Storify: Jazz St. Louis opens new HQ

A look at the opening weekend of the new Harold and Dorothy Steward Center for Jazz...

Troy's Jazz Gallery "grand opening" set for October 25 - 27

The Central West End venue Troy's Jazz Gallery will hold a "grand opening" celebration this weekend featuring a Sunday night performance from a specially assembled band of local jazz performers.

The weekend also will serve as an extended birthday celebration for club owner Troy Williams, with keyboardist Matt Villinger's trio getting it started with a performance at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, October 25.

Next up are singers Mary Dyson and Diane Vaughn, who will reprise their "Ladies Sing The Bluezz" show with a 5:00 p.m. performance on Saturday, October 26. After Dyson and Vaughn, saxophonist Tim Cunningham (pictured) and his band will take the stage at 8:00 p.m.

The main event is Sunday, October 27. The group for that evening, dubbed "Troy's All-Star Jazz Ensemble," will feature drummer Montez Coleman, pianist Tony Suggs, guitarist Eric Slaughter and bassist Darell Mixon, along with guest performers including pianist Ptah Williams, saxophonist Kendrick Smith, trumpeter Delano Redmond and singer Denise Thimes. They'll play from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with tickets priced at $20 each.

The club first had its "soft opening" nearly 11 month ago. Williams, who formerly operated Filter and Troy's on the Park, says that the long interval between opening and "grand opening" wasn't necessarily planned that way, but he's happy with the result. "I'm glad I'm doing it like this, because I've learned a lot," he said.

As for future plans, Williams says he's re-booked Ptah Williams' trio for Thursday, October 30 - his actual birthday - with the "All-Star Jazz Ensemble" set to return (but without the special guests) on Sunday, November 3.

He said he hopes to bring back Dyson and Vaughn as a recurring act, probably twice a month, and also will presenting a series of "Jazz Sunday Funk' shows featuring Mixon, Slaughter and drummer Chuck Smothers. Finally, Williams said he wants to establish a recurring Saturday afternoon jam session in the near future, and is looking for a musician to serve as organizer and host.

More on two new jazz venues

Following up on last week's post about the new Central West End jazz venue Troy's Jazz Gallery, we can tell you now that more information was added over the weekend to the club's website.

Among the additions were an "About" page, a map that suggests patrons will have access to a gated parking lot across the street from the club, and a beverage menu with a long list of cocktails and coffee drinks named after jazz musicians. The venue will not offer food service; a note on the drinks page says "We suggest you eat before coming to the jazz gallery."

The band schedule shows live music booked five times a week. Wednesday will feature the Soul Thump Chronicles, with a trio led by bassist John King backing performances by local poets. Guitarist Eric Slaughter will be fronting a group on Thursdays, with vibraphonist Peter Schlamb on Fridays, Tommy Holland and Friends on Saturday afternoons, and saxophonist Willie Akins' quartet on Saturday nights.

According to the "reservations" page, cover charges will range from $5 to $10, depending on the night of the week, with a two-drink minimum and advance reservations required on weekend evenings.

As no dates are listed, it's not clear yet exactly when this schedule will begin. (I also checked the Facebook page for Troy's Jazz Gallery, but it hasn't been updated since last week.) Slaughter and guitarist Tom Byrne last week had announced they'd be playing a gig there last Thursday, then a day later announced that it was postponed until this Thursday, December 6. We'll be checking back to see if that comes off as planned, and as soon as more information becomes available, we'll have it for you here.

In related news, Voce, a bar, restaurant and live music venue located downtown at 212 N. Tucker (at Pine St) and described on its Facebook page as "jazz themed," will open this weekend.

The pertinent question here is, of course, what exactly is meant by "jazz themed"? A graphic elsewhere on the Facebook page says "Voce invites all styles of music and comedy," and the club's opening on Friday, December 7 will feature rock/pop acts Billy Schuh, Foxing, and The Breaks.

On the other hand, the handful of other bookings listed on the page include dates for singers Kim Massie on Saturday, December 15 and Erin Bode (pictured) on Saturday, December 29. Voce's website sheds no additional light, however, as it's mostly empty right now.

Suffice it to say then that the venue's policy with regard to musical genres to be featured seems a bit unclear at this point. Again, yr. humble editor will be looking into this further, with updates here as warranted.

New jazz venue opening in Central West End

A new venue for live jazz in St. Louis is opening in the Central West End.

Located at 4519 Olive - a bit east of Kingshighway, and not far from what once was Gaslight Square - Troy's Jazz Gallery is the latest venture from Troy Williams, who from 1999 to the early 2000s operated a live music spot near Lafayette Square called Troy's on the Park. After that, Williams ran the bar Filter, located in the CWE where the Tavern of Fine Arts is now, and later, a cafe called Breakfast Tools in the Lindenwood neighborhood.

This new spot apparently has been in the works for a while; the business name was registered with the state a year ago, and the website says "Coming Spring 2012." Whenever the official opening date, the location may present a challenge for the proprietor, since it's on a block that currently has few other bars, restaurants or retail stores to draw foot traffic to the area. The closest similar business looks to be the Wine Press, which is to the east at 4436 Olive and features live music several nights a week, so perhaps the two rooms will benefit from proximity to one another.

Though neither the website for Troy's Jazz Gallery nor its Facebook page have a whole lot of information yet, we can tell you that guitarists Eric Slaughter and Tom Byrne (pictured) are promoting a gig there from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. this Thursday, November 29. The notice posted on Facebook says they'll be joined by bassist Bob DeBoo and drummer Marty Morrison, and there's a $5 cover. UPDATE - 10:00 p.m., 11/28/12: The Byrne/Slaughter gig has been "postponed" for one week to next Thursday, December 6.

Also, the club has been running paid ads on Facebook, promoting regular Saturday night performances by the "Jazz Session Quintet," with sets at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. and a "$5-10 cover (reservation required)." Other than a phone number - 314-932-1120 - there are no further details.

StLJN's call to that number today was not answered, and that band name is unfamiliar to yr. humble editor, so there's not much more to tell you right now. (In case you were wondering, an online search for "jazz session quintet" yields only a half-dozen results in total, none related to St. Louis.) I'll be trying over the next several days to track down more details, and will either update this post or add a new one as more information becomes available.

New clubs featuring jazz open in Alton, Florissant

The St. Louis area in recent years has lost a number of bars and restaurants that regularly featured live jazz, so it's a welcome development to see two new jazz venues - one on each side of the Mississippi - opening for business.

Jazz on Broadway, located at 554 East Broadway in downtown Alton, IL was mentioned here briefly here in the "jazz this week" post a couple of weeks back, when the club held its grand opening with music from saxophonist Tim Cunningham.

This week, I got a chance to chat by phone with the club's owner Cindy Crawford, who told me that she plans to feature live music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The hours for most acts will be 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., though Crawford said she eventually hopes to present two separate shows, at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., on weekend nights.

In addition to Cunningham and guitarist Bryan White, who played for the club's soft opening in July, Jazz on Broadway (pictured) so far has booked pianist Roley Overmeyer, who's playing some Fridays, including September 2; and saxophonist Fred Walker, who's playing Sundays including September 4. Also on the schedule are the blues group Mondinband (September 3); Bob and Me, with singer Ellen Martinez and pianist Bob Werner (September 9); singer Danita Mumphard (October 22); saxophonist Jim Stevens (October 28); trumpeter Jim Manley (November 12) and keyboardist Brock Walker (November 18). Although the musicians booked to date lean toward smooth jazz and R&B, Crawford says she plans to present a variety of jazz styles.

In the near future, perhaps by October, Crawford said she hopes to work with radio station WSIE, SIUE and other local colleges to present open jam sessions on Wednesdays. She said the club, which holds about 200 people, also will offer special events for occasions such as Halloween, the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras.

Jazz On Broadway's website isn't online yet, but the club does have a Facebook page and an email list, which you can subscribe to by emailing them at jazzonbroadway@gmail.com; or you can call them at 618-465-JAZZ (5299).

Meanwhile, back on the Missouri side of the river up North County way, the Halls Ferry Inn Jazz Cafe, 3425 N. Lindbergh, will have its grand opening weekend this Friday, September 2 and Saturday, September 3 featuring music from singer Danita Mumphard and her band, with special guest guitarist Daryl Darden. Mumphard will perform at 7:30 and 9:30, and there's a $10 cover.

The HFIJC is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to midnight, with music from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.. Located on the site of the old Halls Ferry Inn, the club also serves food, with a menu that reportedly incorporates a few favorites from the previous tenants.

The club's website (warning: autoplay music) presently is a bit sparse, but among the upcoming bookings listed are "Special Guitarist & Patio music" on Thursday, September 8, saxophonist Michael Fitzgerald on Saturday, September 10, and "Coming Soon - Spoken word night (and) Comedy night." Yr. humble StLJN editor will try to track down some more details in the next week, but in the meantime, for more information you can check out the website or call HFIJC at 314-972-8410.

(Edited 9/1/11 to fix a typo.)

Jazz-inspired art, photos accompanying Nu-Art Series' jazz composers concerts

The Nu-Art Series last Saturday kicked off a set of shows at the Metropolitan Gallery that will feature a dozen St. Louis musicians performing their own work and that of well-known jazz composers.

In keeping with Nu-Art's ongoing theme of "jazz and visual arts," there's also a new show up at the gallery, featuring jazz-inspired paintings by Tony Renner and photos of jazz artists in performance taken by longtime St. Louis American reporter/photographer Roscoe Crenshaw.

There will be an artists' reception for Renner and Crenshaw from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Friday, February 19 at the gallery, 2936 Locust St. downtown., and the exhibition and concert series both continue through April 17. For a complete schedule of Nu-Art's jazz composers series concerts, see this post.

Illustration: T. Renner, "Improvisation for Charlie Parker #2," 2008, acrylic on panel, 19" x 17.5".

Robbie's House of Jazz to open Friday, August 14 with Hamiet Bluiett

The corner storefront at 20 Allen Ave. in Webster Groves once known as Cookie's Jazz and More is getting a second life as a jazz club starting next weekend.

Robbie's House of Jazz, operated by Dorothy and Robert Edwards, will have a "soft opening" this weekend for friends, family and neighboring businesses, and will open to the public on Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15 with performances by baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett (pictured). Dorothy Edwards says the club also will have a grand opening celebration sometime after Labor Day.

Robert Edwards, a trombonist who's now retired from a career as band director at Normandy High School, will book the music for the club, while his spouse serves as owner/manager. Edwards' ensemble will provide music for the soft opening, and once things are up and running, plans are to feature musicians such as saxophonist Ron Carter, trumpeter Melton Mustafa, singers Denise Thimes, Larry Hamilton and Mae Wheeler, and pianist Adaron "Pops" Jackson.

Dorothy Edwards says while they've redecorated with new paint, drapes and pictures, they've
kept the space in the same basic configuration as when it was Cookie's, which closed in December 2008. As was the case with Cookie's, the club's liquor license is for beer and wine only, augmented by a menu including coffee, tea, juices, soft drinks and appetizers. Ms. Edwards says that in addition to featuring jazz on Fridays and Saturdays, they plan to book occasional shows during the week and also to make the space available for business and community meetings and fundraisers.

Hamiet Bluiett will perform starting at 8:15 p.m. on Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15. Tickets are $20, and can be purchased at the door or in advance by calling 314-968-5556. Robbie's House of Jazz - which is named after Dorothy Edwards' jazz-loving mother, and not, as some might guess, a nickname for her husband - has a Web site in the works, but not yet online; when it goes up, we'll have the link for you right here.

St. Louis Jazz Cafe to open Saturday, March 21 with Erin Bode

Downtown St. Louis' newest jazz venue, the St. Louis Jazz Cafe, has set the date of its grand opening for Saturday, March 21, with singer Erin Bode as the featured entertainment. The club's opening night bash will include a "Happy Hour" from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., dinner service beginning at 5:00 p.m., and two sets of music from Bode and her band, exact times TBA.

The Cafe, which has been the subject of a couple of previous posts here at St. Louis Jazz Notes, also now has a Web site at http://stlouisjazzcafe.com. On the home page, you can see a small photo of the bar/restaurant's interior, which looks quite nice, but for the most part, the site still appears to be a work in progress. For example, while the menu page says that the club's fare "combines classic American standards with a French/Creole influence associated with New Orleans" and will "reflect the migration of of the food and the music, from New Orleans to Kansas City, to St. Louis to Memphis, to Chicago to New York," the link to the actual menu isn't working yet.

Similarly, the only musicians listed on the calendar page are Bode for the grand opening, and singer Donna Marie Moody on Saturday, March 28. The home page does say that the club will feature live music on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and at Sunday brunch, which will run from 10:00 a.m. to either 2:30 p.m. or 3:00 p.m., depending on which page of the site you're viewing.

(Presumably, little glitches like this, and the misspelling of the word "tradition" in the headline on the "entertainment" page, will get cleaned up in the near future as the site gets fleshed out. However - if I may put on my Internet media-critic hat here for a second - that still won't make up for the fact that the site's designers chose to build the whole thing in Flash, which makes it impossible to link to anything other than the home page. Apparently, it's not so good for search engine rankings either, as the site doesn't show up until the second page of results for a Google search on "St. Louis Jazz Cafe." Web designers, please note: Flash is great for animation, but not so good as a way to build entire sites.)

Anyway, based on the number of search engine hits StLJN gets on a weekly basis for variations on the phrase "Sunday jazz brunch," having music on Sundays could prove to be a good draw right out of the gate for the St. Louis Jazz Cafe. Also, there's no doubt that there's presently a void in the market for live jazz in St. Louis left by the closings of venues such as Finale Music and Dining, Cookie's Jazz and More, and Crossings Taverne and Grille over the last year or so. Here's hoping that the St. Louis Jazz Cafe's musical lineup will help fill some of that void, and when more information becomes available, we'll have it for you right here.

Saxophone museum opening this Saturday, June 14

It looks like St. Louis is gaining another music-related attraction of potential interest to jazz fans. According to this story in the Southside Journal, the Saxquest Saxophone Museum will celebrate its grand opening from noon to 6:30 p.m. this Saturday, June 14.
The museum, located on the second floor at 2114 Cherokee Street (at Illinois Ave), is the latest addition to Saxquest, a business run by husband-and-wife saxophonists Mark and Elke Overton. Saxquest sells saxophones, clarinets and accessories; does repair and maintenance work; and operates Saxquest.com, a popular Web site devoted to all things saxophonic.

The Saxquest Saxophone Museum's collection includes more than 200 saxophones, among them a fully restored quartet of rare, original pre-Civil War instruments made by Adolphe Sax, who invented the instrument that bears his name in 1846. Visitors can even play the vintage saxes in a special "whisper room." You also can get a preview of some of the Overtons' vintage treasures in the online photo gallery here.

The museum is free and open to the public, and the grand opening celebration will feature free performances from Chamber Project St. Louis, James Bunte, the Paul DeMarinis Quartet and others, as well as clinics, master classes and an open jam. For a complete schedule of events, see this page from the Saxquest Web site.