Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival Partners Up

  I  

The University of Missouri - St. Louis (UMSL) and Jazz St. Louis will team up for the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival (GSLJF). The fest will bring jazz masters together April 16–19 with regional students and public audiences for four days at two different venues.

UMSL Jazz Studies Director Jim Widner and guest artists clarinetist Buddy DeFranco, trumpeter Wayne Bergeron, trombonist Paul McKee, and the Shelly Berg Trio with saxophonist Tom Scott, drummer Gregg Field, bassist Chuck Berghofer and the UMSL Jazz Ensemble will participate in the event.

Daytime performances are free and evening programs range from $10–$25.

This festival provides daytime opportunities for more than 750 students from elementary school through college to participate in adjudicated performances. Experienced adjudicators make written comments during their shows and meet with the large ensembles immediately following for a clinic to review their performance and offer suggestions for improvement.

More info: gsljazzfest.com



  • KP2_Print_copy.jpg

    ​Peplowski first came to prominence in legacy swing bands, including the final iteration of the Benny Goodman Orchestra, before beginning a solo career in the late 1980s.

  • John_Hammond_courtesy_johnhammond.com.jpg

    Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.

  • Screenshot_2026-02-03_at_5.17.03%E2%80%AFPM_copy.jpg

    ​“I play what I want and what I like,” said Andrew Cyrille. “I use my knowledge artistically and professionally.”

  • Wynton_Marsalis_by_Frank_Stewart.jpg

    Marsalis will, if he chooses to use it, have a strong voice in perpetuating his vision through a role in choosing his successors.

  • Lettuce_by_Sam_Silkworth_2026_copy.jpg

    Lettuce, from left: Eric Coomes, Adam Deitch, Ryan Zoidis, Eric Bloom, Adam Smirnoff and Nigel Hall