Jazz this week: Regina Carter & Xavier Davis, Nevermore Jazz Ball, Mwenso & the Shakes, Greg Ward & Rogue Parade, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music includes the biggest local event of the year for swing dancers, plus the return of an internationally acclaimed, poll-winning instrumentalist; a tribute to the Harlem Renaissance; a visit from a provocative Chicago saxophonist; and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 6
Violinist Regina Carter and pianist Xavier Davis (pictured, top left) will perform for the first of five nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Considered by many to be the top jazz violinist currently working, and the winner (again) on her instrument in this year's DownBeat Critic's Poll, Carter has performed here several times with different ensembles in recent years. This week, she'll be in a intimate duo setting with Davis, who's been the pianist in her working group for the last couple of years. For more about Carter and some recent video samples of her playing, take a look at this post from Saturday before last.

Also in Grand Center, the free, weekly "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" features multi-instrumentalist T.J. Muller at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Danny Campbell's Helios at the The Dark Room.

Thursday, November 7
The weekend-long swing dancing festival Nevermore Jazz Ball gets underway with a "Welcome Dance" featuring music by Miss Jubilee at 2720 Cherokee

Also on Thursday, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University presents a free concert from Vehachi, with guitarist Vincent Varvel, saxophonist Joel Vanderheyden and percussionist Joe Pastor; keyboardist Ryan Marquez brings his trio to Evangeline's, and singer Meghan Kirk performs her cabaret show "Speaking Of Dreams" at Blue Strawberry.

Friday, November 8
The Nevermore Jazz Ball continues with a dance featuring pianist Paul Asaro’s Chicago Rhythm at the Casa Loma Ballroom, plus an after-hours show by the Chicago Cellar Boys at the Link Auditorium.

Elsewhere around town, Mark Deutsch brings his invented instrument, the Bazantar, to The Judson House, and Annie and the Fur Trappers play traditional jazz and swing at the Frisco Barroom.

Saturday, November 9
The Nevermore Jazz Ball has a triple-header of events on Saturday, starting with the free Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl, which offers live music from late morning to early evening at various venues along Cherokee Street (roughly, from the 2700 block west to the 3000 block).

Then, the Saturday evening dance will feature bassist Michael Gamble’s Rhythm Serenaders Orchestra at the Casa Loma Ballroom, followed by another after-hours event with Jonathan Stout’s Campus Six at the Link Auditorium.

Also on Saturday, Mwenso and the Shakes (pictured, center left) present their show "Harlem 100" at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

The multi-media performance from the NYC-based ensemble celebrates the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance, evoking memories of icons including Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, and Billie Holiday. You can see some videos of Mwenso and the Shakes in this post from last Saturday, and they also were featured on this week's episode of NPR's World Cafe.

For those needing an additional incentive, The Sheldon and Metrotix are offering a $10 discount to online buyers on tickets for Mwenso and the Shakes. To get the discount, go here and when prompted, enter the code "10OFF" (without the quotation marks).

Sunday, 
November 10
Chicago saxophonist Greg Ward (pictured, bottom left) and Rogue Parade, which also includes bassist Matt Ulery, drummer Quinn Kirchner, and guitarists Matt Gold and Dave Miller, will perform at Gaslight Studios.

Their debut album Stomping Off From Greenwood, released in January of this year, was called "a blend of fearlessness, merriment, pathos, and perhaps a measure or two of irony" by Jazz Times.

Also on Sunday evening, the Nevermore Jazz Ball wraps up with one last event featuring Michael Gamble’s Rhythm Serenaders at 2720 Cherokee.

Monday, November 11
Dizzy Atmosphere plays for diners at The Shaved Duck, and Webster University's Student Jazz Combos will perform at Webster's Community Music School.

Tuesday, November 12
Keyboardist and singer Jesse Gannon returns to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

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

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

Jazz this week: Stefon Harris, Nevermore Jazz Ball, Quincy Troupe, Regina Carter, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features not one, but two DownBeat poll-winning musicians on their respective instruments - vibes and violin - plus the year's biggest local event for swing dancers, a spoken-word performance from a confidant of Miles Davis, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, October 31
Vibraphonist Stefon Harris and his band Blackout return for the first of five nights of performances at Jazz St. Louis.

Winner of this year's DownBeat Critic's Poll as "best vibraphonist," Harris (pictured, top left) is touring in support of his new album Sonic Creed, which his first release as a leader since 2009. For more about that, plus some videos of Harris performing, check out this post from last Saturday.

Thursday, November 1
The eighth annual Nevermore Jazz Ball, a weekend of swing dance events that attracts enthusiasts from all over the country, gets underway with a performance by the Arcadia Dance Orchestra at 2720 Cherokee. Though all-event passes for the weekend are sold out in advance, tickets for the individual events will be sold at the door pending availability.

Also on Thursday, guitarist Vincent Varvel, multi-instrumentalist William Lenihan, drummer Steve Davis and bassist Ric Vice will present a "Tribute to John Abercrombie" in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Elsewhere around town, the Gaslight Cabaret Festival resumes with singer Bob Gerchen's show "Joe Cocker: Never Forget" at the Gaslight Theater, and trumpeter Keith Moyer and his quartet return to The Dark Room.

Friday, November 2
The Nevermore Jazz Ball continues with Miss Jubilee performing at the Casa Loma Ballroom, followed by an after-hours event with music from Austin, TX-based clarinetist Jon Doyle's sextet at the South Broadway Athletic Club.

Also on Friday, poet, author and Miles Davis biographer Quincy Troupe (pictured, center left) will give a spoken-word performance with music from trumpeter George Sams' quartet at St. Louis University's Xavier Hall.

Elsewhere around town, singer and actress Carrie St. Louis performs for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival in the first of two nights at the Gaslight Theater; and keyboardist Jay Oliver's trio and Bach To The Future will share a double-bill at 50/Fifty Kitchen.

Saturday, November 3
Nevermore Jazz Ball continues with three events on Saturday, starting at noon with the "Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl," featuring free live music from more than a dozen bands and solo acts at various locations along Cherokee St. between Jefferson Ave and Nebraska Ave.

The NJB's Saturday evening dance then will feature music from Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders at Casa Loma Ballroom, followed by an after-hours event with the Emily Asher Band at the South Broadway Athletic Club.

Also on Saturday, jazz-fusion band Dreaming In Colour plays a late-afternoon show at BB's Jazz Blues & Soups

Sunday, 
November 4
The St. Louis Record Collector & CD Show presents their fall event at the American Czech Educational Center, while the Friends of Scott Joplin's monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" takes place at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site.

Also on Sunday afternoon, violinist Regina Carter (pictured, bottom left), another DownBeat poll winner, headlines a benefit concert for Community Women Against Hardship at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Elsewhere around town, the Nevermore Jazz Ball wraps up for 2018 with one final performance from Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders at the Boo Cat Club.

Monday, November 5
The Student Jazz Combos from Webster University perform at Webster's Community Music School.

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: Houston Person, Nevermore Jazz Ball, Eric Marienthal, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes one of the most popular swing dance festivals in the Midwest, a couple of stellar saxophonists, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 1
Veteran tenor saxophonist Houston Person (pictured, top left) returns to lead a quartet for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Person, who will turn 83 in November, remains a canny master of bop, blues and ballads, and still works as a single in the old-school style, using local rhythm sections in each city he visits. He'll be accompanied for his four nights here in St. Louis by pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson, bassist Bob DeBoo, and drummer Montez Coleman.

Also on Wednesday, the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features the Jazz Troubadours at KDHX's Magnolia Café; a jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center (minus its usual host Bob DeBoo, since he's playing bass with Houston Person at the Bistro); and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, November 2
Singer Denise Thimes will headline her annual show benefiting pancreatic cancer research in the name of her late mother, Mildred Thimes, at the Sheldon Concert Hall. 

Also on Thursday, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will present "Voices of Freedom, Songs of Social Justice," a free concert featuring singer/guitarist Rick Schuler, multi-instrumentalists R. Scott Bryan and William Lenihan and pianist Jay Oliver performing music by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, John Coltrane, and more.

Elsewhere around town, the annual Nevermore Jazz Ball - four days and nights of swing dancing and live music at various venues around town - gets underway with two performances by New Orleans' Shake Em Up Jazz Band (pictured, center left) featuring clarinetist and former St. Louisan Chloe Feoranzo.

They'll play a dinner-hour show at the Blues City Deli that's not officially part of the NJB schedule, followed by a ticketed dance at Treffpunkt, a recently opened event space at 3453 S Jefferson Ave on the south side. (While this post notes some of the highlights, you'll need to see the NJB website. linked above, for a complete schedule of the weekend's events.)

Friday, November 3
The Gaslight Cabaret Festival presents singers Farah Alvin and William Michals performing "Broadway's Greatest Hits of All Time" for the first of two nights at the Gaslight Theater.

Also on Friday, guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran begins a Friday residency that will continue through February at Das Bevo Underground, a new live music space that, as the name implies, is located in the basement of the venerable Bevo Mill, now re-opened under new management.

Elsewhere around town, the Nevermore Jazz Ball continues with a dance featuring Miss Jubilee at the Casa Loma Ballroom,  percussionist Herman Semidey and Son Montuno play salsa and Latin jazz at the Webster Groves Concert Hall; and The People's Key will offer their soul-jazz take on the music of Jimi Hendrix at The Stage at KDHX

Saturday, November 4
The Nevermore Jazz Ball has a full day and night of events, including the Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl, an afternoon of live music, from a half-dozen different local bands free and open to the public at various venues along Cherokee St.  and Jefferson Ave, and an evening dance with music by Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders at the Casa Loma. 

Also on Saturday, saxophonist Eric Marienthal (pictured, bottom left), who made his reputation in the 1990s as part of Chick Corea's Elektric Band and has gone on to a busy solo career, will team up with St. Louis' own Bach to the Future to perform in a benefit for the Dillon International adoption agency at Mandarin House Banquet Hall.

Sunday, November 5
The St. Louis Record and CD Collector's Show presents their last event of 2017 at the American Czech Educational Center, and the Friends of Scott Joplin will host their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe.

Also on Sunday, the Coleman Hughes Project plays an early evening show at Troy's Jazz Gallery;
and the St. Louis International Film Festival presents a screening of the documentary "Mr. Handy's Blues," at The Stage at KDHX, followed immediately by a live performance by singer Valerie "Miss Jubilee" Kirchoff, pianist Ethan Leinwand and cornetist TJ Muller.

Monday, November 6
Traditional jazz band Annie and the Fur Trappers will play at Das Bevo Underground.

Tuesday, November 7
Bassist Igor Saavedra, who's known for his prowess on extended-range bass guitar, will play a solo show at  Stringbean Coffee in Brentwood.

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: Jimmy Greene, The Wee Trio, Nevermore Jazz Ball, and more

This weekend will see swing dancers from all over the country converging on St. Louis for the annual Nevermore Jazz Ball, plus the local debut of a Grammy nominated saxophonist, a homecoming gig for a St. Louis expat with a new recording to promote, and much more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 2
Saxophonist Jimmy Greene (pictured, top left) makes his St. Louis debut as a bandleader with the first of four nights of performances at Jazz at the Bistro.

The 41-year-old Connecticut native has appeared on more than 75 recordings with well-known artists such as Freddie Hubbard, Horace Silver, Harry Connick, Jr., and Jackie McLean. He has also recorded eight albums as a leader, including his latest Beautiful Life, released in 2015 and nominated for two Grammy Awards this year.

Inspired by his six-year-old daughter Ana, who was killed in the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the album incorporates the influence of traditional spirituals and contemporary Christian music into Greene's jazz sound.

Also on Wednesday, the Sidney Street Shakers will celebrate the release of their debut CD Laugh My Weary Blues Away with a performance at The Stage at KDHX.

Thursday, November 3
The Wee Trio plays a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Featuring St. Louis native Dan Loomis on bass, The Wee Trio (pictured, center left) currently are touring in support of their recently released album Wee + 3. For more about that, and some video previews of some of the material on the album, see this video post from last Saturday.

Elsewhere around town, the aforementioned Nevermore Jazz Ball gets underway with music from New Orleans-based singer Meschiya Lake and The Little Big Horns at 2720 Cherokee. Though festival passes for the Nevermore Jazz Ball have been sold out for some time, tickets are available for most of this year's individual events; see their website for details.

Also on Thursday, guitarist Dave Black will feature singers Feyza Eren and Joe Mancuso in his final Thursday night gig at Nathalie's, which is closing permanently after service on Saturday.

Friday, November 4
Nevermore Jazz Ball continues with Miss Jubilee playing for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, followed by an early morning show by the Sidney Street Shakers at the South Broadway Athletic Club.

Also on Friday, the Gaslight Cabaret Festival resumes with actor and singer Karen Irwin performing the first of two nights of "A Janis Joplin Tribute" at the Gaslight Theater.

Saturday, November 5
The Nevermore Jazz Ball presents the Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl, featuring free performances starting at noon and continuing into early evening, featuring more than a dozen local acts at various venues along Cherokee Street.

The festival continues Saturday evening with Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders (pictured, bottom left), a swing band from Asheville, NC, at the Casa Loma Ballroom, followed by late night/early morning sounds from Los Angeles-based guitarist Jonathan Stout's Midnighters at the South Broadway Athletic Club.

Also on Saturday, trumpeter Jim Manley and guitarist Randy Bahr will lead their All-Star Band for one last performance at Nathalie's; the Liberation Organ Trio plays at The Dark Room; and The WirePilots will be joined by multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman to play some original jazz-fusion at 1900 Park.

Sunday, November 6
The St. Louis Record & CD Collector Show presents their last event of 2016 at the American Czech Hall; the Friends of Scott Joplin will host the duo Ivory and Gold at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site; and the Jim Widner Big Band will be joined by singer Brian Owens for "A Tribute to Ray Charles" 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.)

Nevermore Jazz Ball 2015 lineup announced

Organizers of the Nevermore Jazz Ball have announced their lineup of bands and instructors for 2015. 

The annual weekend of swing music and dance is scheduled this year for Thursday, November 5 through Sunday, November 8 at various local venues.

Michael Gamble and the Rhythm Serenaders (pictured), who are based in Asheville, NC, will perform at the NJB's main parties on Saturday and Sunday at locations TBA, while St. Louis' own Miss Jubilee will play for the main event on Friday at the Franklin Room. 

The Ball also will include a kickoff party on Thursday night, with music TBA; and the Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl, a free Saturday afternoon event that will feature six to 10 local bands performing at a number of venues and businesses along Cherokee.

Dance instructors presenting classes during the weekend will include Sylvia Sykes and Nick Williams, Mia Halloran and Andy Reid, Michael Faltesek, and John Bedrosian.

Full weekend passes for the 2015 Nevermore Jazz Ball are limited to 200, and start at $120 for the first 50 registrants, $140 for the next 75, and $160 for the final 75. "Dance-only" passes, which include the parties but no classes, are $85 and $95. For more details or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.nevermorejazzball.com/.