Sunday Session: September 30, 2018

Horace Tapscott

Here's a roundup of various music-related items of interest that have shown up in one of StLJN's various inboxes or feeds over the past week:

* Trane ’63: A Classic, A Challenge, A Change (WFIU)
* 10 Classic Vocal Jazz Duets (Jazz Times)
* The Absence Of Alice Coltrane – Reflections On Spiritual Eternal (TheQuietus.com)
* George Freeman still swinging hard — at 91 (Chicago Tribune)
* AudioFiles: The Controversy Over MQA (Jazz Times)
* Five Electronic Digital Instruments That Are Changing Music (Berklee.edu)
* SiriusXM buying Pandora Media in $3.5 billion deal (Associated Press)
* Terence Blanchard: Music, Social Justice and Raising Awareness About Violence Against Black People (AllAboutJazz.com)
* Pat Metheny still brings a unique voice to jazz guitar (Wisconsin Gazette)
* Interview with Cooper-Moore: My thinking is that intellect and emotion are part of what makes up the “Soul”: New video 2018, Photos (JazzBluesNews.space)
* Earning the Songs of Bill Withers (Jazz Times)
* Out of Dance, the Distinct Groove of Allison Miller and Carmen Staaf (DownBeat)
* Watch Paul Simon deliver an emotional farewell to fans during his last ever concert (NME.com)
* The Legend of Horace Tapscott and His Arkestra on Nimbus West Records (Bandcamp.com)
* The Smithsonian Robot Pepper Can Create Music from Visual Art. Now You Can Hear the Creepy Sample Tracks. (Washingtonian)
* A Brief History of Guitar Distortion: From Early Experiments to Happy Accidents to Classic Effects Pedals (OpenCulture.com)
* Streaming now accounts for 75 percent of music industry revenue (TheVerge.com)
* Tiny Desk Concert: Cécile McLorin Salvant (NPR)
* Wayne Shorter: Other Worlds (Jazz Times)
* ‘Love Is Here To Stay’: The Eternal Power Of Tony Bennett And Diana Krall (UDiscoverMusic.com)
* The Crosscultural Significance of Ornette Coleman (Jazz Times)
* Jazz isn’t dead: it’s just moved to new venues (TheConversation.com)
* Forgotten Giants: Willie Dixon - The Poet Laureate of Chess Records (Paste)
* Cosmic composers: how scientists helped reinvent Holst's Planets suite (The Guardian)
* Sony Music Faces Class Action Litigation for Allegedly Withholding Streaming Royalties (DigitalMusicnews.com)
* Q&A: Bridgette Wimberly tells the story of the Atlanta Opera’s “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird” (ArtsATL.com)
* Bruce Iglauer Memoir Tells Story Of Blues Staple Alligator Records (UDiscoverMusic.com)
* Sound Off: The Sonic Circuits Festival's Enduring Legacy (Washington City Paper)
* Herb Alpert Remembers Hugh Masekela (Afropop.org)
* Tia Fuller: The Brilliance of a Diamond (DownBeat)
* Sun Ra’s Afrofuturistic Album Covers (Flashbak.com)
* Branford Marsalis speaks his mind on music and politics, and he’s not holding back (Charlotte News-Observer)
* 40 years after Are We Not Men? we’re just now starting to get Devo (AVClub.com)
* Otis Rush, Seminal Chicago Blues Guitarist, Dead at 84 (Rolling Stone)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Kenny Barron

This week, let's take a look at some videos featuring pianist Kenny Barron, who's coming here to perform starting next Wednesday, October 3 through Sunday, October 7 at Jazz St. Louis.

A 75-year-old native of Philadelphia (and the younger brother of saxophonist Bill Barron), Kenny Barron first gained wide public recognition in the early 1960s for his work with trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.

He's made nearly 50 albums as a leader and countless more as a sideman, including multiple recordings with notable musicians such as Gillespie, saxophonists Stan Getz, James Moody, and Yusef Lateef, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, bassist Ron Carter, and many others. Named an NEA Jazz Master in 2010, he's also an important interpreter of the music of Thelonious Monk, recording Monk's compositions with the group Sphere on seven albums in the 1980s and 1990s.

Barron last played here with his trio in April 2016 at Jazz St. Louis. His most recent recording, a quintet album called Concentric Circles, came out earlier this year on the Blue Note label.

You can see and hear some samples of his playing in today's videos, starting up above with a trio version of Barron's song "Calypso," recorded in 2015 at Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen, Denmark.

After the jump, Barron can be seen performing "Triste" in April 2015 at the University of Miami, accompanied by bassist Chuck Bergeron and drummer Evan Hyde.

Next up is a version of another Barron original, "Cook's Bay," recorded in August, 2014 at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, MA.

That's followed by Barron doing a solo medley of Duke Ellington tunes, including "Lotus Blossom," "Single Petal of a Rose," "Melancholia," and "Star-Crossed Lovers," recorded in 2010 at the Jazz in Marciac festival in Marciac, France.

The fifth video is a full set of Barron's trio with bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Francisco Mela, recorded in 2008 at the Heineken Jazzaldia in Donosti, Spain.

Last but not least, you can see a short video interview with Barron, in which he discusses his formative years working with Gillespie, Getz and others.

For more about Kenny Barron, read the interview he did in 2010 at the Smithsonian on the occasion of being named an NEA Jazz Master, his 2016 interview with Keyboard magazine, and a joint interview with fellow pianist Benny Green that was done earlier this year by Ethan Iverson.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Drummer and U City native Ronnie Burrage (pictured) was interviewed on the "Jazz on the Tube" podcast.

* Singer Anita Jackson was the subject of a feature story by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* Saxophonist, clarinetist and St. Louis native Dan Block's album Block Party was reviewed by London Jazz News.

* A decades-old trumpet track from Miles Davis is incorporated into a new version of "Quiet Nights, Quiet Stars" just released by singer Alexandra Jackson on her new album Legacy and Alchemy.

* The Regional Arts Commission's new plan for the future of St. Louis' arts scene was examined in an article by the Riverfront Times' Paul Friswold.

* Message To Our Folks, the book about the Art Ensemble of Chicago by bassist and Wash U assistant professor Paul Steinbeck, is out now in a paperback edition, which is available from the publisher University of Chicago Press as well as bookstores and online retailers.

* Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway's performance of their show "Sibling Revelry" this week at Jazz St. Louis was reviewed by Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX.

* Drummer Kimberly Thompson was interviewed by DailyMailTV.

Jazz this week: Ann Hampton Callaway & Liz Callaway, Alex Mercado Trio, Dave Venn & Jeanne Trevor, Moon Hooch, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features two sisters singing in an intimate cabaret show; two noteworthy pianists; an improvising trio with a danceable sound bridging multiple genres; and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, September 26
Singer and longtime St. Louis favorite Ann Hampton Callaway returns with her sister, singer Liz Callaway, to perform their cabaret show "Sibling Revelry" for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis. 

The Callaways (pictured, top left) will do one set each on Wednesday and Thursday, plus a "coffee concert" on Thursday morning.

Also on Wednesday, the "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features singer Wendy Gordon and friends at The Stage at KDHX, a jam session at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Thursday, September 27
Saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet returns to The Dark Room; singer Joe Mancuso and friends will perform at 50/Fifty Kitchen; and students from Washington University's Jazz Performance Program will present a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Friday, 
September 28
Two veterans of the storied Gaslight Square era will be back in the spotlight as pianist Dave Venn trio and singer Jeanne Trevor will perform for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday night, pianist Alex Mercado, one of the top jazz musicians in Mexico, makes his St. Louis debut in a late-night concert at the  Kranzberg Arts Center.

Here at the end of a brief Midwest tour, Mercado (pictured, center left) will be backed by Rodrigo Villanueva on drums and St. Louis' own Bob DeBoo on bass. You can find out more about Mercado and see some examples of his playing on video in this post from last Saturday.

Elswhere around town, singer Erin Bode performs at the Jacoby Arts Center; pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson will play at the Ozark Theatre; and drummer Montez Coleman's band takes the stage for the late show at The Dark Room.

Saturday, September 29
Urban Chestnut Brewing's Oktoberfest St. Louis will feature free live music throughout the afternoon and evening from bands including Tonina Saputo, The People's Key, St. Boogie Brass Band, Jesse Gannon, Lamar Harris and more.

Also on Saturday, bassist Darrell Mixon leads a trio at Troy's Jazz Gallery, and saxophonist Dave Stone's trio returns to Thurman's in Shaw.

Sunday, 
September 30
Pianists Dave Becherer and Ryan Marquez will team up in a dual-keyboard performance for brunch at The Dark Room, and percussionist Herman Semidey and Orquestra Son Montuno will play a matinee at the Ozark Theatre.

Then on Sunday night, the funky, genre-busting saxophones-and-drums trio Moon Hooch (pictured, bottom left) returns for a show at the Old Rock House. Currently in the middle of a tour that runs through mid-November, they've also released an EP, Light It Up, since their last appearance here a year ago.

Tuesday, October 2
A new version of 1990s swing revivalists Squirrel Nut Zippers, led by founding member Jimbo Mathus, will perform at Delmar Hall.

Also on Tuesday, the Tick Tock Jazz Band will play traditional jazz for their monthly gig at the Tick Tock Tavern.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Harry Connick Jr. to perform in holiday show on Thursday, December 20 at Stifel Theatre

Pianist and singer Harry Connick Jr is returning to St. Louis to present his “New Orleans Tricentennial Celebration...Holiday Edition” show at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 20 at the Stifel Theatre (formerly the Peabody Opera House, and before that, Kiel Opera House).

As the name suggests, the performance will include a mix of New Orleans favorites and holiday songs. Connick, whose syndicated TV talk show Harry ended earlier this year after two seasons, will play concerts in October in London and Paris before coming back stateside for the official start of the holiday tour in November.

Connick (pictured) last played St. Louis in July 2015 at the Fox Theatre. His most recent album is 2015's That Would Be Me, which featured him working with pop producers Eg White (Sam Smith, Adele, Florence And The Machine) and Butch Walker (Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Pink, Weezer), but did not find significant critical or commercial success.

Tickets for Harry Connick Jr at the Stefel Theatre are priced from $52 to $147, and will go on sale at 11:00 a.m. this Friday, September 28 online via Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, and at the Enterprise Center box office.

Sunday Session: September 23, 2018

John Scofield

Here's a roundup of various music-related items of interest that have shown up in one of StLJN's various inboxes or feeds over the past week:

* Sons of Kemet frontman Shabaka Hutchings: 'I trust in my ability to write really dope s***' (The Standard)
* R.I.P. Big Jay McNeely, April 29, 1927-Sept. 16, 2018 (LA Weekly)
* A conversation with DJ Amir Abdullah about newly unearthed Charles Mingus recordings (TrebleZine.com)
* Congressional Black Caucus Honors Jazz Players During Annual Washington Concert (DownBeat)
* Jazz From Monterey: 1958, The Birth Of A Festival (WFIU)
* Music from many if not all points of the compass: Rhys Chatham interviewed (Freq.org.uk)
* New Orleans Jazz Makes Room for All the Grooves (64Parishes.org)
* Fired or retired? What happens to the aging orchestral musician (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
* The Guide to Getting into John Coltrane's Quasi-Religious Ecstasy (Vice.com)
* The Women of Detroit Music, Living and Gone, Take Spotlight at Detroit Jazz Festival (Billboard)
* Tiny Desk Concert: GoGo Penguin (NPR)
* Vinyl Is Bigger Than We Thought. Much Bigger (Forbes)
* Tracing The Genetic Code Of New Orleans Funk Music (LiveForLiveMusic.com)
* The Poetic Inspiration of Pianist Lynne Arriale (DownBeat)
* 5 Vibraphonists You Should Know About (Revive-Music.com)
* Music Modernization Act Passes, Despite Music Industry Infighting (Rolling Stone)
* India's singing village, where everyone has their melody (France24.com)
* Americans Listen to 151 Minutes of Music Each Day (DigitalMusicNews.com)
* Spotify to Allow Indie Artists to Upload Music Directly to Service, Bypassing Distributors (Billboard)
* Comprehensive history of KC Women’s Jazz Festival (JazzJournalists.org)
* How David Crosby Found a New Harmony (Rolling Stone)
* The Fat Lady Is Singing - Is American opera in terminal condition? (Commentary)
* Roy Babbington on the 50-Year Evolution of Soft Machine (DownBeat)
* Imagine: Previously Unseen Footage Of John Lennon And George Harrison (NPR)
* Ticketmaster stung by undercover journalists, who reveal that the company deliberately enables scalpers and rips off artists (BoingBoing.net)
* John Scofield's Outside-In Approach To Jazz (SFJAZZ.org)
* Founding Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts in critical condition after 'freak accident' (NBC)
* Live Review: 2018 Chicago Jazz Festival (Jazz Times)
* "Three Is One": Thelonious Monk's Influence On Joanne Brackeen, Kris Davis & Helen Sung (SFJAZZ.org)
* The San Francisco Tape Music Center Was an Early Home to the Avant-Garde (Bandcamp.com)
* Tracing Ska Music’s Great Migration (AtlasObscura.com)
* How Auto-Tune Revolutionized the Sound of Popular Music (Pitchfork.com)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Introducing Alex Mercado

Today, let's take a look at some videos featuring pianist Alex Mercado, who will make his St. Louis debut in a concert next Friday, September 28 at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

The date is part of a brief tour of the Midwest, for which Mercado will be accompanied by Rodrigo Villanueva on drums and St. Louis' own Bob DeBoo on bass. While he's here, Mercado also will present a free, public master class at 1:00 p.m. on Friday in Room 103 of Washington University's Music Classroom Building, 6500 Forsyth Blvd.

A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Mercado is considered to be one of Mexico's top jazz musicians. He's released four albums as a leader, including 2014's Symbiosis, which was selected as one of DownBeat magazine's Editors’ Picks for 2014, and his most recent recording Paisajes, which came out at the end of 2017.

You can see a performance of the title track from Paisajes in the first video up above, which features Mercado with bassist Israel Cupich and drummer Gabriel Puentes and was released online in January 2018

After the jump, you can see the same three musicians playing "Búsqueda," also included on Paisajes, and "What Lays Beyond," the latter recorded live at this year's North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

That's followed by a full set, recorded in 2015, and a solo piece called "Prisma," recorded live in 2016. Last but not least, there's another trio performance, of the title track from the Symbiosis album as recorded in 2015 at the Festival de Jazz Nuevo León in Mexico.

For more about Alex Mercado, read the Q&As with him published by JazzCorner.com and AllAboutJazz.com.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

Music for Lifelong Achievement launches annual musical instrument drive

Music for Lifelong Achievement (MFLA) is launching their annual musical instrument drive starting next Monday, September 24 and continuing through Sunday, October 28.

MFLA is a local not-for-profit organization based at the Sheldon Concert Hall that collects used and new musical instruments and donates them to school and community music programs serving young people in need. Since its inception, MFLA has provided more than 1,000 instruments to music students all over the St. Louis area.

There are two ways to help: by giving a musical instrument, or giving cash. Selected St. Louis-area Starbucks stores once again will serve as drop-off locations for used and new musical instruments during the drive; see http://supportmfla.org/ for a list of participating locations.

The donated instruments then will be repaired, if needed, and distributed to students who otherwise would not be able to afford an instrument. Donors get a letter documenting the value of the instrument for tax deduction purposes.

If you don’t have an instrument to donate, MFLA gladly accepts cash contributions, which are used to help pay for necessary repairs of donated instruments and provide accessories such as strings, reeds, and sheet music. These donations also are tax deductible.

For more information or to make a donation, call The Sheldon at 314-533-9900 or visit http://www.supportmfla.org/.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Pianist Peter Martin (pictured) and his company Open Studio Network were featured in a Sunday New York Times story about taking jazz piano lessons online.

* On a related note, Open Studio Network this week released their first saxophone course, "Fundamentals of Jazz Saxophone," featuring alto saxophonist Steve Wilson.

* Harris-Stowe State University has announced plans to renovate an historic building on campus that will serve as a home for the university's Don and Heide Wolff Jazz Institute and the National Black Radio Hall of Fame.

* Bassist and singer Janet Evra was the subject of a short feature by the Riverfront Times' Christian Schaeffer.

* Flute player and composer Fred Tompkins has self-released Four For St. Louis, an EP featuring four of his most recent jazz compositions, recorded with musicians including vocalist Johanna Nordhorn, pianists Greg Mills and Maryse Carlin, and drummers Steve Davis, Kyle Honeycutt, and Charlie Dent.

* The first-ever STL Drum Show will take place Saturday, October 20 at the Koken Art Factory. The free event will feature 40 vendors, drum clinics, personal appearances from drummers Glen Sobel and James Sexton, and more.

* The Miles Davis statue in Alton, IL is listed at #1 on the Chicago Tribune's "Bucket list: 20 things to see linked to influential Illinoisans."

* The Regional Arts Commission has released their report on "A Creative Vision For St. Louis," laying out "a series of priorities for the immediate future of the region’s arts scene." You can read the entire report here.

* Drummer and St. Louis expat Kimberly Thompson made news this week, in a tabloid sort of way, for a request for a restraining order she filed against her former employer, pop star Beyoncé, that contains some bizarre allegations. Read more about it in the Riverfront Times, Pitchfork, and/or TheBlast.com.

Jazz this week: Byron Stripling; Bonearama; Lee, McPhee, Corsano & Orcutt; Dave King & Chris Weller; and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes New Music Circle's first concerts of their 60th season; the return of a popular trumpeter and singer to Jazz St. Louis; the drummer of The Bad Plus in one of his several side projects; and more.

Let's go to the highlights ...

Wednesday, September 19
Trumpeter Byron Stripling (pictured, top left) returns to Jazz St. Louis for the first of five nights of performances.

Stripling, who directs the Columbus (OH) Jazz Orchestra and also is known for his tribute to the music of Louis Armstrong, will be the first musician to do a five-night run at the Bistro since Sunday matinees and evening performances were added for select artists.

Elsewhere in Grand Center, Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club; and the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features the Jazz Troubadours at The Stage at KDHX, plus the jam session led by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Also on Wednesday, Wright's Project plays jazz-fusion and funk at Al's Lounge, and bassist Glen Smith and guitarist Eric Slaughter perform at Evangeline's.

Thursday, September 20
Guitarist Daryl Darden, back home from California for visit, will lead a quartet in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Also on Thursday, The People's Key play at the Chase Club, and the Joe Park Trio performs at The Dark Room.

Friday, 
September 21
New Music Circle presents cellist Okkyung Lee, multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee, percussionist Chris Corsano and guitarist Bill Orcutt (pictured, bottom left) at Joe's Cafe in the first of two nights of improvised duo performances.

While they're in town, Lee also will present a workshop and artist talk at 3:00 p.m. Thursday at SLU’s Xavier Hall Studio Theatre, and McPhee will do a solo performance at 1:00 p.m. Saturday at the Contemporary Art Museum, responding to CAM’s exhibit of works by Jean-Michel Basquiat. Both events are free and open to the public.

Also on Friday, New Orleans' Bonerama returns for a show at the Atomic Cowboy Pavilion, with an opening set from the Funky Butt Brass Band

Elsewhere around town, jazz-fusion band Koplant No plays a free concert at 560 Music Center, and Carolbeth True and Two Times True with saxophonist Larry Johnson returns to the Parkside Grille.

Saturday, September 22
New Music Circle presents a second evening of improvisational duets from Okkyung Lee, Joe McPhee, Chris Corsano and Bill Orcutt, this time at Off Broadway; and trumpeter Jim Manley leads a trio at Evangeline's.

Sunday, September 23
Drummer Montez Coleman and friends will play for brunch at The Dark Room, while Miss Jubilee performs at Evangeline's.

Then on Sunday evening, drummer Dave King of The Bad Plus and Happy Apple teams with Chicago-based saxophonist Chris Weller for a duo performance at The Dark Room.

Monday, September 24
Dizzy Atmosphere plays vintage swing and Gypsy jazz for diners at The Shaved Duck, and guitarist Daryl Darden gets in another gig on his visit home, this time at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, September 25
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo and band perform at The Dark Room.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Sunday Session: September 16, 2018

Billy Cobham

Here's a roundup of various music-related items of interest that have shown up in one of StLJN's various inboxes or feeds over the past week:

* For Chelsea native Chick Corea, one passion, many paths (Boston Globe)
* Pianist Matthew Shipp can make magic with the perfect partner (Chicago Reader)
* Bassist Eric Revis works at the conflux of the mainstream and its far-out tributaries (Chicago Reader)
* Conversation with Billy Cobham, Part 1: The Art of Creation (SomethingElseReviews.com)
* Conversation with Billy Cobham, Part 2: Brian Gruber and Ronnie Scott’s (SomethingElseReviews.com)
* Monterey Jazz Festival celebrates 40 years in Japan – and China could be the next stop (South China Morning Post)
* Hank Mobley, the greatest sax player you never heard (The Spectator)
* Channeling the cosmic imperfections of Sun Ra’s record sleeves (TheVinylFactory.com)
* Israeli music scene jolted by international boycott movement (Associated Press)
* Documentary Offers Intimate Portrait of a Demur Abercrombie (DownBeat)
* Barre Phillips announces his farewell record End To End (The Wire)
* Guantánamo Mixtape: This Would Be the Soundtrack to Hell (LitHub.com)
* Quincy review – portrait of a musical legend fails to sing (The Guardian)
* Musicians, Labels and Festival Programmers Anxious Over Brexit (DownBeat)
* Live Review: 2018 Detroit Jazz Festival (Jazz Times)
* The Untold Stories of Paul McCartney (GQ)
* No Boundaries: The Many Sides of Steven Bernstein (SFJAZZ.org)
* Fifteen Questions Interview with Olivia Block (15questions.net)
* The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s (Pitchfork.com)
* 'I didn’t just fade off the planet.’ Reconnecting with ’70s funk queen Betty Davis (Washington Post)
* No more heroes: how music stopped meaning everything (Irish Times)
* Count Basie Orchestra Knows Pop Music (DownBeat)
* Jazz in the Display Case (Jazz Times)
* With 'Emanon,' legendary saxophonist Wayne Shorter finds a way to marry comic books and jazz (Los Angeles Times)
* In Memoriam: Randy Weston (DownBeat)
* Cuong Vu Keeps it Close to Home for ‘Change In The Air’ (DownBeat)
* Former Bad Plus pianist still 'loves playing in the Midwest' despite rocketing career (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)
* Wilco Guitarist Nels Cline Reclaims Mood Music In The City Of Brotherly Love (NPR)
* Berkeley's Legendary Fantasy Studios to Close Its Doors (KQED)
* Trumpet Colossus Kenny Dorham Towers Alongside the Jazz Gods (Austin Chronicle)
* The World On Six Strings (ArtForum.com)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Fall 2018 jazz preview, part five

This week, StLJN's Fall 2018 jazz preview, featuring videos of the various jazz and creative music performers who will be visiting St. Louis in the next few months, wraps up with the fifth of five installments. (You can see part one here, part two here, part three here, and part four here.)

Picking up in mid-November when last week's post left off, today's first video up above features keyboardist Jeff Lorber's Fusion, who are coming to town to play starting Wednesday, November 14 through Sunday, November 18 at Jazz St. Louis. The clip features them playing Lorber's "Night Sky" at the 2018 Java Jazz Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia.

After the jump, you can see singer and impressionist Christina Bianco, whose show "Diva Moments" will wrap up the Gaslight Cabaret Festival's fall series with performances on Friday, November 16 and Saturday, November 17 at Gaslight Theater. The video shows Bianco incorporating 25 different impressions into a version of the song "Born This Way," recorded in December 2017 in London.

Next, it's trumpeter, singer, and U City native Jeremy Davenport, who will be making his annual trip back here from New Orleans to perform on Friday, November 23 and Saturday, November 24 at Jazz St. Louis. In the video, he can be seen performing his original song "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" at the 2017 French Quarter Fest in NOLA.

That's followed by a video of bassist Christian McBride's New Jawn, who are scheduled to play Wednesday, November 28 through Sunday, December 2 at Jazz St. Louis. They're seen here performing an entire set, recorded in April 2018 at Dizzy’s Club in Jazz at Lincoln Center in NYC.

The fifth clip features artist, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Lonnie Holley, who will perform in a concert presented by New Music Circle on Saturday, December 1 at Off Broadway. Holley is seen in the video singing "Somewhere in a Dream I Got Lost," recorded in 2018 at A Ship in the Woods, an art gallery in Escondido, CA.

The next video features singer Christine Ebersole &and singer/pianist Billy Stritch, who will perform their cabaret show "Snowfall" on Wednesday, December 5 and Thursday, December 6 at Jazz St. Louis. In this clip, which is from 2014, they're dueting on the Rodgers and Hammerstein standard "Surrey With The Fringe On Top."

Saxophonist Adam Larson is featured in the penultimate clip, an excerpt from a set recorded in June 2017 at Saxquest right here in St. Louis. Larson will be back in town to play "The Music of Sonny Rollins" on Friday, December 7 and Saturday, December 8 at Jazz St. Louis.

Last but certainly not least, it's pianist Robert Glasper, who be will returning with his trio for a week of shows starting Wednesday, December 12 and continuing through Sunday, December 16 at Jazz St. Louis. Today's final video is an excerpt from a performance by Glasper and the trio in 2017 at Jamboree Jazz Club in Barcelona.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Just when you thought there couldn't possibly be any more un-issued Miles Davis recordings sitting on a shelf somewhere, Sleepy Night Records has announced the release on CD of Miles Davis Best of Live 1986 - 1991.

As the name implies, the album (pictured) features newly mastered versions of nine tracks recorded in the last five years of Davis' life during live performances in Paris, Melbourne, New York City, and Milan, Italy, and includes a 12-page booklet with "rare photos and insightful commentary."

Sleepy Night Records previously has released DVDs and live audio recordings featuring trumpeters Maynard Ferguson and Don Ellis.

* The Riverfront Times this week published a photo gallery documenting Sunday's "Sound of St. Louis" showcase at the Grandel Theatre and The Dark Room.

* Jazz St. Louis' 2018-19 season is previewed in an article in Alive magazine.

* Bassist and Wash U professor Paul Steinbeck's book Message to Our Folks: The Art Ensemble of Chicago will be the subject of a program and discussion at the Padova Jazz Festival, held in November in Padova, Italy.

* Max & Louie Productions has announced that singer Debby Lennon will star and Ken Page will direct the company's upcoming staging of Love, Linda, a play with music about Cole Porter's wife Linda Lee Thomas that features a number of Porter's classic songs. Tickets go on sale on Monday, October 1 for the production, which will run from Thursday, January 17 through Sunday, January 27 of next year at the Marcelle Theater in Grand Center.

Jazz this week: Chick Corea, Harold López-Nussa, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival, and more

The fall presenting season for jazz and creative music in St. Louis gets underway in earnest this week, with two top-shelf pianists visiting our town; a couple of notable acts here from New Orleans; this year's edition of a popular (and free) local festival, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, September 12
As of late Tuesday night, pianist Chick Corea's first show with his Vigilette Trio on Wednesday at Jazz St. Louis is sold out, but some tickets remain for the second show. Check the Jazz St. Louis website for the latest availability, and remember that even when shows sell out at the Bistro, you can watch a video simulcast for free in the first floor lounge across the hall, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Those free simulcasts also are considered part of the free "Grand Center Jazz Crawl," which this week includes guitarist Joe Park's trio at The Stage at KDHX, a jam session hosted by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's band at The Dark Room.

Also on Wednesday, Jazz St. Louis kicks off their expanded "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series for the 2018-19 season with "The Crisis in Music," a talk by author Ted Gioia that's free and open to the public at the St. Louis Public Library's main branch downtown.

Thursday, September 13
The impressive young Cuban pianist Harold López-Nussa (pictured, top left), who made his St. Louis debut last year at Jazz St. Louis, returns to play for one night only at JSL's Bistro.

Elsewhere around town, singer Erin Bode will perform in a free outdoor concert at Kirkwood Station Plaza, and pianist Ptah Williams leads his trio in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Also on Thursday, New Orleans swing and blues revivalists Frog and Henry play for dancers at the  Intersect Arts Center; and trumpeter Philip Watt, also an actor who's played the role of the late trumpeter Chet Baker in three stage productions, will lead a quartet at The Dark Room.

Friday, 
September 14
Also in from New Orleans this week, Big Sam's Funky Nation (pictured, bottom left) bring their brassy, danceable sound back to the Old Rock House. They're touring in support of their most recent album Songs In The Key of Funk, Vol 1, which was released in May.

That same evening, eclectic rock band the Brothers Lazaroff will augment their usual lineup with pianist Peter Martin for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis; the Midwest Jazztette plays West Coast "cool jazz" at Evangeline's; and singer Anita Jackson will perform for the late night crowd at The Dark Room.

Saturday, September 15
The annual Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival will take place in the Old Webster Business District, centered around the intersection of Lockwood Ave & Gore Ave. This year, the free, all-day event will feature jazz performances from the Webster University faculty ensemble, the Webster Groves High School Jazz Band, the US Air Force's "Shades of Blue" ensemble, SpaceShip, Miss Jubilee, and Bach to the Future, as well as blues from David Dee, Marquise Knox and more.

Also on Saturday, the Funky Butt Brass Band plays a free show for the Greentree Festival in Kirkwood Park, and Dizzy Atmosphere will perform vintage swing and Gypsy jazz in the beer garden at the Missouri Botanical Garden's "Flora Borealis" exhibit.

Sunday, September 16
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents The Gaslight Squares playing traditional jazz in a matinee concert at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel St. Louis - Westport.

Monday, September 17
Members of the Webster University jazz faculty led by saxophonist Paul DeMarinis will perform music representing "The Jazz Legacy of Columbia Records 1955-1965" at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)

Sunday Session: September 9, 2018

Randy Weston

Here's a roundup of various music-related items of interest that have shown up in one of StLJN's various inboxes or feeds over the past week:

* Curious questions: Do dogs like listening to music? (CountryLife.co.uk)
* Billy Childs’ Storied Past (NUVO)
* Little Feat – Sky, Heaven and California Up Ahead! (FYIMusicNews.ca)
* East Meets East - Nathan + Noah (Yumpu.com)
* 'My Spike Lee Joints': 'BlacKkKlansman' Composer Terence Blanchard on Working With the Director for Nearly 30 Years (Billboard)
* Washboards: The laundry tool that is music to the ears (CBS News)
* The Lost Mingus Tapes (Qwest.tv)
* “Lost” 1973 Live Charles Mingus Recording Set for Release (Jazz Times)
* Anthony Braxton’s Big Ideas: Why ‘Forces in Motion’ Is an Essential American Music Book (Rolling Stone)
* 'Art shouldn’t be weaponised': the atonal concert championing Berlin's homeless (The Guardian)
* Introducing Humbolt, The World’s First ‘Ethical’ Streaming Music Service (DigitalMusicNews.com)
* The Top Uses of John Coltrane Songs in Movies or TV (TVOvermind.com)
* Randy Weston Dies at 92 (Jazz Times)
* Pianist Randy Weston, An Eloquent Spokesman For Jazz's Bond with African Culture, Dies at 92 (WBGO)
* Amid Stormy Skies, Detroit Jazz Fest Honors Geri Allen (DownBeat)
* Let Them Play: Ethan Iverson Speaks (JazzSpeaks.org)
* A hard Brexit will smash the British music industry, experts warn (Gigwise.com)
* Alan Braufman: A Valley Worth Searching (Jazz Times)
* City’s Cultural Capital on Full Display at Chicago Jazz Festival (DownBeat)
* William Parker: Other Dimensions (Bass Player)
* Wayne Kramer On World Cafe (NPR)
* Paul Simon Says 'I'm Finished' Writing Music (NPR)
* Rod Argent -The Zombies' Co-Founder on The Beatles, Chick Corea, and His Love for the Piano (Keyboard)
* 'Quincy' Trailer Highlights Life and Career of Quincy Jones: Watch (Billboard)
* This artificial intelligence app wants to make beautiful music with you (Fast Company)
* Apple Music to Publish Its Own Top Music Charts (Rolling Stone)
* His Sh*t’s F***ed Up: The Complicated Legacy of Warren Zevon (TheRinger.com)
* Nolatet: Raising a Bigger Dust Cloud (Jazz Times)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Fall 2018 jazz preview, part four

Here's part four of StLJN's Fall 2018 jazz preview, featuring videos of the jazz and creative music performers who will be visiting here in the next several months. You can see part 1 of the preview here, part 2 here, and part 3 here.

Continuing this week in chronological order from where last week's post left off, first up is singer and actress Faith Prince, who will be performing as part of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival on Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27 at the Gaslight Theater. In the video up above, Prince is seen singing "Suddenly Seymour" from the musical Little Shop of Horrors.

After the jump, you can see a video of singer, songwriter and pianist Jimmy Webb, who will follow Price at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival with performances on Sunday, October 28 (already sold out) and Monday, October 29 at the Gaslight Theater. The clip features Webb doing his song "If These Walls Could Speak" in 2016 at a soundcheck for a gig in the UK.

Next is pianist David Thomas Roberts, who will perform in a concert presented by the Friends of Scott Joplin on Sunday, October 28 at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site's Rosebud Cafe. Roberts can be seen in the video premiering a new composition called "Victorian Gardens" at the 2017 West Coast Ragtime Festival in Rancho Cordova, CA.

That same week, vibraphonist Stefon Harris and his band Blackout will be in town to play starting Wednesday, October 31 through Sunday, November 4 at Jazz St. Louis. The next video is an episode of the online program "The Pace Report," recorded in January 2018 and featuring an interview with Harris plus some short musical excerpts.

Also that same week, singer Carrie St. Louis will perform on Friday, November 2 and Saturday, November 3 at the Gaslight Theater. She's seen in today's fifth clip singing three songs from roles on her "Broadway bucket list": Clara in The Light in the Pizza, Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, and Fantine in Les Miserables.

After that, it's singer and trumpeter Lonnie McFadden, who will perform for one night only on Thursday, November 8 at the Gaslight Theater. Today's sixth video shows an excerpt from a performance by the Kansas City native last October at The Phoenix piano bar in his home town.


The next-to-last clip shows composer and instrument builder Ellen Fullman performing on her custom-built Long String Instrument (LSI)  in 2016 at a concert in Paris, France. Fullman and the LSI will be here in St. Louis for a performance presented by New Music Circle on Friday, November 9 at 560 Music Center.

The final video features funk and fusion band Tauk, who will be back in town to perform on Tuesday, November 13 at the Old Rock House. The video shows a full set of the band, recorded in April 2018 at the Woodlands Tavern in Columbus, OH.

Look for part five of StLJN's Fall 2018 jazz preview next week in this space. You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Following the last-minute cancellation of this weekend's LouFest music festival, a number of acts scheduled to play the event have managed to book replacement shows at various venues around town.

Most of the bands and musicians that were scheduled to perform on LouFest's jazz stage, plus some other local performers, now will be playing "The Sound of St. Louis" Showcase, a free event taking place from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 9 at the Grandel Theatre and The Dark Room.

The event will feature music from Ben Reece's Unity Quartet, Bob DeBoo, Jesse Gannon, Kasimu Taylor (pictured), Kevin Bowers' Nova, Mo Egeston, Owen Ragland, Ptah Williams Trio, and Tonina Saputo, as well as sets from The Burney Sisters, Dracla, Grace Basement, The Knuckles, The River Kittens, and Scrub & Ace Ha.

* Though local media outlets had to scrap many of their LouFest previews, the re-scheduling of many of the fest's jazz acts for the above-mentioned Sunday showcase did allow for the publication as originally planned of Kevin Johnson's Post-Dispatch feature on keyboardist Owen Ragland (link to Google cache).

* Also rescued from the LouFest-preview kill file, a feature story about drummer Kevin Bowers from the Riverfront Times' Christian Schaeffer.

* The late pianist and singer Jean Kittrell was the subject of a remembrance in the Edwardsville Intelligencer.

* Also in the Intelligencer, a brief preview of Saturday's Alton Jazz and Wine Festival, which has been moved indoors to Argosy Casino's music hall due to a forecast of heavy rain for Saturday.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold's recent performance for the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem, NYC, was recorded for broadcast (and archived online) by radio station WBGO.

* Pianist Dred Scott, born here in St. Louis as Joseph Patrick Scott and now based in NYC, has a new album coming out on September 21. Titled Rides Alone, it features Scott playing solo on eight tracks of original music, and will be available as a CD or download from BandCamp.

* Thurman's in Shaw's new Sunday brunch was the subject of a brief feature by the Riverfront Times' Sarah Penske.

* The Davenport Lounge at the New Orleans Ritz Carlton hotel, which features music four nights a week from trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport, was mentioned in a CNN feature about celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse's list of New Orleans "must-dos."

* Bach to the Future's concert tonight at the Miller Performing Arts Center in Jefferson City was previewed in the Jefferson City News-Tribune.

Dave Koz holiday tour booked for Tuesday, December 11 at Family Arena

Saxophonist Dave Koz is bringing his 2018 Christmas tour to the St. Louis area for a performance on Tuesday, December 11 at the Family Arena.

This is the 21st year that Koz (pictured) has done a holiday-themed tour, and for this year's edition, his "special guests" will include saxophonist and singer Mindi Abair, guitarist and singer Jonathan Butler, and keyboard player Keiko Matsui.

Tickets are priced from $50 to $90 (plus service charges), and there's also a "VIP Experience" for $198 per person.

Tickets will go on sale at noon this Friday, September 7, but there's also a presale beginning at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, September 6, and continuing until 10:00 p.m. tomorrow night. To get in on the presale, go to the the Metrotix website and when prompted, use promo code HORNS.

Jazz this week: Alton Jazz & Wine Festival, Chris Dave and the Drumhedz, Chick Corea Trio, St. Louis Art Fair, LouFest, and more

It's a busy week for jazz and creative music, as the fall presenting season jumps off with three local festivals featuring jazz, a visit from a major headliner playing in intimate surroundings, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, September 5
Miss Jubilee plays vintage jazz, swing and more at the Schlafly Bottleworks; trumpeter Jim Manley performs at Sasha's Wine Bar; and guitarist Joe Park leads a trio at Yaquis on Cherokee.

Thursday, September 6
Trumpeter Danny Campbell leads a quartet in a free concert to open the fall Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University; keyboardist Ryan Marquez' trio splits a bill with pianist Kait Dunston's TrioKAIT at 50/Fifty Kitchen; and saxophonist Vince Sala's trio returns to The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, September 7
The annual St. Louis Art Fair's jazz stage will feature free live performances throughout the weekend, kicking off on Friday night in downtown Clayton with sets from saxophonist Kwanae Johnson's quartet, Hip Grease,& and drummer Montez Coleman's band.

Elsewhere around town, saxophonist Tim Cunningham returns after a brief hiatus to Troy's Jazz Gallery, where he'll now be playing on the first Friday of each month; and Farshid Etniko performs jazz influenced by world rhythms at Focal Point.

Saturday, September 8
The annual Alton Jazz & Wine Festival
at the Alton Amphitheater will feature a headlining performance from trumpeter Terell Stafford (pictured) and his quintet, plus music from Miss Jubliee, Jim Manley, and Jazz St. Louis All-Stars.

General admission to the event is free, and there's also a VIP ticket offering additional benefits for those willing to pay.

Update: 5:30 p.m., 9/6/16: Due to a forecast for heavy rain on Saturday, the Alton Jazz and Wine Festival has been moved indoors to Argosy Casino's music hall. 

Elsewhere around town, the St. Louis Art Fair continues with free performances from The Bonbon Plot, Farshid Etniko, Utter Chaos, Ptah Williams, Anita Jackson and more; and the Arcadia Dance Orchestra plays at Focal Point.

Also on Saturday, the annual LouFest is scheduled to begin* in Forest Park, for the first time including a jazz stage that on day one will feature performances from Anita Jackson, Ben Reece's Unity Quartet, Jesse Gannon, Ptah Williams Trio, and Kevin Bowers' NOVA. Main stage headliners at the two-day event will include Robert Plant, Modest Mouse, Kacey Musgraves, Gary Clark Jr. and St. Louis' own Michael McDonald.

*As of this writing on Tuesday night, there have been reports by at least one local media outlet that unpaid bills might derail this year's event, followed by a statement from organizers that everything is fine and that the festival will go on as planned. If that situation changes, there will be an update to this post as well as on StLJN's social media accounts.

Update - 2:54 a.m., 9/5/18: About two hours after this post went live, local NBC affiliate KSDK reported that LouFest has been cancelled, with organizers citing "several financial hurdles" as well as contact issues with artists, existing debt, and a forecast of bad weather.    

Update, 6:00 p.m., 9/5/18: A number of the bands and musicians who had been scheduled to perform on LouFest's jazz stage will be taking part in a free event called "The Sound of St. Louis" Sunday afternoon and evening at the Grandel Theatre and The Dark Room in Grand Center.  

Sunday, September 9
The St. Louis Record Collector & CD Show presents their fall event at the American Czech Educational Center.

On the festival front, the St. Louis Art Fair wraps up with music from The People's Key, Kasimu Taylor, Jazz St. Louis All-Stars, and Samba Bom; and trumpeter Keyon Harrold headlines the jazz stage for the final day of LouFest, which also is scheduled to include sets from the Bob Deboo Trio, Owen Ragland Quintet, Mo Egeston All-Stars, and Tonina Saputo.

Also on Sunday, BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups has a double-header, with a matinee performance from Genesis Jazz Project and an evening show from Chris Dave & The Drumhedz (pictured, top left).

Known for his work with pianist and fellow Houstonian Robert Glasper, bassist and singer Me'shell Ndegeocello, R&B vocalists D'Angelo and Maxwell, and many others, Dave as a bandleader makes music that brings together jazz, hip-hop, funk, and more, as heard on the Drumhedz' debut recording released late last year on Blue Note. Given Dave's status within the music industry, the chance to see him in an intimate venue like BB's makes this the "sleeper" show of the week.

Tuesday, September 11
Speaking of intimate venues, pianist Chick Corea (pictured, bottom left) will be in St. Louis with his Vigilette Trio (bassist Carlitos Del Puerto and drummer Marcus Gilmore) on Tuesday for the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis.

Given that Corea frequently headlines at good-sized theaters and concert halls, the opportunity to see him up close at the 220-seat Bistro is something serious fans won't want to miss. As of this writing, Wednesday's 7:30 show is sold out, but tickets remain for both sets on Tuesday and the 9:30 set on Wednesday; see the Jazz St. Louis website  for the latest on ticket availability.

For more jazz-related events in and around St. Louis, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar, which can be found on the left sidebar of the site or by clicking here. You also can keep up with all the latest news by following St. Louis Jazz Notes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StLJazzNotes or clicking the "Like" icon on the StLJN Facebook page.

(If you have calendar items, band schedule information, news tips, links, or anything else you think may be of interest to StLJN's readers, please email the information to stljazznotes (at) yahoo (dot) com. If you have photos, MP3s or other digital files, please send links, not attachments.)