The Gramophone 314.531.5700 // 4243 Manchester // STL, MO. 63110

A jazz saxophonist with hints of Lester Young (that is, if you were to substitute alto sax for the tenor), Bennett Wood has been playing professionally since 2003. In addition to his own projects, he has performed with Reggie Thomas, Rick Haydon, The St. Louis Jazz Orchestra, John Hartman, J-Rob, Downtime, So Many Dynamos, and Kentucky Knife Fight to name a few. Wood has performed at venues all over and around the city, including: The Sheldon Concert Hall, Jazz at the Bistro, Erato St. Louis, The Clayton Art Fair, The Midwest Salute to the Masters and the prestigious Stagger Inn…Again in Edwardsville, IL. Jazz up your Tuesday with this FREE show, which begins at 9 p.m. (21 and older, please). For a sneak preview of Bennett’s tunes, visit www.myspace.com/bennettwood.

Please join us this and every Wednesday for Blue Ribbon Open Mic, presented by the Blue Ribbon of beers (yep, PBR)! Tommy Halloran of Bottoms Up Blues Gang will host, and we will feature $1.50 PBR Draft Beer. Doors for the open mic will open at 8 p.m., and music will begin at 9 p.m. Sets are the shorter of 3 songs or 15 minutes. Be sure to arrive early to secure prime performance time, and bring an entourage of friends to cheer you on. Visit www.myspace.com/blueribbonopenmic for more info.

“The scatterbrained, deconstructionist folk-rock created by Ohtis is a study in contrasts. Crisp, serene strings and soothing vocal melodies flank intense layers of instrumentation and harmony, like a more deliberate and less overdriven Neutral Milk Hotel, or Frank Zappa with a little bit longer attention span. The songs on the Normal, Illinois, band’s new album, If This Country Had a Heart, That’s Where I Was Born, display a rare combination of concise premeditation and occasional madness.” — Shae Moseley
Doors open at 8 p.m., show is at 10 p.m. ($5/21+)

www.myspace.com/ohtis

Rockified hip hop meets funkified improv rock. Doors at 8 p.m., show at 10 p.m. ($5/21+).

Of the 56,000 reasons why we love acoustic funk explosion 56 Hope Road, reason 1 would be that this acoustic funk explosion rocks so hard. Come check out the Jambase No. 1 Road Warrior Band (2006) in person! Show begins at 10 p.m. (doors at 8 p.m.) and costs $5 at the door (21 and up, please). For a sneak preview of 56 Hope Road, visit www.myspace.com/56hoperoad.

1/13 - Jazz St. Louis presents Utter Chaos (jazz)
1/14- PBR presents Blue Ribbon Open Mic
1/16 - Japanese Bat Bomb (Americana, power pop)
1/17 - Turn it Up! Part 4 feat. DJs Needles, Reminise & Enoch is Real (funk, soul, urban)
1/20 - Inauguration Day party feat. DJ Crucial (pop, rock)
1/21 - PBR presents Blue Ribbon Open Mic
1/23 - Funky Butt Brass Band (N’awlins Brass)
1/24 - Pepperland (Beatles Tribute)
1/27 - Jazz St. Louis presents the Andrew Miramonti Trio (jazz)
1/28 - PBR presents Blue Ribbon Open Mic
1/30 - The Station w/ The Werks (rock)
2/3 - Jazz St. Louis presents Bennett Wood (jazz)
2/4 - PBR presents Blue Ribbon Open Mic
2/7 - Fundamental Elements (rock)
2/10 - Jazz St. Louis presents Utter Chaos (jazz)
2/11 - PBR presents Blue Ribbon Open Mic
2/13 - The Diplomats of Solid Sound featuring The Diplomettes (soul)
2/14 - Illphonics CD release party (urban, rock)
2/17 - Parachute Musical w/ Oso Closo (pop, rock)
2/18 - PBR presents Blue Ribbon Open Mic
2/20 - Big Smith w/ Auset Music Project (country)
2/25 - PBR presents Blue Ribbon Open Mic
2/26 - Jazz St. Louis benefit
2/27 - Fattback w/ The Dock Ellis Band (rock, Western)

A jazz saxophonist with hints of Lester Young (that is, if you were to substitute alto sax for the tenor), Bennett Wood has been playing professionally since 2003. In addition to his own projects, he has performed with Reggie Thomas, Rick Haydon, The St. Louis Jazz Orchestra, John Hartman, J-Rob, Downtime, So Many Dynamos, and Kentucky Knife Fight to name a few. Wood has performed at venues all over and around the city, including: The Sheldon Concert Hall, Jazz at the Bistro, Erato St. Louis, The Clayton Art Fair, The Midwest Salute to the Masters and the prestigious Stagger Inn…Again in Edwardsville, IL. Jazz up your Tuesday with this FREE show, which begins at 9 p.m. (21 and older, please).

Please join us this and every Wednesday for Blue Ribbon Open Mic, presented by the Blue Ribbon of beers (yep, PBR)! Tommy Halloran of Bottoms Up Blues Gang will host, and we will feature $1.50 PBR Draft Beer. Doors for the open mic will open at 8 p.m., and music will begin at 9 p.m. A drum set, guitar amp and bass amp will be provided. Be sure to arrive early to secure prime performance time, and bring an entourage of friends to cheer you on. Visit www.myspace.com/blueribbonopenmic for more info.

Scratch Track (KCMO) will perform a special guest set at 10:30 ish.

As always at The Gramophone, this event is 21 and up.

What started out as a simple “I can do that, but better.” statement, has led to an ever growing movement. That comment alone sparked the fire in a group of talented musicians who are now known as Illphonics.
Formerly known as “Fallout and Friends,” the band has a unique and exclusive sound influenced by an eclectic range of artists varying from Pink Floyd to Ludacris and from The Weather Report to Albert King. Illphonics has a total of six talented members: Larry Morris, Tim Edwards, Kevin Koehler, Keith Moore, Simon Chervitz and Chaz Brew.

Illphonics brings a sound to music that can no longer be contained in one genre. Consistently writing and experimenting with ways to take their music to new heights, the band will NEVER settle with complacency in its music. They are always attracting new fans by adding to an evergrowing formula that continues to generate a positive response from listeners. That attitude to never be complacent even rolls into the fact most of the members in the band play more than one instrument. If you mix OutKast, Organized Noize, and the Roots; add a dash of the lyrical rawness of Scarface and a couple teaspoons of the dynamic delivery of Black Thought, and you would be well on your way to creating the gumbo that is Illphonics.

The members, as a group and with other bands collectively, have performed at a wide range of venues across the St. Louis area including The Red Sea, The Delmar Lounge, The Waxx Factory, Off-Broadway, The Stagger Inn Again, The Natural Fact Deli, The Way Out Club, The Lucas School House, Webster University’s First Fridays, Katrina Relief Benefit, The Gramophone, The Pageant and as opening talent for Lupe Fiasco in 2007, The Roots in 2008, and Everclear in 2008. Illphonics also are round one winners of the Southern Comfort Tasty Band Competition in 2008.

Show begins at 10 p.m. (doors at 8 p.m.). $5/21+. For more info, visit www.myspace.com/illphonics.

Gumbohead is a St. Louis-based collection of rhythmic rapscallions and tuneful tricknologists who find great joy playing the music of New Orleans and southwest Louisiana. Every gig is a full-blown Mardi Gras party, so get ready to “laissez les bon temps rouler!” Funky Butt Brass Band will open. Doors at 8 p.m., show at 10 p.m. ($5/21+).

Utter Chaos is a brand new ensemble dedicated to recreating the unique sounds of the Gerry Mulligan/Bob Brookmeyer piano-less quartets of the mid 1950s. Baritone saxophonist Andy Ament is joined by Cody Henry on trombone, Chris Turnbaugh on bass and Jerry Mazzuca on drums. All members of the quartet are graduates of the SIUE jazz department and work extensively around the St. Louis area in a large variety of bands and ensembles. Jazz up your Tuesday with this free show, along with $5 wines by the glass! Doors at 8 p.m., music at 9 p.m. (21+, please!).

Please join us this and every Wednesday for Blue Ribbon Open Mic, presented by the Blue Ribbon of beers (yep, PBR)! Tommy Halloran of Bottoms Up Blues Gang will host, and we will feature $1.50 PBR Draft Beer. Doors for the open mic will open at 8 p.m., and music will begin at 9 p.m. A drum set, guitar amp and bass amp will be provided. Be sure to arrive early to secure prime performance time, and bring an entourage of friends to cheer you on. Visit www.myspace.com/blueribbonopenmic for more info.

As always at The Gramophone, this event is 21 and up.

Electric Chicago-style blues from a performer that critics are hailing as a new master of the genre. Doors open at 9 p.m., with the show beginning at 10 p.m. ($5 cover, 21 and up). For more info, visit www.myspace.com/nickmossandthefliptops.

As a singer, songwriter and guitarist, Adam Stanley has performed live for more than ten years throughout Missouri and in Texas and New York. In a similar style to James Taylor, Van Morrison and Paul Simon and approaches his craft song by song and album by album, giving each track a unique character. Show begins at 10 p.m. (doors at 8 p.m.) with a $5 cover. For more info about Adam Stanley Project, visit www.myspace.com/adamstanleyproject.

We’ll let the critics take this one:

“Soul is still alive, due in part to a bunch of white dudes from Chicago…the real draw here is the band Eli Jones and lead singer Stefanie Berecz, whose dusty, hypnotic voice puts her in line to be another Jennifer Hudson–type success story.” - Avant/Chicago

“The singer’s timeless, sultry vocals continually charm Chicago reviewers, but the rest of the group is not to be underestimated, forming a troupe of groove-packed guitar and powerhouse horns that will undoubtedly energize any venue.” - The Daily Iowan
Doors open at 8 p.m. with music beginning at 10 p.m. ($5/21+). To check out Eli Jones in advance, visit www.myspace.com/elisoul. And, check out the band’s live performance on KSDK Channel 5’s Show Me St. Louis on Friday, December 12th, at 3 p.m., as well as their performance on KDHX 88.1 before our show on Saturday, December 13th.

The David Wiatrolik Trio performs original music and arrangements of popular music as well as standards from the great american songbook. The group was formed in the college town of Edwardsville IL. by SIUE jazz performance majors Sean Raila (drums), Max Kelly (bass), and David Wiatrolik (7-string guitar). The Trio, which often plays as a Quartet or Quintet, with Bennet Wood (sax) and Cody Henry (trombone), has been playing in the St. Louis metro area for 4 years performing thier take on Swing, Latin, Groove and Contemporary jazz music. Jazz up your Tuesday with this free show and $5 wines by the glass. Music begins at 9 p.m. (doors at 8 p.m.). 21+. For more info, visit www.myspace.com/thedavidwiatroliktrio.

Please join us this and every Wednesday for Blue Ribbon Open Mic, presented by the Blue Ribbon of beers (yep, PBR)! Tommy Halloran of Bottoms Up Blues Gang will host, and we will feature $1.50 PBR Draft Beer. Doors for the open mic will open at 8 p.m., and music will begin at 9 p.m. A drum set, guitar amp and bass amp will be provided. Be sure to arrive early to secure prime performance time, and bring an entourage of friends to cheer you on. Visit www.myspace.com/blueribbonopenmic for more info.

As always at The Gramophone, this event is 21 and up.

Rock out for a rockin’ cause on 12/18, when the oneinchead band will perform a special show benefiting St. Louis’ 100 Neediest Cases. the oneinchead band only performs publicly a couple of times per year, so swing by to catch their show and show some love to area families in need at the same time! The event  begins  at 8 p.m. There is a $10 donation at the door (all door proceeds benefit 100 Neediest Cases), and the show is 21 and up. For more info about 100 Neediest Cases, visit www.stltoday.com/neediest.

Genre: Progressive Americana

Show at 10 p.m., doors at 8 p.m.  $5, 21+

Get down and dirty with some good ol’ Southern rock, with a bit of Western music thrown in the mix for fun! Doors open at 8 p.m. with music at 10 p.m. ($5/21+). For sneak previews, visit www.myspace.com/thedirty30s, www.myspace.com/thedockellisband and www.myspace.com/reverendwhiskeyrichard.