In the 1970s and ’80s, the St. Louis band Tracer was one of the area’s premier exponents of fusion-style jazz, combining electric instruments with elements of rock, funk and rhythm and blues.
Now, pianist Ptah Williams has reunited with bassist Darrell Mixon and drummer Gary Sykes. At 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, the re-formed Tracer will launch the fall Jazz at Holmes Series with a performance in Holmes Lounge.
In all, the fall series will feature 10 concerts by locally and nationally known musicians. Highlights will include an homage to Gaslight Square (Sept. 25), presented as part of celebrations surrounding St. Louis’ 250th anniversary, as well as tributes to John Coltrane (Oct. 9) and Charles Mingus (Oct. 23).
“This year marks the 50th anniversary of both the Freedom Summer and John Coltrane’s recording, ‘A Love Supreme,’ ” said William Lenihan, professor of practice and director of jazz performance in the Department of Music in Arts & Sciences, who will play on several of the concerts. “The Sept. 25 concert will feature swing and other traditional jazz styles that would have been found in the Gaslight Square scene.
“Charles Mingus was a highly influential American jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader,” Lenihan said. “His compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop, but defy easy categorization. He once cited Duke Ellington and church as his main influences.”
Jazz at Holmes
Jazz at Holmes presents free campus concerts in a relaxed, coffee-house setting most Thursday evenings throughout the year.
All performances take place from 8-10 p.m. in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall. For more information, call 314-862-0874; email staylor@wustl.edu; or visit Jazz at Holmes on Facebook.
Jazz at Holmes is sponsored by Arts & Sciences; Student Union; Congress of the South 40; Department of Music; University College and Summer School; Campus Life; Danforth University Center and Event Management; Community Service Office; Office of Student Involvement and Leadership; Greek Life Office; and the Office of Residential Life.
Fall schedule
Sept. 11
Tracer
Electric modern by St. Louis’ fusion pioneers
Sept. 18
Guitarist Vince Varvel and his band
Modern jazz
Sept. 25
Dave Venn, Freddie Washington and Bob Ceccarini
“Gaslight Square and the St. Louis Scene 1950s and ’60s”
* With commentary by ethnomusicologist Patrick Burke, PhD, associate professor of music.
Oct. 2
Guitarist Brian Vaccaro and his trio
Modern Jazz
Oct. 9
Paul DeMarinis, Freddie Washington and William Lenihan
50th Anniversary of John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” and Freedom Summer ’64
* Co-sponsored by the Washington University Libraries
Oct 23
Bassist Bob DeBoo and his band
“The Music of Charles Mingus”
Oct. 30
Saxophonist Adam Schefkind and his band
Modern jazz
Nov. 6
Mike Buerck Orchestra
“Swing-Era Big Band Music of the 1930s and ’40s”
Nov. 20
Saxophonist Jeff Anderson and his quartet
Straight-ahead modern jazz
Dec. 4
Students of the Jazz Combo Performance Program