So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Happy birthday wishes go out to drummer and St. Louis native Marcus Baylor, who turns 37 today. The Baylor Project, his new band with his spouse, singer Jean Baylor, is set for NYC dates this month at Smoke and Zinc Bar.

* Today's also the anniversary of the birth of the legendary trumpeter and former St. Louisan Lester Bowie (pictured), who was born on this date in 1941. Bowie, who died in 1999, gained worldwide fame for his work with the Art Ensemble of Chicago and as a composer and bandleader in his own right. To celebrate his memory, check out this clip of a live show by his "From The Root to the Source" band, featuring his former wife Fontella Bass, her mother Martha Bass and brother David Peaston, posted last month to StLJN's sibling site Heliocentric Worlds.

* In an announcement posted last Saturday night on their Facebook page and website, organizers of St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers said they've ended the series and will produce no further concerts this year or in the future. The free concerts presented at Second Baptist Church in Richmond Heights began in the fall of 2008 under the church's former pastor, Rev. Dr. Stephen Jones.

* Jazz St. Louis has posted to their Facebook page an album of photos from saxophonist Lou Donaldson's opening night Wednesday at Jazz at the Bistro. Donaldson continues at the club through tomorrow night.

* Meanwhile, saxophonist and former St. Louisan Oliver Lake has posted online a video excerpt from his show last week at NYC's Roulette, which featured guest pianist Vijay Iyer and a string ensemble.

* As the tour of "Abyssinian: A Gospel Celebration" winds its way towards St. Louis, where trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and a 70-voice choir will perform the extended work next Friday at the Touhill, Marsalis has been posting updates from the tour to the JALC Facebook page.

* St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts is exhorting us to remind all area musicians that they're sponsoring a free workshop called "Navigating Health Care Reform" at 7:00 p.m. Monday, October 21 at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar.

The event is part of a campaign that VLAA is calling "Every Artist Insured."  Ryan Barker, vice president of Health Policy at the Missouri Foundation for Health, will explain the Affordable Care Act; define terms and answer questions;, and provide strategies to help freelancers and the self-employed get quality and affordable health care coverage. This workshop is open to artists of all disciplines and their guests, but seating is limited, so you must register in advance here. The program will be repeated on Tuesday, November 19.

Jazz this week: The Bad Plus, Caboladies, Brett Walberg, a tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and more

It looks to be a full weekend of jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with one of the top trios in jazz making a return visit to our fair city; an up-and-coming saxophonist making his local debut; an intriguing program of electronic music and video; a couple of local concert series presenting their first offerings of 2013; plus, as the saying goes, much more. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, The Bad Plus return to St. Louis for their annual January engagement, continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Fans can expect to hear some selections from the trio's latest album Made Possible, which came out in September, as well as older material and perhaps some new compositions as well. For more about Made Possible and The Bad Plus' other recent activities, check out this post from last Saturday.

On Thursday night,  New Music Circle presents a free event teaming artist/musician Robert Beatty with bassist Darin Gray for a show at Apop Records. NMC also will be serving free refreshments and selling discount tickets for Friday night's performance by the electronic music duo Caboladies (pictured) at White Flag Projects

Beatty is in town to provide visuals for Caboladies, and he and Gray have performed together before in Beatty's hometown of Lexington, KY, so the event, announced last week, seemed like a natural adjunct to the previously announced Caboladies gig. As for the Caboladies themselves, their "uniquely fractured sonic sensibilities" will be on display on Friday at White Flag Projects in the form of separate opening sets by the two members of the group, Eric Lanham and Chris Bush, followed by a collaborative set with live video accompaniment by Beatty.

Also on Friday,  Boston-based saxophonist Brett Walberg, a 20-something who's played in styles ranging from straight-ahead to funk to avant-garde, will be making his St. Louis debut, leading a trio at Robbie's House of Jazz.

On Saturday afternoon, singer Wendy Gordon and her band will perform for jazz brunch at Frontenac Grill. Then that evening, singer Feyza Eren is at Robbie's; guitarist Tom Byrne leads a trio at the Wine Press; and you can choose from among three different gigs fronted by local bassists, with John Covelli playing solo at the Tavern of Fine Arts; Darrell Mixon leading a trio at Troy's Jazz Gallery; and Eric Foreman's trio holding forth at the south side neighborhood spot Thurman Grill.

Then on Sunday, the St. Louis Jazz Club kicks off their 2013 schedule of monthly events with a double bill including Clarinet Summit, featuring clarinetist  Scott Alberici, plus the Gerry Mulligan/Bob Brookmeyer-inspired quartet Utter Chaos. This show will take place at Frontenac Grill, which is a new venue for the Jazz Club this year, although they'll also be presenting some shows at other locations as well. 

Also on Sunday, pianist Ptah Williams will perform a free concert for the St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers series at Second Baptist Church, 9030 Clayton Road in Richmond Heights.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday what's being billed as the "1st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Benefit Jazz Concert" will be presented at Chaminade Preparatory School, 425 S. Lindbergh Blvd. The event will feature singer Denise Thimes and saxophonist Tim Cunningham fronting a rhythm section of pianist Joe Cartwright, bassist Eric Warren and drummer Montez Coleman, along with performances from the student jazz bands of Chaminade and University City High School.

Also on Monday, the Latin jazz band Clave Sol will play at 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.)

Jazz this week: Joey DeFrancesco, Dan Thomas, Harry Miller, Montez Coleman, Genesis Jazz Project, and more

This week's lineup of jazz and creative music performances in St. Louis is headed by organist Joey DeFrancesco (pictured), who this evening will open a four-night gig continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. DeFrancesco, considered by many to be the reigning champ of the blues-drenched jazz organ style pioneered by the late Jimmy Smith, has played in St. Louis numerous times in recent years, and thus likely needs no further introduction to most local jazz fans.

That said, if you're interested in finding out more about Joey D., and seeing some recent video samples demonstrating his always-impressive skills on the B-3, check out this video showcase post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Tomorrow night, Washington University's Jazz at Holmes series had been scheduled to present a program called "Freedom Jazz Dance" with dancer and choreographer Ashley Tate and the St. Louis Creative Artists Jazz Ensemble. According to an email sent out on Tuesday, that event has been canceled, but there will be a free concert at the usual time featuring a "surprise" artist TBA.

On Friday, saxophonist Dan Thomas, who co-leads the jazz program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, will present a free concert and clinic at Saxquest. Also on Friday, guitarist Tom Byrne will lead a trio with bassist Chris Watrous and drummer Fred Spencer at Cigar Inn; and singer Brad Carlson will front a quartet at Robbie's House of Jazz

On Saturday evening, pianist Harry Miller, who grew up in University City but now lives in New York, will be returning home for his first-ever headlining gig here at Robbie's. Among his many other credits, Miller spent a couple of years on the road with Maynard Ferguson as keyboardist for the trumpeter's band Big Bop Nouveau. For this date, he'll be backed by the highly capable local rhythm team of bassist Darrell Mixon and drummer Gary Sykes.

Also Saturday, guitarist Dave Black will play an early evening solo set at the Schlafly St. Louis Brewery and Tap Room downtown. Later that night, a new cabaret performance called "Women Under the Influence," produced by singer Robert Breig’s Mariposa Artists, will be presented in the showroom at Joe Buck’s Restaurant, 10th and Clark downtown. The ensemble show offers a cabaret-style take on songs from the girl-group era of the 1960s up to the present day, and reunites pianist and singer Carol Schmidt and singer/multi-instrumentalist Michele Isam - who had a long, successful run working together in the pop/folk/jazz duo Jasmine - along with singers Katie McGrath and Debbie Schuster.

On Sunday, drummer Montez Coleman's group will play a free concert for the St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers series at Second Baptist Church. Also on Sunday, singer Erika Johnson has taken on an organizing role in the weekly jam session at Blank Space, the new name for the performance space/gallery that to be known as Cranky Yellow, at 2847 Cherokee. Johnson is touting the event as a combination of "Hit Session-Cutting Contest-Networking," and cautions that it's NOT a jam for those seeking "to get your feet wet."

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday drummer Joe Pastor's trio will play at BB's Jazz Blues & Soups. Then on Tuesday, the Genesis Jazz Project will perform at Midwest Music Conservatory, 15977 Clayton Rd in Ballwin. Admission to the concert is free when you bring one canned good for Circle of Concern.

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.)

St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers concert series announces 2012-13 season schedule

The St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers series has announced their schedule of free concerts for the 2012-13 season.

The concerts take place on the third Sunday of each month, except in December, starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Second Baptist Church of St. Louis, 9030 Clayton Rd. (1/3 mile west of the St. Louis Galleria at McKnight).

The 2012-13 series will open on Sunday, October 21 with a performance featuring saxophonist Ray Vollmar and singer Deborah Sharn. The complete schedule for the 2012-13 season is:

Sunday, October 21: Ray Vollmar and Deborah Sharn
Sunday, November 18: Montez Coleman
Sunday, January 20: Ptah Williams
Sunday, February 17: Marquise Knox
Sunday, March 17: SIUE Jazz Faculty with Rick Haydon (pictured) and Jason Swagler
Sunday, April 21: Anita Rosamond

All concerts are free and open to the public, with no tickets needed. Free parking is available on the church's upper lot for guests who need to enter the building at sanctuary level, and also on the lower lot on the south side of the building.

Jazz this week: Legacy Jazz Quintet plays Art Blakey, a tribute to Fran Landesman, and more

Assuming that drivers in the St. Louis area recover from the havoc caused by today's snowstorm, there are a number of jazz and creative music performances happening over the next few days that may reward those who choose to venture out into the mid-January cold. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, pianist Ken Kehner, who teaches at UMSL and plays with bassist Jim Widner's big band, the Poor People of Paris and others, celebrates the release of his new CD From The Moment On with two sets at the Bistro at Grand Center. (That's the same venue used by Jazz at the Bistro, but Jazz St. Louis is not involved with presenting Kehner's performance, and so tickets for the show are available for purchase by cash only at the door.)

Also tonight, Latin jazz group Clave Sol is the house band for a "World Jazz Jam" at Club Dantes, which is in midtown at 3222 Olive. (For those of you keeping track of the local jam session scene, this event apparently is now running weekly, and has been added to the StLJN site calendar.)

Tomorrow night, the Legacy Jazz Quintet, which is led by pianist Phil Dunlap of Jazz St. Louis and serves as a de facto repertory ensemble for JSL, returns to the Bistro for a two-night stand playing the music of Art Blakey.

Also on Friday, saxophonist Jeff Riley will perform at The Chapel; saxophonist Jerry Greene leads a quintet with singer Tony Viviano at Robbie's House of Jazz; and vibraphonist Dustin Sholtes brings his quartet to the Cigar Inn.

On Sunday, singer, pianist and songwriter Bob Dorough returns to St. Louis to perform a tribute to songwriter Fran Landesman at the Bistro. Like the Ken Kehner show, this is an independent production not presented by Jazz St. Louis; for ticket information, call 314-968-1898.

Also on Sunday, pianist Carolbeth True (pictured) and her trio will be joined by singer Christi John Bye for a free concert at Second Baptist Church as part of the St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers series; and keyboardist Brock Walker plays an early show at BBs Jazz, Blues and Soups.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big band will play their first gig of the year at BB's, and on Tuesday, the St. Louis Low Brass Collective will do their annual concert as part of the Notes From Home series at The Sheldon.

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: Ray Vega, Chris Botti, "SoundArt" with Troupe, Bell & Bluiett, Craig Pomranz, Todd Clouser, and more

This week's noteworthy jazz and creative music performances in St. Louis include visits from two traveling trumpeters, and two shows featuring St. Louis expats coming home. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, trumpet player Ray Vega (pictured) brings his Latin jazz-meets-hard bop quintet to town to open a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro, continuing through Saturday. For more about Vega and some video clips of him in action, see this post from last week.

On Thursday evening, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will present a free concert from the St. Louis Jazz X-Tet, with saxophonist David Stone and vibraphonist Peter Schlamb. The concert is co-sponsored by campus radio station KWUR as part of KWUR Week.

On Friday, actor, singer and St. Louis native Craig Pomranz returns home from NYC to open a two-night stand of his cabaret show at the Kranzberg Arts Center under the auspices of the Presenters Dolan. Directed by Ron Cohen with musical direction from Stephen Bocchino, the performance includes a range of material, from Mel Brooks and Ronny Graham to Rodgers and Hart and Cole Porter. For more about Pomranz, see this feature article written by Alisha Alexander for the Vital Voice.

Also on Friday, singer Crystal Haywood, profiled last week here by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson, will do a Billie Holiday tribute at Robbie's House of Jazz. .

On Saturday afternoon, poet Quincy Troupe and guitarist Kelvyn Bell, who both grew up in the St. Louis area, will be back home to perform with special guest saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett in a show called "SoundArt," presented by the Nu-Art Series at the Metropolitan Gallery. The St. Louis American's Chris King interviewed Troupe about the gig for a story published in last week's paper, and it's still available online here.

Saturday also is the date for the annual Southwestern Illinois College Jazz Festival, which starts at 9:00 a.m. and continues into the evening at the Main Complex Theatre on SWIC's Belleville campus, 2500 Carlyle Ave. in Belleville. In the morning, jazz bands from area schools will perform and get critiqued. After lunch, saxophonist and noted jazz educator Ron Cart of Northwestern Illinois University will present a master class, followed by more student performances and critiques. Then at 7:00 p.m., Carter will perform a concert with the SWIC Jazz Band and a combo featuring Reggie Thomas (piano), Anthony Wiggins (trumpet), Nick Jost (bass) and Marty Morrison (drums). All events are free and open to the public.

On Saturday night, trumpeter Chris Botti returns to St. Louis to make his debut with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra at Powell Symphony Hall. The show was heavily promoted, with tickets offered as a pledge premium, by local PBS affiliate KETC, and that, plus Botti's baseline popularity, equals a show that sold out a good while ago. However, the Symphony may have some standing room tickets for sale; call 314-534-1700 for information.

That same night, guitarist Brian Vaccaro's trio, with keyboard player Nick Schlueter and drummer Kyle Hunnicutt, will play at Robbie's.

On Sunday evening, bassist Darrell Mixon's trio will play at Second Baptist Church in Richmond Heights for the St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers series; and pianist Kim Portnoy and his trio, with clarinetist Scott Alberici as special guest, will perform in a concert at Eliot Chapel in Kirkwood.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Tuesday night guitarist Todd Clouser and his band A Love Electric will make a tour stop at the downtown bar/restaurant Lola. For a bit more about Clouser, who comes from Minneapolis by way of Mexico, see this post.

And for more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, 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.)

(Edited 2/16/11 to add info about the SWIC Jazz Festival and fix the date for Chris Botti.)

Trio Trés Bien to begin St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers 2010-11 season on Sunday, October 17

The St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers series will begin its 2010-11 season with a free concert featuring Trio Trés Bien (pictured) at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 17 at Second Baptist Church, 9030 Clayton Rd. (at McKnight).

Featuring pianist Jeter Thompson and his brothers Harold Thompson on bass and Howard Thompson on drums, Trio Trés Bien have been St. Louis favorites for more than 40 years, dating back to the Gaslight Square era. This is the third season for the St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers series, and here's the complete schedule for 2010-11:

Sunday, October 17: Trio Trés Bien
Sunday, November 21: Sandy Weltman and Hot Club Caravan
Sunday, January 16: Eric Slaughter Trio
Sunday, February 20: Darrell Mixon Project
Sunday, March 20: Funky Butt Brass Band
Sunday, April 17: Paul DeMarinis and the Webster University Jazz Faculty Quintet, with Steve Schenkel, Kim Portnoy, Willem von Hombracht and Kevin Gianino.

All concerts begin at 6:00 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Free parking is available on the lighted lot adjacent to the church. For more information, visit the Vespers' Web site or call 314-991-3424.

Jazz this week: Bob Borgestede memorial concert, Kim Massie, McMoore Movement, Mardra and Reggie Thomas, and more

With at least a momentary break from the winter deep freeze, it should be a good weekend in St. Louis to get out and hear some music. And while there are no major touring headliners in town this week, there are some noteworthy performances featuring local and regional musicians, so let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, singer Erin Bode and her band return to Brandt's. Bode worked frequently at the Delmar Loop nightspot when she first began her career, and the overall vibe of Brandt's still seems like a good fit for her music, although her fan base has grown to the point of likely overwhelming such an intimate venue. If you hope to get a good seat, I'd suggest getting there early.

On Friday, there's a memorial concert honoring the late guitarist Bob Borgestede at the Rialto Ballroom, 3547 Olive St., just east of Grand. A well-liked and seemingly always busy performer and teacher, Borgestede passed away in 2007, leaving a wife and young son. His friends and colleagues will celebrate his life (and, it is hoped, raise a little money) with sounds from the Funky Butt Brass Band (pictured), the pop/soul cover band Arvell & Co., and faculty members from SIUE, UMSL and Southwestern Illinois College, where Borgestede studied and/or taught music.

Also on Friday, singer Kim Massie begins a two-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro, where her renditions of blues, soul and pop songs, plus the occasional unexpected cover like Gretchen Wilson's "Redneck Woman," are always a good draw.

That same night, Robbies House of Jazz will feature the St. Louis debut of the McMoore Movement, a group of young musicians who met while studying in saxophonist Ronald Carter's jazz program at Northern Illinois University. The group plays a mix of straight-ahead and groove-oriented tunes, and features alto saxophonist Chris McBride, trumpeter John Moore, Jr., keyboardist Willerm Delisfort, guitarist Larry Brown, Jr., and drummer Bernard Long, Jr. The club's house band, the Robert Edwards Ensemble, will hold forth on Saturday night.

On Sunday, singer Mardra Thomas and pianist Reggie Thomas will perform a free concert at Second Baptist Church kicking off the second half of the St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers season.

For more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, 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 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.)

Jazz and Blues Vespers Series resumes Sunday, January 17 with Mardra & Reggie Thomas

After a break for the holidays, the St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers Series will resume its second season with a concert by singer Mardra Thomas (pictured) and pianist Reggie Thomas at 6 p.m. on Sunday, January 17 at the Second Baptist Church, 9030 Clayton Rd. (at McKnight).

The concert is free and open to the public, and free parking is available on the lighted lot adjacent to the church. During the intermission, Second Baptist Church pastor Dr. Stephen Jones will offer a brief, non-sectarian message, and a free-will offering will be taken to benefit the musicians. Refreshments will be served in the church’s narthex after the vespers.

The next concert in the series will feature saxophonist Ray Vollmar and singer Deborah Sharn on Sunday, February 21. For more information, visit the Vespers' Web site or call 314-991-3424.

Jazz this week: Eddie Henderson, The Wee Trio, Bernard Harris, and more

From a musical theater production honoring one of the music's most revered legends to an up-and-coming trio stretching the boundaries of the genre, there's a diverse lineup of jazz events happening over the next few days in St. Louis. Here are some of the most noteworthy shows coming up this weekend:

Tonight, the Unity Theatre Ensemble's production Lady Day at the Boston Bistro (An Evening With Billie Holiday) opens at the Ivory Theatre, with Mardra Thomas as Holiday and her husband, pianist Reggie Thomas, as arranger and accompanist. The show will be performed Thursdays through Sundays ending October 25.

On Friday, The Wee Trio begins a two-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro. The critically acclaimed young group, which has drawn comparisons to The Bad Plus, includes former St. Louisan Dan Loomis on bass, James Westfall on vibraphone and Jared Schonig on drums. You can see some video samples of them in action by going to this post

Also on Friday, bassist Bernard Harris will perform a concert of "inspirational smooth jazz" at the Hilton Regency Conference Center, 400 Regency Park Drive in O'Fallon, IL. For more on Harris, see this post.

On Saturday evening, trumpeter Eddie Henderson (pictured) performs in a show sponsored by the Nu-Art Series at Luna Bar, 13 Maryland Plaza in the Central West End. Though he's perhaps still best known for his work with Herbie Hancock and the series of electrified jazz-fusion albums he released after leaving the pianist's group in the 1970s, in recent years Henderson has worked more in the acoustic hard-bop idiom and also has taken part in a number of tributes to Miles Davis, including an extended tour in 2005 and 2006 with drummer Jimmy Cobb. He'll be backed on his St. Louis gig by a local rhythm section of pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Jamal Nichols and drummer Charles "Bobo" Shaw.

Also on Saturday, the smooth jazz group Three Central will do a free concert for the Vaughn Cultural Center at the Urban League, 3701 Grandel Square in the Grand Center area.

On Sunday, the Bosman Twins kick off this year's St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers series with a free concert at the Second Baptist Church of St. Louis, 9030 Clayton Rd. (at McKnight). And on Monday evening, the Sessions Big Band is back at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

For 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.

(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 10/17/09 to fix a typo.)

St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers to begin second season on Sunday, October 18

The St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers series will begin its second season with a concert by the Bosman Twins (pictured) at 6:00 p.m., Sunday, October 18 at the Second Baptist Church of St. Louis, 9030 Clayton Rd. (at McKnight).

The concert is free and open to the public, and free parking is available on the lighted lot adjacent to the church. During the intermission, Second Baptist Church pastor Dr. Stephen Jones will offer a brief, non-sectarian message, and a free-will offering will be taken to benefit the musicians. Refreshments will be served in the church’s narthex after the vespers.

Subsequent concerts will be held on the third Sunday of each month, with the Soulard Blues Band next up on Sunday, November 15. For more information, visit the Vespers' Web site or call 314-991-3424.

Jazz and Blues Vespers series schedules concerts by Willie Akins, Ptah Williams, Steve Schenkel & Ashley Mason

St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers has scheduled the artists for the final three concerts in the current series, with saxophonist Willie Akins set to perform at 6:00 p.m., Sunday, February 15 at Second Baptist Church, 9030 Clayton Rd.

Pianist Ptah Williams will perform on Sunday, March 14, and guitarist Steve Schenkel and singer Ashley Mason will wrap up the series with a concert on Sunday, April 19. The St. Louis Jazz and Blues Vespers concerts are free and open to the public.