UPDATED: Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl Releases Lineup for November Festival

Blues musicians and swing dancers will perform along Cherokee Street on November 6, delivering a spectacle of music and movement on the occasion of the ninth Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl. And now, the lineup has been released for the event. Divided in three sections — morning, afternoon and evening — the sets are full of all kinds of performers.

The one-day-only music festival started in 2012 as a collaboration of the St. Louis Swing Dance Festival and Nevermore Jazz Ball, but it has since evolved into its own entity over the years.

According to the event's official webpage, the Jazz Crawl is intended to be a "people's music festival" and is open to all styles. It's the sort of event that fits right into the Cherokee Street vibe, where, as the webpage notes, "you're as likely to see a roller-skating banana as a neighbor walking their dog."

“Cherokee Street Jazz Crawl is a culmination of this," the description continues, "a celebration of the city’s urban music and dance scene, and simply an amazing party."

Boasting 50-plus musicians, the event will have the talents of DJs, jazz trios, brass bands, you name it.

From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., catch Blvck Spvde at Teatopia (2606 Cherokee), artist Monkh at Black Coffee (2701 Cherokee) or swing over to The Mud House (2101 Cherokee) to catch an outdoor performance by TJ Muller and Jacob Alspach.

The afternoon set starts at 12:30 p.m. and lasts until 2:30 p.m. Special to the afternoon set is a Students and Teachers Piano Showcase at Pianos for People (3138 Cherokee). Kaleb Kirby and Limewire Prime will be at Dead Wax Records (1912 Cherokee), the Rum Drum Ramblers hit the stage at Retro 101 (2214 Cherokee) and Miss Jubilee and the Yas Yas Boys will be at Yaquis on Cherokee (2728 Cherokee) for an outdoor performance.

Samba Bom will be at La Vallesana (2801 Cherokee), performing outdoors. Sharon Bear and the Cubs take the stage at Saint Louis Hop Shop (2600 Cherokee), with Skamasala rounding out the afternoon lineup at SoJeff Retro (2621 Cherokee).

A mile-long "second line" parade — an event in which spectators follow and dance behind a marching brass band — is also planned to take to the streets, with the spotlight on the Saint Boogie Brass Band. The parade starts at Compton and parades down Lemp from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Free dance classes intersect at this time, beginning at 3:30 and ending at 5:45 p.m.

There are four separate dance classes are being offered. Learn swing dancing or hip-hop moves — you can even participate in the dance battle plotted for later in the day at 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center (2720 Cherokee Street). All styles of dancing are welcome to duke it out for the champion title, scheduled for 6:30 to 9 p.m.

After the Second Line Parade, the Saint Boogie Brass Band performs their own set at the Profield Reserve (2309 Cherokee) for the evening shows. Lasting until 6 p.m., performers such as Joe Park & the Hot Club of St. Louis, the Point of View Jazz Ensemble from the HEAL Center for the Arts and Eric Mcspadden and Margaret Bianchetta — who are taking over the Fortune Teller Bar (2635 Cherokee) — will all be finishing out the musical portion of the event.

“The day-long nature of Jazz Crawl gives attendees a lot of options for experiencing the festival. Enjoy your morning coffee with a side of jazz guitar at the Mud House,” Emily Thenhaus of Cherokee Street Foundation said in a statement. “Treat yourself to tacos at La Vallesana and take in a Brazilian jazz ensemble on their patio. March the street in the Second Line parade, or sip whiskey with live jazz quartet at The Whiskey Ring. The options are endless.”

Not only will the crawl feature musicians and all kinds of dancers, but Cherokee Street’s many venues will also take part in the event. Ranging from established music venues like Blank Space (2847 Cherokee Street) to the smaller storefronts like Retro 101/Cherry Bomb Vintage (2214 Cherokee Street), a total of ten venues are planned to participate.

COVID-19 precautions will be observed at the event, which means masking and social distancing. Visit cherokeestreet.com/jazz for the full line-up, including which spots will require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.

Follow Jenna on Twitter at @writesjenna. Email the author at [email protected]

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