John Coltrane

The Six Best Namedrops In Song

Musicians frequently reference each other, consciously or otherwise. Usually the reference is something subtle, like a chord progression or a melodic phrase. For those less subtle moments, here are the six best name-drops in song. Let us know your favorites in the comments, but make sure that your p ... More >>

The Six Best Jazz Records For People Who Hate Jazz

I love jazz but completely understand why somebody would not. Roughly 95 percent of music in the genre is self-indulgent, regressive crap, but that other 5 percent rules hard enough to possibly convert haters. Here are the six best jazz records for people who hate jazz.

Why You Should Listen to Music Outside Your Wheelhouse: The Jazz and Metal Connection

Art and life co-habitate, informing, imitating, and enriching each other constantly. Each week in Better Living Through Music, RFT Music writer Ryan Wasoba explores this symbiotic relationship. Every few months, Edwardsville's downtown dive bar The Stagger Inn hosts a show featuring locals The Go ... More >>

Jazz Is Dead. Long Live Jazz.

Art and life co-habitate, informing, imitating, and enriching each other constantly. Each week in Better Living Through Music, RFT Music writer Ryan Wasoba explores this symbiotic relationship When I read "Vijay Iyer and the Outreachification Of Jazz" by Chris Kornellis on the Seattle Weekly's b ... More >>

The Six Strangest Crossover Attempts By Jazz Musicians

About a week ago, our Northwest sister paper Seattle Weekly ran a post about the diminishing popularity of jazz. Watch for a lengthy reply by RFT Music's devilishly handsome resident jazz guitar school dropout later this week. In the meantime, here are the six most bizarre crossover attempts by jazz ... More >>

High Notes: Witness jazz masters in the flesh with a season heavy on the horns

Branford Marsalis & Joey Calderazzo Duo

7:30 p.m. Sunday, January 22. The Sheldon Concert Hall, 3648 Washington Boulevard.

The Inaugural U. City Jazz Festival Brings Legends And New Comers To Heman Park

​The municipality of University City in recent years has been known for producing a number of successful jazz musicians, including pianist Peter Martin, trumpeter and singer Jeremy Davenport, saxophonist Todd Williams, and bassists Neal Caine and Chris Thomas. Now, thanks to the efforts of t ... More >>

The Gorge is more than metal

Twelve Local Artists Not to Overlook in 2011

​A lot of local artists cross A to Z's way. Some send us albums; others Tweet at us. Still others drop us email. (Hint: We love email. Especially if it's telling us about who you are and what you're up to. Even if we don't respond, we read everything.) But despite the constant hum of informati ... More >>

King Khan: Finally Making it to St. Louis This Fall?

Image viaThat's Paris Hilton with King Khan. No, we don't know why either.​According to a Facebook event page, King Khan -- who never showed up for his show with BBQ Show last November at Off Broadway because their tour manager was arrested -- will be playing at 2720 Cherokee on Sunday, Octobe ... More >>

Kvist Records unearths Tom Hamilton's long-forgotten electronic magnum opus

Many Arms

8 p.m. Thursday, November 5. The Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center, 3301 Lemp Avenue.

Jazz for Life: Jazz legend Sonny Rollins performs in St. Louis

Euclid Sessions' First 45 Available: Steve Wynn's "John Coltrane Stereo Blues Pts. 1 and 2"

The first 45 recorded for Euclid Records' Euclid Sessions is now available: Steve Wynn's "John Coltrane Stereo Blues, Pts. 1 and 2." Here's what the store has to say about the song: Steve Wynn first recorded "John Coltrane Stereo Blues" when he was in the Dream Syndicate for their second LP, "Medici ... More >>

Ravi Coltrane carves his own path beyond his father's shadow, while William Elliott Whitmore explores the art of the electric protest song

Vintage Vinyl's Top 50 Best-Selling CDs and Top 25 Best-Selling LPs of 2008

Vintage Vinyl just released its list of best-selling LPs and CDs of 2008. (Physical product? Remember that?) Interesting to see how many local releases -- and how much hip-hop/R&B/rap -- is on the CD list, while how much old (and new) indie rock is on the LP list. Looks like you kids are downloa ... More >>

Ravi Coltrane

8:30 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. Wednesday, February 27 through Saturday, March 1. Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Boulevard.

Preservation Blues

Local niche labels keep the music coming.

Smooth Operator

Smooth jazz lives on in St. Louis — on the Internet

McCoy Tyner

Friday and Saturday, October 7 and 8; Finale Music and Dining (8025 Bonhomme Avenue, Clayton)

Karrin Allyson

Thursday through Saturday, April 21 through 23; Finale (8025 Bonhomme Avenue, Clayton)

Jeff Coffin Mu'Tet

Saturday, February 12; Broadway Oyster Bar (736 South Broadway)

Best Jazz Artist

Willie Akins

Medeski, Martin and Wood

Thursday, August 12; Gateway Arch Stage on the St. Louis Riverfront

Branford Marsalis

Friday, August 6; Gateway Arch Stage on the St. Louis Riverfront

Mardra and Reggie Thomas

Friday and Saturday, February 13 and 14; Jazz at the Bistro

Thelonious Monk

Monk in Paris: Live at the Olympia (Thelonious Records)

Immortal Lee County Killers II with Lofreq and the Phonocaptors

Saturday, May 10; Hi-Pointe

Big Apple

Dining at Bryan Carr's polished new establishment is a sweet experience

Terence Blanchard

Saturday, November 9; Sheldon Concert Hall

Beat Juggler

Hip-hop legend Prince Paul is responsible for some of the music's most transcendent moments

The Ballad of Willie Akins

A jazzman who went looking for his dream in New York and found it in St. Louis

Eyes Half-Open

Cameron Crowe takes Jerry Maguire on a dizzy trip through dreamland

Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, Roy Hargrove, John Patitucci and Brian Blade

Friday, Sept. 28; Powell Symphony Hall

The 2001 RFT Slammies

Homeboy superstar Nelly tops the list of readers' favorite local musicians

Joe McPhee, Davey Williams and Philip Gelb

Tuesday, April 3; Forum for Contemporary Art.

Best Performance-Art Troupe

Third Lip Cabaret

Bring Us Mingus

Fans of the late jazzman will find an upcoming Webster University concert to their liking

On the Move

Mid America Dance Company

Tony Reedus' Frontiers

Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 12 and 13; Backstage Bistro

SPARRING PARTNERS

Jazz musicians Dave Stone and Eric Markowitz are cookin' at their weekly Cafe Mangia gigs

VOCAL APPROVAL

Following local record label MAXJAZZ's upward trajectory

MESSAGES FROM SPACE

Carl Craig delivers sci-fi jazz to the techno cognoscenti

NEEM THE THING

The Neem offer up 29 songs on their self-titled debut

Maximum Groove

Able Hands

1998: The Year in Music, Part 2

1998: The Year in Music