StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: The return of Lou Donaldson

Once upon a time, just about every major city in the USA had at least a couple of guys who played in a similar style, if not with the same amount of skill, as alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson, who's coming back to St. Louis next week to perform Wednesday, October 9 through Saturday, October 12 at Jazz at the Bistro.

Fronting a trio of organ, guitar and drums, Donaldson offers a mix of bebop, blues and ballads that evokes the very center of the jazz mainstream of the post-WWII era, with the influence of Charlie Parker predominant. Back then, the North Carolina native, who cut his first record in 1952, was just one of a host of players working in that style. Today, still remarkably spry and sly at age 86, Donaldson is one of the last remaining veterans of that era still touring.

Donaldson worked with many leading musicians of the 1950s, including Milt Jackson, Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Art Blakey and Clifford Brown, before settling in during the 1960s with Blue Note Records for a long tenure as one of their most popular artists. That's also when he began adding to his repertoire more backbeat-driven numbers like "Alligator Boogaloo," which proved to be the final ingredients in the musical recipe that sustains him and a legion of fans to this day.

Last featured in this space back in 2010, Donaldson has been a regular visitor to St. Louis in recent years. Those who are already fans don't need any more convincing to go catch him at the Bistro, but for those who aren't familiar with him, these six videos offer a preview of the sort of things you're likely to hear at a typical Lou Donaldson performance.

In the first clip up above, Donaldson plays the swinging blues "Gravy Train," and in the second down below, a slow blues called "It Was A Dream." Both clips feature him with his frequent collaborator, organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, who unfortunately will not be along for this trip to St. Louis.

Below that, there are four more videos featuring Donaldson with the musicians who perform with him most frequently on dates when Smith is not involved: guitarist Randy Johnston, organist Akiko Tsuruga and drummer Fukushi Tainaka.

The first of those clips, recorded earlier this year in Madrid, shows them working out on the Donaldson staple "Midnight Creeper." Below that, Donaldson pays homage to Louis Armstrong with a version of Armstrong's 1960s pop hit "What A Wonderful World," recorded in Vancouver with Johnston, Tsuruga, and Rudy Petschauer subbing on drums.

The remaining two videos feature Donaldson's versions of evergreen standards, the ballad "Body And Soul," recorded in 2010 at Dizzy's in NYC, and "Cherokee," in a clip that's undated but probably from the mid 2000s.

There is at least one thing new since Donaldson's last visit, though, as he was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2013. For more about Lou Donaldson, check out this interview he did in 2010 with blogger Mark Myers of JazzWax, and this podcast he recorded with Jazz St. Louis' Bob Bennett before his appearance in 2010 at the Bistro.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Marty Ehrlich's concert with his Rites Quartet tonight at the Kranzberg Arts Center is previewed in articles by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Beacon, Calvin Wilson for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Joseph Hess for the Riverfront Times.

Ehrlich (pictured) also was interviewed by Dennis Owsley on last Sunday's "Jazz Unlimited" program on KWMU (90.7 FM), which can be heard online here.

* Diana Krall's concert last Friday at the Fox Theatre also was reviewed by Wilson for the Post-Dispatch.

* Here's a video excerpt of experimental duo Ahluechatistas' performance last Saturday at the Schlafly Tap Room.

* Trombonist Dave Dickey has put on Facebook a photo album from last Sunday's Missouri Association of Jazz Educators (MOAJE) jam session at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company

* The August 2012 episode of HEC-TV’s of I Love Jazz has taken first place in the Arts and Entertainment category of this year's National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) awards. The award-winning episode of the program, hosted by Don Wolff, featured interviews with and music from former St. Louisans Reggie and Mardra Thomas.

* The annual musical instrument donation drive sponsored by Music for Lifelong Achievement is underway from now through Sunday, October 27. New or used musical instruments can be dropped off at any area Starbucks location, and will be distributed to music students in St. Louis who otherwise might not be able to afford an instrument of their own.

* The St. Louis Symphony and guest soloist Timothy McAllister will perform a new saxophone concerto by composer John Adams on Saturday and Sunday at Powell Hall, and Saxquest is offering a special two-for-one deal on tickets to the concerts. The performances will be recorded for Nonesuch Records. McAllister also will do a free workshop and clinic from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. today at the Saxquest shop.

* A couple of new videos promoting "Abyssinian: A Gospel Celebration Tour" went online this week - one showing the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Chorale le Chateau in rehearsal, the other featuring composer Wynton Marsalis and choral director Damien Sneed talking about the production, which plays here in St. Louis on Friday, October 18 at the Touhill.

* The Affordable Care Act took effect in the USA on October 1, and St. Louis Volunteer Accountants and Attorneys for the Arts has put online information about how the ACA can help artists obtain reasonably priced health insurance coverage. VLAA also will sponsor a free presentation on "Navigating Health Care Reform" at 7:00 p.m. Monday, October 21 at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar.

Jazz this week: The Bad Plus plays Stravinsky, Marty Ehrlich's Rites Quartet, the Brubeck Brothers, Laurence Hobgood & Ernie Watts, and more

The good news is that it's another busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, including some very attractive free events.

The bad news is that, absent time travel, cloning or some other fictional technology that doesn't exist, it's probably impossible for one person to hear it all. Nevertheless, to help you decide which shows are worth checking out, here are StLJN's picks for the week.

Tonight, Dizzy Atmosphere plays swing and Gypsy jazz at The Shaved Duck, and trumpeter Jim Manley performs at Sasha's Wine Bar.

On Thursday night, Jazz St. Louis presents "Stravinsky: Real & Imagined" with The Bad Plus at Viragh Center for the Arts, on the campus of Chaminade College Prep, 425 S. Lindbergh Blvd. In addition to The Bad Plus' performance of their version of Igor Stravinsky's "The Rites of Spring," which they've named "On Sacred Ground," the free concert also will feature members of the St. Louis Symphony performing several other works composed by Stravinsky.

Also on Thursday, the Eric Slaughter/Tom Byrne Quartet will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; and "Jazz Unlimited" host Dennis Owsley will serve as moderator for a live interview and discussion with multi-instrumentalist, composer and former St. Louisan Marty Ehrlich at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Blvd. The free event is sponsored by New Music Circle.

Ehrlich, who's now based in NYC, has returned to his old hometown to perform with his Rites Quartet in a concert on Friday at the Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 N. Grand, also presented by New Music Circle. For more about Ehrlich, and some video samples of him performing with different groups including the Rites Quartet, see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, pianist Laurence Hobgood's quintet with special guest tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts (pictured) opens a two-night engagement at Jazz at the Bistro. Although the two headliners don't work together regularly, Hobgood, who's the longtime pianist and musical director for singer Kurt Elling, teamed up with the vastly underrated Watts for a one-off date last year at the Bistro, and it went so well they decided to double down this season.

Elsewhere around town on Friday, pianist Ptah Williams plays a free early evening set as part the monthly "First Friday" program at the Kemper Art Museum at Washington University; Lindy Hop St. Louis presents their monthly West End Stomp swing dance at the Mahler Ballroom, with Miss Jubilee as October's featured performer; and saxophonist Tim Cunningham returns to The Precinct, formerly known as Jim Edmonds 15 Steakhouse, at 1900 Locust downtown.

UPDATE: 11:00 a.m., 10/4/13 - Lindy Hop St. Louis has announced via Facebook that tonight's "West End Stomp" is cancelled, due to a booking conflict at the venue. 

On Saturday, pianist Carolbeth True and friends will play a free early afternoon set as part of the Rock Hill Fall Festival, and singers Mary Dyson and Diane Vaughn will join forces for a late afternoon show at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

Then on Saturday evening, the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, led by Dave Brubeck's sons Chris, a bassist and trombonist, and Dan, a drummer, will perform what's billed as a "Tribute to Dave Brubeck" at Sheldon Concert Hall. The remaining tickets for this show have been discounted to $25 for online buyers; for information on how to get the discount, see this post.

Also on Saturday, singer Feyza Eren returns to the Wine Press; the Sidemen play swing at Schlafly Bottleworks; and bassist Bob Deboo begins a new weekly gig at the Kranzberg Arts Center, in which he'll lead a rhythm section that's joined by a different special guest each month. This month's guest is saxophonist Dave Stone.

On Sunday, the Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at Dressel's, 419 N Euclid Ave in the Central West End.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Tuesday trumpeter and former Webster University faculty member Mike Parkinson, who's now director of the school of music at Middle Tennessee State University, will be back in town for a visit, teaming up with guitarist Steve Schenkel, bassist Willem von Hombracht and drummer Kevin Gianino to play at BB's Jazz, Blues & 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.)

The Sheldon, Metrotix offering discount on tickets for Brubeck Brothers Quartet this Saturday, October 5

The Sheldon Concert Hall and Metrotix are offering a discount to online buyers of tickets for the Brubeck Brothers Quartet performance at 8:00 p.m. this Saturday at The Sheldon.

The quartet (pictured), led by Dave Brubeck's sons Dan Brubeck (drums) and Chris Brubeck (bass and trombone), will perform a program of music featuring some of the elder Brubeck's best-known compositions, including "Take Five" and "Blue Rondo A La Turk."

Along with the Brubecks and guitarist Mike DeMicco, the quartet also includes the fine pianist Chuck Lamb, who St. Louisans of a certain age may remember as the keyboard player in the regionally popular 1970s fusion band Dry Jack. Their most recent album LifeTimes, released in July, features their versions of some of  Dave Brubeck's songs as well as their own original compositions.

With the online discount, tickets for the Brubeck Brothers Quartet that had been $45 and $40 now are available for $25 each. To access the offer, go to the Metrotix site and enter the promo code "TAKEFIVE." The discount offer ends at 5:00 p.m. Saturday, October 5.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: A Marty Ehrlich sampler

This week StLJN's video spotlight shines on multi-instrumentalist, composer and former St. Louisan Marty Ehrlich, who will be performing with his Rites Quartet in a concert presented by New Music Circle at 7:30 p.m. next Friday, October 4 at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

Ehrlich, who's 58, grew up in University City and was influenced early on by the music of St. Louis' Black Artists Group and Human Arts Ensemble, with saxophonist Julius Hemphill serving as a particularly important example and mentor. After attending the New England Conservatory of Music, Ehrlich moved to New York, where he has established himself as a noteworthy soloist, composer, bandleader and sideman working on a variety of musical projects with many different collaborators.

Though many critics and fans tend to think of Ehrlich as an avant-garde or experimental musician, his work encompasses a range of approaches, from free improvisation to completely notated compositions, and  today we've got a half-dozen videos that demonstrate that by showing him at work with several different ensembles.

The first clip features the Rites Quartet, which consists of Ehrlich (alto sax and clarinets), James Zollar (trumpet), Hank Roberts (cello), and Michael Sarin (drums). They're seen here in October 2010 in Linz, Austria, performing "Rites Rhythms" from their 2009 album Things Have Got To Change.

Down below is another clip of the group, labeled "Fun Fair a Dusk" that was recorded just a few days later on the same tour in Hradec Kralove in the Czech Republic.

The rest of today's videos show Ehrlich performing with other groups, starting with "Hear You Sing," recorded in 2007 in Bruges, Belgium. This video features Ehrlich with a completely different quartet, with James Weidman on keyboards and melodica, Allison Miller on drums, and Brad Jones on bass. The fourth clip shows yet another foursome, this one co-led by Ehrlich and trombonist Ray Anderson, with Jones on bass and John Betsch on drums.

The fifth video features Ehrlich playing bass clarinet on "Solace" in an excerpt from a performance by his sextet, which includes Anderson and Zollar as well as David Berkman on piano, Greg Cohen on bass and Matt Wilson on drums. The sixth and final clip has excerpts from a duo show by Ehrlich and bassist John Lindberg, recorded in 2009 in NYC.

In addition to his concert on Friday, on the evening of Thursday, October 3, Ehrlich will take part in a public discussion and Q&A with Dennis Owsley, host of KWMU's "Jazz Unlimited." The free event, also sponsored by New Music Circle, will take place at 7:00 p.m. at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar.

Owsley also will broadcast an interview with Ehrlich in the 9:00 p.m. hour of his program this Sunday, September 29. You can hear the program on 90.7 FM, or tune in online at www.stlpublicradio.org/listen.php.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Ethan Iverson, pianist with The Bad Plus, will be interviewed at noon today (Friday) on the "Cityscape" program on KWMU (90.7 FM).

Iverson will discuss TBP's visit next week to St. Louis, which includes a series of free public discussions and a concert featuring their interpretation of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. (If you miss the broadcast, "Cityscape" programs are archived online here.)

On the same subject, TBP bassist Reid Anderson talked with the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson for a brief preview story about the various events.

Lastly, one more free public program featuring The Bad Plus has been added to the schedule announced earlier this week. "Bridging the Divide: Where Jazz Meets Classical" will take place at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, October 1 at the 560 Music Center, and will focus on the group's "approach to integrating two musical art forms often seen as being on the opposite of the spectrum."

* Multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis expat Marty Ehrlich, who's returning his old hometown to play with his Rites Quartet n a concert presented by New Music Circle next Friday at the Kranzberg Arts Center, was interviewed about the concert by the St. Louis American's Chris King.

* Here's an interview with saxophonist and former St. Louisan Oliver Lake previewing his show next week at NYC's Roulette featuring a string quartet and pianist Vijay Iyer. (who recently was named one of the 2013 winners of a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant." )

* St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts has announced their fall slate of educational programs for artists, starting with a workshop called "Get Down to Business: Ask the Music Lawyer" at 7:00 p.m. next Thursday, October 3 at Mangia Italiano, 3145 South Grand. The free event is co-sponsored by KDHX.

SLVAA's "Business Edge" programs this fall will include "Career Planning for Artists" (Monday, October 7), "Getting Your Project Together" (October 14), "Marketing Basics and Professional Presentation" (October 28) "Your Art, Your Brand: An Artist's Guide to Being Noticeable and Getting Noticed" (November 11).

All the "Business Edge" workshops start at 7:00 p.m. and are held at Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar. The cost is $10 in advance, $15 at the door, but there are a limited number of scholarships available for those who can't afford to pay. For more information, call SLVAA at 314-863-6930, or you can download a registration form here (.pdf file).

* The Riverfront Times' Best of St. Louis award for 2013 were announced this week, with the Bosman Twins (pictured) taking the trophy for "Best Jazz Artist" and Jazz at the Bistro winning "Best Jazz Club." Other winners of interest to local jazz fans include Josh Weinstein's "All Soul No Borders" on KDHX as "Best Radio Show (Music)" and Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center as "Best All-Ages Venue."  You can see the complete list of this year's winners here.

* Jazz radio update: In the latest from Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis, this Saturday's edition of Calvin Wilson's "Somethin' Else" will feature tracks from notable jazz duos including Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, Benny Green and Russell Malone, and Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden.

Then on Jason Church's "The Jazz Collective," the first hour is all about guitars, with music from Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny, Count Basic, Eric Clapton, Joyce Cooling and B.D. Lenz. Hour two will present tunes from St. Louis musicians including Tim Cunningham, Jesse Gannon, Jim Manley and the Bosman Twins, plus Ella Fitzgerald, Donald Byrd, the Brand New Heavies, and more.

Wilsons program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by Church's program at 9:00 p.m.,  via 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2 and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen. 

Jazz this week: The Wee Trio, Yellowjackets, Ronnie Burrage, Dianne Reeves & Peter Martin, Diana Krall, Ahleuchatistas, and more

It's a jam-packed week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, so much so that there's no time to even attempt a clever opening paragraph for this post. So let's go straight to the highlights...

Tonight, the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra presents "A Tribute to Maynard Ferguson" with guest soloist Jim Manley on trumpet at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Also tonight, The Wee Trio, featuring St. Louis native Dan Loomis on bass, is in town to support the release of their new album Live at the Bistro, and will perform at Jefferson College's Fine Arts Theatre, 1000 Viking Dr in Hillsboro.

However, if you can't make it to Jefferson County tonight, there's another chance to hear The Wee Trio on Wednesday night, as they're playing at the Viragh Center for the Arts, Chaminade College Prep, 425 S. Lindbergh Blvd.

Also on Wednesday, Yellowjackets will open the 2013-14 Jazz at the Bistro season with the first of four nights of performances at the club. The celebrated contemporary jazz group is touring in support of their new album A Rise In The Road and features a new member, bassist Felix Pastorius, son of legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius.

On Thursday, drummer and U. City native Ronnie Burrage, back in town to be inducted into the University City High School Hall of Fame, will perform at Robbie's House of Jazz in the first of his three gigs here this week.

That same evening, singer Dianne Reeves and pianist Peter Martin are the headliners for "Divas For a Cause 3," a benefit for the local not-for-profit organization Beyond Housing that will take place at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Fulfilling the event name's promise of multiple divas, St., Louis' own Denise Thimes and Erin Bode also will perform.

Also on Thursday, Italian pianist Antonio Figura will perform a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, supported by locals William Lenihan on bass and Steve Davis on drums.

On Friday, singer and pianist Diana Krall (pictured) returns to St. Louis for the first time since 2007, bringing her "Glad Rag Doll" tour to the Fox Theatre. The concert will feature music from Krall's latest album, which offers her interpretations of early jazz and pop music from the 1920s.

Also on Friday, Ronnie Burrage and Band Burrage will play the first of two nights at the Kranzberg Arts Center; singer Tony Viviano performs at Fortel's in Creve Coeur; and singer Feyza Eren will be at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

On Saturday afternoon, Yellowjackets saxophonist Bob Mintzer will present a free saxophone clinic and workshop at Saxquest.

Then on Saturday evening, the experimental/noise music duo Ahleuchatistas will headline a show at Schlafly St. Louis Brewery & Tap Room celebrating the fifth anniversary of the KDHX program "Wrong Division."

Also on Saturday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes perform at the Venice Cafe; singer and flute player Erika May and Friends will play at Robbie's House of Jazz; and singer Joe Mancuso and pianist Nick Schlueter will duet at the house concert venue KindaBlue Club, 6101 1/2 Idaho.

On Sunday, Miss Jubilee will be doing back-to-back shows in St. Charles, performing in the afternoon at Magpie's and in the evening at the Moonshine Blues Bar.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday The Bad Plus will take part in a free lunchtime presentation and discussion at the Tavern of Fine Arts, previewing their performance next week of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring; and "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective will play their monthly gig 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 St. Louis adds three free events to next week's schedule for The Bad Plus

Jazz St. Louis has announced three additional free events featuring The Bad Plus to be presented next week leading up to the group's previously announced Thursday night performance of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring at the Viragh Center for the Arts at Chaminade College Prep.

The first event, "Re-Imagining Stravinsky" is billed as "a lunchtime conversation/demonstration" with TBP's Ethan Iverson, Dave King, and Reid Anderson that will take place from noon to 1:00 p.m. next Monday, September 30 at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Next up, "Inside the Creative Process: The Compositions of The Bad Plus" will be presented from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 1 at Webster University's Community Music School, in Room 11 of the main CMS building at 535 Garden Ave. For this event, Anderson, Iverson and King (pictured, from left) will "shed light on their music, concept, and compositions."

Then on Tuesday evening, a program called "New Directions in Improvised and Creative Music - The Future of Jazz: A Conversation Led by The Bad Plus" will be presented from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Blank Space, 2847 Cherokee St. The event will feature the three members of The Bad Plus in "a public conversation on the direction of jazz, improvised, and creative music."

All three events and the Thursday night performance are free and open to the public, but seating is limited and on a first-come, first served basis. For more information, call Jazz St. Louis at 314-289-4030.

(Edited after posting to correct Monday's date.)