Music

The 2002 RFT Music Awards Showcase

Continued from page 3

9 p.m.: DJ Alexis has been at the center of the St. Louis dance community since way before she was legally allowed to club-hop. Her parties, which stretched from the mid-'90s to the '00s and were thrown under her That Girl moniker, are legendary, some of the seminal early St. Louis raves. As a DJ, Alexis spins rich, thick vocal house, music that's jazzy and propulsive. She's also a member of the Hothouse Sessions -- Alexis on turntables, Chris Hansen on percussion and a brass section composed of trumpeter Kasimu and trumpeter/trombonist La Mar Harris -- who throw down a hard amalgam of live and recorded house music every Thursday at Rue 13 and monthly at Miso's in Clayton.

10 p.m.: No self-respecting jam band appreciates that label, and CPB, we're guessing, is no exception. Sure, it's a convenient way to ghettoize the Cicero's regulars, a way to warn concertgoers of the inevitable odor of patchouli and American Spirit cigarettes that's sure to hit them like a Mack truck should they decide to check out such a band. All the so-called jam bands favor, duh, instrumental jams -- meandering sonic explorations that might, depending on your state of mind and frame of reference, remind you of Sun Ra or Frank Zappa, of Miles Davis or the Allman Brothers, of Funkadelic or Phish. CPB might be a jam band, yeah, but that doesn't mean they're idle noodlers, throwback potheads who can't get over the loss of Jerry Garcia. If you've got them pigeonholed as granola-crunching, Birkenstock-shod latter-day Deadheads, you might be in for a surprise. This eccentric sextet features a trombone and saxophone, and it's as likely to throw down some Afro-pop à la King Sunny Ade as it is to cut loose with the obligatory white-boy-blues extendo-jams.

11 p.m.: One of those bands that never really fit in any of the standard categories, Jive Turkey is tailor-made for the Groove Band slot -- an ambiguous designation, maybe, but by far the most accurate. Drawing equally from hip-hop, rock, funk, jazz and R&B, the esoteric octet makes party music for people who don't care about artificial boundaries, genre distinctions or petty pigeonholes. Don't let the cornball name fool you: Jive Turkey takes its music seriously -- seriously enough to do it right, not so seriously that it seems pretentious. To paraphrase the immortal Dick Clark, it's got a good beat, and you can groove to it. Over the past few years, Jive Turkey has acquired a devoted fanbase and a Slammy statuette to prove it. Unfortunately for us, the band's getting ready to move to San Diego -- make sure you send them off in style.

Delmar Restaurant & Lounge
7 p.m.: It's only appropriate that the Music Awards Showcase lineup at the Delmar Restaurant & Lounge kicks off Sunday with a performance by John Norment. The tenor saxophonist par excellence is a weekly regular at the Lounge -- holding down the prime Saturday-night slot with his Allstars group for the past few years. Norment has also been a key contributor to the local jazz scene for decades, and his string of recent nominations in the Jazz category is long-overdue recognition for his efforts. With roots that go back to the Black Artists Group and the cutting-edge music of the '70s, plus plenty of work within the St. Louis R&B/blues tradition, Norment has the experience, the talent and the spirit to take an audience in any musical direction he chooses to explore. And wherever the music takes him on Sunday, it's sure to set a high standard for the musicians that follow him onstage.

8 p.m.: Mix the guitar playing of Iranian-born brothers Amir and Ali Arab, the eclectic bass style of Charlie Siefert and the New Orleans drumming approach of Drew Weiss. Then add a mix of original tunes that contain elements of Middle Eastern and Afro-Cuban musical traditions, as well as a strong dose of jazz fusion. The result is Sepantha, an Edwardsville, Ill.-based band that's created a strong impression over the past two years. Born from the breakup of the cutting-edge band Acoustic Internote, Sepantha has the same basic cross-cultural, to-hell-with-musical-barriers approach as its precursor. (No surprise, considering that Amir Arab, who writes most of the original music played by Sepantha, was the co-founder of Acoustic Internote.) Despite its diverse influences, the band definitely has an organic feel -- which may explain its presence in the Best Reggae/World category two years in a row.

9 p.m.: Inevitability is usually associated with death and taxes, but a St. Louis variation might link the Soulard Blues Band and the RFT Music Awards. Not only does SBB gain a nomination for Best Blues every year, they've copped the award eight years running. If you're a longtime fan, no one has to convince you to check out their eclectic mix of urban blues, sophisticated R&B and assorted jazz-tinged licks. But if you're not a regular at the SBB's notorious Monday-night jams at the Broadway Oyster Bar or their weekend gigs at B.B.'s and other area clubs, here's a chance to check out the group in the cozy retro-hip setting of the Delmar Lounge. On a bill that features the band in the middle of a lineup of jazz, reggae and fusion/world-music bands, it's a good bet that SBB's eclectic approach will be in full flower.

10 p.m.: Ptah Williams continues to build a reputation as one of the most interesting -- and entertaining -- jazz pianists around. No matter whether he's playing bluesy ballads on acoustic piano or ripping through high-energy, upper-octave runs on electric keyboards, Williams has proved a crowd-pleaser wherever he appears. He's toured in the backing bands of jazz stalwarts such as Lou Donaldson, worked with soul legend Fontella Bass and earned a loud standing ovation that rivaled the response given to big-name acts at last year's St. Louis Jazz Festival. His regular Wednesday-night gigs at Riddle's in the University City Loop have become hugely popular, and Williams has now added Sunday evenings at the Delmar to his schedule. This Sunday, Williams will be sharing the stage at the club with five other bands nominated in various award categories -- but you can bet he'll be doing his best to prove it's his musical stomping ground.

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