Jazz this week: Mardra & Reggie Thomas, "Jazz Triple Play," Moon Hooch, and more

As often happens around major holidays, the calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis this week is light on visiting acts, but there still are some noteworthy shows happening, including a homecoming show for a couple of favorite former St. Louisans; a tour stop from from one of the more distinctive all-instrumental bands touring today; a concert featuring three hometown groups on one bill, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, July 3
Back in St. Louis for a visit, singer Mardra Thomas and keyboardist Reggie Thomas will present a free concert for the Whitaker Music Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden.

Also on Wednesday, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will duet at Scarlett's Wine Bar; and Miss Jubilee performs at Schlafly Bottleworks.

Thursday, July 4
While some local venues will be closed for the Independence Day holiday (for example, Jazz St. Louis will be dark the entire weekend),  if you're in the mood for some live music after or instead of fireworks, singer Cheri Evans and CEEJazzSoul will be performing at the Chase Club.

Friday, July 5
Funky Butt Brass Band plays at the Broadway Oyster Bar: pianist and singer Jesse Gannon returns to The Dark Room; bassist Darrell Mixon leads a trio at Cigar Inn; and drummer Dhoruba Shakur continues his twice-monthly Friday residency at Sophie's Artist Lounge and Cocktail Club.

Saturday, July 6
The Bosman Twins, the Coleman Hughes Project (pictured, bottom left) and keyboardist Mark Harris II will join forces for a "Jazz Triple Play" at the Grandel Theatre.

Also on Saturday, the Triplets of Grubville play vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at Evangeline's; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham performs (in a non-smoking show) at Gauge Cigar Club (fka Troy's Jazz Gallery and The Gallery by Troy).

Sunday, July 7
Dizzy Atmosphere plays for brunch at The Dark Room, while pianist Adam Maness is at Thurman's in Shaw. Then on Sunday evening, the Jazz Troubadours will play their monthly gig at Evangeline's

Monday, July 8
The Gaslight Squares play a free concert at the historic Hawken House in Webster Groves.

Tuesday, July 9
Saxophones-and-drums trio Moon Hooch (pictured, top left) returns to Old Rock House. Offering danceable grooves with instrumentation that could just as easily be found on an avant-jazz session, they've been touring as relentlessly as ever since their last appearance here in 2018. For a look at some recent shows on video, check out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Tuesday, multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris performs in 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.)

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.)

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: Grand Marquis, Anita Jackson, a tribute to Louis Armstrong, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a tribute to Louis Armstrong, a couple of summer concert series coming to a close for the year, jump blues from Kansas City, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, July 25
Trumpeter and vocalist Dawn Weber and her Electro Funk Assembly play a free concert to wrap up this summer's Whitaker Music Festival at Missouri Botanical Garden.

Also on Wednesday, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black perform at SqWires Restaurant & Annex; and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features Feyza Eren at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at the Dark Room.

Thursday, July 26
Kansas City jump-blues band Grand Marquis (pictured, top left) returns to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups; and saxophonist Kendrick Smith leads a quartet in a free concert for Jazz at Holmes' summer series at Washington University, 63105

Also on Thursday, saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet performs at The Dark Room, and singer Erin Bode will be the special guest of the Alton Municipal Band for a free concert at Riverview Park. (The same program also will be presented Sunday at Alton's Haskell Park.)

Friday, July 27
Singer Anita Jackson (pictured, bottom left) performs for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis, and trumpeter Randy Holmes leads a sextet in the first of two nights of a "Louis Armstrong Festival" at the Ozark Theatre.

Saturday, July 28
Miss Jubilee presents a free outdoor concert at Eckert's in Belleville; the Dave Stone Trio is back at Thurman's in Shaw; and keyboardist Mo Egeston holds down the late night slot at The Dark Room.

Sunday, July 29
Guitarist Tom Byrne and singer Kim Fuller perform for brunch at The Dark Room; saxophonist Tim Cunningham plays on the patio at Mount Pleasant Estates in Augusta; and the Folk School of KDHX presents their monthly traditional jazz jam session.

Monday, July 30
Singers Chuck Flowers and Tambra Cross lead a tribute to 1970s funk in a free concert at Heman Park in U City.

Tuesday, July 31
"Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective return to BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups

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

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

Jazz this week: Funky Butt Brass Band, Erika Johnson sings the Stones, Jazz at Holmes summer series begins, and more

As often happens around major holidays, there's not much happening this week in the way of touring jazz and creative musicians visiting St. Louis, so it's up to our hometown performers to take up the slack.

Here are a few shows you may want to check out...

Wednesday, July 4
The Funky Butt Brass Band playing a free concert for the Missouri Botanical Garden's Whitaker Music Festival,

There's no Grand Center Jazz Crawl this week, as all the participating venues will be closed for Independence Day, and other local establishments that usually feature live music on Wednesdays may be following suit. Best to call ahead if you're planning on going out.

Thursday, July 5
The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University kicks off their "Jazz in July" series with a free concert from trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band; and bassist Chano Cruz leads a trio at The Dark Room.

Friday, July 6
Singer Erika Johnson (pictured) returns to Jazz St. Louis for the first of two nights performing music made famous by the Rolling Stones; and Dizzy Atmosphere will play a free concert before the Old Orchard Gazebo Music & Movie Series screens Alfred Hitchcock's film Charade, starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant.

Saturday, July 7
The Coleman Hughes Project plays a free afternoon concert at Heman Park in U City; and saxophonist Dave Stone's trio is back at Thurman's in Shaw.

Sunday, July 8
The Bonbon Plot plays for brunch at The Dark Room, and trumpeter/banjoist TJ Muller's Arcadia Dance Orchestra will present a matinee at the Ozark Theatre/Webster Groves Concert Hall.

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: Diana Krall, Norman Brown, Charlie Halloran, Bosman Twins, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features the first appearance here by a major crossover star after a long absence; a benefit featuring star of smooth jazz guitar; some homecoming shows from an expat-made-good; plus noteworthy gigs from a number of local performers. Let's go to the highlights... 

Wednesday, June 13
Trombonist Charlie Halloran, back home from New Orleans for a visit, will be the featured performer at this week's free Whitaker Music Festival concert at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Also on Wednesday, the "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" will include drummer Alberto Patiño at The Stage at KDHX, the jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at The Dark Room.

Thursday, June 14
If you missed Charlie Halloran on Wednesday, there's another chance to catch him Thursday night at Joe's Cafe & Gallery.

Also on Thursday, pianist Adam Maness' trio is at Thurman's in Shaw; guitarist Dave Black will be joined by singer Kittie Moeller and keyboardist Vince Golomski of the group Fanfare at The Pat Connolly Tavern; and saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet is back at The Dark Room

Friday, June 15
Singer and pianist Diana Krall returns to St. Louis for the first time in nearly five years for a concert Peabody Opera House.

Krall (pictured, top left) currently is on the third North American leg of an extended tour promoting her 2017 album Turn Up The Quiet. For more about that, and some videos of live performances of material from the album, see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, The Bosman Twins (pictured, bottom left) begin a six-show run at Jazz St. Louis, with two sets on Friday and Saturday nights, plus a matinee and an early-evening show for Father's Day on Sunday; and guitarist and singer Norman Brown performs at the Sheldon Concert Hall in a benefit for the Eta Boule Foundation, with support from St. Louis' own Denise Thimes and Tim Cunningham.

Elsewhere around town, trumpeter Jim Manley and band will perform at Evangeline's, and Second Generation Swing plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, June 16
Singer Danita Mumphard performs at the Webster Groves Concert Hall (aka Ozark Theatre); and guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran returns to Das Bevo

Sunday, June 17
Troy's Jazz Gallery presents "Mo' Better & Beyond," a Father's Day show featuring saxophonist Kendrick Smith and trumpeter Danny Campbell.

Monday, June 18
Jim Manley continues his residency at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, June 19
Bassist and singer Tonina Saputo and her quartet will host "The Tuesday Night Hit" 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.)

Whitaker Music Festival announces 2018 schedule

The Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden has announced their schedule for 2018.

The free concert series, presented Wednesday nights at the Garden from late May through the end of July, seems to be recalling its roots as "Jazz in June" a bit with this year's schedule. It features more jazz (or at least jazz-adjacent) performers than it has in the recent past, starting with multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris (pictured) on Wednesday, June 6.

Other concerts that may be of particular interest to StLJN readers include trombonist Charlie Halloran (June 13), Acoustik Element (June 27), Funky Butt Brass Band (July 4), and trumpeter and singer Dawn Weber and the Electro Funk Assembly (July 25).

The series kicks off on Wednesday, May 23 with a show by soul singer Gene Jackson, and also will include performances by rock/Americana acts Brothers Lazaroff (May 30) and John Henry (June 20), blues guitarist Ivas John (July 11), and Al Holliday and The East Side Rhythm Band (July 18).

The Whitaker Music Festival shows start at 7:00 p.m., and all concerts are free and open to the public.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden has announced its schedule for 2017, with ten free concerts in total, including performances from the trad jazz band Gaslight Squares on Wednesday, June 14 and pianist Ptah Williams on Wednesday, July 12.

* Kneebody keyboardist Adam Benjamin was interviewed for a brief article by St. Louis magazine's Erin Williams. The group continues their run at Jazz at the Bistro through Saturday night.

* Riverbend Restaurant and Bar, the Richmond Heights spot that featured live jazz from trumpeter Jim Manley every Tuesday night alongside its creole and Cajun cuisine, has closed permanently.

* An album of pictures from percussionist Poncho Sanchez' shows last week at Jazz at the Bistro has been posted to Facebook by St. Louis trombonist Dave Dickey, who's friends with Sanchez and several members of his group and sat in with them at the Bistro.

* Electronic musician Nathan Cook (aka NNN Cook) was interviewed about his Rhizomatic series of recordings featuring St. Louis experimental musicians by Willis Ryder Arnold of St. Louis Public Radio.

* The website St. Louis Musicians Unite has a short feature about this weekend's events celebrating composer Scott Joplin, and also has put together a Spotify playlist collecting recordings by St. Louis jazz musicians.

* Trumpeter and St. Louis native Ally Hany has won second place in the jazz division of the 2017 National Trumpet Competition, held earlier this month at Metropolitan State University in Denver, CO. Hany, a graduate of Webster Groves High School and University of North Texas, currently is living in NYC, working on a master's degree at Manhattan School of Music and performing with ensembles including the MSM Jazz Orchestra and Sherrie Maricle and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra.

* Pianist Makini Morrison, a senior at University City High School, is one of 17 finalists in the Fox Performing Arts Charitable Foundation's 2017 St. Louis Teen Talent Competition. Morrison (pictured) has been part of Jazz St. Louis' JazzU program and also has played with the North County Big Band. The competition finals will take place Saturday, April 8 at the Fox Theatre.

* Jack Snelling, a senior at Webster Groves High School, has won first place in the high school jazz division of the Mizzou New Music Initiative's 2017 Creating Original Music Project (COMP), a statewide competition for Missouri student composers in grades K-12. Snelling's winning work "Lovesick" will be performed along with this year's other winning compositions as part of the COMP Festival on Saturday, April 15 on the University of Missouri campus in Columbia.

* Worship Jazz, the St. Louis-based publisher of jazz arrangements of sacred music, has added a collection of 12 "jazz liturgies" to the five volumes of jazz hymns already in their catalog. The liturgical resources are "intended to help church musicians create their own jazz worship services, with each focused on a specific liturgical theme with a complete worship format."

* The Wildey Theatre in Edwardsville is looking for a new production manager. If you're interested, you can find more information about the job and how to apply at http://www.cityofedwardsville.com/.

Whitaker Music Festival announces schedule for 2016 concert series

Expressed as a percentage of the whole, there's a 40% chance of jazz at this summer's Whitaker Music Festival.

Put another way, the lineup announced Monday for the 2016 edition of the free summer concert series presented Wednesday nights at Missouri Botanical Garden will feature four performers of particular interest to jazz fans among ten weeks of shows.

Specifically, singer Feyza Eren (pictured) will kick off this year's series with a concert on Wednesday, June 1, with additional jazz performances to follow by pianist Ptah Williams (July 13); singer Erin Bode, who will have a new album out this summer (July 20); and singer Joe Mancuso, who's doing the series' final show of the year on August 3 to make up for a 2015 date cancelled due to inclement weather.

Other performers for this year's Whitaker Music Festival will include the Steve Ewing Band (June 8), Clusterpuck (June 15), The Grooveliner (June 22), Saint Louis Social Club (June 29), Jay Farrar (July 6), and the Cree Rider Family Band (July 27).

All Whitaker Music Festival concerts are free and open to the public, and begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Cohen Amphitheater at Missouri Botanical Garden. For more information, visit the series' website or call 314-577-5100.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Multi-instrumentalist and composer Marty Ehrlich was on NPR's "Fresh Air" this week to talk about Trumpet In The Morning, his new album of orchestral music (pictured).

* Drummer Dave Weckl will take off in May to the Great White North, where he'll do a series of daylong drum clinics in Halifax, Nova Scotia; Laval, Quebec; Toronto, Ontario; Edmonton, Alberta; and Vancouver, British Columbia.

* Two local music festivals announced their schedules this week, each with what can only be described as a token presence for jazz. Pianist Peter Martin will kick off the 2014 Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden with a free concert on Wednesday, June 4. However, the rest of the schedule for the series that began years ago as "Jazz in June" is sadly bereft of the genre, unless you count Irish singer-guitarist Nigel Mooney, whose website seems to suggest that he's a blues performer with jazz influences. (With regard to the notion of bringing an Irishman to St. Louis to play the blues, you can insert your own "coals to Newcastle" reference as you see fit.)

* Meanwhile, the Bluesweek festival, subject of much recent controversy stemming from organizers' decision to leave the streets of downtown for the Chesterfield Amphitheater, will take place Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25 with Otis Clay and Ronnie Baker Brooks as headliners, plus a number of ad hoc combinations of St. Louis blues players and singers as support acts. The jazz content for 2014 will be supplied by funk/jazz quartet Good 4 The Soul, who will perform on Saturday afternoon with singer Denise Thimes and saxophonist Jim Stevens as special guests.

* The list of special releases for Record Store Day 2014 is out, and while rock continues to predominate, there will be new and reissued records this year in a variety of genres including jazz, as well as one item of particular local interest: Donny Hathaway Live At The Bitter End 1971, a live show by the singer, songwriter, keyboardist and former St. Louisan that has never been issued before on vinyl.

* Speaking of records, the Miles Davis news this week is all about the promotional push for the release of the trumpeter's latest posthumous box set, Miles Davis at the Fillmore 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3. Fans can listen to an online stream of three of the Fillmore CDs via an app on on Davis' Facebook page, and iTunes has launched a curated Miles Davis artist page, including albums mastered specially for iTunes plus videos, books and more. New articles about Davis in Esquire and SPIN also feature online streams of sample cuts from the box set.

* And speaking of Davis, the latest blog entry from The Bad Plus' Ethan Iverson gets historical to take issue with a biographer who suggests that Miles had a strained relationship with Louis Armstrong.

*Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' "Somethin' Else," host Calvin Wilson will spin jazz interpretations of the songs of Jimmy Van Heusen by artists including singer-trumpeter Chet Baker, saxophonist Lee Konitz, singer Rickie Lee Jones, and more.

After that, there's a new episode of The Jazz Collective, in which host Jason Church will spin music from Boney James, Nick Colionne, U-Nam, Oscar Peterson, Ramsey Lewis, John Klemmer, Bob James, Tim Cunningham, Jesse Gannon, Tommy Halloran and Dawn Weber.

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

Last but not least, though we don't have a playlist for the whole show, singer Joe Mancuso tells StLJN that music from his debut release Cut to the Chase will air on an upcoming episode of "Jazz Unlimited," which can be heard at 9:00 p.m. Sundays on KWMU (90.7 FM) and online at http://www.stlpublicradio.org/listen.php.

Jazz this week: Erik Jekabsen, "Music for Mutts," Tim Cunningham, free outdoor concerts, and more

Looks like we're in for some steamy weather in St. Louis for the next few days, but fortunately there will be ample opportunities to cool out with some live jazz and creative music, both indoors and outdoors. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, there are two free outdoor shows of interest, as Good 4 The Soul plays a free concert at O'Fallon Park while the Willie Akins/Montez Coleman group performs for the Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Also tonight, trumpeter Delano Redmond starts a new recurring Wednesday night gig at the Premier Lounge, and Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly open mic night at Tavern of Fine Arts.

Tomorrow night, trumpeter Erik Jekabsen (pictured), with a band that will include Kansas City saxophonist Matt Otto, will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; and Miss Jubilee performs for a free outdoor event at St Peters City Centre Amphitheater.

On Friday, there are plenty of choices for the discerning listener, starting with the return of saxophonist Tim Cunningham for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro. Elsewhere around town, mandolinist Knez Jakovac leads a quartet in a concert at the Lemp Grand Hall, 1817 Cherokee (at Lemp); Feyza Eren performs at the Wine Press; Danita Mumphard sings at Jazz on Broadway; and the St. Louis Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Also on Friday, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis presents "Chromaconditional," a multi-media performance featuring Kevin Harris, Mike Murphy, Adrian McBride, and Jeremy Kannapell, who will "use special sensors to connect the motion and colors of a gigantic video projection to sound patterns, creating a musical soundscape that will fill CAM’s Performance Space."

On Saturday, "Music for Mutts," a benefit for four local animal rescue organizations, will feature music from the cabaret quartet Women Under the Influence, singer Christy Strickland, Miss Jubilee, and more. Proceeds from the event, which will be held at The Chapel, 6238 Alexander Dr in Clayton, go to Act Now Rescue, Gateway Pet Guardians, Operation Spot and Pound Pals.

Also on Saturday, guitarist Randy Bahr and flute player/singer Margaret Bianchetta will perform at One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar, and drummer Robbie Tucker leads a quartet at Robbie's House of Jazz.

On Sunday, trumpeter Jim Manley continues his long-running brunch gig at Jimmy's Cafe on the Park, while singer-guitarist Tommy Halloran and his band Guerilla Swing will entertain the brunch crowd at The Rustic Goat.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday Clave Sol plays Latin jazz at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

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

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

Jazz this week: Rick Haydon Quartet, Terence Blanchard, ragtime at Scott Joplin's house, Oikos Ensemble, and more

If you're looking to get out hear some live jazz in St. Louis, there's there's plenty of local music on tap over the weekend, with some new weekly gigs getting underway, plus some visiting players coming to town to play free concerts next week. Let's go to the highlights:

Tonight, singer Joe Mancuso and his band begin a new weekly Thursday gig at Cafe Eau in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel, and Miss Jubilee performs downtown at Thaxton Speakeasy.

On Friday, guitarist Rick Haydon will take the stage for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro. Haydon, who plays a seven-string guitar not unlike those used by Bucky and John Pizzarelli, is a longtime member of the jazz faculty at SIUE, and just wrapped up his first year heading the jazz studies program there. He'll be backed at the Bistro by Kara Baldus Vandiver on keyboards, Roger Guth on drums and Jim Mayer on bass.

Also Friday, the Funky Butt Brass Band is doing a free outdoor show for the annual Art & Air Festival, held on the grounds of Eden Seminary in Webster Groves; Lindy Hop St. Louis presents their monthly West End Stomp swing dance at the Mahler Ballroom, with music from The Sidemen; and the Ambassadors of Swing will play for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom.

On Saturday, saxophonist Willie Akins and his quartet will bring Akins' long-running Saturday matinee to a new location, the Cigar Inn in Belleville. As longtime local jazz fans know, Akins played Saturdays at the now-defunct Spruill's for many years before the venue closed last year. Since then, he's tried several different venues for the gig before landing now at Cigar Inn, which is going smoke-free for Akins' performances.

Then on Saturday night, guitarist Randy Bahr and pianist Carolbeth True will duet at One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar; Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes are at Thurman Grill; and singer-guitarist Tommy Halloran plays at Robbie's House of Jazz.

On Sunday, singer Danita Mumphard teams up with saxophonist Rev. Cliff Aerie and the Oikos Ensemble for another concert in the "Inner Jazz' series at Kirkwood United Church of Christ.

Also on Sunday, trumpeter Delano Redmond, who spends his work weeks directing the acclaimed jazz band program at East St. Louis High School, is stepping out front to lead a quartet in a new weekly gig at Troy's Jazz Gallery. UPDATE - 8:30 p.m., 6/6/13: A few minutes after this post went up, Redmond posted on Twitter that there's no show this week, and the new Sunday gig now will commence on June 16. More as we get it...

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band will return to BB's Jazz Blues and Soups.

Then on Tuesday, the "Election Tour for A Stranger America," a politically themed music and performance piece by Jeffrey Young and Paul Pinto, comes to the Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center. LNAC's Marc Sarich and the Dave Stone Trio also are on the bill; for more, see this post.

On Wednesday, the Friends of Scott Joplin and the Scott Joplin State Historic Site will present a free ragtime concert at the Joplin site, 2658 Delmar at Beaumont. The late-afternoon event will feature pianists Andrew Barrett, Max Keenlyside, John Reed-Torres, William McNally and more.

Then on Wednesday evening, trumpeter Terence Blanchard (pictured), who will be in town for the premiere next week of his opera Champion at Opera Theatre St. Louis, will play a free concert for the Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden. He'll follow up that up on Thursday with another free show for the Whitaker Urban Evenings series at St. Louis Place Park.

Given that local audiences have repeatedly paid good money to hear the New Orleans native perform here at the Bistro, The Sheldon and elsewhere, these two shows definitely qualify as the best deals of the week. For more about Blanchard and some samples of his music, see this post from last Saturday.

And if that weren't enough, there's also a new weekly gig happening on Wednesdays, as bassist Willem von Hombracht and his New St. Louis Jazz X-Tet will be holding forth at midweek until further notice at the aforementioned Cafe Eau at the Chase Park Plaza.

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: A Terence Blanchard sampler

This week, let's take another look at trumpeter Terence Blanchard, who's been in and out of St. Louis a lot over the last year. That's because he's been working with Opera Theatre St. Louis on Champion, a new opera he composed that will receive its world premiere at OTSL with six performances taking place between June 15 and June 30.

In the week before the first performance of Champion, Blanchard also will play two free outdoor jazz concerts here in St. Louis, on Wednesday, June 12 for the Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden, and on Thursday, June 13 at St. Louis Place Park.

The New Orleans native already is quite familiar with our town, as he's visited here several times in the last few years to play at the Sheldon Concert Hall and Jazz at the Bistro. Most recently, in 2012 he turned up with percussionist Poncho Sanchez' band in April at the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, and returned in September to play the Bistro again with his own quintet. And even if you haven't seen him play live, you may have heard some some of Blanchard's music anyway, since he has scored many feature films for director Spike Lee.

Since Blanchard was the subject of a previous video showcase post here back in 2009, today we'll concentrate mostly on recent developments, such as the release this past week of Magnetic, Blanchard's latest album for Blue Note Records. The first video up above is from the electronic press kit for Magnetic, and offers a brief behind-the-scenes peek at the making of the album.

Down below, there are three clips of Blanchard performing with his quintet, which currently features Brice Winston (tenor sax), Fabian Almazan (piano), Joshua Crumbly (bass) and Kendrick Scott (drums). First, there's Blanchard's take on the NOLA standard "When The Saints Go Marching In," recorded last year for radio station WNYC. That's followed by an extended excerpt from Blanchard's performance at this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and an undated version of a number called "Four Whole."

Below that, there's a taste of Blanchard's collaboration with Sanchez, a version of the bop standard "Groovin' High" recorded in September 2011 at Amoeba Music in Hollywood. The final clip is an extended video interview with Blanchard, recorded last year at Loyola University in New Orleans.

For more about Magnetic, check out these reviews from the Los Angeles Times' Chris Barton, iRockJazz.com, and New Orleans' Offbeat magazine.

Whitaker Music Festival announces 2013 schedule of free summer concerts

The Whitaker Music Festival has announced their 2013 schedule of free concerts to be presented on Wednesdays this summer at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Although over the years the series has expanded from its origins as "Jazz in June" to include various other musical genres, this year's schedule does feature several acts that will be of interest to local jazz listeners, most notably trumpeter Terence Blanchard (pictured), who will perform on Wednesday, June 12.

The New Orleans native, who's played here in recent years at Jazz at the Bistro and The Sheldon, will return to St. Louis for an extended visit this year as Opera Theatre St. Louis prepares for the world premiere of his new commissioned work Champion, which opens on June 15.

Also playing at the Botanical Garden this year will be the Funky Butt Brass Band, who will kick off this year's Whitaker Music Festival series on Wednesday, June 5; the Montez Coleman/Willie Akins Project (July 17); and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes (July 24).

The remainder of the schedule will include blues singer Kim Massie (June 19); rock band Ransom Note (June 26); singer-songwriter Beth Bombara (July 3); Kansas City "antique pop" duo Victor & Penny (July 10); blues singer and harmonica player Big George Brock (July 31); and "greasy bayou blues rock" band The Scandaleros (August 7).

All Whitaker Music Festival concerts are free and open to the public, and begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Cohen Amphitheater at Missouri Botanical Garden. For more information, visit the series' website or call 314-577-5100.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: A Hamiet Bluiett sampler

This week, we focus our video spotlight on baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett, who will be performing a rare local date next Wednesday June 27 at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The free outdoor concert, part of the Garden's Whitaker Music Festival, will feature Bluiett fronting an all-star band including pianist D.D. Jackson, bassist William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake.

Considered the preeminent baritone sax player of his generation, and one of the best in the entire history of jazz, Bluiett has played occasional gigs in St. Louis since moving back to his hometown of Brooklyn, IL in 2002. But this one should be particularly special, though, both for the quality of musicians accompanying him, and simply because it's a big, outdoor show featuring the sort of adventurous sounds often relegated to small and/or obscure venues.

StLJN has featured Bluiett a couple of times before in this space; for today's installment, we've got a whole new bunch of performance clips that serve to demonstrate his considerable skills as a soloist. We get started up top with an improvised Bluiett solo from a performance in November, 2009 in Mt. Ranier, MD. Down below, you can see a duo piece from the same show featuring the saxophonist and his frequent collaborator Kahil El'Zabar on drums.

Below that, there are three seldom-seen clips featuring Bluiett and the great drummer Ed Blackwell, a New Orleans native known for his work with Ornette Coleman, Old and New Dreams, and others. Taped on Valentine's Day 1987 at an NYC venue called Jazz Track, the clips are rough in terms of audio/video quality, but the quality of the music and the energy flowing from the two musicians makes them all worth watching. Although the performance clearly is improvised, you'll hear bits of familiar tunes, as in the start of the second clip, which features John Coltrane's composition "Cousin Mary." Also, dig Bluiett's entrance from the wings in the first clip, a nicely executed bit of showmanship and swagger.

The sixth video is from Bluiett's performance at the 2008 Vision Fest in NYC. The group was billed as "Bio-Electric," and features the late violinist Billy Bang (another frequent collaborator of Bluiett's), bassist Harrison Bankhead, and drummer Hamid Drake (plus a trumpeter and pianist who were unidentified in the notes for the clip, but look awfully familiar). The song is the Billy Strayhorn composition "Take The 'A' Train," and while most of the band plays it straight, Bluiett just kind of explodes all over the track, splattering notes and upper-register shrieks in a way that suggests something a bit more exciting that a simple subway ride.

The seventh and final clip was recorded earlier this year at a concert at the Jefferson Center in Roanoake, VA paying tribute to the late pianist Don Pullen, who grew up in that area. Pullen and Bluiett worked together in Charles Mingus' band in the early 1970s, and remained friends and musical collaborators until the pianist's death in 1995. The clip shows Bluiett and an all-star band - saxophonist James Carter, pianist Jason Moran, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Nasheet Waits - performing a composition identified as Pullen's "1529 Gunn Street." Bluiett's solo starts at about the 4:45 mark.

For more about Hamiet Bluiett, check out this profile on him that ran in 2008 on the KETC program Living St. Louis, and this 2011 feature story about him, written by St. Louis magazine's Stef Russell.

Jazz this week: Charlie Hunter, Hamiet Bluiett, "Cool Like That: A Tribute to Miles Davis," and more

It's the first official week of summer, and there are plenty of jazz-related events coming up in and around St. Louis over the next seven days. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, the inaugural St Lou Fringe Festival opens with an evening of performances that will include the first of four stagings of Cool Like That: A Tribute to Miles Davis, an event that incorporates spoken word, music, and dance to pay tribute to the legendary trumpeter.

Also tonight, there's another jazz-meets-theater experience in the offing as Stages St. Louis' production of the Fats Waller musical Ain't Misbehavin' continues through the weekend (and on until the end of the month). Other gigs tonight include saxophonist Jim Stevens playing an early set at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups; and singer Tony Viviano performing at Fortel's, 15483 Clayton Rd. in Ballwin.

On Friday, guitarist Charlie Hunter returns to St. Louis to open a two-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro. Known for his distinctive technique that lets him play melody, chords and basslines all at once, Hunter will be performing in a duo with drummer Scott Amendola. For more about Hunter, and lots of video footage of him in action, check out this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, singer Erin Bode plays a free outdoor concert sponsored by Ferguson CityWalk at the Plaza at 501, 501 S. Florissant Rd; trumpeter Jim Manley brings a quartet to Robbie's House of Jazz; guitarist Dave Black will lead a trio at Cigar Inn; and singer Anita Jackson will perform at Jazz on Broadway.

On Saturday afternoon, Hunter will present a master class at City Music; see the link for enrollment details.

Then on Saturday night, there are a couple more free outdoor events on tap, as the Gateway City Big Band plays a free concert at Kirkwood Amphitheater; and the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis will present a free screening of the 1967 Jacques Tati film Play Time with live musical accompaniment from guitarist Curt Brewer, bassist Ben Wheeler, and drummer Marty Morrison.

Also on Saturday, Robbie's will feature a tribute to Billie Holiday from singer Sarah Jane Ulrich and saxophonist Jerry Greene.

On Sunday, the Saint Louis Jazz Club presents the Funky Butt Brass Band in a matinee concert at the Doubletree Hotel at Westport. When that winds down, you should have enough time to get over to the Kirkwood Station Brewing Company, where the Dave Dickey Big Band will be playing their monthly show, joined this time by special guest trumpeter Roger Ingram.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday drummer Rob Silverman (of Bach to the Future) and his band will play a free concert at Heman Park in University City, and on Tuesday (see update below), the Tavern of Fine Arts presents their monthly "Avant Garde Arts Night" featuring improvised live music. UPDATE, 11:30 p.m., 6/25/12: The Tavern of Fine Arts' "Avant Garde Arts Night" now has been moved from the fourth Tuesday to the the fourth Thursday of every month, starting this week.

Last, but by no means least, next Wednesday night the great baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett (pictured) will perform a free outdoor concert as part of the Whitaker Music Festival series at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Bluiett's local gigs are rare enough that any one of them can be considered an occasion, but this one should be particularly special, as he'll be leading an all-star band that is scheduled to include pianist D.D. Jackson, bassist William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake.

Bluiett remains one of the most influential and important modern players on his chosen instrument, and with three such distinguished and experienced collaborators, the sparks really ought to be flying on Wednesday night. If you've heard Bluiett play before, you're likely already making plans to be there. If you haven't heard him, this is your chance to check out a truly world-class musician and St. Louis legend for free, and you definitely should take advantage of the opportunity.

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.)

2012 Whitaker Music Festival downplays jazz for multiple musical genres

The Whitaker Music Festival, the series of free concerts held on Wednesday nights during the summer at the Missouri Botanical Garden, has announced its schedule for 2012, and more than ever, this year's lineup downplays the series' jazz origins in favor a sampling of multiple genres.

The unquestioned highlight for local jazz fans will be the performance by the great baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett (pictured) on Wednesday, June 27. Certainly, giving Bluiett a chance to do his thing in front of thousands on a big outdoor stage is a praiseworthy endeavor, but other than that, and a show by jump-blues and swing band Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers on Wednesday, June 13, there's little else this year of specific interest to jazz enthusiasts.

The series will kick off on Wednesday, May 30 with blues singer/guitarist Marquise Knox. The rest of the lineup includes singer/guitarist Vince Martin, who's rooted in blues but now plays pop, Motown, oldies, and more (June 6); the trad-country band Rockhouse Ramblers (June 20); the Air National Guard Band of the Central States (July 4); alt-rock group Ryan Spearman Band (July 11); neo-soul singer Teresa Jenee; (July 18) and reggae group Aaron Kamm and the One Drops (July 25)

All Whitaker Music Series concerts are free and open to the public, and begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Cohen Amphitheater at Missouri Botanical Garden. For more information, visit the series' website or call 314-577-5100.

(Edited 6/14/12 to correct the date of the Hamiet Bluiett concert.)

Whitaker Music Festival announces 2011 schedule

The Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden has announced the schedule of performers for its 2011 season. The annual summer series of Wednesday night concerts kicks off on June 1, and though this year's schedule doesn't feature any straightahead jazz shows, there are a few performers who may be of interest to jazz fans.

Of particular note is Irish singer-guitarist Nigel Mooney (pictured), who's being touted as "the first international act to take the Whitaker Music Festival stage" and "widely regarded as Ireland’s leading jazz singer and guitarist." Mooney will perform on Wednesday, June 29, and you can see him singing "Hard Times" in the video embedded at the bottom of this post. He sounds pretty good, though bringing an Irish guy to St. Louis to play blues and jazz definitely could be thought of as a musical "coals-to-Newcastle" kind of deal.

At any rate, here's the complete 2011 Whitaker Music Festival schedule:

June 1: Gumbohead
June 8: Teddy Presberg
June 15: Hudson and the Hoodoo Cats
June 22: Jenny Kavanaugh Band
June 29: Nigel Mooney
July 6: Marquise Knox
July 13: Western Satellites
July 20: Billy Peek
July 27: Erin Bode
August 3: Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three

The Whitaker Music Festival concerts are held outdoors on the lawn of the Cohen Amphitheater, just west of the Climatron dome. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets, and are welcome to bring their own picnic baskets or coolers or to purchase food and beverages on site. Admission to the Garden is free on Wednesdays after 5:00 p.m., with music beginning at 7:30 p.m.

For more information, visit the Garden's website or call the recorded hotline at 314-577-9400. In the event of inclement weather, In the event of inclement weather, check the Garden’s website, Twitter feed or Facebook page for immediate concert updates.