Jazz this week: A celebration of Ray Charles, Sarah Hennies & Merche Blasco, Marissa Mulder, Denise Thimes, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a show with an all-star cast paying tribute to one of the giants of American music; two composer-performers offering provocative sets of experimental sounds; two accomplished female vocalists headlining at intimate venues; and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday,
February 26
Pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson plays the music of Roy Ayers and more for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis, and guitarist Dave Black and his Itti Bitti Swing Orchestra will perform for the monthly concert series at the World Chess Hall of Fame.

Thursday, February 27
The touring show "Georgia On My Mind: A Celebration of the Music of Ray Charles" comes to the Touhill Performing Arts Center, with a cast including vocal group Take 6 (pictured, top left), singers Nnenna Freelon and Clint Holmes, and saxophonist Kirk Whalum.

Also on Thursday, singer and impressionist Dean Christopher returns with his "Rat Pack and More"  show to LoRusso's Cucina; The 442s will perform at Joe's Cafe; and trumpeter Brady Lewis and his BLStet are back at The Dark Room.

Friday, February 28
New Music Circle presents a double bill of composer-performers Sarah Hennies and Merche Blasco (pictured, bottom left) doing separate sets at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.

Working with percussion and electronics, respectively, plus other instruments, both Hennies and Blasco craft distinctive soundscapes, often reflecting the site and circumstances of the particular performance time and space. You can see some previous works by both women in this post from Saturday before last.

Also on Friday, singer Marissa Mulder performs her cabaret show "The John Lennon & Paul McCartney Songbooks" for the first of two nights at Blue Strawberry, and singer Denise Thimes is back home from Chicago for the weekend for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis

Saturday, February 29
Singers Jeanne Trevor, Joe Mancuso and Wendy Gordon team up for a matinee performance at Blue Strawberry.

Then on Saturday evening, The Gaslight Squares return to the Frisco Barroom, and keyboardist Mo Egeston and friends bring the "Late Night Grooves" to The Dark Room.

Sunday, March 1
The St. Louis Record Show presents its spring edition at the American Czech Center, while Miss Jubilee performs for jazz brunch at Evangeline's.

Later that afternoon, multi-instrumentalist Joe Bozzi plays a matinee at Circa Pub & Grill, and at the the dinner hour, the Jazz Troubadours return for their monthly gig at Evangeline's.

Tuesday, March 3
The Tick Tock Jazz Band plays vintage jazz and swing for their monthly show at the Tick Tock Tavern, and pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson will perform in a concert at the Gaslight Theater.

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Michael Castro, the well-known St. Louis poet who was a member of the STL Free Jazz Collective and had a long history of collaborating with jazz and creative musicians, died last Sunday, December 23, as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch/STLtoday and St. Louis Public Radio and the St. Louis American.

Castro (pictured second from right, with the Collective) recently had completed a term as St. Louis' first-ever poet laureate. He was 73 years old and had battled colon cancer for some time. Funeral arrangements are pending.

* Pianist and singer Harry Connick Jr's show last Thursday at the Stifel Theatre was reviewed for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch by Dan Durchholz. The Post's website STLtoday also published online an "iParty" gallery of photos of concert-goers.

* Vocal group Take 6's performance with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, also last Thursday, was reviewed by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn, and also was the subject of an STLtoday "iParty" gallery.

* Saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett, who died in October, was the subject of a year-end remembrance in the Detroit Metro Times. Bluiett also was mentioned in NPR Music's tribute to musicians who died in 2018.

* The story behind "Blue Xmas," trumpeter Miles Davis' one-off holiday collaboration with the late singer, pianist, and songwriter Bob Dorough, was recounted in an article in the Anderson Valley Advertiser.

Jazz this week: Harry Connick Jr, Take 6, "A Very Manley Christmas" and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features one last round of holiday music performances, including shows from two noteworthy touring headliners, plus some local favorites.

Let's go to the highlights...


Wednesday, December 19
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band will present the final two performances this year of Ellington's "Nutcracker" at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Wednesday, Cabaret Project of St. Louis has their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club; and the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features the Jazz Troubadors at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session hosted by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at The Dark Room.

Thursday, December 20
Pianist and singer Harry Connick Jr. (pictured, top left) celebrates this holidays New Orleans style at the Stifel Theatre; vocal group Take 6 teams up with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra for the standing-room-only "A Gospel Christmas" at Powell Hall; and singer and impressionist Dean Christopher presents a "Rat Pack Christmas" at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Friday, 
December 21
Trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured, bottom left) and his Mad Brass and Rhythm band present "A Very Manley Christmas" for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, singer Tony Viviano and band will perform seasonal favorites and more at  Table Three; keyboardist Owen Ragland's quintet plays at The Dark Room; and pianist Adam Maness' trio plus singer Malena Smith will be back at Sophie's Artist Lounge.

Saturday, December 22
Musicians including Webster Groves High School band director Kevin Cole, multi-instrumentalist Kevin Mitchell and friends will perform in a late-afternoon matinee benefit for the WGHS jazz band at Hwy 61 Roadhouse in Webster.

Saturday evening, piano and cello duo HämmerString plays at Evangeline's, and saxophonist Dave Stone and his trio will be at Thurman's in Shaw.

Sunday, December 23
Miss Jubilee performs for brunch at Evangeline's, while mandolinist Knez Jackovac and band are playing at The Dark Room.

Then on Sunday evening, there's one last chance for the year to hear some holiday-themed jazz, from singer Anita Jackson 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: Take 6, Tatsuya Nakatani, Bonerama, Xmas jazz around town, and more

It's going to be a busy few days for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, and though a couple of high-profile shows are sold out (or nearly so), there's still going to be plenty of music - holiday and other - available on local stages. Let's go to the highlights.

Wednesday, December 13
Acappella vocal group Take 6 returns for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro. The run of shows was described by Jazz St. Louis on Tuesday as "nearly sold out," so if you want to hear the multiple Grammy winners in the intimate confines of the Bistro, you'll definitely need to call ahead for advance reservations, and perhaps a bit of luck as well.

As an alternative, you can see a live video stream of Wednesday's shows in the first floor lounge on the west side of Jazz St. Louis HQ, available with no cover charge in conjunction with the free, weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl".

This week's crawl also features the Jazz Troubadours at The Stage at KDHX, plus the jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Also on Wednesday, the musical show "An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas" resumes its run,  continuing with performances through Sunday afternoon at the Playhouse at Westport Plaza.

Thursday, December 14
Singer Dianne Reeves, who had been scheduled to headline "Gospel Christmas: A Soulful Celebration" with the St. Louis Symphony at Powell Hall, announced on Thursday that she would be unable to perform due to an unspecified health issue. Simultaneously, the SLSO announced that the show would go on as scheduled, with St. Louis' own Brian Owens standing in for Reeves.

Also on Thursday, singer Erin Bode will be in Edwardsville for a holiday concert at the Wildey Theatre; guitarist Dave Black will play at The Pat Connolly Tavern; and trumpeter Keith Moyer and his quintet return to The Dark Room

Friday, December 15
Percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani (pictured, top left) will be back for what has become an annual convening here of his Gong Orchestra, in which he teams up with and trains a group of local musicians in specific techniques for each performance.  This year's edition, presented at the William A Kerr Foundation on the riverfront, will feature a solo percussion set by Nakatani, followed by the Gong Orchestra set with him and 14 collaborators from St. Louis.

Also on Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band kicks off their annual "Holiday Brasstravaganza" weekend at Off Broadway. As of this writing, a few tickets may remain for Friday, but the Saturday night show and a newly added, family friendly Saturday matinee are already sold out.

Elsewhere around town, the Original Knights of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; singer Feyza Eren performs at the house concert venue KindaBlue Club; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play vintage swing, jump blues and more at the Venice Cafe

Saturday, 
December 16
New Orleans' trombone-centric band Bonerama (pictured, bottom left) returns to perform at The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy.

Currently touring in support of their new album Hot Like Fire - their first release as part of a new deal with New Orleans' Basin Street Records - Bonerama have been regular visitors to St. Louis for most of this decade, playing at venues including the Old Rock House, Broadway Oyster Bar and The Sheldon. If you've missed out on their brass/funk/rock sound up until now, you can find our more and see some video samples of recent performances in this post from last Saturday. 

Also on Saturday, Wack-A-Doo returns to Evangeline's; saxophonist Dave Stone's trio will play at Thurman's in Shaw; and Miss Jubilee performs at the Casa Loma Ballroom .

Sunday, December 17
There's more holiday jazz in the offing, as the Oikos Ensemble presents "Jazz Noel: A Child is Born" at the First Congregational Church of Webster Groves, while the Dave Dickey Big Band celebrates a "Big Band Christmas" with singer Anita Jackson and guest intermission performers, the North County HS Jazz Ensemble, at .ZACK in Grand Center.

Monday, December 18
Trumpeter Jim Manley plays his weekly Monday night gig at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, December 19
Still more holiday jazz on tap, as the Jazz St. Louis Big Band will play Duke Ellington's "Nutcracker" Suite (plus additional Ellingtonia) for the first of three nights at Jazz at the Bistro, and The 442s present their "Holiday Spectacular" at 560 Music Center

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.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Fall 2017 jazz preview, part four

Here's the fourth and final part of of StLJN's Fall 2017 jazz preview, featuring videos of jazz and creative music performers who will be visiting St. Louis in the next several months. (You can see part one here, part two here, and part three here.)

Picking up the chronology at the point when part three left off, today's first video features trumpeter and East St. Louis native Russell Gunn, who will be coming back home to perform Wednesday, November 15 through Saturday, November 18 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Gunn's "Blackhawk Revisited" band celebrates Miles Davis' sound at the turn of the 1960s, as exemplified by the box set In Person Friday and Saturday Night at the Blackhawk, recorded in 1961 at the Black Hawk nightclub in San Francisco.

On hand to lend authenticity to the proceedings will be Jimmy Cobb, the octogenarian drummer who played on the original Blackhawk dates and is the only musician from Davis' landmark album Kind of Blue still living. This video was recorded last October at Dizzy's in New York, and features Gunn, Cobb and bandmates Morgan Guerin (tenor sax), Kevin Bales (piano), and Corcoran Holt (bass) doing a full set of the Blackhawk material.

After the jump, it's singer Jane Monheit, who will perform Wednesday, November 29 though Saturday, December 2 at the Bistro. She's seen here singing "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" in May 2016 at the studios of KNKX Public Radio in Tacoma, WA.

The third clip features Battle Trance, the all-tenor-sax quartet who will be presented by New Music Circle on Saturday, December 2 at The Luminary. It's a video of the title track from their album Blade of Love, as performed in January at the Vandoren Studio in Los Angeles.

Next, it's pianist and singer Freddy Cole, seen here performing "Songs for Lovers" in February 2017 at Dizzy's. Cole and his band, with guest saxophonist Harry Allen, will be in St. Louis starting Wednesday, December 6 through Saturday, December 9 at Jazz at the Bistro.

That same weekend, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra will make their St. Louis debut with a holiday-themed show called "Salsa Navidad" on Friday, December 8 at Sheldon Concert Hall. The sixth video depicts highlights from that show, as performed last year at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.

The penultimate video features vocal group Take 6, who will be back to perform starting Wednesday, December 13 through Saturday, December 16 at the Bistro. You can see them here singing "Stand By Me" and "Straighten Up and Fly Right," as recorded in August at the studios of Hawaii Public Radio. 

Last but not least, it's actor, singer, and Belleville native Lea DeLaria, who will perform her cabaret show on Wednesday, December 27 and Thursday, December 28 at Jazz at the Bistro. She's seen in the final video doing an impromptu version of "Since I Fell For You" last October at an NYC spot called the Duplex.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

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.)

Manhattan Transfer, Take 6 performing together on Friday, October 28 at the Touhill

Tickets are on sale now for a concert featuring a team-up of the jazz-influenced vocal groups Manhattan Transfer and Take 6 at 8 p.m. Friday, October 28 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

The concert is part of a joint tour featuring the two groups (pictured) billed as "The Summit" that will begin October 1 in Bangor, ME and will include nearly 50 dates across the country before wrapping up in the spring.

Now with a new member, Trist Curless, who replaced founder Tim Hauser after Hauser's death in October 2014, the Manhattan Transfer are marking the 40th anniversary of their debut album on Atlantic Records. Their most recent recording The Chick Corea Songbook was issued in 2009 by the indie label Four Quarters Entertainment. Take 6's most recent album Believe was released in March of this year on the SoNo label.

Tickets for Manhattan Transfer and Take 6 at the Touhill are priced from $39 to $79 for regular admission, $37 to $77 for seniors, and are on sale now online and via the Touhill box office.

Jazz this week: The Wee Trio, Take 6, J.D. Parran & George Sams, Scott Kirby, Charlie Hunter & Scott Amendola, and more

With spring appearing finally to have sprung here in St. Louis, it should be a fine weekend to get out and hear some live jazz and creative music, and fortunately, our local stages will be filled with intriguing possibilities. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, Good 4 The Soul plays their monthly gig at  BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; Washington University's jazz studies students will perform a free concert to wrap up this semester's Jazz at Holmes series; the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center has a four-band bill topped by the Brazilian "punk rock with a bit of jazzy influence" band Lisabi; and the Gaslight Cabaret Festival continues with actress/singer Taylor Pietz performing her show "If I Only Had a Brain" at the Gaslight Theater.

Tomorrow night, The Wee Trio, featuring St. Louis native Dan Loomis on bass, returns to Jazz at the Bistro for the first of two nights officially celebrating the live album the group recorded there last year. For more about that, check this interview with Loomis from earlier this year on AllAboutJazz.com, and for some video samples of the Wee Trio in action, see this post from before their visit here last January.

Elsewhere around town, if you were hoping to see singer Storm Large's performance this weekend for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival but don't yet have tickets, you're out of luck, as both nights are sold out. Meanwhile, some spots may remain for the performance by vocal group Take 6 at Washington University Black Alumni Council's 30th anniversary dinner and concert in the Khorassan Ballroom of the Chase Park Plaza Hotel; click the "30th anniversary" link above for details.

There also should be some tickets remaining for MADCO's presentation of "Liquid Roads" at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. The modern dance company's latest and largest-ever production will be accompanied by a four-piece live band led by trumpeter Brian Casserly of Cornet Chop Suey, performing original songs and a variety of jazz, blues and gospel favorites. You can see a brief video about the show here, and read a preview story written by Terry Perkins for St. Louis Public Radio here.

And if all that's not enough for one night, there's also singer Joe Mancuso leading a trio at EdgeWild Restaurant & Winery; the St. Louis Big Band at the Casa Loma Ballroom; pianist Carolbeth True and  Two Times True at Robbie's House of Jazz; and the Charlie B Jazz'd Trio at Thurman Grill.

On Saturday, the sounds at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site will range from free improv to ragtime, as the venue hosts two concerts in one day. First up, multi-instrumentalist J.D. Parran returns home to team up with trumpeter George Sams for a matinee that serves as the spring finale for the Nu-Art Series, and then pianist Scott Kirby will take over for an early evening concert presented by the Friends of Scott Joplin.

Also on Saturday, Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center continues their "Quiet Concert Series" with more new compositions from Mark Sarich and Greg Farough, as Farough continues his focus on "pure waveforms which interact with the natural resonance of rooms to form and slowly transform complex sonic relationships," while Sarich will present a new work utilizing the Schumann Resonance and text of a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke.

Elsewhere on Saturday, pianist Pauline Stark, saxophonist Willie Akins and singer Cici Ranek will perform in the old "Just Jazz" space at the Omni Majestic Hotel; guitarist Dave Black and singer Feyza Eren will play at Pomme Café & Wine Bar; the Jim Widner Trio with Jim Manley and Randy Bahr holds forth at the Fox & Hounds Tavern at the Cheshire Inn; and singer Sarah Jane of the Blue Notes, pianist Tim Garcia and saxophonist Jerry Greene are at Robbie's House of Jazz.

On Sunday, Miss Jubilee begins what's projected to be a weekly jazz brunch at Evangeline's; and the "Inner Jazz" series at Kirkwood United Church of Christ continues with a free concert from guitarist Rick Haydon's quartet. StLJN also recently has learned that Freddie Washington is now leading a quartet in a weekly Sunday late afternoon session at Toast Time, 12781 New Halls Ferry Rd in Florissant, and no doubt the veteran saxophonist's many fans will welcome the opportunity to hear him regularly for as long as the gig continue. 

But the biggest names on Sunday arrive that evening, as guitarist Charlie Hunter and drummer Scott Amendola will be in town to perform a duo show at the Old Rock House. The two last fall released their second album together, Pucker, which focuses mostly on Amendola's compositions. But given Hunter's near-one-man-band capabilities and the inherent flexibility of the duo format, they certainly won't be limited to material from the recording. You can read a review of Pucker and hear a sample track here, and read an interview with Amendola from Modern Drummer magazine, in which he discusses his partnership with Hunter, here.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band returns to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups. Then on Tuesday, Lindy Hop St. Louis's weekly swing dance at the Grandel Theatre will feature live music from Philadelphia's' Perseverance Jazz Band; and Common Time and Jesse Gannon & Truth will perform on a double-bill at Plush.

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 after posting to add the venue name for the "Quiet Concert" series.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Miles Davis estate has responded to the story aired earlier this week on local NBC affiliate KSDK (and linked here) about the deteriorating condition of the trumpeter's childhood home in East St. Louis, stating that "The Miles Davis family spends thousands of dollars yearly to maintain the property which suffers from repeated vandalism." Read the whole statement here.

* Take 6, who are in town at Jazz at the Bistro through tomorrow night, have posted to their Facebook page a photo album of shots from Wednesday's opening night performance, and another with pictures from their appearance at Ladue High School.

* The Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson interviewed Peter Martin about Martin's duo piano concert with David Torkanowsky tonight at the Sheldon.

* If you've already read my preview story on the RFT's music blog about tomorrow's U City Jazz Festival and are hungering for more, there's additional advance coverage from the St. Louis Beacon's Terry Perkins, the P-D's Kevin Johnson, and local CW affiliate KPLR.

Jazz this week: Take 6, David Torkanowsky & Peter Martin, U City Jazz Festival, and more

As fall officially begins, it's another fairly busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, so let's go straight to the highlights:

Tonight, the vocal group Take 6 will make their debut at Jazz at the Bistro, continuing with two sets a night through Saturday. Though primarily known as gospel and pop performers, Take 6 do have some jazz cred as well, both for the lush harmonies they've deployed skillfully throughout their career, and more specifically for their 2008 CD The Standard, which featured interpretations of jazz-associated songs ranging from "Sweet Georgia Brown" to "Seven Steps To Heaven." Presumably, they'll be leaning on that material a good bit this week, and perhaps doing some tunes from the more R&B-oriented album Beautiful World (2002) as well.

On Thursday, bassist Tom Kennedy is back in town to lead a trio with guitarist Bill Lenihan and drummer Miles Vandiver in a free concert for for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Then on Friday evening, Peter Martin continues his ongoing concert series at the Sheldon, this time teaming up with New Orleans pianist David Torkanowsky (pictured) for a duo piano concert. Torkanowsky perhaps is best known for his work with the band Astral Project, but he has collaborated with many New Orleans musicians, including the Meters and various members of the Neville family.

Also on Friday, bassist Willem von Hombracht will lead a group featuring saxophonist Eric Schugren (from NYC) and drummer Cornell Fauler (from LA) at Robbie's House of Jazz; and guitarist Daryl Darden will bring a trio to the Cigar Inn in Belleville.

Saturday brings the first-ever U City Jazz Festival, a free, all-day outdoor event held in Heman Park on Olive Blvd. Performers will include singer Jeanne Trevor, Latin jazz band Clave Sol, the Classical Jazz Quartet, a student group billed as the U City Young Lions, and a band led by drummer Maurice Carnes that will do a tribute to John Coltrane. The event also will include a workshop for student musicians led by Carnes, guitarist Bill Lenihan and pianist Kara Baldus Vandiver. Also on Saturday, saxophonist Greg Lewis and Press Play will perform at Robbie's.

On Sunday, the eclectic string ensemble Bridge, with guitarist Dave Black, will play a concert at the Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday pianist Kim Portnoy will lead a group in performance of some of his original compositions at Webster University's Winifred Moore Auditorium, and on Tuesday, the Bosman Twins are featured in a free outdoor concert at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park as part of the museum's Twilight Tuesdays series.

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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* In advance of their gig this Wednesday through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro, Joey Kibble of the vocal group Take 6 (pictured) did an interview with Calvin Wilson of the Post-Dispatch.

* Singer Jeanne Trevor last week talked about her career and this weekend's U City Jazz Festival with DJ Jason Church of Smooth Jazz 96.3 HD-3, but you need to be on Facebook to hear it.

* Pianist Peter Martin, who will play a duo concert with pianist David Torkanowsky on Friday at the Sheldon, was the subject of a brief profile by the P-D's Deb Peterson.

* The new Miles Davis set of formerly bootleg live recordings from 1967 is reviewed by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Beacon.

* Meanwhile, KSDK reports that neighbors in East St. Louis are concerned about the condition of Davis' childhood home, which has been vandalized and stripped of copper and other metals.

* Lastly, former P-D theater reviewer and restaurant critic Joe Pollack reports for St. Louis magazine on the London funeral of Fran Landesman, poet, writer and former co-owner of the Crystal Palace nightclub in St. Louis' Gaslight Square.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Fall 2011 jazz preview, part one

For today's video showcase, we've got clips featuring some of the touring jazz bands and musicians who will be visiting St. Louis this fall. While I probably will be writing and/or posting more videos later about many of these acts, this is a chance for you, dear reader, to get a quick overview of some of the season's highlights.

Up top, you can see a video of multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee and his band Survival Unit, which also includes Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and Michael Zerang on drums, performing in October 2010 at the Vortex jazz club in London. They'll be in St. Louis on Saturday, September 17 to perform at the Kranzberg Arts Center under the auspices of New Music Circle.

Down below, you'll find a video of vocal group Take 6, singing a medley of some of their best-known songs at the Avo Session festival in Basel, Switzerland. Take 6 will be making their St. Louis club debut with two performances nightly starting Wednesday, September 21 and continuing through Saturday, September 24 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Below that, there's a clip of pianist David Torkanowsky playing Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island" at the House of Blues in New Orleans. Torkanowsky will be heading upriver to St. Louis for a duo concert with Peter Martin on Friday, September 23 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Next, it's a video of Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, shot earlier this month from the audience at a festival in San Javier, Spain. Wynton and the JaLCO will return to St. Louis on Friday, September 30 to perform at the Sheldon.

Clip number five features Garage A Trois, who will be in St. Louis the same night, Friday, September 30, for a gig at 2720 Cherokee. This performance of "Fragile" was recorded in the studios of St. Louis' own KDHX (88.1 FM) during their last visit here in September, 2010.

Wrapping part one of our fall 2011 jazz preview is some vintage footage of guitarist and singer George Benson, who will be back here in the Gateway City to play on Sunday, October 2 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center in a concert presented by Jazz St. Louis.

While Benson no doubt will perform many of his familiar hits in his concert here, this particular clip offers something different with a bit of St. Louis twist, as it features him playing an uptempo version of Miles Davis' "So What" with a band that includes St. Louis native Clark Terry on trumpet. Recorded in 1988 at a jazz festival in Pori, Finland, the group also included saxophone legend James Moody, who gets the first solo, and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, who skillfully negotiates the song's many changes in time feel.

Look for part two of the Fall 2011 Jazz Preview next week...