Friday, August 23, 2013

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Bassist Darin Gray answers five questions from the Riverfront Times' Mabel Suen, and has a few words with the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson. Gray, saxophonist Mars Williams and drummer Tyler Damon will play a free concert sponsored by New Music Circle tonight outside the St. Louis Art Museum.

* The St. Louis electronic and experimental music scene is the subject of a "Global Ear" feature in the latest issue of the UK magazine The Wire. Although the article isn't available online to non-subscribers, you can see most of it in the photo at left ("sampled" from the Facebook page of Apop Records; click to embiggen) and listen to the accompanying selection of audio tracks here.

* The September episode of HEC-TV's I Love Jazz will feature an interview with singer Marilyn Maye and music from her performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall during the 2013 St. Louis Cabaret Festival. The episode premieres at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, September 12; consult your TV provider's program guide for channel information and a schedule of repeat showings. Once new episodes have premiered, they also can be seen on the HEC-TV website.

* The anniversary of the release of Miles Davis' Kind of Blue was the subject of an essay by Dave Bidini for the National Post (Toronto, CN).

* Meanwhile, the Miles Davis Memorial Project has posted on Facebook an album of photos shot last week at their booth at the Alton Block Party. Joshua Young is the actor playing Davis, greeting passers-by and raising awareness and funds for the effort to place a statue of Davis in downtown Alton.

* If you've ever wondered just what Jazz St. Louis does in the way of education programs for local students, all is revealed in their education brochure, which now has been posted online for your reading enjoyment.

* Best wishes to singer Kim Massie for a speedy recovery from her recent surgery. Massie had a thyroidectomy last week, and according to a Facebook post from her son, is doing well so far. However, since she'll be forced to curtail her busy performing schedule for a while, a number of her fellow St. Louis musicians are staging a benefit concert at 5:00 p.m. Sunday, September 22 at The Sheldon.

Proceeds will go toward Massie's medical and living expenses during her recovery. Performers at the fundraiser will include Denise Thimes, Eric "Guitar" Davis, Anita Jackson, Roland Johnson, Cheryl Brown, and Adrienne Felton. Tickets are $14 and are on sale now via MetroTix.

(Full disclosure: Yr. humble StLJN editor was employed by Massie as her piano player on a number of gigs from 2005 to 2007, and can be heard playing on her CD Attitude.)

* Jazz radio update: The Saturday's edition of Calvin's Wilson's “Somethin’ Else” will feature current tenor saxophonists including Branford Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane and Joe Lovano. After that, Jason Church's "The Jazz Collective" will present new music from Harry Connick Jr., Pieces Of A Dream, Jeff Lorber Fusion and Joe Lindsay; vintage sounds from George Benson, Horace Silver, Joe Sample and Bob James; and an interview with publicist Dawn DeBlaze.

Wilson's program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. and Church's at 9:00 Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2 and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen

On Sunday, Dennis Owsley's "Jazz Unlimited" will feature vintage blues and boogie woogie from Kansas City pianists Count Basie, Mary Lou Williams, Jay McShann, Pete Johnson, Julia Lee, and Sammy Price, plus recent recordings from Leo’s Five, Ambrose Akinmusire, Jay Clayton, Tootie Heath, The Clayton Brothers, Ptah Williams, Rich Thompson, Kris Davis, The Bad Plus, Jan Garbarek, and Wayne Shorter. Listen in from 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays on KWMU (90.7 FM) or online at http://www.news.stlpublicradio.org/.

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