Bob Koester to speak Saturday, May 1 at the Sheldon Art Galleries

Bob Koester, a former St. Louisan who owns the Delmark Records label and Jazz Record Mart in Chicago, will speak on the history of Delmark in St. Louis at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 1 at the Sheldon Art Galleries.

Delmark, which is one of the most long-lived and well-respected independent jazz and blues labels currently in operation, was founded by Koester in St. Louis in 1953. A native of Wichita, KS, Koester originally came here to study at St. Louis University, where he sold records out of his dorm room, and later opened a small shop not far from campus. In 1958, Koester and the Delmark operation moved to Chicago, where the label has documented many of the city's significant jazz and blues musicians.

Koester's talk will take place in the Sheldon's History of Jazz Gallery, and is free and open to the public. The current exhibit in the gallery, "Legends of St. Louis Blues," continues through August 28.