Two of the biggest names in jazz will have you seeing stars in St. Louis next month.
Grammy Award-winning musicians Wynton and Branford Marsalis will be headlining a rare, two-night fundraising event for Jazz St. Louis.
The Marsalis brothers will share the stage for the first time ever in St. Louis on Wednesday, Feb. 21, at Jazz St. Louis’ venue in Grand Center, to be followed by a performance on Thursday, Feb. 22, at the organization’s gala at The Chase Park Plaza.
Wynton Marsalis is a world-renowned trumpeter, bandleader and composer, as well as a leading champion of jazz music and culture. He serves as managing and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, director of Jazz Studies at The Juilliard School, and president of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation.
Branford Marsalis, a composer, bandleader and educator, performs extensively with his own Branford Marsalis Quartet. He has also toured with Sting, collaborated with the Grateful Dead and Bruce Hornsby, and served as musical director of “The Tonight Show Starring Jay Leno” and as host of National Public Radio’s “Jazz Set.”
The Marsalis brothers are mentors who continue to help shape the future of jazz by nurturing emerging talent and advocating for the art form regionally and globally, aligning very much with the mission of Jazz St. Louis.
Proceeds for the two-day event, dubbed Swing for Tomorrow’s Stars, benefit Jazz St. Louis’ educational programs, which aim to develop future leaders in music, as well as to preserve and advance the art of jazz through community engagement and live performances.
Visit Jazz St. Louis’ gala event page for ticket information.
Who wants to lead the glamorous life? For one night only, you can – at The Sheldon’s 35th Anniversary Gala!
The celebration at The Sheldon on Saturday, April 6, will feature Sheila E., whose breakout hit, “The Glamorous Life,” rose to iconic ‘80s anthem status.
In addition to her solo career, the legendary drummer and percussionist has collaborated with the likes of Marvin Gaye, Prince and Beyoncé over the years. Sheila E. has also appeared in multiple films, as well as produced for television. She is the author of the autobiography, “The Beat of My Own Drum.”
Sheila E.’s performance in the Sheldon Concert Hall follows a cocktail hour, hors d’oeuvres and dinner for gala attendees. Gala tickets also include valet parking and preferred concert seating. Concert-only tickets will be available in February. More information is available by visiting The Sheldon’s gala event page.
Quintessential songstress Patti LaBelle will be in St. Louis for a concert in late spring.
LaBelle, whose musical career spans more than 60 years, had her first hit in 1962 as lead singer of The Bluebelles, which she followed with her trailblazing and genre-bending trio, LaBelle. She became a solo artist in the 1970s, creating timeless songs that propelled her to iconic status and earned her numerous honors, including Grammy awards, American Music awards, NAACP Image awards and more.
LaBelle is also a best-selling author and entrepreneur, who oversees her food and lifestyle brand, Patti’s Good Life.
Tickets for her May 11 concert at The Factory go on sale this Friday, Jan. 19, at 10 a.m.
St. Louis museums are well represented in the current USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards contest.
From now until Feb. 12, vote for St. Louis institutions in several museum categories that will earn them recognition in the publication’s contest, which highlights “the best of the best” in travel when it comes to destinations, food and drink, lodging and things to do.
The nominees are determined by USA TODAY’s travel experts who select the top 20 in each category. Once the nominees are announced, it is up to the readers to select the winner by casting their vote.
In the running for the country’s Best Science Museum is the Saint Louis Science Center in Forest Park, which is known for its choose-your-own adventure format. Exploring a full-scale replica of a Mars rover, observing live STEM demos or experiencing the night sky without the glare of city lights are just some of the many options throughout the museum’s more than a dozen interactive galleries and exhibits. The Saint Louis Science Center is also nominated in the Best Free Museum category.
The National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis County is among the nominees for Best Open Air Museum. USA TODAY cites the museum’s “extensive collection of transportation-related artifacts, including historic automobiles, locomotives, aircraft, trolleys and buses” to showcase the evolution of transportation in the United States. Even the Smithsonian Institution has recognized the museum’s collection, declaring it one of the largest and best collections of transportation vehicles in the country.
The National Blues Museum in downtown St. Louis, nominated for Best Music Museum in the country, works to “preserve the legacy and honor the history of music that gave voice to generations.” The museum’s 45-minute self-guided tour explores the genre’s rich history through music, stories and artifacts. The museum also serves as an intimate live music venue for national, regional and local artists year-round.
Another downtown landmark, City Museum, is nominated for Best Children’s Museum for offering “a bit of everything,” according to USA TODAY. The self-proclaimed “weirdly wonderful” destination is an ever-evolving playground of twists, turns, tunnels and slides: From the 3,000-pound rooftop praying mantis to the 10-story spiral slide to the world largest No. 2 pencil, there is no shortage of fun for everyone.
Participants are allowed to cast one vote in each contest every day through 11:59 EST on Monday, Feb. 12. Click here to cast your vote.
An award-winning journalist recognized for her media leadership and for promoting diversity in her profession, Gazelle editor-in-chief Trish Muyco-Tobin has more than 25 years of experience in print and broadcast media. She is also a journalism professor at Webster University. The Trish Set is her monthly St. Louis column featuring good news and goodwill.
