Old Webster Jazz Festival From Rockin' Blues to Jazz, and from New Orleans Zydeco to Swing
2013 Festival Banner
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This was the old site for the Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival that is still held annually in Groves, MO. After 2013 the domain registration for the site expired after their new site was built and taken live. This site disappeared from the internet.
Their new snazzy site is found at: www.oldwebsterjazzfest.com/.
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I was delighted when I recently discovered that the domain for the OldWebsterJazzFestival.com/ was available so I bought it with the goal of recreating some of its content from archived pages and to point visitors to their new site. I definitely didn't want someone else purchasing the domain and re-purposing the site for something that had nothing in common with the jazz festival. SO the site doesn't look like the original, but the content and images are taken from its archived pages. Go to their new site to see what's happening. Take a look at this page to inspire you to go to the next Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival.
The first time I attended an Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival was a few years ago when I was in St Louis attending a conference for Salesforce certified consultants. The progressive software company that I work for has a robust Salesforce consulting team that helps our clients broaden the domain of possibilities and applications for their business on the Salesforce platform. Nevertheless, I was sent to the conference as a means for my company to network. In addition I was tasked to visit several potential clients in St Louis and present a Salesforce pitch. My guide to the Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival was another attendee whom I meet during a "meet and mingle" luncheon on the first day of the convention. What a serendipitous luncheon for both of us.
I think of that time as the good old days when traveling for business or pleasure was common place. The Covid 19 pandemic has changed everything. All my meetings / conferences are now virtual. I work from home here in Melbourne Australia. We've been through a number of lockdowns. The longest was last summer in 2020 when Melbourne residents. It's worth noting that these settings were not referred to by the government or the press as a "lockdown" at the time. Instead, we were under "stay-at-home" orders, distinct from the much harsher restrictions that would later be used to defeat the city's second wave of infections. That distinction become less important to many of us over time, with a common acceptance that we're now in lockdown, again. The economic and social impact of Melbourne’s repeated lockdown since the crisis began has been enormous. Like many Australians I spent a lot of time, excluding my work hours, at online casinos mainly playing pokies (slots). I would check in every Thursday to Online-Casino-Party.co, an affiliate for some online casinos and check out their promo page created specifically for Australian players. I tned to play at several Australian player friendly casinos. Uptown Pokies Casino is a pokies heaven for players such as myself. Uptown Pokies Casino uses RealTime Gaming (RTG) software considered to be the fastest software available for desk top and mobile. I happen to like their pokie games. I was hoping that now there are vaccines available to help protect against the Covid 19 virus, life will return to normal, but with the emergence of the Delta variant that doesn't look like it will be the case. Here we are in Sept 2021 and Australian authorities on Wednesday extended the COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne for another three weeks, as they shift their focus to rapid vaccination drives and move away from a suppression strategy to bring cases down to zero.
Take me back to 2010, please!
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2010 Festival Banner
The Old Webster Jazz Festival was founded and supported by the Old Webster Taxing District. It is held annually to help promote music and culture in the Old Webster Historic District. Joe Rath is the current president of the Old Webster Taxing District.
Why Come?
One of the most family-friendly jazz festivals on the planet, the Old Webster Jazz Festival is housed in historical charm that promises non-stop jazz. Ten miles southwest of St. Louis, the site combines family and audible art free of charge. From rockin’ Blues to Jazz, and from New Orleans Zydeco to Swing, two stages at the award winning event feature a fresh lineup of the best in St. Louis classics. The jazz fest also offers free parking.
The entire community is involved as hip kids show other young hip kids that jazz is cool. Don’t miss Tribute to Johnnie Johnson with Surprise Guests, Wild Cool & Swingin’, Webster University Jazz Band, Gumbohead, Anita Rosamond, Marquise Knox Blues Band, SIUE Faculty Jazz Ensemble, Joe Bozzi Band and more!
Savor diverse food and drink along with a gallery of fine art. Street entertainers amuse spectators with fire eating, juggling, and balloon blowing clowns. Bring your kids, strollers, and dogs for a day of celebration, education, and commemoration.
2007 Festival Banner
2007 Schedule of Performances
General Festival Guidelines:
Please Note: No Alcoholic Beverages or glass bottles will be allowed to be brought into the Festival.
For safety reasons, we will not permit alcohol to be brought into the festival streets.
Alcohol is available inside the festival from our food vendors.
The Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival will take place on two streets in the historic Old Webster business district. Festival goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets (keep in mind this takes place on the streets of Old Webster, so the ground is not comfortable) ... lawn chairs recommended. We suggest you park in one of three parking lots; The Public Parking Garage, The South Gore Parking Lot or the parking lot to the west of Straubs parking lot on Lockwood Ave.. You can also park on the street throughout the historic district. All parking is FREE. All music is FREE. There will be outside food cafes, inside restaurants, outside BBQ, inside bars (21 or over), outside refreshments, inside shopping and galleries, outside exhibits and displays. There will be a childrens play zone sponsored by The City of Webster Groves with many activities for the children. Come and plan on spending the day and evening with us.
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2005 Festival Banner
Artist Bios
Billy Peek: Johnnie Johnson Tribute
...carries a rock-heaviness in the fretwork while maintaining more soulfulness than 99 percent of those who toil in the rock-blues trench.
- Tom 'Papa' Ray, VINTAGE VINYL
An elite member of Blues royalty, guitarist Billy Peek has rocking roots, having rolled Chuck Berry-style in the 60s and backed Rod Stewart on a few albums in the 70s. Before working with Stewart, Billy Peek played throughout St. Louis in the Gaslight Square era. He is one of the finest rock and blues guitarists in the country. Peek's album, Can the white boy play the Blues?, was selected as one of ten from Tom Ray as the best in St. Louis Blues. If you hunger for rock-n-soul or an awe-inspiring duck walk, don't miss this white boy play the Blues!
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Erin Bode Quartet
And then there are people who are the real deal; classically trained and able to sing without backing tracks.
- Debbie Monterrey, KMOX 1120 AM
Singer Erin Bode has a beautiful, crystal clear voice that is too exquisite to miss. Her sweet personality and sincere performances win over each audience, while her distinctive repertoire and crossover appeal make her equally at home in grand venues or relaxed clubs. Erin performs tunes from the Great American Songbook, pop classics, along with original songs and arrangements. She continues to justify herself as a great voice to remember. The Erin Bode Group has performed internationally, and opened for legendary Supremes' singer, Mary Wilson; for Michael Buble; and for Jamie Cullum.
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Corey Christiansen Trio
“From the first note, Corey Christiansen lights a rhythmic fire that never flickers, punctuating chords with precision and soloing with zeal on this set of inventive originals and standards.”
- Dave Zaworski, Downbeat Magazine
“Awakening, the first track of the nine, foreshadows not so much the adventurous nature of Christiansen’s playing to come, even though he makes clear that a pushing of the envelope certainly can be a component of his talent, but rather the crystalline nature of his tone, rich and glowing, and the logical development of his solos, narrative in their logic. Awakening awakens listeners to a superb guitarist who has developed his own approach that remains technically accomplished and inviting.”
- Bill Donaldson, Jazz Improv Magazine
Since he joined the Mel Bay Publications team as Senior Music Editor and advisor to Product Development in 2001, Corey Christiansen has over forty publications with Mel Bay and has conducted countless guitar clinics and concerts across the country and beyond. His freshman CD, Awakening, spent twelve weeks on the JazzWeek chart in the first four months of 2005, reaching #16. He recently toured Australia for two weeks, and has performed at many notable festivals in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Italy, Finland and Idaho. At the latter event, Christiansen was named Outstanding College Guitarist at its Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. On November 11th, Corey returns to the Smithsonian Jazz Café to record his second Mel Bay Record project in a duo with guitarist Vic Juris. He has performed with Jimmy Bruno, Vic Juris, Rob McConnell, Joe Negri, Willie Akins, Chuck Redd, Sid Jacobs and Jack Wilkins.
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Jeanne Trevor: Gaslight Square Tribute
...she's still a regular presence in St. Louis...Still maintaining a busy schedule that'd be the toast of any performer, Trevor's also one of the nicest people you'd ever care to meet.
- Thomas Crone, Gaslight Square: An Oral History
Relive the nostalgia of Gaslight Square with vocalist Jeanne Trevor. In a recent show, Trevor played Gaslight Square: Cool & Hip. She is still a regular performer at local clubs and festivals, and has performed with the Quartet Trés Bien. A musical actress, Jeanne Trevor tells jazz with a story. Known as a jazz singer from her concentration on cabaret songs and scat singing, Trevor harkens back to a memorable era. Similar to Old Webster Grove’s nostalgia, Gaslight, too, is a history icon. Listen as Jeanne Trevor recreates a potpourri of tunes for you!
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Wild, Cool and Swingin' Featuring Jim Manley
Jim's trumpet soars, pops, sizzles and purrs through exciting arrangements.
- Jazz Trumpet Journal
Wild, Cool & Swingin was the result of popular demand for the horn-driven sound of Big Band. Trumpet virtuoso, Jim Manley, shreds through solos with an edgy style that has been compared to Jazz greats such as Maynard Ferguson and Dizzy Gillespie. Manley has received critical acclaim with his four recordings: Some Assembly Required, Lip Trip, Horns in the House and other criminals, and Christmas Unwrapped. His forays into the musical stratosphere are exciting and unbelievable. Enjoy a wonderful night of Big Band arrangements with an unmistakable twist.
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Webster University Jazz Band
Webster University boasts one of the finest, world-class ensembles of educators and artists. All of its musicians are long-time faculty members of the Jazz Program and each are central figures in the St. Louis jazz scene. Drawn from a rich, modern jazz legacy, their repertoire will have you movin’ and groovin’. Founded in 1980 by Steve Schenkel, the performance includes Mike Parkinson (Music Department Chair) on trumpet, Paul DeMarinis (Jazz Studies Director) on saxophone, Steve Schenkel (Professor) on guitar, Carolbeth True (Adjunct Professor) on piano, Ric Vice (Adjunct Professor) on bass, and Kevin Gianino (Adjunct Professor) on drums!
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Leslie Maclean Trio
Her arrangements of a variety of standards and three of her originals are full of subtle surprises and the tightness of her trio is impressive...The music overall is modern mainstream jazz and world class.
- Scott Yanow, Los Angeles Jazz Scene
Leslie MacLean’s masterful pianistic dexterity and harmonic sophistication tend to rival some of jazz’s more prominent pianists.... MacLean’s playing is lyrical, swinging and especially tasteful.
- Paula Edelstein, Sounds of Timeless Jazz.com
Chicago born musician Leslie Maclean began performing her crowd pleasing mix of jazz standards, American Songbook selections, and original compositions in St. Louis after a 20-year stint in her hometown. Novice listeners will be swept away by the trios beautiful playing and familiar melodies that soothe the soul. Ears of advanced listeners awaken when hearing the tricky changes, and quick keystrokes. The group has performed at many of Chicago’s top jazz clubs such as Orphans, The Bulls, and The Back Room. In Kansas City, they work at the famed Blue Room and Jardine’s, and, in Columbia, Murray’s.
They continue to play unique, exciting and passionate renditions of jazz classics and Leslies original compositions.
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Kevin Mitchell 4
Martini Music with a Twist !
Whether it’s for hundreds at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel’s Crystal Ballroom, a packed room at one of St. Louis’s premier martini bars, or an intimate cocktail party in a private home, the Kevin Mitchell 4 provides jazz music that adds style and class to every event. The quartet features pianist/guitarist, Kevin Mitchell, vocalist, Barb Jochens, saxophonist Steve Kauffmann, and drummer Dave Runde.
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2002 Festival Banner
