Due to the Vice-Presidential debate being held on campus, there's no Jazz at Holmes concert tonight at Washington University. However, if multi-media performance of a different sort piques your interest, Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center is presenting a show this evening featuring Italian composer and sound artist Alessandro Bossetti and Brooklyn, New York's Byron Westbrook. They'll be performing “Corridors," which is described as “a multi-channel audio/video environment that uses video projections, amplifiers and speakers strategically placed within a performance space. The project emphasizes how redistributed energy of sound and light in space can alter perception." Also on the bill are the 7th epicycle, performing a new version of Mark Sarich's improv/electronics piece “[you]like(it)" and Eric Hall doing solo electronics.
On Friday, trombonist Brett Stamps and his quartet begin a two-night stand at Jazz at the Bistro. Stamps has a wide range as a player, from traditional New Orleans-style jazz to big band swing to bop, hard bop and modern styles. His recent CD release Bad to the Bone teamed him with fellow trombonist Jim Owens for a set recalling the J.J. Johnson/Kai Winding collaborations of the 1950s. Expect at least a taste of several of the aforementioned genres and who knows, perhaps Owens will stop by and sit in for a number or two.
Unquestionably the biggest musical name in town this week is pianist Dave Brubeck (pictured), who returns to St. Louis on Saturday night to play at the Sheldon Concert Hall. The term “legendary" gets thrown around rather promiscuously in today's overheated media environment, but the adjective truly applies to Brubeck, a musician and composer whose work has evoked continued interest for more than 50 years now. Along with his classic quartet, he helped popularize the use of odd-meter time signatures in jazz, opening a lot of ears among both musicians and listeners along the way. It's a marvel that he's still out on the road performing at age 83, and the Sheldon is, as always, a fine venue for acoustic jazz.
There's lots going on this Sunday, starting in late morning with the brunch and concert paying tribute to Don and Heide Wolff at Harris Stowe State University, described in detail in this post. Featured performers at the concert at 1:00 p.m. will include Mae Wheeler, Gene Lynn, Bill Tucker, Willie Akins, Anita Jackson and Anita Rosamond. The information sent out by Harris-Stowe indicated that reservations for the brunch closed yesterday, but if you're interested in attending, call 314-340-3386 for the latest. The auditorium at Harris-Stowe is a good-sized room, and even if the brunch is sold out, they may very well still be able to accommodate additional concert-goers.
Later that afternoon, there's a benefit dinner and dance/concert for the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Friends of Music's scholarship fund, featuring performances by singer Mardra Thomas and the SIUE Concert Jazz Band conducted by saxophonist Jason Swagler. The “Hollywood Jazz" event gets underway at 5:00 p.m. in SIUE's Meridian Ballroom with a cocktail hour and performance by Thomas, followed by dinner and dancing.
Then on Sunday evening, the acclaimed pianist Jason Moran will perform a solo concert at the Missouri History Museum, with St. Louis' Hugh “Peanuts' Whalum as opening act. You can see some videos of Moran in this previous StLJN post. And as if all that weren't enough for one day, BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups also a has double bill on Sunday evening with Good 4 The Soul and singer Anita Rosamond and her group.
Looking beyond the weekend, the Sessions Big Band is at BB's on Monday, and on Tuesday, saxophonist Logan Richardson performs at The Gramophone. Richardson is a Kansas City native now based in New York City. He studied saxophone with St. Louis native Greg Osby and has a CD on the Fresh Sound New Talent label. In addition to leading his own groups, Richardson has performed and recorded with Joe Chambers, Stefon Harris, Greg Tardy, Nashiet Waits, and many others. St. Louis saxophonist Bennett Wood will open the show.
As always, these are just some of the highlights of what's happening around town, so to see listings of more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar.
(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.
