Saturday, June 20, 2009

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase:
Linda Presgrave plays "Rome," plus
Danita Mumphard and Trio Trés Bien's
"A House Is Not A Home"



Since this weekly feature is often used to preview touring artists who will be performing soon in St. Louis, it's been a while since we've presented any videos from musicians with more substantive local connections.

Let's address that situation today, starting up above with a video from pianist, composer, and St. Louisan-turned New Yorker Linda Presgrave. This performance of her composiion "Rome" was recorded on February 25 of this year at the NYC jazz club Iridium. Presgrave is on piano, with Harvie S on bass, Allison Miller on drums, Stan Chovnick (who's also Presgrave's husband) on soprano sax and Todd Herbert on tenor sax. Although she's now based in NYC, Presgrave gets back to St. Louis a couple of times a year; her most recent performance here was last week for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington Unviersity.

Down below, we have a clip of singer Danita Mumphard and longtime St. Louis favorites Trio Trés Bien with their take on "A House Is Not A Home" from a performance in October 2007 at the Missouri History Museum. The connection between Mumphard and Trio Trés Bien is familial as well as musical; she's the daughter of bassist Harold Thompson, and the niece of drummer Howard Thompson and pianist Jeter Thompson. They can be heard performing at various spots around town, including the St. Louis Jazz Cafe.

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