Pollstar: Poncho Sanchez to perform Monday, March 20 & Tuesday, March 21 at Jazz at the Bistro

This just in: Two online sources are reporting that master conguero Poncho Sanchez and his Latin jazz band will be returning to St. Louis to perform on Monday, March 20 and Tuesday, March 21 at Jazz at the Bistro.

While these dates have not been announced officially yet by Jazz St. Louis, as of early Tuesday morning they're now listed by the online tour information provider Pollstar and as part of the tour schedule on Sanchez' website.

Given Pollstar's general near-100% reliability plus confirmation from Sanchez, presumably there will be an announcement from JSL any time now confirming the shows, with information on ticket prices and an on-sale date. If and when that announcement comes, this post will be updated.

Sanchez (pictured) last performed in St. Louis in November 2015, doing a four-night run at the Bistro. His most recent album Live in Hollywood was released in 2012.

UPDATE, 2:00 p.m., 3/1/17: Sanchez' show was announced officially in the Jazz St. Louis marketing email that went out today. Tickets are $40, $10 for students, and are on sale now.

Pollstar: Omaha Diner to perform November 18 - 21 at Jazz at the Bistro

The online touring information service Pollstar has just added a listing showing the group Omaha Diner performing Wednesday, November 18 through Saturday, November 21 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Formed in 2013, Omaha Diner (pictured) includes guitarist Charlie Hunter, who's played the Bistro before with several different configurations of musicians, along with drummer Bobby Previte, trumpeter Steven Bernstein, and the single-named saxophonist Skerik (who's played in St. Louis at a couple of different venues as part of the trio Garage A Trois, of which Hunter was a founding member).

As you'd expect from the backgrounds of the various members, Omaha Diner's music incorporates a variety of influences, from funk and fusion to punk rock and experimental jazz. However, their stated musical purpose (or gimmick, or unique selling proposition, depending on how you look at it) is to deconstruct pop music, playing only songs that have reached #1 on the Billboard charts.

You can get a idea of what that sounds like in the promotional video embedded below, or check out the versions of Macklemore's "Thrift Shop," Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child O' Mine" and Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" that they performed during a visit last November to radio station KPLU in Seattle.

As always with listings posted on Pollstar, dates should not be considered confirmed until officially announced by the venue or presenter. That said, the service has proved to be very accurate over the years, and given that Jazz St. Louis has said they plan to announce their 2015-16 season schedule next week, local listeners won't have to wait long for confirmation on this one, anyway.

Pollstar: The Bad Plus returning in January 2016 to Jazz at the Bistro

In a move that should surprise no one, the online tour information service Pollstar has added new listings showing The Bad Plus returning to St. Louis next year to perform Wednesday, January 6 through Saturday, January 9 at Jazz at the Bistro.

If said listings are accurate, 2016 then would be be the tenth consecutive year that The Bad Plus (pictured) will serve as the first touring act of the calendar year to headline at the Bistro.

The trio's recent endeavors have included a series of live performances with saxophonists Tim Berne and Sam Newsome and trumpeter Ron Miles, interpreting the music from Ornette Coleman's 1972 album Science Fiction; working on an upcoming album with saxophonist Joshua Redman that's set to come out in May; and continuing to perform  live dates in support of their most recent album, 2014's Inevitable Western.

As always, we remind you, dear reader, that listings on Pollstar should not be considered final until announced by the presenter or venue. But given that this particular booking is something of a tradition now, and considering Pollstar's near-spotless record of accuracy in such things, this one seems like a lock. In any event, Jazz St. Louis usually announces their upcoming season sometime in May, and whenever that announcement occurs, StLJN will have the details for you right here.

Pollstar: Ramsey Lewis returning Friday, March 13 & Saturday, March 14 to perform at Jazz at the Bistro

The touring information service Pollstar today added listings showing pianist Ramsey Lewis performing on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 at Jazz at the Bistro.

As it happens, those two dates are among those this winter and spring for which Jazz St. Louis still has yet to announce any bookings for the Bistro, so that much fits with what's already known.

Add in that Pollstar now is showing the dates both on Lewis' page and on the Bistro's, plus the service's near-spotless record of accuracy, and this one looks like a done deal. That said, as always, listings on Pollstar should be considered unconfirmed until officially announced by the presenter or venue.

Lewis (pictured) last played in St. Louis with his electric band in November 2011 at the Bistro. His most recent album, Taking Another Look, came out that same year, and Lewis' syndicated radio program continues to air on stations around the country.

While any on-sale date for Ramsey Lewis tickets obviously also is TBA until Jazz St. Louis makes an official announcement, we can tell you that the Bosman Twins now are promoting Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11 as dates for a CD release event at the Bistro, with an on-sale date for tickets announced as on Wednesday, February 4.

(That suggests some sort of announcement about the winter/spring schedule will take place before that date, although we can't confirm that either, as emails to Jazz St. Louis asking about those remaining unfilled winter/spring dates so far have gone unanswered.)

In related news, Miss Jubilee recently created a Facebook event for gigs on Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9 at the Bistro. Again, those dates and the ones announced by the Bosmans still are officially unfilled on the Bistro's own calendar as of this writing.

As soon as there's some sort of official announcement and/or further details on these shows (and/or the rest of the Bistro's winter/spring schedule), StLJN will have the info for you right here.

Pollstar adds listings for upcoming St. Louis gigs by Terence Blanchard, John Pizzarelli & Jane Monheit

With the time drawing near for Jazz St. Louis to announce the 2014-15 season at Jazz at the Bistro, it's no surprise that news of some of next year's bookings has begun to trickle out in various ways.

At last week's news conference promoting a $10 million plan to renovate and expand the Bistro, Jazz St. Louis announced that trumpeter Wynton Marsalis would be the first to play the newly refurbished venue when it reopens in October. The week before that, Pollstar added a listing showing guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli also playing at the Bistro October 22 - 25 of this year.

Now, Pollstar has added yet another listing for next season at the Bistro, showing trumpeter Terence Blanchard (pictured) returning there for a run of gigs starting Wednesday, June 10, 2015 and continuing through Saturday, June 13.

Blanchard coming back to St. Louis seems entirely plausible for, like Pizzarelli, he's played here numerous times - most recently premiering his opera Champion last year at Opera Theatre St. Louis - and in the process has established a local fan base. 

But the dates are notable, in that the Bistro's season of touring acts typically wraps up at the end of May. With a delayed start in the fall due to the renovations, it looks like next season will be extended a bit into summer 2015.

And speaking of John Pizzarelli, Pollstar also has added another listing showing him and singer Jane Monheit both performing at The Sheldon on April 18, 2015.

Since the Sheldon already has announced a 2014-15 season schedule that didn't include this show, one can presume that it's some sort of special event or benefit gala, perhaps even their own big fundraiser for the spring. (In fact, Pizzarelli has already played for that event once, back in 2011.) Whatever the purpose, putting two headliners together suggest something big in the works.

Note also that Pizzarelli and Monheit have appeared together before, notably performing a duet on the PBS show Legends of Jazz back in 2006, and, coincidentally, are scheduled to play a joint gig next week at Jazz at Lincoln Center in NYC.

As always, listings on Pollstar should be considered unconfirmed until officially announced by the presenter or venue. Jazz St. Louis usually announces the schedule for the Bistro at the end of May.

Pollstar: John Pizzarelli returning in October to Jazz at the Bistro

This just in: The online touring information service Pollstar has added a listing showing guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli performing Wednesday, October 22 through Saturday, October 25 at Jazz at the Bistro.

This news isn't exactly a shock, as Pizzarelli (pictured) is a well-established draw in St. Louis who's played here many times at several different venues, most recently in December 2013 at the Bistro in a duo format with his dad, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli.

As always, listings on Pollstar should be considered unconfirmed until officially announced by the presenter or venue. Jazz St. Louis usually announces the schedule for the Bistro at the end of May.

Pollstar: Sheldon's 2014-15 season to include Chick Corea, guitarists Pizzarelli, Vignola & Raniolo

While it's not quite a glimpse into Christmas Future, there's a bit of news for St. Louis jazz fans this holiday week, as the online touring information service Pollstar has added listings for two jazz performances next fall at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Pollstar says pianist Chick Corea will perform at the Sheldon on Saturday, October 11, while "Swing Xing: Three Generations of Swing Guitar," with Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola, and Vinny Raniolo, will be the featured attraction on Saturday, November 15.

Corea (pictured) appeared in St. Louis most recently in March of this year, playing a duo concert with Bela Fleck at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. Pizzarelli was here just last week, performing duets with his son John Pizzarelli at Jazz at the Bistro, while Vignola and Raniolo did a duo show here in May of last year at the Bistro.

As always, listings on Pollstar should be considered unconfirmed until officially announced by the presenter or venue. The Sheldon usually announces the schedule for their various season series in April.

Pollstar: Harry Connick Jr. to perform Sunday, October 27 at the Fox Theatre

New listings added to Pollstar and the the website of Harry Connick Jr. show the singer, pianist and New Orleans native performing in St. Louis on Sunday, October 27 at the Fox Theatre.

Connick (pictured) will be playing a series of dates this fall in the Midwest and South in support of Every Man Should Know, his new album of 12 original songs that was released in June.

He last appeared in St. Louis in June 2010, also at the Fox. You can read a review of Connick's show last week in Chicago, which included a good helping of material from the new album, here.

There's no official announcement yet from the Fox Theatre, and the show is not yet listed on their website, but when ticket prices and the on-sale date are announced, StLJN will have the details for you right here.

Pollstar: Yellowjackets returning to Jazz at the Bistro in September 2013

As St. Louis' non-for-profit jazz presenters head into the final few weeks of their seasons, some information about next year already is beginning to trickle out in advance of 2013-14 season schedule announcements.

For example, the touring information service Pollstar has added a listing showing the jazz-fusion group Yellowjackets performing at Jazz at the Bistro from Wednesday, September 25 through Saturday, September 28.

Yellowjackets have appeared at the Bistro several times during the past decade, most recently in April 2011, but this will be their first St. Louis gig with new bassist Felix Pastorius, who first subbed for founding member Jimmy Haslip on tour last year and subsequently was named his permanent replacement.

That leaves keyboardist Russell Ferrante as the group's only remaining original member, along with saxophonist Bob Mintzer (who came on board in 1991) and drummer Will Kennedy (who played with them from 1987 to 1999 and rejoined the band in 2010).

The new Yellowjackets lineup (pictured) also has a new album, A Rise In The Road, scheduled for release in June on Mack Avenue Records. Their second for the label, the album marks Pastorius' recorded debut with the band and also features a guest appearance on three tracks by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire.

As always, listings on Pollstar should be considered unconfirmed until officially announced by the presenter or venue, but given that these dates also are already listed on the Yellowjackets website, they seem like an almost-sure bet to happen.

Pollstar reveals more possible details of Jazz at the Bistro's 2012-13 season

Although the official announcement of Jazz at the Bistro's 2012-13 season presumably is still a few weeks away, recent developments have shed some more light on what may be coming up there next year.

Most notably, the online touring information service Pollstar has added new listings showing performances at the Bistro by singer Gregory Porter (Wednesday, January 2 - Saturday, January 5) and singer and pianist Freddy Cole (Wednesday, May 22 - Saturday, May 25).

The former series of dates is significant for two reasons: it would mark the Bistro debut for Porter (pictured), who caused a good deal of industry buzz with his 2010 debut album Water and recently released his sophomore effort, Be Good. It also would be the first time in six years that the initial gig of the New Year at the Bistro went to someone other than The Bad Plus.

As for Cole, he just wrapped up a four-night stand at the Bistro in March, and has played the club several times before. Still, although Pollstar listings generally have proven to be accurate, as with last month's news about a possible return to the club in September for trumpeter Terence Blanchard, these two listings should not be considered confirmed until officially announced by the presenter.

In related news, singer and guitarist John Pizzarelli, a local favorite who's played here in recent years at the Bistro, Sheldon Concert Hall and Touhill Performing Arts Center, recently added dates to the calendar on his website showing performances at the Bistro from Wednesday, November 28 through Saturday, December 1.

Though once again we'd suggest caution until there's an official confirmation, a return by Pizzarelli to the Bistro next season seems not just possible, but highly plausible, given his significant local fan base. We'll have more on this story for you as developments warrant...

(Edited after posting to fix a broken link.)

Pollstar: Brian Culbertson to play Thursday, August 23 at The Pageant

The online touring information service Pollstar has just added a listing showing a performance by keyboard player Brian Culbertson (pictured) on Thursday, August 23 at The Pageant.

Culbertson last appeared in St. Louis in 2006 at The Pageant as part of the "Soulful Christmas" package show. He recently has been playing duo shows with fellow keyboardist David Benoit, and also is scheduled to be on tour this summer with David Sanborn.

The calendar on Culbertson's website shows him headlining dates in Georgia the week before and South Carolina the week after his prospective St. Louis date, but there's nothing listed yet for the 23rd of the month. The Pageant's calendar of upcoming concerts also currently shows nothing on that date.

As always, concerts announced on Pollstar should not be considered confirmed until officially announced by the venue or presenter. If/when there's confirmation of this show, we'll have the info for you right here.

Pollstar: Arturo Sandoval to perform in October at the Sheldon

The online touring information service Pollstar has just added a listing for a performance by trumpeter Arturo Sandoval (pictured) on Saturday, October 6 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Sandoval, who was born in Cuba and broke into the music business under the tutelage of the late Dizzy Gillespie, last appeared in St. Louis in 2006 at Jazz at the Bistro.

The listing is posted just as the Sheldon is sending out renewal forms to season subscribers, and there's now a picture of Sandoval on the "season subscription" section of their website, so this show would seem to be a lock.

However, as always, readers are cautioned that listings on Pollstar should not be considered confirmed until officially announced by the presenter or venue. As soon as the Sheldon releases details about their 2012-13 season to the public, we'll have the scoop on their jazz series for you right here.

Pollstar: Terence Blanchard returning in September to Jazz at the Bistro

The online touring information service Pollstar has just added a listing showing performances for trumpeter Terence Blanchard (pictured) from Wednesday, September 19 through Saturday, September 22 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Blanchard, known for his film scores for director Spike Lee as well as for his work as a jazz player and recording artist, last performed here in St. Louis in 2009 at the Bistro. That gig originally had been scheduled for February of that year, but was rescheduled twice - first to late May and then to June, when Blanchard did a four-night stand at the club.

The New Orleans native already is scheduled to be in St. Louis next month with percussionist Poncho Sanchez' band, who will perform Friday, April 20 for the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. Blanchard also was a guest last month on the national radio talk show Smiley & West to discuss his score for the recent film Red Tails.

As always, dates announced on Pollstar should not be considered confirmed until officially announced by the venue or presenter. In recent years, Jazz St. Louis has revealed their season schedule in the first part of May, so more details should be forthcoming in just a few weeks.

Pollstar: Preservation Hall Jazz Band to play the Sheldon in December

The online touring information service Pollstar has just added a listing showing a performance by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (pictured) on Sunday, December 9 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

The PHJB, the touring version of the house band at the famed New Orleans traditional music venue, has played in the St. Louis area several times in the last few years, most recently in April 2011 at the Family Arena in St. Charles as part of a joint tour with the Del McCoury Band.

The group also was one of a number of bands and musicians included in a recent poll conducted by Jazz St. Louis, asking respondents who they'd like to see play next season at Jazz at the Bistro; a PHJB show at the Sheldon would seem to render that option moot.

Although listings on Pollstar should not be considered confirmed until officially announced by the presenter or venue, the site's track record for accuracy is generally good. Either way, we'll know for sure when the Sheldon releases details on their 2012-13 season schedule in a few weeks.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist, composer and former St. Louisan Oliver Lake (pictured) is the latest musician to go the crowd-funding route to finance his next project. Lake is using the website IndieGoGo to attempt to raise $6,000 between now and April 1 to pay for a new album by his big band. The budget includes rehearsal, recording, musician fees, mixing, mastering and pressing.

IndieGoGo functions much like Kickstarter, the site that saxophonist Eric Person recently used successfully to raise money for his next recording project; for more details on how it works, go here. Depending on the amount pledged, contributors to the project will receive premiums ranging from a copy of the finished CD to concert tickets or even a piece of Lake's original visual artwork. Lake plans to complete the big band album by early summer and release it on his own Passin' Thru label.

* Jazz On Broadway has posted a photo album from New Year's Eve on their Facebook page.

* The Missouri History Museum is looking for young musicians from a variety of genres, including jazz, to take part in a concert on March 19 at the Museum that will "reflect the diversity of Missouri and the strength of its young musicians." For more info, see here (.pdf file).

* The online concert information Pollstar has released their list of the Top 100 club venues worldwide based on total ticket sales during 2011, and The Pageant in St. Louis once again was among the leaders, coming in at number five.

Pollstar: The Bad Plus to kick off 2012 at Jazz at the Bistro

It looks like a 21st century tradition in the making will continue for another year, as the online tour information service Pollstar has just posted a listing showing The Bad Plus (pictured) performing Wednesday, January 4, 2012 through Saturday, January 7, 2012 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Presuming it happens, this would be the sixth year running that TBP will play the first full weekend of the New Year at the Bistro. (You can read my review of their appearance there this past January right here.)

As always with Pollstar listings, this should be considered unconfirmed until officially announced by the venue. However, given that the band and Jazz St. Louis both have expressed publicly an interest in keeping the string intact for the foreseeable future, I'd say this particular gig is as close to a certainty as is possible under the circumstances. We'll know for sure when Jazz St. Louis announces its season schedule, which, if past years are a reliable guide, should be happening fairly soon.

(Edited 4/27/11 to fix a typo.)

Pollstar: Bela Fleck & The Flecktones to play the Sheldon next March

The online touring information service Pollstar has just added a listing showing a performance by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones on Thursday, March 29, 2012 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Fleck played the Sheldon in April 2009 with his Africa Project, and he and the Flecktones last performed together in St. Louis in February 2007 at The Pageant.

As will all Pollstar listings, this should be not be considered confirmed until officially announced by the venue. The Sheldon is expected to announce its 2010-11 season schedule soon, and when that announcement is made, we'll have details for you right here.

Pollstar: Wynton Marsalis, JaLCO returning to the Sheldon in September

The online tour information service Pollstar has added a listing showing a concert by Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (pictured) on Friday, September 30 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Marsalis and the JaLCO have played St. Louis several times, most recently in March 2010 at the Sheldon. They also performed at the Sheldon for the hall's 2008 benefit gala, so the notion of a return trip seems entirely plausible.

That said, as with all Pollstar listings, this concert should be considered unconfirmed until officially announced by the venue and/or ticket agency. We'll have more for you on this story as it develops...

Pollstar: Harry Connick Jr. to play Friday, June 11 at Fox Theatre

The online touring information service Pollstar has just added a new listing showing a concert by singer and pianist Harry Connick Jr. (pictured) on Friday, June 11 at the Fox Theatre.

Connick last played St. Louis in December 2008, when he brought his holiday-themed show to the Fox.

As always, listings on Pollstar should be treated as unconfirmed until officially announced by the venue and/or presenter. When there's an official announcement, we'll have more details for you right here.

UPDATE - 11:00 a.m., 4/5/10: The Connick concert has been added to the Fox Theatre website, with a description that says that he'll perform material from his recent CD Your Songs. Tickets are priced from $49.50 to $74.50, and will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. this Saturday, April 10 via MetroTix and the Fox box office.

Pollstar: Jeff Beck, Ozomatli coming to St. Louis

The online touring information service Pollstar has just added a listing for a St. Louis show by guitarist Jeff Beck (pictured) on Thursday, April 29 at the Fox Theatre.

It's one of seven new U.S. dates just added to the schedule for Beck, who doesn't tour all that often. (Perhaps some astute reader will chime in via the comments with info on when he last played St. Louis.)

Beck's got a large and diverse fan base, from rock lovers who have been with him since the Yardbirds days to jazz and blues enthusiasts who appreciate his more recent all-instrumental excursions, so this show should be a hot ticket when it goes on sale.

UPDATE - 1/28/10, 4:45 p.m.: Beck's website now has more info about his spring tour, including the news that his band will include Narada Michael Walden on drums, Rhonda Smith on bass and Jason Rebello on keyboards.

UPDATE - 2/2/10, 11:30 a.m.: Confirming the report from Pollstar, the Jeff Beck concert on April 29 is now listed on the Fox Theatre's website, with ticket prices and on-sale date showing as "TBA."

Pollstar also has added a listing showing the Latin/funk/hip-hop group Ozomatli performing at Powell Symphony Hall on Friday, May 14. While the notion of this particular band at this particular venue may seem a bit incongruous at first, it's not completely implausible, given the existence of the "SLSO Presents" series and/or the rental availability of Powell Hall. Guess we'll just have to wait for a bit to see what it's all about...

UPDATE - 1/28/10, 4:45 p.m.: The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra has confirmed that Ozomatli will be performing at Powell Hall with the SLSO on May 14. See this post for more.

In any event, remember that listings on Pollstar should be treated as unconfirmed until officially announced by the venue and/or presenter. When there's an official announcement on either of these concerts, we'll have more details for you right here. In the meantime, you can check out sounds from both Beck and Ozomatli in the embedded video windows below.