Jazz this week: Holiday jazz continues, Doug Lawrence, St. Louis Rivermen, and more

The rush to the holidays is on, and if you're looking for some seasonal jazz this weekend in St. Louis, there's plenty to be had, along with an assortment of other jazz and creative music events. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, there's a trifecta of big band shows, as the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra plays at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company; the St. Charles Community College Jazz Big Band and Jazz Faculty Sextet perform a free concert at the Shook Fine Arts Building on the SCC campus, and the new Jazz St. Louis Big Band will offer a program centered on Duke Ellington's "Nutcracker Suite" in a sold-out show at Jazz at the Bistro.

Tomorrow, Jazz St. Louis' JazzU student ensemble will play for early evening shoppers at Whole Foods Market in Brentwood, and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman will share some of his harmonica knowledge in another workshop at Mozingo Music.

On Friday, the parade of holiday-themed shows continues as the Latin jazz group Musica Slesa returns to Jazz at the Bistro for the first of two nights of a "Feliz Navidad" celebration. Also in keeping with the holiday theme, the Webster Groves High School Jazz Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra will present a free performance of Ellington's "Nutcracker Suite" and Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker at the St. Louis Art Museum.

Elsewhere around town on Friday, singer Tony Viviano pays tribute to Frank Sinatra's birthday at the Four Seasons Winery in Chesterfield; singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will duet at the Tavern of Fine Arts; and vocal group Java Jived takes the stage at Robbie's House of Jazz. On the instrumental side, the St. Louis Big Band will play for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom, pianist Ptah Williams leads a trio at Cigar Inn, and guitarist Tom Byrne will mix holiday songs with music from Pat Metheny at the house concert venue KindaBlue.

On Saturday afternoon, the veteran saxophonist Doug Lawrence will be in town for a free performance and workshop at Saxquest. Lawrence (pictured) currently is the featured tenor saxophonist with the Count Basie Orchestra, and has an extensive list of credits that includes work with Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Roy Eldridge, Buck Clayton, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, Wild Bill Davis, Hank Jones, Mel Lewis, George Cables and many others.

On Saturday evening, Three Central will perform in a holiday concert at Blessed Hope Bible Church; violinist David McNair leads a quartet at Robbie's House of Jazz, and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to the Venice Cafe.

On Sunday afternoon, the St. Louis Jazz Club will present their final concert of the year, featuring traditional jazz from the St. Louis Rivermen at the Doubletree Hotel in Westport.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the eclectic acoustic music group The 442s will be at the Tavern of Fine Arts, and the Sessions Big Band will play at BB's Jazz, Blues & 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.)

A guide to this year's holiday jazz in St. Louis

The holiday season always brings with it plenty of thematic music, and those who like to mix some jazz with their jingle bells will have plenty of opportunities this month in St. Louis. Here's a quick look at some noteworthy holiday shows planned by local jazz musicians:

Brian Owens - "Soul of the Season"
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 4
Centene Center for Arts & Education, 3547 Olive
Though Owens at one point a couple of years ago explicitly denied being a jazz singer, he's included here due to the presence of his special guests, pianist Peter Martin and The 442s, who seem likely to infuse at least a bit of improvisational sensibility into the proceedings. $20 & $30.

Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes at the Anheuser Busch Holiday Lights Walking Tour
6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday, December 6
Anheuser Busch, 1200 Lynch St.
Tours of the annual light display at the St. Louis HQ of A-B are something of a local holiday tradition, and this year's lineup of musical accompaniment includes the swing and jump blues of singer Sarah Ulrich and her band. They'll perform again at the same time on December 21 and 28. Free and open to the public.

Sarah Jane & Friends - "All Holiday Revue"
8:00 p.m. Saturday, December 7
Robbie's House of Jazz
Continuing in the holiday spirit, Ulrich also has assembled a cast of Blue Notes and special guests for a holiday themed show at the Webster Groves jazz club. $10, $5 for students with ID.

"Follow That Star: A Jazz Nativity" featuring Oikos Ensemble
7:00 p.m. Saturday, December 7
First Congregational United Church of Christ, 10 W. Lockwood Ave., 63119
Now that saxophonist Rev. Cliff Aerie is based here in St. Louis, his group Oikos Ensemble is performing regularly as part of a monthly series at Kirkwood United Church of Christ, and this year they'll also be bringing their Christmas concert to several churches in the area. In addition to the Rev. Aerie on sax and his daughter, singer Arianna Aerie, the group includes singer Kim Fuller, pianist Carolbeth True, trumpeter Danny Campbell, bassist Dave Troncoso, and drummer Kevin Gianino.

They'll perform "Follow That Star" again at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, December 8 at Parkway United Church of Christ, 2841 N. Ballas Rd.,  and at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, December 14 at St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, 20 E. Fifth St. in Washington. Performances are free and open to the public, but donations will be accepted.

UMSL's Jazz for the Holidays
3:00 p.m. Sunday, December 8
Touhill Performing Arts Center
UMSL's annual presentation "showcases upbeat holiday classics with a jazzy flair," performed by UMSL's Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Jim Widner; choral ensemble Vocal Point, conducted by Jim Henry; and the University Orchestra, conducted by Robert Charles Howard. Free and open to the public.

Jazz St. Louis Big Band plays Duke Ellington's "Nutcracker Suite"
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 11
Jazz at the Bistro
The newly formed Jazz St. Louis Big Band, featuring numerous alumni of the jazz program at SIUE, will perform Ellington’s re-imagining of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker as well as other Ducal classics including “Take the A-Train,” “Cottontail,” “Koko,” “The Mooche,” and more, all played from the original charts.

"Feliz Navidad" with Musica Slesa
7:30 p.m. & 9::30 p.m., Friday, December 13 and Saturday, December 14
Jazz at the Bistro
The Latin-jazz band made up of area music educators offers their take on some seasonal favorites. $25, $10 for students with ID.

John McDaniel - "Home For The Holidays"
7:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m., Friday, December 20
Kranzberg Arts Center
The Kirkwood native, who's known for his successes in cabaret and on Broadway as well as his six-year, Emmy Award-winning stint as pianist and musical director for Rosie O'Donnell's TV show, returns home with a show featuring guest singers Mary Beth Black and Cindy Degnan. $25.

Funky Butt Brass Band Holiday Brasstravaganza
9:00 p.m., Friday, December 20 & Saturday, December 21
Off Broadway
St. Louis' own New Orleans-style brass band stages the fifth annual edition of their holiday show, now expanded to two nights and no doubt featuring additional seasonal shenanigans and related tomfoolery. Advance tickets are $12 for 21+, $15 for under 21; day of show prices are $15 and $18.

Joe Pastor Christmas Jazz Show
8:00 p.m. Sunday, December 22
BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups
The percussionist, his trio, and perhaps some special guests will offer their take on songs of the season, all for the cost of BB's usual cover of $5 - $10. 

Do you know of any holiday jazz shows in St. Louis that we missed? If so, please share the relevant info in the comments.

Edited after posting to add the "Nutcracker Suite" info.

Belleville's Wine, Dine & Jazz Festival announces lineup

Belleville's Wine, Dine and Jazz Festival has announced the lineup of musicians for its 2012 event, which will be held Friday, October 19 and Saturday, October 20 in the square in downtown Belleville.

On Friday, the festival will feature the Yard Dawgs Jazz Quartet, the Usual Suspects, and Musica Slesa.

Saturday's roster includes guitarist Tom Byrne (pictured) and singer Ralph Butler in the Pat Metheny inspired ensemble Have You Heard?, along with singer Zena Bott-Goins, Milwaukee blues guitarist Alex Wilson, and Santana tribute act Stantana.

The event is free and open to the public, and will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Friday and from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Saturday.

Jazz this week: Ronnie Burrage, Musica Slesa, All That Tap, Della Reese, and more

It's another week of extreme heat here in St. Louis, and yet the work of presenting jazz and creative music goes on unabated, with a homecoming gig for drummer and U City native Ronnie Burrage; the annual All That Tap festival; and several other noteworthy events. Let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, trumpeter Kasimu Taylor debuts a new quintet in the subterranean confines of the Cigar Inn, featuring Montez Coleman on drums, Bob DeBoo on bass, Eric Slaughter on guitar and Nicole Jonas on vocals. Taylor has gigged around town with a number of different funk, R&B, jazz and swing bands, but this reportedly is his first venture in a while as a leader, so here's your chance to get in on the ground floor, so to speak.

Also tonight, it's the monthly "Avant Garde Arts Night" at the Tavern of Fine Arts, featuring live improvised music from keyboardist Jim Hegarty, percussionist Tom Zirkle and a cast of co-conspirators. Word is that Hegarty will be bringing out his Moog Voyager for the gig, so if you're into vintage-style analog synthesis, this could be the show for you.

On Friday, drummer and U. City native Ronnie Burrage (pictured) will be back in town for the first of two evenings at Robbie's House of Jazz. Burrage, who's been teaching at Penn State University in recent years, will be fronting a hybrid version of his Band Burrage, bringing Philadelphia saxophonist Rick Tate with him, but also enlisting the aid of locals Bob DeBoo (bass) and Eric Slaughter (guitar).

In addition to drumming, Burrage is a keyboardist, singer and composer, and all those skills should be on display this weekend. For more about him, check out this Saturday video post that preceded his appearance here last summer. Also, I did an interview with Burrage that will be published shortly on the RFT Music Blog; once it's online at the RFT's site, there will be a link here, too.

Elsewhere on Friday, Latin-jazz group Musica Slesa will open a two-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro, and actress and singer Della Reese will perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall in a benefit for the Eugene Field Foundation. The Sheldon and Metrotix are offering a discount on the last of the regularly priced tickets for Reese's show; for details on that, go here.

On Saturday, it's the annual All That Tap concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, featuring a stellar lineup of tap dancers demonstrating their art with a musical assist from pianist Carolbeth True's trio.

Also on Saturday, saxophonist Jim Stevens will play a free outdoor concert at Lafayette Park; the Schlafly St. Louis Brewery & Tap Room will present a show of improvised/experimental music featuring the Darin Gray/Bill Horist Duo, Larva and Ghost Ice; and Jazz St. Louis' Young Friends organization will be having a patio party outside the Bistro while Musica Slesa is performing inside.

On Sunday, string-band swing band Dizzy Atmosphere will perform at the Tap Room; world music group Farshid Etniko plays a free outdoor concert at Carondelet Park; and the eclectic roots-music band Sins of the Pioneers will team up with the Compton Heights Concert Band for a free outdoor show at Francis Park, Eichelberger & Donovan. (The SOTP/CHCB will be repeated Monday night at Tower Grove Park.)

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Sheldon Art Galleries will present a major retrospective exhibition of the work of St. Louis-born artist Al Hirschfeld starting Friday, September 7 as part of The Sheldon’s 100th anniversary celebration. From the news release: "Al Hirschfeld’s Jazz and Broadway Scrapbook, the first major retrospective of the artist to be mounted in his hometown, will feature more than 100 original drawings, paintings, prints, collages, posters and ephemera from his long and important career, and reveals a heretofore unexplored, lifelong fascination with jazz."

"In addition to his artwork, the installation will feature his specially-made stereo system, his extensive jazz record collection, and African drums and Balinese shadow puppets from his home...A separate section of the exhibit focuses on his work in jazz and includes luminaries such as Jelly Roll Morton, Johnny Mercer, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, among many others."

* Jazz St. Louis has mailed out a lavish season brochure for 2012-13 that's really more like a magazine - it's 56 pages, with edge-to-edge color photos throughout. If you didn't get one from from the postman, you can view it online here.

* And speaking of Jazz St. Louis, their Young Friends organization is throwing a patio party outside Jazz at the Bistro from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 28. Latin jazz group Musica Slesa (pictured) will playing inside the Bistro, with an audio feed going out to the patio in nearby Strauss Park so partygoers can hear them while enjoying drinks, snacks and socializing. Entry to the patio is free, but donations to Jazz St. Louis's education programs are suggested.

* The Revivalist has some behind-the-scenes photos from the recent concert by the all-star Miles Davis tribute group, the Miles Electric Band, in Los Angeles.

* And since it's been an unusually slow news week, why not finish it by asking who looks more formidable in a lab coat - Amazing Spider-Man villain The Lizard, or avant-jazz trumpeter and St. Louis native Lester Bowie?

Jazz this week: Ray Brown Tribute, Galactic, Jimmy Webb, Latin and East Indian rhythms meet jazz, and more

The jazz and creative music calendar this week in St. Louis offers a variety of stylistic approaches, from a tribute to a beloved mainstream bassist to shows mixing jazz with funk, Latin and East Indian sounds, electronica, and more.

Fans of bop and swing naturally will gravitate toward the Ray Brown Tribute that begins tonight and continues through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Headed by Brown's protege, bassist Christian McBride, and featuring pianist Benny Green and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, the trio pays tribute to Brown as composer as well as to his bass playing with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Oscar Peterson that helped set the standard on his instrument for the post-WWII era and beyond. For more about Brown and some video samples of the tribute trio in action, see this post from last Saturday.

Also tonight, saxophonist Dave Cheli, multi-intrumentalist John Covelli and drummer Martino Covelli (John's son) debut a new project called The Name Of This Band Is at The Gramophone. They'll be doing a live recording session at the club for the next three Wednesdays, laying down original tunes that - Talking Heads reference in their name notwithstanding - Covelli describes as being in a funk/fusion style.

Tomorrow night, the New Orleans funk/jazz band Galactic (pictured) returns to The Pageant, this time bringing along special guests Cyril Neville of the Neville Brothers and Corey Henry of the Rebirth Brass Band. Mike Gordon will open, and given that this is being billed as a "special show" by both acts, the Phish bassist seems likely to join Galactic and friends to jam a bit as well.

Also on Thursday, famed songwriter Jimmy Webb begins a three-night run of his cabaret show for the Presenters Dolan at the Kranzberg Arts Center. The performance features Webb singing, playing piano and telling stories about his many hit songs, which range from the wistful country hit "Wichita Lineman" to the melodramatic pop bombast "MacArthur Park" and beyond. Given the limited seating capacity of the room, advance reservations would seem to be a must. For more about what Webb has been up to recently, see this interview with him published last fall by the Onion's AV Club.

On Friday, the eclectic Chicago-based guitarist Fareed Haque brings his new electronica-influenced band MathGames to 2720 Cherokee, headlining a bill that also include saxophonist Dave Stone's trio, and Hot House Sessions with special guest guitarist Dave Black.

Also on Friday, Latin-jazz band Musica Slesa will perform on a triple bill with the Aakash Mittal Quartet and Les Filles du Jazz in the Sheldon Concert Hall ballroom. Mittal is an alto saxophonist from Boulder, CO who combines jazz with East Indian musical meters, rhythmic cycles, and raga-informed melodies; Les Filles du Jazz is the Francophone name for a collaboration between singer Carmen Emborski and pianist Heather Bosshardt.

On Saturday, saxophonist Stan Coleman will bring his University Big Band back to Robbie's House of Jazz, and on Sunday, the Funky Butt Brass Band is doing a free concert at Second Baptist Church in Richmond Heights for the St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers Series.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday BB's Jazz Blues and Soups has pianist Dave Becherer's trio and on Tuesday, Robbie's presents their weekly open jam session.

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

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

Jazz this week: Christian Pincock, Musica Slesa, Moyindau, Eric Slaughter Trio, Erika Johnson, and more

It's more than likely to be freezing cold in St. Louis this weekend, but with the 2011 portion of the presenting season starting to heat up, there are a number of jazz and creative music performances that could justify the effort required to bundle up and brave the chill.

If you're looking specifically for something to put you in mind of warmer climes, the St. Louis based Latin jazz band Musica Slesa will be performing on Friday night at Jazz at the Bistro and presumably will be, as the saying goes, muy caliente.

Also on Friday, pianist and singer Curt Landes' trio will play at Robbie's House of Jazz, and trombonist/composer/electronic musician Christian Pincock will perform at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center. Pincock's music is concerned with the interaction of live, sampled and synthesized sounds, with lots of computer processing of his trombone. You can see a couple of videos of him in performance in last Saturday's video showcase post.

On Saturday afternoon, singer Erika Johnson will reprise her take on the music of Nina Simone for a concert presented by the Nu-Art Series at the Metropolitan Gallery downtown. That evening, drummer Brian Sullivan leads a trio with bassist Darrell Mixon and pianist Mat Dillinger at Robbie's.

On Sunday, guitarist Eric Slaughter's trio (pictured) will do a free, early evening concert at Second Baptist Church in Richmond Heights for the St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers Series.

After that, if you hurry, you can make it down to the south side for a Sunday evening performance from Moyindau at the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center. The Michigan-based quartet brings together influences from jazz, classical, Eastern European folk music, free improv and more, and you can sample some of their sounds from that same video post from last week.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday BB's Jazz Blues and Soups has pianist Dave Becherer's trio, and on Tuesday, the weekly open jam sessions continue at Robbie's House of Jazz.

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

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

Jazz this week: Tiempo Libre, Eric Person, Musica Slesa, and more

Once again, there's a varied selection of jazz and creative music on tap this weekend in St. Louis, and time is short, so let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, there's a memorial for Blake Travis at the Sheldon Concert Hall, the first of two events this week honoring the late percussionist, singer and storyteller.

Though Travis didn't usually work in the jazz idiom per se, he played with all sorts of St. Louis musicians over the course of his career, and many of them, including pianist Carolbeth True and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman, will gather tonight to pay tribute to him. The roster of performers also will include Lydia Ruffin, Tom Hall, Lisa Campbell, Tim Albert, the Road Apples, January Kiefer, Barton and Sweeney, Charlie Pfeffer, John Higgins and Colleen Heine.

This evening also is the first preview performance for the Black Rep's production of the Louis Jordan musical Five Guys Named Moe, which runs at the Grandel Theatre through April 25. For more about the show, see this post.

On Thursday, pianist Kara Baldus and her group will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Then on Friday, the weekend takes on a distinct Latin flavor as the Miami-based band Tiempo Libre (pictured) brings their mix of jazz and Cuban rhythms to Washington University's Edison Theatre. For more about Tiempo Libre and some video of them in action, see this post from Saturday.

Meanwhile, a few miles to the east, the St. Louis-based Latin jazz band Musica Slesa will open a weekend stand at Jazz at the Bistro. Jazz St. Louis' Bob Bennett tells me that Musica Slesa has proved to be a good draw at the Bistro, and you can hear samples of their music on their MySpace page.

Also on Friday, the performance space Open Lot has a triple bill of ambient/noise music, featuring electronic musician Kyle Parker a.k.a. Infinite Body, the tape loops and guitar of Earn, and music and 8mm film from Ghost Ice.

On Saturday afternoon, drummer Jerome "Scrooge" Harris and his band will play the music of Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter at the Metropolitan Gallery as part of the Nu-Art Series' jazz composers shows. Saturday evening will provide a double dose of swinging vocals, as Jeanne Trevor performs at Robbie's House of Jazz and Denise Thimes takes the stage at Harris-Stowe State University in a benefit concert for the Delta Child Development Center.

On Sunday, saxophonist Eric Person is back in town to headline a show paying tribute to (and raising funds for) his father Thomas Person, who's recovering from a stroke. The event at the Ambassador, 9800 Halls Ferry Rd., will get started at 4:00 p.m. with a jam session, followed by sets featuring Philip Gomez, Ed Nicholson, Person and pianist Ptah Williams, and Willem Von Hombracht's X-tet.

Also on Sunday, there will be a "jazz funeral" for Blake Travis at the Schlafly Tap Room, with music from the Funky Butt Brass Band and others.

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 by becoming a "fan" of 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 bookings for Jazz at the Bistro

Jazz St. Louis has announced the lineup of local bands and musicians who will round out the schedule for Jazz at the Bistro during the first part of 2010.

Note that all of these bookings are in addition to the season schedule of touring artists previously announced.

Here's what's on tap for the new year:

Friday, January 15 & Saturday, January 16:
Kim Massie

Friday, January 29 & Saturday, January 30:
Brian Owens

Friday, February 12 - Sunday, February 14:
Mardra & Reggie Thomas

Friday, February 26 & Saturday, February 27:
The Bosman Twins (pictured)

Friday, March 12 & Saturday, March 13:
Funky Butt Brass Band

Friday, March 26 & Saturday, March 27:
Musica Slesa

Friday, April 23 & Saturday, April 24:
Erin Bode

Friday, May 7 & Saturday, May 8:
Jazz St. Louis All-Stars

Friday, May 21 & Saturday, May 22:
Legacy Jazz Quintet plays the music of Miles Davis

Show times at 8:30 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., except for Sunday, February 14, when there will be only one show at 8:30 p.m. Tickets for all events go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, December 8 via Metrotix or through the Jazz St. Louis box office at 314-289-4030.

(Edited after posting to fix a formatting problem.)

Jazz this week: Lea DeLaria, Musica Slesa, KMOX Jazz & Wine Festival, Scott Alberici, and more

It looks like the weather in St. Louis will be going directly from "soaked" to "sizzling" this weekend, but fortunately, there's jazz and creative music all around town (including several free concerts) to provide diversion from the onset of another steamy summer in the Gateway City.

Here's a brief look at what's going on over the next few days:

Tonight, clarinetist Scott Alberici plays a free concert for the Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden. With any luck, the rain that has plagued the event for the past couple of weeks will stay away tonight, but if the skies look threatening, you can check the Garden's Web site or tune into WSIE (FM 88.7) for an update.

On Thursday, pianist and singer Curt Landes performs a free show for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and singer Erin Bode is doing a free concert outdoors at Bluebird Park in Ellisville.

Then on Friday, Latin/jazz group Musica Slesa (pictured at top left) returns to Jazz at the Bistro for the first evening of a two-night stand, while guitarist Matthew Von Doran will bring some jazz out to St. Charles county with a show in the performance space at Mozingo Music in O'Fallon. Also on Friday, the St. Louis Jazz Cafe has guitarist Gregg Haynes, while Brandt's will feature singer Kim Massie.

Saturday afternoon brings the KMOX Jazz and Wine Festival to the grounds of the historic Cabanne House in Forest Park (at the corner of Lindell and Union). This year's lineup featuring Erin Bode, Kim Massie, the Original Knights of Swing big band, and saxophonist Tim Cunningham. (Note that, contrary to what some folks searching online seem to be thinking, this is not a free event; tickets are $10 in advance, with a $3 surcharge for online purchases, or $15 at the gate.)

Also on Saturday, singer, actress, comic and Belleville, Illinois native Lea DeLaria (pictured at right) performs a free concert as part of Metro East Pride Festival in downtown Belleville; saxophonist Rod Tate is at the St. Louis Jazz Cafe; and the Joe Pastor Jazz Trinity plays at Brandt's.

As always, this summary only covers some of the notable performances happening over the next few days; for more listings of jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

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

Jazz at the Bistro announces summer schedule

Jazz St. Louis has announced the summer 2009 lineup of shows at Jazz at the Bistro. For regulars at the Bistro, it's a mostly familiar group of artists, with one notable exception: guitarist and singer Javier Mendoza, who will perform at the Bistro on Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30, filling the dates vacated when trumpeter Terence Blanchard's gig at the club was rescheduled to the first week in June.

Mendoza usually is categorized as a Latin/pop/rock performer, but, according to JSL operations director Bob Bennett, he's been wanting to do something more in a Latin jazz vein for a while and is putting together a special presentation for his dates at the Bistro. Bennett said guitarist Dave Black will be part of Mendoza's band for the gig (which certainly adds some jazz credibility to the proceedings) and that JSL's hope was that doing something "a little bit different" with Mendoza might "get some new people into the club."

Similar pragmatic concerns were at the forefront in booking the rest of the summer lineup, as Bennett says musicians were selected primarily based on who had drawn the biggest crowds during the 2008-09 season, and would be likely to draw well again during the summer. Here's the complete summer schedule for the Bistro, including Blanchard's previously announced gig:

Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30: Javier Mendoza
Wednesday, June 3 - Saturday, June 6: Terence Blanchard (new rescheduled dates)
Friday, June 12 & Saturday, June 13: Adaron “Pops” Jackson
Friday, June 19 & Saturday, June 20: Musica Slesa
Friday, June 26 & Saturday, June 27: Funky Butt Brass Band
Friday, July 10 & Saturday, July 11: Reggie Thomas' OGD with Willie Akins
Friday, July 17 & Saturday, July 18: Jim Manley (pictured)
Friday, July 24 and Saturday, July 25: Good 4 the Soul

A few thoughts about this lineup: While Mendoza's Latin jazz venture is an unknown quantity, all the rest of these musicians and groups are of proven quality, so there's not much to quibble with from that standpoint. There's a pretty good range of stylistic diversity represented, too.

However, as I have in the past, I wonder once again if Jazz St. Louis is going back to the same wells too often - or, if you prefer, putting too many eggs in too few baskets. When one group and its spin-offs and individual members end up playing four or five weekends a year at the Bistro, as happened during 2008-09, it seems like overkill - especially given that there's certainly no shortage of very good musicians who'd like the chance to play there.

One can certainly understand the impulse to go with proven commodities, especially in these recessionary times, but promoting a diverse roster of acts not only makes sense in terms of JSL's artistic mission, over time it should establish a greater number of groups as the sort of proven attractions that presenters need. That said, credit where it's due: overall I think Jazz St. Louis has done a reasonably good job, especially during the last couple of season, of working different groups and musical styles into the mix at the Bistro. Here's hoping that trend continues when the 2009-10 season schedule is announced.

Single ticket prices for Jazz at the Bistro's summer series will be $20 for OGD with Willie Akins and for Good 4 The Soul, and $15 for the other shows. Tickets will go on sale at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 12 and will be available at all MetroTix outlets, online at metrotix.com, or by phone at 314-534-1111.

Jazz St. Louis announces Bistro's summer schedule

Jazz St. Louis has announced the summer schedule for Jazz at the Bistro, and the almost-all-local lineup features some familiar names. Here's the rundown, courtesy of JSL director of operations Bob Bennett:

Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7
Gary Dammer and the I-70 Jazz Connection

Friday, June 13 – Sunday, June 15
Erin Bode CD Release Party
(Special Father’s Day matinees on June 15 at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.)

Friday, June 20 and Saturday, June 21
Adaron “Pops” Jackson presents the Music of the Crusaders

Friday, June 27 and Saturday, June 28
Musica Slesa

Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12
Orange

Saturday, July 19
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Band Director Academy Faculty featuring Alvin Atkinson (drums), Ronald Carter (saxophone), Rick Haydon (guitar), Steve Sveum (saxophone and clarinet), Reggie Thomas (keyboards) and Rodney Whitaker (bass).

Friday, July 25 - 26
Good 4 The Soul

Now if this lineup makes you think for a moment that you're seeing double, or even triple, you're not wrong - Erin Bode (pictured), the Latin jazz band Musica Slesa and Good 4 The Soul all have performed at the Bistro during the current 2007-08 season. Moreover, Orange is essentially the Erin Bode group without Bode, and Adaron Jackson, who's doing the Crusaders tribute, is the keyboard player for Good 4 The Soul, and presumably will be enlisting some of his regular colleagues for his featured dates.

So, that makes Dammer, the veteran St. Louis trumpet player and bandleader, and the Band Director Camp faculty the only truly new entries in the lineup. Personally, I've got mixed feelings about this. While the groups that will be returning to the Bistro stage are all of good quality, I wonder if JSL may be going back to the same wells a bit too often, and the re-use of the same musicians performing under different project names seems a little incestuous. Also, it would have been nice to have a national act or two in there, as was the case last summer at the Bistro, though I suspect budgetary concerns may have been a impediment to that.

These quibbles notwithstanding, tickets for Jazz at the Bistro's summer shows go on sale at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 13th via Metrotix. Bennett also says that JSL will be announcing the full 2008-09 season next week, so stay tuned.

Hegarty, Zirkle and Zayas to launch trio with November 30 concert at SLCC-Forest Park

Electronic musician, pianist and composer James Hegarty sends word that he's launching a new jazz trio with a free concert at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 30 at the Mildred E. Bastian Performing Arts Center at St. Louis Community College - Forest Park.

Hegarty's co-conspirators in the as-yet-unnamed trio are bassist Luis-Michael Zayas, a Washington University music student who also performs with the Latin jazz ensemble Musica Slesa, and percussionist Tom Zirkle, also a member of Musica Slesa as well as the head of the music program at SLCC-Forest Park (where Hegarty taught before getting his current gig as director of the jazz program at Principia College). Hegarty describes the program as "a collection of original tunes that combine cool jazz harmonies with fusion and world music inspired rhythms in a post-bop style."

Jazz this week: Eric Person, Musica Slesa, Thomas Buckner and Dave Wessel, and more

There's a nice variety of jazz and creative music in St. Louis this weekend, in ranging in styles from traditional to modern, as performed by ensembles varying in size from a duo to a big band.

Perhaps the most highly anticipated performance of the weekend takes place on Saturday, when saxophonist and St. Louis native Eric Person and his band Meta-Four take the stage at Finale Music and Dining in Clayton. Person's got a fine new CD, Rhythm Edge, that's just come out, and he's in the midst of a four-week DIY tour to promote the new release. Look for a interview with Person here on StLJN later today or tomorrow.

Heading east to the Grand Center district, Jazz at the Bistro has the monthly performance by the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra tonight and the brand new St. Louis-based Latin jazz group Musica Slesa (pictured) on Friday and Saturday.

For those inclined toward more avant-garde sounds, on Sunday New Music Circle presents the improvising duo of vocalist Thomas Buckner and electronic musician Dave Wessel at Christ Church Cathedral downtown. Also on Sunday, the St. Louis Jazz Club is sponsoring a concert featuring the traditional jazz of Bud Shultz and the You Can't Beat Experience Jazz Band at the Moolah Shrine Center in West County.

Other noteworthy sounds this week: Guitarist Vince Varvel will do a free concert on Thursday at Washington University as part of the Jazz at Holmes series. On Friday, singer Erin Bode performs at Missouri Baptist University, and on Saturday, trumpeter Randy Holmes will head up a tribute to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers at Cookie's Jazz and More.

If all that's still not enough for you, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar to see a more extensive list of local jazz-related events.

(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.)