While winter weather has delayed one of this week's headliners for a day, there's still plenty of live jazz and creative music happening in and around St. Louis for those willing to get out and brave the cold. Let's go to the highlights...
If it weren't for the big snowstorm hitting the East Coast, tonight would have been the first of four nights featuring drummer Matt Wilson's quartet with special guest pianist John Medeski at Jazz at the Bistro. However, because of the inclement weather, Wilson (pictured) and company couldn't get a flight that would arrive in St. Louis in time to play tonight's shows.
So, they'll open at the Bistro tomorrow and continue through Saturday; go to Columbia on Sunday for a show there; and then return to St. Louis on Monday to perform one more night at the Bistro in lieu of tonight's postponed sets. The shows here will be the group's first in support of a new album, Gathering Call, that was released just this week. For more about Wilson, including some video samples of his playing and links to several reviews of Gathering Call, go here.
Elsewhere around town tonight, Dizzy Atmosphere will play at The Shaved Duck, and drummer Montez Coleman will lead a jam session at Nathalie's.
On Thursday, in addition to the delayed opening for Wilson and Medeski, singer Feyza Eren will begin this semester's Jazz at Holmes series of free concerts at Washington University, and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play at Schlafly Bottleworks.
Then on Friday, multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris will team up with The People's Key to present “The Shawn Carter Jazz Suite," featuring interpretations of the music of Jay-Z, at Kranzberg Arts Center. Also on Friday, saxophonist Kendrick Smith performs at Robbie's House of Jazz; Second Generation Swing plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; keyboardist and singer Jesse Gannon will be at the Engine Room; and pianist Ptah Williams leads a trio at Cigar Inn.
On Saturday night, New Orleans' Bonerama will be back in town to perform at the Broadway Oyster Bar; saxophonist Jason Swagler, pianist Adaron Jackson and guitarist Rick Haydon will play a trio show at Jacoby Arts Center in Alton; and singer-guitarist Tommy Halloran will promote the release of a new album with his band Guerrilla Swing via a show at Mad Art Gallery.
On Sunday afternoon, the Funky Butt Brass Band will be the featured entertainment for a first look at the new Urban Chestnut Grove Brewery and Bierhall on Manchester, and the Dave Dickey Big Band will celebrate two years of monthly gigs at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company.
Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday Webster University will present its first jazz faculty concert of the year in Winifred Moore Auditorium, a “Basses Only" performance featuring Jay Hungerford, Ben Wheeler, Ric Vice and Willem von Hombracht.
Also on Monday, steel guitarist Dave Easley, who's played with drummer Brian Blade's Fellowship and several other jazz acts, will be in town to perform a duo set with guitarist Dave Black at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups. If you can't make it to BB's, Easley and Black also will play on Tuesday night at the Tavern of Fine Arts.
If it weren't for the big snowstorm hitting the East Coast, tonight would have been the first of four nights featuring drummer Matt Wilson's quartet with special guest pianist John Medeski at Jazz at the Bistro. However, because of the inclement weather, Wilson (pictured) and company couldn't get a flight that would arrive in St. Louis in time to play tonight's shows.
So, they'll open at the Bistro tomorrow and continue through Saturday; go to Columbia on Sunday for a show there; and then return to St. Louis on Monday to perform one more night at the Bistro in lieu of tonight's postponed sets. The shows here will be the group's first in support of a new album, Gathering Call, that was released just this week. For more about Wilson, including some video samples of his playing and links to several reviews of Gathering Call, go here.
Elsewhere around town tonight, Dizzy Atmosphere will play at The Shaved Duck, and drummer Montez Coleman will lead a jam session at Nathalie's.
On Thursday, in addition to the delayed opening for Wilson and Medeski, singer Feyza Eren will begin this semester's Jazz at Holmes series of free concerts at Washington University, and Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play at Schlafly Bottleworks.
Then on Friday, multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris will team up with The People's Key to present “The Shawn Carter Jazz Suite," featuring interpretations of the music of Jay-Z, at Kranzberg Arts Center. Also on Friday, saxophonist Kendrick Smith performs at Robbie's House of Jazz; Second Generation Swing plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; keyboardist and singer Jesse Gannon will be at the Engine Room; and pianist Ptah Williams leads a trio at Cigar Inn.
On Saturday night, New Orleans' Bonerama will be back in town to perform at the Broadway Oyster Bar; saxophonist Jason Swagler, pianist Adaron Jackson and guitarist Rick Haydon will play a trio show at Jacoby Arts Center in Alton; and singer-guitarist Tommy Halloran will promote the release of a new album with his band Guerrilla Swing via a show at Mad Art Gallery.
On Sunday afternoon, the Funky Butt Brass Band will be the featured entertainment for a first look at the new Urban Chestnut Grove Brewery and Bierhall on Manchester, and the Dave Dickey Big Band will celebrate two years of monthly gigs at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company.
Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday Webster University will present its first jazz faculty concert of the year in Winifred Moore Auditorium, a “Basses Only" performance featuring Jay Hungerford, Ben Wheeler, Ric Vice and Willem von Hombracht.
Also on Monday, steel guitarist Dave Easley, who's played with drummer Brian Blade's Fellowship and several other jazz acts, will be in town to perform a duo set with guitarist Dave Black at BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups. If you can't make it to BB's, Easley and Black also will play on Tuesday night at the Tavern of Fine Arts.
