Dave Pietro to present free master class this Thursday, June 14 at Saxquest

Saxophonist Dave Pietro (pictured) will present a free master class at 7:00 p.m. this Thursday, June 14 at Saxquest, 2114 Cherokee St.

Pietro has released six albums of his own as a leader, and has received composing grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and from Chamber Music America's New Works Program. He's also the former lead alto saxophonist for the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, spending nearly a decade with that band and recording six CDs with them.

A resident of NYC since 1987, Pietro earned his bachelor's degree in music education from North Texas State University and then a master's jazz composition from New York University, where he currently serves as assistant professor of jazz studies.

The Dave Pietro master class is free and open to the public.

Madeleine Peyroux to perform Sunday, May 20 at the Sheldon

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Madeleine Peyroux (pictured) will make her St. Louis debut in a performance at 7:30 p.m., Sunday May 20 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Noted for a vocal sound that's been compared frequently to Billie Holiday, Peyroux released her first record back in 1996, but didn't really gain widespread attention until her 2004 album Careless Love. She's put out three more albums since then, and over the course of her career has covered material associated with musicians ranging from Bessie Smith, Edith Piaf and Patsy Cline to Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. Her 2011 release Standing On The Rooftop generally was considered to be a move away from jazz and toward a rootsier, Americana-type sound.

Peyroux's concert is being presented by the Friends of the Sheldon as a benefit for the hall's educational programs, which reach more than 20,000 students each year. Patron tickets are on sale now at $125 and $75 and include preferred seating, a pre-concert wine and dessert reception, and a tax deduction; the $125 tickets also include complimentary parking. To purchase patron tickets, call The Sheldon at 314-533-9900. Single tickets will be $45 orchestra, $40 balcony and will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, April 21 via MetroTix.

Kickstarter rep to present "crowd funding" workshop on Monday, March 19 at RAC

A representative from Kickstarter, the website that bills itself as "the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects," is coming to St. Louis to headline a workshop on "crowd funding" for artists.

Stephanie Pereira, Kickstarter's director of art programs, will be the featured presenter at the event, which will take place at 7:00 p.m., Monday March 19 at the offices of the Regional Arts Commission (RAC), 6128 Delmar (across from the Pageant).

Founded in 2009, Kickstarter says they've helped launch more than 13,000 creative projects so far. For example, saxophonist and St. Louis native Eric Person recently used the site to raise money for his next recording project.

Pereira's presentation will include information on how to structure a project, what kind of rewards to offer supporters, and "other helpful tips and valuable stats." She'll be followed by a panel of three local artists who previously have used Kickstarter for their own projects.

The event is presented by RAC, Contemporary Museum St. Louis and St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts, and is free and open to the public.

(Edited after posting to add a link.)

Mike Stern to present free master class this Friday, November 19 at Graham Chapel

This just in from the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University: Guitarist Mike Stern (pictured) will give a free master class at 4:00 p.m. this Friday, November 19 at Graham Chapel on the Wash U. campus.

The event is sponsored by Jazz at Holmes and the Wash U. Department of Music, and it is free and open to the general public, with no ticket or advance registration needed.

Stern will perform Wednesday through Saturday of this week at Jazz at the Bistro, and was featured here on StLJN in this past Saturday's Video Showcase. The Post-Dispatch this weekend also had a story by Calvin Wilson previewing this week's gigs by Stern and fellow guitarist John McLaughlin, who's playing Friday at the Sheldon. You can read that article online here.

Jazz St. Louis announces educational residencies for 2010-11 season

Jazz St. Louis has announced the artists who will be coming to St. Louis for educational residencies during the 2010-2011 season.

The resident artists each come to St. Louis for a week, taking part in educational activities at schools all over the St. Louis area, including clinics, master classes, workshops, lectures, and in-school performances. They also work directly with smaller groups of students involved in Jazz St. Louis’ JazzU, Jazz St. Louis All-Stars and Adopt-a-School programs.

Gene Aitken will be the first resident artist/instructor of the season, coming to St. Louis from November 8 through November 12. Aitken is the former director of jazz studies for the award-winning program at the University of Northern Colorado. More recently, he served as director of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore, and he continues to be active in Southeast Asia, China, and the United States, working with students, teachers, ensembles, and administrators in both the wind ensemble and jazz areas.

Saxophonist Ronald Carter, the noted jazz educator and former band director for East St. Louis HS who now heads the jazz program at Northern Illinois University, will return to St. Louis for a residency March 7 through March 12, 2011. Carter's stint in St. Louis will include public performances on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12 at Jazz at the Bistro, backed by keyboardist Reggie Thomas and OGD.

Then from April 4 through April 9, pianist Cyrus Chestnut will team with special guest trumpeter Jon Faddis (pictured) for a weeklong residency. Both should know their way around town; Chestnut has been a frequent visitor to St. Louis in recent, performing most recently in April at the Sheldon Concert Hall, while Faddis was here for the 2009 Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival. Chestnut and Faddis will wrap up their week with public performances on Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9 at the Bistro.

Tickets for the Bistro performances featuring Carter, Chestnut and Faddis will be available through Metrotix and directly from Jazz St. Louis. For more information on JSL's residency program, go here.

Summer programs introduce kids to jazz

If we believe, as George Benson crooned so memorably back in the day, that "children are the future," then today's kids are tomorrow's audience for jazz. Two programs this summer in St. Louis are helping introduce area youngsters to their American musical heritage:

* Once again this year, the Sheldon Concert Hall and the St. Louis Cardinals' Cardinals Care Foundation are teaming up to treat local kids involved in the latter's "Redbird Rookies" program to a free taste of live jazz.

Multi-instrumentalist Jeff Anderson and his Quintet will perform for the assembled youngsters at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 23 and Thursday, June 24 at the Sheldon, playing music from Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and other jazz greats. The idea is to teach the students that "jazz, like baseball, requires practice, creative improvisation, teamwork and respect for diversity."

Each child will get a free copy of Play Ball - Great St. Louis Jazz, a CD produced by The Sheldon and Cardinals Care featuring St. Louis musicians including Brian Owens, Carolbeth True, Reggie and Mardra Thomas, Ptah Williams, Rick Haydon, Montez Coleman and more. The kids also will be invited to try out their skills as scat singers live on stage, and the Cardinals' costumed mascot Fredbird is slated to appear, too.

* Craft Alliance has scheduled a jazz-themed summer day camp,"Jazz It Up," for July 19 through July 23 at their Grand Center location in the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand Blvd. Campers will spend mornings at Craft Alliance creating jazz-inspired visual art, then head across the street for an afternoon of musical activities at Jazz St. Louis, learning about the the blues, improvisation, instrument making, songwriting and more. The week concludes with an art show and performance for campers' family and friends.

The "Jazz It Up" day camp is intended for kids ages 8 to 10, and tuition is $300 per child, $270 for Craft Family Members, plus a $30 charge for materials. To register or for more information, call 314-534-7528, ext. 302 or visit the Craft Alliance website.

Jazz St. Louis sets audition dates for All-Stars, JazzU

Jazz St. Louis has set the dates for student musicians to audition for next season's JazzU program and for the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars. Auditions for both programs will be held Monday, June 7 and Monday, June 14 at Jazz at the Bistro.

To be eligible to audition, applicants must be in middle or high school (grades 6-12) during the 2010-2011 school year. Acceptance into both programs is based on a live audition; students will be assigned an audition time once the required application materials have been submitted. Applicants will be notified in July, with weekly rehearsals beginning in the fall.

For All-Star audition information and application, go here. For JazzU audition information and application, go here.

The Sheldon, Cardinals Care teaching young baseball players about jazz

Once again this year the Sheldon Concert Hall and the St. Louis Cardinals' Cardinals Care charity are teaming up to teach a new generation of potential fans and players about the connections between two great American pastimes: jazz and baseball.

The two organizations are sponsoring free educational jazz concerts featuring the Jeff Anderson Quartet for kids participating in the "Redbird Rookies" program, starting at 7:00 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, June 24 and again at the same time tomorrow at the Sheldon, 3648 Washington Boulevard.

Kids attending the concerts will receive a free CD, Red Hot St. Louis Jazz, that features tracks recorded by local jazz musicians such as Willie Akins, Carolbeth True, Reggie and Mardra Thomas, Ptah Williams, Rick Haydon, Erin Bode, Kim Portnoy, Montez Coleman and more. A few lucky youngsters also will get the chance to try out their scat-singing skills live on stage with the band.

The "Redbird Rookies" program was started in 2004 to allow kids to play baseball free of charge; it provides donated equipment and uniforms as well training for volunteer coaches and parents that emphasizes the character-building aspects of sports.

Jazz St. Louis CD Listening Club to meet Tuesday, November 11

The second meeting of Jazz St. Louis' new CD Listening Club will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11 at Borders, 1519 S. Brentwood Blvd. Cordell Whitlock, reporter and weekend anchor for local NBC affiliate KSDK (Channel 5), will be the special guest and JSL executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford will serve as moderator as the club discusses John Coltrane's landmark album Giant Steps. The event is free and open to the public, and no advance reservations are required.

Jazz St. Louis presenting "Jazz 101" this Thursday, September 18

In my most recent post about Jazz St. Louis' various educational efforts, I neglected to mention that JSL will also be offering their "Jazz 101" program again this year. "Jazz 101" is an introduction to jazz aimed at adults who'd like to better understand the music, and is presented as a series of musical demonstrations and discussions.

JSL director of education Phil Dunlap and his band the Legacy Jazz Quintet will present this season's first "Jazz 101" program, "Understanding Swing," at 8:30 p.m. this Thursday, September 18 at Jazz at the Bistro. The cost is $10 per person; for more details, see this post on Dunlap's blog or call 314-289-3040.

Jazz St. Louis looking for school groups, student musicians to take part in educational programs

With the start of another school year, Jazz St. Louis' various education programs are getting underway, too:

* JSL is accepting applications for its JazzU program through this Friday, September 5. JazzU is "a series of weekly workshops geared towards middle and high school students who have a desire to become better jazz musicians. JazzU focuses heavily on the jazz language, improvisation, ensemble playing, feel, the blues and basic music theory concepts in order to get students to understand and internalize the fundamental concepts of jazz music."

Students will meet from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Mondays beginning September 22, 2008 at the Centene Center for Arts and Education. JazzU's main instructors are Jazz St. Louis director of education Phil Dunlap, a capable pianist, and music educator and trumpeter Anthony Wiggins, and students also will have the chance to learn from various visiting instructors and guest artists. JazzU is free of charge for the participating students, thanks to funding provided by the Trio Foundation. For more information, eligibility guidelines and an application form, visit the JazzU page at the Jazz St. Louis Web site.

* Jazz St. Louis is also looking for teachers or principals who would like to bring school groups to one of a series of free jazz performances in late October. JSL's 2008 youth concerts will feature the Metta Quintet, an NYC-based jazz group that has done lots of educational work on the East Coast through the not-for-profit organization JazzReach.

Their programs are said to be "entertaining and educational and actively engage students in an analysis of the cultural factors that have come together to make jazz such a compelling art form, the social conditions that shaped the music's development and the immense impact jazz has had on the evolution of our national identity."

The Metta Quintet will present two different programs aimed at middle school and high school students at St. Louis University High School's Joseph Schulte Theatre on Monday, October 27 and Tuesday, October 28. Two more programs geared to grade school-age kids will be presented at Steger Sixth Grade Center in Rock Hill on Wednesday, October 29 and Thursday, October 30. The concerts are free and open to any school interested in attending. For more information and a ticket request form, see this post on Phil Dunlap's blog.

* Last but not least, this year the JSL education department is offering a new service for local music educators called Jazz Rx. For what's described as "a nominal fee," JSL will supply professional jazz education clinicians to visit a school and conduct on-site big band clinics, rhythm section workshops, sectional rehearsals and master classes. For more information, call Phil Dunlap at 314-289-4033.

Band Director Academy still accepting applications

Speaking of Jazz St. Louis, it looks like they are still accepting applications for the Band Director Academy to be held July 17 - 19 on the SIU-Edwardsville campus. The BDA is presented by Jazz St. Louis, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville. From this week's JSL email:

"Enroll in this July's Band Director Academy to learn about Teaching Rhythm Section Techniques! BDA, led by jazz's foremost educators, is a three-day intensive professional development workshop emphasizing hands-on learning with concepts and techniques that can be applied immediately in the classroom!

For more information:
Visit: www.jalc.org/bda
Call: 212-258-9812
Email: bda@jalc.org"

The Sheldon, Cardinals Care team up to teach young baseball players about jazz music

Jazz music and major league baseball grew up together during the 20th century, and later this month the Sheldon Concert Hall and the St. Louis Cardinals' Cardinals Care charity will team up to teach a new generation of potential fans and players about the connections between the two.

The two organizations are sponsoring free educational jazz concerts featuring the Jeff Anderson Quartet that will be be presented to kids participating in the "Redbird Rookies" program at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 25 and Thursday, June 26 at the Sheldon, 3648 Washington Boulevard.

A news release sent out by the Sheldon says that the program will tell the story of jazz through the music of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and other greats, and also teach that jazz, like baseball, requires "practice, creative improvisation, teamwork and respect for diversity." Students attending the concerts also will receive a free CD, Red Hot St.Louis Jazz, that features tracks recorded by local jazz musicians such as Willie Akins, Carolbeth True, Reggie and Mardra Thomas, Ptah Williams, Rick Haydon, Erin Bode, Kim Portnoy, Montez Coleman and more.

The "Redbird Rookies" program was started in 2004 to allow kids to play baseball free of charge; it provides donated equipment and uniforms as well training for volunteer coaches and parents that emphasizes the character-building aspects of sports.

JazzU students playing at the Bistro on Monday, May 12

High school and middle school student musicians taking part in Jazz St. Louis' JazzU education program will get the chance to strut their stuff next Monday, May 12 when they give an end-of-semester performance at Jazz at the Bistro to demonstrate what they've learned over the past year.

Trumpeter and musical mentor Anthony Wiggins' young charges will take the Bistro's stage beginning at 6 p.m.. The event is free and open to the public, and the Bistro will be serving up pizza and soda to all. If you'd like to attend the JazzU student showcase, you must RSVP by Friday, May 9 by calling JSL director of education Phil Dunlap at 314-289-4033.

Jazz St. Louis, SIU-E to host band director academy in July

Jazz educators from all over the country will come to St. Louis this summer when Jazz St. Louis, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center present JALC's ninth annual Band Director Academy from July 17 to July 19. Academy events will take place on the SIU-E campus and at Jazz at the Bistro. For more information, check out JALC's Web site here.

In other education-related news from Jazz St. Louis, the winter/spring semester of the organization's JazzU student workshops will begin on Monday, January 21, and the program is accepting new students. For more information about JazzU, go here.

Last but not least, JSL has also set auditions for their Jazz St. Louis All-Stars student ensemble for Monday, May 19. Watch this space for further details as they become available.

Bluiett's IYO to debut December 30 at Union Avenue Christian Church

Via email, StLJN has been informed that the Improvising Youth Orchestra (IYO), directed by baritone saxophonist and composer Hamiet Bluiett, will have its debut performance at 3 p.m. Sunday, December 30 at Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union Avenue in the Central West End. No ticket price is specified, but donations will be accepted.

It's a rather terse email that, oddly, refers recipients seeking more info to Bluiett's Wikipedia page, rather than hamietbluiett.com. Odd, because the Wikipedia page makes no reference to IYO or, for that matter, anything since that's happened since 2002.

However, said message does seem legit, and also promises that more details will be forthcoming. In the meantime, I'd guess that IYO probably involves some of the teenage musicians that have appeared with Bluiett on gigs like his free concert this summer at Ivory Perry Park, such as drummer Zack Morrow and brothers Jo’el Williams on saxophone and Joshua Williams on trumpet. Whether or not Bluiett himself will be playing as part of the IYO show is, at this point, unknown, but either way, it's good to see him passing some of his knowledge on to a younger generation.

Jazz St. Louis education programs featured on KMOV Web site

Via Jazz St. Louis marketing director Adam Roach's blog: JSL's educational programs were the subject of a recent article on KMOV's Web site. You can read it here.

At the risk of setting off some sort of endless-loop conflagration of crosslinks that could potentially break the Internet, or possibly even rupture the entire space-time continuum, it should be noted that said blog entry also linked to my recent story for the RFT about singer/bassist Esperanza Spalding and her work with JSL's education efforts during her recent visit to St. Louis. Not only that, but Adam also added a link to StLJN and some nice words about this site, for which I say, "Thanks!"

Summer Institute teaches jazz as American culture

If you go to Jazz at the Bistro next month to hear Greg Osby, Red Holloway or Russell Malone, some of your fellow audience members may be there for more than just the music.

That's because checking out live performances at the Bistro is part of the curriculum for the 30 high school teachers who will be attending "Teaching Jazz As American Culture," the Summer Institute held July 2-27 by the Center for the Humanities at Washington University (with an assist from Jazz St. Louis). The teachers, who come from academic disciplines including English, history, social studies, art and music, will learn about jazz and how it can inspire new approaches to their own fields.

According to the news release from the University, the primary goal of the institute is to "show how, through the study of the social, cultural, technical and aesthetic history of a major American musical genre — jazz — they can rethink aspects of teaching history, literature, music, art and film while broadening students' understanding of the political, social and commercial impact that an artistic movement can have. Participants will develop lesson plans for their subject area using aspects of jazz."

The Institute is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, with Gerald L. Early, Ph.D., Washington University's Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters, serving as director. Early, who is a professor of English, of African & African American Studies and of American Culture Studies, has written extensively on jazz. He served as a consultant for Ken Burns' documentary series Jazz and contributed an essay to the companion book.