So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Miles Davis Properties, LLC has announced that they're teaming up with with global licensing company Perryscope Productions to develop and sell various merchandise based on Davis' name, image, music, and visual art.

* In somewhat-related news, Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, the forthcoming documentary directed by Emmy winner Stanley Nelson, will be screened at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Along with a global theatrical release next summer, the film also will air on PBS' American Masters and on BBC2 in the UK.

* Singer Lynne Fiddmont (pictured) was interviewed by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson in advance of her concert this Sunday afternoon at The Sheldon.

* L.I.F.E. Arts, a not-for-profit organization started by singer Brian Owens, has won a $100,000 grant from Maryville University, which will be used over the next two years for various programs to help young people develop leadership skills through the arts.

* Singer, actor and Belleville native Lea DeLaria was interviewed on Britain's Channel 4 News.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold last week was a special guest performer with pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and Ekaya at a concert in London; read a review here.

Snarky Puppy to perform Sunday, May 19 at Atomic Cowboy Pavilion block party

Snarky Puppy, winners of three Grammy Awards and just named "Best Jazz Group" in this year's DownBeat readers poll, is returning to St. Louis to perform at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, May 19 at the Atomic Cowboy Pavilion.

While on record they're a loose collective of about 30 musicians under the leadership of bassist and composer Michael League, Snarky Puppy (pictured) usually features from eight to 12 players in their touring ensemble.

Their latest "official" recording is Culcha Vulcha, which came out in 2016 and won a Grammy for "Best Contemporary Instrumental Album," but they also document many of their live shows and put them out online as digital-only releases.

Snarky Puppy last played in St. Louis in May 2016 at the Ready Room, when the effects of their Grammy win that year were just beginning to be felt. Since then, they've headlined at major events including Newport Jazz Festival; toured in the US, South America and Europe; and generally seen their collective star rise precipitously. While another studio release reportedly has been in the works since last year, so far there's no definite word of a new album or possible release date, but that easily could change between now and next May.

Reflecting the band's increased draw, their upcoming St. Louis show will be the first "block party" of the season at Atomic Cowboy. The event format, which debuted this past summer, involves closing down the first block of Talmage Ave south of Manchester, allowing for up to 1500 attendees.

Tickets for Snarky Puppy at the Atomic Cowboy Pavilion are $35 in advance, $40 day of show, and will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. this Friday, November 30 via TicketWeb.

Jazz this week: Christian McBride's New Jawn, Lonnie Holley, holiday jazz, and more

The calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis is packed this week, with several touring artists performing around town, plus the start of a a very busy season of concerts with a holiday theme.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 28
Bassist Christian McBride brings his latest group New Jawn (pictured, top left) to Jazz St. Louis for the first of five nights continuing through Sunday.

The quartet is notable not just for the quality of the musicianship, but for the absence of piano, guitar, or any other chordal instrument, leaving additional space for tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland and trumpeter Josh Evans while McBride and drummer Nasheet Waits provide the foundation. Find out more and see some videos of them playing live in this post from last Saturday.

Thursday, November 29
It'll be a three-bass hit when Bob DeBoo is joined by fellow bassists Bernard Terry and Ben Wheeler in a free concert of music composed by famous jazz bassists for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University.

Also on Thursday, singer Feyza Eren and her quartet perform at Joe's Cafe; trumpeter Jim Manley plays at The Pat Connolly Tavern; and saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet returns to The Dark Room.

Friday, November 30
Saxophonist Kenny G brings his "Miracles Holiday and Hits Tour" to the Touhill Performing Arts Center. (For an overview of all the various holiday jazz shows this year in St. Louis, see this post from Monday.)

Also on Friday, Midwest Jazz-tette plays West Coast cool jazz at Evangeline's; singer Chuck Flowers will perform at 50/Fifty Kitchen; and pianist Adam Maness' trio continues in their new weekly gig at Sophie's Artist Lounge and Cocktail Club.

Saturday, December 1
New Music Circle presents singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and artist Lonnie Holley (pictured, bottom left) at Off Broadway

Holley transcended dire childhood poverty in the deep South to become an acclaimed visual artist, making collages and sculptures from found objects and winning international attention.

He added music to his portfolio of self-expressions in the early 2000s, writing his own distinctive material and sometimes improvising entire songs on the spot, and since has performed at major venues and festivals around the world. You can find out more about him and see some of Holley's performances on video in this post from two Saturdays ago.

Elsewhere around town, saxophonist Marion Meadows and keyboardists Alex Bugnon and Mark Harris II will play "Holiday Jazz" at the Sun Theatre; and guitarist Joe Park 's trio will celebrate the release of their debut album Out of Nowhere with a performance at Focal Point.

Sunday, December 2
The Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, and the St. Louis Jazz Club will celebrate the holidays with wine, cheese and music from the Funky Butt Brass Band at the Moolah Shrine Center.

Also on Sunday, singer and St. Louis native Lynne Fiddmont returns home for a holiday-themed performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Monday, December 3
The Webster University Jazz Singers, directed by Debby Lennon, will present their annual holiday concert at Winifred Moore Auditorium on the Webster campus.

Tuesday, December 4
The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra will perform in their third annual "Half A Holiday Concert" at The Sheldon.

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.)

A guide to holiday jazz in St. Louis

The holiday season has always brought with it plenty of thematic music, and here in St. Louis, recent years have seen a proliferation of performances aimed at those who'd like to mix some jazz with their jingle bells.

Here's a quick look at some noteworthy holiday-themed jazz shows starting this week and continuing throughout the next month:

Kenny G "The Miracles Holiday and Hits Tour"
8:00 p.m., Friday, November 30
Touhill Performing Arts Center
If the G-Man's albums were filed in a record-store bin labeled "instrumental pop," he'd probably attract less scorn from many jazz fans. In the meantime, he's on tour with his annual holiday show, and presumably laughing all the way to the bank. $49 - $99.

Washington University Student Big Band and Jazz Combos "Jazz Celebration"
8:00 p.m., Friday, November 30
560 Music Center
Wash U students perform a program of holiday songs. Free and open to the public.

"Holiday Jazz" with Marion Meadows, Alex Bugnon & Mark Harris II
7:00 p.m. Saturday, December 1
Sun Theatre
Smooth jazz saxophonist Meadows and keyboardist Bugnon team up for a program of seasonal favorites, with some help from St. Louis keyboardist Harris. $67.50 plus $10 service charge.

"Jazz for the Holidays" with the UMSL Jazz Ensemble, Vocal Point and University Symphony Orchestra
3:00 p.m. Sunday, December 2
Touhill Performing Arts Center
UMSL music students perform in their annual holiday concert. Free and open to the public.

Lynne Fiddmont
4:00 p.m., Sunday, December 2
Sheldon Concert Hall
Singer and St. Louis native Fiddmont, who now lives in California, comes home for a concert that will include selections from her album Spirit of Christmas. $35 general admission plus $4.75 service charge.

Webster University Jazz Singers 
7:00 p.m., Monday, December 3
Winifred Moore Auditorium
Webster U students under the direction of Debby Lennon present a program of seasonal songs. $5 general admission, free to students with ID.

Route 66 Jazz Orchestra's Third Annual "Half A Holiday Concert"
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 4
Sheldon Concert Hall
St. Louis-based Route 66 Orchestra presents one set of big band jazz and one set of holiday music. $15 general admission.

Christine Ebersole & Billy Stritch - "Snowfall"
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 5
7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 6
Jazz St. Louis
A winter-themed show from singer and Broadway actress Ebersole and singer/pianist Stritch, part of the cabaret series being co-presented this year by Jazz St. Louis and Cabaret Project of St. Louis. $46.50 & $41.50 adults, $11.50 students

Dave Koz Holiday Show with Mindi Abair, Jonathan Butler & Keiko Matsui
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 11
Family Arena
Smooth jazz saxophonist Koz has been doing holiday shows for more than a decade, and is supported this year by fellow saxophonist Abair, singer and guitarist Butler and keyboardist Matsui. $50-$90, "VIP Experience" $198.

Storm Large "Holiday Ordeal"
8:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 11
Sun Theatre
Singer and actress Large, who has performed her cabaret show here several times in recent years, gets a bigger stage for her holiday extravaganza, which already is a sell-out annual tradition in her hometown of Portland, OR. $25 & $35, "VIP" $85.

Kirk Whalum's "Gospel According to Jazz Christmas" with Sheila E, Lynn Mabry, John Stoddart & Kevin Whalum
7:00 p.m., Friday, December 14
Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church
Memphis-based saxophonist (and nephew of St. Louis' Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum) returns with guest stars for his annual holiday show. $20 & $35, "VIP" $50.

Funky Butt Brass Band "Holiday Brasstravaganza"
9:00 p.m. Friday, December 14
3:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. Saturday, December 15
3:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m. Sunday, December 16
Off Broadway
St. Louis' popular New Orleans-style brass band has expanded again for the eighth year of their holiday show, adding a family-friendly Sunday matinee and Sunday evening show for a total of five performances. $18-$25 for evening performances, $5 and $10 for matinees.

"Jazz Noel" with Oikos Ensemble and Java Jived
3:00 p.m., Saturday, December 15
Parkway United Church of Christ
3:00 p.m., Sunday, December 16
First Congregational United Church of Christ
"Re-imagining the Christmas story through jazz for today’s audience." Free and open to the public.

The 442s and Friends "Holiday Spectacular"
7:30 p.m., Monday, December 17
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 18
560 Music Center
Eclectic instrumental quartet plus guest stars present originals and holiday favorites. $15 - $30.

Jazz St. Louis Big Band plays Ellington's "Nutcracker"
7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 18
7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Wednesday, December 19
7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m., Thursday, December 20
Jazz St. Louis
Hear Duke Ellington's re-imagining of Tchaikovsky's famous work played live by a big band of St. Louis musicians, plus additional favorites from the Ellington catalog. $21.50 balcony; $26.50 floor; $21.50 military, police & fire; $11.50 students.

"A Gospel Christmas" with Take 6 and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 20
Powell Hall
The Grammy Award-winning vocal group, orchestra and In Unison chorus perform "unforgettable contemporary gospel renditions of favorite holiday classics and more." Sold out; for information on standing room tickets, call the SLSO box office at 314-534-1700.

Dean Christopher "Rat Pack Christmas"
7:30 p.m., Thursday, December 20
Sheldon Concert Hall
Singer and impressionist Christopher offers seasonal songs in the style of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and more. $15 general admission.

Harry Connick Jr. "A New Orleans Tricentennial Celebration... Holiday Edition"
7:30 p.m., Thursday, December 20
Stifel Theatre
The famed singer, pianist, actor, and talk show host and his big band perform Christmas music and more in a New Orleans style. $147, $112, $77 and $52.

Jim Manley's Mad Brass and Rhythm "A Very Manley Christmas"
7:30 p.m., & 9:30 p.m., Friday, December 21
7:30 p.m., & 9:30 p.m., Saturday, December 22
Jazz St. Louis
St. Louis trumpeter and his seven-piece band offer high-energy versions of holiday favorites. $21.50 & $15.50, students $11.50.

Do you know of any holiday jazz shows in St. Louis that we missed? If so, please share the relevant info in the comments.

Edited 11/27/18 to add the Webster University Jazz Singers performance.

Sunday Session: November 25, 2018

Ambrose Akinmusire

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:

* Billy Harper charges up Church Of Sound (Jazzwise)
* REVIEW: Ethan and the British Composers at Kings Place (2018 EFG LJF) (London Jazz News)
* Alice Coltrane’s Ashram Lost in California Wildfires (Pitchfork.com)
* Why the Hideout is vital to Chicago’s music scene (Chicago Tribune)
* Blood on the Tracks: Canonizing Bob Dylan’s Human Opus (ConsequenceOfSound.net)
* Joshua Redman keeps Old and New Dreams alive (Vancouver Sun)
* Spinal Tap to reunite, will presumably be billed above puppet show this time (AV Club)
* Jazz great 'Sweet Papa’ Lou Donaldson’s has sports memories to treasure (New York Daily News)
* This Tiny Record Player Plays Oreo Cookies…Kinda (Food and Wine)
* More Evidence That Trained Musicians Are Superior Thinkers (Pacific Standard)
* This is the story of how Africa and slavery have influenced Brazilian music (RedBull.com)
* How Brainfeeder Leads The Charge For Esoteric Funk, Hip-Hop, Pop, & Jazz (Bandcamp.com)
* How a small Philadelphia record company gave an Oscar contender its sound (Philadelphia Inquirer)
* Live Review: 2018 JazzMi Jazz Festival (Jazz Times)
* Laurin Talese Wins Sarah Vaughan Vocal Competition (Jazz Times)
* Ambrose Akinmusire’s Jazz of Pure Possibility (The Nation)
* The Largest Sun Ra Retrospective Yet is Hidden on the Top Floor of the Portland Art Musuem (Willamette Week)
* What is All the Fuss About? Kenny Barron Takes Years of Experience and Plays in the Moment (VoiceOfOC.org)
* Robert Glasper On How To Get More Young People Into Jazz (NPR)
* Legendary Jazz Guitarist Explains Why ‘The Beatles’ Are Better Than ‘Rolling Stones’ (MetalheadZone.com)
* The Invisible Hit Parade: How Unofficial Recordings Have Flowered in the 21st Century (Wired)
* The History of Play-A-Long (and More) (Jazz Times)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Christian McBride's New Jawn

This week, let's take a look at some videos of bassist Christian McBride's New Jawn, who will be in St. Louis to perform starting this coming Wednesday, November 29 through Sunday, December 2 at Jazz St. Louis.

A man of many musical projects, McBride has played at the Bistro several times in recent years with both his trio and his Inside Straight quintet, and also leads a big band, which hasn't toured extensively for the usual economic reasons, but won a Grammy Award in 2012 and again in 2018.

His latest group, the New Jawn - "jawn" being Philadelphia lingo for a person, place or thing, sort of like film director Spike Lee's use of "joint" - is a quartet notable for the absence of piano, guitar, or any other chordal instrument.

Along with McBride, the group includes drummer Nasheet Waits, tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland, and trumpeter Josh Evans, and though they've been gigging intermittently for a couple of years, they just released their self-titled first album in October on Brother Mister Productions, which is McBride's imprint for Mack Avenue Records.

You can hear some of the material from that album played live in today's videos, starting up above with "Pier One Import," recorded in September 2018 at the studios of public radio station KNKX in Tacoma, WA.

After the jump, you can see New Jawn perform two more songs from their debut album, "Ke-Kelli Sketch" and "Middle Man," both from that same session at KNKX. That's followed by a full set of music, including versions of most of the tracks from the album, recorded in July 2018 at the Malta Jazz Festival.

The last two videos, "United" and "Via Mwandishi," offer a glimpse of the band at an earlier point in their development (and of a couple of songs that didn't make it on to their record), as documented in July 2017 at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

For more about Christian McBride's New Jawn, read the reviews of their album from DownBeat and AllAboutJazz.com; this review of a gig last June in New Zealand; and the feature from KNKX that goes with the tracks they recorded there.

Jazz St. Louis adds six more shows to Spring 2019 schedule at the Bistro

Jazz St. Louis today announced a half-dozen new shows featuring local performers to fill out the Spring 2019 schedule at the Bistro. They are:

Wednesday, January 23 & Thursday, January 24: Emily Wallace with the Adam Maness Trio

Friday, February 22 & Saturday, February 23: Denise Thimes (pictured)

Friday, March 8 & Saturday, March 9: Kendrick Smith Sextet​ - "Kind of Blue at 60"

Friday, April 19 & Saturday, April 20: Adam Maness Trio with Freddie Washington - "Celebrating Coltrane"

Friday, May 3 & Saturday, May 4: Brian Owens, Adam Maness Trio, & Adaron “Pops” Jackson - "The Book of Wonder Celebrating Stevie Wonder"

Friday, May 17 & Saturday, May 18: Lamar Harris - "Philly Soul"

The organization also added three new performance dates for "Juice Box Jazz," an educational program aimed at families with young children. Featured performers will include members of Funky Butt Brass Band on Sunday, January 13; Sophisticated Babies, a side project from FBBB trumpeter Adam Hucke and tuba player Cody Henry, on Sunday, February 24; and saxophonist Carlos T. Brown Jr. on Sunday, April 7.

Tickets for all the newly announced shows at the Bistro are $20 each and are on sale now via the Jazz St. Louis box office. Tickets for "Juke Box Jazz" are $8 for adults, free for kids, and also are on sale now.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* An exhibition of visual art by Miles Davis opened last weekend on the campus of Jackson State University in Jackson, MS, with coverage from the Jackson Free Press and the university's news bureau.

* In other Miles Davis news, Rubberband, an EP of previously unheard Davis tracks recorded and then scrapped before the 1986 release of Tutu, is out now on Rhino Records.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold is featured on the European release When You Are Here, credited to the Culture Revolution Project, a joint venture by Harrold with Polish saxophonist Sylwester Ostrowski. The album can be heard now on the major streaming services, but so far does not seem to be for sale as a physical CD here in the US.

Harrold also has contributed a version of "She's Leaving Home" to A Day in the Life: Impressions of Pepper, a new compilation album paying tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band that's out today on Verve Records as a special "Black Friday" release.

The album (pictured) also includes interpretations of Beatles songs by drummers Antonio Sanchez and Makaya McCraven, saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, pianist Sullivan Fortner, harpist Brandee Younger, and more.

* Guitarist Vincent Varvel has posted to YouTube a video of "Both Sides Now," a track from his upcoming solo guitar album due out in January.

* Singer Christina Bianco's performance last weekend at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

* Singer Chuck Flowers appeared Tuesday on the morning newscast on KTVI-FOX 2.

* The Sheldon Concert Hall has posted to Facebook a photo album from singer Dee Dee Bridgewater's concert two Saturdays ago.

* Cornet Chop Suey and pianist Stephanie Trick are among the featured performers at this weekend's San Diego Jazz Fest & Swing Extravaganza.

Jazz this week: Jeremy Davenport and more

As often happens here around major holidays, it's a slow week for touring jazz and creative music performers, but there still are a number of noteworthy performances by locals (plus one returning St. Louis expat) happening around town.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 21
This week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features singer Jenna Bauer and guitarist Dave Black at The Stage at KDHX; the 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, Cabaret Project of St. Louis presents their monthly "Singers Open Mic" at Sophie's Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club; and bassist/singer Janet Evra performs at Evangeline's.

Friday, November 23
Trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport (pictured) is back home from New Orleans for the first night of his annual Thanksgiving weekend gig at Jazz St. Louis.

Also on Friday, Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; saxophonist Tim Cunningham returns to Troy's Jazz Gallery; and percussionist Herman Semidey and Son Montuno will play Latin jazz, salsa and more at The Dark Room.

Saturday, November 24
The St. Louis Jazz Club is presenting what's intended as the first in a series of monthly Saturday matinee jam sessions, hosted by pianist Bob Row, drummer Jon Gillick and & Scott Alberici, at J P's Corner in South County.

Saturday night, trumpeter Jim Manley and band return to Evangeline's; guitarist Dan Rubright will perform in a concert at .ZACK; and the Funky Butt Brass Band plays their monthly show at the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Sunday, November 25
Drummer Montez Coleman and friends play for brunch at The Dark Room; the Folk School of KDHX hosts their monthly traditional jazz jam session; and DJ Pockets will be behind the turntables for his monthly "1950s/60s Jazz Record Spin" at The Royale.

Monday, November 26
Dizzy Atmosphere plays vintage swing and Gypsy jazz at The Shaved Duck.

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.)

Ralph Towner returning to perform Wednesday, March 20 at Graham Chapel

Guitarist Ralph Towner is returning to St. Louis to perform in a solo concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 20 at Graham Chapel on the Washington University campus.

Towner (pictured) has recorded more than two dozen albums as a solo artist on ECM records, going back to the early 1970s, and also is one of the co-founders of the long-running band Oregon.

A capable pianist as well as a guitarist, Towner  was an original member of the pioneering world-fusion group Paul Winter Consort and early in his career recorded with the likes of Weather Report, Larry Coryell, and Jan Garbarek, but these days may be best known for his solo shows playing acoustic guitar.

His most recent recordings, a solo album called My Foolish Heart on ECM, and Oregon's latest, Lantern, on the Italian label CAM Jazz, both were released in 2017. Towner last played in St. Louis in February 2017 at the 560 Music Center.

Tickets for Ralph Towner at Graham Chapel are $25 for general admission; $20 for seniors and Wash U faculty and staff; $10 for students with ID; and go on sale online at 10:00 a.m. Monday, November 19 via Vendini.com.

Sunday Session: November 18, 2018

Marshall Allen

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:

* I Thought CDs Were Supposed To Be Dying, But Maybe I Got It All Wrong (Forbes)
* Entangled in Berlin (TheBlueMoment.com)
* How a Lost Charles Mingus Recording Finally Saw the Light of Day (Bandcamp.com)
* The Accidental Perfection of the Beatles’ White Album (The New Yorker)
* The Album Is in Deep Trouble – and the Music Business Probably Can’t Save it (Rolling Stone)
* Nate Smith: Taking Jazz Ahead (Jazz Times)
* ‘Black Fire’: The Andrew Hill Classic That Still Burns Bright (UDiscoverMusic.com)
* How Legendary Composer W.C. Handy Became The 'Father Of The Blues' (WBUR)
* Baku Jazz Festival 2018 (AllAboutJazz.com)
* A Legendary Van Morrison Recording Just Hit the Internet and Quickly Disappeared Again (SPIN)
* TONTO: The 50-Year Saga of the Synth Heard on Stevie Wonder Classics (Rolling Stone)
* Bob Dylan’s Masterpiece Is Still Hard to Find (The New Yorker)
* ‘Green Book’ Renders Don Shirley in Film (DownBeat)
* Aretha Franklin Touches The Infinite In The Long-Delayed Film 'Amazing Grace' (NPR)
* JazzFest Berlin Challenges Attendees with Audacious Programming (DownBeat)
* Stars Celebrate Joni Mitchell at 75 (DownBeat)
* Roy Clark, country guitar virtuoso, ‘Hee Haw’ star, has died (Associated Press)
* James Booker’s “The Lost Paramount Tapes” to be released on vinyl (Offbeat)
* ’63 Monk Tapes Released (DownBeat)
* Latin Music Is Reaching More Listeners Than Ever — But Who Is Represented? (Rolling Stone)
* Working to Preserve Traditional Gospel Music (LongReads.com)
* Marshall Allen Sticks To The Music (AntiGravityMagazine.com)
* Louis Armstrong’s Life in Letters, Music and Art (New York Times)
* Jazz After College (Jazz Times)
* Hitting the Right Notes: Five Actors Who Played Real-Life Jazz Artists (Jazziz)
* Q&A: Ann Hampton Callaway: Creating Landscapes of Human Emotion (Jazziz)
* Strength & Power: In Praise of Roswell Rudd (Jazz Times)
* Crosley Is Now Releasing Retro Cassette Players Starting at $60 (DigitalMusicNews.com)
* Setting the Record Straight: Bob Dylan’s ‘Blood On The Tracks’ (Guitarist Kevin Odegard Revisits the Sessions) (RockCellarMagazine.com)
* Iconic Guitar Builder Loses His Home and Workshop to Flames in Paradise (Popular Mechanics)
* Tony Allen: Jack of All Parades (Jazz Times)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Spotlight on Lonnie Holley

This week, let's check out some videos featuring Lonnie Holley, who will perform in a concert presented by New Music Circle on Saturday, December 1 at Off Broadway.

Born in 1950 in Birmingham, AL, Holley was one of 27 children and grew up in dire poverty. He first gained recognition as a visual artist in his late twenties, working with found objects and carved sandstone, developing a distinctive style of assembly and collage and eventually winning considerable acclaim. Holley's artworks now are included in the collections of major museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Folk Art Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Smithsonian American Museum of Art, and many others.

He began recording music in 2006, releasing two albums on the Dust-to-Digital label, and started touring as a musician in 2013. Playing keyboard, singing, and sometimes inventing songs on the spot, Holley earned good notices from critics, turning up in some year-end "top ten" lists, and in 2014 he was featured in the New York Times, which served as a significant boost for his musical career. His latest recording is MITH, released in September of this year on the Jagjaguwar label.

Today's videos include a half-dozen performances from throughout Holley's relatively brief career as a working musician, starting up above with Holley doing his song "I Threw My Head Back," as recorded for the web series Jam In The Van in July of this year at the A Ship in the Woods festival in Escondido, CA.

After the jump, you can see the official music video for “I Woke Up in a Fucked-Up America,” a track from MITH, followed by a full-length performance by Holley recorded in February 2017 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC.

That's followed by two more full performances recorded in 2014, in April at the Studio Museum in Harlem, and in August at the Pickathon festival on Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley, Oregon. Finally, there's an excerpt from Holley's performance in 2013 at the Whitney Museum of American Art in NYC.

For more about Lonnie Holley, read the profile of him published in 2013 by The Fader, and this feature from October 2018 on Afropunk.com.

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:

* A story in the latest DownBeat reveals more about saxophonist David Sanborn's proposed online video series Sanborn Sessions, comparing it to the much-loved Night Music, which Sanborn hosted from 1988 to 1990 on NBC.

With a 14-minute "sampler" episode already recorded, Sanborn (pictured) now has launched a crowd-funding campaign to help finance production of full episodes.

* An article by the Riverfront Times' Daniel Hill noted multi-instrumentalist and singer Tonina Saputo's presence on NPR's "Slingshot" list of 40 emerging musicians to watch this year. You can cast a vote in NPR's "Best New Artist of 2018" contest here.

* Also in the RFT, writer Thomas Crone talked with guitarist Joe Park for an article about Park's upcoming album release show, set for Saturday, December 1 at Focal Point.

* Keyboardist David Garfield will be a guest on this weekend's episode of saxophonist Dave Koz's nationally syndicated radio program.

* Singer Dee Dee Bridgewater's concert tomorrow night at The Sheldon was previewed by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* Also in the Post, Johnson has written a brief profile of The Sheldon's new executive director Peter Palermo.

* NPR jazz critic Kevin Whitehead was interviewed Tuesday by St. Louis Public Radio's Don Marsh. Whitehead was in town to give a talk for Jazz St. Louis' "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series on Wednesday night at St. Louis County Public Library's Grant's View branch.

Jazz this week: Jeff Lorber Fusion, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Christina Bianco, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features a pioneering jazz-fusion keyboardist; a quick-thinking musical impressionist who first gained fame online; one of the top female vocalists in jazz taking on some soul and blues classics; and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 14
Keyboardist Jeff Lorber (pictured, top left) will perform for the first of five nights at Jazz St. Louis. Lorber, who last played here in February 2015 at the Bistro, this time is supporting a new release, Impact, that came out in August on Shanachie Records.

With a band that includes bassist Jimmy Haslip, drummer Gary Novak, guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., and saxophonists Andy Snitzer and Dave Mann, Impact features 10 new original compositions by Lorber, some of which no doubt will get played this weekend. (You can listen to all the tracks from Impact here.)

Also on Wednesday, Jazz St. Louis' "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series presents a talk by NPR jazz critic Kevin Whitehead at St. Louis County Library's Grant's View Branch. Whitehead will discuss his forthcoming book Play the Way You Feel, which examines how fiction and biographical films from 1927 to 2016 told stories about jazz music and musicians.

Thursday, November 15
Guitarist Dave Black leads his latest project, In Touch, in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University. In addition to Black, the group features Kyle Honeycutt on drums, Ben Wheeler on bass, the St. Louis Symphony's Asako Kuboki on violin, and Paul DeMarinis on saxophones and clarinets.

Also on Thursday, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Kristen Cothron performs at The Wolf, and trumpeter Danny Campbell leads a trio at The Dark Room.

Friday, November 16
Singer Christina Bianco, who's gotten tens of millions of views on YouTube for her impressions of various celebrity vocalists, will perform her show "Diva Moments" for the first of two nights at the Gaslight Theater.

Saturday, November 17
Singer Dee Dee Bridgewater brings her tribute to Memphis blues and soul to the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Backed by a group dubbed The Memphis Soulphony, Bridgewater has been touring with a show based on her 2017 album Memphis...Yes I'm Ready, which features her interpretations of (mostly) well-known songs associated with her hometown.

You can find out more about the project and see some videos of her performing the Memphis show in this post from last Saturday. Also, the Sheldon is offering a $10 discount for online purchases of tickets to the concert, which can be accessed by going here and using the promo code MEMPHIS10.

Elsewhere around town, Jeanette Harris who's billed as the "scintillating saxtress of smooth jazz," will play two shows at .ZACK.

Sunday, November 18
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents pianist Pat Joyce and clarinetist Scott Alberici at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel St. Louis - Westport; bassist and singer Janet Evra celebrates the release of her debut album with a performance at .ZACK; and singer Ken Haller wraps up the Gaslight Cabaret Festival's fall series with one last performance of his show "Happy Haller Days!" at the Gaslight Theater.

Monday, November 19
Faculty members in the Webster University Jazz Collective will perform 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.)

Ahmad Jamal to perform for The Sheldon's benefit gala on Saturday, March 30

Pianist Ahmad Jamal will be the featured performer for the Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries' annual benefit gala at 8:30 p.m., Saturday, March 30 at The Sheldon.

Now 88 years old, Jamal (pictured) plays only a select handful of concert dates a year, so his performance here should be especially anticipated by local jazz fans.

He's been a fixture on the music scene since the late 1950s, winning just about every honor that can be given to a jazz musician, including being named an NEA Jazz Master back in 1994 and getting a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. Jamal's most recent recording is Marseille, released in 2017, and he last appeared in St. Louis in November 2011 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Patron tickets for the gala can be purchased now by calling the Sheldon at 314-533-9900. Prices start at $500 per person, and include pre-concert cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, dinner, preferred concert seating, complimentary valet parking, and a tax deduction.

Concert-only tickets will be $50 for orchestra seats, $45 front balcony, $40 rear balcony, and will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Friday, February 15 via MetroTix and the Sheldon box office. Proceeds from the event benefit The Sheldon's concerts, gallery exhibitions and educational programs.

Sunday Session: November 11, 2018

Charles Mingus

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:

* Edgefest 2018: The Chicago Connection (AllAboutJazz.com)
* Release of Live Mingus Recordings to be Celebrated at Jazz Standard (DownBeat)
* A Great Day in Harlem, Revisited (Wall Street Journal)
* In Memoriam: Roy Hargrove (DownBeat)
* Blown away: will we miss the sweet sound of school recorders? (The Guardian)
* Myra Melford: Taking Flight Where Life Leads Her (NationalSawdust.org)
* Roy Hargrove 1969 – 2018 (Jazz Times)
* Everything Adds Up for Lorraine Feather (DownBeat)
* Novelist Jeff Jackson on the 4 Best Rock Chronicles You’ve Never Heard of (Vulture.com)
* Aretha Franklin doc ‘Amazing Grace’ to finally see the light (Associated Press)
* Engineer Al Schmitt on Winning 23 Grammys and Working With Frank Sinatra, Paul McCartney & Steely Dan (Billboard)
* Has stadium rock been unplugged? (BBC)
* Inside the booming business of background music (The Guardian)
* Sound decision: Why studios still matter in the age of smart phones (Toledo Blade)
* Aaron Parks Crafts a New Context (DownBeat)
* Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz to be Renamed in 2019 (DownBeat)
* The Free Music Archive is closing this month (TheVerge.com)
* 26 Abandoned Discos (Flashbak.com)
* At Tampere Jazz Happening, History and Revolution (DownBeat)
* Guitar Center Unveils Remodeled Hollywood Store and How It Plans to Come Back From the Brink (Billboard)
* Spotify debuts an analytics service for music publishers (TechCrunch.com)
* L.A.’s air raid sirens are blaring this week. Why composer Lawrence English says you should listen (Los Angeles Times)
* Blanchard Premieres New, Poignant Commission in Cleveland (DownBeat)
* Eliot Zigmund: A Sideman Moves to the Front (Jazz Times)
* Cécile McLorin Salvant: Wide Open Window (Jazz Times)
* Dianne Reeves: Christmas Time Is Here (FYIMusicNews.ca)
* There Was No Song of the Summer This Year — and There Won't Be Ever Again (Rolling Stone)
* 'Mingus: Jazz In Detroit' Catches A Giant At A Moment Full Of Possibility (NPR)
* Monsters of Rock Criticism: Greil Marcus Interviews Robert Christgau (Rolling Stone)
* Bar Four: A Vibraphone Summit (Jazz Times)
* A Jazz Legend Out of the Shadows (IberiaNet.com)
* Tyshawn Sorey Unveils a 3-Disc Extravaganza (Jazz Times)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Dee Dee Bridgewater goes back to Memphis

This week, StLJN's video spotlight shines on singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, who will be in St. Louis to perform next Saturday, November 17 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Long known as one of the top female jazz singers of her generation, Bridgewater went in a different musical direction for her most recent album, Memphis... Yes, I'm Ready, which came out last year and features her takes on famous soul and blues tunes associated with her hometown.

On the album and on tour, she's accompanied by a eight-piece band dubbed the Memphis Soulphony, configured like a vintage show band with rhythm section, horns, and background singers. Though Bridgewater's interpretations of the material mostly are faithful to the spirit of the originals, she and the band add some of their own touches to both update and personalize the material.

You can see and hear what that's like starting with the first clip up above, which features Bridgewater and the Soulphony performing two tunes, "Giving Up" and "Going Down Slow," recorded June 22, 2018 at the Royal Theatre in Victoria, BC, Canada.

After the jump, you can see Bridgewater's recent appearance on NPR's "Tiny Desk Concert," recorded April 2, 2018 at NPR studios in Washington, DC. The three-song set includes "Hound Dog," "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)?" and "B.A.B.Y.".

Next, you can check out Bridgewater and company doing an extended version of "The Thrill Is Gone," as recorded in March of this year by an audience member at the Blue Note Hawaii.

If those samples have whetted your appetite for more, you then can check out two full sets of Bridgewater's Memphis show, as performed in May 2018 at Ronnie Scott's in London, and an earlier iteration of the show from August 2017 at the Montclair Jazz Festival in New Jersey.

The final video is a short biography of Bridgewater, produced by the National Endowment for the Arts last year when she was named an NEA Jazz Master.

For more about Dee Dee Bridgewater and her tribute to Memphis music, read her interviews from last year with DownBeat and with Jazz Times.

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

Geoffrey Keezer to perform Thursday, December 13 at Open Studio

Pianist Peter Martin's company Open Studio, which to date has specialized in the production of jazz education videos featuring well-known musicians, is expanding into concert presentation. Their first show will feature pianist Geoffrey Keezer leading a trio at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, December 13 at Open Studio's space in the Centene Center for Arts & Education, 3547 Olive St.

Keezer (pictured), who turns 48 in a couple of weeks, first gained wide recognition as a teenager, joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers when he was just 18. He subsequently has gone on to play with a number of notable musicians, including David Sanborn, Chris Botti, Christian McBride, Joe Locke, singer Denise Donatelli, and many others.

Keezer also has recorded frequently as both a sideman and a leader, most recently releasing a trio album, On My Way To You, earlier this year. For his St. Louis show, he'll be accompanied by NYC-based drummer Jon Wikan and St. Louis' own Bob DeBoo on bass.

Tickets for Geoffrey Keezer at Open Studio are $25 each, and are on sale now.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Bassist and Washington University faculty member Paul Steinbeck - author of Message To Our Folks, a history of the Art Ensemble of Chicago - has received the 2018 Steve Larson Award for Jazz Scholarship from the Society for Music Theory's Jazz Interest Group.

* Pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True have released a new album for the holidays called True Christmas. The album (pictured) features True's original arrangements of 14 favorite seasonal songs, and is on sale now as a digital download, with CDs available soon.

* Keyboard player David Grelle was the subject of a feature on the newscast of local NBC affiliate KSDK. Grelle and his group, the Playadors, perform tonight and tomorrow night at Jazz St. Louis.

* This weekend's homecoming of singer Kate McGrath, the St. Louis expat whose show "Aunt of The Year" is a sell-out tonight at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival, was the subject of an item by Post-Dispatch columnist Joe Holleman.

* An exhibit of visual art created by trumpeter Miles Davis opened this week at Jackson State University in Jackson, MI. The exhibit, which features 15 of Davis' paintings and photos, continues through November 30.

* Keyboardist and Metro East native David Garfield was interviewed on the Inside Musicast podcast.

2019 Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival set for Friday, April 12 & Saturday, April 13

The Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival this week announced its dates for 2019, with public concerts set for 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13 at the Touhill Performing Arts Center.

Friday's concert will feature the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, the all-woman big band led by drummer Sherrie Maricle. Based in NYC, DIVA (pictured) celebrated 25 years as a band earlier this year with the album 25th Anniversary Project.

Saturday's show will feature the "Ultimate Jazz All-Stars Big Band," an ad hoc assembly directed by drummer Gregg Field, and will serve as a tribute to bassist and UMSL director of jazz studies Jim Widner, who founded the GSLJF and is retiring from teaching next year.

Although a complete lineup of musicians isn't available yet, players mentioned in the promotional email as participants on Saturday include saxophonists Tom Scott and Eric Marienthal, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader Gordon Goodwin, bassist Carlitos del Puerto, pianist Shelly Berg, and drummer Scotty Barnhart.

Tickets for the Greater St. Louis Jazz Festival are $35 per night, $33 for seniors, $15 for students, and are on sale now via the Touhill box office.

Michael Bublé returning for concert on Friday, March 22 at Enterprise Center

Singer Michael Bublé will return to St. Louis for the first time in more than five years for a concert at 8:00 p.m. Friday, March 22 at the Enterprise Center.

Bublé (pictured) last performed here in September 2013, when the same venue still was called the Scottrade Center. He recently made headlines for an interview in which he discussed his five-year-old son Noah's battle with cancer and his possible retirement from the music business.

That talk of retirement then was walked back by his representatives almost immediately, as the singer prepares to launch a tour in support of his upcoming album Love, which will be released next Friday, November 16.

Tickets for Michael Bublé are priced from $65 to  $135 and will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. Monday, November 19 via Ticketmaster and the Enterprise Center box office.

Jazz this week: Ellen Fullman, Lonnie McFadden, Jazz Ambassadors, Tauk, and more

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a performance on a unique instrument that's also an art installation, plus concerts in a variety of genres from vintage jazz to cabaret to funk and fusion.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, November 7
Singer Erin Bode returns to Cyrano's; Miss Jubilee plays at Schlafly Bottleworks; and this week's "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" features TJ Muller at The Stage at KDHX along with the jam session hosted by bassist Bob DeBoo at the Kranzberg Arts Center, and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at The Dark Room.

Thursday, November 8
The Gaslight Cabaret Festival's fall series resumes with Kansas City trumpeter and singer Lonnie McFadden (pictured, center left) performing for one night only at the Gaslight Theater.

Also on Thursday, guitarists Dave Black and Farshid Soltanshahi with guest multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman will play at Joe's Cafe; singer Joe Mancuso and friends perform at 50/Fifty Kitchen; and saxophonist and singer Cary Colman's trio returns to Evangeline's.

Friday, November 9
Artist, musician and instrument inventor Ellen Fullman will perform in a concert presented by New Music Circle at 560 Music Center.

Fullman (pictured, top left) is the creator of the Long String Instrument, which consists of dozens of wires 50 feet or more in length, stretched across a space and "bowed" with rosin-coated fingers, producing "a chorus of minimal organ-like overtones." For more about Fullman and some video footage of playing the Long String Instrument, see this post from last Saturday.

Also on Friday, keyboardist David Grelle's Playadors make their Bistro debut in the first of two nights at Jazz St. Louis; the Gateway City Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and singer Anita Jackson performs for the late show at The Dark Room

Saturday, November 10
Singer Ken Haller reprises his show "Happy Haller Days!" for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival, and saxophonist Dave Stone's trio plays at Thurman's in Shaw.

Sunday, 
November 11
The US Army's "Jazz Ambassadors" (pictured, bottom left) will play a free matinee concert at the Touhill Performing Arts Center

Monday, 
November 12
Dizzy Atmosphere will play swing and Gypsy jazz for diners at The Shaved Duck, and the Webster University Student Jazz Combos will show their stuff in a performance at Webster's Community Music School.

Tuesday, November 13
Funk and fusion quartet Tauk, touring in support of their new album Shapeshifter II: Outbreak that was released in September, return to the Old Rock House.

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.)