Montez Coleman, an East St. Louis native himself, has toured the world with some of the biggest names in jazz. A long time member of the Roy Hargrove Quintet, Coleman has also worked with nationally recognized musicians like Rufus Reid, Russell Malone, and Wynton Marsalis, as well as local favorites Russell Gunn and Erin Bode.

Upcoming Shows

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Sponsored by the Arthur & Helen Baer Foundation, Ameren Missouri, and THF Realty

One of Jazz St. Louis’s most recognizable education programs, JazzU, places talented middle and high school musicians in small jazz combos, which meet weekly between September and May. This competitive program selected 55 emerging musicians from a pool of 85 who auditioned for the 2011-12 season.

These shows feature the top two groups from the JazzU program, which includes the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars. The two 7-piece jazz combos, made up of high school students, will put to rest any worries you had about the future of jazz with their incredible chemistry and musicianship. You won’t believe you’re listening to teenagers!

Joining the JazzU groups will be renown saxophonist Tim Warfield. Warfield’s name can be found on numerous Grammy-nominated recordings and Downbeat Critics’ Polls. He is currently serving as a board member for the Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz as well as an artist-in-residence at Messiah College in Grantham, PA. Warfield is also a current member of MAXJAZZ recording artist Terell Stafford’s quintet.

Upcoming Shows

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Charlie Hunter

Jazz St. Louis is putting the finishing touches on the 2012-13 Jazz at the Bistro Series and will be announcing the lineup soon.  In the meantime, JSL is proud to announce the 2012 Summer Series at Jazz at the Bistro.

Tickets for these concerts are now on sale via all Metrotix outlets and online at www.metrotix.com.

JazzU - the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars

June 1-2     JazzU w/ special guest Tim Warfield
($20 adults/$10 students)
Sponsored by the Arthur & Helen Baer Foundation, Ameren Missouri, and THF Realty

June 8-9     Erin Bode
($20 adults/$10 students)

June 15-16  Tim Cunningham
($20 adults/$10 students)

Tim Warfield

June 22-23  Charlie Hunter Duo
($30 adults/$15 students)

June 29-30  Denise Thimes
($20 adults/$10 students)

July 6-7        Reggie & Mardra Thomas
($25 adults/$10 students)

July 13-14    Good 4 The Soul
($20 adults/$10 students)

July 20-21   Willie Akins/Montez Coleman Group
($25 adults/$10 students)

July 27-28   Musica Slesa
($20 adults/$10 students)

On Sunday, March 18, jazz legend and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Herbie Hancock, sent out a clarion call from the Touhill Performing Arts Center stage to the St. Louis community to join him in celebrating the first-ever “International Jazz Day” on April 30.

Charged with leading the St. Louis region in advancing the uniquely American art of jazz, Jazz St. Louis heeded Hancock’s call and will open the Jazz at the Bistro venue to the community at-large with an open jazz jam session.

Jazz St. Louis presents “International Jazz Day Jam Session” on Monday, April 30 from 7:30–10:30 pm at Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave.  Admission is free but seating is limited.  The session will be hosted by Adaron “Pops” Jackson’s trio.  Participating musicians are encouraged to sign-up for the jam session at the Bistro beginning at 7 pm. All backline is provided, just “bring your axe.” Everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy the evening, even if you are not planning on jamming. The Bistro will offer food and bar service.  For more information, please call Devin Rodino, Communications and Operations Manager at 314-289-4030.

RSVP and invite your friends on Facebook!

For more information on the JazzU program and to download an application, visit the JazzU page on the JSL website:  http://jazzstl.org/education-outreach/jazzu/.  Audition procedures and requirements are outlined in the application materials.

Remaining questions can be directed to Phil Dunlap, Director of Education, at 314.289.4033 or phil@jazzstl.org.

Set 1 – 7:30 pm
Always August - (Brad Mehldau)
High Court Jig – (Joshua Redman)
In Walked Bud – (Thelonious Monk)
Old West – (Brad Mehldau)
Easy Living – (Rainger/Robin )
Ornithology – (Charlie Parker/Bennie Harris)

Set 2 – 9:30 pm
Mehlsancholy Mode - (Joshua Redman)
To Hold On or To Let Go – (Brad Mehldau)
There Is No Greater Love - (Jones/Symes)
Lithium – (Kurt Cobain)
Let Me Down Easy - (Joshua Redman)
Soul Dance – (Joshua Redman)

If you do some digging on Google and want to support Jazz at the Bistro policy-breakers…you might be able to hear what you missed/re-live the entire show…..

Although extremely fulfilling, Residency weeks are one of the most involved and exhausting aspects of my job as director of education. This program is very unique, and thanks to the generosity of many of our supporters, I am able to do three each season, the last of which was this past week with Matt Wilson’s Arts and Crafts (A&C). In all, more than 1,000 students and teachers participated in the week’s activities.

The band arrived in St. Louis after midnight on the morning of March 19. Earlier in the evening they had performed two sets at Murry’s in Columbia, MO as part of the We Always Swing series.  I, along with the rest of the JSL staff, had just finished at the Touhill Performing Arts Center where we presented Herbie Hancock earlier in the evening. Needless to say, neither myself, nor the members of A&C, were particularly looking forward to the 8:30 am breakfast/meeting that was just around the corner to kick off the week.

We started that morning with a rather disappointing experience at the Soulard Coffee Garden, then hit the road for our first school visit at East St. Louis Senior High. It is difficult to prepare guys for their experience at ESL because the band is so good. There aren’t many students in this age bracket that sound this mature. Heck, there aren’t a lot of adults in the area that can play this well. Despite their talent, there will always be ways to improve, and having musicians of the stature of A&C for two hours is a rare treat for ANY high school. This means that instead of having to spend time working on notes, individuals’ sounds, time, feel, etc… the guys were able to address higher-level concepts, such as the group’s concept of sound, how the lead trumpet and soloists fit with the drummer’s ride cymbal pattern, and how each section’s lead player shapes the overall concept and feel of the section. Matt’s comment after the session was “Wow. What a way to start the week!”

After a break, the band worked with four of our JazzU combos in a four-hour teaching marathon (Monday is always one of the busier days of the residency). Our youngest combo worked with Wilson and pianist Gary Versace on the creative process, composing a piece on the spot that involved contributions from all of the students. The point being that sometimes we think so much about how and what to play in jazz that we can’t forget how fundamental and fun the creative process can be. It can even be collaborative! I walked in on the middle of the tune to find all the students involved, and what appeared to be Egyptian hieroglyphics scrawled out over every inch of the white board. Matt was wildly pointing to different sections, directing the ensemble to play, then pointing to students to improvise. At the conclusion, Wilson, searching for a name for the piece, looked out the window. After seeing the blue lights of The Fieldhouse across the street, he exclaimed, “we’ll call it ‘Blue Light Fieldhouse’!” I still have that melody stuck in my head…

Meanwhile, the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars were getting put through the ringer by Terell and Martin.  The details are too gory to divulge, but the educational content was high and just what they needed.

We ended the evening at 8 pm and headed to find some much-needed nourishment, which we found in the form of Pi Pizzeria in the Central West End. This place never disappoints and the guys in A&C were blown away. I highly recommend the North Beach Classico and the Central West End.

Tuesday was another early morning, departing for Seckman High School at 8 am. At Seckman, A&C worked with all three of their jazz bands. We found an amazing amount of talent in that district. In between sessions, I watched as Matt rummaged through the band room, finding all sorts of percussion instruments and noise makers. His concept and pursuit of sound amazes me.  To him, anything can be a musical instrument.

After a great lunch at Blues City Deli, we headed to the University of Missouri – St. Louis, where Terell and Gary worked with Jim Widner’s jazz ensemble. At the same time, Martin and Matt visited my jazz appreciation class where they played for my students. They discussed the evolution of rhythm as seen in the transition between New Orleans jazz – swing – bebop.

We ended the day with two more JazzU classes…not sure where dinner was that night.

Wednesday began with a morning performance at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in the Child Life Playroom. These performances can be tough, as some of the children that attend have potentially terminal illnesses. Afterward, Terell Stafford said, “this was the most rewarding musical experience of my life.” It doesn’t matter what troubles you encounter in life, when you see a child fighting for their life, it makes all other problems seem so insignificant.

The day concluded with a session at Normandy High School led by Terell Stafford and our final JazzU group led by the remaining members of A&C.

That evening, Martin and Gary decided to catch the NY Knick’s game, Matt attended a play at the Rep with his brother, and Terell joined myself and Adaron Jackson (JazzU instructor) for an unbelievable dinner at Niche.

Thursday was a marathon day. We began with a morning performance at ESL Lincoln Middle School where many of the students had never heard jazz or even met a professional musician.  We continued a world away to the suburb of Webster Groves, where the band worked with three jazz combos under the direction of their band director, Kevin Cole. The students, which had just returned the night before from a trip to Ireland, were groggy, but eager to learn from the master musicians of A&C.

A short drive led us to our next session at Webster University and then to the Benton Park neighborhood where the group finished the day with an incredible, free community performance at Saxquest. There, more than 50 eager listeners packed the house to experience jazz surrounded by new and vintage saxophones. The guys even took a few minutes to check out their amazing saxophone museum located on the second floor.

The amazing energy continued after the performance with dinner at Brasserie. An amazing meal, surrounded by equally amazing individuals. It was clear that the love and honesty these guys emit from the stage is reflected in their general being.

The week was quickly wrapping up. It was already Friday morning! We ventured to the ‘burbs this time, where the group played for nearly 200 students at St. Charles High School. The energy was infectious. Matt even had students join the band on stage where they acted out a scene as aliens that were charged with traveling to earth to learn about jazz, return to their native world, and perform a jazz concert. The experience added humor to the concert while teaching the students to approach their instruments in completely different ways. After the concert, I received an email from the band director:

“Please pass my thanks on to Matt, Terell, Gary, and Martin. I was so inspired both as a musician and an educator. I was moved by their music and their approach to musical creation was inspiring. We are so thankful to have had the opportunity to welcome them into our musical community at SCHS. My students learned more today than they will ever know. Thank you all so much for sharing your music with us today!”

This is why I love my job.

Saturday was our final activity with the band. From 9 am – noon, all of our JazzU students (55 in all) came together to experience these musicians one final time before their residency ended.  This session was different from others in that we were joined by two jazz bands from the Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Photo by Kent Phelan

After a short mixer, A&C began with a tune and opened the floor for questions. We then broke into instrument groups for an hour-long master class. Rhythm instruments worked with Matt, Gary, and Martin; Terell Stafford took the trumpets; JazzU instructor, Cody Henry worked with the trombones; and JazzU instructors Aaron Lehde and Andy Ament worked with the saxophones.  We finished the Saturday Session (and the week) with an epic jam session that consisted of a 45-minute version of “C-Jam Blues.”  Although considered a “rally” by anyone’s definition, the jam session illustrated many positive aspects of jazz—the best being that two separate groups of people, who until that morning had never met, can come together through the playing of a simple tune like “C-Jam Blues.”

A&C finished up the day with their final performance at Jazz at the Bistro, thus, ending their stint in St. Louis.

This leads me back to the beginning.  Sunday morning.  No musicians, no activities scheduled.  Just a book, brunch, and some much needed rest.

Vote here to keep Jazz at the Bistro recognized as St. Louis’s best jazz club!

The concert, which takes place on Thursday, March 22,  begins at 6 pm and will be a mix of performance and Q&A.  Refreshments will be served.  No RSVP is required, but Saxquest is a small venue and there will be a limited number of seats.

Questions can be directed toward Phil Dunlap, Director of Education, at 314.289.4033.