So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* A new episode of HEC-TV's I Love Jazz began airing September 1 on the local cable network. The episode features performances by guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and singer/pianist Tony DeSare from their concert earlier this year at the Sheldon, as well as stories about young musician Michael Ferrante of the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars and the East St. Louis High School Jazz Band's trip to New York City for the Essentially Ellington competition at Jazz at Lincoln Center. You can watch the whole episode online here.

* The Funky Butt Brass Band's new CD You Can Trust The Funky Butt Brass Band was reviewed by the RFT's Christian Schaefer.

* In his latest blog post for St. Louis magazine, Dennis Owsley writes about multi-instrumentalist and former St. Louisan Don Cunningham, who came back home last month for a show at the Sheldon.

* From an online publication called The Trades, here's a review of the recent concert by Return to Forever and Zappa Plays Zappa at St. Louis' Fox Theatre.

* Jazz St. Louis still needs volunteers to help staff an information booth this weekend at the 2011 Saint Louis Art Fair in Clayton. Specificaly, JSL needs help from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. If you're interested, email JSL's Devin Rodino at devin @ jazzstl.org or call him at 314-289-4144.

* Single tickets for the 2011-12 We Always Swing series in Columbia are on sale now via the organization's box office and Ticketmaster. Although this year's series includes a number of musicians who also will be playing St. Louis, there are several who, so far, do not have a stop scheduled here, including Nilson Matta's Brazilian Voyage with Anne Drummond and Vic Juris, singer Rene Marie, pianist Benny Green and guitarist Russell Malone.

Jazz this week: Return to Forever IV with Zappa Plays Zappa, Wild Cool & Swingin', and more

While indie rock fans at least have this weekend's LouFest to enliven their late August existence, jazz and creative music listeners in St. Louis have fewer options during the annual interregnum between the end of various summer concert series and the start of the fall presenting season. But rather than complain about what's not happening, instead let's call attention to those intrepid jazz musicians who are treading the proverbial boards to bring us some cool sounds during these dog days.

The marquee event of the weekend happens tonight, when the recently retooled version of the 1970s jazz-fusion group now known as Return to Forever IV (pictured) performs at the Fox Theatre, with Zappa Plays Zappa as opening act. This current edition of RTF includes Jean-Luc Ponty on violin, along with Frank Gambale on guitar in place of Al DiMeola, who played on RTF's 2008 reunion tour but declined to participate this time around.

For more about the new configuration of this venerable band, you can see some videos of RTF IV shot during various tour stops earlier this year in this Saturday Video Showcase post from a couple of weeks ago, and drummer Lenny White talked to Calvin Wilson of the Post-Dispatch for a very brief article here. For more about the opening act, you can read StLJN's review of Zappa Plays Zappa's first St. Louis appearance back in 2006 here, and see some video of them here. As of this writing, it appears there still are some tickets available for tonight's concert; call Metrotix at 314-531-1111 for the latest details.

Also tonight, multi-instrumentalist Jeff Anderson picks up his tenor sax to lead a quintet at Robbie's House of Jazz, joined by Danny Campbell (trumpet), Matt Villinger (piano), Irvin Neal (drums), and bassist Kent Miller, who's in town from Washington, DC for a brief visit.

On Friday evening, trumpeter Jim Manley and Wild Cool & Swingin' will be joined by singers Dean Christopher and Valerie Tichacek for a concert at the Parkway United Church of Christ, 2841 N. Ballas Rd. Proceeds from the performance will benefit the children of Lisa O'Brien, a police dispatcher in Town and Country who died suddenly last month at age 31 of complications from a respiratory illness.

Also on Friday evening, saxophonist Jeff Riley will be at Robbie's; the Yard Dawgs Jazz Quartet, with Brady Page (bass), Dusty Page drums), Bryce Kohn (saxophone) and Sam Brush (guitar), plays at the Cigar Inn in Belleville; and the Ambassadors of Swing perform for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

On Saturday afternoon, the Bluesweek festival, now in its second year, is presenting a set from an ad hoc jazz ensemble billed as the Jazz Masters and featuring Willie Akins (tenor and soprano sax), Erika Johnson (vocals), Dave Black (guitar), Peter Schlamb (vibes), Keith Moyer (trumpet), Marc Torlina (bass) and Joe Pastore (drums). Bluesweek's free outdoor shows are being held this year on a stage at Washington Avenue and 6th Street downtown, near the location of the proposed National Blues Museum. For a complete schedule of Bluesweek activities, see the event website.

On Saturday night, the eclectic string band Swing DeVille performs at Robbie's, offering a multi-genre blend of Gypsy jazz, western swing, old pop and jazz standards, and more. That same evening, singer Christy Simmons will present a cabaret show paying tribute to Rosemary Clooney at The Chapel, with accompaniment from clarinetist Scott Alberici, drummer Clancy Newell and pianist Mike Sissin.

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.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Previewing Return to Forever IV

This week, let's check out some videos of Return to Forever, who are coming to St. Louis later this month to perform at the Fox Theatre on Thursday, August 25. (Zappa Plays Zappa will be the opening act.)

This version of the band, dubbed RTF IV, features keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White, plus guitarist Frank Gambale and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty in place of guitarist Al DiMeola, who took part in the group's reunion tour back in 2008 but declined to participate this time around.

RTF IV already has been on tour for a good part of the summer, mostly in Europe, playing their vintage material and a couple of Ponty's compositions. There are quite a few fan-made videos of the group circulating online, and today we've picked out some of the better-sounding ones to give you an idea of what to expect from their St. Louis performance.

Up above, you can see and hear them play "Dayride," at a show in Marseilles, France. Down below, there's an acoustic version of "Romantic Warrior" taken from their show in Paris, followed by "Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy" from the same performance. Below that, you can check out "Renaissance," a new composition by Ponty, as performed by RTF IV in Rovinj, Croatia. (Unfortunately, the video cuts off before the end of the tune, but the 15 minutes worth captured on tape should give you an idea of what it's about.)

Below that, there's a version of Corea's most famous composition "Spain," from the Montreux Jazz Festival, and finally, Clarke's "School Days," the video of which was shot from sort of a weird angle in the balcony, but has more than acceptable sound quality.

Win free tickets to see Return to Forever, Zappa Plays Zappa on Thursday, August 25 at the Fox Theatre

The Fox Theatre is conducting an online promotion to give away free tickets to the concert by Return to Forever IV (pictured) and Zappa Plays Zappa on Thursday, August 25. The winner gets a pair of tickets and also will receive "an autographed Return to Forever set list."

To enter, go here, read the rules and complete the online form, which asks for contact info and the name of your favorite RTF album. The contest ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, August 8, and the winner will be chosen at random and notified by email on Tuesday, August 9. (Various other conditions apply, see the rules for details.)

Metrotix, Fox Theatre offering online pre-sale of tickets for RTF/ZPZ show

The Fox Theatre and Metrotix will offer an online pre-sale of tickets for the Return to Forever/Zappa Plays Zappa concert scheduled for Thursday, August 25 at the Fox.

Tickets are priced from $30 to $60 and go on sale to the general public at 10:00 a.m. this Friday, May 20. However, the pre-sale will run from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 19. To access the offer, visit Metrotix.com during the pre-sale hours and when prompted, use the promo code CLARKE.

Return to Forever, Zappa Plays Zappa to perform Thursday, August 25 at the Fox Theatre

This just in: A new lineup of the seminal fusion band Return to Forever (pictured) will hit the road for 32 dates in the USA this summer, including a performance on Thursday, August 25 at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis.

Zappa Plays Zappa, the Frank Zappa repertory ensemble headed by the late guitarist and composer's son Dweezil, will serve as the support act for the entire tour.

The new RTF lineup includes Chick Corea on keyboards, Stanley Clarke on bass and Lenny White on drums, along with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, who's played with the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Frank Zappa, and guitarist Frank Gambale, who's previously worked with Corea, Clarke and Ponty on various projects of theirs.

This version of the band already has toured Australia, performing "an amalgam of Return To Forever classics, highlights from each member’s solo repertoire, and brand-new compositions written for the RTF IV lineup." You can see setlists and photos from those shows here and read some selected reviews here. To hear the new RTF lineup playing "Senor Mouse," click on the embedded audio player below.

Return to Forever last played in St. Louis in 2008 at the Fox, while Zappa Plays Zappa has performed here at The Pageant several times in the past five years, most recently in December 2010.

Tickets for the 2011 Return to Forever/Zappa Plays Zappa tour will go on sale this Saturday, May 21 Friday, May 20. Ticketing for the Fox Theatre usually is handled locally by Metrotix, but there also will be VIP packages presold through the Return to Forever website beginning Thursday, May 19.

UPDATE, 5:30 p.m., 5/18/11: Tickets for the concert are priced from $30 to $60. The Fox and Metrotix will offer an online pre-sale of tickets for the Return to Forever/Zappa Plays Zappa show beginning from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 19. To access the offer, use promo code CLARKE.

Notes from the Net: Kind of Blue as business case study, Osby on tour, Brubeck recovering, plus news, reviews, interviews, and more

Delayed for a day because StLJN HQ was temporarily buried under an avalanche of chocolate eggs apparently left by a giant anthropomorphic bunny rabbit, here's the latest weekly compilation of news briefs and links related to jazz, improvisation, and creative music in St. Louis, including news of musicians originally from the Gateway City, recent visitors, and coming attractions, plus assorted other items of interest:

* Starting, as we often do, with some Miles Davis-related links, the Wall Street Journal this past week had an interesting essay by John Edward Hasse, curator of American Music at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History and the author of Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington, re-evaluating Kind of Blue on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.

KoB now also has become a case study for Harvard Business School, in which the authors, HBS professor Robert D. Austin and Carl Størmer, praise Davis' "radical simplicity" as a means of reinvention that could work as well for business as it did in music. Lastly, here's a recent video interview with hip-hop producer Easy Mo Bee, in which he discusses, among many other subjects, his work producing Davis (pictured) on some of the trumpeter's final recording sessions.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native Greg Osby, who was back home this past weekend to play at Jazz at the Bistro, is headed out on tour later this month with jam-band guitarist Jimmy Herring in support of Herring's new CD Lifeboat. Herring's tour band also includes drummer Jeff Sipe, keyboardist Scott Kinsey and bassist Oteil Burbridge.

* From the "coming attractions" file, here's the Associated Press' review of trumpeter Chris Botti's new CD/DVD, Chris Botti in Boston. Botti was here last month to do a benefit performance for St. Louis Children's Hospital, and will return in September to play the Fox Theatre. The trumpeter also was featured in a video for Newsweek magazine's Friday arts video series, "7 Things You Didn't Know About Chris Botti," which can be seen here.

* From the "recent visitors" file, there's some good news about pianist and composer Dave Brubeck, who's back home recovering after a two-week hospitalization for a viral infection. Brubeck's illness forced him to miss the premiere in California last week of a new orchestral work inspired by Ansel Adams. (His son Darius Brubeck performed in his place.) Before the concert, NPR recorded an interview with Brubeck about the new work, which you'll find here. Brubeck was in St. Louis most recently last fall to perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* NPR also had a feature about drummer Matt Wilson's band Arts & Crafts and their new CD, The Scenic Route. Wilson was in St. Louis with his Quartet last week for a concert at the Black Cat Theatre.

* Here 's a review of bassist Victor Wooten's new book, The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth through Music. Wooten's most recent St. Louis gig was last month at The Pageant.

* If you're a fan of Return to Forever, you may be interested in this post over at Howard Mandel's blog Jazz Beyond Jazz about RTF's Al Di Meola, in which the guitarist "let it be known that he agrees that some of Return to Forever's music is bombastic -- and over-long! He describes 2008 RTF juggernaut as a nostalgia trip, fun for a while, but eventually not so much," and adds that "Chick Corea, despite his vaunted interest in communication, didn't pay attention to di Meola's opinion that audiences didn't want 20 minute unaccompanied solos and two-song second halves of concerts." RTF's reunion tour included a stop at St. Louis' Fox Theatre.

* Finally, a couple of items of more general interest, starting with a new issue of the fine jazz and creative music 'zine Point of Departure, which is now available online here.

* And, for those mulling the future of the music business in the digital era, Dave Allen, formerly of the rock band Gang of Four, recently wrote a blog post that provides a thought-provoking examination of "the end of the music album as an organizing principle" here.

Notes from the Net: Miles' sartorial style, the "Purdie Shuffle" celebrated, Bennett and Evans re-released, plus news, reviews and more

Here's the latest weekly compilation of news and links related to jazz, improvisation, and creative music in St. Louis, including news of musicians originally from the Gateway City, recent visitors, and coming attractions, plus assorted other items of interest:

* As longtime StLJN readers know, whenever possible we like to start these news roundups with something about Miles Davis, and this week brings a couple of items indicating Davis' celebrity beyond the musical world.

Specifically, the trumpeter and East St. Louis native was just named a "Style Icon" by AskMen.com: "In 1965, the legendary jazz critic and Esquire style writer George Frazier dubbed Davis "The Warlord of the Weejuns" in the liner notes of a greatest hits collection. A hell of a nickname, even if no one knew what it meant."

Also, Davis' most famous album Kind of Blue apparently turned up last week on the British TV drama Coronation Street, during a scene in which one character lauds the album's timeless quality.

* A track from pianist, composer and St. Louis expat Linda Presgrave's latest CD Inspiration was featured this week on Jazz.com's "Song of the Day".

* Via Blogcritics.com, here's a review of John Zorn: Tradition And Transgression by John Brackett, the new book analyzing the music and ideas of the saxophonist, composer and conceptualist (who once studied at Webster University here in St. Louis).

* Opening the "coming attractions" file, the New York Times had a review of a recent duet performance by John Pizzarelli and his wife, singer Jessica Molasky, at NYC's Birdland. Pizzarelli will be here in St. Louis in two weeks as one of the guest artists for the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival.

* The Concord Music Group will release the Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings on April 14th. The two-CD collection includes all of the music originally issued on the two albums Bennett and Evans recorded together, plus two bonus tracks and alternate takes from both sessions. Bennett will return to St. Louis to perform at the Fox Theatre on Friday, May 8.

* From PopMatters.com, another review of Returns, the live CD from Return to Forever's 2008 reunion tour, which stopped at the Fox in June.

* An article in the New York Times celebrates Bernard Purdie's signature groove the "Purdie Shuffle" on the occasion of Purdie (pictured) joining the pit band of the revival of the Broadway musical Hair. St. Louis listeners (and drum fanboys) got a rare chance to scope out Purdie in person when he played here last fall at Jazz at the Bistro with the Godfathers of Groove.

* Illness forced Dave Brubeck to bow out of an historic concert performance scheduled for Friday night at his alma mater, the University of the Pacific, in Stockton, CA. Brubeck, 88, was hospitalized with a viral infection and was unable to travel for a scheduled performance of his classic 1959 album Time Out at UOP. The concert went on, with Brubeck's eldest son Darius Brubeck filling in for his father. Brubeck, who played the Sheldon last fall, is under observation at a hospital in Connecticut, but is expected to make a full recovery.

* Finally, a couple items of more general interest, starting with Wynton Marsalis, who was one of several well-known musicians who went to Washington D.C. last week to lobby Congress for more arts funding: "Marsalis said it's critical for the nation to reevaluate its priorities during the financial crisis to ensure the best aspects of U.S. culture aren't lost to younger generations because of scarce funding. The acclaimed trumpet player said he learned key lessons about jazz when he was young by playing with some of the original members of Duke Ellington's band."

* And, last but not least from Marsalis' home town, a hopeful but still cautious report on the state of jazz in New Orleans in 2009.

Notes from the Net: Miles Davis on PBS, Pizzarelli plays Rodgers, plus news, reviews, and more

Here's our weekly compilation of news and links related to jazz, improvisation, and creative music in St. Louis, including news of musicians originally from the Gateway City, recent visitors, and coming attractions, plus assorted other items of interest:

* For our mandatory weekly portion of Miles Davis-related content, via Blogcritics, here's a review of Miles Davis: The Sound of Miles Davis, a newly restored and reissued 1959 television special featuring most of the band from Davis' Kind of Blue sessions that's airing on PBS stations this month during pledge drives.

Alas, from what I can tell, the Davis film is not scheduled to be shown on St. Louis' PBS affiliate KETC. If you'd like to express your feelings about that, here's the relevant information from the station Web site's contact page: "For questions about programs on Channel 9, changes of address, KETC Guide delivery, general station information and questions about membership or pledge, call (314) 512-9199 or 1-800-729-9966 or send your letters by e-mail to letters@ketc.org."

* Another of our favorite Notes from the Net subjects, alto saxophonist and one-time Webster University student John Zorn, is set to headline the Equinox Festival in London this June.

* Opening the "coming attractions" file, trumpeter Chris Botti, who's got two gigs in St. Louis on his "to do" list for 2009, kicked off the month of March by visiting a number of PBS stations around the country promoting his latest PBS special, Chris Botti In Boston, which is being released on DVD on Tuesday, March 31. Also, word comes this week that a performance by Botti with orchestra will be one of the headline events of the 30th annual Montreal Jazz Festival in July.

* Before a gig in Stuart, FL, guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli (pictured) talks with the local paper about performing the music of Richard Rodgers. Pizzarelli will be one of the guest artists at the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival in April.

* Trumpeter Rick Braun is working on his first solo studio CD in several years, and it's a tribute to Chet Baker. Braun will be in the St. Louis area on April 9 to perform as part of the Jazz Attack show at the Ameristar Casino's Bottleneck Blues Bar

* Next up, we've got news of recent visitors to St. Louis, starting with a review of the Pat Martino Trio's February 28 gig at the Lakeland Jazz Festival in Ohio, penned by Mike Marshall for AllAboutJazz.com. Martino was in St. Louis last month to play Jazz at the Bistro.

* Then there's "Trying to Understand the Logic of The Bad Plus," in which Saby Reyes-Kulkarni of the Seattle Weekly wonders if the much-hyped, sometimes controversial trio, last seen here in January at the Bistro, is just covering the same old ground with their latest release For All I Care.

* As regular StLJN readers doubtless are already aware, the Blue Note 7 played St. Louis' Sheldon Concert Hall in February. More recently, Blue Note records recently had an event commemorating its 70th anniversary at Royce Hall in Los Angeles, and DJ and blogger Leroy "The JazzCat" Downs was there and has a story with photos.

* Here's a New York Times review of singer and actor Tom Wopat's latest cabaret/nighclub act. Wopat was in St. Louis last month to perform under the auspices of Cabaret St. Louis.

* And here's a short review of Return to Forever's new live CD Returns, written by John Kalman for AAJ.com. The CD is drawn from recordings made during last year's reunion tour, which included a stop at St. Louis' Fox Theatre.

* Following up on another story we've been tracking here recently, here's a nifty Fred Kaplan review for Slate of the recent Thelonious Monk Town Hall tribute that makes very nice use of audio clips from the album of the original concert and the tribute show. Also, Doug Ramsey's Rifftides has some "inside stuff" on the Monk tribute from Sam Stephenson of the Jazz Loft Project at Duke University, who helped produce the concerts.

* Finally, a couple of items of more general interest: Via the indispensible Avant Music News, the Los Angeles Times reviews the new music scene in the San Francisco bay area

* And Icons Among Us: jazz in the present tense. is a new four-part documentary film series that examines the world of contemporary jazz. It feature live footage and interviews of current jazz stars, including many musicians familiar to St. Louis audiences, such as The Bad Plus, Terence Blanchard, Jason Moran, Charlie Hunter, Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Medeski Martin and Wood, as well as predecessors and influences including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Wynton Marsalis. The Documentary Channel will telecast the Icons Among Us series on four consecutive Mondays at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time beginning April 20, following its world premiere on April 15 at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Notes from the Net: Ian Carr mourned, Linda Presgrave reviewed, Eric Person on the road, plus news, reviews and more

Here's this week's compilation of news and links related to jazz, improvisation, and creative music in St. Louis, including musicians from the Gateway City, recent visitors, and coming attractions - now with even more boldfacing!

* Alas, the only significant Miles Davis-related link this week is to the sad news that the British jazz trumpeter and writer Ian Carr died this past Wednesday at age 75. Long considered one of the top trumpet players on the British scene, Carr wrote a well-regarded biography of Miles and was influenced significantly by Davis' music. His band Nucleus made some fine electric jazz/fusion recordings that still hold up well today. R.I.P., Mr. Carr.

* On a much happier note, here's a review of pianist and St. Louis expat Linda Presgrave's new CD Inspiration, via AllAboutJazz.com, which says, in part: "Whether performing original compositions or a cover, Presgrave and her accompanists are in top form...Inspiration doesn't just honor musicians "who happen to be women"; it is music for its own sake."

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native Eric Person (pictured) and his band Meta-Four will be in the Quad Cities on March 15 to play the Third Sunday Jazz Matinee & Workshop Series at the Redstone Room in Davenport, IA, and they got a nice writeup in the local paper, which you can see online here.

* The Ars Nova Workshop in Philadelphia just presented the second part of their tribute to alto saxophonist, composer and former St. Louisan Julius Hemphill at Philly's World Cafe. The concert featured Hemphill's music for big band and sax sextet, as performed by a big band including multi-reedman and St. Louis native Marty Ehrlich.

* DJ and blogger LeRoy "The JazzCat" Downs was one of the hosts of the recent Playboy Jazz Cruise, produced by St. Louis-based Jazz Cruises LLC. You can read his account of the voyage, which included St. Louis' own Peter Martin and Montez Coleman among the many musicians on board, and see lots of photos - all rated "SFW - Safe For Work," in case you were concerned about the potential presence of scantily clad Bunnies - here.

* Turning to the "coming attractions" file: Percussionist Gino Robair will be in St. Louis on Saturday to perform at Forest Park Community College - see this post for details - but before he gets here, he'll be visiting Detroit on Tuesday to play a gig with Marko Novachcoff, Joel Peterson, Piotr Michalowski, Mike Khoury and James Cornish at the Kerrytown Concert House.

* Guitarist Mike Stern, who will be in St. Louis from April 29 to May 2 with the Yellowjackets to play at Jazz at the Bistro, recently co-led a gig at NYC's Iridium with saxophonist Kenny Garrett, who, like Stern, worked with Miles Davis in the latter part of the trumpeter's career. You can read a review of the Stern/Garrett show here.

* Catching up with news of recent visitors, it seems that Martino Unstrung, the documentary about guitarist Pat Martino that was shown here in St. Louis last November during the St. Louis International Film Festival, is finally getting a New York premiere on March 15 at the Rubin Museum of Art, Martino himself was in St. Louis last month to play at Jazz at the Bistro.

* And while still on the subject of musicians that have recently played at the Bistro, veteran pianist Cedar Walton, who played the club last fall, just did a sextet concert at the Kumble Theater on Long Island University's Brooklyn campus, which was reviewed for the New York Times by Nate Chinen here.

* Chinen and the NYT this past week also did an article on pianist Jason Moran (who did a concert at the Missouri Museum here in St. Louis last October) and his participation in this weekend's 50th anniversary tribute to Thelonious Monk's landmark Town Hall concert. For more on the Monk tribute concert, see this post from Doug Ramsey's Rifftides.

* Last but not least, many of those who caught Return to Forever's reunion tour when they played the Fox Theatre last June may be glad to know many of the shows on the tour were recorded, resulting in a new RFT live album called Returns that will released on March 17.

Notes from the Net: More on Miles From India, an appreciation of Oliver Nelson, plus reviews, interviews and more

It's now officially summer time, and the linkin' is easy...to yet another collection of news bits about jazz musicians with a St. Louis connection, recent visitors and coming attractions, pus assorted other items of interest:

* First up, some links related to the Miles Davis-inspired project Miles From India, starting with another review of the two-CD set, written by ContemporaryJazz.com's John Luciano. The CDs have also spawned a limited series of concerts, including one in Los Angeles, reviewed here, and one in San Francisco that inspired an article about how the jazz now is incorporating musical influences from all over the world, Last but not least, AllAboutJazz.com has an interview about the project with former Davis sideman, guitarist Pete Cosey (pictured).

* The film blog Cinema Styles recently had a nice appreciation of saxophonist and St. Louis native Oliver Nelson's film and TV scoring, with an accompanying .mp3 of his composition "A Typical Day in New York."

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake is featured in Breakin' Glass, a new book in the Photonality Jazz Series

* Saxophonist and composer John Zorn recently designed a sound installation/experiment for a San Francisco museum.

* Composer, sound artist and St. Louis native Ben Manley is taking part in NYC performance space Roulette's annual Mixology Festival, which focuses on new and unusual uses of technology in music.

* Here's a review of No Strangers Here, bassist Ben Wolfe's new CD from the St. Louis-based MAXJAZZ label, and a review of Wolfe's recent gig at NYC's Jazz Standard.

* Check out these two interviews with saxophonist John Ellis, who guests on the new Erin Bode CD The Little Garden - one in print from AllAboutJazz.com, the other on radio with blogger and DJ LeRoy "The Jazzcat" Downs.

* The Return to Forever reunion tour, which came through St. Louis last week for a date at the Fox Theatre, is getting lots of press, starting with news that group's two-CD Anthology has been released; the collection gets an AllAboutJazz.com "extended analysis" here. Also, check out reviews of the band's shows in Denver, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles, and this interview with drummer Lenny White in Drum Magazine

* Since playing at Jazz at the Bistro last October, bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding's star has contined to rise. She recently was interviewed on NPR's All Things Considered, and the New York Times has reviewed her new CD.

* Guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli, who's performed in St. Louis at both the Bistro and the Sheldon Concert Hall , has released a new CD devoted to the songs of Richard Rodgers

* Singer Paula West will perform at the Sheldon next season; here's a review of her recent gig in Charleston, SC.

* Trumpeter Rick Braun and saxophonist Richard Elliot have been added to the lineup of this fall's Dave Koz Cruise, produced by St. Louis-based Jazz Cruises LLC. Braun, Elliot and Koz all will perform at The Pageant this summer.

* Pianist Les McCann and saxophonist Javon Jackson, who will team up for a four-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro in October, were a last-minute replacement for pianist McCoy Tyner at the jazz festival earlier this month in Telluride, CO.

* The National Endowment for the Arts has announced its 2009 Jazz Masters honorees, including guitarist and singer George Benson, drummer Jimmy Cobb, alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, guitarist and harmonica player Toots Thielemans and trumpeter Snooky Young. Recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder will receive the 2009 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy.

* Last but not least, composer and blogger Darcy James Argue recently had a couple of insightful and amusing posts about the phenomenon of "fan service," which he defines as "a marker or signifier that serves no legitimate aesthetic purpose, but is there to stroke those in the in-crowd while simultaneously alienating even the most sophisticated and open-minded newbies."

More coverage of Return to Forever, Erin Bode in the Riverfront Times and Post-Dispatch

Here are some links to more local press coverage of upcoming jazz-related events:

* The Riverfront Times' Ryan Wasoba talked to Return to Forever drummer Lenny White about the group's reunion tour for a story found online here.

* Yr. humble StLJN editor has written two items for the RFT this week about Erin Bode and her new CD - one in print, and one online-only. This week's paper has a brief Critic's Pick for Bode's shows this weekend at Jazz at the Bistro, which you can read online here. Also, sometime Friday morning, the RFT's music blog "A to Z" should be posting a short feature based on an interview I did with Bode about the CD, The Little Garden. The main page for "A to Z" is here; I'll update with a permalink to the story when it becomes available.

* Meanwhile, the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson also talked to Bode for his column this week, which also includes a bit about the opening of the Saxquest Saxophone Museum.

Post-Dispatch has interview with Stanley Clarke

The Post-Dispatch has a package of stories related to next Tuesday's concert by Return to Forever at the Fox Theatre, including an interview with bassist Stanley Clarke by the P-D's Calvin Wilson, plus sidebars on the most important musicians and key recordings of the 1970s jazz-fusion scene that RTF helped popularize. You can read the articles online here.

Win free tickets to Return to Forever

From the Department of "Because Everyone Likes Free Stuff": STLtoday.com and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch are giving away tickets to see Return to Forever's concert next Tuesday, June 17 at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis. The winner of the promotional giveaway will receive a "VIP Package for 2 to the Return to Forever Show that Includes access to Pre-Show Party, Meet and Greet, and Merchandise!".

You have to have (or be willing to create) an STLtoday.com ID to enter the drawing, which closes at 5:00 p.m. this Friday, June 13. You can see the rules and submit your entry here.

StLJN Saturday at the Movies: Zappa Plays Zappa plays "Call Any Vegetable," plus some vintage Return to Forever

This week, let's take a look at some videos from a couple of electric bands who 1) are working a certain nostalgic vibe, redolent of the fusion music of the 1960s and 1970s; and 2) will be appearing in St. Louis later this spring. First up is Zappa Plays Zappa, the FZ repertory ensemble led by Frank's son Dweezil, who will be returning to St. Louis on Monday, June 9 to play The Pageant concert club. In this clip from 2007, they're seen and heard performing a faithful version of Frank Zappa's 1966 composition "Call Any Vegetable," which served as a set opener for some of the shows on ZPZ's first tour.

Down below, it's Return to Forever, who are reuniting for the first time in more than 25 years and will be in St. Louis on Tuesday, June 17 to perform at the Fox Theatre. This clip shows them playing "The Magician" in a 1976 appearance on the long-running British TV program The Old Grey Whistle Test. As a little lagniappe, there's also a third embedded window featuring a brief promo video for the RTF reunion tour, with a bit of footage from an early rehearsal.

(Edited 4/25/08 to correct the dates of the shows.)

Return To Forever ticket presale starts Wednesday, March 26

Tickets for the Return to Forever reunion tour concert on Tuesday, June 17* at St. Louis' Fox Theatre go on sale to the general public this Saturday, March 29.

However, the Fox and its ticket agency Metrotix also are conducting an online presale beginning at 10:00 a.m. this Wednesday, March 26 and ending at 10:00 p.m. on Friday, March 28. To purchase tickets via the presale, go online to metrotix.com/promotions and enter the promotion code JAZZFOREVER.

*StLJN's earlier item on this concert originally listed a different show date that had appeared on the Return to Forever Web site and tour schedule. That item has been edited to reflect the correct date, Tuesday, June 17.

Return to Forever reunion tour coming to the Fox Theatre on June 17

The 1970s jazz-fusion supergroup Return to Forever is reuniting this summer for an extended tour of the United States and Europe that will include a concert at St. Louis' Fox Theatre on Tuesday, June 17.

The tour reunites the band's best-known lineup - founding members Chick Corea on keyboards and Stanley Clarke on bass (pictured), plus guitarist Al DiMeola and drummer Lenny White - for the first time in more than 25 years. The quartet will play more than 50 dates from May through August, including performances at major summer jazz festivals in Montreal; Montreux, Switzerland; San Sebastian, Spain; Nice, France; and Saratoga Springs, New York.

RTF also are releasing a double-CD anthology to coincide with the tour featuring remixed and remastered tracks from the band's albums originally recorded from 1973 through 1976, Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, Where Have I Known You Before, the Grammy-winning No Mystery and Romantic Warrior.

There's been no announcement yet about tickets for Return to Forever's St. Louis date, but StLJN will have more information as it becomes available. In the meantime, you can fire up the embedded video window below to enjoy a vintage clip of Return to Forever playing "Romantic Warrior" back in 1976 for the British television program The Old Grey Whistle Test.



Edited 3/25/08 to correct the date of the show in the headline and text.