So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Sheldon's jazz series for the 2021-22 season is previewed in an article by the St. Louis American's Danielle Brown.

* Merci, Miles! Live at Vienne, featuring previously unrelased recordings of one of Miles Davis' final live shows in the summer of 1991, is out today as a 2-CD set or vinyl double LP.

* The Bosman Twins (pictured) were interviewed on the most recent episode of Hank Thompson's KDHX podcast "Tangazo."

* The Post-Dispatch/STLtoday this week went into their archives to republish photos and a story about the night in 1965 when Frank Sinatra and the "Rat Pack" came to St. Louis to perform in a charity benefit. There's also a video of the event, which can be seen on YouTube.

* Keep Live Alive St. Louis last week announced that they've raised more than $100,000 to help local music industry workers who lost income due to the pandemic.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Ulysses Owens, Jr

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

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation this week announced that they'll be taking applications for their 2021-22 artist-in-residency program starting Tuesday, June 15. The program is open to all individual artists - visual arts, writers, filmmakers, etc - as well as musicians. The deadline to apply is August 1; for more information or to submit an application, go to https://www.kranzbergartsfoundation.org/residencies/.

* The Sheldon's Peter Palermo discusses the hall's immediate post-pandemic plans and next season in an interview with the St. Louis American's Danielle Brown..

* Drummer and educator Henry Ettman will be teaching a jazz course online next month via the Washington University Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. "New Sounds, New Artists, New Scenes: Jazz in the 21st Century" will explore "new and evolving artists and groups, changing jazz styles from mainstream to avant-garde, and the impact of external forces such as technology, political/cultural turbulence and the pandemic." The course will meet (online) from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Wednesdays starting July 7, continuing through July 28. To register, go to https://osher.wustl.edu/course-registration-2/ or call (314) 935-4237.

* The connections between Miles Davis' late-period electric music and "punk jazz" are elucidated in a review of the trumpeter's album Dark Magus newly published on the swesite PunkNews.org.

* Asleep at the Wheel's Ray Benson was interviewed by Daniel Durchholz for the Post-Dispatch in advance of the band's gig tonight at the Fox Theatre.

* Pianist Peter Martin's company Open Studio is introducing another weekly webcast, this one starring drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. in "a journey through all things #DRUMS with various guest drummers, musicians, artists, and music industry professionals." The program will air live at 5:00 p.m. Wednesdays on the company's Facebook page, starting next week with drummer Lewis Nash as the featured guest/interviewee.

The Sheldon announces 2021-22 schedule

After more than a year of presenting mostly livestreaming performances due to the COVID pandemic, The Sheldon has announced its schedule of concerts for the 2021-22 season, starting in September.

The hall's "Rhythm & Jazz" series will include performances from New Orleans drummer Herlin Riley (Saturday, November 20); singer Dianne Reeves (Saturday, January 22); "Bessie, Billie & Nina - Pioneering Women in Jazz," starring singers Charenée Wade,  Camille Thurman, and Tahira Clayton (Saturday, March 3); and "The Great Guitars," with guitarists Martin Taylor, Frank Vignola, and John Jorgenson (Saturday, May 7).

In addition to these shows, trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra (pictured) will perform in a non-subscription series concert on Thursday, October 21.

The Sheldon's "Coffee Concerts" series of Tuesday and Wednesday morning performances also will include some shows of interest to StLJN readers, with appearances scheduled for singers Erin Bode (October 12 & 13), Dean Christopher (November 9 & !0), Janet Evra (March 15 & 16) and Anita Jackson (April 18 & 20).

Subscriptions to the "Rhythm & Jazz" series are $160 each for orchestra seating, $140 for the balcony, while a "Coffee Concerts" subscription will be $75 for orchestra seating, $65 for the balcony. In addition to these two series, the Sheldon's 2021-22 schedule also includes slates of folk and classical concerts; see their website for details.

New series subscriptions will go on sale on Monday, June 7 via the Sheldon box office and Metrotix, with the date for single ticket sales and single ticket pricing still TBA.

"Music at the Intersection" festival announces lineup of performers

The "Music at the Intersection" festival first announced last year by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation and other Grand Center organizations has released the list of bands and musicians who will perform at the event, now scheduled for the weekend of Friday, September 10 through Sunday, September 12.

The roster includes 60 different acts, encompassing a variety of genres from jazz, blues, and old-school soul to Americana, hip-hop, and neo-soul.

Among the headliners who may be of particular interest to StLJN readers are vibraphonist Roy Ayers (pictured); singers Gregory Porter, Lalah Hathaway, and Bettye Lavette; New Orleans brass band the Soul Rebels with Wu-Tang Clan's GZA as special guest; keyboardists Booker T. Jones and Jon Cleary, and two jazz acts with a local connection, trumpeter Keyon Harrold and the Baylor Project, featuring St. Louis native Marcus Baylor on drums.

In addition to the national acts, the festival will program approximately four dozen local/regional bands and musicians, including something called the "Clark Terry Centennial Project," as well as Tonina, Funky Butt Brass Band, Denise Thimes, Anita Jackson, and just about all the performers currently designated at "music artists-in-residence" by the Kranzberg foundation. You can see the complete list of performers on the festival's website.

Participating venues will include the Fox Theatre, The Big Top, The Sheldon, Jazz St. Louis, the Grandel Theatre, and the Grandel's "Open Air" tent, but individual show lineups and venues still are TBA.

Tickets start at $63.50 for Friday and $80.50 for Saturday and Sunday, or a full weekend pass for $179, and will go on sale via Metrotix at 10:00 a.m. next Tuesday, May 18. VIP packages, including premium seating at the Fox, parking, and VIP bar service, also will be available for an additional charge.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Still more livestreams from St. Louis...

This week, we're back to bringing you a selection of recent livestreams presented by St. Louis musicians and venues, starting up above with a set from guitarist Eric Slaughter, recorded on March 23 at Jazz St. Louis and released online this past week. Slaughter is joined by a band including Jason Swagler (alto sax, flute), Adaron “Pops” Jackson (keyboards), Jahmal Nichols (bass) and Montez Coleman (drums).

After the jump, you can see a set from singer Emily Wallace with pianist Adam Maness' trio, recorded March 31 at Jazz St. Louis. Along with Wallace and Maness, the musicians are Adam Hucke (vocals, trumpet), Bob DeBoo (bass), and Montez Coleman (drums).

That's followed by a set from singer Cheri Evans and band, recorded on April 10 at the "Open Air" tent outside The Grandel.

Next up, it's The 442s, in a set recorded on April 7 at The Sheldon. The group featues Adam Maness on keyboards and various other instruments, along with Shawn Weil (violin), Michael Casimir (viola), Bjorn Ranheim (cello), and Bob DeBoo (bass), along with guest musicians Peter Henderson (piano) and Brendan Fitzgerald (bass).

The fifth video is from the most recent installment of Jazz St. Louis' "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series, and focuses on the impact of music from the year 1959 in shaping jazz for the next couple of decades. The program features a talk from author Ashley Kahn, followed by a set from a live band led by Bob DeBoo performing music from the four albums from 1959 given special attention in the program: Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, Dave Brubeck’s Time Out, Charles Mingus’ Mingus Ah Um, and Ornette Coleman’s The Shape of Jazz to Come.

The final video documents a show from this past week by a student combo drawn from the North County Big Band, a group of high school students sponsored by The Sheldon and HEAL Center for the Arts. Directed by saxophonist and HEAL Center founder Harvey Lockhart, the young players performing the music of Duke Ellington are Tayari Chambers (alto sax), Walter Turner (tenor sax), Asia Brantley (trumpet), Laylah Williams (bass), and Jalen Jackson (drums).

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Sheldon this week announced that their annual fund-raising gala will take place online on Saturday, April 10. The event will be hosted by Chris Thile, the singer, mandolinist and former presenter of public radio's "Live From Here," and will include performances from Wynton Marsalis, John Pizzarelli, Dianne Reeves and Peter Martin, and more. For more information or to register, visit The Sheldon's website.

* Woodwind players and St. Louis natives J.D. Parran (pictured) and Marty Ehrlich are among the musicians featured in composer Joseph Daley's new commissioned work “Colorations-Explorations,” which debuted this week on video with Parran directing an ensemble featuring 18 clarinets of various ranges (including Ehrlich), percussionist Warren Smith, and a rhythm section.

* The Cabaret Project of St. Louis has posted a trailer for their upcoming online show featuring pianist and singer Billy Stritch performing music associated with Mel Torme. The concert will stream on Saturday, January 23 and Saturday, January 30, with advance reservations now available online.

* Saxophonist Greg Osby recently released an album called Reflections of the Eternal Line as part of an unusual trio with Swiss drummer ⁦Florian Arbenz⁩ and painter Stephan Spicher, and you can read the story behind the recording as recounted by Arbenz in a post on the website JazzItOut.com.

* St. Louis Public Radio's "St. Louis On The Air" on Thursday broadcast the story of “I’m Dreaming of No One But You,” written in 1942 by Leona Augustine of Washington MO and re-discovered by her grandson Jacob Luecke, who's releasing a brand new big-band recording of the song.

* In the latest developments in the recent story about trumpeter Keyon Harrold and his teenage son, Miya Ponsetto, the woman now facing assault charges after falsely accusing Harrold Jr. of theft, took part in a contentious and controversial interview with TV presenter Gayle King of CBS This Morhing, while the elder Harrold has called for a boycott of Arlo Hotels, which operates the NYC hotel where the incident took place.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Regional Arts Commission, nearly 20 local performing arts organizations including Jazz St. Louis and The Sheldon, and HEC TV are teaming up for "Arts United STL," a virtual benefit to support the RAC Artist Relief Fund that will take place starting at 7:00 p.m. this coming Sunday, May 31.

The free online event aims to raise more than $250,000 through sponsorships and 1,000 individual donations to provide emergency aid to St. Louis working artists whose livelihoods have been critically interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. You can watch on HEC-TV (see your TV provider's channel guide for info) or online at https://www.opera-stl.org/explore-and-learn/for-everyone/arts-united-stl.

* Drummer and East St. Louis native Terreón "Tank" Gully is featured in the latest episode of the online video series "Just Jazz Cafe."

* The latest episode of saxophonist David Sanborn's web series "Sanborn Sessions," featuring vocalist Cyrille Aimée, is online and available for viewing now.

* Trumpeter Jim Manley was the featured guest on last week's episode of the Shock City School of Music podcast "Coffee Conversations."

* The early Sixties transitional period between trumpeter Miles Davis' two "great quintets" was the topic of "Miles Between: Miles Davis 1961-1963," this week's episode of Indiana public radio station WFIU's "Night Lights" program.

* In honor of the 94th anniversary of Davis' birth, SiriusXM's "Real Jazz" channel last week aired "A Miles Davis Birthday Celebration" featuring three hours of the trumpeter's music.

Edited after posting to fix a typo.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Jazz St. Louis has extended the application period for their 2020-21 JazzU program, and the new deadline for middle school and high school students to apply is Friday, May 29. Auditions that had been scheduled for early June now will be held July 20-23. For more information, visit the Jazz St. Louis website.

* The Sheldon this week debuted a new look for their website, and to commemorate the occasion, they got pianist Peter Martin (pictured) to do a special solo performance on video.

* Jazz St. Louis and The Sheldon are among the local arts institutions taking part in "Arts United STL" a virtual benefit for local working artists that will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 31.

* Music venue The Ready Room has permanently closed their space in the Grove neighborhood, but according to the report from the Riverfront Times' Daniel Hill, the club's owners are seeking a new location to reopen once live shows can resume.

* Singer and pianist Kandace Springs was the featured guest last week on an episode of the KTRS program "In the Know with Ray Hartmann."

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation, which operates The Dark Room, Kranzberg Arts Center, Grandel Theater and other local venues, has surveyed the public asking what respondents would need to feel safe returning to the Foundation's spaces following the COVID-19 pandemic. Top replies include "A vaccine," "Limited venue capacity," "being able to avoid lines," "outdoor performance opportunities" and "availability of hand sanitizer."

Sheldon Concert Hall announces 2020-21 season schedule

From left: Pat Metheny, Camille Thurman, Kurt Elling

The Sheldon Concert Hall has announced their 2020-21 season schedule, and it includes a number of performances of interest to StLJN readers.

From a jazz fan's perspective, the season effectively starts with the annual Friends of the Sheldon Benefit, this year featuring guitarist Pat Metheny, on Saturday, October 17.

Next up is another show designated as a "special concert" (i.e. not part of any subscription series), as the Count Basie Orchestra will perform on Friday, November 6.

The "Rhythm & Jazz" series officially gets underway the following week with the the Philadelphia Reunion Band, featuring organist Joey DeFrancesco, guitarist Kevin Eubanks, pianist Orrin Evans, and drummer Lil John Roberts, on Saturday, November 14.

The series also will include "The Great Guitars" featuring Martin Taylor, Frank Vignola and John Jorgenson on Saturday, January 30; "Bessie, Billie & Nina: Pioneering Women in Jazz," with singers Charenée Wade and Tahira Clayton and saxophonist Camille Thurman, on Saturday, March 6; and singer Kurt Elling on Saturday, May 1.

The late-morning "Coffee Concerts" series will begin with performances from singer Erin Bode on Tuesday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 14, followed by singer and impressionist Dean Christopher’s “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime: A Tribute to Dean Martin" on Tuesday, November 10 and Wednesday, November 11.

After that, it's the holiday offering "Winter Wonderland" with musical theater performers Zoe Vonder Haar, John Flack, Ben Nordstrom, Emily Kuhn and Steve Neale on Tuesday, December 8 and Wednesday, December 9.

The series continues in the new year with bassist and singer Janet Evra on Tuesday, March 16 and Wednesday, March 17, and singer Anita Jackson on Tuesday, April 20 and Wednesday, April 21.

Other performances of potential interest to jazz and creative music enthusiasts include the return of new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, on Friday, January 15; tabla player Zakir Hussain on Saturday, April 1; and St. Louis' own The 442s on Wednesday, April 7.

Tickets for the benefit gala with Pat Metheny are $200 for patrons, and are on sale now. Concert-only tickets will be priced from $55 to $100, and will go on sale Friday, August 8.

Subscriptions to the "Rhythm & Jazz" series are $140 to $160, and "Coffee Concerts" subscriptions are $65 to $75. New subscription sales will begin at 10:00 a.m. Monday, May 11 via phone at 314-533-9900 and online at thesheldon.org. The Sheldon also offers a “Choose Your Own” option that allows tickets buyers to include shows from multiple series, including "Rhythm & Jazz," folk, classical, and world music.

Single tickets for the "Rhythm & Jazz" series are priced from $30 to $50, depending on the performer and the seat, and will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 8. Single tickets for "Coffee Concerts" are $15 and $18, and go on sale the same day.

Jazz this week: COVID-19 outbreak leads to cancellations, postponements

With the COVID-19 crisis leading to restrictions on the size of public gatherings and the closing of local bars and restaurants for everything but delivery and takeout service, all live music in St. Louis is effectively shut down for the next eight weeks.

A number of local presenters and venues have announced specific details about closings, cancellations, postponements, refunds for tickets already purchased, and related issues. Those announcements include:

* Jazz St. Louis released a statement this week saying that they are postponing all performances at their facility until at least Wednesday, May 27, and are suspending educational programs, including Jazz U and Jazz Academy, until at least April 3.

The statement continued, "Ticketholders do not have to do anything at this time except keep their tickets. They will be honored for the rescheduled show. We already are working with the artists to reschedule this Spring’s shows. Once we have done so, we will notify you of the dates and you will have the opportunity at that time to change nights or apply the value of your tickets toward a different show."

* The Sheldon Concert Hall has canceled or postponed all scheduled events through May 1. Plans to reschedule some events are underway, and ticket buyers have been told to retain their current tickets, as they will be honored for the new date. For details on which shows have been postponed and which will not be rescheduled, see The Sheldon's website.

* The Pageant, Delmar Hall and Blueberry Hill have postponed or cancelled all shows through the end of April. Details on rescheduling, refunds and related issues can be found on a dedicated page on The Pageant's website.

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation has closed all its associated venues, including The Dark Room, Kranzberg Arts Center, .ZACK, Grandel Theatre, Sophie's Artist Lounge and High Low, through May 11. Ticket holders for events at these venues will be contacted by Metrotix to ask if they want a refund or would like to donate the money to KAF.

* A post on social media from Broadway Oyster Bar announced that "BOB's dining and music venues will be closed until further notice," while the restaurant continuing to offer carryout and delivery service.

* Blue Strawberry sent out an email stating that they will be "closing our doors for the next 16 days. Our next currently open day is Thursday, April 2." Tickets already purchased will honored for rescheduled dates, can be exchanged for another scheduled show, or can be refunded, depending on the buyer's preference.

While not every venue or presenter has made a specific announcement yet, given current conditions the default assumption at this time should be that they are closed. For specific details, check their websites (many of which are linked on the sidebar here) and/or social media, or call.

As for StLJN, since a lot of the coverage here revolves around live shows, things here will be changing for the time being, too.

This likely will be the last "Jazz This Week" post for a while, until local presenters and venues start up again. The regular round-ups of local news and recent music-related links will continue on Fridays and Sundays, respectively, and there will be Saturday video posts, though they'll be focused on topics other than previewing upcoming performances.

In addition, StLJN will continue to cover any relevant breaking news as it happens, so to make sure you don't miss out on anything, subscribe to the StLJN email digest (it's free!), and follow StLJN on Facebook and Twitter.

Jazz this week: Kuzu, Galactic, Julian Lage & Dave King, Dikeman/ACA Quartet, Soul Message Band, SFJAZZ Collective, and more

It's a busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with a half-dozen noteworthy shows from visiting performers offering funk, free jazz, re-imaginations of music from two iconic artists, and much more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, March 11
Improvising trio Kuzu (pictured, top left), featuring guitarist Tashi Dorji, drummer Tyler Damon and saxophonist Dave Rempis, will perform in a New Music Circle concert at Joe's Cafe.

You can find out more, and see and hear performances on video from all three of them, separately and together, in this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Also on Wednesday, cabaret grande dame Marilyn Maye continues with her second of three nights of performances with the Jazz St. Louis Big Band; and Jazz St. Louis' "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series presents a free event with author William Studdart discussing his book The Jazz War: Radio Nazism, and the Struggle for the Airwaves in WW2 at the St. Louis County Library.

Thursday, March 12
New Orleans funk/jazz band Galactic (pictured, center left) returns to perform at Delmar Hall.

You can find out more about what they've been up to since their last appearance here, and see videos of some recent performances in this post from Saturday before last.

UPDATE - 10:00 a.m., 3/12/20: In an announcement made this morning on Twitter,  Galactic has canceled all tour dates, including tonight's show in St. Louis, until Saturday, March 28.

Also on Thursday, guitarist Julian Lage and drummer Dave King bring their "pop-up" tour to Gaslight Studio, and Dutch saxophonist John Dikeman headlines a bill of free improvisors at the Way Out Club.

Elsewhere around town, Chicago-based organ trio Soul Message Band will perform at The Dark Room, and two more Chicago-based musicians, saxophonist Rob Denty and drummer Tim Mulvenna, will team up with guitarist Vincent Varvel to play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

UPDATE - 7:45 a.m., 3/12/20: In a message published Wednesday night on Facebook, the Jazz at Holmes series announced that the remaining shows for the spring semester, including this week's Denty/Mulvenna/Varvel concert, have been cancelled, in keeping with Wash U's policy regarding current public health concerns over the coronavirus.

Friday, March 13
Keyboardist Dave Grelle's Playadors perform for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis, and singer Erin Bode will present at a concert at Focal Point.

Also on Friday, the Ambassadors of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and the Mineral Area College Carol Moore Memorial Jazz Festival, with trombonist Michael Dease as the featured guest, gets underway for the first of two nights at the Mineral Area College Theater in Park Hills, MO.

Saturday, March 14
The all-star SFJAZZ Collective (pictured, bottom left) will perform at the Sheldon Concert Hall, featuring new arrangements of music from Miles Davis' In A Silent Way and Sly and the Family Stone's Stand!.

You can find out more about about the Miles/Sly project and see some brief musical excerpts on video in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, bassist and singer Janet Evra leads her quartet at Evangeline's, and saxophonist Tim Cunningham returns to Troy's Listening Room.

Sunday, March 15
The Original Knights Of Swing will play a matinee at the Opera House of Pacific; the Coleman Hughes Project celebrates seven years as a band with a show at HollyLou Entertainment; and the JazzU Big Band student ensemble performs at Jazz St. Louis.

Tuesday, March 17
Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge, and pianist Kim Portnoy teams up with voice faculty members from Webster U and Webster alumna Erin Bode for  "The Poetry Project" at Union Avenue Christian Church.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: SFJAZZ Collective plays Sly and Miles

This week, let's take a look at some videos featuring the SFJAZZ Collective, who will be coming back to St. Louis to perform next Saturday, March 14 at The Sheldon.

Formed in 2004, the SFJAZZ Collective is an eight-member, all-star group that's based at San Francisco's presenting and producing organization SFJAZZ, while drawing players from all over the country.

The band's personnel has evolved over the years, as individual members have moved on and been replaced, but they've continued to follow a basic blueprint for an annual album and tour.  Each year,  the group's members create original arrangements based on the works of a specific composer, then come together to perform that material, first in a local residency in San Francisco, then in a recording session and, finally, on tour.

There are a couple of new twists this year, though, as rather than focusing on a single composer, the Collective is re-imagining material from two celebrated albums released in 1969, Sly and The Family Stone’s Stand! and Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way.

In addition, to facilitate that material, this year's edition of the band features its first-ever vocalist, Martin Luther McCoy, and first guitarist, Adam Rogers. Trumpeter Etienne Charles (who, coincidentally, is playing here this week leading his own band at Jazz St. Louis) is the other new addition this year, joining previous members David Sanchez (tenor sax), Warren Wolf (vibraphone), Edward Simon (piano), Matt Brewer (bass), and Obed Calvaire (drums).

You can get a small taste of what the Sly/Miles project is like in the first video up above, created by SFJAZZ to promote the tour and album.

After the jump, you can see short videos that give a taste of the Collective's arrangements of Davis' "In A Silent Way" and Stone's "You Can Make It If You Try" and "(I Want To Take You) Higher," followed by a short clip of them rehearsing Sly's "Sex Machine."

The final video shows how the Collective implemented their approach on another famous Davis piece, the title track of Bitches Brew, as performed by the 2016 version of the band.

For more about the SFJAZZ Collective and their current tour, read the feature story about the band that ran last October in DownBeat, and the interview with vocalist Martin Luther McCoy published this week on the Chicago Symphony's website.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist David Sanborn (pictured) has released the third episode of his new online video series "Sanborn Sessions." It features Sanborn with singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke and guitarist Charlie Hunter, accompanied by drummer Billy Kilson and bassist Ben Williams, and can be seen in the embed window at the bottom of this post.

* The Sheldon has posted to Facebook an album of photos from last Saturday's concert by pianist Christian Sands.

* Wednesday night's "Bitches Brew at 50" program at Jazz St. Louis was the subject of a feature story from St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin.

* Also from St. Louis Public Radio, singer and keyboardist Katarra Parson was profiled by reporter Chad Davis. Parson also can be heard on Thursday's episode of the station's "The Gateway" podcast.

* The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and guest saxophone soloist Timothy McAllister next month will present the U.S. premiere of "A Kind of Trane," a new concerto by French composer Guillaume Connesson that was inspired by John Coltrane.

* Speaking of premieres, the biographical documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool is set to be broadcast for the first time on Tuesday, February 25 as part of the PBS series American Masters.

* The Circus Harmony band, which accompanies performances by circus pros and students at the City Museum and is directed by Webster University professor Jeffrey Carter, was the subject of a feature story in Webster's campus paper The Journal.

Jazz this week: "Bitches Brew" at 50, Storm Large, Valentine's Day jazz, and more

If you're looking for something musical to do for Valentine's Day, this week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes plenty of options.

However, seating availability already may be scarce for some of these shows, especially on Friday night, so depending on the venue, you may need to make reservations or call ahead to assure a spot. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 12
Jazz St. Louis continues their "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series with "Bitches Brew at 50," featuring writer and musician George Grella, who wrote a book about the landmark Miles Davis album for the 33 1/3 series.

Grella's talk will be followed by a performance from a band including trumpeter Danny Campbell, keyboardists Adam Maness and Adaron "Pops" Jackson, saxophonist Kendrick Smith, bassis Bob DeBoo, percussionist Matt Henry, and drummer Montez Coleman.

Thursday, February 13
Singer Storm Large (pictured) returns for another performance at Blue Strawberry, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor plays a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Also on Thursday, singer Erin Bode begins a three-day run of Valentine's Day shows continuing through Saturday at Jazz St. Louis, and songwriter Al Hammerman presents "Meet Me at the Corner," a program of his original songs, at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The show will feature singers Alan Ox, Brian Owens, Arvell Keithley and Feyza Eren singing Hammerman's compositions, with proceeds benefitting the Old Newsboys  Fund for Children's Charities.

Friday, February 14
Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will perform at Evangeline's; bassist and singer Janet Evra plays at Blue Strawberry; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham will play for the first of two nights at Troy's Listening Room.

Elsewhere around town, singer Ralph Williams performs at Cigar Inn; multi-instrumentalist T.J. Muller presents "Love Songs of the 1930s" at Focal Point; and saxophonist Larry Johnson and guitarist Randy Bahr will play both Friday and Saturday at Tompkins by The Rack House, a recent addition to downtown St. Charles.

Saturday, February 15
Singer Feyza Eren performs in a late-morning matinee at the Sheldon Concert Hall, and drummer Kaleb Kirby and his band are back for late night at The Dark Room.

Sunday, February 16
Singer and guitarist Tommy Halloran plays for brunch at The Dark Room; the Original Knights Of Swing return for a matinee at the Opera House of Pacific; and drummer Demarius Hicks and friends will play an early-evening show at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

Monday, February 17
The Webster University Jazz Collective will perform in concert at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

Tuesday, February 18
Cabaret Project St. Louis presents 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.)

Jazz this week: Kurt Rosenwinkel; Christian Sands; J.D. Parran, K. Curtis Lyle and friends; Too Many Zooz, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features headlining appearances from a top guitarist and a rising young pianist; free improvisation from a renowned St. Louis native and friends; a rowdy trio of former subway buskers; and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 5
Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel performs for the first of five nights continuing through Sunday at Jazz St. Louis.

Since his last headlining appearance here in 2006, Rosenwinkel (pictured, top left) has evolved from an up-and-coming player into a significant voice internationally among contemporary guitarists. You can see and hear some recent samples of his playing on video in this post from last Saturday.

Thursday, February 6
Multi-instrumentalist Jeff Anderson will pick up his tenor sax to lead a group in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Also on Thursday, pianist Adam Maness' trio is back at Thurman's in Shaw, and The Dark Room has a double feature with guitarist Dave Black at the dinner hour and saxophonist Scooter Brown playing the late show.

Friday, February 7
"Brasshouse" trio Too Many Zooz, featuring the flamboyant virtuoso baritone saxophonist Leo Pellegrino, will perform at Off Broadway.

In the last five years, they've gone from being literally an underground sensation, playing for tips in the NYC subway, to touring internationally and having their music featured in a national TV commercial from Google. And while Pellegrino's stage antics may get a lot of attention, he's a formidable musical presence as well.

Also on Friday, bassist Darrell Mixon and Friends will play at The Judson House; the Midwest Jazz-tette serves up West Coast cool jazz at The Abbey in Belleville; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes make their cabaret debut at Blue Strawberry.

Saturday, February 8
Pianist Christian Sands (pictured, bottom left) and his trio will be "Remembering Erroll Garner" in a performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Sands, one of the top young pianists in jazz, has played here before with bassist Christian McBride but will be making his St. Louis debut as a bandleader with this show. You can find out more about Sands and see and hear some samples of his playing on video in this post from Saturday before last.

Also on Saturday, multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis native J.D. Parran, poet K. Curtis Lyle and Friends will perform improvised music with spoken word in a free show at St. Louis University's Xavier Hall.

Sunday, February 9
Bassist and singer Janet Evra plays for brunch at The Dark Room, and Genesis Jazz Project will feature a guest performance from singer Robert Nelson as part of their matinee performance at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

Monday, February 10
Dizzy Atmosphere plays for diners at The Shaved Duck, and singer Debby Lennon leads a quartet in a concert at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University campus.

Tuesday, February 11
Keyboardist and singer Jesse Gannon returns to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Christian Sands & "Remembering Erroll Garner"

It's been a good winter for St. Louis fans of jazz piano. We've got three top-shelf pianists performing here in as many weeks, starting last night with Matthew Shipp at the 560 Music Center; continuing next week with Aaron Diehl at the same venue; and then Christian Sands, who will be performing a program titled "Remembering Erroll Garner" on Saturday, February 8 at The Sheldon

Erroll Garner was a major star in jazz from the 1940s until his death at age 52 in 1977. He's probably most remembered today as the composer of the standard "Misty," but Garner's distinctive self-taught piano style, which incorporated elements from stride to bebop - effectively bridging the pre- and post-WWII eras of jazz - earned much respect from his contemporaries and still offers plenty to consider and enjoy.

Though Sands, a 31-year-old graduate of Manhattan School of Music who's originally from Connecticut, has played here before with bassist Christian McBride, his upcoming Sheldon performance will be his first here as a bandleader. So today's collection of videos attempts to provide an introductory overview of his playing via a half-dozen relatively recent performances, starting in the first video up above, which includes three tunes that Sands played in October 2018 at Paste Studio in NYC.

After the jump, you can see Sands, bassist Luques Curtis, and drummer and East St. Louis native Terreon Gully doing "My Funny Valentine" in November of last year at Cadogan Hall in London.

The next three videos show Sands performing "Can't Find My Way Home" in October 2019 at the Kahilu Theatre in Honolulu, HI; "Song Of The Rainbow People," recorded in 2018 at the Blue Whale in Los Angeles; and "L-O-V-E" in the studios of radio station WBGO in Newark, NJ.

The final clip features the pianist offering his take on a somewhat unlikely piece of material, the children's song "If You're Happy and You Know It," as recorded in February 2016 at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH.

For more about Christian Sands, read the profile of him published last January in Jazz Times, and his interview with Keyboard magazine from 2017. One complete version of his Erroll Garner tribute show, as performed in June 2018 at Scullers in Boston, can be heard here.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

Jazz this week: Matthew Shipp, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Funky Butt Brass Band, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a solo performance from a singular pianist, the local debut of a rising star on organ, a new album release from a hometown favorite band, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 22
Organist Delvon Lamarr and his trio will make their St. Louis debut with the first of five nights of performances continuing through Sunday at Jazz St. Louis.

The Seattle-based Lamarr, who cites Booker T and the MGs as a major influence, formed the band in 2015 and they've issued two recordings so far, both of which made the top 10 of the US jazz albums chart.

Thursday, January 23
Pianist Kara Mehrmann and her quartet will perform in a free concert to kick off this semester's offerings from the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; drummer Steve Davis' band with singer Feyza Eren plays at Joe's Cafe; and guitarist Vincent Varvel leads a trio The Dark Room

Friday, January 24
Pianist Matthew Shipp (pictured, top left) will perform in a solo concert presented by New Music Circle and Washington University at 560 Music Center. (Shipp also will present a free "artist talk" on Friday afternoon in Room 102 of the Music Classroom Building on the Wash U campus.)

Shipp's improvised solo performances defy easy description, but you can sample several of them via video in this post from Saturday before last.

Also on Friday, the Jazz Troubadours perform at Evangeline's; singer Robert Nelson returns to Parkside Grille; and the eclectic multi-instrumentalist Sam Golden has rounded up a posse of like-minded St. Louis players to perform as Fiddlin' Sam and the Golden Bolo Band for a "Western Swing Showcase" at Focal Point.

Saturday, January 25
Singer and actress Sara Sheperd, who's starred on Broadway in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, brings her cabaret show "Female On Fire - A Celebration of Female Singer/Songwriters" to Blue Strawberry; Miss Jubilee performs for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and The Gaslight Squares return to the Frisco Barroom.

Sunday, January 26
The Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured, bottom left) will promote the release of their latest recording Onward with a matinee performance at Off Broadway; and jazz-fusion trio Tracer, aka pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Darrell Mixon and drummer Gary Sykes, continues their weekly residency at Troy's Listening Room.

Monday, January 27
Guitarist Dave Black leads a quartet in a concert at the Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster University campus.

Tuesday, January 28
Singer Jan Shapiro, pianist Dave Venn and bassist Eric Warren perform at Evangelines, and Arvell Keithley, Jim Manley and the Wild, Cool & Swingin' Horns return for another encore performance at the Gaslight Theater.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Winter/spring 2020 jazz preview, part four

It's time for the latest installment in StLJN's winter/spring 2020 jazz preview, featuring videos of noteworthy bands and musicians who will be coming here to perform over the next few months. This is part four of the series, which lists the shows in chronological order. You can see part one here, part two here, and part three here.

Picking up where last week's post left off, the next visitors to our town will be famed vocal group The Manhattan Transfer, making their first-ever club appearances here before what likely will be packed houses starting Wednesday, April 1 through Sunday, April 5 at Jazz St. Louis.

Given that they've been a major act for more than 40 years now and still headline at much larger venues and festivals - like the Nisville International Jazz Festival in Serbia where today's first video was recorded in August 2018 - demand for tickets should be brisk.

The next weekend, Jazz St. Louis will present another ad hoc combination of musicians in town for educational residencies, this time featuring saxophonists James Carter and Roxy Coss and trumpeter Riley Mulherkar on Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11. 

Carter can be seen in the first video after the jump, performing with his organ trio in 2018 at the Sons D'Hiver festival in Paris.

The next clip features Coss, performing music from her most recent album Quintet earlier this month in the studios of radio station KNKX in Tacoma, WA.

As for Mulherkar, while there are a number of videos online of him playing with The Westerlies, the brass quartet he co-founded, drummer Sammy Miller's band and others, there's a paucity of recent clips showing him as featured soloist with a small ensemble. As a result, he's seen in the next video, which was featured on his YouTube channel, leading the band and playing a brief solo behind singer
Dee Dee Bridgewater doing "St. James Infirmary" as recorded in September, 2016 at Jazz at Lincoln Center. 

Next up, it's Cuban-born pianist Harold Lopez-Nussa, who will return here to perform Wednesday, April 15 through Sunday, April 19 at Jazz St. Louis. Lopez-Nussa and his trio are featured in today's fifth video, a recording of their appearance last December on NPR Music's "Tiny Desk Concert."

That same week, guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli will be back in town to perform on Saturday, April 18 at the Sheldon Concert Hall for the Sheldon's educational foundation. Pizzarelli can be seen in the sixth clip, playing Nat King Cole’s “Straighten Up And Fly Right” as recorded on his most recent album For Centennial Reasons: A 100 Year Salute to Nat King Cole.

After that, it's singer Veronica Swift, who will make her St. Louis debut with performances on Wednesday, April 22 and Thursday, April 23 at Jazz St. Louis. Today's penultimate video shows her scat-singing an intro to launch an uptempo version of Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" in November 2019 at the Birdland Theater in New York City.

The final video today features the veteran Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel, who will be performing on Friday, April 24 at the Sheldon Concert Hall. They're seen here playing "The House Of Blue Lights," long a staple of their live repertoire, as recorded for their DVD Live from Austin, TX.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump. Look for part five of StLJN's winter/spring 2020 jazz preview next week in this space...

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Winter/spring 2020 jazz preview, part three

Today it's time for another installment of StLJN's winter/spring 2020 jazz preview, presenting videos of bands and musicians who will be visiting St. Louis over the next few months. This is part three of the series, covering those shows in chronological order; you can see part one here, and part two here.

Picking up where last week's post left off, the first video up above features Kuzu, an improvising trio from Chicago that includes guitarist Tashi Dorji, drummer Tyler Damon, and saxophonist Dave Rempis

They're coming here for a concert presented by New Music Circle on Wednesday, March 11 at Joe's Cafe, and can be seen in the video performing a full set of music in October 2018 at if ART Gallery in Columbia, SC.

After the jump, it's the SFJAZZ Collective, who will be playing on Saturday, March 14 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

This season's edition of the group is commemorating the 50th anniversaries of the release of Miles Davis’ In a Silent Way and Sly & The Family Stone’s Stand!, with a touring show featuring original arrangements of music from both albums. The video is a promotional clip for the tour, outlining the concept with some brief interview quotes and musical excerpts.

Next, it's keyboardist and singer Kandace Springs, who will make her St. Louis debut with shows starting Wednesday, March 18 continuing through Sunday, March 22 at Jazz St. Louis.

She's seen here in the first episode of saxophonist David Sanborn's new online video series "Sanborn Sessions," released earlier this month.

The following week, cabaret singer and pianist Billy Stritch will perform music associated with Mel Torme on Wednesday, March 25 and Thursday, March 26 at Jazz St. Louis. You can get a feel for Stritch's style by checking out the video excerpt from his show "Lucky To Be Me" recorded in 2018 at Birdland in NYC.

Today's fifth video features guitarist Dweezil Zappa, who's returning to St. Louis to perform on Saturday, March 28 at The Ready Room.

While he's currently forbidden from using his father's name and image, Dweezil still is keeping Frank Zappa's music alive for a new generation of listeners, as seen in this performance of the complete Hot Rats album recorded in September, 2019 at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ.

The final video showcases harmonium player Amirtha Kidambi’s group Elder Ones, who will perform in a concert presented by New Music Circle on Saturday, March 28 at Xavier Hall on the St. Louis University campus. It shows a complete set recorded on March 25, 2019 at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC,

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump. Look for part four of StLJN's 2020 winter/spring jazz preview next week in this space...

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Winter/spring 2020 jazz preview, part two

Today's post is part two of StLJN's winter/spring 2020 jazz preview, in which you can get a look via video at noteworthy bands and musicians who are coming to St. Louis to perform in the next few months. You can see part one, which covers the month of January, here.

Picking up where last week's installment left off, today's first video features guitarist Pat Martino, who will be playing starting Wednesday, February 5 through Sunday, February 8 at Jazz St. Louis. He's seen here performing a set in October 2019 at a club called Moods in Zurich, Switzerland.

After the jump, there's a clip of pianist Christian Sands who will be "Remembering Erroll Garner" on Saturday, February 8 at Sheldon Concert Hall. Sands is playing "My Funny Valentine," accompanied by bassist Luques Curtis and drummer and East St. Louis native Terreon Gully, and recorded last month at Cadogan Hall in London.

Next up, it's saxophonist Tim Warfield, who's bringing his Organ Band to town to perform starting Wednesday, February 19 through Sunday, February 23 at Jazz St. Louis. There's not a lot of quality video of this particular ensemble online, so the clip here goes back to 2012 to capture the Detroit native and his cohorts performing "Calvary" at La Rose Jazz Club

The following week, the show "Georgia On My Mind: A Celebration of the Music of Ray Charles," featuring vocal group Take 6, singers Clint Holmes and Nnenna Freelon, and saxophonist Kirk Whalum will come to town for one night only on Thursday, February 27 at Touhill Performing Arts Center. The video, recorded a few years back to promote the show's Las Vegas run, explains the concept and features some interview quotes from the artists and brief snippets of them performing.

The next night, New Music Circle will present a double bill, featuring composer/performers Sarah Hennies and Merche Blasco performing separate sets on Friday, February 28 at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.

Hennies is seen in a video from April 2017, performing at the Ende Tymes VII Festival of Noise and Experimental Liberation at the venue Silent Barn in Brooklyn, NY. After that, there's a clip of Blasco showing part of a performance called "FAUNA," a "live improvisation with a set of custom-made instruments used to process field recordings, incorporating body movements and the live exploration of intricate material textures" recorded in October 2018 at the Issue Project Room Brooklyn.

The final video features trumpeter Etienne Charles, who made his St. Louis debut as a bandleader in 2017 at The Sheldon and will return to perform starting Wednesday, March 4 through Sunday, March 8 at Jazz St. Louis. Recorded in June 2019 (by an audience member, so the video quality is a little spotty in places), it shows a full set by Charles and his band at the Clifford Brown Jazz Festival in Wilmington, DE.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump. Look for part three of StLJN's winter/spring 2020 jazz preview next week in this space...