Jazz this week: Arturo O'Farrill, a tribute to Stevie Wonder, Alexis Lombre, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes pianists visiting from New York City and Chicago, a tribute to the music of a legendary singer/songwriter of soul, a benefit raising scholarship money for local music students, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, May 1
Pianist Arturo O'Farrill performs for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

O'Farrill (pictured, top left) is something of a living repository of Latin-jazz lore, but he's also a forward-looking musician whose own artistic output is hard to pigeonhole. He recently completed a four-month residency at NYC's Greene Space that let him show off some different aspects of his musical personality. For some videos of performances from that residency, and more about Arturo O'Farrill, check out this post from last Saturday.

Thursday, May 2
Jazz-fusion trio Tracer returns to The Dark Room, and saxophonist Vince Sala leads a trio at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, May 3
Singer Brian Owens, pianist Adam Maness' trio and Good 4 The Soul keyboardist Adaron “Pops” Jackson will join forces for the first of two nights of "The Book of Wonder: Celebrating Stevie Wonder" at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, Chicago-based pianist Alexis Lombre (pictured, bottom left) plays an early evening set at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, and the Funky Butt Brass Band performs outdoors at The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy.

Saturday, May 4
The Coleman Hughes Project heads out to Mount Pleasant Estates in Augusta for a matinee presentation of "Jazz & Jokes," also featuring comedian Lady Re.

Then on Saturday evening, the Joe Bozzi Band returns to Evangeline's, and Dizzy Atmosphere plays swing and Gypsy jazz at Urban Chestnut Midtown Brewery and Biergarten.

Sunday, May 5
The spring edition of the St. Louis Record Show takes place at the American Czech Center, and later that afternoon, the Genesis Jazz Project returns to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Sunday evening, the Jazz Troubadours play their monthly gig at Evangeline's; and Jazz St. Louis will raise money for local music students with “Swing For The Scholars,” a benefit featuring music from the Adam Maness Trio, Route 66 Alumni Band, Good 4 The Soul, Anita Jackson, and student ensembles from JSL's JazzUprogram.

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: Marilyn Maye, "Kind of Blue" at 60, St. Louis Record Show, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a celebration of one of the most influential and best-selling jazz albums in history, a singer known mostly for her intimate cabaret performances stepping out in front of a brassy big band, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, March 6
Singer and grande dame of cabaret Marilyn Maye (pictured), who most frequently works with a trio or solo pianist, will change things up by performing with a 17-piece big band for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

At this writing, only a handful of tickets remain for Maye's performances, but as usual, the sets will be live-streamed on video and can be viewed for free in the first-floor lounge adjacent to the Bistro at JSL HQ. 

Also on Wednesday, this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features multi-instrumentalist T.J. Muller and Friends at The Stage at KDHX, along with the jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, March 7 
Vincent Varvel and William Lenihan will play guitar duets in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; pianist Adam Maness leads a trio at Thurman's in Shaw; and pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Darrell Mixon and drummer Gary Sykes will revisit their jazz fusion days as Tracer at The Dark Room.

Friday, March 8
In celebration of 60 years since the recording of Kind of Blue, saxophonist Kendrick Smith leads a sextet performing music from Miles Davis' landmark album (pictured) for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Elsewhere around town, the Ambassadors of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and the Funky Butt Brass Band plays for the first time at a new spot downtown, the Rhone Rum Bar.

Also on Friday, Jazz St. Louis will hold their $500-per-person annual benefit gala, with music from drummer Herlin Riley's band, and for which some tickets still remain, at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Saturday, March 9
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents their monthly jam session matinee at J P's Corner, hosted by keyboardist Bob Row and drummer John Gillick, with trumpeter Brian Casserly as special guest.

Then on Saturday evening, pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson will play at the house concert venue KindaBlue Club; and keyboardist Mo Egeston performs at The Dark Room.

Sunday, March 10
Miss Jubilee is back for brunch at Evangeline's, while trumpeter Jim Manley will be making his debut at The Dark Room with a quartet at their brunch. 

Also on Sunday, the St. Louis Record Show presents their spring event at the American Czech Center, and Sunday evening, the local students in Jazz St. Louis educational programs who make up the Jazz U Big Band will perform for the public at the Bistro.

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: The Bad Plus, Ryan Hoffman Trio, Jim Manley's birthday bash, and more

The first part of January isn't a particularly active time for touring artists, so this week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis features just a couple of visiting acts - one quite well-known, the other seemingly new to these parts - plus the usual assortment of performances from our hometown players and singers. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 2
In what has become an annual tradition over the past decade-plus, The Bad Plus (pictured, top left) will be the first touring band of the the new year to play at Jazz St. Louis, with five nights of performances continuing through Sunday night.

It's been a year since pianist Orrin Evans officially joined the group, replacing founding member Ethan Iverson - in fact, Evans' first-ever gig with TBP was here in St. Louis. Since then, the consensus of critics and fans seems to be that, while their sound is unquestionably different, it's still The Bad Plus, which, in the words of Rolling Stone's Hank Shteamer, "has always been about putting distinctive, memorable songs first and letting them guide the band’s exploratory, idiosyncratic improvisations."

Also on Wednesday, the first "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" of the year features saxophonist Austin Cebulski and friends at The Stage at KDHX, plus the weekly jam session hosted by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at The Dark Room.

Thursday, January 3
Saxophonist Vince Sala leads a trio at The Pat Connolly Tavern, and trumpeter Brady Lewis and band will perform at The Dark Room.

Friday, January 4
Seattle-based guitarist Ryan Hoffman (pictured, bottom left) will play vintage swing, Gypsy jazz and more with his trio at Evangeline's; Mike Dillon Band plays at Pop's Blue Moon; bassist Darrell Mixon leads a trio at Cigar Inn, and pianist/singer Jesse Gannon returns to The Dark Room.

Saturday, January 5
Trumpeter Jim Manley and his band will celebrate Manley's birthday with a performance at Evangeline's.

Sunday, January 6
The St. Louis Record Show will present their first event of the new year in the usual location, the American Czech Center.

Also on Sunday, you can take in jazz brunch with singer Anita Jackson at The Dark Room or Miss Jubilee at Evangeline's; hear a matinee by the Genesis Jazz Project at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; or catch an early-evening performance by the Jazz Troubadours at Evangeline's.

Monday, January 7
Drummer Keith Bowman and his quartet resume their Monday night residency at The Dark Room.

Tuesday, January 8
Meanwhile, keyboardist Owen Ragland and his band have inherited the Tuesday night spot at The Dark Room, held for most of last year by multi-instrumentalist and singer Tonina Saputo.

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.)

Edited 1/3/19 to add info on Mike Dillon Band. 

Jazz this week: Sean Jones Quartet, Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Nutria, a new weekly jam session, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features some top talent on trumpet and trombone, the local debut of an up-and-coming band from New Orleans, a new weekly jam session, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 28
Trumpeter Sean Jones returns with his quartet for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Jones (pictured, top left)  has been a frequent visitor to St. Louis in recent years, turning up on the Bistro's schedule almost annually, and he even recorded his most recent album for Mack Avenue Records live at the venue a couple of years ago.

In addition to his popularity as a performer, Jones over the years also has participated in a number of educational activities for Jazz St. Louis, so advance reservations are suggested in anticipation of a good turnout from former students as well as fans.

Also on Wednesday, guitarist Brian Vaccaro's trio performs at Evangeline's; the Washington University Jazz Band plays a free concert at the 560 Music Center's Pillsbury Theater; and the "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" will feature the Jazz Troubadours at The Stage at KDHX, the weekly jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor 's band at The Dark Room.

Thursday, March 1
Pianist Kara Baldus-Mehrmann will lead her trio in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; saxophonist Arthur White brings his trio to The Dark Room; and singer Cherilyn Evans and CEEJazzSoul will perform in Chase Park Plaza's Chase Club.

Friday, March 2
Guitarist Dave Black's latest project, a trio called In Touch, performs at the house concert venue The Judson House in Grand Center, and pianist and singer Jesse Gannon and his band return to The Dark Room.

Saturday, March 3
Trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra will play at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Delfeayo, the second-youngest of the four musical Marsalis brothers, assembled the UJO a decade ago to showcase the musical traditions of New Orleans, but it wasn't until last year that the group released its first album, the pointedly titled Make America Great Again. You can find out more about Marsalis (pictured, bottom left) and the UJO and see them on video performing some of the music from that album and more in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, there's another New Orleans act in town for the night, as the group Nutria makes their St. Louis debut at Evangeline's.

Drummer Shawn Myers, bassist Trey Boudreaux and tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Byron Asher play original modern jazz compositions, exploring "traditional music of the African diaspora & Eastern Europe as well as the avant-garde," and they're playing ten Midwestern cities in March in support of their just-released new album Call To The Air.

Elsewhere around town, there's an eclectic bill of experimental and electronic music featuring Kyle Landstra, Oxherding, JoAnn McNeil and the Vernacular String Trio at the Cherokee Street art gallery Flood Plain.

Sunday, March 4
The St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show will present their spring event at the American Czech Educational Center; singer Anita Jackson performs for brunch at The Dark Room; and the Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe.

Monday, March 5
Jim Manley plays for diners at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, March 6
Drummer Montez Coleman and guitarist Eric Slaughter are teaming up to host "The Tuesday Night Hit," a new weekly jam session at The Dark Room.

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: Joshua Redman and more

With the area still in a post-holiday deep freeze, the calendar of live jazz and creative music this week in St. Louis unsurprisingly features just one significant touring performer, but there also will be the usual contingent of local musicians and singers braving the arctic-like conditions for your listening enjoyment.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 3
Saxophonist Joshua Redman returns with his quartet to perform for the first of five nights continuing through Sunday at Jazz at the Bistro.

Redman (pictured) last performed here in 2016 with The Bad Plus, and previously played at the Bistro with his trio in 2014 and 2010, but this will be the first time he's brought his long-running quartet to St. Louis in more than a decade. For more details about what Redman has been up to lately, read the preview story written by Dan Durchholz for the Post-Dispatch.

Also on Wednesday, this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" includes bassist Glen Smith and guitarist Eric Slaughter at The Stage at KDHX as well as the weekly jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Thursday, January 4
Pianist Adam Maness' trio returns to Thurman's in Shaw, and SpaceShip plays jazz fusion at The Dark Room.

Friday, January 5
Trumpeter Jim Manley will celebrate his birthday with a full-band performance at Evangeline's; guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran continues his Friday residency at Das Bevo; saxophonist Tim Cunningham is back at Troy's Jazz Gallery; and pianist and singer Jesse Gannon plays the late show at The Dark Room.

Saturday, January 6
Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson return to Parkside Grille.

Sunday, January 7
The St. Louis Record Collector & CD Show presents their first event of the year at the American Czech Educational Center, and pianist Dave Venn teams up with vocalist Jeanne Trevor for a rare appearance playing for brunch at The Dark Room.

Also on Sunday, the Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe; the Genesis Jazz Project plays a late-afternoon gig at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; and The Jazz Troubadours return to Evangeline's.

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

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

Jazz this week: Alton Jazz and Wine Festival, Koplant No, a Horace Silver tribute, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features the return of a rising jazz star with local roots, a tribute to an iconic pianist and composer, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, September 6
The "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" presents guitarist/vocalist Jeremy Jacobs at KDHX's Magnolia Cafe;  a jam session with bassist Bob Deboo and friends at the Kranzberg Arts Center;  and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor and band at The Dark Room.

Also on Wednesday, trumpeter Jim Manley plays his weekly gig at Sasha's Wine Bar.

Thursday, September 7
Saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet returns to the The Dark Room, and pianist Adam Maness' trio will be back at Thurman's in Shaw.

Friday, September 8
The annual St. Louis Art Fair opens in downtown Clayton, running through Sunday afternoon with free live music from singer Wendy Gordon, Feyza Eren, and Erin Bode; guitarist Dave Black; the  Jazz St. Louis All-Stars, Jim Widner Big Band, and more. (Check the fair's website or the StLJN calendar for days and set times.)

Also on Friday, electronic jazz-fusion band Koplant No begins a two-night gig recording a live album at Jazz at the Bistro, and singer-guitarist Tommy Halloran promotes his latest release with a show at Focal Point.

Elsewhere around town, singer Tony Viviano returns to Fortel's Pizza Den in Creve Coeur, singer Ralph Williams is back at Cigar Inn and the St. Louis Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, September 9
The free Alton Jazz & Wine Festival at the Alton Amphitheater will feature a headlining set from trumpeter and Ferguson native Keyon Harrold (pictured, top left), plus music from pianist Ptah Williams, the Funky Butt Brass Band, and trumpeter Dawn Weber.

Also on Saturday, Carolbeth True will be on the piano bench for a "Tribute to Horace Silver" at the Webster Groves Concert Hall, joined by trumpeter Randy Holmes, saxophonist Larry Smith, bassist Eric Warren and drummer Kevin Gianino; and the University of Missouri's ZouM New Music Ensemble, featuring members of the school's music faculty, will play a free concert at 560 Music Center.

Sunday, September 10
The St. Louis Record and CD Collector's Show will take place at the American Czech Educational Center in south St. Louis, and trumpeter/vibraphonist Joe Bozzi and band will present a matinee performance at the St. Margaret Mary Alacoque parish hall.

Monday, September 11
Jazz faculty from Webster University will join forces for "The Jazz Legacy of Atlantic Records 1955-1975" at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus. The performance will feature music from the label's roster of jazz artists during that period, which included Ornette Coleman, John Lewis and the Modern Jazz Quartet, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Charles Lloyd, Mose Allison, Chris Connor, Eddie Harris, and Les McCann.

Tuesday, September 12
The Missouri History Museum's "Twilight Tuesdays" series will present a free concert featuring singer Anita Jackson and guitarist Eric Slaughter.

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: The Bad Plus and more

While the first part of January is famously a slow time for the music business in general, and the touring industry in particular, there still are jazz and creative music performances happening this week in St. Louis that should be worth braving the winter chill.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, January 4
The Bad Plus opens a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro, marking the tenth consecutive year that pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson, and drummer Dave King have been the first touring band of the new year to play the Grand Center venue.

After making a return visit to the Bistro last April with saxophonist Joshua Redman, the trio released their most recent album It’s Hard, which came out in August and features a return to the sort of unexpected cover songs, from Prince and Kraftwerk to Johnny Cash and Ornette Coleman, that helped make their early albums distinctive.

In addition to his work with The Bad Plus, Iverson has been involved in some outside projects this year, including a solo album called The Purity of the Turf, a trio effort with bassist Ron Carter and drummer Nasheet Waits that was released in September. Iverson talked about that and The Bad Plus' latest with the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson for a preview story, which you can read online here.

Thursday, January 5
The Schlafly Tap Room will host a bill featuring the improv duo Marble//Wall, Vernacular String Trio, and singer/songwriter Toni Saputo, and pianist Ptah Williams and guitarist Eric Slaughter will play their weekly gig at The Dark Room.

Friday, January 6
Pianist Peter Martin will host "A Conversation With The Bad Plus," a free, public lunchtime event at Jazz at the Bistro featuring a discussion with the members of TBP about the band's history and music that also will be recorded for Martin's podcast "The Process."

Then on Friday evening, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black return to the Sidecar Lounge at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel; trumpeter Jim Manley leads a trio at Evangeline's; and the quartet Danbury Street plays at The Abbey Espresso Bar and Cafe in Belleville.

Saturday, January 7
Trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi brings his band to Evangeline's, and saxophonist/singer Cary Colman's trio plays at Howard's in Soulard.

Sunday, January 8
The First Unitarian Church of St. Louis in the Central West End will offer a special "Jazz Sunday" Service with music from guitarist Rick Haydon and pianist Greg Hoeltzel, and the St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show will present their first event of the year at the American Czech Center.

Also on Sunday, Miss Jubilee will provide music for the jazz brunch at Evangeline's, and trumpeter Keith Moyer returns to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups for a matinee show.

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.)

Updated 6:00 p.m. 1/4/16 with info about "A Conversation With The Bad Plus."

Jazz this week: James Carter Organ Trio, Gary Peacock, Spektral Quartet, and more

As March comes into St. Louis in mostly lamb-like fashion, the first week of the new month offers several intriguing jazz and creative music headliners on local stages, plus an assortment of performances from local musicians in a variety of styles, and a rare chance to see a film scored by Miles Davis on the big screen.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, March 2
Saxophonist James Carter returns with his organ trio for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Carter (pictured, top left) brings plenty of soul and swagger to go with his prodigious technique on tenor, soprano, and baritone saxes, and more, and the spare instrumentation of this band, with just organ and drums behind him, offers him plenty of room to stretch out. For some recent samples of Carter in action, see this video post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Also tonight, singer Tony Viviano and guitarist Dave Black will play for diners at Candicci's, and saxophonist Jerry Greene leads his Greene Jazz Project trio at Evangeline's.

Update - 5:00 p.m., 3/2/16:  Both Tony Viviano and Dave Black have posted messages on social media saying that their Wednesday gig has been moved to Patrick's Westport Grill.

Thursday, March 3
Bassist Gary Peacock's trio with pianist Marc Copland and drummer Mark Ferber will perform in a ticketed show for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Peacock may be best known these days as a member of pianist Keith Jarrett's "Standards Trio,"  but over the past half-century, he's played in styles from avant-garde to West Coast with notable musicians ranging from saxophonist Bud Shank to pianist Paul Bley and saxophonist Albert Ayler, and many more.

His own music, recorded since the 1970s mostly for the ECM label, has run the gamut from fairly conventional post-bop to the sort of spare, icy soundscapes frequently associated with that European imprint. Given Copland's piano style, which has been compared to both Jarrett and Bill Evans (another pianist that Peacock played with back in the day), the trio's set may lean more toward the former than the latter, but whatever they do should be worth hearing. . 

Also on Thursday, the Gaslight Cabaret Festival begins their spring series with singer Emily West presenting her show "In From Nashville" for the first of two nights at the Gaslight Theater.

Friday, March 4
The Schlafly Tap Room downtown will offer a multi-band lineup for their 2016 Stout & Oyster Festival that includes a headlining set from the Funky Butt Brass Band; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom; and drummer Marty Morrison leads a trio at Cigar Inn.

Saturday, March 5
The Schlafly Tap Room's stout-and-oyster-related festivities continue throughout the afternoon and evening, starting at noon with a set from The People's Key and including a headlining performance from New Orleans favorites Big Sam's Funky Nation.

Also on Saturday, the Spektral Quartet (pictured, center left) will make their St. Louis debut in a concert presented by New Music Circle at 560 Music Center.

The Chicago-based string quartet will be performing new music by composers Hans Thomalla and  Beat Furrer, and while they're here, they'll also be taking part in some free events: an "artists' talk" on Friday afternoon at Washington University, and an open rehearsal Saturday afternoon at Tavern of Fine Arts. For more about Spektral Quartet and some video samples of past performances, check out last week's Saturday video showcase.

That same evening, Cinema St. Louis' Classic French Film Festival will screen the 1958 Louis Malle film Elevator to the Gallows at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium. The movie features an original score by Miles Davis (pictured lower left, with the film's star Jeanne Moreau.)

Sunday, March 6
The St. Louis Record & CD Collector Show will present their first event of 2016 at the American Czech Hall, and Good 4 The Soul plays an early evening show at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Monday, March 7
"Blind" Willie Dineen & the Broadway Collective return for their monthly gig at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, March 8
The Saxquest Nonet Jazz Orchestra returns to the Tavern of Fine Arts.

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: Benny Green, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge, Dave Dickey Big Band, and more

As Jazz Appreciation Month winds down and we head into May, it's another busy weekend for live jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with several touring headliners in town and a number of noteworthy events featuring local performers, too.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, April 29
Pianist Benny Green returns with his trio for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro, in what will be his first appearance at the club since a duo gig with guitarist Russell Malone way back in March 2006.

Now 50 years old, Green (pictured, top left) began his career during the "Young Lions" period of the 1980s, demonstrating his skills as a swinging, hard-bop/mainstream pianist with Betty Carter, Art Blakey and Freddie Hubbard before a long run in the trio of bassist Ray Brown.

Green also has recorded numerous albums leading his own trio, the latest being the forthcoming Live In Santa Cruz, which will be out next month on Sunnyside Records. Last fall, he also formalized his long-standing interest in jazz education by taking a job as an assistant professor teaching jazz and improvisation at the University of Michigan.

Also tonight, you can hear more jazz just a short walk from Bistro in the Grand Center neighborhood, both before and after Green's sets, via the weekly jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's weekly trio gig, with frequent sit-ins, at The Dark Room.

UPDATE, 4:50 p.m. 4/29/15 - Bob Deboo posted on Facebook and the Kranzberg Arts Center has confirmed via Twitter that tonight's jam is cancelled. No reason was specified, but Taylor's gig at The Dark Room is still on.

Thursday, April 30
While the International Jazz Day festivities in Paris will get underway at 1:00 p.m. for those of us here in the USA's Central time zone, St. Louisans also will have several opportunities to celebrate that evening, starting with the presentation of a 2015 Jazz Journalists Association "Jazz Hero" Award to Don Wolff at Jazz at the Bistro, followed by a brief reception with live music from students in Jazz St. Louis' JazzU program. The event is free and open to the public.

Elsewhere around town, pianist Peter Martin's trio will be providing the musical entertainment  for the "Eleventh Annual Evening of Hope" at the Sheldon Concert Hall; and guitarists Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge, from the Americana band The Punch Brothers, (pictured, center left) will be playing as a duo at Off Broadway

Also on Thursday, trumpeter Jim Manley, guitarist Travis Mattison and pianist Chris "Luppy" Swan will join forces at Thurman Grill, and the Tavern of Fine Arts will present their monthly "Experimental Arts Open Improv Night" with live improvised music.

Friday, May 1
Saxophonist Tim Cunningham returns to Troy's Jazz Gallery, while Miss Jubilee will be jumping, jiving and perhaps even wailing at Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, May 2
Singer Cécile McLorin Salvant, one of the more talked-about new jazz vocalists of the last several years, will make her St. Louis debut at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

For more about Salvant (pictured, lower left) and some video samples of her live performances, see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Saturday, singer Feyza Eren will lead a quartet in concert at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Sunday, May 3
During the day, the St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show will have their bi-monthly sale/event at the American Czech Hall, 4690 Lansdowne (at Kingshighway), while the Friends of Scott Joplin will present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, 2648 Delmar (at Beaumont).

Then that evening, singer Debby Lennon and pianist Carolbeth True will be performing at Nathalie's, and the Dave Dickey Big Band's monthly show at Jazz at the Bistro will feature a "Tribute to Buddy Rich," along with an intermission performance from the Principia Upper School Jazz Band.

(For the record, trombonist and bandleader Dave Dickey has emphatically denied that the Buddy Rich tribute will include any replaying or live re-enactment of the infamous "bus tapes," so the show should be suitable for all ages.) 

Monday, May 4
The Genesis Jazz Project will play a free concert at Midwest Music, 15977 Clayton Rd in Ballwin.

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: Roomful of Teeth, "Jazz Heaven: They Paved The Way" and more

While the fall presenting season isn't quite in full swing yet, the activity level of jazz and creative music in St. Louis definitely is picking up this first weekend after Labor Day. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, guitarist Dave Black and Friends, including singer Feyza Eren, play at Nathalie's.

Tomorrow night, the new music vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth will perform at 560 Music Center. Founded in 2009, the eight-member group is best known for having premiered composer Caroline Shaw's Pulitzer Prize-winning work "Partita for Eight Voices" and for winning the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance. With a mission to "mine the expressive potential of the human voice," they incorporate a variety of musical traditions and extended vocal techniques into their sound.

Elsewhere around town on Friday, trumpeter Randy Holmes' quintet kicks off the new jazz series at the Ozark Theatre in Webster Groves with a concert featuring the music of Horace Silver.

Friday also is the opening night for a couple of weekend festivals of note. The entertainment at Schlafly Bottleworks' "Art Outside" event on Friday will include sets from Miss Jubilee and Dawn Weber, while the St. Louis Art Fair, which runs from Friday through Sunday, includes jazz acts such as drummer Bensid Thigpen's Le Jazz Hot, singer Joe Mancuso, the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars student ensemble, and others among its varied musical offerings.

And still on Friday night, the Ambassadors of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; vibraphonist Tom Rickard leads a trio at Cigar Inn; saxophonist Tim Cunningham plays smooth jazz and R&B at Troy's Jazz Gallery; the Funky Butt Brass Band return to the Broadway Oyster Bar; and singer Tony Viviano joins forces with his namesake, pianist Tony Viviano, for what might be termed "a tale of two Tonys" at Fortel’s in Creve Coeur.

On Saturday, pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True, with saxophonist Larry Johnson as special guest, will perform at the Ozark Theatre; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play swing and jump blues at Evangeline's; and trumpeter Jim Manley and guitarist Randy Bahr will duet at The Wine Press.

On Sunday afternoon, you've got time to stop by the early fall edition of the St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show at the American Czech Hall on the south side before heading out to Clayton, where singer Wendy Gordon will be presenting her latest production, "Jazz Heaven: They Paved The Way," at the Ethical Society.

In addition to Gordon (pictured), the cast includes singers Jeanne Trevor, Dean Christopher, Erika Johnson, Chuck Flowers, Tish Haynes, and more, performing in the styles of vocal greats such as Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Betty Carter, Etta James, Frank Sinatra and Lou Rawls, plus tap dancer Ryan Johnson as Sammy Davis Jr.; Linda Kennedy as narrator; and a band featuring Arthur Toney (piano), Jeffrey Anderson (bass), Eric Slaughter (guitar), Alfred Barnes (drums), Kendrick Smith (alto sax) and Adrian Bowers (trumpet).

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday Webster University begins their fall series of concerts featuring members of their jazz faculty with "A Celebration of ECM Records"; and percussionist Joe Pastor brings his group back to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

And lastly, we'd be remiss if we didn't note that bassist Bob DeBoo's briefly dormant weekly gig and jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center has been re-started this month on Wednesday nights, while trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's weekly Wednesday session just down the block at The Dark Room now has been moved to a later time so that the two don't conflict.

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.)