So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Citing losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Edwardsville-based radio station WSIE (88.7 FM) has launched a campaign raising money to stay on the air.

With no financial support from the state of Illinois since 2018, the not-for-profit station needs to raise approximately $100,000 before June 30 to cover losses from this fiscal year. To find out more or make a donation, go to https://www.siue.edu/wsie/support/.

* A recent performance by the Red and Black Brass Band on the streets of the Central West End was documented on video by STLtoday.com.

* Pianist and St. Louis native Tom McDermott has recorded another video for actor and author Harry Shearer's "Piano New Orleans" web series.

* St. Louis' Euclid Records is the latest music retailer to be featured in the "Record Store Spotlight" on the website of blues label Fat Possum.

* HEC-TV has posted online a feature about saxophonist's Tim Warfield run earlier this year at Jazz St. Louis, titled "A Night In The Life Of A Jazz Artist."

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter and Webster Groves native Ally Hany Albrecht recently was featured with the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West performing one of her original compositions on "AZAM," the morning newscast of the Fox affiliate in Phoenix, AZ. 

* A recent performance by saxophonist Eric Person (pictured) at The Falcon in Marlboro, NY was reviewed by writer Rudy Lu for the upstate NY arts website Nippertown.

* The Funky Butt Brass Band's new album Onward was reviewed by the Riverfront Times' Christian Schaeffer.

* Also in the RFT, a look at Takeshima Records, a new Japanese-style "listening room" and bar opening this week on Chouteau Avenue in the Grove.

* "Job's Blues," a track from bassist Dan Loomis' new album Job's Trials, this week was featured as a "Download of the Day" on AllAboutJazz.com. Loomis also was interviewed this week about the album and his career on the "Neon Jazz" radio program hosted by Joe Dimino on KCXL in Liberty, MO.

* Jazz St. Louis has published on their website a Q&A with saxophonist Tim Warfield, who's performing at the venue through Sunday night.

Jazz this week: Tim Warfield Organ Band, Bonerama, Keyon Harrold, and more

Given that Mardi Gras is almost upon us, New Orleans-derived music plays a significant role in this week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis, but there's also a swinging saxophonist from Philly, a brief return home for a celebrated local trumpeter, and mich more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, February 19
Saxophonist Tim Warfield (pictured, top left) will perform for the first of five nights continuing through Sunday at Jazz St. Louis.

Warfield is a Philadelphia native who's played at the Bistro several times before, but this is his first time at the venue as leader of his Organ Band, which includes keyboardist Pat Bianchi and Warfield's hometown friend and frequent collaborator, trumpeter Terell Stafford.

Also in Grand Center, this week's "Wednesday Night Jazz Crawl" features pianist Dave Venn early and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor late at The Dark Room, plus a jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Thursday, 
February 20
Right on time to warm up for parade Saturday and Fat Tuesday, New Orleans' own Bonerama (pictured, center left) returns to perform at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Their sets likely will feature some music from their most recent album Bonerama Plays Zeppelin, which, as the name suggests, features their trombone-centric interpretations of music from the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. You can find out more about that project, and see some of the music being performed live (on video) in this post from a week ago Saturday.

Also on Thursday, keyboardist Jim Hegarty brings his trio to Evangeline's; singer Cheri Evans and CEEJazzSoul return to the Chase Club; keyboardist Ryan Marquez and his trio are back at The Dark Room; and guitarists William Lenihan and Vincent Varvel will team up to present a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Friday, February 21
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina will perform at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, and bassist and singer Janet Evra and her quartet will play at The Judson House.

Also on Friday, guitarist Joe Park will promote the release of his latest recording with a show at Focal Point, and Samba Bom will do carnaval Brazilian style at Bar Italia.

Saturday, February 22
The Nashville-based group Cosmic Collective returns to Evangeline's, and singer Robert Nelson and  Genesis Jazz Project will be the featured performers in "The B3 Experience: Big Band, Burlesque and Bourbon" at .ZACK.

Also on Saturday, the Funky Butt Brass Band plays a post-parade show at The Bootleg at Atomic Cowboy; the Mosaic Jazz Sextet brings their hard bop sound to the Dark Room; and Dizzy Atmosphere will play vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at Urban Chestnut Midtown Brewery and Biergarten.

Sunday, February 23
Trumpeter Jim Manley plays for brunch at Evangeline's.

Later that afternoon, singer Anita Jackson and trumpeter Keyon Harrold (pictured, lower left) will headline a matinee "Benefit for Community Women Against Hardship" at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, followed at the venue by a dinner-hour show from singer Chuck Flowers.

Monday, February 24
Webster University faculty members including pianist Kim Portnoy, percussionist David Werfelmann, saxophonist Paul DeMarinis, and violinist Matt Pickart will explore "Improvisational Environments" in a concert at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

Tuesday, February 25
Celebrate Fat Tuesday in a New Orleans style at the "Central West End Second Line Parade," featuring the Saint Boogie Brass Band and Annie and the Fur Trappers, and/or by catching the double bill of the Funky Butt Brass Band and "Funkify Your Life: A Tribute To The Meters" at Broadway Oyster Bar.

Also on Tuesday, electro-jazz trio Vehachi plays in concert at the Gaslight Theater, and the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra returns to The Sheldon.

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

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

Jazz this week: Tim Warfield's Jazzy All-Star Christmas, Goran Ivanovic Trio, and more

This looks like the week when the St. Louis jazz and creative music calendar hits "peak holiday music," with seasonally themed shows taking place every night and/or day for the next seven days. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, December 14
"Tim Warfield's All-Star Jazzy Christmas," will open a four-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro.

A touring holiday-themed production led by the saxophonist and Philadelphia native (pictured), the Philly-centric ensemble includes trumpeter Terell Stafford, vibraphonist Stefon Harris, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, bassist Rodney Whitaker, drummer Clarence Penn, and singer Joanna Pascale, who spoke briefly with St. Louis magazine about the gig in an interview here.

For more about how the presentation first came together a few years back, check out a brief video interview with Warfield here.

Thursday, December 15
Singer Erin Bode will present a concert of original music and holiday favorites at the Wildey Theatre, while new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound explores the history of composer John Adams' Chamber Symphony in a program called "Splitting Adams" at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Friday,
December 16
Native St. Louisans turned Broadway and cabaret stars John McDaniel and Lennie Watts return to team up for the first of two nights of a show titled "Celebrate Me Home" at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Also on Friday, Chicago-based guitarist Goran Ivanovic (pictured, bottom left) returns to play a trio gig at Pop's Blue Moon; and the Funky Butt Brass Band presents the first of two nights of their annual "Holiday Brasstravaganza" - this year also featuring a "kid-friendly" matinee on Saturday afternoon - at Off Broadway.

Elsewhere around town, Second Generation Swing plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to the Venice Cafe.

Saturday, December 17
Pianist Carolbeth True will be part of two different holiday shows, performing with her group Two Times True and the Webster Groves Christian Church Chancel Choir for a free matinee of "A Jazz and Choral Christmas" at the Webster Groves Christian Church, then teaming with singer Debbie Lennon for a holiday performance that evening at the Ozark Theatre.

Also on Saturday, singer Joe Mancuso returns with his organ trio to Bartolino's South, and Danbury Street performs at Evangeline's.

Sunday, December 18
The Oîkos Ensemble will present a matinee performance of "Jazz Noel - A Christmas Celebration" at the First Congregational Church in Webster Groves.

Monday, December 19
The Jazz St. Louis Big Band plays Ellington’s “Nutcracker” for the first of three nights continuing through Wednesday at Jazz at the Bistro. 

Tuesday, December 20
The 442s will present a "Holiday Spectacular" featuring material from their new album Home For Christmas plus guest stars including singer Erin Bode and pianist Peter Martin at 560 Music Center; and jazz-fusion band Wright's Project returns to the Signature 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.)

Memorial concert honoring MAXJAZZ's Richard McDonnell set for Sunday, May 25 at Jazz at the Bistro

A memorial concert honoring the late Richard "Rich" McDonnell and featuring artists from his MAXJAZZ label will take place starting at 1:00 p.m., Sunday, May 25 at Jazz at the Bistro.

The event will culminate in a headlining set at 7:00 p.m. featuring trumpeter Terell Stafford (pictured, above left), pianist Bruce Barth, saxophonist Tim Warfield, and singer Carla Cook, all of whom have recorded for MAXJAZZ, backed by St. Louis' Montez Coleman on drums and Bob DeBoo on bass.

Before that, though, the afternoon will feature a performance from Brilliant Corners, which is co-led by saxophonist Paul DeMarinis and guitarist Dave Black and was the first band to record on the MAXJAZZ label, as well as music from Good 4 the Soul, Jesse Gannon, Cheryl Brown, Funky Butt Brass Band, Jazz St. Louis' own Gene Dobbs Bradford and Phil Dunlap, and additional acts TBA. Look for a full schedule of bands on the Jazz St. Louis website the week of the event.

While the concert is free and open to the public with seating on a general admission basis, Jazz St. Louis is suggesting a donation of $25 at the door in honor of McDonnell, who died on February 8 of this year. An investment banker before he retired and founded MAXJAZZ, McDonnell (pictured, below left) also was a board member of Jazz St. Louis.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Euclid Records has put together a blog documenting everything that's going into the store's move next month to a new location on Gore Ave., about a mile west of their current home in Webster Groves.

* Saxquest has added to their Facebook page photo albums documenting recent visits from Tim Warfield and Adam Larson.

* Also on Facebook, the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra has posted an album of photos from last week's performance at First Unity Church of St. Louis.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake's big band has a new album called Wheels just out on his own Passin' Thru label. You can hear samples from the album (pictured) by clicking on the link.

* Troy's Jazz Gallery is the subject of a feature story by Terry Perkins published this week by the St. Louis Beacon, while, on a related note, saxophonist Tim Cunningham talked with the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson about his new regular gig on Friday nights at the club.

* Keyboardist Mike Silverman of Bach to the Future has released on iTunes a sampler album of musicians with recordings on the band's Autumn Hill Records lable.

Jazz this week: Thomas, Whitaker, Hayward & Warfield; Chris Hazelton & Cory Weeds; Oikos Ensemble; and more

This week's schedule of live jazz and creative music includes a diverse group of musician/educators brought together here by a returning St. Louisan; visiting players from Kansas City, Vancouver and Mississippi; the debuts of two new ensembles featuring some top local musicians; and more. Let's go to the highlights....

Tonight, the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra performs at First Unity Church of St. Louis, 4753 Butler Hill Rd in south county.

On Thursday night, the Young Friends of Jazz St. Louis and two other local organizations' "young friends" groups will present the annual "Jazz Under The Stars" benefit at the Planetarium in Forest Park. The event will include live music from guitarist Eric Slaughter, bassist Bob Deboo, saxophonist Willie Akins, pianist Jesse Gannon, and drummer Marty Morrison.

Also tomorrow, the St. Louis Avant Garde Ensemble makes its debut at the Tavern of Fine Arts. This new project features Fred Tompkins, flute and melodica; Jim Hegarty, piano and electronics; Tracy Andreotti, cello; Lee Scott Price, guitar; and Thomas Zirkle, percussion and electronics.

And while all that's going on, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will have something a little different this Thursday: a free screening of the Mississippi blues documentary film We Juke Up In Here, produced and directed by St. Louis resident Jeff Konkel and former St. Louisan Roger Stolle. Along with the film, the event will include a Q&A with Konkel and Stolle and a performance by guitarist and singer Jimmy "Duck" Holmes.

On Friday, pianist Reggie Thomas, who grew up and worked here for most of his life but moved away last year for a teaching job in Michigan, will be back in town to perform for the second time since the move. Thomas (pictured) will join forces with bassist Rodney Whitaker (a fellow faculty member at Michigan State University), trombonist Andre Hayward, and saxophonist Tim Warfield for shows on Friday and Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

All four men have been in town throughout the week as part of an educational residency for Jazz St. Louis, performing and teaching at local schools and working with students in the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars and JazzU programs. Thomas, of course, is a longtime StLJN favorite who's well known to local jazz fans, and yr. humble editor found Hayward to be particularly impressive a few years ago here with the SF Jazz Collective at the Bistro. (And that's certainly not to slight Whitaker or Warfield, both of whom have impressive resumes of their own.)

Also Friday, the St. Louis Big Band plays for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom, singer Joe Mancuso brings a quartet to Robbie's House of Jazz; and Eric Slaughter will lead a quartet with Akins, Morrison and DeBoo at Cigar Inn.

On Saturday afternoon, singer Wendy Gordon and her band will be playing a new jazz brunch, this one at Ace's Bar and Grill, 9600 Natural Bridge Rd (inside the Comfort Inn) on the north side. Meanwhile, across town, trumpeter/vibraphonist Joe Bozzi and his group will be performing a matinee at Schoemehl's Southside Grill, 7529 Michigan Ave.

Then on Saturday evening, organist Chris Hazelton, who's from Kansas City, and Cory Weeds, a saxophonist from Vancouver, will team up for a performance at Robbie's. Hazelton is a former student of Hammond master Dr. Lonnie Smith, while Weeds frequently plays in the organ-trio format and also operates a club called the Jazz Cellar in Vancouver. As far as StLJN can tell, this gig is the St. Louis debut for both men; check out their respective websites for some music samples.

Also on Saturday, singer Danita Mumphard will perform at Jazz on Broadway; and the WirePilots, a new group featuring brothers Dan and Ted Rubright on guitar and percussion plus Ric Vice on bass, will debut at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

On Sunday, the Oikos Ensemble, featuring Rev. Cliff Aerie on saxophone, will present a free concert called "Inner Jazz" at Kirkwood United Church of Christ, 1603 Dougherty Ferry Rd. Aerie's collaborators for the performance will include Carolbeth True (piano), Danny Campbell (trumpet), Dave Troncoso (bass) and Kevin Gianino (drums).

Also on Sunday, multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris will present a free concert at Missouri History Museum in Forest Park, offering jazz interpretations of the music of the late hip-hop performer/producer J Dilla.

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: JazzU with Tim Warfield, Benjamin Cawthra on jazz photography, "Ain't Misbehavin'" and more

With Memorial Day come and gone and local presenters now on their summer schedules, the number of touring jazz musicians coming through St. Louis definitely takes a noticeable drop at this time of year. At the same time, there are plenty of other things competing for the public's attention, from summer outdoor activities to musical events like this Saturday's RFT Music Showcase.

But even with all that, there still are some noteworthy jazz events featuring both visitors and local musicians happening around town over the next few days, if you know where to look. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, singer Ralph Butler is at Robbie's House of Jazz; keyboard player and singer Jesse Gannon plays at the Delmar Lounge; and guitarist Tom Byrne leads the weekly jam session at the Highway 61 Roadhouse.

On Friday, the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars and other students from the organization's JazzU program will open their annual weekend of performances at Jazz at the Bistro. This year, the young musicians also have on board a special guest star, saxophonist Tim Warfield, who's played with Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton, Terrell Stafford, and numerous others.

Friday also is the opening night for Stages St. Louis' revival of the Fats Waller musical Aint' Misbehavin'. The cast (pictured) performs more than two dozen songs associated with Waller, accompanied by a seven-piece live band led by pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson. The show runs through the end of the month, with multiple performances each week; see the Stages website for details.

Also on Friday, singer Ken Haller will perform "The TV Show" at the Kranzberg Arts Center under the auspices of cabaret producers The Presenters Dolan. As the name implies, the show features "songs written for TV from Sesame Street to Smash, from Cinderella to Animaniacs."

Other gigs on Friday include guitarist Matt McCallie and his band at Robbie's House of Jazz; tenor saxophonist Austin Cebulski leading a quartet with pianist Dave Grelle, bassist Ryan Chamberlain and drummer Marty Morrison at the Cigar Inn; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham's weekly performance at Jazz on Broadway.

Last but not least, Friday's also the first day of the annual Art & Air Festival in Webster Groves. This year's lineup of entertainment for the free outdoor event includes several acts that may be of interest to jazz listeners, including Bridge with Dave Black and singer Erin Bode with Orange on Friday; singer Anita Rosamond on Saturday; and singer Heather Matthews and Sandy Weltman & Hot Club Caravan on Sunday.

On Saturday afternoon, the St. Louis Big Band performs a matinee concert at the Missouri History Museum. Admission is free for anyone who brings a can of food to donate to local food banks. Then on Saturday night, the eclectic roots music band Sins of the Pioneers, who mix up western swing, New Orleans jazz, jump blues, and several other genres, will play at Focal Point, 2720 Sutton in Maplewood.

On Sunday afternoon, Bob Coleman's Legacy Big Band will perform their Glenn Miller-themed show "Miller Magic" at the Sheldon Concert Hall; and author and former St. Louisan Benjamin Cawthra will be at the Missouri History Museum to speak about his book Blue Notes in Black and White: Photography and Jazz. Saxophonist Kelvin Evans will play a short set of standards before the lecture.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday, Tom Byrne brings his Pat Metheny-inspired project Have You Heard? back to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups; and on Tuesday, guitarist Dave Black plays an early evening set 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.)

Jazz St. Louis announces summer schedule for Jazz at the Bistro

Jazz St. Louis has just released information on the summer 2012 schedule for Jazz at the Bistro. The lineup feature mostly local acts, with two touring musicians and the return of a couple of favorite expats thrown in for good measure.

One of the touring musicians is saxophonist Tim Warfield, who will be a guest performer with the student musicians from JSL's JazzU program when they open the summer season on Friday, June 1 and Saturday June 2.

Also of note, guitarist Charlie Hunter (pictured) will be making a return visit to the Bistro this summer, performing on Friday, June 22 and Saturday, June 23. And former St. Louisans Reggie and Mardra Thomas, the husband-and-wife piano/vocal team who moved last summer to Michigan, will return home to play the Bistro on Friday, July 6 and Saturday, July 7.

Here's the complete summer schedule:

Friday, June 1 & Saturday, June 2: JazzU with special guest Tim Warfield
Friday, June 8 & Saturday, June 9: Erin Bode
Friday, June 15 & Saturday, June 16: Tim Cunningham
Friday, June 22 & Saturday, June 23: Charlie Hunter Duo
Friday, June 29 & Saturday, June 30: Denise Thimes
Friday, July 6 & Saturday, July 7: Reggie & Mardra Thomas
Friday, July 13 & Saturday, July 14: Good 4 The Soul
Friday, July 20 & Saturday, July 21: Willie Akins/Montez Coleman Group
Friday, July 27 & Saturday, July 28: Musica Slesa

Depending on the show, ticket prices for Jazz at the Bistro's summer schedule range from $20 to $30 for adults and $10 to $15 for students. Tickets will go on sale at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 8 via Metrotix.