Evans and CEEJazzSoul will be performing at the Chase Club.

Friday, July 5
Funky Butt Brass Band plays at the Broadway Oyster Bar: pianist and singer Jesse Gannon returns to The Dark Room; bassist Darrell Mixon leads a trio at Cigar Inn; and drummer Dhoruba Shakur continues his twice-monthly Friday residency at Sophie's Artist Lounge and Cocktail Club.

Saturday, July 6
The Bosman Twins, the Coleman Hughes Project (pictured, bottom left) and keyboardist Mark Harris II will join forces for a "Jazz Triple Play" at the Grandel Theatre.

Also on Saturday, the Triplets of Grubville play vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at Evangeline's; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham performs (in a non-smoking show) at Gauge Cigar Club (fka Troy's Jazz Gallery and The Gallery by Troy).

Sunday, July 7
Dizzy Atmosphere plays for brunch at The Dark Room, while pianist Adam Maness is at Thurman's in Shaw. Then on Sunday evening, the Jazz Troubadours will play their monthly gig at Evangeline's

Monday, July 8
The Gaslight Squares play a free concert at the historic Hawken House in Webster Groves.

Tuesday, July 9
Saxophones-and-drums trio Moon Hooch (pictured, top left) returns to Old Rock House. Offering danceable grooves with instrumentation that could just as easily be found on an avant-jazz session, they've been touring as relentlessly as ever since their last appearance here in 2018. For a look at some recent shows on video, check out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Tuesday, multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris performs in concert at the Gaslight Theater.

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer Mardra Thomas and her husband, keyboardist Reggie Thomas (pictured), will join the cast of the gospel musical Crowns for two weeks of performances in August at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Theatre in Evanston, IL.

The play by writer/director Regina Taylor "reveals the story of African-American women and the hats they wear to church. Each hat holds a story of a wedding, a funeral and a baptism as the women share their life stories of how they moved through life’s struggles."

* Pianist Peter Martin has posted a new blog entry at Medium.com explaining "7 Cool Left Hand Voicings."

* Miles Davis' soundtrack for the 1958 Louis Malle film Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud is being reissued as a deluxe set of three 10" LPs. Scheduled for release by the Verve label on Friday, June 22, it will be the first vinyl release to feature both the film music and complete takes from the December 1957 recording session.

* Improvising percussionist Drew Gowran was the subject of a short Riverfront Times feature by Thomas Crone.

* Singer, actor and Belleville native Lea DeLaria was profiled in San Francisco Classical Voice.

* Guitarist Norman Brown's concert next Saturday at The Sheldon was previewed by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn.

* Also in the American, Vaughn previews saxophonist Stan Coleman's concert this Sunday at The Sheldon. 

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold was interviewed this week on an episode of BBC3's "Jazz Now" (available to hear online through June 20).

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Want to help musicians who have been affected by Hurricane Harvey? The Jazz Foundation is providing assistance to Houston-area musicians who have been displaced or suffered losses due to the storm, as they did for more than 1,000 New Orleans musicians after Hurricane Katrina.

You can find out more and contribute, if you like, via their website.

If you're a musician in need of help due to the storm (or know of one), the organization MusiCares, an affiliate of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (best known for the Grammy Awards), also is inviting calls for assistance at 1-877-626-2748.

* On a much happier note, Jazz St. Louis is now enrolling children for the fall session of WeBop, an early-childhood education program first developed by Jazz at Lincoln Center that "invites families to stomp, strut, and swing to the rhythms of jazz." You can find out more and register at https://jazzstl.org/education-outreach/webop/.

* Keyboardist Reggie Thomas and singer Mardra Thomas (pictured) - spouses and former St. Louisans - will be among the performers at this weekend's Chicago Jazz Festival. The Thomases will take the stage Friday afternoon at the Jazz and Heritage Pavilion, accompanied by drummer Montez Coleman, saxophonist Geof Bradfield and bassist Ivan Taylor. Reggie Thomas currently heads the jazz program at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL.

* Speaking of festivals, trumpeter Keyon Harrold is writing a new work for the 15th annual Festival Of New Trumpet Music (aka FONT Music) happening later this month in NYC. The work is part of the festival's Roy Campbell, Jr. Commissioning Project, which began in 2014 to honor the organization's co-founder who died that year. You can find out more, and if you like, contribute to Harrold's commission, via an IndieGoGo page set up by the fest.

On a related note, Harrold this week previewed "Wayfaring Traveler," another track from his forthcoming album The Mugician, on the website OkayPlayer. He'll be back in the St. Louis area next weekend to headline the free Alton Jazz and Wine Festival on Saturday, September 9 at Riverfront Amphitheater in Alton.

Jazz this week: Catherine Russell, Mardra Thomas, Brooke Michael Smith, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a pleasing variety of female vocalists, both visiting and local, as well as a tribute to saxophonist Dexter Gordon's work in the 1986 film Round Midnight, and more. Let's go the the highlights...

Wednesday, November 16
Singer Catherine Russell (pictured, top left) will perform for the first of four nights continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

Russell, the daughter of pianist and bandleader Luis Russell and singer/guitarist Carline Ray, is known for interpreting vintage jazz and blues material, and recently released her sixth solo album Harlem On My Mind. For more about that, and some videos of Russell performing some songs from the album, see this post from last Saturday.

Thursday, November 17
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will present a free program called "Jazz and Film: 30th Anniversary of Bernard Tavernier's Round Midnight." The event features multi-instrumentalist Jeff Anderson on tenor sax, with Adam Maness on piano, Darrell Mixon on bass, and Maurice Carnes on drums. They'll interpret some of the music from Round Midnight that originally was performed on the soundtrack by Dexter Gordon (who also gave an Academy Award-nominated starring performance in the film.) .

Also on Thursday, students in the UMSL Jazz Combos will give a free concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Friday, November 18
Former St. Louisan Mardra Thomas (pictured, bottom left) will be back in town to perform a free concert at St. Peter's United Church of Christ, and singer Wendy Gordon, pianist Carolbeth True, and friends will present an "Ebony and Ivory Tribute to Divas of Song" at the Ozark Theatre.

Elsewhere around town, Second Generation Swing will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; saxophonist Austin Cebulski leads a trio at Cigar Inn; and San Francisco-based cabaret singer Brooke Michael Smith will perform for the first of two nights at The Emerald Room at The Monocle. While Smith's Friday show is already sold out, as of this writing some tickets remain for Saturday.

Saturday, November 19
The vintage swing and Americana band Wack-A-Doo return to Evangeline's, and percussionist Herman Semidey and Orquesta Son Montuno will play salsa, Latin jazz, and more at Club Viva.

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: Jamison Ross, Mardra and Reggie Thomas, and more

Though not nearly as packed as last week's calendar, this week's schedule of jazz and creative music performances in St. Louis still offers listeners here their first look at a much-praised, up-and-coming jazz talent; the return of a couple of local favorites who have moved away; and a variety of shows from our own hometown performers.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, October 5
Drummer and singer Jamison Ross (pictured, top left) makes his St. Louis debut with the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Just 28 years old, Ross has been tagged as a rising star by both the jazz press and the mainstream media, thanks in large part to his self-titled debut album, which came out last year and was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Jazz Vocal category.

You can see performances of some of the songs from that album and find out more about Ross in this video post from last Saturday.

Thursday, October 6
Guitarist Vincent Varvel will lead his group in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Friday, October 7
Singer Tony Viviano returns to Fortel's Pizza Den, and singer and impressionist Dean Christopher will perform his cabaret show "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime: A Tribute to Dean Martin" for the first of two nights at The Emerald Room at The Monocle.

Also on Friday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and saxophonist Austin Cebulski and guitarist Tom Byrne will perform at Thurman's in Shaw.

Saturday, October 8
Saxophonist Christopher Braig will present a free clinic on jazz improvisation based on his book "Jazz Brain Training" during the day at Mozingo Music in O'Fallon, followed on Saturday evening by a performance celebrating the release of his new CD Blue Morph at the St. Louis Artists Guild in Clayton.

Also on Saturday, Franglais plays Gypsy jazz and swing at The Dark Room, and the Midwest Jazz-tette offers their inerpretation of West Coast cool jazz at Evangeline's

Sunday. October 9
Former St. Louisans Mardra and Reggie Thomas (pictured, bottom left) will be back in town to lend their vocal and keyboard talents, respectively, to the Unity Theatre Ensemble Reunion Tribute at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Monday,
October 10
Dizzy Atmosphere will play swing and Gypsy jazz 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.)

Jazz this week: Moon Hooch, Avishai Cohen's Triveni, Mardra & Reggie Thomas, and more

Memorial Day weekend may be arriving a bit earlier than usual this year, but along with it, St. Louis fans of jazz and creative music can enjoy a couple of touring headliners, the return of some longtime local favorites, a day of performances paying tribute to an influential figure on the local scene, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, May 20
Moon Hooch (pictured, top left) returns to St. Louis for another gig at 2720 Cherokee. The difficult-to-categorize trio got their start busking in the subways and streets of NYC, and over the past couple of years have brought their funky, stripped-down sound to clubs, concerts and festivals.

Also tonight, Sarah Jane & The Blue Notes perform at the Feasting Fox, and guitarist Dave Black plays at Thurman Grill.

Thursday, May 21
Trumpeter Avishai Cohen (pictured, center left) brings his trio Triveni to Jazz at the Bistro for one night only.

Also featuring drummer Nasheet Waits, who's appeared on all three of the group's recordings, and bassist Linda Oh, subbing for Omer Avital, Triveni is featured on three of Cohen's recordings as a leader, the most recent of which is Dark Nights, released last October. 

You can read more about Cohen and Triveni and see some samples of them in performance in this video post from last Saturday, and you can read a review of their show this week in Kansas City here.

Elsewhere around town, pianist Ptah Williams and guitarist Eric Slaughter are continuing with themed shows in their weekly residency at The Dark Room, this week performing music from the songbook of Earth, Wind and Fire.

Friday, May 22
Former St. Louisans Mardra and Reggie Thomas, whose vocals and keyboards were staples of the local music scene for more than a decade, will be back in town to headline two nights of performances at Jazz at the Bistro.

After moving to Michigan several years ago, the Thomasas (pictured, bottom left) now are based in Macomb, IL, where last fall Reggie Thomas succeeded Ronald Carter as head of the jazz studies program at Northern Illinois University.

This weekend, they'll be showcasing some of the music from their most recent album, Matters of the Heart, accompanied by a band including three St. Louis musicians - saxophonist Jason Swagler, bassist Zeb Briskovich, and drummer Montez Coleman - plus backing vocalists Nicole Jonas, Olivia Neal, and Zelina Star, and Detroit native Perry Hughes on guitar.

Elsewhere on Friday, the annual Glendale Jazz Festival will feature free, outdoor performances from the St. Louis Big Band, blues guitarist Pennsylvania Slim, and Miss Jubilee at Glendale City Hall, 424 N Sappington Rd.; singers and brothers Tony Viviano and Frank Viviano will join forces at Talayna's Italian Restaurant in Chesterfiled; and singer Joe Mancuso brings a quartet to Nathalie's.

Saturday, May 23
Saxophonist Tim Cunningham will be back at Troy's Jazz Gallery, while guitarist Eric Slaughter and bassist Glen Smith will team up for some duets at Thurman Grill.

Sunday, May 24
Jazz St. Louis will present the second Richard McDonnell Memorial Concert at Jazz at the Bistro. The concert honoring the memory of the late founder of MAXJAZZ records and former Jazz St. Louis board member will begin mid-afternoon and continue through the evening will music from Peter Martin, the Funky Butt Brass Band, Adam Maness, Bob DeBoo, Eric Slaughter, Montez Coleman, Jesse Gannon, 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.)

Jazz this week: Peter Martin & Federico González Peña, Byron Stripling, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a duo concert pairing two prolific pianists, a return visit from a top trumpeter, three different big band performances, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Thursday, February 26
Pianist Kara Baldus, guitarist William Lenihan, and drummer Steve Davis will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, with Wash U provost Holden Thorpe also sitting in on piano. In keeping with the evening's theme of different approaches to improvisation, they'll reportedly be using Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt's infamous Oblique Strategies as inspiration for a freeform piece or two.

Also tonight, the Tavern of Fine Arts presents their monthly "Experimental Arts Open Improv Night" with live improvised music.

Friday, February 27
Pianist Peter Martin (pictured, top left) will wrap up this season of his eponymous series at the The Sheldon performing a duo concert with keyboardist Federico González Peña, who's played with Marcus Miller, Grégoire Maret and Gene Lake, Sting, Chaka Khan and Meshell Ndegeocello.

Also on Friday, trumpeter Jim Manley and guitarist Randy Bahr will be duet at Thurman Grill; singer Joe Mancuso leads a quartet at Nathalie's; and the Ambassadors of Swing will play for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom. Over on the east side, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will be perform in concert at the Wildey Theatre, and keyboardist Matt Villinger leads a quartet at Cigar Inn.

(In case you were wondering, Friday also is when Jazz St. Louis will hold their annual fundraising gala at the Ritz Carlton, with music by Jonathan Batiste and Stay Human and an "after-hours cabaret" with Denise Thimes. While tickets for the event were sold in advance, if you've got the requisite $500 per person and want to attend, you can contact JSL's development director Wendy Rosenblum at wendy at jazzstl dot org or 314-881-3085 to see if any seats remain available.)

Saturday, February 28
Trumpeter Byron Stripling (pictured, center left) who's been in town this week doing educational events for Jazz St. Louis, will play two sets at Jazz at the Bistro. For some video of Stripling in action, check out this post from before his appearance here in 2012

Also on Saturday, Miss Jubilee will play swing and jump blues at Casa Loma Ballroom, and Wack-A-Doo returns to Thurman Grill.

Sunday, March 1
The Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site; and the Dave Dickey Big Band will play their monthly gig at Jazz at the Bistro. Dickey will be featuring charts from the late trumpeter Clark Terry's Big Bad Band, and student jazz ensembles from Seckman High School and Middle School will perform at intermission.

Monday, March 2
Guitarist Tom Byrne and singer Erika Johnson will perform at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, March 3
The St. Louis Jazz Orchestra, directed by bassist Jim Widner, will feature guest vocalist Mardra Thomas (pictured, lower left) performing material associated with Billie Holiday at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

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 St. Louis announces more shows for spring 2015

Jazz St. Louis this week announced additional bookings filling out the rest of the spring 2015 schedule at Jazz at the Bistro.

Perhaps the biggest news is that, as tipped here a couple of weeks ago, pianist Ramsey Lewis will return to St. Louis to perform at the Bistro on Friday, March 13. (JSL's Devin Rodino tells StLJN that the listing shown on Pollstar for Lewis on Saturday, March 14 at the Bistro is for a private event.)

The announcement also confirms dates at the Bistro previously announced by local acts the Bosman Twins (Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11) and Miss Jubilee (Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9).

In addition, Jazz St. Louis will "welcome" singer Mary Stallings (pictured) on Sunday, February 15 in a benefit performance for the not-for-profit organization Community Women Against Hardship; and St. Louis expats, singer Mardra Thomas and pianist Reggie Thomas, have booked a return trip home for Friday, May 22 and Saturday, May 23 to promote the release of a new CD, Matters of the Heart.

Other shows added include a return visit from singer Denise Thimes (Friday, March 27); the Bistro debuts of jazz-fusion band Koplant No (Saturday, March 28) and the up-and-coming Kansas City-based ensemble Shades of Jade (Sunday, March 29); and a one-night, one-set return by the SIUE Concert Jazz Band and  SIUE Alumni Jazz Band (Tuesday, April 21).

Lastly, singer/guitarist Tommy Halloran’s Guerrilla Swing, who currently are playing Sunday brunch every week at the Bistro, will get a full weekend of shows on Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25; and the annual performances by students from the JazzU and the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars programs, with a special guest artist yet to be determined, will take place on Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6.

Tickets for all of these shows went on sale to Jazz at the Bistro subscribers on Wednesday, January 28, and will be available to the general public starting at 10:00 a.m. next Wednesday, February 4 via Metrotix or the Jazz St. Louis website.

Jazz this week: The Wee Trio; Mardra & Reggie Thomas; CD release event for Swagler, Slaughter, Jost & Morrison; and more

With the annual Mardi Gras parade this Saturday, Valentine's Day just around the corner, and the usual mix of other performances happening around town, there's an eclectic selection of jazz and creative music on St. Louis stages this weekend. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, saxophonist Jason Swagler, guitarist Eric Slaughter, bassist Nick Jost and drummer Marty Morrison will promote the release of their first collaborative album, Rough Stuff, with two sets at Jazz at the Bistro. The ticket price includes a copy of the album, but if you can't make it to the show, it also is now on sale as a digital download from Amazon and iTunes.

Also tonight, drummer Ben Thigpen and his band will perform a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; and the Brazilian music group Samba Bom plays at the Central West End house concert venue Joe's Cafe.

On Friday afternoon, percussionist Mike Dillon, in town to open for Umphrey's McGee this weekend at The Pageant, will do a free in-store performance and CD signing at Vintage Vinyl.

Then on Friday evening, The Wee Trio (pictured), featuring St. Louis native Dan Loomis on bass, will be in town for the first of two evenings of recording a live album at Jazz at the Bistro. They were here most recently last January, performing at the Bistro in support of their then-new release of interpretations of the songs of rocker David Bowie.

Apparently, they must have found the setting congenial enough, for they decided to make their next record right there. For more about that, and some video samples of a couple of the songs they plan to record, see this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Also on Friday night, you can warm up for Saturday's Mardi Gras Parade with New Orleans' own Big Sam's Funky Nation and the Funky Butt Brass Band at the Old Rock House.

Elsewhere around town that evening, retro swing band Wack-A-Doo will play a free "happy hour" concert at the Kemper Art Museum on the Washington University campus; singer Ralph Butler is at Robbie's House of Jazz; singer Dean Christopher will present the first of three performance of a Valentine's-themed cabaret show at Dramatic License Theatre in Chesterfield Mall; and drummer Paul Shaw leads a trio at Cigar Inn.

On Saturday, Mardra and Reggie Thomas return from Michigan to perform at Robbie's House of Jazz. While the Thomases still lived in the St. Louis area, for many years they did an annual gig sometime around Valentine's Day at Jazz at the Bistro. This year, with Mardra and Reggie having relocated for his new job teaching at Michigan State University, and singer Sachal Vasandani making his St. Louis debut next week at the Bistro, this gig will have to suffice for their many hometown fans.

Also on Saturday, the Funky Butt Butt Brass Band and their longtime companions, New Orleans R&B cover band Gumbohead, will present a post-parade performance at Broadway Oyster Bar; and guitarist Dave Black will lead a trio in the first of a planned series of monthly gigs at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday guitarist Steve Schenkel performs at Webster University; and the Sessions Big Band plays their first show of the year at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups. BB's talent booker John May tells StLJN that, due to declining crowds, the Sessions band this year will only be playing once every other month at BB's. So if you're a fan of theirs, or of big bands in general, now might be a good time to show some support by turning out for the gig.

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.)

(Edited 2/8/13 to fix a typo.) 

Mardra and Reggie Thomas coming home to perform Saturday, February 9 at Robbie's House of Jazz

Singer Mardra Thomas (pictured) and keyboard player Reggie Thomas will be returning to St. Louis next month to perform at 8:00 p.m., Saturday, February 9 at Robbie's House of Jazz.

Longtime fixtures on the St. Louis jazz scene, the Thomases moved to Michigan in 2011 after Reggie, who formerly taught at SIUE, got a new job teaching music at Michigan State University. In most years of the decade-plus before their move, the husband-and-wife team performed some time around Valentine's Day at Jazz at the Bistro, prompting the nickname "the Sweethearts of Jazz," so this show is something of a continuation of that tradition.

They'll be joined for the gig at Robbie's by two familiar collaborators, guitarist Rick Haydon and drummer Montez Coleman. No info available yet as to the ticket price, but Robbie's typically charges a $10 cover on the weekends (with higher amounts occasionally for some touring performers). More details here and on the St. Louis Jazz Notes calendar as they're released.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Organizers of the Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival remind us that there's still time for musicians and singers to enter their "Webster's Got Talent" contest and compete for a chance to perform at this year's OWJBF on Saturday, September 15. You can get more information and download the application here. Entries must be submitted by Tuesday, August 14.

* A new episode of HEC-TV's I Love Jazz premiered last night, featuring spouses and former St. Louisans Reggie and Mardra Thomas. Recorded during the Thomases' recent homecoming gig at Jazz at the Bistro, the episode will air periodically until October on local cable and satellite systems - check your program guide for details - or you can watch online at HEC's website.

* Saxophonist Willie Akins this week was the subject of a feature story written by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Beacon.

* Musicians, artists and other creative types looking for a place to live and work have a new option in the Metropolitan Artists Lofts, located at 500 N. Grand (at Olive) in the Grand Center district. (That's across the street from the Fox Theatre, and just down the block from Powell Symphony Hall and the Bistro at Grand Center.)

The newly redeveloped building has features aimed specifically at artists, including music and media spaces and studios for pottery and dance, as well a fitness center and other more conventional amenities. One bedroom spaces begin at $654 per month, two bedrooms at $802. For more information, visit the website or call 314-535-2110.

* Lindy Hop St. Louis has announced a new monthly swing dance, West End Stomp!, to be held on the first Friday of every month at the Mahler Ballroom in the Central West End. The event will feature live music and free swing dance lessons for beginners, starting September 7.

* DownBeat magazine's 77th Annual Readers Poll is underway, and the deadline to cast a ballot is midnight on Tuesday. August 21. You can vote for your favorite jazz and blues artists of 2012 online here. Results of the Readers Poll will be reported in the December issue.

Jazz this week: Victor Wooten, Reggie and Mardra Thomas, and more

Though many StLJN readers may be getting time off for Independence Day, and some even enjoying a bit of additional vacation this week, the business of live jazz and creative music goes on. Here are few of the highlights happening in and around St. Louis for the next few days:

With regard to tonight, while there are a number of regular weekly gigs that usually happen around town on Wednesdays, remember that holiday schedules can be unpredictable in the bar/restaurant business. So while StLJN hasn't received any cancellation notices, we suggest that if you're setting out for a particular destination it would be a very good idea to call ahead first to make sure they're open (and that live music is going on as scheduled).

Tomorrow night, bassist Victor Wooten will be back in town to perform at the Old Rock House. Wooten (pictured) was here earlier this year with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, but this time around, he'll be promoting the upcoming release of his latest solo project, set for release in September. For more about that and Wooten, and to see some video clips of him in action, check out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Thursday, singer Jeanne Trevor, saxophonist Willie Akins, pianist and singer Curt Landes, and bassist Willem von Hombracht will team up for a show at Joe's Cafe, the house concert space and gallery operated by artist Bill Christman at 6014 Kingsbury Ave. in the Central West End.

On Friday and Saturday, pianist Reggie Thomas and singer Mardra Thomas will be at Jazz at the Bistro, returning to St. Louis for their first performances here since moving to Michigan last year so that Reggie could teach at Michigan State University. Look for the Thomases to be accompanied on the gig by some of Reggie's former musical colleagues from the SIUE jazz faculty, and for a good turnout at the Bistro to welcome the couple back home.

Also on Friday, saxophonist Tim Cunningham will be back at Jazz on Broadway; retro swing band Wack-A-Doo will perform at the Map Room; and pianist James Matthews will lead a trio at the Wine Press.

On Saturday, swing and jump blues band Miss Jubilee at the Humdingers will play in a free outdoor concert at Benton Park, which is at the intersection of Jefferson and Arsenal on the south side. They're second on the bill, following the Johnny Cash tribute act One More Round.

Then on Sunday, there are a couple more free outdoor shows, as the St. Louis Ragtimers perform in a concert at Carondelet Park, and the St. Charles Community Big Band will play at Frontier Park on the river in old St. Charles.

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 St. Louis announces summer schedule for Jazz at the Bistro

Jazz St. Louis has just released information on the summer 2012 schedule for Jazz at the Bistro. The lineup feature mostly local acts, with two touring musicians and the return of a couple of favorite expats thrown in for good measure.

One of the touring musicians is saxophonist Tim Warfield, who will be a guest performer with the student musicians from JSL's JazzU program when they open the summer season on Friday, June 1 and Saturday June 2.

Also of note, guitarist Charlie Hunter (pictured) will be making a return visit to the Bistro this summer, performing on Friday, June 22 and Saturday, June 23. And former St. Louisans Reggie and Mardra Thomas, the husband-and-wife piano/vocal team who moved last summer to Michigan, will return home to play the Bistro on Friday, July 6 and Saturday, July 7.

Here's the complete summer schedule:

Friday, June 1 & Saturday, June 2: JazzU with special guest Tim Warfield
Friday, June 8 & Saturday, June 9: Erin Bode
Friday, June 15 & Saturday, June 16: Tim Cunningham
Friday, June 22 & Saturday, June 23: Charlie Hunter Duo
Friday, June 29 & Saturday, June 30: Denise Thimes
Friday, July 6 & Saturday, July 7: Reggie & Mardra Thomas
Friday, July 13 & Saturday, July 14: Good 4 The Soul
Friday, July 20 & Saturday, July 21: Willie Akins/Montez Coleman Group
Friday, July 27 & Saturday, July 28: Musica Slesa

Depending on the show, ticket prices for Jazz at the Bistro's summer schedule range from $20 to $30 for adults and $10 to $15 for students. Tickets will go on sale at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 8 via Metrotix.

Jazz this week: Reggie & Mardra Thomas, Jeff Coffin & Mu'tet, Funky Butt Brass Band, St. Louis Ragtimers, Cornet Chop Suey, and more

It may be summer vacation time, but St. Louis' jazz players aren't taking the week off. In fact, there's quite a variety of jazz styles to be found on local stages over the next few days, from traditional to modern to fusion and beyond. Here are some of the most noteworthy shows:

Tonight, drummer Maurice Carnes and the St. Louis Jazz Ensemble will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University. Carnes plays in a variety of styles, from straight ahead swing to knottier post-bop, though from what I've heard, he usually stays more inside than out. No word on who's playing with him, but I'd expect to see some good musicians. UPDATE - 7/14/11, 2:30 p.m. : Just got word that Carnes and group will be performing the music of Wayne Shorter at tonight's show.

Also this evening, saxophonist Jim Stevens and his group will perform at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups; and bassist David Certain and CertainBeat WorldBop will be playing at The Vine Cafe, a Mediterranean restaurant at 3171 S. Grand, as part of a new weekly gig there every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (weather permitting, as it's an outdoor performance).

On Friday, keyboard player Reggie Thomas and singer Mardra Thomas (pictured) begin their farewell weekend of St. Louis area shows at Jazz at the Bistro. The Thomases, who are moving to Michigan, will be performing music by Stevie Wonder that evening and again on Saturday night at the Bistro. Then on Sunday afternoon, they'll play across the river at the Wildey Theater in Edwardsville. For more about Reggie and Mardra Thomas, see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band will celebrate the release of their second CD, You Can Trust The Funky Butt Brass Band, with a gig at the Broadway Oyster Bar. You can read more about the CD and hear the first track, "Do That Thang," via this post over at the Riverfront Times' A to Z blog.

That same evening, pianist Nick Schlueter will lead a trio with drummer Josh Costello and bassist Jessica Sacks at the Cigar Inn in Belleville; and the Original Knights of Swing will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom

On Saturday, singer A.J. Dickerson Sr, known for his close association with the late singer Mae Wheeler, continues Wheeler's tradition of variety shows, albeit on a slightly smaller scale, with what's billed as a "Jazz, R&B & Gospel Concert/Dance" at Legacy Books and Cafe, 5249 Delmar Blvd. The bill includes house band Black Diamond and featured artists Aajaanne, Zella Jackson-Price, The Caesars, and AJSR with Dee Dee Beavers and Angie McCree.

On Sunday afternoon, the St. Louis Jazz Club will present their monthly concert, this time featuring the St. Louis Ragtimers at the Doubletree Hotel at Westport.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday saxophonist Jeff Coffin and members of his band Mu'tet will present a free performance and workshop at Saxquest, and on Tuesday evening, Cornet Chop Suey will perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall, also recording the show for their next CD. For more about that, see this post.

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.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: A brief appreciation and farewell to Reggie and Mardra Thomas

The St. Louis jazz scene is losing two outstanding musicians this summer, as keyboardist Reggie Thomas and his wife, singer and actress Mardra Thomas, are moving to East Lansing, MI, where Reggie has accepted a job at Michigan State University. Working together and separately, both have delivered many fine performances to St. Louis audiences, and Reggie Thomas also has taught and mentored many young jazz musicians in SIU Edwardsville's jazz program. They will be missed.

The Thomases will say goodbye to St. Louis next weekend with performances on Friday and Saturday night at Jazz at the Bistro and on Sunday afternoon at the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville. Today, in recognition and appreciation of their contributions to St. Louis' local culture over the past two decades, we present some brief video clips of them in action.

Up above is what seems to be the only full-length performance video by both Thomases available online. It's a version of the Ray Charles song "Unchain My Heart" shot last summer at O'Fallon Park, and though we've featured it once before in this space, the scarcity of videos with either Thomas is sufficient to warrant an encore.

Down below, you can three short videos featuring keyboard solos by Reggie Thomas. In the first, he plays the standard "Cherokee" with a student ensemble in Purchase, NY. The next two both were shot at Jazz at the Bistro, and feature Thomas demonstrating his skills on Rhodes and synth, accompanied backed by bassist John King and drummer Montez Coleman, who also gets a solo in both clips.

(Both clips were posted by videographer James Ross, who shares a lot of short clips of St. Louis musicians to YouTube, but, for whatever reason, seems to eschew complete versions of songs. Mr. Ross, if you happen to read this: You seem to have good taste in musicians, and have done some capable work capturing them on video. Please consider recording some entire songs, not just excerpts, and posting them to YouTube.)

Though both Thomases certainly merit a more extensive tribute, these clips seem to be the only ones available online. To see and hear more, you'll just have to catch them next weekend at the Bistro or the Wildey; as of this writing, tickets remain available from both venues.

Jazz St. Louis announces summer series at Jazz at the Bistro

Jazz St. Louis today released the summer 2011 schedule for Jazz at the Bistro. In addition to the previously announced concert by the Jazz Crusaders on Saturday, June 11 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, JSL will present St. Louis musicians on Fridays and Saturdays throughout June and July at the Bistro.

Of particular note are the performances by Reggie and Mardra Thomas scheduled for July 15 and 16. That's because Reggie Thomas (pictured), who currently teaches at SIUE, has accepted a job at Michigan State University beginning this fall, and so the Thomas' July gig at the Bistro is being billed as their "farewell performance" before they leave the St. Louis area.

In addition to the weekend shows by St. Louis musicians, the Bistro also will host a performance by the Monterey Jazz Festival's Next Generation Jazz Orchestra on Monday, June 27.

Here's the complete summer lineup:

Friday, June 3 & Saturday, June 4: Jim Manley’s Wild, Cool & Swingin’ Orchestra
Friday, June 10 & Saturday, June 11: Coco Soul
Saturday, June 11: Jazz Crusaders (at the Touhill)
Friday, June 17 & Saturday, June 18: Tim Cunningham & Jim Stevens
Friday, June 24 & Saturday, June 25: Denise Thimes
Monday, June 27: Monterey Jazz Festival Next Generation Jazz Orchestra

Friday, July 1 & Saturday, July 2: Eric Slaughter Trio with Jason Swagler
Friday, July 8 & Saturday, July 9: Legacy Jazz Quintet plays Miles Davis 1959-1968
Friday, July 15 & Saturday, July 16: Reggie Thomas and Mardra Thomas play Stevie Wonder
Friday, July 22 & Saturday, July 23: Willie Akins Quartet plays John Coltrane
Friday, July 29 & Saturday, July 30: Good 4 The Soul

The performances by the Legacy Jazz Quintet, Reggie and Mardra Thomas, and the Willie Akins Quartet will be presented in cooperation with the Center for the Humanities Summer Institute at Washington University, a program for schoolteachers that this year is entitled “The Sock Hop and the Loft: Jazz, Motown, and the Transformation of American Culture, 1959-1975.”

Tickets for the Jazz Crusaders at the Touhill are $100, $50 and $35, and are on sale now via the TouPAC ticket office.

Tickets for most of the performances at the Bistro are $20 each, $10 for students with ID. The exceptions are the Eric Slaughter show, which is priced at $15 and $10, and the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, which will be $10 and $5. Tickets for the Bistro summer shows will go on sale at 10:00 a.m., Monday, May 16 via Metrotix and the Jazz St. Louis box office.

(Edited after posting to correct prices on the Jazz Crusaders show and add info on the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra performance.)

Jazz this week: Al Jarreau, Peter Martin, Davey Williams & LaDonna Smith, Mardra Thomas & Reggie Thomas, and more

It's a busy pre-Valentine's Day weekend for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, and with weather forecasters predicting at least a temporary respite from the deep freeze, it should be a good weekend to get out and about. Here are some of the notable shows coming up:

Tonight, pianist Peter Martin continues his eponymous concert series with a solo piano performance at the Sheldon. Martin hasn't done a lot of solo gigs here in St. Louis, but his CD/EP Set of Five from a couple of years ago showed that he's got the ideas, interpretative skills and technique needed to succeed in that format. Previous shows in the series have been well-attended, but as of close of business on Wednesday, there were still tickets available.

Also tonight, multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman will lead a quartet with pianist Kim Portnoy, bassist Ric Vice, and drummer Clancy Newell in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University. This show will emphasize Weltman's harmonica playing, and he's a standout on the diatonic harp*, with skills that justify comparison to the likes of Toots Thielemans, Charlie McCoy and Howard Levy.

On Friday, singer Al Jarreau (pictured) performs in a concert presented by Jazz St. Louis at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. Given Jarreau's success crossing over to pop and R&B, expect a healthy selection of familiar hit tunes, but one would hope that this particular setting will provide opportunity for him to stretch out a bit, too. For a video sampling of some of Jarreau's concert staples, check out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, two local, musical husband-and-wife couples will open shows with Valentine's Day themes in the Grand Center district. At Jazz at the Bistro, singer Mardra Thomas and her pianist/spouse Reggie Thomas will continue what has become a Valentine's weekend tradition in recent years, performing on Friday and Saturday, plus a special Monday night engagement. Meanwhile, just around the corner at the Kranzberg Arts Center, pianist Joe Dreyer and singer Rosemary Watts will present their cabaret show on Friday and Saturday under the auspices of the Presenters Dolan.

Robbie's House of Jazz will be getting in the mood for love this weekend, too, with a Motown-themed show from the Sean Holland Band on Friday and a Valentine's dinner-and-show package featuring music from singer Tony Viviano's group on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, guitarist Davey Williams and violist LaDonna Smith will perform in a concert presented by New Music Circle at Focal Point in Maplewood. Williams and Smith, who used to be a couple and have remained musical collaborators, are from Birmingham, AL. Both are longtime veterans of the international free improv scene, and they've performed in St. Louis for NMC a number of times, developing a bit of a local fan base in the process. I've heard them together and separately, and if you have any interest in at all in that type of music, Williams and Smith definitely are worth checking out.

On the other hand, if you prefer traditional jazz, there's something for you on Sunday afternoon, as the St. Louis Jazz Club presents Cornet Chop Suey serving up a mix of New Orleans and swing styles at the Doubletree Hotel in Chesterfield.

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 to delete a reference to chromatic harp, after Ric Vice emailed to nicely remind me that Weltman plays diatonic almost exclusively - which makes his very precise half-note bends all the more impressive.