Jazz arrived in St. Louis more than a century ago, with the Mississippi River acting as a cultural highway for Black music and dance migrating from the deep South. With St. Louis an established hotbed for jazz, it is fitting that the pilot edition of a cross-genre performance series at St. Louis Artists’ Guild pairs the African-American music and dance form with All Colors, a biennial exhibition highlighting Black visual artists from all over the country.
Presented by Portfolio Gallery, All Colors forms the backdrop for Jazz Shift: Sound in Motion, a live, improvisational performance taking place Friday evening at the Guild’s galleries in Clayton.
Dancers Erin Morris and Renee Austin are teaming up with the Steve Davis Trio to present spontaneous dances responding to the art around them, up close and personal.
“Part of this endeavor is to bring more people in to actually visit our beautiful galleries, see our local artists’ work and engage a broader audience of art lovers,” says Board President Eve Bayer, who suggested the idea.
Bayer worked with Executive and Artistic Director Zackary Petot to bring Jazz Shift to life—with a shared goal of enticing art, music, and dance fans to come together. Jazz Shift kicks off an ongoing series titled Fusion, with themed live events tied to each of the Guild’s 2024 exhibitions. The annual student showcase will feature music from Kirkwood High School students on March 10, for example. A spring show dedicated to environmental impact and landscapes will be paired with classical music. And there are plans to fuse Chinese music and dance with an upcoming solo show by Illinois printmaker Lisa Lofgren.
Bayer says Jazz Shift and the Fusion events to follow aren’t just about audience engagement—they’re also just cool.
“We hope to bring a newer experience to patrons,” she said. “The seating is limited so people who come are going to be right with the performers. There’s not going to be that psychological separation of stage and auditorium seating. You’re going to be right there. It could be pretty incredible.”
Jazz Shift: Sound in Motion takes place Friday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the St. Louis Artists’ Guild, 12 N. Jackson Ave. Tickets are $50 and include light refreshments. Limited seats available at stlouisartistsguild.org/jazzshift.
