So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Jim Manley (pictured) was the featured guest on the most recent episode of brass manufacturer Stomvi USA's "Schools of Thought" webcast.

* Syncopated Times this week published a review of Cool It If You Can, the most recent album from Miss Jubilee, as well of reviews of The Low Down Piano, the latest from the band's keyboardist Ethan Leinwand, and the debut release from the St. Louis Steady Grinders, a duo project featuring Leinwand and the band's vocalist, Valerie Kirchoff.

* The online magazine Glide this week previewed “Brave New World,” a track from drummer Rob Silverman's upcoming album Drumology. The album features Silverman collaborating with fellow drummers Simon Phillips, Gregg Bissonette, Steve Smith, Dave Weckl, John Blackwell and Casey Adams, and will be released in October on Autumn Hill Records, the label operated by Silverman and his brother, keyboardist Michael Silverman.

* BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups downtown is reopening on a limited basis with live music, and the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson wrote an article about how they're handling things under pandemic conditions. (Note: story is paywalled)

* Flute player and composer Fred Tompkins has been filling his YouTube channel with a series of duets with keyboardists Greg Mills and Jim Hegarty, a number of them recorded post-lockdown using social distancing. You can see his "best of" playlist here.

* Miles Davis' nephew, drummer and producer Vince Wilburn Jr. was interviewed on a recent episode of Jazziz magazine's "Last Call" podcast.

Fred Tompkins spans decades with new album Stretching Time

Flute player and composer Fred Tompkins has released a new album called Stretching Time.

The CD (pictured) includes eleven tracks spanning more than 40 years (hence the title), including eight new works mixing free improv with composed material that feature Tompkins on C flute and bass flute with pianist Greg Mills, clarinetist Eric Mandat, and cellist Tracy Andreotti.

The other three compositions date back to the late 70s when Tompkins was living in New York, and are performed by an ensemble including bassist Harvie Swartz (aka Harvie S), guitarist Chuck Loeb, French horn player John Clark, drummer Rick Cutler, and other NYC-based players.

While Tompkins anticipates the CD being available on the usual digital music services in the near future, and for purchase as a physical CD at Vintage Vinyl and Euclid Records once they've fully re-opened for business, for now, you can hear some audio excerpts and order it from his website at http://tompkinsjazz.com/.

Fred Tompkins releases new CD The Fourth Arch - To Freedom

Flute player and composer Fred Tompkins has released a new album, The Fourth Arch - To Freedom.

The album (pictured) includes eight original compositions by Tompkins, plus one improvised track.

It was recorded at Shock City Studios and in Tompkins' home studio by a lineup of players including the composer on flute and bass flute, along with pianists Greg Mills and Maryse Carlin, mezzo-soprano Johanna Nordhorm, and drummers Gary Sykes, Kyle Honnicutt, Steve Davis, and Charlie Dent.

The Fourth Arch - To Freedom is on sale now at all major digital outlets, with physical CDs available for purchase on Tompkins' website, via CD Baby, and at Vintage Vinyl and Euclid Records.

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.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold this week was on NPR as a guest performer on singer Erykah Badu's Tiny Desk Concert.

* The latest episode of the cable TV series STL Live previewed Saturday's Hermann Wine & Jazz Festival.

* Saxophonist and educator Harvey Lockhart's HEAL Center for the Arts is one of several local organizations getting a grant for 2018-19 from the Arts and Education Council's Monsanto Creative Impact Fund.

* Singer and producer Wendy Gordon (pictured), saxophonist Kendrick Smith, and other cast members appeared on FOX 2's Thursday morning newscast to promote the latest installment of Gordon's "Jazz Heaven" series, happening this Saturday at the Florissant Civic Center Theater.

* Flute player and composer Fred Tompkins has reissued his late 1970s album Cécile on CD. The re-release includes all the tunes from the LP version, which feature performances from notable musicians such as bassist Anthony Jackson, guitarist Chuck Loeb, and others, plus some bonus tracks of more recent material.

* Thurman's in Shaw is adding a Sunday brunch, which will debut with a "soft opening" on Sunday, August 26. The venue also will celebrate two years of operations under the current ownership with an all-day event on Saturday, September 1 featuring live music, drink specials, and more.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded Jazz St. Louis a $15,000 grant to support JSL's artist residency program.

* The St. Louis Symphony last weekend joined forces with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to perform Marsalis' "Swing Symphony" at Powell Hall, and the performances - which also were SLSO music director and conductor David Robertson's final concerts with the orchestra - were reviewed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Sarah Bryan Miller and KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

* Trumpeter Jim Manley has released a new album, Retro 80s, which is on sale now on all the usual online outlets, with CDs also available starting next Tuesday, May 15. The album (pictured) includes 10 original tunes by Manley featuring ""solo trumpet with a horn section and sounds of the 80s." You can listen to a compilation of some brief sample clips here.

* Speaking of new recordings, flute player and composer Fred Tompkins has just added a new track to his Bandcamp page and "Ongoing Additions" Facebook page. "The Sun" is a six-minute vocal piece incorporating texts by Emily Dickinson that was performed for the recording by mezzo-soprano Johanna Nordhorn, pianist Maryse Carlin, and drummer Kyle Honeycutt.

* Singer Denise Thimes was interviewed about this year's edition of her annual Mother's Day show by St. Louis Public Radio

* The St. Louis Stompers are headed to Fox Lake, WI next weekend to perform at the annual Bunny Berigan Jazz Jubilee.

* The Pocket, a combination bed-and-breakfast and rehearsal space geared to traveling bands and music fans, has opened for business in South St. Louis at 3501 Lemp, right next door to Off Broadway.

* The Sheldon Concert Hall has posted to Facebook an album of photos from Wednesday night's performance by Alarm Will Sound.

* The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has arrested four suspects and recovered hundreds of items, including musical instruments and equipment, that were stolen over the past four years from vehicles downtown. The thieves are believed to be responsible for at least some of the rash of thefts that in recent years have plagued touring bands visiting St. Louis. If you or someone you know lost something to the crooks, you can check online to see if it is among the recovered property.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Russell Gunn (pictured) has launched a crowd-funding campaign to finance the debut recording of his Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra, which he describes as an "ultra modern contemporary Jazz Big Band from the U.S.A." featuring vocalist Dionne Farris.

You can find out more about the project and pledge your support here.

* The latest album from Trio 3, featuring saxophonist and former St. Louisan Oliver Lake, was reviewed by the Free Jazz Blog.

* A 100th birthday tribute to Buddy Rich at Ronnie Scott's in London, featuring drummer and St. Charles native Dave Weckl driving a group of alumni of Rich's big band for half the show, was reviewed by Jazz Journal.

* Jazziz magazine has published a download-only article detailing "what they think are the five absolute essential Miles Davis albums that any jazz lover must have in their collection." (Spoiler: Their picks are Kind of Blue, Miles Ahead, 'Round About Midnight, Nefertiti, and In A Silent Way.) The download is available (in exchange for an email address) here.

* Speaking of Miles, the SFJAZZ Collective's latest album featuring their new arrangements of Davis' compositions was reviewed by AllAboutJazz.com's John Kelman.

* The website Best of American Towns has included St. Louis' Vintage Vinyl on their list of "15 of the Best Record Stores in America."

* After a hiatus of several months, pianist Peter Martin has a new blog post up at Medium.com, offering his thoughts on the ballad comping style of pianist Wynton Kelly.

* Gene Dobbs Bradford of Jazz St. Louis is one of seven winners of the Arts and Education Council's St. Louis Arts Awards for 2018. Bradford will receive his award, which is for "Excellence in the Arts," at A&E's gala event on January 22 at the Chase Park Plaza hotel.

* Keyboardist James Hegarty, cellist Tracy Andreotti, and flute player Fred Tompkins have released more new improvised music under Hegarty's "Secret Sessions" imprint, now available as a free download from Bandcamp.

Freedonia Music releases three new albums

The St. Louis-based indie label Freedonia Music, which documents free improv, experimental, and creative music from the city's past and present, has three new releases out this month, all featuring pianist Greg Mills.

Mosaique is a solo effort from Mills described as "improvised classical music" that was "created in the spirit and practice of free improv utilizing a language of musical possibilities based in Modern Classical," with each of the nine improvised compositions dedicated to a different 20th century composer.

Duets features the pianist in a series of improvised partnerships with musicians including cellist Tracy Andreotti, saxophonist/clarinetist Dave Stone, percussionist Henry Claude, and flute player Fred Tompkins.

Circle pairs Mills once again with multi-instrumentalist and Freedonia Music proprietor Jay Zelenka. The two worked together in the 1980s as the duo Exiles, and this album features studio recordings from that period, originally released on various cassette projects and now remastered for CD, plus an unreleased live performance from a 1997 New Music Circle concert featuring Mills, Zelenka, Dave Stone, and bassist Eric Markowitz.

All three albums are available now from download and streaming sites, and in CD format from the Freedonia Music website.

Fred Tompkins releases new CD Another Place

Flute player and composer Fred Tompkins has released a new CD, Another Place, featuring eight original compositions performed by a cast of St. Louis musicians and singers.

In addition to Tompkins' work on flutes, piano, and sampler, the self-produced release (pictured) features performances from guitarists Dave Black and Lee Scott Price, saxophonist Paul DeMarinis, drummers Gary Sykes, Kevin Cheli and Charlie Dent, keyboardists Jim Hegarty, Greg Mills and Henry Palkes, and singer Debby Lennon.

While most of the album was recorded in Tompkins' studio, several tracks also incorporate live improvisations from performances at the now-closed Tavern of Fine Arts.

Another Place is available as a CD from Vintage Vinyl, Euclid Records, CD Baby and Tompkins' website, and also can be purchased in digital form at iTunes, Amazon, and other online retailers.

Jazz this week: Femi Kuti and Positive Force, "Jazz in July" begins, and more

As mid-summer weekends go, this isn't an especially busy one for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, but there still are a number of noteworthy performances worth seeking out over the next few days, including the return of a popular free summer concert series and a rare visit from one of the best-known Afrobeat musicians in the world. Let's go the highlights...

Thursday, July 7
The Liberation Organ Trio will open this year's Jazz at Holmes series of free "Jazz in July" concerts at Washington University. (Note that the summer series will be presented in a different location, the Tisch Commons in Danforth University Center, with an earlier start time than the Jazz at Holmes shows presented during the school year.)

Also tonight, guitarist Dave Black, singer Feyza Eren and friends perform at Nathalie's, and pianist Ptah Williams and guitarist Eric Slaughter will be holding forth in their usual Thursday night spot at The Dark Room.

Friday, July 8
Singer Eve Seltzer returns to Evangeline's; the Original Knights of Swing will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and roots-rock/Americana band the Brothers Lazaroff will make their debut at Jazz at the Bistro in the first of two nights of performances at that venue. They'll be offering new arrangements of their material that have been expanded to accommodate a roster of guest soloists including saxophonist Ben Reece and trumpeter Adam Hucke.

Saturday, July 9
On Saturday afternoon, singer Wendy Gordon and friends will return for another matinee performance at J&C BBQ & Blues, and saxophonists Jeffrey Collins and Jessica Knopf, aka the Atlas Saxophone Duo, will present a free performance and workshop at Saxquest.

Saturday night, singer and actor Ben Watts, who's moving to NYC, will give his final cabaret performance locally before departing at The Emerald Room at The Monocle; and multi-instrumentalist Femi Kuti (pictured), the son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, and his band Positive Force will be in town for a performance at The Ready Room. For some video samples of Kuti and Positive Force in action, see this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Sunday, July 10
Miss Jubilee returns to perform for brunch at Evangeline's; and Sound Unlimited continues their Sunday night residency at Frederick’s Steakhouse and Pizzeria.

Monday, July 11
Percussionist Joe Pastor and the St. Louis Legacy Ensemble will perform at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Tuesday, July 12
The loosely organized collective of musician involved with the the new CD New Music/Free Improv Live at the Tavern of Fine Arts will hold a CD release event for the album at Jackson Pianos in the Central West End.

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.)

"New Music/Free Improv" CD release event reset for Tuesday, July 12 at Jackson Pianos

The release party for New Music/Free Improv Live at the Tavern of Fine Arts, a new CD collecting improvised performances by 14 different St. Louis musicians, has been rescheduled for 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 12 at Jackson Pianos, 4354 Olive St in the Central West End.

(The event originally was scheduled to take place at the album's titular Tavern of Fine Arts, but had to be moved after that venue closed on Saturday, June 25.)

Produced by flute player/composer Fred Tompkins and pianist Greg Mills, the album (pictured) contains ten tracks recorded at a half-dozen different events held between March 2014 and March 2016 at the now-shuttered tavern. Performers include Tompkins, Mills, cellist Tracy Andreotti, poet Michael Castro, percussionist Henry Claude, violinist Alex Cunningham, keyboardist James Hegarty, clarinetist Eric Mandat, trombonist Jeremy Melsha, guitarist Lee Scott Price, trumpeter George Sams, saxophonist Dave Stone, bassist Josh Weinstein, and percussionist Thomas Zirkle.

Pressed in a limited edition of 100 CDs, the album will be available to buy for $10 at the CD release event, and also is now on sale at local retailers Euclid Records and Vintage Vinyl.

The CD release event is free and open to the public, and will feature performances from most of the musicians who appear on the album, plus "free drinks and snacks."

New CD release showcases St. Louis free improvisors

A loosely organized collective of St. Louis improvising musicians is releasing a CD documenting their live performances over the past two years.

New Music/Free Improv Live at the Tavern of Fine Arts contains ten tracks recorded at a half-dozen different events held between March 2014 and March 2016 at the Central West End restaurant and bar referenced in the album's title.

With production overseen by flute player/composer Fred Tompkins and pianist Greg Mills (both of whom also perform on some of the tracks), the album compiles music from monthly jam sessions at the ToFA; last fall's "3 Nights In September" festival; and more, all recorded live to two-track by Tompkins.

In addition to the two producers/project managers, performers include cellist Tracy Andreotti, poet Michael Castro, percussionist Henry Claude, violinist Alex Cunningham, keyboardist James Hegarty, clarinetist Eric Mandat, trombonist Jeremy Melsha, guitarist Lee Scott Price, trumpeter George Sams, saxophonist Dave Stone, bassist Josh Weinstein, and percussionist Thomas Zirkle.

To help promote the album (pictured), the various musicians involved will stage a CD release event at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, July 13 at the ToFA. Admission is free.

Update, 12:00 a.m., 6/17/16: The proprietors of the Tavern of Fine Arts announced late yesterday that they'll be closely permanently on Saturday, June 25, meaning that the CD release event on Wednesday, July 13 is canceled. If it is rescheduled at another venue, depending on the timing there will be either another update or a new post here on StLJN.

Pressed in a limited edition of 100 CDs, the album will be available to buy for $10 at the event on July 13, and also will be available for purchase from the participating musicians and soon, at local retailers Euclid Records and Vintage Vinyl. Plans for a digital release are pending, said Tompkins.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Guitarist Mary Halvorson was interviewed for an article on the New Music Circle website. NMC is presenting Thumbscrew, featuring Halvorson, bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Tomas Fujiwara, in concert tonight at Joe's Cafe.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn has sold his NYC townhouse for $11 million. The property has been on the market since 2009 as part of a reported effort by Sanborn to downsize to slightly more modest quarters.

* Pianist and St. Louis expat Linda Presgrave (pictured) and her husband, saxophonist Stan Chovnick, have posted online a video of their duo concert recorded last week at Michiko Studios in NYC. The complete show can be seen for free until October 5.

* The reissue of composer/flute player Fred Tompkins' Fanfare 8: The Early Works was reviewed by blogger Grego Applegate Edwards of the blog Gapplegate Music Review, who called Tompkins "one of the greatest, if lesser known, of the so-called "third-stream" composers."

* Last weekend's LouFest set by Trombone Shorty was discussed in reviews of the event from the Riverfront Times and KDHX's Kevin Korinek.

* The Cherokee Street music and art venue Blank Space is expanding, as detailed in this story by the RFT's Joseph Hess.

* St. Louis Volunteer Attorneys and Accountants for the Arts and Missouri Arts Council have put online a video of their "Copyright Basics" workshop.

* The St. Louis swing dance community this week is mourning the death of veteran dancer Tommy Russo, who passed away last week at age 98.

* As part of their 65th anniversary promotion, Prestige Records has released online a short video interview with producer Ira Gitler, who describes what really happened during one of the Miles Davis sessions included among the label's recent reissues.

* Writing for the St. Louis American, James Ingram (not the singer, but rather a columnist for the paper) wonders why Don Cheadle couldn't have filmed his Miles Davis movie in East St. Louis rather than Cincinnati.

(Actually, I think I know the answer to this one. Presumably, one big reason is because ESL lacks sufficient locations that could double for NYC in the 1970s, which was cited as a key reason Cheadle chose Cincinnati. Ingram's essay mentions having room in ESL to construct sets and facades, but the modest budget of Miles Ahead would have precluded that option no matter where it was shot. The film also reportedly received tax incentives from the city and from the state of Ohio, which Illinois and/or ESL may have been unwilling or unable to match.)

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will feature tracks from saxophonist Sonny Rollins' recent series of “Road Shows” recordings. The program can be heard 8:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

A bit farther down the dial, this week's edition of "St. Louis Jazz Talk" at 11:00 a.m. Sunday on WSIE (88.7 FM) will feature an interview with drummer Steve Davis.

Jazz this week: Thomas, Whitaker, Hayward & Warfield; Chris Hazelton & Cory Weeds; Oikos Ensemble; and more

This week's schedule of live jazz and creative music includes a diverse group of musician/educators brought together here by a returning St. Louisan; visiting players from Kansas City, Vancouver and Mississippi; the debuts of two new ensembles featuring some top local musicians; and more. Let's go to the highlights....

Tonight, the Route 66 Jazz Orchestra performs at First Unity Church of St. Louis, 4753 Butler Hill Rd in south county.

On Thursday night, the Young Friends of Jazz St. Louis and two other local organizations' "young friends" groups will present the annual "Jazz Under The Stars" benefit at the Planetarium in Forest Park. The event will include live music from guitarist Eric Slaughter, bassist Bob Deboo, saxophonist Willie Akins, pianist Jesse Gannon, and drummer Marty Morrison.

Also tomorrow, the St. Louis Avant Garde Ensemble makes its debut at the Tavern of Fine Arts. This new project features Fred Tompkins, flute and melodica; Jim Hegarty, piano and electronics; Tracy Andreotti, cello; Lee Scott Price, guitar; and Thomas Zirkle, percussion and electronics.

And while all that's going on, the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will have something a little different this Thursday: a free screening of the Mississippi blues documentary film We Juke Up In Here, produced and directed by St. Louis resident Jeff Konkel and former St. Louisan Roger Stolle. Along with the film, the event will include a Q&A with Konkel and Stolle and a performance by guitarist and singer Jimmy "Duck" Holmes.

On Friday, pianist Reggie Thomas, who grew up and worked here for most of his life but moved away last year for a teaching job in Michigan, will be back in town to perform for the second time since the move. Thomas (pictured) will join forces with bassist Rodney Whitaker (a fellow faculty member at Michigan State University), trombonist Andre Hayward, and saxophonist Tim Warfield for shows on Friday and Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

All four men have been in town throughout the week as part of an educational residency for Jazz St. Louis, performing and teaching at local schools and working with students in the Jazz St. Louis All-Stars and JazzU programs. Thomas, of course, is a longtime StLJN favorite who's well known to local jazz fans, and yr. humble editor found Hayward to be particularly impressive a few years ago here with the SF Jazz Collective at the Bistro. (And that's certainly not to slight Whitaker or Warfield, both of whom have impressive resumes of their own.)

Also Friday, the St. Louis Big Band plays for dancers at Casa Loma Ballroom, singer Joe Mancuso brings a quartet to Robbie's House of Jazz; and Eric Slaughter will lead a quartet with Akins, Morrison and DeBoo at Cigar Inn.

On Saturday afternoon, singer Wendy Gordon and her band will be playing a new jazz brunch, this one at Ace's Bar and Grill, 9600 Natural Bridge Rd (inside the Comfort Inn) on the north side. Meanwhile, across town, trumpeter/vibraphonist Joe Bozzi and his group will be performing a matinee at Schoemehl's Southside Grill, 7529 Michigan Ave.

Then on Saturday evening, organist Chris Hazelton, who's from Kansas City, and Cory Weeds, a saxophonist from Vancouver, will team up for a performance at Robbie's. Hazelton is a former student of Hammond master Dr. Lonnie Smith, while Weeds frequently plays in the organ-trio format and also operates a club called the Jazz Cellar in Vancouver. As far as StLJN can tell, this gig is the St. Louis debut for both men; check out their respective websites for some music samples.

Also on Saturday, singer Danita Mumphard will perform at Jazz on Broadway; and the WirePilots, a new group featuring brothers Dan and Ted Rubright on guitar and percussion plus Ric Vice on bass, will debut at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

On Sunday, the Oikos Ensemble, featuring Rev. Cliff Aerie on saxophone, will present a free concert called "Inner Jazz" at Kirkwood United Church of Christ, 1603 Dougherty Ferry Rd. Aerie's collaborators for the performance will include Carolbeth True (piano), Danny Campbell (trumpet), Dave Troncoso (bass) and Kevin Gianino (drums).

Also on Sunday, multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris will present a free concert at Missouri History Museum in Forest Park, offering jazz interpretations of the music of the late hip-hop performer/producer J Dilla.

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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Miles Davis Online's Jeffrey Hyatt has a new post up looking at the current state of the Miles Davis biopic starring Don Cheadle.

* Meanwhile, Columbia Legacy has announced the January release of Miles Davis Quintet Live In Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2.

* A short essay on the Blue Note Records site about guitarist Grant Green (pictured) spotlights some of the recordings the St. Louis native made for the Blue Note label.

* Electronic musician Joseph Raglani is all over the famed indie music site Pitchfork.com this week, with a review of his new album Real Colors of the Physical World and a music video of "Trampoline Dream."

* Jazz St. Louis has posted on their Facebook page some photos documenting saxophonist Chris Potter's second set on Wednesday at Jazz at the Bistro. Potter continues at the Bistro through tomorrow night.

* Music from flute player Fred Tompkins and pianist Jim Hegarty is featured on the latest installment of Taran Singh's Free Jazz Hour podcast.

* The city of Sedalia needs $4,000 to restore a mural commemorating pianist and composer Scott Joplin.

* Fundrasising for the proposed National Blues Museum in downtown St. Louis got a jumpstart this week with the announcement of a $6 million gift from Pinnacle Entertainment Inc., which operates the Lumière Place casino downtown and River City casino in Lemay. The gift, part of more than $11 million given to organizations in the the city, fulfills part of the redevelopment agreement between Pinnacle and St. Louis. Coverage from local media included stories from the Post-Dispatch and St. Louis Business Journal.

* The December episode of HEC-TV's I Love Jazz, featuring music from saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett recorded live this past summer at the Missouri Botanical Garden, is airing now on the cable network (check the program guide for your TV provider) and also is available for viewing online.

Fred Tompkins releases new album Flute Settings

St. Louis based composer and flute player Fred Tompkins has released a new album, Flute Settings.

Local musicians joining Tompkins in performing on the album include keyboard player Jim Hegarty, drummer Charlie Dent, saxophonist and clarinetist Dave Cheli, and steel pan player Boyd F Becker-Nunley. Flute Settings features five of Tompkins' original compositions, one piece each by Hegarty and Becker-Nunley, and an interpretation of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman."

You can hear samples from the album at Tompkins' website, linked above. Flute Settings is available for purchase there and from Amazon.com.

(Edited 7/11/12 to fix a broken link.)

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: A look at outside St. Louis

It's been too hot here for the last week and a half in St. Louis to spend much time outside physically, so today we've got some videos for you that go outside in a musical sense. This sampling of live performance clips from area musicians whose work might be called experimental, free-form, or avant garde includes:

* Electronic musician Eric Hall, seen up above in a solo set recorded at Washington University's Steinberg Auditorium in December 2010;

* Flute player and composer Fred Tompkins and keyboardist/composer Jim Hegarty, seen in the first clip down below joining forces to perform Tompkins' piece "My Changes." The performance, recorded in January 2011 at the St. Charles Coffee House, starts with what Tompkins calls "certain points of reference - tonalities, a general idea of style and overall form" while leaving the exact note choices and length of each section open;

* An excerpt from one of the "Drum Line" concerts presented in 2011 by the Nu-Art Series, featuring drummers Charles "Bobo" Shaw, Gary Sykes, Jerome "Scrooge" Harris and Johnny Johnson;

* Part of an electronic music performance from Joe Raglani and Jeremy Kannapell, recorded last year at the music and art venue Floating Laboratories;

* An improvisation by percussionists Thomas Zirkle and Matt Henry, who sometimes perform together under the name HaZmaT;

* More improv from the Off-Topic Collective, a project that included Hegarty, bassist Willem von Hombracht, percussionist Henry Claude, and saxophonist Dave Stone. The clip was shot in February 2009 at the Kranzberg Arts Center;

* And finally, yet another live improv featuring Stone and friends (the clip is too dark to identify most of the players) recorded last August at El Leñador.

Obligatory disclaimer: Due to the nature of free improvisation, what you see in these clips may or may not resemble what any of these musicians may do on their next live gig. Also, the players seen here certainly aren't the only people in town doing this sort of thing. Think of this post as being merely a representative sample of some names to watch for...

Jazz this week: The Bad Plus and more

The jazz and creative music concert schedule in St. Louis is not exactly jam-packed for the first full weekend of 2011, but I suppose that's all the more reason to get out and catch The Bad Plus (pictured) as they return to Jazz at the Bistro tonight through Saturday.

You can read my preview of TBP in this week's Riverfront Times, and to see some videos of the band playing material from their most recent CD Never Stop, check out this post from last Saturday.

Elsewhere around town, the new year seems to be getting off to a bit of a slow start. There's nothing jazz-oriented on tap this week at the Pageant, the Touhill or the Sheldon, and at this writing, Robbie's House of Jazz hasn't updated their website with schedule information for the new year. Area universities have yet to resume classes, and so the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University has yet to announce their winter/spring 2011 schedule.

On the bar/restaurant scene, Mangia Italiano is under new ownership and will be closed for renovations until mid-month, thus temporarily sidelining their long-running Friday night attraction, saxophonist Dave Stone's trio.

To sum up, it looks like the 2011 concert schedule won't really get rolling until next week, but in the meantime, there are just a few more local gigs to commend to your attention.

On Thursday, saxophonist Dave Cheli will perform free improvisation with his sons, Kevin (drums & percussion) and Dominic (keyboards) at Stone Spiral Coffeehouse. and on Saturday, the Chelis will split a bill with flute player Fred Tompkins and pianist Jim Hegarty at the St. Charles Coffeehouse (which, name notwithstanding, actually is in St. Peters). Tompkins and Hegarty promise "some original music and our own versions of pieces by Ornette Coleman, Brian Eno and Douglas Ewart."

Looking beyond the weekend, BB's Jazz Blues and Soups has guitarist Tom Byrne's trio early on Sunday night, and the Sessions Big Band on Tuesday.

For more jazz-related events in St. Louis this weekend and beyond, 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.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Here's the latest wrap-up of links and short local news items of interest that you may have missed:

* The St. Louis-based independent label MAXJAZZ recently was the subject of a feature on cable channel HEC-TV's program State of The Arts. You can see the video of the segment on MAXJAZZ's Facebook page.

* St. Louis flute player and composer Fred Tompkins (pictured) and local presenting organization New Music Circle are both mentioned in an article about Third Stream music in the most recent issue of CA-Modern magazine, a slick, glossy publication that covers California lifestyles and architecture from the mid-20th century to today. You can read the article, written by Jeff Kaliss, online here. (Note: The link goes to the first page of a Flash version of the magazine. Use the controls at the top of the page to move forward and backward through the contents.)

* Musical instrument retailer Fazio's Frets & Friends is sponsoring a free informational lecture, "Playing for Longevity: A Chiropractic Workshop for Musicians (Part II)" from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p. m. next Wednesday, July 28 in the performance room at Fazio's, 15440 Manchester Rd. in Ellisville. The discussion will include "prevention strategies and treatment options for patients regarding repetitive motion injuries and other conditions related to inflammation. An acupuncture demonstration will follow the lecture and a question & answer session will round out the evening."

*In a post on the paper's Culture Club blog, the Post-Dispatch's Diane Toroian Keaggy lists all the local organizations that will be participating in this fall's American Arts Festival, which will include performances by pianist Dave Brubeck at the Sheldon Concert Hall and saxophonist Joshua Redman at Jazz at the Bistro.

* The Riverfront Times has part two of Chrissy Wilmes' interview with Art Holliday about his documentary on the late pianist and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Johnnie Johnson, in which the KSDK newsman talks about some of the famous folks he's interviewed for the doc, and why it's taking so long to finish the film.

* Author, artist and St. Louis blues historian Kevin Belford will be signing (and presumably, selling) copies of his tome Devil at the Confluence and showing artwork from the book beginning at 11:00 am and continuing into the afternoon this Sunday, July 25 at the Urban Eats Cafe, 3301 Meramec.

* The Big Muddy Blues Festival, which will be held over Labor Day weekend on Laclede's Landing, announced part of its 2010 lineup this week. Bud Jostes, proprietor of Beale On Broadway, is booking this year's event, a task previously handled since the Bid Muddy's inception by John May of BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups and the St. Louis Blues Society. Given the change in management, it's no surprise that the musical menu this year includes touring acts Nick Curran and the Lowlifes, Magic Slim and the Teardrops and Eric "Guitar" Davis, all of whom have played the Beale in recent years, as well as local singer Kim Massie, a longtime regular performer at the Beale who's now also managed by Jostes. The rest of the lineup is TBA for now.

* Finally, we note with sadness the passing of St. Louis harmonica player and singer Keith Doder, who was part of the blues scene here for more than 30 years. Doder played with guitarists Tommy Bankhead and Jimmy Rogers and with his own group, the Blue City Band, but yr. humble editor knew him long before that as a fellow student at Webster Groves High School. Keith was a fine person as well as a musician with an authentic blues feel, and he'll be missed not only by his family and friends but by his fellow musicians and blues fans everywhere.

Tompkins' tales told via new blog

Composer and flute player Fred Tompkins recently got in touch to pass along news of his new blog, Third Stream Media. So far, the site includes posts recalling some of Tompkins' early career experiences in NYC, where he met and worked with jazz greats such as Elvin Jones and Dave Liebman, as well as information on his current musical activities. You can check it out here.