So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Gateway Studio and Production Services, a new multi-million dollar music and video facility to be built in Chesterfield, is the subject of a feature story from St. Louis Public Radio's Kendall Crawford..

* Bassist and singer Janet Evra (pictured) announced this week in a Facebook post that she's been invited to join the Recording Academy, the organization that oversees the annual Grammy Awards. Evra is one of 2,710 invitees this year, including 48 percent female, 32 percent Black or African American+, 13 percent Hispanic or Latino/a/x+, and four percent Asian or Pacific Islander+, as the Academy works toward diversifying its membership.

* Guitarist Steve Schenkel has been appointed music director at First Unity Church of St. Louis in South County. Schenkel, who teaches music at Webster University and works as a player and contractor with the Fox Theatre and Muny orchestras, plans to invite various musician friends to perform at the church, starting this Sunday, July 4 with pianist and fellow Webster University faculty member Carolbeth True. (See the church's website for info on future guest performances.)

* Bassist Darin Gray once again has delved into his archives and come up with more previously unreleased music from On Fillmore, his duo project with drummer Glenn Kotche. The album is called Chicago 2002, and it's now available on Bandcamp.

* As reported by CBS News, Miya Ponsetto, the woman seen earlier this year in a viral video attacking trumpeter Keyon Harrold's teenage son, has been indicted by a Manhattan court on hate crime and other charges, including unlawful imprisonment, aggravated harassment, and endangering a child. Ponsetto's next court date related to the charges is October 20.

Jazz this week: STL Free Jazz Collective, Erin Bode, a tribute to Charlie Christian, and more

This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis offers an eclectic selection of shows for Valentine's Day weekend, from free jazz to smooth romantic balladry.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 10
As of this writing late on Wednesday afternoon, the 7:30 set of Branford Marsalis' third and final night at Jazz at the Bistro is sold out, but some tickets remain for the 9:30 set and will be available at the door.

If you're shut out of the Marsalis show, you can watch on video in the Bistro's adjoining first floor lounge, which has no cover charge.

Also in the Grand Center neighborhood and with no cover, you can check out the regular weekly gigs featuring bassist Bob DeBoo and friends at the Kranzberg Arts Center or trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's trio at The Dark Room; or head a little farther west to hear pianist Brad Ellebrecht and drummer Kyle Honeycutt at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Thursday, February 11
The STL Free Jazz Collective (pictured, top left) will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; singer Erika Johnson and guitarist Tom Byrne return to Evangeline's; and the Ptah Williams/Eric Slaughter band will pay tribute to the late Maurice White by interpreting some Earth, Wind & Fire songs during their weekly gig at The Dark Room.

Friday, February 12
Continuing the annual Valentine's Day weekend tradition she inherited from former St. Louisans Mardra and Reggie Thomas, singer Erin Bode (pictured, center left) will perform for the first of three nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Friday, New Orleans funk/R&B band Big Sam's Funky Nation will return to the Broadway Oyster Bar; new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound will perform a program focusing on the life and music of composer György Ligeti at the Sheldon Concert Hall; and Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, February 13
Singer Tony Viviano will perform the first of two Valentine's Day-themed shows at Patrick's Westport Grill, with another on Sunday; and guitarist Brian Vaccaro and keyboardist Ryan Marquez will play for diners at Grapeseed.

Sunday, February 14
Singer Craig Pomranz, back home from NYC for the weekend, will present his cabaret show "Spend The Night With Craig" at The Boom Boom Room; singer Truenessia Combs and saxophonist Tim Cunningham team up for a Valentine's show at Troy's Jazz Gallery; and Coco Rico will play Gypsy jazz and swing at Nathalie's.

Monday,
February 15
Guitarists Dave Black, Tom Byrne, and Steve Schenkel (pictured, bottom left) will join forces for "The Musical Legacy of Charlie Christian, A Centennial Celebration" at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium; and Chicago-based jazz/rock band Marbin returns to BB's Jazz, Blues & 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: Gaslight Cabaret Festival, Bosman Twins, Dave Dickey Big Band, and more

It's been a busy spring so far for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, and though this week's lineup may be light on touring performers, there still are plenty of gigs featuring local musicians to sate your appetite for live sounds. Let's go to the highlights...

Thursday, April 9
Pianist Greg Mills' Perihelion Quartet, with saxophonist Dave Stone, percussionist Henry Claude, and cellist Tracy Andreotti will perform at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Elsewhere around town, the Gaslight Cabaret Festival begins its final weekend of this spring's series with singer Gina Otto (pictured, top left) performing her show "The Lovers, The Dreamers - and Me" at the Gaslight Theater; the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University ends their season with a performance from Wash U  jazz performance program students; and bassist Willem von Hombracht and trumpeter Randy Holmes will duet at Thurman Grill.

Friday, April 10
If you don't already have tickets to see the Bosman Twins (pictured, center left) this weekend at Jazz at the Bistro, you're likely out of luck, as all four shows celebrating the release of their new CD When Lions Roar are sold out.

Should you want to go down there in hopes that a ticket holder cancels or returns their seats, remember that sets at the new Bistro are simulcast on the video screen in the adjacent lounge space, providing a handy fall-back position.

Elsewhere around town, singer Ann Dueren's trio will be providing music all weekend for the Art Fair at Queeny Park, with sets Friday night, Saturday and Sunday; Ken Haller performs his show "Mama's Boy" for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will return to Nathalie's; and trumpeter Jim Manley and pianist Arthur Toney play at Thurman Grill.

Saturday, April 11
If you're in the mood for a matinee, Miss Jubilee will be at the Blues City Deli. Then that evening, Springfield, IL based jazz-fusion group Dreaming In Colour will be at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, and the Belgian new music ensemble Thelema Trio, with Rik De Geyter (clarinets), Peter Verdonck (saxophones), and Ward De Vleeschhouwer (piano), will perform at Tavern of Fine Arts.

Also on Saturday night, Kay Love will close out the Gaslight Cabaret Festival with her tribute to female songwriters, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun! (the women who wrote the songs)"; singer Feyza Eren and pianist Carolbeth True will duet at The Wine Press; and saxophonist "Raven Wolf" C. Felton Jennings II will play while poets Dwight Bitikofer, Cheeraz Gormon and Hart L’Ecuyer declaim verse at Stone Spiral Coffee and Curios.

Sunday, April 12
Saxophonists Chad Evans and Readus Miller will be among the featured performers in an early evening "Sounds of Jazz" event for the Sumner HS class of 1985 at Deja Vu II Cafe; trumpeter Anthony Wiggins and friends will be playing at Fairview Memorial VFW Post 8677 in Fairview Heights; and the Dave Dickey Big Band (pictured, bottom left) returns for their monthly gig at Jazz at the Bistro, with the Belleville East HS Concert Jazz Orchestra and Ensemble playing at intermission.

Monday, April 13
Guitarist Steve Schenkel will perform at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium.

Tuesday, April 14
Singer Joe Mancuso, trumpeter Jim Manley and pianist Curt Landes will team up for a "Tribute to Louis Armstrong and Chet Baker" at 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: The return of Rene Marie, Gaslight Cabaret Festival, and more

This week's lineup of jazz and creative music performances in St. Louis puts the spotlight on vocalists, starting with an internationally known singer once signed to a local label, and continuing with the latest set of shows featuring performers from the thriving local cabaret scene.

Mix in some improvised music with a side order of poetry, and various instrumental performances in a variety of styles, and there should be something to entice just about any jazz listener. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday March 4
Tonight, singer Rene Marie (pictured, above left) returns to St. Louis for the first time since the mid-2000s to begin a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro.

Marie was one of the first artists signed to the St. Louis based MAXJAZZ label back in 1999, and cut six albums for them over the next five years while also performing here a number of times. More recently, she put out a couple of albums on her own, and then signed with Motema, which last year issued her most recent recording project, a tribute to Eartha Kitt. For more about that, see this Saturday video post from a couple of weeks ago.  

Also tonight, singer Eve Seltzer returns to Evangeline's; and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor and his trio continue their weekly gig at the The Dark Room in Grand Center.

Thursday March 5
Pianist Greg Mills' project The Perihelion Ensemble, with saxophonist Dave Stone, percussionist Henry Claude, cellist Tracy Andreotti, Ajay Khanna on electronics, and recently named St. Louis poet laureate Michael Castro, will perform at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Also on Thursday, clarinetist Scott Alberici, guitarist Steve Schenkel and bassist Ric Vice will team up to play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes at Washington University; and singer Feyza Eren (pictured, center left) and a band featuring drummer Steve Davis and pianist Scott Sheperd will perform Sheperd's original material in "Colored Sky - An Evening of St. Louis Jazz," a benefit for the Diversity Awareness Partnership at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Friday, March 6
The Gaslight Cabaret Festival's first weekend of the spring begins with singer and pianist Neal Richardson performing his show "Pennies From Heaven," with a guest appearance from singer Ben Nordstrom, at the Gaslight Theater.

Elsewhere that evening, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will return to Highway 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen; the Original Knights of Swing will play for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom.; and keyboardists Ptah Williams and Matt Villinger will join forces at Thurman Grill.

Saturday, March 7
Pianist Carolbeth True (pictured, below left) and Two Times True will be doing a free early evening performance in the St. Louis Art Museum's Sculpture Hall as part of SLAM's annual "Art In Bloom" event.

Also on Saturday, the husband-and-wife team of pianist Joe Dreyer and singer Rosemary Watts will present their show "Transitions" at the Gaslight Theater; trumpeter Jim Manley, singer Charlie B. and friends will perform at Nathalie's; and singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will be doing their duo thing for the diners and drinkers at  Element STL.


Sunday, March 8
The late winter/early spring edition of the St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show takes place at the American Czech Hall, 4690 Lansdowne (at Kingshighway) on the south side.

Monday, March 9
Trumpeter Keith Moyer and his group will be back 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.)

John Abercrombie, Eric Person to headline winter/spring Jazz at Holmes schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University has announced its schedule of free concerts for the winter/spring semester of 2015, and along with the usual sampling of local working musicians, the roster features two particularly noteworthy shows from visiting headliners.

Saxophonist Eric Person, a St. Louis native now living in Brooklyn whose credits include work with McCoy Tyner, Chico Hamilton and the World Saxophone Quartet, will lead his trio in a Jazz at Holmes performance on Thursday, April 2. Person (pictured, top left) has released nine albums as a bandleader, the most recent being the Kickstarter-fueled 2012 big band release Thoughts on God, and last gigged here in his hometown back in 2010.

The following week, guitarist John Abercrombie (pictured, bottom left), who has collaborated with jazz luminaries such as Jack DeJohnette, Charles Lloyd, and Dave Holland, will lead a quartet in a concert on Tuesday, April 7. Abercrombie's most recent release as a leader is 39 Steps, a quartet date with pianist Marc Copland, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer Joey Baron that came out in 2013 on the ECM label.

Update, 1/20/15: Unlike most Jazz at Holmes shows, there will be an admission charge for the John Abercrombie concert. Though the exact price is yet to be determined, Bill Lenihan, guitarist and Wash U faculty member who curates the Jazz at Holmes series, tells StLJN that it likely will be along the lines of $10 for students with ID, $20 for the general public. More details on that when we get 'em.

Also, the schedule posted below now lists different dates for three of the concerts than were published here originally, reflecting an updated version of the semester schedule that was posted to the Jazz at Holmes Facebook page on Friday, January 17.

Here's the complete schedule* for the semester:

Thursday, January 22: Eric Warren
Thursday, January 29: Ptah Williams

Thursday, February 5: Chris Burchett
Thursday, February 12: Tim Fischer
Thursday, February 19: Kristian Baarsvik 
Thursday, February 26: Kara Baldus, William Lenihan, and Steve Davis

Thursday, March 5: Scott Alberici, Steve Schenkel & Ric Vice
Thursday, March 19: Carolbeth True and Two Times True
Thursday, March 26: The Poor People of Paris

Thursday, April 2: Eric Person Trio
Tuesday, April 7: John Abercrombie Quartet
Thursday, April 9: Wash U jazz performance program students

Presented most Thursday evenings when school is in session, the Jazz at Holmes concerts are free and open to the public. Concerts begin at 8:00 p.m. in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall, located on Washington University’s campus at the west end of the Brookings Quadrangle, near the intersection of Brookings and Hoyt drives.

* Schedule revised as of 1/17/15

Jazz this week: Michael Buble, tributes to Oliver Nelson and Thelonious Monk, and more

After a very busy few days of live music in St. Louis last weekend, things are a little slower this week. But if you've checked out parts one and two of StLJN's fall 2013 jazz preview, you know that it's just the calm before the storm, as the last ten days of this month and the first week of October will be filled with touring musicians visiting our town.

And of course, "calm" is a relative term, for as you'll see if you read on, there's still plenty of live jazz and creative music happening right now that is worthy of your attention. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, trumpeter Randy Holmes and his quintet will pay tribute to composer, saxophonist and St. Louis native Oliver Nelson by playing a free concert of his music to kick off this semester's Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Nelson (pictured), who died in 1975 at the age of just 43, was a prolific composer who these days is best known for writing the standard "Stolen Moments" and for Blues and the Abstract Truth, the classic album that introduced it.

But he also has considerable historical importance in American popular culture, because, along with Quincy Jones, he was one of the first African-American composers to get steady work writing for film and television beginning in the 1960s. Nelson's themes for shows like "Ironside" and "The Six Million Dollar Man" put his music into millions of homes - many of which may not have contained a single jazz album - and had he not died so young, there's no telling what else he might have accomplished. At a time when tribute shows proliferate to the point of oversaturation, Nelson is both truly deserving and too often overlooked.

Also tonight, trumpeter Jim Manley plays at Joyia Tapas, 4501 Manchester Ave in the Grove district, and singer Joe Mancuso returns after a one-week break to Cafe Eau at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel.

Tomorrow night, guitarist Tom Byrne brings his Pat Metheny inspired band Have U Heard to Jazz on Broadway; drummer Montez Coleman plays at Cigar Inn; singer Wendy Gordon performs at DeLeo's Deli & Cafe, 2782 N Lindbergh; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham will be downtown at The Precinct, the restaurant and bar formerly known as Jim Edmonds 15 Steakhouse at 1900 Locust St..

On Saturday afternoon, St. Vincent Greenway, Inc., the City of St. Louis, and Great Rivers Greenway will present "Jazz on the Greenway," a free event that will include live music from Uncensored Band plus a plethora of outdoor and family activities, all taking place at Ruth Porter Park and St. Vincent Greenway in the CWE at Delmar and DeBaliviere.

That evening, singer Michael Buble performs at the Scottrade Center. While his most recent album To Be Loved may reflect more of a pop/rock sensibility than some previous outings, it seems likely that some of the Sinatra-inspired arrangements that previously have been staples for the Canadian crooner will make it into this show as well.

Also on Saturday night, singer Tony Viviano is at Fortel's in Creve Coeur; Miss Jubilee performs at the Schlafly Bottleworks; guitarist Eric Slaughter plays at Robbie's House of Jazz; and guitarist Brian Vaccaro and his trio will working it like real-life cavemen at Crystal City Underground, the subterranean entertainment venue located in a former mine.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the group Four in One: The Thelonious Monk Project, which includes guitarist Steve Schenkel, saxophonist Paul DeMarinis, drummer Alan Schilling and bassist Ric Vice,  will play a concert at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium; and trumpeter Keith Moyer brings his group back to BB's Jazz, Blues & 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.)

Webster University announces 2013-14 jazz concert schedule

The music department at Webster University has announced their schedule of Monday night jazz concerts for 2013-14.

The series will kick off with a tribute to Cannonball Adderly at 7:00 p.m. Monday, September 9 in Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus, 470 E. Lockwood Ave.

The performance will feature songs associated with Adderly such as “Unit Seven,” “Jive Samba,” “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” and “Sack O’ Woe,” performed by an ensemble including Paul DeMarinis (pictured, saxophones), Keith Moyer (trumpet), Steve Schenkel (guitar), Kim Portnoy (piano), Willem von Hombracht (bass), Kevin Gianino (drums) and Debby Lennon (vocals).

Here's the complete schedule for the year:

Monday, September 9: A Tribute to Cannonball Adderley
Monday, September 16: Four in One: The Thelonious Monk Project
Monday, September 23: Paul DeMarinis & Friends with DeMarinis (saxophones), Dave Black (guitar), Ben Wheeler (bass) and Kyle Honeycutt (drums).
Monday, October 28: TKT Scholarship Benefit Concert
Monday, November 18: Webster Jazz Collective

Monday, January 27: TBA
Monday, February 3: Black History Month Concert
Monday, February 10: Kim Portnoy Ensemble
Monday, February 24: Webster Jazz Collective
Monday, March 17: Shepard/Davis Scholarship Benefit Concert

All Monday night faculty concerts begin at 7:00 p.m. and take place in Moore Auditorium. Tickets for most concerts are $5 for general admission; $3 for seniors; free for students.

Tickets for the TKT concert will be $20 $10 general admission; free for Webster faculty, staff, & students, and for the Shepard/Davis concert, $10 general admission; $5 seniors; free for Webster faculty, staff, and students. The two Webster Jazz Collective concerts are priced at $3 general admission; free for faculty, staff and students. For more information, call 314-647-1415.

In addition to the concert series featuring Webster's faculty members, the University also will present a seminar by famed alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, October 10 in the recital hall on campus. Donaldson will be in town that week to perform with his quartet at Jazz at the Bistro.

Lastly, Webster also has released the schedule of student jazz performances for the year. The student jazz combos will present performances for the fall semester on November 4 and 11, and in the spring on March 31 and April 7. The free concerts start at 7:00 p.m. in Room #10 of Webster's Community Music School, 535 Garden Ave.

The university's student jazz singers will present their fall performance on December 8 and their spring concert on April 21. Both concerts take place at 7:00 p.m. in Moore Auditorium, with admission at $3 for the general public, free for students, faculty and staff.

Edited 10/11/13 to correct the ticket price of the TKT Scholaship concert.

Jazz at Holmes series returns this Thursday, January 24 with Brian Vaccaro Trio

The Jazz at Holmes series of free concerts at Washington University will begin their winter/spring 2013 schedule of shows with a performance by guitarist Brian Vaccaro's organ trio at 8:00 p.m. this Thursday, January 24. Vaccaro (pictured) and his group will play some of their jazz/funk interpretations of music by The Beatles.

Usually by this time of year, there's been some announcement from the Jazz at Holmes series' organizers about the entire semester's schedule of concerts, and one may appear yet in the next day or two as classes resume at Wash U. (See below for update!) For now, there are two other Jazz at Holmes gigs this winter and spring in addition to Vaccaro's that have become public through other sources.

On Thursday, February 28, the series will present drummer Ronnie Burrage, playing some of his original music with pianist Ptah Williams and bassist Darrell Mixon. According to what Burrage told StLJN for this story, the trio also will be holding open rehearsals on campus for a couple of days before the concert; the details on that are yet to come.

The following week at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 7, the series will present the first local screening of the 2012 documentary film We Juke Up In Here and a performance by Mississippi blues singer and guitarist Jimmy "Duck" Holmes.

The film, produced by St. Louisan and Broke & Hungry Records founder Jeff Konkel and former St. Louisan and Cathead Delta Blues & Folk Art proprietor Roger Stolle, documents the dwindling number of juke joints in rural Mississippi. Holmes, who also owns the Blue Front Cafe in Bentonia, MS, has recorded several albums for the Broke & Hungry label and appears in the film. A discussion with Holmes and the filmmakers will follow the screening and performance.

As for the rest of the schedule, StLJN will have it for you right here as soon as it is released. Presented most Thursday evenings when school is in session, the Jazz at Holmes concerts are free and open to the public. Unless otherwise noted, concerts begin at 8:00 p.m. in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall, located on Washington University’s campus at the west end of the Brookings Quadrangle, near the intersection of Brookings and Hoyt drives.

Update, 10:47 p.m., 1/21/13: A couple of hours after this post went up, an email hit the StLJN inbox with the rest of the winter/spring 2013 Jazz at Holmes schedule. Following Vaccaro's kickoff show this Thursday, the rest of the concerts in chronological order will be:

Thursday, January 31: At Once: Improvisation Ensemble and the Art of Improvisation
Thursday, February 7: Ben Thigpen Group
Thursday, February 14: Jan Shapiro & Nathan Jatcko: Love Songs of Porter, Gershwin, Rodger, Hart, Hammerstein, & Arlen
Thursday, February 21: Special Event: Amina Figarova Quintet
Thursday, February 28: Ronnie Burrage
Thursday, March 7: Screening of We Juke Up In Here with live performance by Jimmy "Duck" Holmes
Thursday, March 21: "Take Five" and the Music of Dave Brubeck
Thursday, March 28: Joe Mancuso Quartet
Thursday, April 4: Wire Pilots: New, Original Music of Dan Rubright
Thursday, April 11: Four in One: Thelonious Monk Project with Paul DeMarinis, Steve Schenkel, Alan Schilling and Ric Vice

Of particular note are the performances by Jan Shapiro, a singer and St. Louis expat who now heads the vocal jazz program at Berklee College of Music in Boston; and Amina Figarova (pictured at left), a classically trained pianist who was born in Azerbaijan, launched her career as an internationally touring musician while living in Europe, and currently resides in NYC.

Figarova, 46, has released a dozen albums as a leader since her recording debut in 1994, and composes much of her own material. She co-leads her touring group with her husband, flute player Bart Platteau. As best as can be determined right now, her Jazz at Holmes show will be Figarova's debut performance in St. Louis.

(Edited after posting.)

Webster University announces winter/spring 2013 schedule of jazz concerts

The music department at Webster University has announced their schedule of jazz events for winter and spring 2013.

This semester's Monday night concert series will get started with a performance by Two Times True at 7:00 p.m. Monday, January 28 at Winifred Moore Auditorium, 470 E. Lockwood on the Webster campus.

The group features pianist and Webster University adjunct professor Carolbeth True (pictured) and her son, drummer David True, along with bassist Glenn Smith, saxophone player Larry Johnson, and guest vocalist Christi John Bye.

Guitarist Eric Slaughter will be up next, leading a quartet in a Black History Month tribute to jazz guitar legend Wes Montgomery at 7:00 p.m., Monday, February 4 in Moore Auditorium. Update, 12:30 p.m., 1/15/13: Slaughter tells StLJN that the quartet actually is co-led with guitarist Tom Byrne, whose presence on this gig means listeners will get two different perspectives on Montgomery's music.

On Monday, February 11, saxophonist Sheila Cooper will present a free one-hour seminar at noon and again at 3:00 p.m. on campus at Thompson Recital Hall, 8282 Big Bend Ave. That same evening, guitarist Steve Schenkel and singer Deborah Sharn will perform a concert at 7:00 p.m. in Moore Auditorium.

Next up is the Webster Jazz Collective, made up of musicians from the University's jazz faculty, who will perform at 7:00 p.m. Monday, February 26 at Moore Auditorium.

After spring break, the faculty performances for the semester wrap up at 7:00 p.m. Monday, March 18 with the annual Shepard & Davis Endowed Scholarship Concert at Moore Auditorium, which this year will feature pianist Kim Portnoy's ensemble in a tribute to songwriter Frank Loesser.

Student performances of interest at Webster this semester will include concerts by the student jazz combos at 7:00 p.m. Monday, April 1 and Monday, April 8 at Webster's Community Music School, 535 Garden Ave; the Webster Jazz Singers at 7:00 p.m. Monday, April 22 at Moore Auditorium; and Webster's New Music Ensemble at 7:00 p.m. Friday, April 26 at the Community Music School.

Tickets for concerts in the Webster University faculty series are $5 general admission, $3 seniors, free for Webster U. faculty/staff and students with valid ID. Tickets for student concerts are $3 general admission, free for Webster U. faculty/staff and students with valid ID.

Jazz this week: John Pizzarelli, Kirk Whalum, Marcus Roberts, Four In One, and more

It's a busy weekend for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, and time is short, so let's skip the introduction and go straight to the highlights...

Tonight, guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli opens a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro. A longtime local favorite thanks to numerous previous appearances in St. Louis, Pizzarelli currently is on tour promoting both a book (the "musical memoir" World On A String) and a new album, Double Exposure.

The album features Pizzarelli doing what essentially are live mash-ups - pop songs from writers such as Lennon and McCartney, Neil Young, James Taylor, Leiber and Stoller, Tom Waits and Joni Mitchell, re-conceived using grooves, harmonies and arrangement ideas borrowed from Wes Montgomery, Billy Strayhorn, Thad Jones, John Coltrane and others. For more about Double Exposure, and some video samples of recent Pizzarelli performances, see this post from a couple of weeks ago. 

Also tonight, multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris is playing a free show at the Missouri History Museum, featuring music from hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest reworked in what's being described as an experimental jazz style.

Tomorrow night, singer Kim Fuller will be be the featured performer in "Songs of Love and Other Difficulties: Work and Protest Songs," a free concert presented by the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University. Also on Thursday, eclectic singer Jessica Fichot, whose work ranges from computer music to children's songs, does an early-evening show at Rue Lafayette; and guitarists Tom Byrne and Eric Slaughter will play at the new Central West End venue Troy's Jazz Gallery. UPDATE - 10:00 p.m., 11/28/12: The Byrne/Slaughter gig has been "postponed" for one week to next Thursday, December 6.

On Friday, Rue Lafayette has another early evening show featuring Victor & Penny, a Kansas City duo playing music inspired by pre-WWII pop and jazz. Later that evening, trumpeter Randy Holmes and singer Tom Heitman will play the music of Frank Sinatra at Robbie's House of Jazz; saxophonist Kendrick Smith leads a quartet at the Cigar Inn in Belleville; and the Funky Butt Brass Band takes the stage at Broadway Oyster Bar.

Saturday offers several interesting choices, too, starting with pianist Marcus Roberts and his trio performing  at the Sheldon Concert Hall. A longtime associate of trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, Roberts impresses both with his technical skills and his ability to incorporate ideas derived from classic pianists like Fats Waller and James P. Johnson into a modern context. For more about Roberts and some video samples of him in action, see this post. Also, The Sheldon is offering a "buy one, get one free" discount on tickets for the show; for details on that, go here.

Also on Saturday, saxophonist Kirk Whalum brings his "Gospel According to Jazz Christmas" show to the Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church. The concert also will feature pianist Keiko Matsui and singer Amber Bullock, the St. Louisan who recently won BET's Sunday Best Gospel reality show competition, as well as singers John Stoddart and Kevin Whalum and the FTMBC's own choir.

And as if that weren't enough for one evening, Saturday also marks the debut of the new band Four In One (pictured) at Robbie's House of Jazz. The group features four well-known musicians, all associated with Webster University - guitarist Steve Schenkel, bassist Ric Vice, drummer Alan Schilling, and saxophonist Paul DeMarinis - offering new interpretations of the music of Thelonious Monk using electric instruments.

On Sunday, the University of Missouri-St. Louis music department presents their annual "UMSL's Jazz for the Holidays" show at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. The free concert will include music from the UMSL Jazz Ensemble, Vocal Point and University Orchestra. Also on Sunday, singer Erin Bode and her group will perform in a "Christmas dessert" concert at Third Baptist Church, 620 N. Grand Blvd (across the street from 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.)

Jazz this week: Freddy Cole, Claudia Quintet with Theo Bleckmann, Koplant No, and more

It's another busy week for live jazz and creative music in St. Louis, with performances from both touring and local acts ranging from ragtime, traditional New Orleans jazz, and swing to thought-provoking modern jazz influenced by a variety of contemporary genres. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, singer and pianist Freddy Cole returns to St. Louis to open a four-night engagement continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro. Cole, the brother of the legendary Nat "King" Cole, has proved to be a popular attraction here in recent years, and though he even has a song titled "I'm Not My Brother, I'm Me," the two siblings do share a certain relaxed elegance and propensity for mainstream-style swing. Cole usually is a good draw when he plays the Bistro, so advance reservations definitely are recommended. You can see and hear some of his music in this video showcase post from his last appearance here in 2010

Also tonight, the Meramec Jazz Lab Band, directed by Bob Boedges, will perform in a concert at the Black Cat Theatre.

On Thursday, guitarist Steve Schenkel and pianist Kim Portnoy will team up for a free concert featuring the music of George Gershwin for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University. Also on Thursday, the Dixie Dudes bring their traditional jazz sound back to Jazz on Broadway in Alton for a no-cover-charge show.

On Friday, the Claudia Quintet (pictured) will perform at 560 Music Center in a concert presented by New Music Circle. The critically acclaimed group, which combines jazz with a variety of other influences informed by a sort of post-modern compositional sensibility, will be making their St. Louis debut. Their most recent album, What Is The Beautiful?, was released late last year, and features the Quintet's original music with the words of poet Kenneth Patchen as interpreted by vocalists Kurt Elling and Theo Bleckmann. Bleckmann, a rising star who's garnered plenty of critical praise for his own work, will be in St. Louis with the group, which only raises the concert's "must hear" score even higher.

For much more about the Claudia Quintet, including a half-dozen video clips of them in action, check out this post from last Saturday. Also, last week I interviewed the group's drummer/leader John Hollenbeck for the Riverfront Times' RFT Music Blog, and that article will be going online soon; once it's up, I'll add a link to it here.

Also on Friday, Koplant No, a "progressive jazz electronic rock band" from the Quad Cities area in Iowa, will be in town to headline a three-band bill with Funky Butt Brass Band and guitarist Teddy Presberg at Jumpin' Jupiter; saxophonist Tim Cunningham returns to Jazz on Broadway; pianist Tim Garcia is at the Cigar Inn; and Robbie's House of Jazz will present a trio featuring drummer Steve Davis, saxophonist Christopher Braig and bassist Ben Wheeler.

On Saturday, the veteran big band trumpeter Roger Ingram will be in town to present a master class that afternoon at UMSL. That evening, singer Gene Lynn will appear at the Frontenac Grill, and Robbie's will feature the 1920s and '30s-style swing and hot jazz of Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes.

Then on Sunday, this quarter's St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show will take place at the American Czech Center. Also on Sunday afternoon, the Funky Butt Brass Band will head out to St. Louis Community College at Meramec, where they'll join forces with the Meramec Symphonic Band and Jazz Lab Band for a concert featuring some (vastly) expanded arrangements of FBBB and New Orleans favorites. And Sunday also is when bassist Willem von Hombracht and singer Joe Mancuso will kick off their new weekly event "Willem's Sunday Jazz Jam" at Johnny Gitto's bar and restaurant.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday, BB's Jazz Blues and Soups will feature guitarist Tom Byrne's Have You Heard. Then on Tuesday morning, the St. Louis Ragtimers will play the first of two "coffee concerts" at the Sheldon Concert Hall. (The program repeats on Wednesday.) That evening, the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra under the direction of bassist Jim Widner will perform a concert paying tribute to the music of big band leader, composer and arranger Stan Kenton at the Touhill Performing Arts Center; and guitarist Dave Black will play at BB'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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Sunday's Jazz St. Louis "Family Concert" with Metta Quintet at the Touhill Performing Arts Center was the subject of a short report from Art Holliday on local NBC affiliate KSDK's noon newscast.

* Meanwhile, guitarist Steve Schenkel (pictured) talked about his concert of the music of George Harrison next Monday at Webster University for this story by Christa Corrigan of the Webster-Kirkwood Times.

* The Post-Dispatch's Tim Bryant has an article about efforts to save the buildings formerly known as the Castle Ballroom and the Palladium, including some quotes from author, illustrator and blues historian Kevin Belford about the latter.

* Filmmaker and University City native Rod Milam is working on a documentary about the many musicians who have come from his hometown, and he's seeking funding to finish the movie via Kickstarter.

Webster University announces jazz concert schedule for 2011-12

The music department at Webster University has announced the schedule of Monday night concerts by the Webster jazz faculty for the 2011-12 school year.

The series kicks off at 7:00 p.m. Monday, September 12, with a theme concert dedicated to jazz music released in 1961, a year that included significant recordings by John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Stan Getz, Max Roach, Sun Ra and many others.

Another particularly noteworthy concert is scheduled for Monday, October 10, when guitarist Steve Schenkel (pictured) will follow up last year's sellout show devoted to the music of John Lennon with a performance of music by Lennon's fellow Beatle George Harrison.

Here's the lineup of concerts in chronological order:

Monday, September 12: "It Was A Very Good Year: Great Jazz Recordings of 1961"

Monday, September 19: Willem von Hombracht Quartet

Monday, September 26: Kim Portnoy Sextet plays original jazz compositions

Monday, October 10: Steve Schenkel Trio in "All Things Must Pass: Jazz Interpretations of the Music of George Harrison"

Monday, October 24: TKT Scholarship Fund 20th anniversary benefit concert

Monday, January 30: Dave Black & Friends

Monday, February 6: Willie Akins & Friends

All concerts begin at 7:00 p.m. in Webster's Winifred Moore Auditorium, except for the TKT scholarship benefit on October 24, which will be held at the Loretto-Hilton Theatre and will carry a $10 admission charge. The other concerts are $5 at the door for general admission, and free to Webster students with ID.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Jazz St. Louis's Bob Bennett this week updated his previously published list of favorite holiday jazz albums.

* Meanwhile, several of the local high school student musicians involved in JSL' educational programs have made their respective all-state jazz bands in Missouri and Illinois

* The South County Times' Don Corrigan wrote about the "John Lennon Remembered" concert put on earlier this month by jazz faculty and students at Webster University.

* The Riverfront Times' Annie Zaleski blogs about how new legislation authorizing the creation of hundreds of low power radio stations across the country may affect St. Louis, in particular Washington University's campus station KWUR (90.3 FM).

* Lastly, for all you vinyl aficionados, old and new, out there in the St. Louis area, Euclid Records now is selling turntables from Crosley and Ion in their Webster Groves shop.

"John Lennon Remembered" previewed

Faculty members and students from Webster University's jazz studies program will put on a concert this Tuesday paying tribute to the late John Lennon, and I've written a short preview of the show for the Riverfront Times, which can be found online here.

Webster-Kirkwood Times reporter Mark Asher also wrote an article previewing the concert, which you can see onllne here.

Washington University to honor Pat Martino at free symposium this Thursday, December 2

The Jazz at Holmes series and the Washington University Department of Music will present guitarist Pat Martino (pictured) in a public symposium honoring his work from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. this Thursday, December 2, at Graham Chapel on the Wash U campus.

Martino will be in St. Louis to perform Wednesday, December 1 through Saturday, December 4 at Jazz at the Bistro. He will be joined at Thursday's symposium by music professors William Lenihan of Wash U and Steve Schenkel of Webster University, who are both working jazz guitarists, and Patrick Burke, director of undergraduate studies and professor of musicology for Wash U.

The symposium is free and open to the public, with no tickets or advance reservations required. For more about Pat Martino, see this post.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Feast magazine's "Dinner and a Show" feature this week spotlights Jeremy Davenport's gig this weekend at Jazz at the Bistro.

* The Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson previews Steve Ross' cabaret show this weekend at the Kranzberg Arts Center and next week's performances by Barb Jungr at the same venue.

* Guitarist Steve Schenkel (pictured) has organized a tribute to the music of John Lennon to be presented on Tuesday, December 7 at Webster University's Community Music School. The concert will feature Webster U jazz faculty and music students performing songs from throughout Lennon's career, and you can read all about it this article from the Webster U Journal.

* Steve Pick (of KDHX, Euclid Records and too many publications to name) has reviewed Steven Pond’s book Head Hunters: The Making of Jazz's First Platinum Album for Blurt Online.

* Speaking of KDHX, the community radio station last week featured a live performance by drummer Brian Sullivan's trio, with Daryl Mixon on bass and Lew Winer III on saxophones. You can hear their set archived online here.

* Jazz St. Louis has snagged a $20,000 grant for 2011 from the National Endowment for the Arts. The money will be used to "support the Jazz St. Louis Artist Residency Program in local elementary, middle, and high schools, and the after-school music education program."

* The Goldenrod Showboat, once the site of many traditional jazz and ragtime performances on the St. Louis riverfront, has gotten a one-month reprieve from the scrapheap, thanks to a local businessman who's trying to raise funds to renovate and reopen the venerable vessel. The P-D's Deb Peterson has more here.

(Edited 11/29/10 to correct the day of the John Lennon tribute concert.)

Jazz this week: Reggie Thomas, Lamar Harris, Denise Thimes, Classical Jazz Quartet, and more

If you can evade the ghosts, ghouls, zombies, vampires, werewolves and assorted other creatures of the night that no doubt will be stalking the streets of St. Louis this Halloween weekend, there's plenty of jazz and creative music to be heard around town over the next few days. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, singer Denise Thimes performs at the Sheldon Concert Hall in her annual benefit for the Mildred Thimes Foundation, named after her late mother. Thimes' special guest this year is singer/songwriter Billy Valentine. For more about the concert, the foundation, Valentine, and Thimes, see this article by Terry Perkins published earlier this week by the St. Louis Beacon.

Also tonight, guitarist Steve Schenkel and friends perform a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; and jazz DJ and historian Dennis Owsley begins his three-week class on "The Great Jazz Singers" at the Ethical Society.

On Friday, trombonist/composer/arranger Lamar Harris opens a two-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro with the latest iteration of his ever-evolving jazz/funk/R&B/hip-hop sound.

That same evening, the Classical Jazz Quartet - a.k.a. the Downtown Trio plus violinist Andrew Driscoll, and not the similarly named group featuring Ron Carter, Kenny Barron, Lewis Nash and Stefon Harris - will serve up some classical-influenced jazz-fusion at the Focal Point in Maplewood. For more about them, check out the interview Don Wolff did with CJQ keyboard player Michael Silverman, posted on Wolff's site here. (Click on the word "Enclosure" to download the .MP3 file.)

Also on Friday, keyboardist Reggie Thomas will lead his ensemble Four in a performance at Robbie's House of Jazz. The group features Thomas on organ and frequent collaborator Rick Haydon on guitar, teamed with visiting players Clay Jenkins on trumpet and Gary Hobbs on drums.

On Saturday afternoon, Thomas will present a recital at 2:00 p.m. at Newsong Fellowship Church, 201 St. Louis St. in Edwardsville. The free concert sounds like quite an extravaganza - it's an all-original program, including Thomas' "Suite Sankofa," performed by an extensive cast that includes Hobbs, Jenkins and Haydon, plus dancer/choreographer Betty Jenkins, saxophonist Jason Swagler, drummer Marty Morrison, bassist Nick Jost, the SIUE Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and the SIUE-ESL Center for Performing Arts Dancers under the direction of Theodore Jamison and Andrea Smythe.

On Sunday, singer and philanthropist Mae "Lady Jazz" Wheeler has rounded up an extensive roster of local talent for her "Unforgettable Legends" concert at the Sheldon. With planned tributes to everyone from Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson to Etta James and Mongo Santamaria, the show being billed as Wheeler's final concert as a producer should, in typical fashion, offer a little something for everyone.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Webster University student Jazz Combos 1 will perform a free concert at the university's Community Music School, 535 Garden Avenue, and drummer Joe Pastor's trio will be at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

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 after posting to fix a typo.)

Steve Schenkel and Ashley Mason releasing new CD on Valentine's Day

Guitarist Steve Schenkel and singer Ashley Mason will issue their latest duo CD, Hold On To Love, on Sunday, February 14.

An official release date on Valentine's Day makes perfect sense thematically, since "this is an album of songs about all aspects of love - romantic love, love for family, and love for friends," said Schenkel. Blending jazz, rock and pop influences, Hold On To Love (pictured) features 15 tracks penned by an eclectic selection of songwriters ranging from Jerome Kern and Bob Dorough to Bruce Springsteen, Karla Bonoff, Sting and U2.

Schenkel and Mason's first CD, the holiday-themed A Midnight Clear, was released in 2008. For their latest effort, Schenkel, who has been Professor of Music at Webster University since 1980, once again plays guitar, bass and keyboards, while Mason, a 2005 grad of Webster U., handles the vocals.

Hold On To Love will be on sale here in St. Louis at Webster Records, and available online via CDBaby, which also will oversee distribution through iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon and other Internet vendors. You can hear samples from the CD on Schenkel's website.

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.