StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Winter/spring 2019 jazz preview, part one

This week, it's time for the first installment of StLJN's winter/spring 2019 preview, presenting videos of the most noteworthy jazz and creative music performers who will be visiting St. Louis in the next few months.

First up are The Bad Plus who, in what has become an annual tradition, will start the new year with a week of performances beginning Wednesday, January 2 and continuing through Sunday, January 6 at Jazz St. Louis.

You can see them in the embedded video up above, which was recorded April 28, 2018 at the Tbilisi Jazz Festival in Georgia (the country, not the US state) and includes performances of "Seams," "Commitment," and "Anthem For The Earnest."

After the jump, the first clip features percussionist Mike Dillon, who will be here with his band for a show on Friday, January 4 in the cozy confines of Pop's Blue Moon. The video show Dillon and company performing "Robo Tripping Vikings" as recorded for the web series "Jam in the Van" in 2017 in Los Angeles.

Next, it's saxophonist Donny McCaslin, who will return with his quartet to play Wednesday, January 16 through Sunday, January 20 at Jazz St. Louis. The video shows the McCaslin group's entire set from the 2018 JazzBaltica festival in Germany.

That same week, New Music Circle will begin the second half of their 60th season with a concert featuring electronic musician and composer Sarah Davachi and saxophonist and composer Lea Bertucci each playing a solo set on Saturday, January 19 at a new venue for the organization, Link Auction Galleries in the Central West End.

Davachi can be seen in the third clip after the jump, which documents a solo performance in February 2018 at The Echo in Los Angeles, California, while Bertucci is featured in the fourth clip, in which she plays "Patterns for Alto" in the studio for Blue Room, a video series from Brooklyn-based production company ThrdCoast.

Also that same week, brothers Michael Silverman and Rob Silverman of Silverman Productions will present their second "Winter Jazz Festival" on Saturday, January 19 at the Grandel Theatre. The concert will feature bassist John Patitucci and drummers Brian Blade and Lucrezio de Seta, along with the Silvermans' group Back to the Future, keyboardists Jay Oliver, Mo Egeston, and Ptah Williams, and more.

The next video features Patitucci, along with guitarists Steve Cardenas and Adam Rogers and drummer Nate Smith, in a full set recorded in January 2018 at the "Bass Bash" staged as part of the annual NAMM trade show in Anaheim, CA. 

After that, you can see Patitucci, Blade and pianist Danilo Perez, who released a trio album last year called Children of The Light, playing a full set last July at the Jazz à Junas festival in France.

The final clip shows de Seta and his trio playing the John Coltrane composition "Lonnie's Lament" during a gig in January, 2018 at Casa del Jazz in Rome.

Look for part two of StLJN's winter/spring 2019 preview next week in this space. You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

Jazz this week: Tim Warfield's Jazzy All-Star Christmas, Goran Ivanovic Trio, and more

This looks like the week when the St. Louis jazz and creative music calendar hits "peak holiday music," with seasonally themed shows taking place every night and/or day for the next seven days. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 14
"Tim Warfield's All-Star Jazzy Christmas," will open a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro.

A touring holiday-themed production led by the saxophonist and Philadelphia native (pictured), the Philly-centric ensemble includes trumpeter Terell Stafford, vibraphonist Stefon Harris, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Rodney Whitaker, drummer Clarence Penn, and singer Joanna Pascale, who spoke briefly with St. Louis magazine about the gig in an interview here.

For more about how the presentation first came together a few years back, check out a brief video interview with Warfield here.

Thursday, December 15
Singer Erin Bode will present a concert of original music and holiday favorites at the Wildey Theatre, while new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound explores the history of composer John Adams' Chamber Symphony in a program called "Splitting Adams" at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Friday,
December 16
Native St. Louisans turned Broadway and cabaret stars John McDaniel and Lennie Watts return to team up for the first of two nights of a show titled "Celebrate Me Home" at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Also on Friday, Chicago-based guitarist Goran Ivanovic (pictured, bottom left) returns to play a trio gig at Pop's Blue Moon; and the Funky Butt Brass Band presents the first of two nights of their annual "Holiday Brasstravaganza" - this year also featuring a "kid-friendly" matinee on Saturday afternoon - at Off Broadway.

Elsewhere around town, Second Generation Swing plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to the Venice Cafe.

Saturday, December 17
Pianist Carolbeth True will be part of two different holiday shows, performing with her group Two Times True and the Webster Groves Christian Church Chancel Choir for a free matinee of "A Jazz and Choral Christmas" at the Webster Groves Christian Church, then teaming with singer Debbie Lennon for a holiday performance that evening at the Ozark Theatre.

Also on Saturday, singer Joe Mancuso returns with his organ trio to Bartolino's South, and Danbury Street performs at Evangeline's.

Sunday, December 18
The Oîkos Ensemble will present a matinee performance of "Jazz Noel - A Christmas Celebration" at the First Congregational Church in Webster Groves.

Monday, December 19
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band plays Ellington’s “Nutcracker” for the first of three nights continuing through Wednesday at Jazz at the Bistro. 

Tuesday, December 20
The 442s will present a "Holiday Spectacular" featuring material from their new album Home For Christmas plus guest stars including singer Erin Bode and pianist Peter Martin at 560 Music Center; and jazz-fusion band Wright's Project returns to the Signature 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: The Great Barrier Reefs, St. Louis Cabaret Festival, Don Schroeder's Happy-Go-Lucky Jazz Band, and more

This week's jazz and creative music calendar in St. Louis features some Caribbean-flavored jazz-fusion, three nights of cabaret, and some traditional prewar jazz, plus much more. Let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, the aforementioned Caribbean flavor manifests itself in the form of the Nashville-based funk/fusion band The Great Barrier Reefs (pictured), who are playing at Pop's Blue Moon. The island vibe of the five-member Reefs comes in large part from steel pan player and keyboardist Tony Hartman, but the rest of the band is quite capable, too, and their sound bridges several genres in an entertaining and appealing way. You can check them out on video in this post from last Saturday.

Also tonight, the Funky Butt Brass Band plays a free, late afternoon outdoor show at Strauss Park, across the street from the Fox Theatre; Good 4 The Soul has the early evening slot at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, and pianist Nathan Jatcko plays solo at the Cigar Inn in Belleville.

Tomorrow night, the St. Louis Cabaret Festival, sponsored by the St. Louis Cabaret Conference and The Presenters Dolan, starts a three-night run of performances at the Bistro at Grand Center with a show featuring cabaret and Broadway star Karen Mason.

Also on Friday night, guitarist Vince Varvel plays at City Music and Education Center; guitarist Tom Byrne leads a trio with bassist Willem von Hombracht and drummer Chris Gianino at Cigar Inn; the Funky Butt Brass Band performs at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company; and bassist Darrell Mixon will front a trio with drummer Gary Sykes and vibraphonist Jon Whiting at Robbie's House of Jazz.

On Saturday, the Cabaret Festival will present a multi-artist bill at the Bistro that includes Barbara Fasano, Eric Comstock, Jason Graae and Rick Jensen. Also on Saturday, guitarist Dave Black leads a group at Robbie's; saxophonist Jim Stevens plays at BB's; and saxophonist Michael Fitzgerald performs at Jazz on Broadway in Alton.

Then on Sunday, the Saint Louis Jazz Club will present Don Schroeder's Happy-Go-Lucky Jazz Band in a matinee concert at the DoubleTree Hotel at Westport. The Cabaret Festival concludes Sunday evening with the St. Louis Cabaret Conference Showcase, directed by Graae and Fasono and featuring 20 singers from in and around St. Louis.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday Tom Byrne is back in action, this time with his Pat Metheny-inspired ensemble Have You Heard?, 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.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Exploring The Great Barrier Reefs

This week, let's take a look at a few video clips from The Great Barrier Reefs, an up-and-coming funk/fusion/jam band from the Nashville, Tennessee area that will be in St. Louis to perform at 10:30 p.m. this coming Thursday, August 9 at Pop's Blue Moon.

Led by steel pan player and keyboardist Tony Hartman, who's worked with drummer Roy "Futureman" Wooten's Black Mozart Ensemble, the group also includes Taylor Lonardo (bass, audio production), Josh Dunlap (saxophone), Matthew Heller (drums), and Rheal Janelle (guitar). Their most recent album release is 2011's Finding Time, which features nine original songs reflecting influences from jazz fusion to the funk of the 1960s and '70s.

Today we've got a half-dozen selections from TGBR, starting up above with a tune called "Gratitude," shown here in a recording from the 5 Spot in Nashville.

Down below, it's "Matt's Birthday," recorded in Asheville, NC (and preceded by a bit of goofiness from the road), and then "Castilla," which was performed in June at the Exit/In in Nashville during the city's Fringe Festival.

Below that are three performance originally recorded for various broadcasts. "To The Bridge Burners" was done for the program "Blue Plate Special" on the Tennessee community radio station WDXV, while "You Gotta Cheer Up, Debbie!" was recorded at Fearless Radio Chicago. The final clip, a performance of the title tune from "Finding Time," comes from the Knoxville, TN cable TV program 11 O'Clock Rock.

For more on The Great Barrier Reefs, you can read a review of the Finding Time CD here, and a feature story about the band here.

The Great Barrier Reefs to perform Thursday, August 9 at Pop's Blue Moon

The Great Barrier Reefs, a funk and fusion group based in Nashville, will perform at 10:30 p.m. Thursday, August 9 at Pop's Blue Moon.

The group (pictured) is led by steel pan player Tony Hartman of Roy "Futureman" Wooten's Black Mozart Ensemble, and also includes Taylor Lonardo (bass, audio production), Josh Dunlap (saxophone), Matthew Heller (drums), and Rheal Janelle (guitar). Their most recent album release is 2011's Finding Time, which includes nine original tracks touching on genres ranging from jazz fusion to the funk of the 1960s and '70s.

Tickets for The Great Barrier Reefs at Pop's Blue Moon will be $5 at the door.

Jazz this week: Stefon Harris, Eastern Blok, poetry and music from BAG, a benefit for the Backstoppers, and more

Topping this week's list of jazz musicians performing in St. Louis is vibraphonist Stefon Harris (pictured), who's playing at Jazz at the Bistro through Saturday. Harris has worked as a sideman with well-known players such as Kenny Barron, Steve Turre and Charlie Hunter, and has released several critically acclaimed albums as a leader, distinguishing himself as one of the most important new voices on his instrument to emerge in recent years.

Elsewhere on the "touring artists" front, on Saturday the Chicago based-group Eastern Blok, featuring guitarist Goran Ivanovic, will bring their fusion of jazz, classical, folk and Balkan music to Pop's Blue Moon.

There also are some noteworthy shows involving St. Louis musicians this weekend. starting tonight, when guitarist Steve Schenkel does a free concert at Washington University as part of the Jazz at Holmes series.

On Friday, BAG presents a program of poetry and music featuring Alima Sadiq Afsal and Zimbabwe Nkenya at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe. And on Sunday, Anita Rosamond, the Tom Kennedy Trio, Wild Cool & Swingin' and several other local jazz and pop artists will team up for a concert at The Pageant to benefit the Backstoppers. Read more in my RFT Critic's Pick on the show, found online here. Beyond the weekend, singer Denise Thimes has a concert scheduled Tuesday at the Sheldon as part of the venue's "Notes From Home" series.

For more, please consult the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar. (Please note that, as is usual around the first of the month, new listings are still being added as they come in from various venues and musicians.)

(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.)

Eastern Blok to invade Pop's Blue Moon on Saturday, November 3

Chicago-based guitarist Goran Ivanovic, whose last St. Louis performance was at Finale in July 2006, is coming back to town with his group, now renamed Eastern Blok, to perform on Saturday, November 3 at Pop's Blue Moon. The gig will serve as the local CD release party for the group's latest effort, Folk Tales, which showcases their signature mix of jazz, classical and Balkan influences. You can hear some samples from the CD here.

NYC's Second Movement to play Pop's Blue Moon on June 22

NYC-based funk/jazz band Second Movement will make their St. Louis debut at 9 p.m., Friday, June 22 at Pop's Blue Moon, 5249 Pattison Ave on the Hill.

Sampling a bit of the streaming sounds available from their Web site, the quintet seems to be mining a musical vein similar to Medeski Martin and Wood, the Greyboy Allstars and some other groups working the jam-band circuit. However, they've also drawn comparisons to Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, the Crusaders, and Tom Scott's LA Express and other genre icons from the 1970s.

The group has self-released one CD, an eponymous effort that came out in 2005. Band members include Matthew Tredwell (drums) Thomas Shaw (keyboards), Justin Kimmel (bass), Mark Hanna (guitar), and David Caputo (saxophone).

And in case you're wondering, Pop's Blue Moon was formerly the neighborhood tavern Papa Prost's, and can be seen, although not easily accessed, from Highway 44 between Hampton and Kingshighway. The venue usually hosts rock, folk and jam bands, with very occasional forays into jazz and blues. Unless they've expanded significantly since the bar changed hands, it's a tiny space for live music, so caveat auditor.