The Next Set: Live From Jazz St. Louis

Ben Reece’s Unity Quartet & Denise Thimes

Ben Reece’s Unity Quartet

Ben Reece’s dynamic quartet delivers a soulful, swinging set through outstanding original compositions as well as killer arrangements of standards and modern classics.

• Ben Reece – tenor saxophone & flute
• Rob Nugent – alto saxophone
• Cody Henry – sousaphone
• Ron Sikes – drums

Denise Thimes

One of the most cherished voices of modern jazz, Denise Thimes has drawn comparisons to Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and all those who came before her – but with a voice uniquely her own.

• Adaron “Pops” Jackson – piano & Fender Rhodes
• Eric Slaughter – guitar
• John King – bass
• Demarius Hicks- drums

Matt Villinger’s All Night Trio and Good 4 the Soul

Matt Villinger’s All Night Trio

A trio of native St. Louisans return to debut the All Night Trio on the Jazz St. Louis stage. The trio’s compositions are heavily influenced by different types of groove music, including Herbie Hancock, Thundercat, Drake, and Frank LoCrasto.

• Matt Villinger – keyboards & vocals
• Peter Schlamb – keyboards
• Zach Morrow – drums

Good 4 the Soul

This explosive four-piece outfit draws upon jazz, funk, fusion, gospel, and R&B repertoires to deliver a powerful and unapologetic sound that excites and thrills audiences.

• Adaron “Pops” Jackson – piano & keys
• Shaun Robinson – guitar
• John King – bass & vocals
• James Jackson – drums
• Jason Swagler – alto saxophone

Bernard Terry and Matthew Henry’s Agbara Quintet

Bernard Terry

Bassist Bernard Terry delivers a robust, swinging set with a performance that illustrates why he is one of the most in-demand bassists around. Double-check your door hinges; this quartet is about to swing ‘em right off!

• Bernard Terry – bass
• Kendrick Smith – saxophone & flute
• Royce Martin – piano
• Demarius Hicks – drums

Matthew Henry’s Agbara Quintet

Master percussionist Matthew Henry debuts his new quintet that embraces the spirit of “agbara” – the West African Yoruba word for vigor, energy, and power.

• Matthew Henry – percussion
• Adam Hucke – trumpet & flugelhorn
• Adaron “Pops” Jackson – piano & keys
• Zeb Briskovich – bass
• Montez Coleman – drums

Best of The Next Set, Part 1

This episode features some of the best moments heard on The Next Set so far. You’ll hear from Scooter Brown, Kara Baldus Mehrmann, Montez Coleman, Adam Maness, and many others. Kicking off the show is a dynamic version of “Do Something” from vocalist Denise Thimes with Adaron “Pops” Jackson on piano, Eric Slaughter on guitar, John King on bass, and Demarius on Drums."

Best of The Next Set, Part 2

This episode features some of the best moments heard on The Next Set. Some of the folks we’ll be hearing from on this week’s program are Anita Jackson, The Unity Quartet, Emily Wallace, Erika Johnson and Jahmal Nichols. We’ll start things off this week with Shaun Robinson John King, Adaron “Pops” Jackson, James Jackson and Jason Swagler better known together as Good For the Soul.

Yellowjackets

Now in their 5th decade, the dynamic brilliance of the Yellowjackets is the perfect start to a long-awaited season! The definition of musical mastery, the Jackets are not to be missed!

• Russell Ferrante – piano & keyboards
• Bob Mintzer – saxophones & EWI
• Dane Alderson – bass
• William Kennedy – drums

Harold López-Nussa: Timba a la Americana

Walk the streets of Havana on any day and you’ll hear the soul of Cuba: music pouring from private homes and bustling restaurants, windows rattling with the parties thrown inside, nightclubs pulsing with throngs of people dancing. On his vibrant and spirited new album, Te Lo Dije, Havana-based pianist and composer Harold López-Nussa sets out to capture that stirring sensation with an exhilarating marriage of jazz and Cuban pop music, defiantly standing up to the doubters who failed to share his radical vision.

Harold López-Nussa is rapidly building a global following in jazz and beyond. His tight-knit group captivates audiences with a relentless vivaciousness that “bridges generations and genres” (Billboard). His music reflects the full range and richness of Cuban music, with its distinctive combination of classical, folkloric, and popular elements, as well as its embrace of improvisation.

• Harold López-Nussa – piano
• Grégoire Maret – harmonica
• Luques Curtis – bass
• Ruy Adrian López-Nussa – drums

Ben Reece’s Unity Quartet & Denise Thimes

Ben Reece’s Unity Quartet

Ben Reece’s dynamic quartet delivers a soulful, swinging set through outstanding original compositions as well as killer arrangements of standards and modern classics.

• Ben Reece – tenor saxophone & flute
• Rob Nugent – alto saxophone
• Cody Henry – sousaphone
• Ron Sikes – drums

Denise Thimes

One of the most cherished voices of modern jazz, Denise Thimes has drawn comparisons to Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, and all those who came before her – but with a voice uniquely her own.

• Adaron “Pops” Jackson – piano & Fender Rhodes
• Eric Slaughter – guitar
• John King – bass
• Demarius Hicks- drums

Good 4 the Soul

This explosive four-piece outfit draws upon jazz, funk, fusion, gospel, and R&B repertoires to deliver a powerful and unapologetic sound that excites and thrills audiences. When this band hits the stage, there are no boundaries. The only guarantee is a night of world-class music that is Good 4 the Soul.

• John King - bass
• James Jackson - drums
• Shaun Robinson - guitar
• Adaron “Pops” Jackson - keys

Kendrick Smith and Fusebox

Kendrick Smith’s latest project Fusebox reworks classic video game themes from the 1980s and 90s, early 2000s, bringing a whole new vibe to Jazz St. Louis. For those who remember Donkey Kong, Super Mario Brothers, and other classic games, these performances will bring you back to your childhood with a whole new hipness.

• Kendrick Smith – saxophone & EWI
• Zach Radwine – piano & keyboards
• Josiah Joyce – guitar
• Bernard Terry – bass
• Ben Dicke – drums

Kandace Springs

Kandace Spring’s latest album, “The Women Who Raised Me,” is her loving tribute to the great female singers who inspired her to begin her journey towards becoming one of the premier jazz/soul vocalists of our time. Featuring her unique interpretations of songs influential to her while growing up in Tennessee, Springs covers such classic icons as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Carmen McRae, through 60’s legends Nina Simone and Dusty Springfield, and up to modern masters such as Sade and Lauryn Hill.

• Kandace Springs – piano, Fender Rhodes, & vocals
• Caylen Bryant - bass
• Taylor Moore - drums

Matthew Whitaker

Matthew Whitaker’s love for playing music began at age 3 after his grandfather gave him a small Yamaha keyboard. At 9, Matthew began teaching himself how to play the Hammond B3 organ. Four years later, he became the youngest artist to be endorsed by Hammond—in its 80+ year history. He was also named a Yamaha Artist at 15, becoming the youngest musician to join the stellar group of jazz pianists.

• Matthew Whitaker – piano, organ, & keyboards
• Karim Hutton - bass
• Marcos Robinson - guitar
• Ivan Montejo - percussion
• John Steele - drums

Adam Maness Trio and Montez Coleman

Adam Maness Trio

The Adam Maness Trio has become a standard-bearer for what a “working” jazz group is — functioning as a singular unit with all members feeding off each other to create something extraordinary.

Montez Coleman

East St. Louis native Montez Coleman has toured and shared the stage with a host of jazz luminaries, including the Roy Hargrove Quintet, McCoy Tyner, Wynton Marsalis, Houston Person, Freddy Cole, Bruce Barth, Rufus Reid, & Russell Malone.

• Montez Coleman – drums
• Bob DeBoo – bass
• Adam Maness – piano
• Eric Slaughter – guitar
• Jason Swagler – saxophones

Keyon Harrold

Jazz St. Louis’s newly appointed Creative Advisor Keyon Harrold takes the stage to celebrate a partnership that is poised to set St. Louis abuzz with good vibes. Harrold’s work continues to be unique, thoughtful, and boundary-pushing, just like the artist himself.

• Keyon Harrold – trumpet & vocals
• Shedrick Mitchell – piano, Fender Rhodes, & organ
• Burniss Travis – bass
• Nir Felder – guitar
• Charles Haynes – drums
• PLUS special guests

Clark Terry Centennial

Jazz St. Louis celebrates the life and legacy of Clark Terry. The mark he left on both jazz and jazz education is immeasurable. We’ve assembled an all-star group that would surely make Clark smile as the doors will surely be swinging off the Bistro! A fitting tribute to one of St. Louis’s greatest exports to the world and a monumental leader in jazz.

• Sean Jones – trumpet
• Sharel Cassity – saxophone
• Aaron Diehl – piano
• John Clayton – bass
• Sylvia Cuenca – Terry’s longtime drummer

Jazz U

This program is a mix of current and former Jazz U students. JazzU is a Jazz St. louis program that places talented middle and high school musicians in small jazz combos which meet weekly, focusing on improvisation, combo playing, jazz repertoire, and music theory.

Students not only get the benefit of working with JazzU faculty but also the opportunity to meet and work with musicians participating in the Jazz St. Louis Artist Residency Program.

Roosevelt Collier and The Funky Butt Horns

Soft-spoken by nature, South Florida-bred Roosevelt Collier does his hollering on the pedal steel guitar. Collier built his “sacred steel” guitar prowess with his family in the soul-shaking band The Lee Boys. On his own, he has become a sought-after talent both live and recorded.

He has performed with musical luminaries like The Allman Brothers, Buddy Guy, Los Lobos, Robert Randolph, and countless others. During his St. Louis debut in 2019, Collier became acquainted with the Funky Butt Brass Band. For this show, he enlisted the dynamic Funky Butt horns to join him on stage.

Sara Gazarek

Sara Gazarek is a Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist. She’s been named Outstanding Jazz vocalist by the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation. Sara is a passionate educator who has travelled the world to teach, and perform, at educational camps and music festivals.

For this concert, she is performing with Miro Sprague- Piano, Alex Boneham- Bass, Jonathan Pinson- Drums and Lenard Simpson on Alto Sax.

Jahmal Nichols and the Dave Brubeck Centennial

Jahmal Nichols, Black Frequencies

Jahmal Nichols’ says his newest album, Black Frequencies is about a vibe or experience. Nichols says, “The title track says black is not a color, it’s a frequency — something Black people have been through all our lives with food, sounds, how we wear our hair. That’s what I mean when I say the vibe. The vibe just draws you in.”

• Jahmal Nichols – acoustic & electric basses
• Scooter Brown – alto saxophone
• Antonio Foster – piano & Fender Rhodes
• Montez Coleman – drums

Dave Brubeck Centennial

Take five and join us for a 100th birthday celebration of one of the most defining figures in jazz –the legendary pianist and composer Dave Brubeck.

• Jason Swagler – Saxophone
• Matt Villinger – Piano
• Bob DeBoo – Bass
• Marty Morrison – Drums

Connie Han

With the release of her 2018 Mack Avenue Music Group debut, Crime Zone, pianist Connie Han seized the attention of the jazz world and firmly established herself as a fast-rising star on the scene. That stratospheric ascent continues her captivating follow-up, “Iron Starlet,” released in April of 2020.

One listens to “Iron Starlet” is ample evidence that the 23-year old is every bit an armor-clad talent as the name implies. Her powerful vision takes in the full evolution of her forebearers, from iconic innovators like McCoy Tyner and Hank Jones through the Young Lion revolution spearheaded by the Marsalis Brothers, Kenny Kirkland, and Jeff “Tain” Watts, among others.

• Ryan Bird - Bass
• Bill Wysaske - KIT
• Connie Han - Piano

Remembering Ray Brown

They don’t get together much anymore, but when they do, you’d better reinforce the walls because the joint will be swinging’! Bassist Christian McBride, pianist Benny Green, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson are among the most respected and well-loved purveyors of the modern American music we call jazz. This special engagement brings the three long-time musical compadres together to pay tribute to their mentor, legendary bassist Ray Brown. The joy will be infectious when this trio hits the stage, and we invite you to sit at the table of swing!

• Christian McBride - Bass
• Bennie Green - Piano
• Gregory Hutchinson - Drums

Black, Brown, & Beige

Melissa Aldana

Kendrick Smith and Fusebox

Kendrick Smith’s latest project Fusebox reworks classic video game themes from the 1980s and 90s, early 2000s, bringing a whole new vibe to Jazz St. Louis. For those who remember Donkey Kong, Super Mario Brothers, and other classic games, these performances will bring you back to your childhood with a whole new hipness.

• Kendrick Smith – saxophone & EWI
• Zach Radwine – piano & keyboards
• Josiah Joyce – guitar
• Bernard Terry – bass
• Ben Dicke – drums

Montez Coleman Tribute