Friday, January 31, 2014

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Chesterfield Jazz Festival, now renamed the Chesterfield Wine and Jazz Festival and changed from a ticketed event to a free one, will take place this year from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Saturday, June 28 at Chesterfield Amphitheater.

The lineup of bands will include a headlining set by Yellowjackets (pictured), plus Bach to the Future, led by the event's organizers Michael Silverman and Robert Silverman, and additional acts TBA.

* Saxophonist and Webster University alum Chris Cheek has teamed with fellow saxophonist Seamus Blake for a new album, Reeds Ramble. They'll promote the release with gigs on March 13, 14 & 15 at Small's in NYC. 

* Drummer and St. Louis native Emanuel Harrold, who this past week became a Grammy winner by virtue of his work on singer Gregory Porter's Liquid Spirit, is featured in a new promotional video from drumstick and accessories maker Vic Firth.

* The Wee Trio's live version of David Bowie's "Queen Bitch," recorded here in St. Louis for their album Live at the Bistro, was a "Download of the Day" at AllAboutJazz.com. The group, which includes St. Louis expat Dan Loomis on bass, will return in April to Jazz at the Bistro.

* St. Louis' Cornet Chop Suey and pianist Stephanie Trick are among the performers at the 39th Central Illinois Jazz Festival being held this weekend in Decatur.

* Trombonist Dave Stamps, a graduate of SIUE and Northern Illinois University and son of SIUE's former director of jazz studies Brett Stamps, has been named director of the jazz program at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN.

* Jazz St. Louis has posted online a photo album of the Matt Wilson Quartet and John Medeski last week visiting Beasley Elementary School in the Mehlville School District and performing at Jazz at the Bistro.

* And speaking of photo albums, Miss Jubilee has posted one on Facebook documenting their weekly Thursday night gig at Thaxton Speakeasy.

* The website New York Jazz Workshop offers an entry-level introduction to Miles Davis in three parts.

* The band program at Riverview Gardens High School, directed by saxophonist Harvey Lockhart, is keepin' on keepin' on despite losing a number of students this year to inter-district transfers. Most recently, the RGHS drumline won the second annual Show-Me Showdown held last month at Normandy HS. You can see their first-place performance on video here.

* Regional Arts Commission is accepting applications for another round of Artist Support Grants, which are awarded to individual artists and range in amount from $500 to $3,000. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, March 5.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' "Somethin' Else,"  Calvin Wilson will spin interpretations of the music of Charlie Parker by the likes of trumpeter Roy Hargrove, saxophonist Anthony Braxton, and Junk Genius.

After that, "The Jazz Collective" host Jason Church will offer a guitar-centric program featuring sounds from Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny, Larry Carlton, Ottmar Liebert, Chris Standring, George Benson and Lee Ritenour, as well as St. Louis' own Elliott Ranney, Tom Byrne, Farshid Etniko, and Brian Vaccaro.

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

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