Jazz this week: Miguel Zenon, Elizabeth Harnik, Paul Metzger & Tim Kaiser, and more

It should be a good weekend to go out and hear some live music in St. Louis, and fortunately, there's a nice variety of jazz and creative music happening at local venues.

The biggest name in town and the pick show of the week is alto saxophonist Miguel Zenon (pictured), who's performing at Jazz at the Bistro nightly through Saturday, You can read more about Zenon and see some video of his playing in this post from last week.

On Thursday, Austrian pianist Elizabeth Harnik and her trio will do a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University. English-languange info on Harnik seems to be somewhat scarce on the Internet, so I can't tell you too much about her music, other than that in addition to performing jazz and improvisational music, she also has classical training, composes music for chamber ensembles and theater, and has even written an opera.

On Friday, improvisational guitarist/banjoist Paul Metzger and multimedia performer Tim Kaiser return to Open Lot. You can read more about the show and them here. Also on Friday, keyboardist, electronic musician and composer James Hegarty will present a concert titled "Antithesis Reflex" at the Three Sinks Gallery, 8715 Big Bend Blvd in Webster Groves.

According to the promotional email sent out by New Music Circle, Hegarty's performance includes two movements; the first, "Space Churn Red," combines improvised piano with interactive computer accompaniment. The piece was inspired by a kinetic sculpture of the same title by George Rickey at the Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University (which Hegarty recently visited), and incorporates computer-manipulated recordings of kinetic sculptures, spoken dialogues, synthesis and environments. The second movement, "Antithesis Reflex," is for unaccompanied piano and "explores abstract and flexible formal structures as applied to improvisation."

Also on Saturday, the Ambassadors of Swing perform with ballroom dancers Alex Borodko and Angi Heren in a show at the Lucas School House to benefit the Family Center. And on Sunday afternoon, guitarist Steve Schenkel and singer Ashley Mason give a free in-store performance at Webster Records. They'll be playing music from their new holiday CD A Midnight Clear, which you can learn more about by reading this post.

UPDATE - 2:30 p.m., 11/8/08: Sunday also brings a benefit show for Mae "Lady Jazz" Wheeler at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups. Wheeler has been battling cancer, and an impressive lineup of local blues singers will perform to raise money to help with the veteran vocalist's medical and living expenses. The show runs from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and scheduled performers include Kim Massie, Robbie Montgomery, Renee Smith, Uvee Hayes, Marsha Evans and Kari Liston of the Bottoms Up Blues Gang.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band is at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups. On Tuesday, the Brookmeyer/Mulligan-inspired band Utter Chaos is at The Gramophone, and the Jazz St. Louis CD Listening Club will have its monthly meeting, spinning John Coltrane's Giant Steps with KSDK reporter/anchor Cordell Whitlock and JSL executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford at the Borders Store in Brentwood, 1519 S. Brentwood Blvd.

Last but not least, next Wednesday Erin Bode will begin a two-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro to promote the release of her new Christmas CD, while the "free jazz/power electronics" ensemble Squid Choir Orkestra will play the Way Out Club, 2525 S. Jefferson, as the opening act for experimental rock band Skarekrau Radio.

You can find the latest updates and more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond by visiting 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: "Peanuts" Whalum's 80th birthday party, Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project, St. Louis Art Fair, St. Louis Jazz Club picnic, and more

Now that the fall presenting season is officially getting underway, there's more and more jazz and creative music to be heard on St. Louis' concert and club stages. This week's highlights start with singer/pianist/saxophonist Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum's 80th birthday party, which begins at 7:00 p.m. Sunday at Brandt's Cafe and Red Carpet Lounge. Of course, Whalum (pictured), a much-loved and respected part of the St. Louis music scene for more than 50 years, will perform, backed by his trio featuring Jeff Anderson on bass, Eric Slaughter on guitar and Marty Morrison on drums.

Edie Bee of LouRadio will serve as MC, and, yes, there will be birthday cake, served at 9:00 p.m.. Special guests expected to appear include "Peanuts" Whalum's nephew, smooth jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum, as well as many of his St. Louis musical colleagues including singers Jeanne Trevor and Gene Lynn, guitarist Dave Black, and more. Given "Peanuts" Whalum's long history in the community and the fact that he's as fine a gentleman as he is a musician - which is very fine indeed - there's likely to be a packed house of friends, fans and well-wishers, so get there early.

Also on Sunday, the St. Louis Jazz Club kicks off their fall 2008 schedule with their annual picnic, which runs from noon to 6:00 p.m. at Concord Farmer's Hall, 10140 Concord School Rd. In keeping with the Club's emphasis on pre-WWII styles from ragtime to swing, the music will be provided by the St. Louis Banjo Club, Norm Menne and his Dixie Dudes, and Michael Lacey and his New Orleans Swing.

Of course, there's music to be heard all weekend, as the Craig Russo Latin Jazz Project opens the fall 2008 season at Jazz at the Bistro with performances on Friday and Saturday night. A drummer and percussionist, Russo is a transplant to central Illinois from Syracuse, NY who has made multiple trips to Cuba and other spots in the Caribbean to study percussion. He formed the band eight years ago, and although central Illinois may not intuitively seem like a hotbed of Latin jazz, the presence of the music school at the University of Illinois - Champaign/Urbana brings some significant talent to the area. Two members of the U of I faculty in Russo's band, saxophonist Chip McNeill and pianist Chip Stevens, have particular credibility in Latin jazz thanks to their experience performing and recording with Cuban ex-pat trumpeter Arturo Sandoval. Rounding out the ensemble are trumpeter Jeff Helgesen, once part of Ray Charles' road band, bassist Josh Walden and drummer/percussionist Jeff Magby.

Elsewhere in town, Brandt's has singer Jeanne Trevor on Friday night, and flute player and singer Margaret Bianchetta with the Dave Black Trio on Saturday. Also on Saturday, the Chicago Afrobeat Project brings their mix of funk, world music and jazz to Lucas School House.

The annual St. Louis Art Fair also is happening this weekend, and in keeping with tradition, the staff of Cultural Festivals - which also produces the St. Louis Jazz and Heritage Festival - has once again booked some musicians of interest to jazz listeners, including the Jazz St. Louis All Stars student ensemble, singers Anita Rosamond and Kim Massie, world/jazz/folk chamber group Autumns Child, and Afro-Cuban/jazz group Rolando Matias & Intrin-x-ico on Saturday, plus vibist Jonathan Whiting and his trio and the eclectic guitarist Stuart Johnson on Sunday. See the Art Fair's Web site for details on who's playing when on which stage at the free event.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Tuesday trombonists Brett Stamps and Jim Owens will have a CD release party for their new album Bad to the Bone at the Sheldon Concert Hall, while "Peanuts" Whalum is back at Brandt's. And on Wednesday, get your skronk on with Squid Choir Orkestra, saxophonist Jay Zelenka's free jazz/electronics group, when they open for experimental rock band Skarekrau Radio at the Way Out Club, 2525 S. Jefferson, or if you're in the mood for something more mainstream, saxophonist Ed Doney once again is visiting from Lake of the Ozarks to sit in with Park Avenue Jazz for their weekly Wednesday night session at Hammerstone's.

Alas, there's still much updating to do to the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, as yr. humble editor's non-jazz-blogging work schedule and an unfortunate series of computer freezes and crashes have delayed the the update process. Fear not, though, as the work of updating said calendar will continue at the best possible speed until completed, so feel free to look there for a rapidly expanding list of more St. Louis jazz-related events this weekend and beyond.

(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: Notes from the dog days

It's still the dog days of August in St. Louis, and thus still one of the slower times of the year for jazz in our town, but if you're in the mood to hear some music over the next few days, here are a few possibilities you may want to consider:

On Friday, popular singer Erin Bode and her band return to The Gramophone, while Gaslight Square veterans Trio Tres Bien (pictured) with singer Danita Mumphard are at Cookie's Jazz and More, and the Second Generation Swing Band plays for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom. On Saturday, tenor saxophonist Willie Akins performs his weekly early evening gig at Spruill's, and on Sunday, the New St. Louis Jazz Xtet do their regular thing at Riddle's.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band is back at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups. On Tuesday, you can check out singer Jeanne Trevor at Brandt's, or head to The Gramophone for their free Tuesday night jazz series, which this week features a new band called Utter Chaos.

Utter Chaos are not, as the name might suggest, some sort of free-improv group, but rather are, according to The Gramophone's promotional email, "dedicated to recreating the unique sounds of the Gerry Mulligan/Bob Brookmeyer piano-less quartets of the mid 1950s. Baritone saxophonist Andy Ament is joined by Cody Henry on trombone, Chris Turnbaugh on bass and Jerry Mazzuca on drums. All members of the quartet are graduates of the SIUE jazz department."

To get your dose of free improv this week, you'll have to amble on down Wednesday to Apop Records, 2831 Cherokee St, , for the electric free jazz band Squid Choir Orkestra's concert in the store's Camp Concentration performance space. You can hear some samples of the SCO over on bandleader Jay Zelenka's Freedonia Music site.

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.