This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a tribute to one of the most popular guitarists and singers in jazz; a concert raising money for scholarships in the name of a longtime local favorite saxophonist; a gathering of cabaret singers from around the nation, and more. Let's go to the highlights...
Wednesday, July 17
Pianist and St. Louis native
Matt Villinger will be back in town for a visit from his current home in Kansas City to promote the release of his new album
All Day with a performance at
The Dark Room.
Also on Wednesday, the
Cabaret Project of St. Louis, which this week is hosting attendees for around the country at its annual
Cabaret Conference, presents their monthly
"Singers Open Mic" night at
Sophie's Artist Lounge.
Thursday, July 18
Author, radio host, and photographer Dennis Owsley will promote his new book
St. Louis Jazz: A History via
"A Conversation and Book Signing with Dennis Owsley" at UMSL at Grand Center. The event, which is free and open to the public with registration, will include brief performances by singer Jeanne Trevor and singer/percussionist Don Cunningham, both veterans of the Gaslight Square era.
Also on Thursday, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University continues their "Jazz in July" schedule with a free concert featuring guitarist
Vincent Varvel's trio; and
Cabaret Project of St. Louis will present their
"2019 Cabaret Gala" fundraiser at Jazz St. Louis, with music from Marilyn Maye, Faith Prince, Jeff Harnar, Peisha McPhee, Jim Caruso and Christine Pedi.
Friday, July 19
With George Benson having
recently released an album that includes five songs by St. Louis' own Chuck Berry, it seems fitting somehow that Jazz St. Louis is
"Celebrating George Benson" for two nights this weekend.
Guitarists Eric Slaughter
(pictured) and Matt Sewell and singer Brian Owens are fronting the ensemble, with support from Adam Maness and Adaron “Pops” Jackson on keyboards, Bob DeBoo on bass, and Montez Coleman on drums.
(No word as to whether or not they'll be including any Berry-via-Benson arrangements in their sets, but they should be well-equipped otherwise to handle Benson's extensive catalog of popular favorites.)
Saturday, July 20
The
"Willie Akins Scholarship Benefit Concert" will feature music from the groups of saxophonists Harvey Lockhart, Matt McKeever, and Kendrick Smith
(pictured), plus guest appearances by singers Joe Mancuso and Erika Johnson, Akins' widow Sandra, and more at the
Grandel Theatre.
Also on Saturday, the Cabaret Conference will present their
"Professional Track Showcase" at The Stage at KDHX.
Sunday, July 21
If you'd like some music with your Sunday brunch, the options this week include
The Gaslight Squares at the
Angad Arts Hotel; pianist
Adam Maness at
Thurman's in Shaw;
Miss Jubilee at
Evangeline's; and guitarist and singer
Tommy Halloran at The Dark Room.
Then on Sunday evening, the Cabaret Conference wraps up with a
"Closing Night Showcase and Celebration," also at The Stage at KDHX.
Tuesday, July 23
Singer
Arvell Keithley reunites with trumpeter
Jim Manley and the Wild Cool & Swingin' Horns for a concert 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.)
