Jazz

A quintet of jazz players assembled for Music at the Intersection will pay tribute to the indelible contribution of jazz musicians and educators from the east side of the river.

Headliners at Music at the Intersection include genre-busting jazz phenom Esperanza Spalding. The festival will take over Grand Center this weekend.

The adult contemporary star, who became a reluctant giant of smooth jazz in the 1980s, died on Sunday after a six-year battle with prostate cancer. He said the St. Louis scene he grew up in shaped his style.

Jazz great David Sanborn, a Kirkwood native, got his start playing teen hangouts and clubs around St. Louis. Jazz St. Louis will honor him with its first lifetime achievement award on Thursday.

Keyon Harrold mixes jazz, hip-hop and R&B on this third solo album. The Ferguson-born trumpeter’s new songs reflect his quest for inner peace.

St. Louis’ music scene is flourishing. Here’s how you can find which show to check out next.

Claire Maue, 20, will lead her quartet at Jazz St. Louis for the first time Wednesday. She dedicated her debut album to her twin sister, Hana, who died last year in a car crash.

Kendrick Smith wants to support active jazz musicians. His Build a Yes effort could help them gain more chances to perform — and record their music.

The HEAL Center for the Arts, a nonprofit in Grand Center focused on music education, won a $75,000 grant from the Lewis Music Prize. The organization’s leader plans to hire more visiting artists and serve more students.

Jazz vocalist Denise Thimes will perform Christmas songs and other favorites when she plays Jazz St. Louis on Wednesday and Thursday.