So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* An exhibition of visual art by Miles Davis opened last weekend on the campus of Jackson State University in Jackson, MS, with coverage from the Jackson Free Press and the university's news bureau.

* In other Miles Davis news, Rubberband, an EP of previously unheard Davis tracks recorded and then scrapped before the 1986 release of Tutu, is out now on Rhino Records.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold is featured on the European release When You Are Here, credited to the Culture Revolution Project, a joint venture by Harrold with Polish saxophonist Sylwester Ostrowski. The album can be heard now on the major streaming services, but so far does not seem to be for sale as a physical CD here in the US.

Harrold also has contributed a version of "She's Leaving Home" to A Day in the Life: Impressions of Pepper, a new compilation album paying tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band that's out today on Verve Records as a special "Black Friday" release.

The album (pictured) also includes interpretations of Beatles songs by drummers Antonio Sanchez and Makaya McCraven, saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, pianist Sullivan Fortner, harpist Brandee Younger, and more.

* Guitarist Vincent Varvel has posted to YouTube a video of "Both Sides Now," a track from his upcoming solo guitar album due out in January.

* Singer Christina Bianco's performance last weekend at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

* Singer Chuck Flowers appeared Tuesday on the morning newscast on KTVI-FOX 2.

* The Sheldon Concert Hall has posted to Facebook a photo album from singer Dee Dee Bridgewater's concert two Saturdays ago.

* Cornet Chop Suey and pianist Stephanie Trick are among the featured performers at this weekend's San Diego Jazz Fest & Swing Extravaganza.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Pianist and St. Louis native Stephanie Trick and her husband/piano duo partner Paolo Alderighi (pictured) are headed across the Atlantic for some gigs in the UK.

* Singer Denise Thimes was interviewed about her performances next week at Dizzy's Club in NYC by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* Bassist and singer Tonina Saputo was profiled by the Columbia Daily Tribune's Aarik Danielsen in advance of her show at the True/False festival in CoMo.

* Singer Valerie "Miss Jubilee" Kirchhoff and pianist Ethan Leinwand were featured in a recent post on the blog Jazz Lives.

* Singer Alicia Olatuja has posted to Facebook some photos from her gig last month at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio Network has released a new episode of Martin's podcast "The Process" featuring an interview with The Bad Plus.

* Pianist Adam Maness' weekly Thursday night gig at Thurman's in Shaw is the subject of a short feature story by the Riverfront Times' Christian Schaeffer.

Jazz this week: Manhattan Transfer & Take 6; Cassity, Jensen & Wolfe; and more

While this week's concert calendar isn't as jam-packed with jazz and creative music as last week's almost-insane schedule, there still are several noteworthy shows happening over the next few days, including a long-anticipated concert teaming up two of the top jazz-influenced vocal groups in the world, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, October 26
The eclectic instrumental quartet The 442s will take the stage for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro, where their sets will include music they created this past summer as the first-ever artists-in-residence for Forest Park Forever.

Elsewhere in Grand Center, the weekly "jazz crawl" proceeds with bassist Bob Deboo and friends hosting a jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor leading a trio at The Dark Room. Also on Wednesday, Elsie Parker and the Poor People of Paris return to Nathalie's, and the Jazz Troubadours play at Evangeline's.

Thursday, October 27
Singer Denise Thimes headlines her 12th annual benefit performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall, raising money for the Mildred Thimes Foundation (named after her late mother) to fight pancreatic cancer. Thimes will be joined by guest performers including the Chicago-based singer Dee Alexander and comedian Monique Marvez.

Also on Thursday, the New Orleans Suspects are back in town for another performance at the Broadway Oyster Bar, and singer Erin Bode returns to Cyrano's.

Friday, October 28
The joint tour by vocal groups Manhattan Transfer and Take 6 (pictured, top left) billed as "The Summit" arrives in St. Louis for a concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Based on reports from earlier in the tour, the show will include favorites from both groups, performing separately and together, as well as an entertaining segment in which each group performs some of the other's material. If you're a fan of jazz vocal harmony or ensemble singing in general, this should rank as the "must-see" concert of the year.

Also on Friday, saxophonist Sharel Cassity, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, and bassist Ben Wolfe wrap up their week-long educational residency for Jazz St. Louis with the first of two nights of performances at Jazz at the Bistro, with some help from pianist Phil Dunlap and drummer Marty Morrison. For more about Cassity, Jensen, and Wolfe (pictured, bottom left), and some video samples of all three musicians in action, see this post from last Saturday.

That same evening, the Gaslight Cabaret Festival resumes with singer and actress Tovah Feldshuh performing for the first of two nights at the Gaslight Theater; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to the Venice Cafe; and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, October 29
Singer Feyza Eren returns to the house concert venue KindaBlue, and Animal Children will play at The Dark Room.

Sunday, October 30
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents pianist Stephanie Trick in a matinee performance at the Moolah Temple,
and the JazzU Big Band, made up of the top high school students in Jazz St. Louis' education programs, will make their debut at Jazz 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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Record Store Day 2016 is Saturday, April 16, and once again this year, yr. humble StLJN editor has been invited to be one of several "guest DJs" selecting music to play on the in-store sound system at Vintage Vinyl.

I'll be at the controls for an hour or so starting at 2:30 p.m., following sets by DJs from KDHX and the music blogs Speakers In Code and I Went To A Show (and well after the sure-to-be-jam-packed RSD performance at VV by Americana band Mumford & Sons).

As in previous years, I'll be spinning a mix of jazz, blues, soul, and funk, with some St. Louis artists in the mix. You can see a complete list of all the special Record Store Day releases from various companies here.

* Steven Lutvak's cabaret show "A Gentleman's Guide To A Gentleman's Guide" was previewed in a story by Calvin Wilson of the Post-Dispatch. The production runs tonight and tomorrow at the Gaslight Theater.

* The Riverfront Times' Harlan McCarthy reported on last Saturday's dedication ceremony of the mural of Clark Terry in south St. Louis' Carondelet neighborhood.

* Also in the RFT, Kevin Korinek penned a short feature about St. Louis-based amplifier manufacturer Mills Custom and their participation in last weekend's Tritone Expo.

* Jazz St. Louis posted to Facebook some photos from this week's educational residencies by clarinetist Anat Cohen, drummer Matt Wilson, trumpeter Marquis Hill and bassist Linda Oh.

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation has announced plans to turn the building in the Grand Center district that formerly housed the nightclub Plush into an "arts incubator," with a small theater and space for offices and production support.

* Always, the latest CD from pianist and St. Louis native Stephanie Trick and her husband Paolo Alderighi, was reviewed by the website Art Music Lounge.

* Drummer Dave Weckl headed out on tour this past week with guitarist Oz Noy's trio, starting in Los Angeles, then going on to NYC and more East Coast and Midwest dates before heading back West again. (Alas, there's no St. Louis show on schedule.) Weckl also recently was named also named Best Fusion Drummer for 2016 by Modern Drummer magazine.

Fall festivals spotlight diverse styles

While St. Louis currently may lack a large-scale annual jazz festival with the scope and diversity of those found in Chicago, Detroit, Rochester, or even Indianapolis, over the past decade a number of smaller events have come along to at least partially fill the void.

This fall, three of those smaller-scale festivals will spotlight three different sub-genres from within the jazz and improvised music universe:

* This coming Sunday, September 6 and Monday, September 7, the St. Louis Jazz Club's Gateway Jazz Festival will feature a variety of local acts playing traditional, pre-WWII jazz and swing at the DoubleTree Hotel in Westport.

Performers will include Cornet Chop Suey (pictured, top left),  Michael Lacey's New Orleans Swing, Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi, Pat Joyce and Friends, the St. Louis Stompers, Red Lehr's Powerhouse 5, and the Funky Butt Brass Band. Bands will play in three separate sessions, on Sunday afternoon, Sunday night, and Monday afternoon, with every group except the Funky Butt Brass Band playing at least two sets over the two days.

Tickets are $35 per session or $80 for an all-events pass. For more details, call 314-972-8298 or visit http://stlouisjazzclub.org/

* Later this month, the Tavern of Fine Arts will host "3 Nights in September," an event organized by cellist Tracy Andreotti that will feature St. Louis musicians presenting free improv and experimental sounds on Tuesday, September 22; Wednesday, September 23; and Thursday, September 24.

Tuesday's scheduled performers include Brain Transplant, NNN Cook, Michael Williams, and the Hess/Cunningham Duo. Wednesday's concert will feature Ghost Ice & Mister Ben; Dave Stone with Henry Claude, Glenn "Papa" Wright & Joe Hess; and the Perhelion Ensemble. The Experimental Arts Ensemble STL, Vernacular String Trio, and the STL Free Jazz Collective (pictured, center left) will wrap things up on Thursday.

Admission to "3 Nights in September" is just $5 per night, payable in cash only, at the door.

* Last but not least, singer Eve Seltzer and her husband, guitarist Ben Wood - both of the Gypsy jazz band Franglais - have organized a Gypsy Jazz Festival that's scheduled to take place Friday, October 23 through Sunday, October 25 at Evangeline's.

All three nights will feature evening performances and late-night jam sessions, with brunch-time performances also set for Saturday and Sunday.

In addition to Franglais (pictured, lower left) the musical lineup will include accordionist Dallas Vietty, singer Miles Griffith, bands Swing '39, Bedlam Swing, and Coco Rico, and more.

Admission prices and ticket info for the event are TBA; watch this space for more details.

Edited 9-3-15 to fix a typo.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist David Sanborn has posted an update about the PledgeMusic campaign to finance his next recording.

Fans can see the saxophonist next on national TV this coming Monday, June 16, sitting in with Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra on the Late Show with David Letterman.

* Jazz Times has coverage and more photos of last week's dedication of "Miles Davis Way" in NYC, and the official Davis site has video of the event via the Pace Report.

* In a related note, a new "Order Is Everything" column from Revive Music's Matthew Allen offers his take on the 10 essential Miles Davis albums.

* Keep On Keepin’ On, the new documentary film about the friendship between nonagenarian trumpeter Clark Terry and twenty-something pianist Justin Kauflin, was the subject of a feature on KPLU radio in Seattle.

* Saxophonist Eric Person has posted on Facebook a set of photos documenting his big band's performance last month at Dizzy's in NYC.

* While we're talking photo sets, Wack-A-Doo singer/accordionist Valerie Tichacek has posted on Facebook an album of pictures from last Saturday's sold-out "Midsummer Night's Jazz Festival" at the Deco Fortress.

* And completing today's photographic troika on Facebook is an album of pics from recent Route 66 Jazz Orchestra rehearsals.

* The Riverfront Times this week announced the winners of the 2014 RFT Music Awards, with guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran and Guerrilla Swing getting the most votes in the "Best Jazz" category. You can see a complete list of this year's winners here.

* Speaking of awards, the Jazz Journalists Association this week announced their 2014 Awards for Musical Achievement, and Miles Live in Europe 1969 was the winner for "Historical Record of the Year." Check out the full list of winners here.

* Pianist Stephanie Trick (pictured) has a new album of duos with Italian-born keyboardist Paolo Alderighi called Sentimental Journey. It features four-handed versions of ragtime, standards, and blues, plus a couple of originals, and is available now via CD Baby.

* Guitarist/singer Elliot Ranney was spotlighted in one of KDHX's "On Demand" podcasts.

* Popular longtime St. Louis radio personality Lou "Fatha" Thimes, father of singer Denise Thimes, has died after a long illness. StLJN joins St. Louis jazz, blues and soul fans in offering our condolences to the Thimes family.

* Denise Thimes also was interviewed this week about her memories of her frequent accompanist, the late Tony Simmons, for an article by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's “Somethin’ Else” will feature past winners of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, including singer Gretchen Parlato, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and pianist Kris Bowers.

Then on "The Jazz Collective," host Jason Church will spin tunes from Brother Strut, Jeff Lorber with Chuck Loeb and Everette Harp, Incognito, Chris Standring, Stanley Turrentine, Grant Green, Hugh Masekela, Young-Holt Unlimited, the Jazz Crusaders, Rod Tate, Soul Cafe, Jim Stevens, and and Jesse Gannon.

Wilson's program airs at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by Church at 9:00 p.m., on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.   

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Drummer and St. Louis native Mark Colenburg, currently working with pianist Robert Glasper, is featured in the current issue of Yamaha's promotional magazine All Access.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn's next album Enjoy The View, a collaborative effort with mallet percussionist Bobby Hutcherson, organist Joey DeFrancesco, and drummer Billy Hart is coming out Tuesday, June 24 on Blue Note Records. The album marks Hutcherson's return to the label for which he did some of his most widely recognized recordings in the 1960s and 70s.

* Pianist Peter Martin will travel next week to NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center to lead a restaging of The Real Ambassadors, the musical that was created in 1961 by Dave Brubeck and Louis Armstrong to spread American culture around the world.

The work was recorded for Columbia in 1961, but was performed live only once, at the 1962 Monterey Jazz Festival. Other participants in the revival will include bassist Robert Hurst, drummer Ulysses Owens, vocalist Roberta Gambarini and trumpeter James Zollar, plus Yolande Bavan, who took part in the 1962 performance, as the narrator.

* Saxophonist and jazz educator Ronald Carter (pictured), who trained many local musicians while he was band director at East St. Louis' Lincoln HS, is retiring this spring from his job as head of jazz studies at Northern Illinois University. A concert paying tribute to Carter will take place next Thursday, April 10, in the Duke Ellington Ballroom of the Holmes Student Center on the NIU campus.

* Pianist Stephanie Trick's performance last month for the Roosmoor Jazz Club in Walnut Creek, CA was captured on video and is featured on the blog Jazz Lives.

* New music ensemble Alarm Will Sound has posted to their Facebook page an album of photos from their performance Tuesday at the Pageant

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake is set to take part in a tribute to Eric Dolphy next month in Montclair, NJ that will feature some Dolphy compositions never before recorded or performed in public. Drummer Pheeroan akLaff is organizing the show, which also will include luminaries such as Richard Davis, Gunther Schuller, Don Byron, Vernon Reid, and Henry Threadgill, and is raising funds via a page on IndieGoGo.

* Speaking of fundraisers, trumpeter Terence Blanchard still has a long way to go in his effort to gather $140,000 to record Champion, his "opera in jazz" that premiered last summer at Opera Theatre St. Louis. With 19 days to go, the project's IndieGoGo page puts the contributions to date at $13,035.

Coincidentally, Blanchard this past week also was involved in paying tribute to the St. Louis area's most famous jazz musician, performing the music of Miles Davis and Gil Evans in a concert at the University of Miami.

* And speaking of Davis, reviews are coming in for the new box set of material he recorded at the Fillmore from publications ranging from the New York Times to the San Antonio Current, to online outlets including
PopMatters, Pitchfork, The Arts Desk, and AllAbout Jazz.com.

* Congratulations to Jon Poses of the "We Always Swing" jazz series in Columbia, who was named one of 24 local "Jazz Heroes" for 2014 by the Jazz Journalists Association.

* Vintage Vinyl marketing manager Jim Utz was profiled in an article this week's St. Louis Business Journal, though alas, the full text is for subscribers only.

* St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts will present their next "Business Edge" workshop on Monday, April 7 at the Regional Arts Commission offices on Delmar. Titled "Square Feet," the session will provide information on real estate contracts aimed at artists contemplating leasing living or working space. The cost is $10 per person in advance, and you can register by sending an email to vlaa at stlrac dot org.

* Jazz radio update: On this Saturday's edition of Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' "Somethin' Else," host Calvin Wilson will showcase "new standards" from current popular artists from OutKast to Oasis as performed by musicians including trumpeter Wallace Roney, singer-pianist Patricia Barber, and bassist Ben Allison.

After that, The Jazz Collective's host Jason Church will celebrate the program's one-year anniversary with a re-broadcast of his very first episode, featuring music from Chris Standring, Bob James, Ronny Jordan, Tia Fuller, Miles Davis, Ben Williams, Funky Butt Brass Band, Tommy Halloran, Dawn Weber, and Robert Silverman.

Wilson's program airs at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by Church at 9:00 p.m., on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Chesterfield Jazz Festival, now renamed the Chesterfield Wine and Jazz Festival and changed from a ticketed event to a free one, will take place this year from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturday, June 28 at Chesterfield Amphitheater.

The lineup of bands will include a headlining set by Yellowjackets (pictured), plus Bach to the Future, led by the event's organizers Michael Silverman and Robert Silverman, and additional acts TBA.

* Saxophonist and Webster University alum Chris Cheek has teamed with fellow saxophonist Seamus Blake for a new album, Reeds Ramble. They'll promote the release with gigs on March 13, 14 & 15 at Small's in NYC. 

* Drummer and St. Louis native Emanuel Harrold, who this past week became a Grammy winner by virtue of his work on singer Gregory Porter's Liquid Spirit, is featured in a new promotional video from drumstick and accessories maker Vic Firth.

* The Wee Trio's live version of David Bowie's "Queen Bitch," recorded here in St. Louis for their album Live at the Bistro, was a "Download of the Day" at AllAboutJazz.com. The group, which includes St. Louis expat Dan Loomis on bass, will return in April to Jazz at the Bistro.

* St. Louis' Cornet Chop Suey and pianist Stephanie Trick are among the performers at the 39th Central Illinois Jazz Festival being held this weekend in Decatur.

* Trombonist Dave Stamps, a graduate of SIUE and Northern Illinois University and son of SIUE's former director of jazz studies Brett Stamps, has been named director of the jazz program at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN.

* Jazz St. Louis has posted online a photo album of the Matt Wilson Quartet and John Medeski last week visiting Beasley Elementary School in the Mehlville School District and performing at Jazz at the Bistro.

* And speaking of photo albums, Miss Jubilee has posted one on Facebook documenting their weekly Thursday night gig at Thaxton Speakeasy.

* The website New York Jazz Workshop offers an entry-level introduction to Miles Davis in three parts.

* The band program at Riverview Gardens High School, directed by saxophonist Harvey Lockhart, is keepin' on keepin' on despite losing a number of students this year to inter-district transfers. Most recently, the RGHS drumline won the second annual Show-Me Showdown held last month at Normandy HS. You can see their first-place performance on video here.

* Regional Arts Commission is accepting applications for another round of Artist Support Grants, which are awarded to individual artists and range in amount from $500 to $3,000. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, March 5.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' "Somethin' Else,"  Calvin Wilson will spin interpretations of the music of Charlie Parker by the likes of trumpeter Roy Hargrove, saxophonist Anthony Braxton, and Junk Genius.

After that, "The Jazz Collective" host Jason Church will offer a guitar-centric program featuring sounds from Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny, Larry Carlton, Ottmar Liebert, Chris Standring, George Benson and Lee Ritenour, as well as St. Louis' own Elliott Ranney, Tom Byrne, Farshid Etniko, and Brian Vaccaro.

Wilson's program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by Church at 9:00 p.m., via 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.    

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* There's more coverage of this weekend's Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival from KWMU, KPLR, and KTRS.

* KWMU's Dennis Owsley has a preview of the third installment of his radio history of St. Louis jazz (airing at 9:00 p.m. this Sunday) plus some supplemental photos and videos here.

* The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra has posted to Facebook an album of photos from their show this past Wednesday at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company.

* Here's a review of Nouveau Stride, the recently released CD featuring St. Louis pianist Stephanie Trick and singer Lorraine Feather.

* An exhibition of original artwork by Miles Davis, “Miles Davis: The Art of Cool,” will be presented by June 8 through July 28 at the Napa Valley Museum and Lincoln Theater in Yountville, CA. It features 35 pieces of Davis' artwork as well as personal effects, and will be accompanied by various special events and a film screening.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native David Sanborn and pianist Bob James will celebrate the release of their new CD Quartette Humaine and begin a joint tour with a concert on June 6 at NYC's Town Hall.

* Tomorrow, Saturday, April 20, is the annual National Record Store Day, and, as has become the custom here in St. Louis, local music retailers are celebrating with exclusive limited releases, live bands, guest DJs, giveaways and more. You can get an overview of what's going on around town from the St. Louis Beacon and/or the Riverfront Times.

As part of the festivities, yr. humble StLJN editor has been invited to return to Vintage Vinyl in University City again this year for an hour-long "guest DJ" spot. I'll be in the store spinning some jazz, blues, soul and funk from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, so if you're nearby, stop in and say hello.

Jazz this week: The Wee Trio, Chris Corsano, "Jazz Under The Stars," Freddie Washington, and more

If there's a theme to this week, it would seem to be "youth," as the next few days' worth of jazz and creative music in St. Louis will feature a number of fresh faces (plus a few relatively grizzled veterans) performing in a variety of styles ranging from the traditional to the experimental. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, vibraphonist Peter Schlamb and his group will kick off the winter/spring 2012 Jazz at Holmes series of free concerts at Washington University.

Also tonight, up-and-coming young pianists Stephanie Trick and Paolo Alderighi will team up for a performance at Robbie's House of Jazz; and the Young Friends groups of Jazz St. Louis and the St. Louis Science Center will present their second "Jazz Under The Stars" event at the McDonnell Planetarium in Forest Park, featuring music from drummer Marty Morrison and Friends with guest vocalist Erin Bode.

On Friday, the Wee Trio (pictured) opens a two-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro. The group, which features St. Louis native Dan Loomis on bass, New Yorker Jared Schonig on drums, and New Orleans' James Westfall on vibraphone, last played the Bistro in 2009. This time around, they're touring behind a new CD, Ashes to Ashes: A David Bowie Intraspective, which, as the name suggests, features their interpretations of six songs written by iconic rocker David Bowie.

Yr. humble StLJN editor spoke with Loomis last week about the project for an article that should go up on the Riverfront Times' RFT Music Blog some time on Thursday. Once it's online, we'll add a link here; in the meantime, for more about the Wee Trio and some video footage of them in action, see this post, which preceded their last visit here. UPDATE - 10:15 a.m., 1/26/12: The interview with Dan Loomis is online here.

Also on Friday, saxophonist Greg Lewis and his group Press Play return to Robbie's House of Jazz, and guitarist Tom Byrne's trio will be back at the Cigar Inn.

Then on Saturday night, the improvising percussionist Chris Corsano will be in town to perform with bassist Darin Gray and saxophonist Dave Stone in a concert presented by New Music Circle at Kranzberg Arts Center. For more about Corsano, including links to a couple of extended interviews and more than an hour of live performance video, check out this post from last Saturday. UPDATE - 10:30 p.m., 1/26/12: You can read my Critic's Pick about Corsano written for this week's print edition of the RFT here. (Musicians and music students take note: Corsano and Gray also will lead a free public workshop on improvisation and extended techniques from noon to 2:00 p.m. Saturday at Luminary Center for the Arts, 2900 Reber Pl.)

On Sunday afternoon, the St. Louis Jazz Club will present a stylistically diverse double bill featuring the traditional jazz sound of Banjos & Brass, plus Utter Chaos, a quartet of young musicians featuring a front line of baritone sax and trombone and drawing inspiration from 1950s cool jazz, at the Doubletree Hotel St. Louis at Westport.

That evening, saxophonist Freddie Washington will open a series of Sunday night shows presented by the Black Rep at the Grandel Theater.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday evening Dave Black and Bridge will perform at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium. The eclectic ensemble features Black on guitar along with violinist Asako Kuboki, cellist Tracy Andreotti, bassist Syd Rodway and percussionist Henry Claude, performing original compositions that draw on jazz, classical, world music and more.

Then on Tuesday, the St. Louis MetroBones, a new group that features 14 trombonists from area high schools and colleges under the direction of veteran trombonist and educator Dave Dickey, will play a concert at the Black Cat Theatre.

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.)

Sheldon Concert Hall to present benefit for tornado relief on Wednesday, May 18

A diverse lineup of local musicians will donate their time to raise money for St. Louis area victims of the recent tornadoes and floods in a concert to be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

The event will feature performances from traditional jazz band the St. Louis Stompers, pianist Carolbeth True with harmonica player Sandy Weltman, guitarist Rick Haydon, and pianist Stephanie Trick (pictured), as well as folk musicians John Higgins and Charlie Pfeffer, Beatles tribute band Pepperland and the gospel group Reborn.

All proceeds from the concert will go to the American Red Cross "to help local victims of the recent tornadoes and floods, and future disasters that impact our community." Tickets are $15 for general admission, and will go on sale 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 10 via Metrotix and www.thesheldon.org.

Jazz this week: New Year's Eve in St. Louis

As noted in this space last week, most touring jazz performers are off the road this time of year, and many of St. Louis' not-for-profit venues that present jazz are on hiatus until the new year as well.

Most notably, Jazz at the Bistro, the city's most prominent spot for live jazz, will be dark again this weekend as the First Night celebration takes place in the surrounding Grand Center district.

So, given all that, what options are available for someone who'd like to hear some jazz this New Year's Eve in St. Louis?

Well, once place to look would be the aforementioned First Night. Billed as a family-friendly, alcohol-free event, First Night offers a variety of entertainment both outdoors on the streets of Grand Center and indoors at various venues around the district for a single price. This year's indoor performance spaces include the Sheldon Concert Hall and Ballroom, Kranzberg Arts Center, the Grandel Theatre, Third Baptist Church, SLU's Busch Student Center, St. Francis Xavier College Church, and the Scottish Rite Auditorium. (Powell Hall is not included, as the Symphony has its own New Year's Eve concert scheduled.)

Performers at this year's First Night who are of potential interest to jazz fans include trad jazz and swing band Cornet Chop Suey; singers Jeanne Trevor (pictured) and Wendy Gordon; the contemporary quartet Nu Element; saxophonist James Warfield's trio; cabaret performers Rosemary Watts and Joe Dryer; Elsie Parker and the Poor People of Paris; stride/ragtime pianist Stephanie Trick; the Friends of Scott Joplin; and singer Kim Massie. For a complete schedule of who's playing where and when, see the First Night website.

Elsewhere around town on NYE, guitarist Eric Slaughter's trio will perform at Robbie's House of Jazz, and the Funky Butt Brass Band will be part of a multi-act bill with Hip Grease, the Dogtown All-Stars, and three DJs at 2720 Cherokee.

Also, keyboardist Mo Egeston's All-Stars will play downtown at Lola; The Sands will feature Gaslight Square veterans Banjos and Brass; and Iron Barley will present Sins of the Pioneers, who blend New Orleans jazz and Western swing with rock and various other strains of American roots music.

(For more on other New Year's Eve entertainment around St. Louis, see the Riverfront Times' coverage here, and the Post-Dispatch's here. )

Here at StLJN HQ, yr. humble editor continues to work on year-end posts and various housekeeping-type matters, as well as updating the site calendar as new info comes in for next month and beyond. While things may seem a bit slow right now, updates will be ongoing.

So, for more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, we encourage you to 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.)