Jazz this week: Music for the dog days

Yes, it's officially the dog days of August, a time of year most identified with pervasive slacking off.

And though it'll be a few more weeks before the fall presenting season begins, bringing a variety of touring jazz and creative music performers to town, in the meantime St. Louis' own homegrown musicians still are out there working hard, week in and week out.

Here are some of the more noteworthy shows happening around town over the next few days...

Wednesday, August 3
Speaking of the fall presenting season, in a portent of things to come, New Music Circle will hold a "58th Season Kickoff and Fundraiser" at the Tick Tock Tavern, just down the street from the old KDHX studios on Magnolia Ave. The free event will feature music from DJs Josh Weinstein and Jeremy Kannapell, raffles of CDs, LPs, and other music-related items, and a first look at NMC's 2016-17 season.

Elsewhere around town, singer Tony Viviano is presenting a "90th Birthday Tribute to Tony Bennett" at  Patrick's Westport Grill, with singer Dawn Turlington along to duet on some of the material Bennett has recorded recently with pop diva Lady Gaga; and singer Joe Mancuso will close out this year's Whitaker Music Festival series of free concerts at Missouri Botanical Garden.

Thursday, August 4
Guitarist Dave Black and Friends, featuring singer Feyza Eren, return to Nathalie's, and pianist Ptah Williams and guitarist Eric Slaughter will continue their Thursday night residency at The Dark Room.

Friday, August 5
The Funky Butt Brass Band will play a free outdoor concert at Schroeder Park in Manchester, while flutist Oliver Nelson, Jr., the son of famed saxophonist, arranger and St. Louis native of the same name, will present a rare performance in his dad's hometown, playing a free concert at 370 Lakeside Park in St. Peters. The younger Nelson received his doctorate in music from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earlier this year.

Also on Friday, singer, guitarist and former St. Louisan Javier Mendoza, now living in Nashville and known professionally as Hobo Cane, will be back in town to play with Javier Mendoza’s Estereotipo (pictured), aka the Javier Mendoza Latin Jazz Project, for the first of two nights of performances at Jazz at the Bistro.

Saturday, August 6
Trumpeter Jim Manley, guitarist Randy Bahr and their "All-Star Band" return to Nathalie's;  percussionist Herman Semidey and Orquesta Son Montuno will play Latin jazz, salsa and more at Club Viva; and Animal Children perform at The Dark Room.

Sunday, August 7
Miss Jubilee will provide music for the weekly jazz brunch at Evangeline's, and the Friends of Scott Joplin will present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site.

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: Some picks for Independence Day weekend

To be candid, it's a relatively thin week for live jazz and creative music in St. Louis.

But even with no major touring artists visiting our town; venues including Jazz at the Bistro, The Sheldon, and Casa Loma Ballroom going dark for the holiday weekend; and the recent demises of a couple of smaller neighborhood spots (Tavern of Fine Arts and Thurman Grill) that regularly featured live jazz, there still are a few options for those who'd like celebrate Independence Day with one of the USA's great indigenous art forms.

Here's what's happening...

Friday, July 1
Singer Joe Mancuso brings a quartet to Nathalie's, bassist Darrell Mixon leads a trio at Cigar Inn, and saxophonist Dave Stone will be in his customary Friday night spot at Mangia Italiano.

Also on Friday, the apparently-ironically-named Johnny Cilantro & The Well-Seasoned Sextet, a young band from Peoria, IL that, based on music samples they've put online, seems to have some promise, will be performing at Evangeline's.

Saturday, July 2
On Saturday afternoon, pianist David Parker will lead his group Spiritual Revolution Ensemble in a free, "child-friendly" performance of his original work “In the Beginning, God created Xochitl/ En el principio creó Diós Xochitl” at the Yeyo Arts Collective. With an ensemble including percussionists Charles "Bobo" Shaw and Glenn "Papa" Wright, guitarist Dave Black, poet Shirley LeFlore, and several other musicians, this show definitely ranks as the intriguing "sleeper" pick of the weekend.

On Saturday evening, the Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured) plays a free outdoor show at Lafayette Park, and guitarist Todd Mosby will bring his New Horizons Ensemble to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, with bassist Ben Wheeler's group Sketchbook opening.

Sunday, July 3
Multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman will join guitarist Dave Black to provide some music for the jazz brunch at Nathalie's.

Monday, July 4
If you're in St. Charles and are resolute enough to deal with the crowds and traffic, you can catch the Funky Butt Brass Band playing a free outdoor set as part of the St. Charles Riverfest 4th of July Celebration in Frontier 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.)

Jazz this week: Jazz at Lincoln Center Group, Rob Endicott, Miss Jubilee, and more

Though it's been a relatively mild winter so far in St. Louis, many touring acts are still taking it easy this time of year, and not all local presenters are back up to full speed after the holiday break. Still, while this week's offerings of live jazz and creative music may be fewer in number than usual, you can count on StLJN to point you to the good stuff.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 13
Pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson, often seen as one-fourth of the funk/jazz band Good 4 the Soul, steps into the spotlight on his own, leading a trio for a one-nighter at Jazz at the Bistro.

Thursday, January 14
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Group, an ad hoc band of clinicians assembled here this week to take part in educational residencies for Jazz St. Louis, performs for the first of two nights at the Bistro.

The band features trumpeter Terell Stafford, drummer Jeff Hamilton, tuba player Bob Stewart, and saxophonist and U City native Todd Williams (pictured, top left), and you can see video clips of all four in action individually in the first part of StLJN winter/spring 2016 jazz preview.

Also on Thursday, bassist Willem von Hombracht plays at Thurman Grill; Danbury Street performs at  Nathalie's; and vocal group Java Jived will sing for the cabaret series at The Emerald Room at The Monocle.

Friday, January 15
As part of their educational residencies, Jeff Hamilton will present a drum clinic and Terell Stafford a master class early on Friday afternoon. Both events will take in the practice rooms located above the Bistro in the Harold & Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz, and both are free and open to the public.

Also on Friday, Second Generation Swing plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, January 16
For those in the mood for some mid-afternoon music, singer Wendy L. Gordon will perform in a matinee at J&C BBQ and Blues in Ferguson.

Then on Saturday evening, the Jim Manley/Randy Bahr All-Star Band plays at Nathalie's; and trumpeter Rob Endicott, who's played with Voodoo Blues Band, Javier Mendoza, and various other acts around town, gets an opportunity to lead his own group in a one-nighter at Jazz at the Bistro.

Sunday, January 17
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents Miss Jubilee (pictured, bottom left) in a matinee performance at the DoubleTree Hotel in Westport.

Monday,
January 18
Pianist Ptah Williams will play in what's being billed as a new, regular weekly solo gig on Mondays at Thurman Grill.

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: Happy birthday, USA!

As one of the USA's indigenous art forms and greatest gifts to the world, jazz ought to be a big part of our nation's birthday celebration.

In reality, Independence Day activities tend to emphasize pop or explicitly patriotic music, and some presenters in and around St. Louis actually go dark for the the holiday weekend. Fortunately, if you're looking for live jazz and creative music over the next few days, StLJN is here to help. Let's go to the highlights...

Thursday, July 2
Saxophonist Jim Stevens and his band return to Hammerstone's; and pianist Ptah Williams, guitarist Eric Slaughter and friends continue their weekly performances at The Dark Room.

Friday, July 3
The Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured, top left) will play their monthly show at Broadway Oyster Bar, and percussionist Herman Semidey and Orquesta Son Montuno will play salsa and more for dancers at Club Viva.

Also on Friday, singer Joe Mancuso and pianist Adam Maness perform at Chaser's Lounge in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham plays at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Saturday, July 4
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes (pictured, lower left) will celebrate the nation's birthday with swing, hot jazz and jump blues at Evangeline's, while trumpeter Jim Manley fronts his "All-Stars" group at Nathalie's


Sunday, July 5
Good 4 The Soul will be back for their monthly early-evening gig at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, and Elsie Parker and the Poor People of Paris will play jazz, French pop and more at Nathalie's.

Monday, July 6
Singer Erika Johnson and guitarist Tom Byrne play at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, July 7
The First Tuesday Composers Club, which will present monthly workshop performances of new works by St. Louis composers, will have its inaugural meeting at The Dark Room.

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: Terence Blanchard and the E-Collective, Funky Butt Brass Band, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music performances in and around St. Louis features the return of a famed trumpeter with a brand-new band and sound, plus a varied assortment of gigs from local favorites.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 10
Tonight, trumpeter Terence Blanchard (pictured, top left) opens a four-night engagement with his new band, the E-Collective, at Jazz at the Bistro.

The New Orleans native released a new album, Breathless, just a couple of weeks ago, featuring that new group, with an electrified. groove-oriented sound and a socially conscious message. You can find out more and see videos of live performances of some of the music from Breathless in this post from a couple of weeks ago.

Also tonight, the swinging Gypsy jazz quartet Franglais, fronted by singer Eve Seltzer, returns to Nathalie's.

Thursday, June 11
Singer Erin Bode will perform at Nathalie's, while trumpeter Jim Manley and keyboardist Chris "Luppy" Swan do their duo thing at Evangeline's.

Friday, June 12
Singer Wendy Gordon and pianist Carolbeth True return to Tavern of Fine Arts with saxophonist Kendrick Smith sitting in as a special guest; saxophonist Jay Hutson and Da Wolvez will offer R&B-flavored jams at Evangeline's; guitarists Tom Byrne and Adam Hansbrough will play duets at Thurman Grill; and Miss Jubilee will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, June 13
Trumpeter and singer Dawn Weber will play at Nathalie's; singer Erika Johnson and Tom Byrne perform at Jimmy's on the Park; and Jim Manley and guitarist Randy Bahr will duet at Thurman Grill.

Sunday, June 14
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents the Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured, lower left) in a matinee performance at the Doubletree Hotel, 1973 Craigshire Rd..

The show will be the FBBB's first performance with new saxophonist Austin Cebulske as an official member. Cebulske replaces founding member Ben Reece, who left the band to focus on other projects and spend more time with his family.

Also on Sunday, percussionist Joe Pastor and his band return to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Monday, June 15
Trumpeter Keith Moyer's quartet plays at BB's.

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: Kurt Elling, Zappa Plays Zappa, SIUE big bands, and more

As Jazz Appreciation Month 2015 reaches the halfway point, St. Louis gets a visit from one of the top male singers in jazz, a tribute to a memorable moment in 1970s jazz/fusion, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, April 15
Tonight, singer Kurt Elling returns to St. Louis to begin a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro

A regular visitor here for the past decade-plus, Elling (pictured, top left) has won the DownBeat Critics Poll for male vocalist each year for the last fourteen years; has been named “Male Singer of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association eight times during that same period, and had had every one of his ten albums nominated for a GRAMMY.

Since parting with longtime pianist and music director Laurence Hobgood a couple of years ago, Elling has gigged with several different keyboardists, including the German pianist Mads Baerentzen and Gary Versace, known for his work with Carla Bley, John Scofield and many others. This week, his ensemble will feature the 24-year-old NYC pianist Emmet Cohen, along with longtime guitarist John McLean, bassist Clark Sommers and drummer Bryan Carter.

While listeners at the Bistro over the course of the week may hear some selections from Elling's last album, 1916 Broadway: The Brill Building Project, and from his recently developed touring show, "Elling Swings Sinatra," the word from other recent tour stops suggests that there also will be a lot of music from his forthcoming album Passion World, which features "ballads of love and loss from across the globe" and is scheduled for release at the end of May.

Elsewhere around town, trumpeter Keith Moyer brings his group back to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly open mic night at Tavern of Fine Arts; and keyboardist Bob Werner and singer Ellen Martinez are hosting a new weekly open mic night at Shakers, which took over the former location of Jazz on Broadway at 554 W. Broadway in Alton.

Thursday, April 16
Guitarist Dave Black, singer Feyza Eren (pictured, center left) and friends perform at Nathalie’s, and guitarist Tom Byrne and his Pat Metheny-inspired project Have U Heard will play a concert at Lewis and Clark Community College.

Friday, April 17
The Gateway City Big Band plays for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom, and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play swing, hot jazz and blues at the Backstreet Jazz & Blues Club in Westport.

Saturday, April 18
Trumpeter Jim Manley leads a band including singer Charlie B, keyboardist Arthur Toney, guitarist Randy Bahr and trumpeter Joe Weber in a gig at Nathalie's, while Wack-A-Doo plays swing and Americana at Evangeline's.

Also on Saturday, singer Joe Mancuso and Dave Black will duet at Element STL; bassist David Certain will celebrate his birthday with an afternoon jam session and an evening gig with his CertainBeat WorldBop, both at Thurman Grill; and Miss Jubilee performs at Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, April 19
Drummers Montez Coleman and Brandon Jones will co-lead a quintet with keyboardist Adam Maness, saxophonist Kendrick Smith and bassist Jahmal Nichols at Troy's Jazz Gallery

Monday, April 20
Repertory band Zappa Plays Zappa, led by Dweezil Zappa, guitarist and son of Frank, will play at The Ready Room, at 4195 Manchester Ave in the Grove district.

For this show, relocated from the now-closed Plush STL, ZPZ will mark the 40th anniversary of Frank Zappa's 1975 album One Size Fits All by performing the entire record, as they did last year with Apostrophe (').

Also on Monday, the Webster University Jazz Collective and student jazz singers will play at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus, and drummer/percussionist Joe Pastor and band will perform at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, April 21
The SIUE Concert Jazz Band and SIUE Alumni Jazz Band will return for another one-show-only evening at  Jazz at the Bistro.

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: Good 4 The Soul returns to the Bistro, Okoiucho, and more

The weeks of Christmas and New Year's Day usually are relatively slow for live jazz and creative music here in St. Louis, as most touring bands are off the road while many local musicians and venues also are enjoying a brief respite.

Still, once we get to the weekend, there are some shows of note around town, and so we're going to tell you about them right now....

Friday, December 26
In what's become an annual post-Christmas engagement, Good 4 The Soul will open a two-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro. Comprised of bassist John King, guitarist Sean Robinson, drummer James Jackson, and keyboardist Adaron "Pops" Jackson, G4TS (pictured, from left)) offers a mix of jazz, funk, and instrumental R&B with an occasional touches of gospel and pop, generally drawing an enthusiastic audience of hometown fans.

Also on Friday, singer Joe Mancuso fronts a quartet at Nathalie's; drummer Marty Morrison will be leading a quartet of his own at Cigar Inn, and guitarist Brian Vaccaro's trio will host a jam session at The Wolf in Ballwin.

Saturday, December 27
Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; trombonist/singer Doug Burns leads a quartet in concert at the Jacoby Arts Center in Alton; and guitarist Tom Byrne will help ease potential withdrawal symptoms from holiday music with his "Yule Vibe" Trio at Thurman Grill.

Sunday, December 28
In addition to the usual array of Sunday brunch gigs - see the St. Louis Jazz Notes calendar for details - Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will be playing a late-afternoon matinee at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Monday, December 29
Guitarist/laptop musician Chris Smentkowski and bassist Darin Gray will reunite for another gig as Okoiucho, playing improvised soundtracks inspired by Polish short films, animations, and art at the Tavern of Fine Arts; and "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective return for their last monthly gig of the year at BB's.

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.)