"The Dancers": Improvisation for Duke Ellington

T. Renner, "'The Dancers': Improvisation for Duke Ellington," 2009, acrylic on paper, 14" x 8".

I have a number of my jazz-influenced works on display at Nu-Art Series' Metropolitan Gallery, 2936 Locust Street, St. Louis, Missouri, now through April 17. This exhibition coincides with the Nu-Art Series Jazz Composers Series, which features a number of local jazz composers playing their own compositions along with pieces by jazz masters.

Along with my paintings, photographer Roscoe Crenshaw will be exhibiting 30 of his photos capturing jazz musicians in performance.

An artists' reception will be held on Friday, February 19, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

The concert schedule:

* Sat. Feb. 6: The Darrell Mixon Quartet (the work of Charles Mingus)
* Sat. Feb. 13: The Charles "Bobo" Shaw Art Ensemble (the work of Eric Dolphy)
* Sat. Feb. 20: The Ptah Williams Trio (the work of Bud Powell)
* Sat. Feb. 27: The Chad Evans Ensemble (the work of Charlie Parker)
* Sat. March 6: The Chris Burchett Quartet (the work of Thelonius Monk)
* Sat. March 13: The Anthony Wiggins Quintet (the work of Freddie Hubbard)
* Sun. March 21: The Willie Akins Quartet (the work of Sonny Rollins)
* Sat. March 27: The Jerome "Scrooge" Harris Ensemble (the work of Miles Davis/Wayne Shorter)
* Sat. April 3: JD Parran (the work of John Coltrane)
* Sat. April 17: The Stan Coleman Youth Jazz Band (the work of Duke Ellington).