So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Dark Room has announced new hours of operation, with the biggest change being that the venue will be closed on Mondays.

New hours for the rest of the week are 4:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Tuesdays; 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 4:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sundays.

* Last Friday's New Music Circle concert by Merche Blasco (pictured) and Sarah Hennies at the Contemporary Art Museum was reviewed by Julio Prato of the blog St. Louis Music Report.

* The weeknight jazz series at the Gaslight Theater is featured in an article by the Jewish Light's Ellen Futterman about current businesses in the old Gaslight Square district.

* St. Louis County Library this month has reopened to new submissions their "Listen Up" program, which makes recordings from local musicians available as part of the library's streaming audio service. Musicians can submit their works now through the end of March at https://www.slcl.org/content/listen-up-stl.

* The recent documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (available free online for a limited time via streaming from PBS) was reviewed in the UK magazine Jazz Journal.

* The 2020 Carol Moore Memorial Jazz Festival, coming up next weekend at Mineral Area College with trombonist Michael Dease as featured guest, was previewed in a news release published by the Park Hills Daily Journal.

* Audition dates are set for student musicians from St. Louis area middle schools and high schools who would like to take part in Jazz St. Louis' JazzU program next year. The auditions for the 2020-21 school year will take place Monday, June 8 through Thursday, June 11 at JSL's HQ in Grand Center. For details and/or to sign up, go to https://jazzstl.org/education/jazz-u/2020-21-jazzu-auditions/.

Jazz this week: Arturo Sandoval, Moon Hooch, Paula West, Hudson, The Wee Trio, and more

It's a big week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with a half-dozen noteworthy headliners performing in various styles visiting the area over the next few days.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, October 11
The weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features Mark Wallace at KDHX's Magnolia Cafe, a jam session with bassist Bob Deboo and friends at Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Also on Wednesday, the students of Washington University's Monday Night Jazz Band will present a free concert at the 560 Music Center's Pillsbury Theatre.

Thursday, October 12
If  you're up for a short road trip, trumpeter Serafin Aguilar, best known for his work in Maynard Ferguson's band, will be just down the road in Flat River on Thursday, performing with the MAC Kicks Band and MAC Jazz Ensemble at the Mineral Area College Theater in Flat River.

Also on Thursday, guitarist Dave Black plays at The Pat Connolly Tavern, and singer Erin Bode returns to Cyrano's.

Friday, October 13
The saxophones-and-drums trio Moon Hooch (pictured, bottom left) returns, bringing their distinctive "acoustic techno" sound to the Old Rock House.

For more about them and some video samples of recent performances, see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, the Cuban-born trumpeter Arturo Sandoval is back for the first of two nights paying tribute to his mentor Dizzy Gillespie at Jazz at the Bistro; and singer Paula West kicks off the fall series of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival with the first of two nights at the Gaslight Theater.

Saturday, October 14
The "supergroup" Hudson (pictured, top left), featuring drummer Jack DeJohnette, guitarist John Scofield, keyboard player John Medeski and bassist Larry Grenadier, brings their first-ever nationwide tour to the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Elsewhere around town, the New Orleans Suspects return to the Broadway Oyster Bar, and The Gaslight Squares and Miss Jubilee will perform on a double bill at Das Bevo Biergarten.

Sunday, October 15
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents pianist Pat Joyce and clarinetist Scott Alberici at the Webster Groves Concert Hall; and singer Mary Dyson performs at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Monday, October 16
Trumpeter Jim Manley plays for diners and drinkers at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, October 17
The Wee Trio, featuring bassist and St. Louis native Dan Loomis, will be back in the area for a performance at SIU Edwardsville's Dunham Hall, augmented by members of the university's jazz faculty for select numbers from their most recent album Wee +3 .

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: Cory Henry, The Bosman Twins, Doc Severinsen, Fred Wesley, Linda Presgrave, and more

It's a busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with several headliners of interest passing through the metro area for performances that, alas, may be a bit off the beaten track - unless you know just where to look.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, 
March 9
The Lindenwood University Jazz Band performs at Jazz at the Bistro, and multi-intrumentalist Chris Smentkowski and friends play at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Thursday, March 10
Keyboardist Cory Henry of the fast-rising jazz/funk band Snarky Puppy will lead his own group, Revival, in a show at the Old Rock House, while local favorites The Bosman Twins (pictured, top left) return to Jazz at the Bistro for the first evening of a three-night stand continuing through Saturday.

Also on Thursday, trumpeter Sean Jones will be back in eastern Missouri, albeit a bit south of St. Louis proper, to perform with  his band (pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Luques Curtis, and drummer Mark Whitfield Jr.) at the Jefferson College Spring Jazz Showcase.

That same evening, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University presents a free concert spotlighting the talents of the university's oldest acapella group, Mosaic Whispers, along with the jazz vocal ensemble Java Jived.

Friday, March 11
The Gaslight Cabaret Festival's spring series continues with singers KT Sullivan and Jeff Harnar presenting the first of two performances of their show "Another Hundred People: A Sondheim Montage" at the Gaslight Theater.

Also on Friday, singer Wendy L. Gordon and and pianist Carolbeth True team up to play at the Tavern of Fine Arts, and the St. Louis Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, March 12
Local trumpet fans can head south again, this time to St. Francois County, to catch former Tonight Show bandleader Doc Severinsen (pictured, center left), still going strong at age 88.

Severinsen will be performing with the Mineral Area College Kicks Band for the Mineral Area College Jazz Festival at the Centene Center in Farmington.

Also on Saturday, California-based pianist Carl Sonny Leyland will be in town to play boogie-woogie, stride, ragtime, and more in a solo show at Yaqui's; singer Eve Seltzer celebrates the release of her first CD with a performance at Tavern of Fine Arts; and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, March 13
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents the St. Louis Stompers playing traditional jazz and swing in a matinee performance at the Moolah Temple in West County, while the Jim Widner Big Band will play music associated with several famous big bands in a matinee concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Also on Sunday afternoon, trombonist Fred Wesley, famed as a progenitor of funk for his work with James Brown and George Clinton, will present a master class sponsored by the St. Louis Low Brass Collective. The class will be followed that evening by a concert featuring Wesley (pictured, bottom left) and the StLLBC, with both events taking place at Kirkwood High School's Keating Center.

Monday, March 14
Speaking of master classes, pianist and former St. Louisan Linda Presgrave will be back in town on Monday to lead a jazz master class at the Community Music School of Webster University in the afternoon. Presgrave and her band then will headline the university's annual "Suzy Shepard and Donald O. Davis Scholarships Concert" that evening at Winifred Moore Auditorium.

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.)

Doc Severinsen to perform Saturday, March 12 at Mineral Area College Jazz Festival

Trumpeter Doc Severinsen (pictured) is coming to eastern Missouri to headline the 2016 Mineral Area College Jazz Festival at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 12 at the Farmington Centene Center, 2 Black Knight Dr, in Farmington, MO.

Severinsen, best known for his long stint as the bandleader on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, will be backed by the Mineral Area College Kicks Band.

Now 88 years old, Severinsen still performs on a regular basis as a guest soloist with symphony orchestras and jazz ensembles as well as with his own small band, the San Miguel 5. He last played in this area in 2013 for the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Tickets for Severinsen's performance at the Mineral Area College Jazz Festival are $20 and are available now for purchase by phone at 573-756-0900.

Bill Watrous to perform Thursday, October 17 at Mineral Area College

Trombonist Bill Watrous, whose virtuoso playing has impressed jazz fans since the 1970s, is returning to eastern Missouri to perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Fine Arts Theater of Mineral Area College, 5270 Flat River Rd. in Park Hills.

Watrous (pictured) will be backed by the MAC Kicks Band, an ensemble of musicians from the college.

Known for his fluid technique, memorably displayed on recordings with his Manhattan Wildlife Refuge big band and many others, Watrous last played in St. Louis in February 2012 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral.

Tickets for Bill Watrous at Mineral Area College are $10 for the general public, $7 for MAC students and faculty, and can be purchased in advance at the MAC bookstore or at the door.

Jazz this week: Kurt Elling, Ronnie Burrage, Phil Woods, Andre Delano, and more

It's another busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with the return of one of the top male singers in jazz; a rare local appearance by a legendary saxophonist; homecoming gigs featuring three different musicians who grew up in the area, and much more. Let's go the highlights....

Tonight, the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra, directed by bassist Jim Widner and featuring top musicians from all around the metro area, plays the music of Count Basie at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Tomorrow night, singer Kurt Elling opens a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro. One of the most critically acclaimed jazz singers working today and a relatively frequent visitor to St. Louis, Elling was here most recently in 2011. His latest album 1619 Broadway – The Brill Building Project, which came out last year, focuses on novel interpretations of pop tunes created at the famous NYC address that was home to  Bacharach and David, Lieber and Stoller, Goffin and King, and other hit songwriters of the 1950s and 60s. For more about that album, and some video samples of some recent performances by Elling, see this post from last Saturday.

On Thursday, drummer and U. City native Ronnie Burrage (pictured), who's played with jazz greats including Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner and Joe Zawinul and now teaches at Penn State University, will be back home for the first of several events this week, leading a trio in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University. Also on Thursday, it's the monthly "Avant Garde Arts Night" featuring live improvised music at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Then on Friday evening, Burrage and a quartet featuring saxophonist Freddie Washington will perform for the first of two nights at The Office, located at 5917 Delmar (east of Skinker, in the building most recently home to Binion's).

Update - 3:30 p.m., 2/28/13:  The performances by the Ronnie Burrage Quartet on Friday and Saturday have been moved to the clubhouse of the Probstein Golf Club in Forest Park. See this post for details.

That same evening, Lindy Hop St. Louis presents their monthly "West End Stomp" swing dance at the Mahler Ballroom with music from guitarist-singer Tommy Halloran's quintet; and guitarist Tom Byrne leads a trio with drummer Steve Davis and bassist Nathan Pence at Cigar Inn.

On Saturday afternoon, Burrage will present a drum workshop and master class at the Wolf Public House in Ballwin; tickets are available through the event's sponsor, Mozingo Music.

On Saturday evening, an hour or so to the south of St. Louis down in Park Hill, MO, renowned saxophonist Phil Woods will be the special guest performer for this year's Carol Moore Memorial Jazz Festival at Mineral Area College. Now 81, the bebop master continues to spread the musical legacy of Charlie Parker, with whom he was personally acquainted. (In fact, after Parker's death, Woods wound up marrying his widow, Chan Parker, who died in 1999.) The event will feature a series of student bands from around the area performing throughout the day, and conclude with an evening concert featuring Woods, the MAC Jazz Ensemble, and MAC Kicks Band.

Update, 12:30 a.m., 2/27/13:  Michael Goldsmith, director of jazz at Mineral Area College, emailed to add that Woods will be presenting a free, public master class at noon on Saturday. Also, there actually will be two separate concerts that night featuring Woods and the MAC bands: one at 6:00 p.m., which already is sold out, and one at 8:30 p.m., for which tickets still remain.

Also on Saturday, saxophonist Willie Akins fronts a quartet at Robbie's House of Jazz, Miss Jubilee will perform for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom, singer Joe Mancuso leads a trio at EdgeWild Restaurant and Winery, and singer Ann Dueren's trio will be at Il Bel Lago.

On Sunday, saxophonist and East St. Louis native Andre Delano, whose R&B-flavored style has been featured on tours and recordings with Maxwell, Jeff Lorber, Bobby Womack, Lionel Richie and many others, returns home from California to perform in an early evening show with Good 4 The Soul at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Tuesday guitarist Larry Brown Jr., who grew up in Venice, IL and attended SIUE, will return from Chicago to present a jazz tribute to Motown great Marvin Gaye as part of the "Notes From Home" series at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

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.)