Jazz this week: Fred Frith, "A Very Manley Christmas," The Motet, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the long-awaited return of an influential experimental guitarist, a whole bunch of holiday-themed shows, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 11
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band will perform Duke Ellington's arrangements of Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker' plus more Ellington favorites at Jazz St. Louis, with one more performance on Thursday.

Elsewhere in Grand Center, the weekly "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" will feature Miss Jubilee at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and bassist Ben Wheeler's Sketchbook at The Dark Room.

Thursday, December 12
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University wraps up the semester with a free concert from the university's jazz combo students; singer Tony Viviano returns to Fallon's Grill & Tap; and saxophonist Kendrick Smith brings his trio to The Dark Room.

Friday, December 13
Trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured, center left) returns with his holiday show "A Very Manley Christmas" for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, guitarist Dave Black and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman bring their "3rd Annual Holiday Show" to Focal Point, and singer and impressionist Dean Christopher reprises his "A Rat Pack Christmas" at Blue Strawberry

Elsewhere around town, the Second Generation Swing Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and traditional jazz and swing band Annie and the Fur Trappers return to the Frisco Barroom.

Saturday, December 14
Guitarist Fred Frith (pictured, top left) will perform solo in a concert presented by New Music Circle at Joe's Cafe. He'll also present a free artist talk/workshop on Sunday afternoon at 14th Street Artist Community.

Frith has been an important voice in improvised music for nearly a half-century, bringing innovative guitar techniques to a variety of bands and collaborative projects. For a brief overview of his storied career, plus some videos of recent solo performances, take a look at this post from Saturday before last.

Also on Saturday, the Oikos Ensemble presents this year's edition of their annual "Jazz Noel" program in a matinee at Parkway United Church of Christ (with another performance on Sunday at First Congregational Church in Webster Groves); and Chicago pianist Paul Asaro, last seen here in November as part of the Nevermore Jazz Ball, headlines an evening at Casa Loma Ballroom.

Sunday, 
December 15
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes are back to perform for brunch at the Angad Arts Hotel, while just across Grand, guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran will play at The Dark Room,

Then on Sunday night, Denver-based funk/jam band The Motet (pictured, bottom left) returns to the Old Rock House. After putting out their ninth album Death or Devotion in January, they've been doing shows all year to promote the release, including the current 30-date tour that brings them here.

Monday, December 16
Eclectic instrumental quintet The 442s and some special guests will perform in their annual "Holiday Spectacular" for the first of two nights at 560 Music Center.

Tuesday, December 17
Cabaret Project St. Louis presents a "gala holiday edition" of their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge.

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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & LInks

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

* St. Louis Public Radio will honor broadcaster, author and photographer Dennis Owsley (pictured) for 35 years of service to the station and the local music community with a celebration to be held at 7:00 p.m. next Thursday, July 19 at UMSL at Grand Center, 3651 Olive St.

The event is free and open to the public, and will include live music from saxophonist Paul DeMarinis, guitarist Eric Slaughter, bassist Jeff Anderson, and drummer Steve Davis.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold's recent gig at Ronnie Scott's in London was reviewed by Jazz in Europe.

* Harrold also was profiled briefly as one of "18 New Artists in the SFJAZZ 2018-19 Season."

* Multi-instrumentalist and singer Tonina Saputo was the subject of a feature story by St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin.

* Saxophonist, clarinetist and U City native Marty Ehrlich was interviewed in DownBeat on the occasion of the release of latest album, Trio Exaltation.

* A recent performance by Grant Green’s Evolution of Funk at the Jazz Standard in New York was reviewed by Jazz Times. The group, which features Green's son Grant Green, Jr on guitar, was formed in part to promote Resonance Records' recent release of previously unheard live recordings by the elder Green.

* Multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman has just released a new album titled Ukulele Nuthouse.  The recording features Weltman on ukuleles and harmonica with various accompanists, performing a mix of originals and covers,  and is available now from the usual digital outlets and from CD Baby.

* Keyboardist Ryan Marquez did a brief Q&A about jazz/funk band The People's Key's new album Unlocking Doors with the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis has announced its grants for the coming presenting season, and some local arts organizations are upset about a new evaluation system that has resulted in 40 groups that previously had received money from RAC getting no funding at all for 2018-19.

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: J.D. Parran & George Sams, "New World Harmonica Jazz," Chapter:SOUL, Chick Corea Trio, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis offers some early summer eclecticism, including a homecoming performance by one of our city's exemplars of the avant-garde; a couple of free, multi-venue festivals featuring a variety of local talent; sold-out shows featuring two touring pianists, and, as the saying goes, much, much more. Let's go the the highlights...

Wednesday, June 15
Saxophonist Doug Lawrence leads a quartet in a free show at Saxquest; Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Open Mic Night" at the Tavern of Fine Arts; and bassist Bob Deboo will have some special guests for his weekly performance and jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center, including drummer Matt Wilson, vibraphonist Peter Schlamb, and saxophonist Adam Larson.

Thursday, June 16
The esteemed multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis native J.D. Parran (pictured, top left) will be back home from NYC for a visit, joining forces with trumpeter George Sams and other free improvisers for a performance at the Tavern of Fine Arts; the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra plays at Jazz at the Bistro; and The 442s will celebrate the release of their latest album RELAY with a performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Friday, June 17
Grand Center's "Music at the Intersection" series returns for the second year, kicking off with an assortment of local funk, soul and hip-hop performers paying tribute to Prince at various venues in the district, including Good 4 The Soul at the Ferring Jazz Bistro and Fresh Heir at the Curtain Call Lounge, next to the Fox Theater.

Also on Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band plays a free outdoor concert at Edwardsville City Park; the St. Louis Big Band performs at St. Peter's United Church of Christ, and singer Chuck Flowers takes the stage at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Saturday, June 18
Starting on Saturday afternoon and continuing through the evening, the Riverfront Times will present their annual RFT Music Showcase, featuring more than 90 acts at nine venues in the Grove district.

While the lineup emphasizes rock and hip-hop, there are some performers of potential interest to StLJN readers, especially at Handlebar, which over the course of the day will host sets from singer/guitarist Tommy Halloran's Guerrilla Swing, saxophonist Dave Stone's trio, the Vernacular String Trio, Animal Children, and electronic musician Eric Hall.

Also on Saturday afternoon, singer Wendy L. Gordon will present a matinee performance at J&C BBQ and Blues.

Saturday night, the 12-year-old piano phenom Joey Alexander will play a one-nighter at Jazz at the Bistro. Both sets are sold out, but Jazz St. Louis is advising anyone still interested in tickets to check with the JSL box office on Friday and/or Saturday for cancellations and returns.

Elsewhere around town, pianist Carolbeth True and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman (pictured, center left) will reunite to revisit music from their collaborative album New World Harmonica Jazz at the Kranzberg Arts Center; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to the Venice Cafe; and Wack-A-Doo performs at Evangeline's.

Sunday, June 19
The Jazz Edge Orchestra will present a concert version of the musical Five Guys Named Moe, featuring songs made famous by saxophonist and singer Louis Jordan, in a matinee at the Sun Theater in Grand Center.

Also on Sunday, the recently formed New Orleans funk band Chapter:SOUL (pictured, lower left), which is fronted by saxophonist Calvin Johnson Jr. and features sousaphonist Kirk Joseph of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, will make their St. Louis debut with an early evening show at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Monday, June 20
Singer Dean Christopher and company return with their "Rat Pack and More" show to One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar.

Tuesday, June 21
Pianist Chick Corea's trio with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade will perform for the first of two sold-out nights at Jazz at the Bistro. As with the Joey Alexander performance, at this point any available tickets will be due to returns or cancellations, and prospective buyers are being advised to check with the Jazz St. Louis box office. In the meantime, you can sample a few performances by Corea, McBride and Blade on video by checking out this post from last Saturday.

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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The late trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry was among the recently deceased musicians, singers, and music business figures remembered at this year's Grammy Awards ceremony and telecast on Monday night. Terry can be seen, and a tiny snippet of his signature song "Mumbles" heard (in what looks like an excerpt from PBS' Legends of Jazz series) at approximately 1:28 into the Grammy memorial/tribute video.

* Saxophonist Greg Osby talked about his record label Inner Circle Music in an extensive interview with Jakob Baekgaard of AllAboutJazz.com.

* Vinyl collectors and aficionados, be advised that Euclid Records will be having a "Giant Colossal Mega-Whopper of a 2 Dollar Vinyl Sale" on Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28. Given the store's extensive stock of jazz records, it seems likely there may be some items of interest to StLJN readers among those $2 selections.

* The STL Free Jazz Collective has posted to YouTube full-length videos of both sets of their recent concert for Washington University's Jazz at Holmes series.

* Bruxism, the series of experimental music performances run by multi-instrumentalist Nathan Cook (aka NNN Cook), is the subject of a feature story from St. Louis magazine.

* Keyboardist and singer Jesse Gannon (pictured) has posted online a new song, "Take Your Time," that's described as "the first of a series of monthly singles to be released in 2016." You can listen, purchase the track, or subscribe to the series via Gannon's website.

* Multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman, who plays a standard diatonic harp with virtuoso skill in styles from bebop to bluegrass, will be teaching a group harmonica class at 7:00 p.m. Tuesdays starting March 1 and continuing through April 19 at City Music. For details or to sign up, go to the City Music website.

* Dance St. Louis will include recordings of music by Miles Davis and Lester Bowie into “New Dance Horizons IV: A Celebration inspired by St. Louis’ Legendary Black Artists” on Friday, February 26 and Saturday, February 27 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

So What: Local News, Notes and Links

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

* Multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman's work with the Municipal Commission on Arts and Letters for University City is the subject of a feature story by Terry Perkins for St. Louis Public Radio.

* KDHX is offering free public tours of the station's new headquarters at 3524 Washington, just east of Grand, starting this Saturday.

* Drummer, composer and St. Louis expat Ronnie Burrage is busy promoting Heal, the new release from his Band Burrage, with various live gigs including an appearance next Tuesday, February 11 at Penn State University's Music Is Life Festival. Burrage also has posted on YouTube a video excerpt from the band's recent performance at  the Blue Note in NYC, and created a new Reverb Nation page and Facebook store for those who wish to hear and/or purchase the new album.

* Elsewhere back east, several musicians with St. Louis roots with be appearing in NYC this month, starting with keyboardist Peter Martin and drummer Terreon Gully (pictured), who will be part of Dianne Reeves' ensemble for the singer's gigs on February 14 and 15 at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Theater.

A few days later, saxophonist Greg Osby joins trumpeter Tom Harrell, drummer Matt Wilson, saxophonist Melissa Aldana, bassist Ben Allison, and pianist Aaron Goldberg for "Reflections on Monk" from Wednesday, February 17 through Saturday February 22 at Birdland. And that same week, drummer Marcus Baylor's Baylor Project, featuring Jean Baylor on vocals, will perform on February 20 at Smoke.

* There's quite a bit of Miles Davis-related news this week, starting with the news that Miles Davis Properties LLC has reached a deal with Kobalt Music Group to administer Davis' entire catalog, effective immediately. The company will attempt to develop new ways to exploit Davis' music in movies, TV, advertising, and other media.

* “The Wisdom of Miles Davis” was the title of the first lecture given this past week by pianist and composer Herbie Hancock in his capacity as the 2014 Charles Eliot Norton Professor of Poetry at Harvard University.  Hancock's talk, the first in a series of six lectures entitled "The Ethics of Jazz," used his memories of Davis as a springboard to a discussion of racism, ethics, and Buddhism.

* MilesDavis.com and Creative Allies are sponsoring a contest to design an official poster for the soon-to-be-released CD box set Miles At The Fillmore‬. The winner receives cash and prizes, and the winning design will be included in the sets sold via the two websites. Meanwhile, Chronicle: The Complete Prestige Recordings 1951-1956, another Davis box set first issued 20 years ago, is getting a deluxe limited edition reissue.

* And closer to home, the Miles Davis Memorial Project has put online a reservation form for their upcoming fundraising dinner on Saturday, March 22, at Lewis & Clark Community College. Tickets are $60 per person, $450 for a table of eight, and the deadline to RSVP is Sunday, March 9. For more information, call Pride, Incorporated at 618-467-2375 or email them at pride@prideincorporated.org.

* St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts will sponsor another free workshop on "Navigating Health Care Reform" at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 19 at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar. Saint Louis University School of Law health-law students will explain the Affordable Care Act and provide strategies for selecting a plan and determining eligibility for tax credits and subsidies. This workshop is FREE and open to artists of all disciplines, and guests are welcome, but you must register in advance.

VLAA and Community Action Agency of St. Louis (CAASTL) also will offer in-person help with health insurance enrollment from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Thursday, February 20 at the RAC offices. Artists of all disciplines can sign up for free one-on-one sessions with  trained, certified application counselors. Appointments will be made on a first-come, first-served basis; to sign up, send an email to vlaa@stlrac.org.

* Jazz radio update: On this Saturday's episode of Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' "Somethin' Else," host Calvin Wilson sets an anticipatory mood for Valentine’s Day with recordings from Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle (from Waits' soundtrack for Francis Ford Coppola's One From The Heart), John Coltrane and singer Johnny Hartman, and Norah Jones.

Then on "The Jazz Collective," Jason Church will spin tracks from Four80East, Chris Standring, David Longoria, Donald Byrd, Sonny Rollins, Chuck Mangione, Lee Ritenour, the Brand New Heavies, Eumir Deodato, and Roy Ayers, as well as music from St. Louis' own Dawn Weber, Jesse Gannon, Jason Swagler, and Tommy Halloran.

Wilson's program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by Church at 9:00 p.m., via 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.     

Jazz this week: Dara Tucker, Chelsea Reed, Farshid Etniko with Sandy Weltman, New Orleans Suspects, and more

Though the impending holiday weekend has left yr. humble StLJN editor a bit short on time to write a clever lede for this weekly highlights post, there's no shortage of the American art form of jazz on local St. Louis stages over the next few days. Here's what's coming up...

Today, you can celebrate Independence Day with the Genesis Jazz Project, who are playing a free late-afternoon concert downtown on Laclede's Landing.

Afterward, head west to see singer Joe Mancuso's quartet at Cafe Eau in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel, or catch not one but two gigs by Sarah Jane & The Blue Notes.They're playing in the early evening at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, then heading over to Thaxton Speakeasy for a late show to kick off the "River City Mess Around" a weekend-long series of swing dance events presented by Lindy Hop St. Louis.

The Mess Around continues on Friday with Wack-A-Doo performing for LHStL's monthly first-Friday swing dance at the Mahler Ballroom. It also will include an outdoor set by Coco Rico on Saturday afternoon at Old North St. Louis' Crown Square, and two shows by Miss Jubilee, on Saturday at Casa Loma Ballroom and Sunday afternoon at City Museum.

Elsewhere on Friday, there's more retro-style hot jazz and swing from Philadelphia natives Chelsea Reed and the Fair Weather Five, who are currently touring the region and will perform at Robbie's House of Jazz.

Then there's the eclectic world-music/Latin/jazz group Farshid Etniko, who on Friday will join forces with special guest multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman to play the first of two nights of their debut weekend at Jazz at the Bistro.

Not only that, that same evening the New Orleans Suspects, featuring former members of the Radiators, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Neville Brothers Band and James Brown's band, will funk it up at Broadway Oyster Bar; saxophonist Austin Cebulski's quartet plays at Cigar Inn; and singer-guitarist Tommy Halloran and violinist Alyssa Avery perform at Big Sky Cafe.

On Saturday, another regional performer makes her St. Louis debut, as Nashville singer Dara Tucker (pictured) will perform at Robbie's. Tucker, whose songbook ranges from standards and ballads to more groove-oriented material, has performed or recorded with musicians such as organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, guitarist Charlie Hunter, trumpeter Duane Eubanks and drummer Jason Marsalis.

Her band for this gig will include St. Louis' own Montez Coleman on drums, as well as pianist Karlton Taylor, who's worked with bassist Victor Wooten and guitarist Tommy Emmanuel.

Also on Saturday, guitarist Dave Black and violinist Asako Kuboki will duet at Tavern of Fine Arts; and trumpeter Delano Redmond will show off his new group Quatro de Soul with a late-night performance at Troy's Jazz Gallery. UPDATE - 1:30 p.m. 7/6/13: Redmond has posted on Twitter that tonight's gig is cancelled "due to a venue issue."

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 St. Louis announces summer lineup for Jazz at the Bistro

Jazz St. Louis has announced the lineup of local acts that will play this summer at Jazz at the Bistro. The schedule is:

Friday, May 31 & Saturday, June 1:
Two Times True with Larry Johnson

Friday, June 7 & Saturday, June 8:
Rick Haydon Group

Friday, June 14 & Saturday, June 15:
Willie Akins/Montez Coleman Group

Friday, June 21: Adaron “Pops” Jackson & Phil Dunlap with Jahmal Nichols and Marty Morrison

Friday, June 28 & Saturday, June 29: Erin Bode sings the Great American Songbook

Friday, July 5 & Saturday, July 6: Farshid Etniko featuring Sandy Weltman

Friday, July 12 & Saturday. July 13: Anita Jackson

Friday, July 19 & Saturday, July 20: Tim Cunningham (pictured)

Friday, July 26 & Saturday, July 27: Good 4 The Soul

Tickets are priced at $25 for the Akins/Coleman group, Jackson & Dunlap, and Bode, and $20 for the other shows. Tickets go on sale at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, May 7 and can be purchased via Metrotix or by calling the Jazz St. Louis box office at 314-289-4030.

Jazz this week: Jim Manley, Christopher McBride CD release tour, "ArtSounds" with Sylvia McNair, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features the debut of a St. Louis trumpeter's new band; a mini-tour through the area from a Chicago saxophonist; tributes to the music of Nancy Wilson, Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix; and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, singer Denise Thimes will take the stage at the Sheldon Concert Hall with the aforementioned "Tribute to Nancy Wilson" (meaning the Nancy Wilson who recorded jazz for Capitol and Blue Note, and not the lead singer of rock band Heart). Proceeds from the event benefit the Mildred Thimes Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.

Also tonight, saxophonist Christopher McBride will showcase music from the new CD by his band Quatuor de Force in a gig at Robbie's House of Jazz. McBride, who studied under Ronald Carter at Northern Illinois University and now lives in the Chicago area, also will be playing at the Cigar Inn in Belleville on Friday and at Bugsy's in Union on Saturday.

And if that's not enough for one evening, guitarist William Lenihan on Thursday night will front a event billed as "Turning Point: Electric Miles and Hendrix Confluence" for a free concert presented by the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

On Friday, trumpeter Jim Manley will play the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, presenting the debut performance of his new group Mad Brass & Rhythm. In addition to Manley, the lineup of musicians includes Larry Johnson on saxophones, Jim Owens on trombone, Chris Miller on trumpet and flugelhorn, and a rhythm section of Arthur Toney (piano), Jeremy Pffefer (bass), and Joe Weber (drums). Manley hasn't released a lot of details on what they'll be playing, though he's said the band has all-new arrangements, and the Bistro is touting the gig as "straight-ahead jazz."

Update - 11/9/12, 10:30 a.m.: Manley checked in via email with details on the songlist, which will include new takes on familiar standards including "Take The 'A' Train," "In a Mellow Tone," "Angel Eyes," "Tin Tin Deo," "Softly as a Morning Sunrise," and "Caravan" as well as some blues.

Also Friday, the Sheldon presents its annual ArtSounds benefit, raising money for its educational programs with a cabaret-style performance from singer Sylvia McNair; and guitarist Tom Byrne and singer John Robinson will be at Robbie's House of Jazz.

On Saturday, Sandy Weltman and Hot Club Caravan will play Gypsy jazz and swing at Robbie's, and funk/fusion band Soul Cafe is at Jazz on Broadway in Alton.

Then on Sunday evening, saxophonist Tim Cunningham will perform at the Signature Room; and guitarist John Farrar will be playing solo at the Schlafly St. Louis Brewery & Tap Room.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band will be back for their monthly gig at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups; and the Webster University student jazz combos will perform at Webster's Community Music School.

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, Sandy Weltman, a benefit for Stacy Johnson, and more

Ready to hear some live jazz this weekend in St. Louis? Well, it's been a hectic week here at StLJN HQ, the result being that this post is going to be a rather minimal names-days-and-places kind of thing, without much in the way of additional commentary or recommendation.

Since all the touted gigs involve St. Louis musicians, there shouldn't be a whole lot of introductions needed, but as always, links back to the artists' sites are provided whenever available. Now, let's go the highlights....

Tonight, the Ambassadors of Swing will give a free outdoor concert at Watson Trail Pool, 12512 W. Watson in Crestwood. The performance will be followed by a screening of the animated film "Surf's Up."

Also tonight, singer Ralph Butler is at Robbie's House of Jazz, and bassist Dave Troncoso leads a trio at The Wine Press, 4436 Olive St. 63108,

On Friday, jazz/funk quartet Good 4 The Soul (pictured) returns to Jazz at the Bistro for the first of two nights.

Also on Friday, multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman will perform at City Music as part of their Friday night concert series; singer Feyza Eren and her group will be at Robbie's; and the St. Louis Big Band will play for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom. On the east side, drummer Paul Shaw's trio with bassist Bob DeBoo and tenor saxophonist Kristian Baarsvik will perform at the Cigar Inn,

On Saturday, keyboard player Tony Simmons will do a free, early evening outdoor show at Westport Plaza; and saxophonist Jerry Greene leads a quartet at Robbie's.

And this Sunday afternoon brings the summer edition of the St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show to the American Czech Center, 4690 Lansdowne Ave. on the south side.

Also on Sunday afternoon, there's a benefit performance at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups for blues and soul singer Stacy Johnson, who's suffered some serious health problems in recent years and has been unable to work for some time now. Johnson, who's 67, has been a fixture on the St. Louis music scene since the late 1950s, so there no doubt will be a good turnout of local blues players lending their talents to support the cause.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band will do their monthly gig 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.)

Sheldon Concert Hall to present benefit for tornado relief on Wednesday, May 18

A diverse lineup of local musicians will donate their time to raise money for St. Louis area victims of the recent tornadoes and floods in a concert to be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

The event will feature performances from traditional jazz band the St. Louis Stompers, pianist Carolbeth True with harmonica player Sandy Weltman, guitarist Rick Haydon, and pianist Stephanie Trick (pictured), as well as folk musicians John Higgins and Charlie Pfeffer, Beatles tribute band Pepperland and the gospel group Reborn.

All proceeds from the concert will go to the American Red Cross "to help local victims of the recent tornadoes and floods, and future disasters that impact our community." Tickets are $15 for general admission, and will go on sale 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 10 via Metrotix and www.thesheldon.org.

Jazz this week: New Year's Eve jazz in St. Louis, and more

While New Year's Eve isn't usually a particularly big night for live jazz in St. Louis, there seem to be slightly more than the usual number of jazz-related options out there this year.

Among the more noteworthy revels occurring this Thursday evening:

* Singer Erin Bode (pictured) and her band will be doing two performances at the Joe Buck Show Room, which is part of the sportscaster's JBuck's restaurant downtown on Clark St.;
* The Robert Edwards Big Band will play at Robbie's House of Jazz;
* Singer Kim Massie will be at Brandt's;
* Singer Cherilyn Evans & CEE JazzSoul are performing at Smoking Joe's Bar-Be-Que downtown on Washington Ave;
* Singer/pianist Anita Rosamond teams up with guitarist Grant Krener at Chandler Hill Wineries in Defiance.

As has been the case for the last few years, the city's premiere jazz room, Jazz at the Bistro, will be dark on New Year's Eve, yielding the streets in the immediate neighborhood to Grand Center's annual First Night event, which usually features a variety of music in addition to dance, theater, visual arts and family oriented activities.

Acts scheduled to perform at this year's First Night include singers Wendy Gordon and Jeannie Trevor; multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman's gypsy-jazz band Hot Club Caravan; singer Brian Owens; Le Jazz Hot (with pianist Ptah Williams, saxophonist Chad Evans, bassist Daryl Mixon and drummer Bensid Thigpen); Wackadoo (with singer Valerie Tichacek); and Jazz St. Louis executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford's blues band, the Blues Inquisition. For a complete schedule of performances, visit the First Night website.

Beyond New Year's Eve, it looks to be a relatively uneventful few days for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, save for some regular weekly standing gigs carrying over into the new year. That's not unusual - the first couple of weeks of the year are usually a slow time for live music, and with many people still on holiday, a lot of January schedule information from musicians and clubs has yet to arrive here at StLJN HQ.

As that info comes in, I'll be updating the the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar - which can be found on the left sidebar, or by clicking here - with the latest information on more jazz and creative music events this weekend and beyond. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or by becoming a "fan" of 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: Sampling the St. Louis scene

For the last Saturday video post of 2009, let's take a look at a grab-bag of clips featuring musicians and singers currently active on the St. Louis jazz and creative music scene. From the top, we've got:

* Singer Erin Bode and her band - bassist (and husband) Syd Rodway, keyboardist/guitarist Adam Maness, and drummer Derek Phillips - performing their original songs "Sydney Come Down" and "Chasing After You" in a show last January 31 at the Old Settlers' Inn in Moundridge, Kansas.

* The Bosman Twins, playing a multi-tempo take on Charlie Parker's "Dewey Square." Be sure to check out pianist Ptah Williams' solo starting at around 6:00 into the clip.

* Trumpeter Jim Manley with guitarist Travis Mattison doing "Take The A Train." This has a nice, relaxed just-a-couple-of-guys-sittin'-around-playin' quality that I found enjoyable.

* Hot Club Caravan, featuring the great Sandy Weltman on harmonica, with their version of "In A Sentimental Mood" from a show last summer in Kirkwood Park.

* Traditional jazz festival circuit favorites Cornet Chop Suey, completing a serendipitous Ellington trilogy with a version of "Caravan" (with a drum solo) recorded at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* The Urban Groove Project (a.k.a. UG Project) featuring Lamar Harris and Mo Egeston laying down a "Fela Groove" at the St. Louis Art Museum.

In addition to the customary previews of touring artists coming to town and historic clips from greats of the past, in 2010 I'd like to feature more videos from working St. Louis musicians and bands in this space. So if you're in St. Louis; you're doing jazz, creative music, improvisation or something related; and you've got a clip or clips on YouTube, let StLJN know about it by sending an email to stljaznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Jazz this week: Reggie Thomas and OGD, Lamar Harris and Tribal Funk, Kim Portnoy Trio, and more

Though ghosts, goblins and ghouls may reign supreme this Halloween weekend, it should still be possible for interested listeners to scare up some good jazz in St. Louis.

Tonight, singer Erin Bode and her group will help inaugurate a new "special events" room at Cyrano's in Webster Groves. There's no word yet if Cyrano's plans to make this new addition a regular venue for live music, but fans who in the past have packed in to see Bode perform in the main part of the restaurant no doubt will enjoy the extra elbow room.

On Friday and Saturday, keyboardist Reggie Thomas and his organ trio OGD will take the stage at Robbie's House of Jazz, augmented for the weekend by special guests Ronald Carter (pictured) on saxophone and Anthony Wiggins on trumpet. Thomas is one of the top keyboard talents in the area, and adding Carter and Wiggins to the mix will expand the band's sonic pallette considerably.

Also on Friday and Saturday, trombonist Lamar Harris and Tribal Funk will perform at Jazz at the Bistro. Harris' music blends jazz, funk, R&B and hip-hop, and though I haven't heard his newest project yet, given the name I'd expect an emphasis on beats and grooves.

On Sunday evening, pianist Kim Portnoy and his trio will team up with virtuoso harmonica player Sandy Weltman for a concert at 7:30 p.m. at Eliot Unitarian Chapel, 100 S. Taylor (at Argonne) in Kirkwood. Weltman's work on the chromatic harp is both technically impressive and emotionally expressive, and Portnoy is a thoughtful pianist and composer whose playing ranges from swinging to impressionistic. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door and can be purchased by calling 314- 662-2947.

As usually happens with the first of a new month coming up, some schedule information for November is still arriving at StLJN HQ. So, for updated information on more jazz and creative music events this weekend and beyond, check out the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, available for viewing on the left sidebar, or by clicking here. Also, you can now follow St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes and/or become a "fan" by signing up 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.)

Sheldon Concert Hall producing concerts in downtown St. Louis and Ste. Genevieve

Continuing its recent trend of producing concerts in other locations, the Sheldon Concert Hall organization is sponsoring two different concert series this summer: a set of free Thursday afternoon outdoor performances in downtown St. Louis during June, and a series of concerts at the historic Orris Theatre in Ste. Genevieve, MO.

The downtown St. Louis series will take place starting at 5:30 p.m. for four consecutive Thursdays at the Old Post Office Plaza at 801 Locust between 8th and 9th streets. At least a couple of the shows look to be of interest to jazz listeners, starting with a performance on June 4 by the Jeff Anderson Trio. Then there's a June 11 show by the Boneheads, an all-trombone quartet that does blues, jazz, classical, ragtime and doo-wop. Concerts featuring Los Flamencos (June 18) and the "acoustic folk-blues-swing" of Mayor Taylor (June 25) round out the series.

The series at the Orris Theater in Ste. Genevieve starts on Friday, June 5 with traditional jazz from the St. Louis Stompers. Other jazz shows in the series include
performances by vibist Jonathan Whiting's trio on July 10 and Gypsy jazz/swing group Hot Club Caravan on July 17. The Boneheads, Mayor Taylor and Los Flamencos also will perform in the Ste. Genevieve series, as will chamber music group Trio D'Anches and the Confluence Chamber Ensemble brass quintet.

Tickets for the Orris Theater shows are $10 each, and can be purchased in advance from the Ste. Genevieve Area Chamber of Commerce, 251 Market Street. For more information call the Chamber at 573-883-3686 or send email to stegenchamber@sbcglobal.net

Jazz this week: Dave Holland, Charlie Hunter, Reginald Robinson, the return of Jazz at Holmes, and more

This is the sort of week when it's good to be a jazz fan in St. Louis, with a nice variety of musical activity that includes both touring and local artists. Here, in chronological order, are a dozen noteworthy performances taking place at 11 different venues around town over the next seven days:

Let's start with guitarist Charlie Hunter, who opens this evening and performs through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Hunter's music definitely is technically impressive, given his virtuoso ability to play melody, chords and basslines all at once, but it's not all about technique; he also knows how to bring the funk and communicate with an audience. For some video samples of Hunter, see this post.

Also tonight, the 15-member Stone-Zelenka-Ota Free Improv Orchestra plays a one-time-only gig at the Way Out Club. For details and a complete list of all the players, see this previous post, and for a quick quote from show co-organizer Jay Zelenka, see this entry over on the Riverfront Times' music blog "A to Z."

On Thursday evening, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University begins its winter/spring set of shows with a free concert of jazz, pop and French cabaret music from the Poor People of Paris, who also opened the summer series in 2008. (No details are available yet on the rest of the Jazz at Holmes schedule for the semester, but as soon as yr. humble editor gets the info, it will be posted here on StLJN.)

Friday evening offers a proverbial plethora of musical options, including the massively talented ragtime/stride pianist Reginald Robinson, who's visiting from Chicago to do a free early-evening concert at the St. Louis Art Museum; multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman and Hot Club Caravan, who will be playing string-band Gypsy jazz and more at Brandt's; the Gateway City's own Funky Butt Brass Band, laying down a New Orleans-influenced groove at The Gramophone; and the Ambassadors of Swing, playing the big-band sound for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Then on Saturday, the Dave Holland Quintet performs at The Sheldon. Holland (pictured) has been one of the top bassists in jazz for four decades now, and in recent years his various small groups and big band have been among the most musically accomplished and critically acclaimed ensembles on the scene. His current quintet featuring saxophonist Chris Potter is especially tasty, and though it's only January, I fully expect this concert to be one of the highlights of 2009. For some some video of Holland in action, see this post. Also, note that the Sheldon is offering online buyers a $10 discount on tickets.

Moving on to Sunday, this week Bud Shultz and the You Can't Beat Experience Jazz Band will be doing their monthly session of traditional jazz at the Alton VFW Hall, as described here. And looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band is at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups; and on Tuesday, pianist Carolbeth True plays solo at Peppertini's, while the Andrew Miramonti Trio is next week's featured attraction in the ongoing Tuesday night jazz series at The Gramophone.

So, as promised, there you have it: 12 different groups/musicians with 12 different styles, 11 venues, seven days. That's certainly a lot of music for one week, but if your audio appetites remain unsated, you can always find more jazz-related activity in St. Louis this weekend and beyond by consulting the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(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: Dave Koz, Randy Holmes Sextet, Orange, Squid Choir Orkestra, and more

Here in these hot-and-humid dog days of August, the overall activity level of the St. Louis music scene may be down a bit, but there's still a good variety of jazz styles in the offing over the next few days.

This week's biggest show happens on Friday, when smooth jazz saxophonist and multimedia personality Dave Koz (pictured) performs at The Pageant. Koz may not be the most adventurous player around, but he's a capable melodist with good taste in sidemen and a showman's flair who has worked diligently to cultivate a loyal fan base, one that surely will be out in force on Friday.

Still, If Koz' mix of romanticism and polite funk isn't your cup of tea, you can also check out the Randy Holmes Sextet on Friday, as they'll be doing a free concert for Washington University's Jazz at Holmes summer series. There's no indication yet what's on the program, but Holmes' various ensembles typically range over fairly wide terrain encompassing bop, hard bop and 1960s modern jazz, and the musicianship is top notch. Afterwards, you can head over to the Delmar Loop and catch pianist, saxophonist and singer Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum performing standards and the Great American Songbook at Brandt's, or take in the Latin jazz sounds of Banda Caribe at Riddle's.

On Saturday, the explosive pianist Ptah Williams and his group will perform a free concert as part of the "Art & Soul Cafe" at Portfolio Gallery, 3514 Delmar (between Grand and Theresa). The free, family-friendly event runs from noon to 8:00 p.m. and also will feature African music, dance, hip-hop and poetry performances, plus vendors selling handcrafted art. You can see more details at www.betterfamilylife.org. Also on Saturday, multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman and Hot Club Caravan, his new band paying tribute to the "Gypsy jazz" style of Django Reinhardt, will play at Brandt's.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band continues their long-running series of gigs at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups. On Tuesday, there are several worthy choices, starting with traditional jazz and swing band Cornet Chop Suey, who are doing a free concert at Faust Park in Chesterfield. Also on Tuesday, the Erin Bode Group's Adam Maness and Syd Rodway bring their band Orange, with drummer Miles Vandiver and vibist Peter Schramb, to the Sheldon Concert Hall; the David Wiatrolik Trio plays at The Gramophone; and singer and actor Roland "Bob" Harris, who mixes blues and jazz with a bit of comedy and some show business stories, performs at Brandt's.

On Wednesday, Jay Zelenka, the improvising saxophonist/flutist/percussionist and mastermind of the Freedonia Music label, brings his electric ensemble Squid Choir Orkestra to south side rock venue the Way Out Club, 2525 S. Jefferson. Zelenka and bandmates Dave Stone and Aaron Smith (saxophones and clarinets), Jeremy Melsha (electronics and trombone) and Ajay Khanna (laptop computer) play what they call "a unique blend of power electronics and free jazz," and if that description sounds like your cup o' tea, the SCO definitely are worth a listen.

Also on Wednesday, saxophonist and former St. Louisan Ed Doney will be back in town to play with Park Avenue Jazz at Hammerstone's. Doney, a graduate of the Webster University music program, now lives at Lake of The Ozarks, where he works with keyboardist Mike Vyrostek. During his years in St. Louis, Doney played with a number of familiar musicians and groups, including Jules Blattner, Ralph Butler, the Sessions Big Band, Carol Beth True and Hard Bop Heritage.

For more St. Louis jazz-related events this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(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: Musica Slesa, Debby Lennon, Hot Club Caravan, Dave Black and more

There are no major touring jazz musicians visiting St. Louis this week, but there's still plenty of worthwhile musical activity involving local performers, including several free outdoor concerts. Let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, keyboardist Tony Simmons will play a free concert at Missouri Botanical Garden as part of the Whitaker Music Festival.

On Thursday, the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars, a student ensemble made up of the most accomplished young musicians participating in the organization's education programs, will open the show for pop-soul singer Ralph Butler, who's performing a free concert at St. Louis Place Park as part of the Whitaker "Urban Evenings" series. Also on Thursday, multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman will bring his group Hot Club Caravan to Brandt's.

Then on Friday and Saturday nights, Latin jazz group Musica Slesa returns to Jazz at the Bistro. (Sorry, no link, as apparently Musica Slesa have not yet gotten around to putting up a Web site or even a MySpace page.) Also on Friday, guitarist Dave Black and his trio will play at Brandt's. And on Saturday, singer Debby Lennon (pictured) will perform at the Cabaret at Savor.

On Sunday, singer Anita Rosamond will do a free concert at Carondelet Park, and on Monday, pianist Michael Lacey bring his traditional jazz band to St. Louis Square Park for yet another free show.

For more St. Louis jazz-related events this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(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: Legacy Jazz Quintet, BAG Trio, Erin Bode, and more

With no touring jazz acts in St. Louis this week, it's an opportune time for St. Louis listeners to check out some of our homegrown talent. Fortunately, there's a good bit of activity this weekend, starting tonight with a couple of educational events, namely New Music Circle's analog synthesis workshop at the Carpenter branch of the St. Louis Public Library and Jazz St. Louis' initial "Jazz 101" class at Jazz at the Bistro. Post-Dispatch pop critic Kevin Johnson has a bit more about the latter event in his column today.

Also tonight, the BAG Trio with Zimbabwe Nkenya, Mike Nelson and Gary Sykes will do a free concert as part of Washington University's Jazz at Holmes series, and multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman's new group Hot Club Caravan performs at Brandt's.

Speaking of new bands, this Friday and Saturday also marks the debut of the Legacy Jazz Quintet, led by pianist and Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap, at Jazz at the Bistro. Described as being "in the mold of the classic quintets of Miles Davis, Art Blakey and Horace Silver from the 1950s and 1960s," the group includes saxophonist Jason Swagler, trumpeter Tony Wiggins, bassist Nick Jost and drummer Marty Morrison.

Also on Friday, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis opens its musical play Ella, based on the life of singer Ella Fitzgerald; Trio Tres Bien performs at Brandt's; and singer Erin Bode (pictured) performs with her group at Revival, the swanky new restaurant in Midtown in the space formerly occupied by King Louie's. Bode is also in action on Saturday night, headlining a show at the Lucas School House concert club.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Tuesday Jazz St. Louis will present another of its "Jazz Perspectives" discussions at the Centene Center for Arts and Education, 3547 Olive Blvd, this time featuring the Heath Brothers, who will be in town next week to play the Bistro.

For more local jazz-related events, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(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.)

(Edited after posting to fix typos)

Jazz this week: Sara Gazarek; a tribute to Cannonball Adderley and Nancy Wilson; Steve Schenkel and Sandy Weltman; and more

While this week isn't quite as jam-packed with music as some others we've experienced recently, there's enough going on that the dedicated jazz listener can find something worth hearing just about every night.

For starters, there's singer Sara Gazarek (pictured), who's performing at Jazz at the Bistro through Saturday. I wrote about her in last Saturday's video post, and so rather than repeat myself here, I'll just add that Ms. Gazarek's music would seem to be an appropriate choice for those of you who might be looking for a Valentine's Day-weekend outing with your spouse or sweetheart. Music students also may be interested to know that in addition to doing two sets each night at the Bistro, Gazarek also is leading a master class that's free and open to the public at 10 a.m. Friday at the Webster University Community Music School, 8282 Big Bend Blvd.

Speaking of free, this week's free Thursday night concert in the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University features Danny Sher. I don't know much about Sher, but from what I understand, he's a young drummer who will be leading a four-piece group called Idiosyncracies. Said group may or may not also include tenor saxophonist Dave Stone and/or bassist Ben Wheeler - that's where my sources get a bit fuzzy - but all seem to agree that the band should be worth a listen.

Elsewhere this weekend, Cookie's Jazz and More has a tribute to Cannonball Adderley and Nancy Wilson featuring trumpeter Randy Holmes and singer and flute player Margaret Bianchetta on Friday and Trio Tres Bien with singer Danita Mumphard doing a Valentine's Day-themed program on Saturday.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday guitarist Steve Schenkel and genius multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman team up for a concert at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium, and the Sessions Big Band returns to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

And on Tuesday, trumpeter Terell Stafford will take part in one of Jazz St. Louis' "Jazz Perspectives" discussions at 6 p.m. at the Centene Center for Arts and Education, 3547 Olive Street. Stafford will be in town next week doing an educational residency, giving school concerts and working with Jazz St. Louis' various student programs during the week and then performing at the Bistro on Friday and Saturday.

As always, these highlights represent just a few of the musical options that are out there; for more St. Louis jazz events this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.

(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.)