Blogs
Summer Series Announced
On Sale Now!
Charlie Hunter
International Jazz Day Jam Session
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 …
Auditions for the 2012-13 JazzU Program
Setlist: Joshua Redman & Brad Mehldau
Sunday, April 8, 2012 Set 1 – 7:30 pmAlways 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 …
Residency Wrap-Up
When I woke up this past Sunday morning, something was different. There was no 8 am lobby call, no scheduled school visits, JazzU classes, or artists to shuttle to all corners of the city. It was, after all, Sunday. However, more notable, was that it was the first day in …
Matt Wilson’s Arts and Crafts to Give Informal “Preview” Performance at Saxquest
During Arts and Crafts’s Residency week (March 19 thru 24), the group will be giving an informal “preview” performance at Saxquest (www.saxquest.com), located at 2114 Cherokee Street in St. Louis. A&C, led by Grammy-nominated drummer Matt Wilson, will be …
Join Our Street Team
Position Summary: Jazz St. Louis (JSL) is seeking students to fill street team positions throughout the community and on local college campuses. Street Team members will work in cooperation with JSL to improve the organization’s visibility throughout the area, increasing both student and adult …
Setlist: The Bad Plus
Saturday, January 7, 2012 Most nights had the same sets, with the 2nd set changing slightly from night to night. The week featured all original material, both old and new, from The Bad Plus, save for a single performance of Flim by Aphex Twin during Thursday’s 2nd set. Set 1 …
New Shows Added
We are pleased to announce the remaining concerts scheduled for the 2011-12 Wells Fargo Advisors Jazz at the Bistro series. All shows are at Jazz at the Bistro (3536 Washington Ave., St. Louis, MO 63103) and have …
Photos from Reeves/Jamal Reception
If you would like to order any photos from the Dianne Reeves/Ahmad Jamal Gold Circle reception at the Touhill, visit photographer Peter Wochniak’s website here. All photos from the reception gallery can be purchased …
2011-2012 Education Season Preview
Well, it’s that time of year again; the time when we look toward the start of another great season and educational programming. If you’ve seen the upcoming Jazz at the Bistro lineup, you know that we have quite a season in store, and the …
Bob Bennett on Reggie Thomas
Leading up to this weekend’s farewell performances by Reggie & Mardra Thomas at the Bistro, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting. When I step back and consider the influence certain people have had on me, at the top of that list is Reggie Thomas.From the time …
Jazz at the Bistro Subscription Packages
With a Jazz at the Bistro subscription, you receive the best choice of seats for all our performances, with the same seat for every performance (pending availability, does not apply to Choose Your Own Series). In addition to great …
Final Week: JSL 10 in 6 Campaign – Help Us Make Goal
Your Dollars. Your Support. Their Future. We hope you’ve enjoyed the stories about Brady, Everette, Marvin, and Carlos. This is the final week of the 10 in 6 campaign, and we still …
Meet Carlos Brown, Jr.: The 10 in 6 Campaign
We’ve raised $1,000 toward our goal of $10K in 6 weeks. We can still make this goal by May 31st if you give $10. Would you please give $10 today? There are just two weeks …
2011 Summer Series
In a few short days, we will be announcing the 2011-2012 Jazz St. Louis Season, featuring the Wells Fargo Advisors Jazz at the Bistro Series. Until then, we are pleased to announce the performers we have booked for our 2011 Summer Series. All performances will be at regular set times …
Meet Everette and Marvin: The 10 in 6 Campaign
Everette Benton and Marvin Cooper, juniors from East St. Louis, are first-year members of JazzU and play in the rhythm section of our Miles Davis Group. For both young men, working with an ensemble has …
Meet Brady Lewis – The 10 In 6 Campaign
Brady Lewis first took interest in music in middle school, singing in the choir before getting involved with the band. The longer he …
10 in 6 for Youth Education
Your Dollars. Your Support. Their Future. Meet Four Outstanding Young Men Your Gifts Support …
Jon Faddis to Give Trumpet Master Class
Attention middle school, high school and college musicians! The legendary Jon Faddis will give a free trumpet master class from 1-2 pm on Wednesday, April 6, 2011. The session will take place in the Rialto Ballroom, located in the Centene Center for Arts and Education (3547 Olive Street, St. …
Catch a Game to Support Jazz St. Louis
To benefit the youth education programs of Jazz St. Louis, we are selling Legends Club tickets to the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Washington Nationals game on Tuesday, April 19 at 7:15PM . These tickets, …
Cyrus Chestnut Trio and Jon Faddis Conclude JSL’s Residency Program
Next week we begin our final Residency of the 2010-2011 season. This one is definitely one for the books and features the wonderful Cyrus Chestnut Trio and the equally great Jon Faddis. This all-star pairing came together in an attempt to combine two headlining personalities to create what is sure …
Gala 2011 Recap
The Jazz St. Louis Ain’t Misbehavin’ Gala was a tremendous success! We were able to net $200,000 for our youth education and outreach programs; this allows us to continue offering such programming free of cost to students and schools throughout the region. The generosity of so many people is directly …
Ronald Carter Residency Preview
For those not familiar with our Artist Residency program, it is one that allows us to connect top flight jazz artists/educators with high school students and teachers in small, intense educational settings. Typically a master class with artists of this magnitude consists of a couple of hundred people in …
Congratulations to the East St. Louis Senior High Jazz Band!
Anyone familiar with the history of jazz in St. Louis and its neighbor East St. Louis, will regale you with tales of the famed East St. Louis Lincoln High School jazz band program under the direction of saxophonist Ron Carter (now Director of Jazz Studies at Northern Illinois University). When …
Stanley Clarke’s Wednesday night shows RESCHEDULED!!
Jazz St. Louis is pleased to announce that Stanley Clarke & Hiromi have rescheduled their performances from Wednesday, Feburary 2, 2011, for Monday, February 28. Tickets for this past Wednesday evening’s performances will be valid for the newly scheduled date (same set) or can be returned to their original …
Now Available: 2011-2012 JazzU and JSL All-Stars Audition Info
Jazz St. Louis announces auditions for the 2011-2012 JazzU and Jazz St. Louis All-Star programs. Auditions will be held on Monday, June 13 and Monday, June 20 with a third date to be added as necessary. Click HERE to learn more about the Jazz St. Louis …
Spring Spotlight Series
Jazz St. Louis has added shows for the 2011 Spotlight Series. This series features the best talent that the St. Louis area has to offer as well as some special engagements from touring artists. We are happy to have Javier Mendoza back after his Latin jazz debut at the Bistro …
Bob’s Favorite Non-Jazz Albums
PREFACE: I have been informed that Devin doesn’t want us listing a whole lot of multiple albums by one artist [ED. I didn't say that, I just said that I was going to try to avoid it myself]. Sorry, but that’s just not happening. These are supposed to be our …
JazzU and JSL All-Star Students Make All-State
We want to congratulate those students in Missouri and Illinois who made their respective All-State jazz bands! The All-State process takes the top student musicians in each state and puts them together for a special concert. The audition process is rigorous and it is an honor to announce that one-third …
Position Openings
Jazz St. Louis is currently looking to fill two positions. Head over to our Careers page for complete details.
My Favorite Holiday Albums
Some of you may have seen this last season, but if you missed it, here are a few fantabulous holiday sounds that will break the monotony of the piped in stuff you hear in ever store this time of year. We’ve been playing these at the Bistro …
Phil Dunlap’s 15 Favorite Jazz Albums
When I was asked to participate in choosing my top 15 jazz records, I really had to stop and think. There are so many great albums out there….I would surely be able to come up with 15, right? But when I really started mulling over my potential list, …
Melissa Jones’ 10 Favorite Jazz Albums
Prior to coming to work for Jazz St. Louis more than four years ago, I knew nothing about jazz. I still don’t know much, but I know what I like. This was supposed to be a list of 15 jazz albums, but I honestly couldn’t give you a list of …
Devin Rodino’s 15 Favorite Jazz Albums
I started playing the saxophone when I was in 4th grade. Unfortunately, I came from a small town and wasn’t really exposed to jazz in my musical education until high school. Even then, the “big band” consisted of a few kids willing to meet after school to play arrangements of …
Kate Eastwood’s 5 Favorite Jazz Albums
I should preface my post with the information that I grew up a classical musician. I started playing violin at age seven, and participated in many orchestras until I was 34, including the Minnesota Youth Symphony and the Beach Cities Symphony in Redondo Beach, CA. I have also been a …
Bob Bennett’s 15 Favorite Jazz Albums
Every Friday for the next few weeks, a Jazz St. Louis staff member will count down their 15 favorite jazz albums. These are not intended to be ‘Best Jazz Album’ lists, but personal favorites of the staff members. The only rule: No greatest hits/compilation/complete recordings albums (though some of us …
Sanborn Fundraiser a Success
“It’s incredible that a place like this exists, not just in St. Louis, but anywhere.” -David Sanborn Thanks to our sponsors, the David Sanborn Concert Event was a great success. With their help in filling 24 tables—and with both nights sold out—we were able to raise over $30,000 …
Single Tickets On Sale Now!
Single tickets to the 2010-2011 Jazz at the Bistro Season are now on sale via all MetroTix locations, online and by phone at 314.534.1111. As always, our 15th Anniversary Season features the best in local, regional, national and international jazz talent and is poised …
The Jazz Crusaders Postponed
Due to health issues with one of the founding members of The Jazz Crusaders, Jazz St. Louis has postponed their performance at the Touhill originally scheduled for Saturday, September 18, 2010.We are working to reschedule the …
Tickets for Al Jarreau On Now!
Jazz St. Louis is pleased to present a very special, one-night-only engagement this season at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis. On Friday, February 11, 2011, Jazz St. …
2010-2011 Jazz St. Louis All-Stars
The auditions are complete and the judges have ruled. A lot of tough decisions had to be made because so many talented young musicians auditioned for the All-Star program. This year, close to 80 students from Missouri and Illinois auditioned to part of the All-Star and JazzU programs and here …
Highlights for the 2010-2011 Education Season
With last season behind us we can now begin to look ahead to next year’s education season. As we look forward, I am happy to announce a lot of great additions to our education programming and I’d like to take a moment to highlight some of the very exciting things …
Subscriptions Now On Sale!
Don’t miss a note of the 2010-2011 Jazz at the Bistro season! Subscription packages are now on sale!With a Jazz at the Bistro subscription, you receive the best choice of seats for all our performances, with the same seat for every performance (pending availability, does not apply to Choose Your …
2010-2011 Subscription Series & Special Events
Celebrating its 15th Anniversary, Jazz St. Louis is pleased to announce the Jazz at the Bistro subscription series and special events scheduled for the 2010 -2011 season. These artists reflect some of the biggest names and finest talent in jazz today: Subscription Series 2010 Kenny Barron & Mulgrew …
2010 Summer Series
Jazz St. Louis is pleased to announce the concerts scheduled for the 2010 summer series at Jazz at the Bistro. These artists reflect some of the best local and regional talent to complement our internationally recognized Jazz at the Bistro series: Brian Owens – June 4-5 …
Auditions for the 2010-2011 JazzU and All-Star Programs
The current season is coming to a close, and with it, the conclusion of two of our flagship programs, JazzU and the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars. That means auditions for next season’s groups are just around the corner. Auditions for the 2010-2011 JazzU and the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars programs …
Jazz St. Louis Gala 2010
Extravajamza, the 2010 Jazz St. Louis Gala, proved to be the largest and most financially successful gala in our history. The night started off in the Arch View Ballroom at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark with a wonderful cocktail hour featuring music from the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars, …
Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra Gets Funky!
You never know who will show up at the Bistro. This past Saturday night, towards the end of their 2nd set at the Bistro, the Funky Butt Brass Band had a couple surprise guests show up to sit in with the band. Trumpeters Sean Jones and Marcus Printup from the …
Did you know…
It’s been three years since I was hired on as Jazz St. Louis’ Director of Education and as I reflect on the education programs then and now, I can note a lot of positive happenings. But first, a little history…The education offerings of Jazz St. Louis (JSL) had quite humble …
Benefit Concert for St. Louis Trumpeter Anthony Wiggins
Five weeks ago, St. Louis area trumpeter and Jazz St. Louis employee Anthony Wiggins suffered a brain aneurysm. After being air lifted to St. Louis University Hospital, Anthony was in the Intensive Care Unit until Tuesday, …
Facebook Page Hits 1,000 Fans
The Jazz St. Louis – Jazz at the Bistro Facebook fan page recently went over 1,000 fans. If you are a fan of our page, you all ready know that we have been giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky fan every time we gain 50 new ones. …
Cooking Class with Gene Dobbs Bradford
For years, Jazz St. Louis has proudly sold the culinary skills of Gene Dobbs Bradford at its Gala auction, and many sing the praises of his extraordinary talent. Gene will show you how to prepare an …
The Bad Plus Making Headlines
The Bad Plus are receiving some great press this week. Check them out tonight and tomorrow night, 8:30 and 10:15, at Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Avenue, 63103. STL Today Riverfront Times
Young Friends of Jazz St. Louis featured on KMOV.com
The Young Friends of Jazz St. Louis were recently featured in “Kristen in the City”, Kristen Cornett’s blog on KMOV’s website. Read the blog here!
A Special Offer from the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
As a friend of Jazz of St. Louis, The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra would like to invite you to join them for SLSO presents “Swing, Swing, Swing” – a Big Band Blast! Be there for the swingin’, sentimental sounds of the great Big Bands. Hit Parade standards of Glenn Miller, …
Joey DeFrancesco & Alyssa Graham switch dates
Due to scheduling conflicts, Joey DeFrancesco has been forced to reschedule his dates for March of 2010. To make things easier for everyone, we have switched his dates with those of Alyssa Graham. The new dates will be:
Alyssa Graham: March 3 – 6, 2010
Joey DeFrancesco: March 31 – April 3, …
Gene Dobbs Bradford Wins Inclusive Leadership Award!
Gene Dobbs Bradford, Executive Director of Jazz St. Louis, is a winner of one of the St. Louis Business Journal’s Inclusive Leadership Awards. The award celebrates ethnic minorities who are making their mark on the St. Louis business community, from high-ranking executives to fast-moving entrepreneurs.
Gene is also celebrating ten years …
Houston Person to replace Robert Glasper at Jazz at the Bistro
Due to circumstances beyond our control, ROBERT GLASPER will not be appearing at Jazz at the Bistro, October 7-10, 2009.
For the dates Mr. Glasper was slated to appear, we are very pleased to welcome back a living legend of jazz, funk and soul music, HOUSTON PERSON! One of the giants …
Single Tickets On Sale Soon!
It’s that time of year again! Single tickets for the 2009-2010 Jazz at the Bistro season go on sale Tuesday, August 18 at 10 a.m. This year we are celebrating our 15th season of providing the best jazz in St. Louis. In doing so, we will feature many Jazz at …
Jazz Goes to Afghanistan
Greetings! Earlier this month I spent a week in Kabul, Afghanistan in a joint program between the US State Department and American Voices (www.americanvoices.org). This program, called Jazz Bridges, uses jazz music to bridge the cultural gap between cultures and is an extension of what I do here …
Sonny Rollins Returns!!!
Jazz St. Louis is pleased to announce a very special, one-night-only engagement this September at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
On Saturday, September 19, 2009, Jazz St. Louis will present legendary saxophonist SONNY ROLLINS at the Touhill. Tickets for this …
Application Deadline for the 2009-2010 JazzU and Jazz St. Louis All-Star Programs is this Friday, May 15!!
This is a reminder to all students audition for the 2009-2010 JazzU and Jazz St. Louis All-Stars programs. The application deadline is this Friday, May 15! Late applications will be considered if space is available. See my previous blog post for audition materials and details. Questions can be directed …
Big Man’s Birthday…with The Boss!
I’m sure you’re wondering “after I see Erin Bode this weekend at the Bistro, where should I go?” The answer is an easy one: The Gramophone!
Join Jazz St. Louis’ Director of Operations (yes, I’m talking about myself in the third person) as he celebrates his 34th….no, sorry, his 23rd birthday …
Summer Shows On Sale This Tuesday!
With the summer season upon us, Jazz at the Bistro continues its summer programming this year with a great lineup of artists that have become Bistro favorites over the years.
With the rescheduling of Terence Blanchard’s shows to June 3-6, 2009, we are pleased to debut Javier Mendoza’s new Latin jazz …
2009-2010 JazzU and Jazz St. Louis All-Stars Auditions
Jazz St. Louis is proud to announce auditions for the 2009-2010 JazzU and Jazz St. Louis All-Stars program! Auditions will be held beginning at 4 pm, Monday June 1 and Monday June 8. Auditions will take place at Jazz at the Bistro where applicants will perform with a house rhythm …
Director of Education, Phil Dunlap, Discusses Jazz and Classical Music At the Saint Louis Symphony
Join Jazz St Louis’ director of education, Phil Dunlap at Powell Symphony Hall on Wednesday, February 18, 2009. The program features a pre-concert talk at 6 pm by Dunlap entitled “Jazz Influences” where discussion will center on specific ways classical composers have been influenced by jazz music. Then at 7 …
JSL NYC Trip in May: Two Rooms Still Available!
We have two rooms still available…I have extended the deadline to March 31, 2009. Please contact me at melissa@jazzstl.org if you would like to join us this year on May 29 and 30! I am PSYCHED about the Jazz St. Louis trip to NYC!!! We had SO much …
Jazz St. Louis Gala 2009
The Gala on Sunday, April 5, 2009, is our annual fundraiser for our education programs. I hope you will join us for the event this year, Jazz’ll Dazzle. I’ve attached a pdf that you can share with other people. This year, we are pleased to give the first Barbara Rose …
NYC Trip – Please contact me if you’re thinking about going
If you’re interested in joining Jazz St. Louis for the NYC trip May 29 and 30, please contact me this week to let me know whether you’re thinking of going. (I need to put down a deposit on the hotel end of this week.) Here are the details of the …
Young Friends of Jazz St. Louis Presents “Jazz at the Gramophone” featuring the Bruce Barth Quintet
The Young Friends of Jazz St. Louis are hosting a fundraiser to raise funds in support the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars Program.
Join hosts Gilberto Pinela and Ivy Hartman of “Best of the STL”, Jazz St. Louis and the Bruce Barth Quintet in support of the Jazz St. Louis …
NYC Trip Update
Be a part of Jazz St. Louis’ trip to the Big Apple May 29 and 30, 2009! The festivities begin at 7:30 pm on Friday, May 29 and last throughout the weekend!
Your hosts: Gene Dobbs Bradford, Executive Director of Jazz St. Louis and NYC club connoisseur, will serve as your …
Do You Want to be on Television AND Win Tickets to Jazz at the Bistro?
Join STL TV personalities Gilberto Pinela, Ivy Hartman, Cassandra Walker and Todd Thomas during the live taping of Best of the STL, St. Louis’ only live, hour-long show! The show airs on Saturdays at 11:00 PM (CT) on my46 TV following the live Wednesday 7:00 PM broadcast on the …
NYC Trip May 29 and 30, 2009
Jazz St. Louis will take its second trip to the Big Apple on May 29 and 30, 2009. We will hit four jazz clubs in two nights (most likely Birdland, the Village Vanguard, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, and the Jazz Standard) and take a private, backstage tour of Jazz at Lincoln …