Friday, March 30, 2018

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's StLJN's latest wrap-up of assorted links and short news items of local interest:

* Singer, actor, and Webster University faculty member Debby Lennon has won this year's award for "best actress in a comedy" from the St. Louis Theater Circle for her portrayal of would-be diva Florence Foster Jenkins in Max & Louie Productions' staging of Souvenir. The production won five awards in total from StLTC, including "outstanding comedy."

* St. Louis native and Washington University alumnus Olly Wilson (pictured), a composer, musician, musicologist, and emeritus professor of music at the University of California, Berkeley whose students included drummer Tony Williams, has died at age 80.

* Keyboardist Ryan Marquez appeared Thursday on the morning newscast at KTVI (FOX2) to promote his album release show this Saturday night at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

* The release this week of the CD box set Miles Davis/John Coltrane - The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 already has prompted media coverage including a column from The New Yorker's Richard Brody, a review on Pitchfork.com, and a story about "When Miles Davis and John Coltrane Scandalized Paris" via OZY.com.

* Pianist Peter Martin was profiled this week in Keyboard magazine's "Talent Scout" column.

* Just in time for New Orleans' tricentennial, singer, trumpeter (and University City native) Jeremy Davenport has released a song paying tribute to his adopted home, "One Way Ticket to New Orleans."

* Chris Hansen of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation was interviewed about the foundation's new residency program for musicians by McGraw Millhaven of KTRS .

* Keyboardist Jim Hegarty has released a new recording in his Secret Sessions series, available as a free download from Bandcamp. The latest volume, recorded on February 25, documents a live improv session featuring Hegarty on modular synthesizer with Tracy Andreotti (cello), Eric Paul Mandat (clarinets), Greg Mills (piano, melodica), Claude Montgomery (bass), George Sams (flugelhorn), Steven Thomas (guitar), and Fred Tompkins (flute, bass flute).

* The Riverfront Times is looking for up to 30 local musical acts who would like to be part of  ShowcaseSTL 2018, a two-day "concert crawl" on Saturday, June 16 and Sunday, June 17 that will feature more than 100 performances at various venues in the Grove. To find out more about the event and how to submit materials for consideration, go here.

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