Jazz and Blues Lounge

The Jazz You Can Find in St. Louis

by balaspa on June 23rd, 2008

St. Louis is a pretty cool town. I went to school in St. Louis and that is where I developed my love and appreciation for jazz. They have a great radio station down there, WSIE, that is student run and out of Southern Illinois University that plays jazz. It’s pretty cool. I lived there for three years after college as well and it is definitely one of the major hubs for jazz and blues fans. If you are planning some kind of cross-country jazz and/or blues pilgrimmage, you need to book at least a night or two in St. Louis.

St. Louis is also cool for us Chicagoans because it isn’t all that far. It’s a five hour drive or a half-an-hour plane ride to the south and, voila, there you are. It is a baseball heaven, has the Bowling Hall of Fame and it’s a great place to check out some cool jazz and blues.

One of the very cool things that is going on there is taking place at the Missour Botanical Gardens and it is known as the Whitaker Music Festival 2008. The cool thing about this one is that the festival isn’t just a few days in a row and the nothing more. This is every Wednesday night from June 4 - August 13. This is the 14th season for the Whitaker Music Festival and it is great jazz music and blues, folks, along with some other cool forms of music, for all tastes and styles.

Here is the schedule for the rest of the summer, so plan your trip accordingly:

June 25 Tony Simmons Band Jazz, Motown and funk
July 2 Anita Rosamond Jazz and pop newcomer
July 9 Javier Mendoza Contemporary acoustic pop-rock
July 16 Kim Massie Beloved St. Louis blues singer
July 23 Poor People of Paris Vintage French cabaret music
July 30 FolknBluesGrass Just what the name says…
Aug. 6 Laytham and Holmes Las Vegas revue
Aug. 13 Alvin Jett & the Phat noiZ Raucous blues and funk

According to the website:

“Picnicking is allowed on these nights, so concertgoers are invited to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and picnic suppers to enjoy. Food and drink may also be purchased.”

It’s a little like a less-organized Ravinia here in Chicago and it’s not far away for you Midwesterners. So, check it out and tell them you heard about it right here.

POSTED IN: Bands, Chicago, Festivals, blues, jazz