Adam Maness Trio Is One of 2018's STL 77 Honorees

Once again in 2018, ​the RFT recognizes ​St. Louis' ​unparalleled musical talent by presenting the STL 77, ​our list of 77 acts who did big things in the last twelve months. From now through June 16, the kick-off date of our huge two-day music festival ShowcaseSTL, we'll be announcing two ​honorees per weekday on our music blog. For last year's STL 77 picks, go here; for the complete lineup for ShowcaseSTL, go here.

A good jazz gig is a little like eavesdropping on a private conversation; the band is aware of the audience but is often more invested in the interpersonal communication happening on the bandstand. Watching the Adam Maness Trio work through its weekly gig at Thurman’s in the Shaw neighborhood is a little like creeping on an inside joke between pianist Maness, bassist Bob Deboo and drummer Montez Coleman as they rip through jazz standards and an increasingly varied array of covers from acts such as Outkast and Nine Inch Nails. The cheekily named Y98 AM set on Soundcloud gives a taste of the group's high art/pop culture pedigree: “Elegie” channels some moody trip-hop as well as classical flourish via Bjorn Ranheim’s cello, while “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” takes the Tears for Fears classic off your MTV screen and into the speakeasy.

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Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/adammanesstrio