Jazz this week: Terence Blanchard, Matthew Whitaker, Trombone Shorty, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a couple of noteworthy free events, the local debut as a leader of an up-and-coming keyboardist, the return of one of New Orleans' favorites, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 5
Trumpeter Terence Blanchard and his electric band, the E-Collective (pictured, top left), will play a free concert for the Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Blanchard has been a frequent visitor in recent months as Opera Theatre of St. Louis prepares to premiere his second opera, Fire Shut Up In My Bones, later this month. For this gig, he and the E-Collective likely will be leaning on material from their two Blue Note releases, 2015's Breathless and 2018's Live, but perhaps Blanchard will use the occasion to try out something new as well.

Also on Wednesday, keyboardist Matthew Whitaker makes his Jazz St. Louis debut as a bandleader with the first of five nights of performances continuing through Sunday.

A late addition to the season schedule to compensate subscribers for Dr. Lonnie Smith's cancelled dates last fall, Whitaker is an 18-year-old phenom originally from New Jersey. Although blind since birth, he has progressed rapidly to professional status after studying at Harlem School of the Arts and the Manhattan School of Music's pre-college program.

Whitaker released his first album in 2017 with a supporting cast including heavyweights like bassist Christian McBride and saxophonist James Carter, and already has played major venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center and the Apollo Theater.

Thursday, June 6
Pianist Adam Maness' trio is back at Thurman's in Shaw, fusion trio Tracer plays at  The Dark Room, and saxophonist Vince Sala leads a trio at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, June 7
Trombonist, trumpeter and singer Trombone Shorty (pictured, bottom left) and his band Orleans Avenue will perform at The Pageant.

You can see some recent video of Shorty (real name: Troy Andrews) and find out more about what he's been up to recently in this post from last Saturday. 

Also on Friday, singer Jan Shapiro and pianist Dave Venn, abetted by bassist Ben Wheeler, will reunite with an old friend, drummer Henry Ettman, for a show at the Ozark Theatre.

The gig brings together Shapiro, Venn and Ettman for the first time in more than 40 years; look for more on that in Friday's "So What" post.

Elsewhere around town, the Hard Bop Messengers return to Evangeline's; Tony Viviano sings music associated with Dean Martin at Table Three; and guitarist Brian Vaccaro leads a trio at Cigar Inn.

Saturday, June 8
Due to conflicts between city government and the organizers of Fair U City, the U City Jazz Festival, for this year at least, has moved to Gazebo Park in Webster Groves and been renamed the Old Orchard Jazz Festival.

Featured performers at the free event, which runs from early afternoon through the evening, will include the Fusion Warriors, led by bassist Darrell Mixon, offering a "Tribute to Stanley Clarke," as well as Bach to the Future, Joe Mancuso, Soul Cafe, Mo Egeston All-Stars, The Avant-Gardians with Maurice Carnes, and Morphelonious.

If you're planning to attend, you may want to arrive early, as Gazebo Park is smaller than Heman Park, the fest's usual/previous site, and the event also is running concurrently with the Webster Arts Fair. The Arts Fair, with music by Dizzy Atmosphere, the Webster Groves HS Jazz Band, and various other acts on Saturday, will be happening just a few blocks to the west on the grounds of Eden Seminary, which means parking in the general vicinity could be scarce.

Update, 4:30 p.m. 6/5/19: Due to the possibly of bad weather on Saturday, the Old Orchard Jazz Fest has been moved indoors to the Ozark Theatre, located on Lockwood Ave to the east of gazebo Park, and will run from 2:00 p.m.  to 10:00 p.m.

Also on Saturday, the Alton Museum of History and Art presents their annual Miles Davis Jazz Festival, this year featuring saxophonist Michael Fitzgerald, guitarist Tim Jarden and singer Carmen Bonner, at Jacoby Arts Center

Sunday, June 9
Bassist and singer Janet Evra plays for brunch at The Dark Room, and the St. Louis Symphony with singers Dee Daniels and Denzal Sinclaire will pay tribute to the Cole family of pop/jazz fame with a program called "Unforgettable: Nat and Natalie" at Powell Hall.

Monday, June 10
Pianist and singer Jesse Gannon returns to 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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The U City Jazz Fest, which last week was cancelled due to a financial dispute between its companion event Fair U City and the municipal government of University City, is back on for the originally scheduled date, but at a new location.

Temporarily renamed the Old Orchard Jazz Festival, the free event will take place with all the previously announced acts from 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 8 at Gazebo Park in the Old Orchard business district of Webster Groves.

(Prospective festival-goers should know that Gazebo Park is considerably smaller than Heman Park, the fest's original location, and Old Orchard is a busy commercial district, so if you're planning on attending, you may want to arrive early so you'll have enough time to find parking and seating.)

* The latest sounds from saxophonist Oliver Lake can be heard on Bamako, the debut recording by the OGJB Quartet (pictured), a band that also includes cornetist Graham Haynes, bassist Joe Fonda, and drummer Barry Altschul. The album includes original compositions from all four members, plus two collective improvisations, and will by released next Friday, May 17 by TUM Records.

* The Black Rep's upcoming production of Nina Simone: Four Women is previewed in stories from Kenya Vaughn of the St. Louis American and Calvin Wilson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The play-with-music, with a cast than includes singer Denise Thimes, opens Wednesday, May 15 and continues through Sunday, June 2 at the Edison Theatre on the Washington University campus.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Jazz at Lincoln Center has announced four new inductees into its Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame, including a former St. Louisan.

That would be saxophonist Frankie Trumbauer (pictured) who, while born in Carbondale, IL, grew up in St. Louis and did his first professional work as a musician here. He's joined in the class of 2019 by saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, singer Dinah Washington, and drummer Chick Webb.

* The 2019 edition of Fair U City, the community carnival held during the first weekend in June in Heman Park alongside the U City Jazz Festival, has been cancelled due to a dispute over financial and other matters between city government and the University City Community Foundation, the not-for-profit group that organizes the fair.

Responding to the cancellation announcement in a Facebook post, U City Jazz Fest organizer Michael Silverman said he's now looking for an alternate location to stage the event on Saturday, June 8. Watch this space for more as this story develops...

* Jazz St. Louis will team up this fall with three other local arts organizations for a production of "Such Sweet Thunder," an "avant-garde ballet" created by French choreographer Maurice Béjart in 1960 using the music from Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's 1957 suite of the same name.

JSL will supply the sounds, Big Muddy Dance Company will create the choreography, and Shakespeare Festival St. Louis will "weave the pieces together with Shakespearean scenes and sonnets." The fourth partner, Nine Network, will host three free performances of the work on October 3, 4 and 5 at its Public Media Commons.

* Singer Alicia Olatuja was interviewed about her new album Intiution on the podcast Doing Jazz with Lorens Chuno.

* St. Louis writer (and Jazz Journalists Association 2019 "Jazz Hero") Terry Perkins got a byline in the May issue of DownBeat with a feature story about singer Cyrille Aimée.

* House of Miles East St. Louis, the organization that has restored Miles Davis' childhood home as a museum and educational facility, was profiled for the website TheSTL.com by writer Daniel Durchholz.

* The final performance of the 2019 Vision Festival, set for June 9-16 at Roulette in Brooklyn, NY, will be a tribute to the late saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett, led by his friend and collaborator, pianist D.D. Jackson, and featuring U City native and drummer Ronnie Burrage, saxophonists James Carter and Darius Jones, bassist William Parker, and percussionist Juma Sultan.

* The story of the legal battle between seemingly-defunct music festival LouFest and their former sound and lighting contractors Logic Systems has been updated by St. Louis writer and musician Kevin Mitchell in a post on Medium.com.

Whitaker Music Festival, U City Jazz Fest announce 2019 lineups

There's news this week on the lineups for two summer festivals of interest to StLJN readers.

The 2019 Whitaker Music Festival will start its season at the Missouri Botanical Garden at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 29 with Americana band Old Souls Revival.

For jazz fans, though, the action really begins the following week, when trumpeter Terence Blanchard (pictured) performs on Wednesday, June 5. Blanchard has been a frequent visitor here in recent months as Opera Theatre of St. Louis prepares to premiere his second opera, Fire Shut Up In My Bones, as part of their 2019 season.

Other jazz or jazz-adjacent performers appearing this year will include Tonina Saputo (June 12), Mardra and Reggie Thomas (July 3), and Annie and The Fur Trappers (July 17). All the concerts are free and open to the public, and you can see the complete schedule on the Missouri Botanical Garden website.

The 2019 U City Jazz Festival will take place on Saturday, June 8 at Heman Park in University City, starting at 1:00 p.m. and continuing throughout the afternoon and evening. This year's festival will feature a headlining performance from Fusion Warriors, led by bassist Darrell Mixon, paying tribute to Stanley Clarke.

Other bands and musicians scheduled to perform include Bach to the Future with guitarist Dave Black and violinist Tracy Silverman, singer Joe Mancuso, Soul Cafe, keyboardist Mo Egeston's All-Stars, drummer Maurice Carnes and the Avant Gardians, and Morphelonious. The event is free and open to the public.

Jazz this week: David Sanborn, U City Jazz Festival, two Miles Davis tributes, and more

It's a week to celebrate St. Louis' hometown jazz heroes, as the calendar of upcoming jazz and creative music performances includes the return of the best-known living jazz musician who grew up here; a couple of tributes to the most famous St. Louis-area jazz musician of them all; plus plenty of other noteworthy gigs featuring local players. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 6
Saxophonist David Sanborn (pictured, top left) is back home with his new quintet for the first of four nights of performances at Jazz St. Louis.

You can see some videos of Sanborn's new band and find out more about what he's be up to recently in this post from last Saturday.

Also on Wednesday, multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris is the featured performer this week at Missouri Botanical Garden's Whitaker Music Festival.

Thursday, June 7
Eclectic instrumental quartet The 442s will play at Joe's Cafe & Art Gallery; saxophonist Vince Sala leads a trio at The Pat Connolly Tavern; and saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet continues their month-long residency at The Dark Room.

Friday, June 8
Trumpeter Randy Holmes will lead a quintet for the first night of the "3rd Annual Miles Davis Festival" at the Webster Groves Concert Hall, expanding the group to a sextet for Saturday's performance.

Elsewhere around town, the Brooklyn, NY-based jam band Ikebe Shakedown plays "cinematic instrumental soul" at the Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, and the Funky Butt Brass Band will perform at Beale on Broadway.

Over on the east side, saxophonist Freddie Washington leads a trio at Cigar Inn, and Eckert's in Belleville presents a free outdoor concert from "Trombonanza," featuring trombonists Mark Kellogg, Jim Martin, Aaron Eckert and Brendan Lanighan,

Saturday, June 9
The U City Jazz Festival runs from mid-afternoon through the evening at Heman Park, with a lineup that includes a tribute to Stanley Clarke from the Fusion Warriors, plus sets from Bach to the Future, Joe Mancuso, Soul Cafe, Mo Egeston (pictured, bottom left), Maurice Carnes and the Avant Gardians, and Morphelonious.

Also on Saturday, Alton's annual "Miles Davis Jazz Festival" will feature music from saxophonist Fred Walker, guitarist Tim Jarden, singer Saman Swanson, and Retro Boogie at the Jacoby Arts Center; and the Jazz Edge Orchestra and guest trombonists Steve Turre, Steve Davis and Andre Hayward will present a "Tribute to J.J. Johnson" at Harris-Stowe State University's Emerson Performance Center.

Sunday, June 10
The Arcadia Dance Orchestra will perform a matinee at the Webster Groves Concert Hall, and Miss Jubilee plays a free outdoor concert at Carondelet Park.

Monday, June 11
Dizzy Atmosphere plays swing and Gypsy jazz at The Shaved Duck.

Tuesday, June 12
Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True will be joined by singer Joe Mancuso for a "Notes From Home" concert at 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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* St. Louis magazine's annual "A-List" issue is out, and among the honorees for "Culture and Amusements" are the STL Free Jazz Collective (pictured) and Yaquis on Cherokee, which features live traditional jazz and blues on weekends.

* Also in St. Louis magazine, pianist Adam Maness' regular Thursday night gig at Thurman's in Shaw is the subject of a brief feature story by Thomas Crone.

* Mr. Handy's Blues, a new documentary about the life and legacy of "St. Louis Blues" composer W.C. Handy, will get its first showing this Sunday at a private event at the MX theater on Washington Avenue.

* St. Louis native Greg Osby will join fellow saxophonists Joe Lovano and Dave Liebman as the newest member of "Saxophone Summit" for a five-night run next week at Birdland in NYC. The group, which in this iteration also includes bassist Cecil McBee, drummer Billy Hart, and pianist Phil Markowitz, will play the club starting Tuesday, June 27 through Saturday, July 1.

* A video with highlights from pianist Ethan Leinwand's St. Louis Piano Festival, which showcased an assortment of ragtime, blues, and stride pianists earlier this month at BB's Jazz Blues & Soups, has been posted to Vimeo.

* Pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio Network is rolling out a new video course, "Elements of Jazz Piano," featuring Martin and Adam Maness. You can find out more and see a preview here.  

* Jazz St. Louis is looking to hire a part-time box office associate. For details on the job and how to apply, visit their website.

* Guitarist Todd Mosby has posted on YouTube a new live performance video of his composition "Moon Song."

* Multi-instrumental Lamar Harris' Isley Brothers tribute show "Ballad of Atlantis," which is being presented this weekend at Jazz at the Bistro, was previewed on KTVI's morning newscast and in a Post-Dispatch feature story by Kevin Johnson.

* Drummer Maurice Carnes has posted to YouYube a video of his band Avant Gardians playing the music of Ornette Coleman earlier this month at the U City Jazz Festival.

* Trumpeter Russell Gunn, originally from East St. Louis and now residing in Georgia, is one of alt-weekly Creative Loafing's "6 rising Atlanta music MVPs for 2017". As mentioned last week in this space, Gunn recently launched a crowd-funding campaign to finance his next recording.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Fans of adventurous music and/or craft beer can support New Music Circle at a fundraiser scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. next Tuesday, June 13 at Urban Chestnut brewery's Midtown location, 3229 Washington Ave. A portion of beverage purchases made during those hours will be donated to NMC.

* The Boston Creme donut from Old Town Donuts in Florissant is the winner of Jazz St. Louis' "Best Donut" award for 2017, as determined last Friday during JSL's annual "National Donut Day" celebration. You can see photos from the event in a Facebook album here.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native Greg Osby, who's been spending a lot of time in Europe recently, last month conducted two workshops for young musicians in Spain, working under the auspices of the US Embassy with students at the Teresa Berganza music conservatory in Madrid and the Padre Antonio Soler music school in San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

* Singer-songwriter Norah Jones' performance on Tuesday at the Scottrade Ceneter was reviewed for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch by Dan Durchholz.

* Singer Dee Daniels (pictured), who will perform this Sunday with the St. Louis Symphony as part of their "Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald and the Ladies of Swing," was interviewed by St. Louis magazine.

* The newly renamed Webster Groves Concert Hall, formerly the Ozark Theatre, is the subject of a St. Louis County Arts blog feature by Valerie Tichacek.

* As one of 77 local bands that will perform in the Riverfront Times' upcoming ShowcaseSTL, the  Funky Butt Brass Band were profiled this week by the RFT's Roy Kasten.

* Singer Tony Bennett's show Wednesday night at the Fox Theatre was reviewed by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson, and the Post also published an "IParty" album of photos from the evening.

* This weekend's U City Jazz Festival and Fair U City are previewed in the Post's "Hot List" section.

* Mozingo Music is presenting a free workshop on audio recording at 7:00 p.m. Monday, June 26 at their store at 4689 Hwy. K in O'Fallon, MO. The 90-minute workshop will feature manufacturer's rep Michael Canning demonstrating the use of PreSonus software and hardware and Audio Technica microphones in a live recording session. Admission is free, but since space is limited, advance reservations are required.

Jazz this week: Tony Bennett, two Miles Davis tributes, U City Jazz Festival, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes the return of a legendary vocalist; two different events paying tribute to this city's most influential jazz musician ever; several free outdoor events featuring live jazz, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 7
Singer Tony Bennett (pictured, top left), who remarkably is still touring regularly as a nonagenarian, returns to perform at the Fox Theatre. Some tickets are still available as of this writing; for details, visit the "rush" section of the Fox's website. To when your appetite with some live performance videos of Bennett, check out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Wednesday, the weekly Grand Center Jazz Crawl continues with live music at four different venues in the district; and the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra performs at First Unity Church of St. Louis.

Thursday, June 8
Pianist Adam Maness returns with his trio to Thurman's in Shaw.

Friday, June 9
Keyboardist Adaron Jackson, guitarist Eric Slaughter, saxophonist Ben Reece (pictured, center left) and drummer Montez Coleman, doing business as Jackson, Slaughter, Reece & Coleman, will revisit the sounds of some of the classic organ/tenor soul-jazz combos of 1950s and '60s for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Friday, trumpeter Randy Holmes leads his quintet in the first of two nights of the "St. Louis Miles Davis Festival," performing music associated with Davis at the Webster Groves Concert Hall (formerly the Ozark Theatre).

Elsewhere around town, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; ; and saxophonist Paul DeMarinis and guitarist Dave Black, collaborators in several past bands, will debut a new group called Breathtet, also featuring bassist Mark Wallace and drummer Kevin Cheli, in a show at The Focal Point,

Saturday, June 10
It's a good day to hear some jazz at a free outdoor festival, with three different events happening in the afternoon and evening.

Starting in mid-afternoon, the U City Jazz Festival will feature music from drummer Demarius Hicks, pianist Ptah Williams (pictured, bottom left), guitarist Dave Black, Bach to the Future, and the St. Louis Jazz All-Stars, continuing through the evening at Heman Park,

A little later in the afternoon and just a few miles away, the City of Clayton Music + Wine Festival will include performances from The Gaslight Squares, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes, and Miss Jubilee as part of a free outdoor concert at Carondelet Plaza.

At the same time a little further to the east, the Central West End Cocktail Party will include a stage at Euclid and McPherson with live performances from bands including the Twin Cities' Gatsby Gang and St. Louis' own Funky Butt Brass Band.

Also on Saturday, the Alton Museum presents the 12th annual Miles Davis Jazz Festival in the town where the iconic trumpeter was born, featuring music from blues singer Big George Brock Jr. and the NGK Band, piano/vocal duo Bob and Me, guitarist Tim Jarden, and saxophonist Fred Walker at the Jacoby Arts Center.

Sunday, June 11
The St. Louis Symphony presents a "Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald and the Ladies of Swing" featuring singer Dee Daniels at Powell Symphony Hall; the St. Louis Jazz Club's monthly show will feature John Gillick and the Impacts with pianist Bob Row at the DoubleTree Hotel; and the Ambassadors of Swing return to Kirkwood Station Brewing Company.

Monday, June 12 
Trumpeter Jim Manley will play his weekly gig serenading diners and drinkers at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, June 13
Saxophonist Adam Larson will be in town to present a free masterclass and performance at Saxquest, backed by guitarist Matt Sewell, bassist Bob DeBoo, and drummer Matt Wilson.

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:

* Dave Weckl will drum with the Buddy Rich Big Band in a tribute concert in May at Ronnie Scott's in London.

* Speaking of London, the website London Jazz News last week published two posts of local interest to StLJN readers: a previously unseen interview from 1995 with trumpeter and St. Louis native Lester Bowie; and a review of Message to Our People, bassist and Washington University faculty member Paul Steinbeck's new book recounting the history of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, of which Bowie was a member.

* Organizers of the U City Jazz Festival have announced the date and lineup for this year's event. The fest will be held Saturday, June 10 in Heman Park, and will feature music from Demarius Hicks, Ptah Williams (pictured), Dave Black, Bach to the Future, and the St. Louis Jazz All Stars.

* David Steward, founder of St. Louis-based World Wide Technology Inc, and his wife Thelma Steward will receive the Ed Bradley Award for Leadership in philanthropy from Jazz at Lincoln Center during JALC's annual gala on April 26 in NYC. Though the award is for their contributions to JaLC, the Stewards also were the lead donors for Jazz St. Louis' renovated headquarters and performance space that opened in October 2014.

* Drummer Kimberly Thompson is transformed into an animated version of herself in the first episode of "Music Time with Kimberly Thompson," a new web series for kids posted this week to YouTube.

* Meanwhile, in another animation aimed at a more adult audience, singer, actor and Belleville, IL native Lea DeLaria lends her voice to the role of a talking birth control pill in "I'm Just A Pill," a new animated video produced by the Lady Parts Justice League "to school (Supreme Court nominee Neil) Gorsuch and dispel fake facts on birth control and drop some scientific knowledge on Plan B as a preventative measure."

* Chris Hansen of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation was interviewed by writer Terry Perkins for an article in Alive! magazine about The Dark Room's new location in the renovated Grandel Theatre.

* Happiness of Living,  the new album from On Fillmore, bassist Darin Gray's duo project with drummer Glenn Kotche, is officially released today, and already has gotten positive press coverage from Rolling Stone and Chicago Reader.

* Saxophonist Eric Person has posted to Facebook a photo album from his recent "Person to Person" shows with fellow saxophonist (and unrelated namesake) Houston Person at the Blue Note in NYC.

* Trombonist Charlie Halloran talks about his move from St. Louis to New Orleans in a brief feature by the Riverfront Times' Christian Schaeffer.

* Cabaret Project St. Louis' monthly open mic night has yet another new home, after a brief run at The Monocle following the closing last year of its longtime location, the Tavern of Fine Arts. Starting on Thursday, April 20, the event, now known as the Broadway Open Mic, will take place from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month at the Curtain Call Lounge in Grand Center.

Jazz this week: New Orleans Suspects, U City Jazz Festival, Miles Davis at 90, and more

This week's lineup of jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a bit of New Orleans, a bit of Las Vegas, an appearance by an original member of a seminal jazz/fusion band, plus tributes to George Clinton and Miles Davis, and much more.


Wednesday, June 8
Trumpeter Jim Manley and Wild, Cool and Swingin' will play their signature Vegas-style swing in a free concert at the Alton Senior High School Performing Arts Center, and guitarist Vincent Varvel performs at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Also on Wednesday, the Grand Center district continues its weekly "jazz crawl" with bassist Bob Deboo leading a jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center, trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's trio performing at The Dark Room, and this week, guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran at KDHX's Magnolia Cafe.

Thursday, June 9
The Genesis Jazz Project will play a free concert at Chesterfield Amphitheater; singer Wendy L. Gordon returns to the Tavern of Fine Arts, and Danbury Street plays at Nathalie's

Friday, June 10
The New Orleans Suspects (pictured, top left) will play funk and R&B at the Broadway Oyster Bar, with an opening set from the Funky Butt Brass Band.

Also on Friday, trumpeter Randy Holmes leads a quintet in the first of two nights celebrating Miles Davis 90th birthday at the Ozark Theatre, and multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris (pictured, center left) and band will offer their take on the music of funkmeister George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic for the first of two nights of "The Mothership Chronicles" at Jazz at the Bistro.

Elsewhere around town, Miss Jubilee will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom, and vibraphonist Tom Rickard leads a trio at Cigar Inn.

Saturday, June 11
The U City Jazz Festival will feature headlining sets from The Fusion Warriors, billed as "an all star tribute to the electric jazz pioneers of the 1970s," and Bach to the Future with guest violinist Jerry Goodman.

Goodman (pictured, bottom left) is best known as an original member of guitarist John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, and also played with The Dixie Dregs and the Chicago-based jazz/rock band The Flock.

The free event, which runs from mid-afternoon through evening at Heman Park in University City, also will feature music from the jazz/fusion trio Tracer, trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi, and trumpeter Danny Campbell's quintet with drummer Maurice Carnes.

Also on Saturday, the Funky Butt Brass Band headlines a multi-act bill of funk, R&B, and New Orleans-influenced bands playing indoors and outdoors for "Summer Gras" at the Old Rock House.

Elsewhere around town, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will be playing a double-header, starting in the afternoon at the St. Agnes Home Summerfest in Kirkwood, then finishing with an evening show at Evangeline's; and Dizzy Atmosphere will perform at The Dark Room.

Sunday, June 12
The St. Louis Jazz Club will present The Gaslight Squares in a matinee performance at the Moolah Shrine in West County; singer Dean Christopher will bring his "Rat Pack and More" show to Peno in Clayton; and the Ambassadors of Swing will play an early evening gig at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company.

Tuesday, June 14
The Saxquest Little Big Band returns to the Tavern of Fine Arts, and guitarists Eric Slaughter and Jake Weisman will play duets at Evangeline's.

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

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

Jazz this week: Chris Botti, JazzU with Stefon Harris, Don Cunningham, U City Jazz Festival, Daniel Bennett, and more

This week's lineup of jazz and creative music performances in St. Louis encompasses musicians with a vast range of experience, from young teenage players getting their first chances onstage at a showcase club to an elder statesman who got his start more than a half-century ago in the fabled Gaslight Square entertainment district. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 3
Billed as the "New York Jazz Ensemble," bassist Tom Kennedy, saxophonists George Garzone and Steve Wirts, guitarist Joe Cohn and drummer Miles Vandiver will play an early evening show at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Also on Wednesday, the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra will make their debut at Jazz at the Bistro.

Thursday, June 4
Singer Feyza Eren teams with guitarist Brian Vaccaro's trio to re-imagine songs from a variety of genres at the Tavern of Fine Arts; guitarist Dave Black and friends, featuring singer Joe Mancuso, return to Nathalie's; and saxophonist Jim Stevens and band will perform at Hammerstone's.

Friday, June 5
If there's a sentimental favorite among this week's jazz and creative music attractions, it would have to be singer, multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis native Don Cunningham.

Cunningham (pictured, top left), a veteran of the Gaslight Square era who now lives in Las Vegas, is returning to his hometown this weekend for his first performances since his wife and musical partner, singer and pianist Alicia Cunningham, passed away back in December.

He'll be joined by singer Jeanne Trevor and a local rhythm section for shows paying tribute to his wife and the late St. Louis singer Gene Lynn on Friday and Saturday nights, plus a Sunday matinee, at the Ozark Theatre.

Also on Friday, trumpeter Chris Botti (pictured, center left) returns to St. Louis for the first time since 2012 for a performance with the St. Louis Symphony at Powell Hall; and the students from Jazz St. Louis' JazzU and Jazz St. Louis All-Stars programs will begin their annual weekend showcase at Jazz at the Bistro, with a little help from special guest vibraphonist Stefon Harris (pictured, lower left).

Elsewhere around town, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will perform at Evangeline's; the Funky Butt Brass Band check in for their monthly gig at Broadway Oyster Bar; and the Original Knights of Swing play for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom.


Saturday, June 6
Starting mid-afternoon and continuing through the evening, the annual U City Jazz Festival in Heman Park will present free performances by drummer Demarius Hicks' quartet, the Silverman Brothers Band, trumpeter Anthony Wiggins with drummer Maurice Carnes, pianist Philip Gomez' trio, and the student band Nexus.

Also on Saturday, pianist Greg Mills and the Perihelion Ensemble return to the Tavern of Fine Arts; and The People's Key offer instrumental interpretations of the music of Michael Jackson at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Sunday, June 7
The Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" matinee at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, this month welcoming performs who will have just played the annual Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival in Sedalia; and Good 4 The Soul plays their monthly show at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday June 9
Saxophonist Daniel Bennett, touring in support of his new album The Mystery at Clown Castle, will play a free concert with his trio in the auditorium at the downtown branch of the St. Louis Public Library.

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: Thumbscrew, U City Jazz Festival, Funeral Bonsai Wedding, and more

There's lots going on this week with jazz and creative music in St. Louis, as two concert series offer their first shows of the season; a free fall festival returns; and other stages around town will be filled with even more improvised music influenced by everything from funk to flamenco. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University begins the fall semester with a free concert reuniting the jazz-fusion trio Tracer, with pianist Ptah Williams, bassist Darrell Mixon and drummer Gary Sykes.

Also tonight, Good 4 The Soul will play their monthly show at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; and trumpeter Jim Manley will be doing his weekly gig at Joyia Tapas.

On Friday, it's the start of another season for New Music Circle, as guitarist Mary Halvorson, bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Tomas Fujiwara, aka Thumbscrew (pictured), will perform at the house-concert venue Joe’s Cafe, 6014 Kingsbury Ave.

Also on Friday, the St. Louis Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; saxophonist Tim Cunningham returns to Troy's Jazz Gallery; singer Joe Mancuso enlists the support of not just one, but two guitarists, as he joins forces with Dave Black and Steve Schenkel for an evening of Beatles covers at the Tavern of Fine Arts; saxophonist Jim Stevens plays a free outdoor show at Ferguson Citywalk; and singer Tony Viviano returns to Talayna's in Chesterfield.

On Saturday, the U City Jazz Festival will take place in Heman Park, located at Olive & Midland in University City. This year's free outdoor concert is headlined by funk/fusion band Pieces of A Dream, with supporting acts including Bach to the Future, pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True, the Tony Viviano Big Band, trumpeter Anthony Wiggins, and the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars student ensemble.  

Also on Saturday, Funeral Bonsai Wedding will be in town from Chicago to promote their debut release with a performance at The Stage at KDHX. The newly formed group features singer-guitarist Steve Dawson, best known as the front man for the roots-rock band Dolly Varden, backed by vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, drummer Frank Rosaly and bassist Jason Roebke, who all work regularly in Chicago's jazz and improvised music scene.  

Elsewhere around town that evening, percussionist Herman Semidey and his Orquesta Son Montuno will continue the new jazz series at the Ozark Theatre; and singers Mary Dyson and Diane Vaughn will perform at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

On Sunday, there are a couple more free outdoor shows in the offing, as Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play swing, hot jazz and vintage blues at Benton Park, while the St. Charles Municipal Big Band will hold forth by the river in Frontier Park.

That evening, jazz meets flamenco in a performance by EviscerArt, featuring pianist Cristian de Moret, guitarist Eduardo Pachecho, and dancer Vanesa Aibar, at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Webster University jazz faculty will present their tribute to  "Great Jazz Records of 1964" at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus; and on Tuesday, guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran will play the music of Randy Newman in a "Notes From Home" concert at 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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer Michael Buble, who performs here tomorrow night at the Scottrade Center, talked about his tour and latest album with the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* From AllAboutJazz.com's Bill Leikam, here's a review of a recent Brubeck Brothers Band gig at Filoli Estate, just south of San Francisco. The Brubecks are playing here in St. Louis on Saturday, October 5 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native Eric Person reports that last week's concert by his big band drew standing ovations from the audience at NYC's St. Albans Congregational Church. Person (pictured) and the big band will perform next on Monday, November 11 at the Blue Note in NYC. You can see a video sample of the band here.

* Meanwhile, fellow saxophonist and StL expat Oliver Lake is set to play NYC's Roulette on Tuesday, October 1 with special guests including the Flux String Quartet and pianist Vijay Iyer.

* WSIE has posted on their Facebook page an album of photos from last Saturday's U City Jazz Fest.

* Also on Facebook, the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra's page has lots of pictures from last Sunday's concert paying tribute to the late Ross Gentile.

* From the UK comes a newly rediscovered interview with Miles Davis, ca. 1974, by British drummer and music journalist John Runcie.

* Trumpeter Jim Manley has put some audio excerpts from his forthcoming album Short Stories and Tall Tales up on YouTube.

* Here's a review of pianist and St. Louis native Tom McDermott's new Van Dyke Parks-curated anthology “Bamboula,” from the Buffalo News' Jeff Simon.

* Josh Weinstein, host of KDHX's "All Soul, No Borders," contributed extensively to a new article about pianist Matthew Shipp for AllAboutJazz.com.

* The St. Louis Beacon's Mary Delach Leonard takes a look at the latest, and perhaps final, effort to resurrect the Goldenrod Showboat, which for many years hosted music and theater performances on the St. Louis riverfront.

* Saxquest boss Mark Overton reminds local saxophonists between the ages of 18 and 35 that there's still time to enter Keilwerth's "Saxophone Idol" competition. Prizes include a new Keilwerth sax and the chance to play a gig with famed tenor man Ernie Watts.

* Applications are being accepted now for the next round of Artists Support Grants from the Regional Arts Commission. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, October 15.

* Jazz radio update: With the beginning of the fall semester, WSIE has added some new on-air hosts and made some changes to their programming schedule. You can see all the details of the new lineup here.

Meanwhile, over at Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis, this week's edition of Calvin Wilson's "Somethin' Else" features contemporary big band sounds from musicians including Darcy James Argue, Brian Landrus and Joel Harrison. The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays via 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2 and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Jazz this week: Roseanna Vitro, U City Jazz Festival, a tribute to Cannonball Adderley, and more

While the music news in St. Louis this weekend may be dominated by the annual LouFest in Forest Park, and the tribute to the late singer-songwriter Bob Reuter on Sunday at the Casa Loma Ballroom, there's will be plenty for local fans of jazz and creative music to do over the next few days, too. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, trumpeter and singer Dawn Weber plays at Herbie's Vintage 72; fusion band The Freedom performs at the Rustic Goat; and Miss Jubilee is at Thaxton Speakeasy.

Tomorrow night, there are a couple of noteworthy events for swing dancers, as Lindy Hop St. Louis presents their monthly "West End Stomp" dance with music from the Sidemen at Mahler Ballroom, while the Ambassadors of Swing purvey their version of the big-band sound to the terpsichorean habitues of the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Elsewhere around town on Friday, singer Wendy Gordon takes the stage at the Tavern of Fine Arts; singer Joe Mancuso will perform at Robbie's House of Jazz; and trumpeter Anthony Wiggins fronts a trio at Cigar Inn.

On Saturday, the annual St. Louis Art Fair will feature sets from several musicians of interest. Performers will include guitarist Rex Bauer's trio, the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars student ensemble, and the Sheldon Jazz Quintet with pianist Carolbeth True, all on the Forsyth stage at the corner of Forsyth and Central; and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes, on the Fair's main stage.

Also on Saturday, the U City Jazz Festival takes place in Heman Park, 1028 Midland Blvd (at Olive). The free all-day event will feature sets from local bands including the Willie Akins/Montez Coleman group, Bach to the Future, Tom Byrne and Have You Heard?, the Joe Mancuso Quintet, and Clave Sol, plus a tribute to Wes Montgomery featuring guitarist Chris Burchett.

On Saturday night, singer Roseanna Vitro comes to town to perform with pianist Kim Portnoy's trio at Robbie's House of Jazz. Vitro, who's originally from Arkansas, broke in to the music business singing with tenor saxophonist Arnett Cobb in Houston. Her career took off after a move to NYC in the late 1970s, as she toured with Lionel Hampton, pianist Kenny Werner and others, and began to establish herself as a solo act. Since then, Vitro has recorded 12 albums as a leader, the most recent of which, 2011's The Music of Randy Newman, was nominated for a 2012 Grammy Award as Best Vocal Jazz Album.

Elsewhere on Saturday night, keyboardist Matt Villinger and his trio will play at Thurman Grill; the Galaxy Jazz Quintet with singer Kim Fuller performs at Bar Italia; and pianist and singer Curt Landes is at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Sunday's another busy day, as guitarist Brian Vaccaro's trio and Brazilian music group Samba Bom will play at the Art Fair on the Forsyth Stage, and the fall edition of the St. Louis Record Collector and CD Show takes place at the American Czech Hall, 4690 Lansdowne.

Also on Sunday afternoon, relatives and friends of the late DJ Ross Gentile are staging a tribute concert at the Meridian Ballroom in the Morris University Center at SIUE. The free show will feature another performance by Roseanna Vitro, plus music from Denise Thimes, the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra, guitarist Rick Haydon, trumpeter/vibraphonist Joe Bozzi, the Gary Dammer Big Band, and more.

Those seeking a more contemplative experience on Sunday may want to check out the latest "Inner Jazz" multi-faith meditation at Kirkwood United Church of Christ, 1603 Dougherty Ferry Rd, with music from the Oikos Ensemble, led by saxophonist Rev. Cliff Aerie.

Lastly, Sunday also is the date for the Sheldon Concert Hall's September 11th Interfaith Memorial in Music: An Appreciation of Religious Diversity with performances by pianist Peter Martin, classical soprano Christine Brewer and more.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the jazz faculty at Webster University kicks off their fall concert series with "A Tribute to Cannonball Adderley" featuring saxophonist Paul DeMarinis, trumpeter Keith Moyer, guitarist Steve Schenkel, pianist Kim Portnoy, bassist Willem von Hombracht, drummer Kevin Gianino and singer Debby Lennon at Winifred Moore Auditorium.

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.)

U City Jazz Festival sets lineup for Saturday, September 7

The U City Jazz Festival has announced the lineup of musicians who will perform at this year's event, which will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 7 in Heman Park in University City.

The all-St. Louis musical menu for the festival will include Willie Akins and Montez Coleman, Bach to the Future, Phil Gomez and Clave Sol, the Joe Mancuso Quintet, Tom Byrne and Have U Heard?, and a tribute to Wes Montgomery led by Maurice Carnes (pictured).

The event will be staged in conjunction with the annual Fair U. City, and is free and open to the public. Heman Park is located on Olive Blvd, near the corner of Midland Ave and Olive.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Riverfront Times has posted an album of photos from last month's U City Jazz Festival.

* Jazz St. Louis' education program (and trumpeter Terence Blanchard's band) were featured in a story that aired this week on the newscast of local NBC affiliate KSDK.

* And speaking of Jazz St. Louis, the organization this week also is touting a new fall menu at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Tomorrow night's Mephista Trio show at 560 Music Center, presented by New Music Circle, is previewed by the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson.

* Euclid Records has planned a sidewalk sale for next Saturday, October 13 and Sunday, October 14, featuring reduced prices on their entire inventory plus lots of CDs and LPs marked down for clearance, live music (no jazz, though) and free beer ("if you're old enough to drink it").

* Broadcaster and jazz advocate Don Wolff (pictured) was profiled this week by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Beacon. In related news, the Internet radio version of Wolff's "I Love Jazz" program has relocated online to a new streaming provider, LoudCity; and there's a new October episode of the TV version of "I Love Jazz" (shown on cable and online by HEC-TV) featuring the band Bach to the Future and a look at local jazz jam sessions.

* And while we're on the subject of jam sessions, the latest word is that the weekly Thursday night jam hosted by guitarist Tom Byrne at Highway 61 Roadhouse has ended, and, in another example of the visionary thinking we see so often here among the proprietors of local venues, will be replaced with....nothing. Perhaps if the management had ever done anything to actually promote the event, it might have drawn bigger crowds, but now we'll never know. Meanwhile, you still can catch Byrne playing around town with his trio, singer Feyza Eren, the Pat Metheny inspired Have You Heard?, and various other bands.