Benny Golson to play with Ronald Carter and the NIU Jazz Ensemble on April 12 at the Sheldon

Saxophonist and composer Benny Golson (pictured) is coming to St. Louis to join the Northern Illinois University jazz ensemble and its director, saxophonist Ronald Carter, for a benefit performance at 5:00 p.m., Sunday, April 12 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

The event is the fifth annual "Youth in the Arts" benefit for the Genesis Academy of Arts and Fine Arts Ministry (GAAFAM), an organization founded and directed by Tracy Holliway-Wiggins, formerly of the Black Rep, that also includes local jazz trumpeter (and Holliway-Wiggins' spouse) Anthony Wiggins as music director.

Golson, who recently turned 80 years old, is the composer of jazz standards such as "Along Came Betty," "Killer Joe" and "I Remember Clifford," and was named an NEA Jazz Master in 1995. The NIU jazz ensemble under Carter's direction has become an internationally recognized, award-winning group that has shared stages with many jazz greats, including Dizzy Gillespie, Louie Bellson, Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath, Tito Puente, Wynton Marsalis and many others.

Tickets for the April 12 concert at the Sheldon are $25 for general admission, $15 for students, and can be purchased at the door the night of the concert or online at the GAAFAM Web site.

Webster University announces 2007-08 concert schedule

Webster University has finally posted a complete schedule of the concerts they'll be presenting during the 2007-08 school year, and as usual, there are a number of performances that will be of interest to jazz fans:

Monday, October 22 - The annual TKT Memorial Jazz Scholarship Concert, which raises money for scholarships in the names of three former Webster students who were killed in a plane crash while touring with singer Reba McIntyre, will present "Music from the Movies" with singers Debby Lennon and Sherry Drake and the Webster Faculty Jazz Ensemble.

Monday, November 19 - The Webster University Big Band will perform a program called "1967 to Today-The Big Band plus a 70th Birthday Tribute to Joe Henderson".

Monday, January 28 - Guitarist Tom Byrne and Friends.

Monday, February 4 - "Electric Miles; The Music of Miles Davis 1969-74," featuring the Webster University Faculty Jazz Ensemble, which includes Randy Holmes (trumpet), Paul DeMarinis (woodwinds), Steve Schenkel (guitar), Kim Portnoy (keyboards), Carolbeth True (keyboards, pictured), Jay Hungerford (bass) and Ron Carr (drums).

Monday, Feburary 11 - "A Tribute to Thelonious Monk," featuring pianist Carol Schmidt and Friends.

Monday, February 18 - Guitarist Steve Schenkel and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman.

Monday, February 25 - The Webster University Big Band and the Genesis Jazz Project will team up for a program called "The St. Louis Blues & All That Jazz!"

Monday, April 7 - Debby Lennon and the Webster Faculty Jazz Ensemble.

In addition, Webster U also is teaming up with Jazz St. Louis to present free master classes with singers Kurt Elling (Friday, November 16) and Sara Gazarek (Friday, February 15) while they're in town to perform at Jazz at the Bistro.

The master classes will take place at the Webster U's Community Music School building, 8282 Big Bend Blvd, while the other concerts listed above will be at the Winifred Moore Auditorium, 470 E. Lockwood. You can see the complete schedule of all of the Webster music department's performances, including concerts by the various student jazz ensembles, here.