Hat heir is jazz fan

For some jazz musicians, hats are an integral part of their personal style. Think of conga player Pancho Sanchez's everpresent cap, James Carter's flashy brims, or Lester Young's porkpie hat, immortalized in song by Charles Mingus. So maybe it should be no surprise that a guy who sells hats for living is also a jazz fan.

Levine Hat Co. is a old-time St. Louis retailer, one of the few remaining stores on Washington Avenue downtown to survive the neighborhood's transition from garment district to nightclubs and residential lofts. And, as we learned from this story in yesterday's Post-Dispatch, Lance Levine, who represents the fourth generation to run the family business and is currently featured in the store's TV commercials, is also a saxophonist who realy digs jazz music.

I don't really have a larger point to make with this post - I just thought is was kind of a fun article, and I am of course reassured to know that our town's supply of Kangols and fedoras is in friendly hands.