So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Broadcaster, author and photographer Dennis Owsley will end his long-running St. Louis Public Radio program "Jazz Unlimited" with a final broadcast on Sunday, December 29.

Owsley, who moved with his wife to Arizona this fall to be closer to his grandchildren, had been sending in pre-recorded shows from there.  He said the decision to sign off after 36 years of broadcasting was entirely his own, with no pressure from station management. With the notable exception of the St. Louis Symphony's live broadcasts, "Jazz Unlimited" is one of the last music programs on the St. Louis Public Radio schedule, which increasingly has emphasized news and talk since the mid-2000s.) 

The author of two books on the history of jazz in St. Louis, Owsley (pictured) has won honors including several Riverfront Times "Best of St. Louis" awards for best jazz radio program and a "Jazz Hero" award in 2016 from the Jazz Journalists Association. The Post-Dispatch's Joe Holleman has more here.

* Drummer Nate Smith recently did a brief Q&A that was published on the Jazz St. Louis website. Smith and his band KINFOLK will perform through Sunday night at the Bistro.

* Smith also has recorded a solo performance for an episode of Gaslight Studios' web series "Gaslight Sessions," which was released online Monday.

* The Grand Center district in midtown will be the site of a new concert venue with a capacity of 1,200 that's scheduled to open in 2021. The club, to be called The Sovereign, will book national touring acts, local and regional bands in a variety of genres, as well as corporate events, private parties and weddings.

The venture is the product of a team-up between Tim Weber, managing partner of Old Rock House and former general manager and talent buyer at Mississippi Nights, and Steve Smith, the CEO of Lawrence Group, an architectural and development firm involved in a number of real estate projects in the neighborhood. The P-D's Kevin Johnson has more, including some quotes from Weber, here.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn has posted to Facebook an album of photos from his recent shows at the Blue Note Tokyo.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer, bandleader and multi-instrumentalist Femi Kuti was interviewed by writer Dan Durchholz for a Post-Dispatch story previewing Kuti's performance Saturday night at the Ready Room.

* Trumpeter Russell Gunn, originally from East St. Louis and now living in Atlanta, will release his latest recording The Sirius Mystery on Friday, August 12. According to a news release, the album (pictured) blends jazz with "EDM, American Trap, African Drums, Dub Step and Charlie Parker improvisation in a four movement suite that is inspired by and based on the “mythology” of the Dogon Tribe of Mali." A single from the album, "Sirius B (The Unseen Absolute)", already is available online.

* Meanwhile, singer and St. Louis native Lynne Fiddmont has released online the first single from her upcoming album, a cover of the Gamble and Huff song "Groovy People".  The song, first made famous in 1976 by Lou Rawls, will be included on Fiddmont's forthcoming CD Power of Love.

* A feature story on St. Louis Public Radio looked at Forest Park's new artist residency program, which this year included The 442s.

* Speaking of St. Louis Public Radio, the station has a new arts and culture editor, David Cazares, who comes to our town via Minnesota Public Radio, the NPR affiliate in Minneapolis-St. Paul. An avowed jazz fan, Cazares has gone public with an appeal to St. Louisans, inviting listeners to offer their input on the sort of arts coverage they'd like to hear.

* You can get a close-up look at the Fox Theatre's recently opened Curtain Call Lounge, which is featuring live jazz and cabaret performances on select nights, via this article from the firm that designed the space.

* Pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio Network has announced another new jazz education course available via online video, a "brand new" edition of drummer Gregory Hutchinsons's "Hutchology" offering "fresh content weekly, new studio recorded lessons, exclusive quick tips and more."

Dennis Owsley named a "Jazz Hero" by Jazz Journalists Association

Dennis Owsley, the longtime host of "Jazz Unlimited" on St. Louis Public Radio and author of a book about the history of St. Louis jazz, has been named a "Jazz Hero" for 2016 by the Jazz Journalists Association.

The award is one of 26 given this year by the JJA to "advocates, altruists, activists, aiders and abettors of jazz who have had significant impact in their local communities." Owsley (pictured) will be the second St. Louisan to be honored by the organization, which last year included the late Don Wolff among 23 "Jazz Heroes" nationwide.

Owsley will receive his "Jazz Hero" award in a ceremony held from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at the Ferring Jazz Bistro. The event is free and open to the public and will feature live music by a combo of Jazz St. Louis' JazzU students and complimentary Brother Thelonious Ale. A cash bar also will be available. (Separate admission will be required for the 7:30 p.m. set at the Bistro by Anat Cohen, Matt Wilson, Marquis Hill and Linda Oh.)

Dennis Owsley's book City of Gabriels: The History of Jazz In St. Louis 1895-1973 was published in 2006 and remains the definitive volume on the subject. His radio program, which began in 1983, continues to air weekly from 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays on KWMU/St. Louis Public Radio (90.7 FM). He also is an accomplished photographer who over the years has shot many pictures of jazz musicians, some of which can be seen on his website.

Based in NYC, the Jazz Journalists Association is a national non-profit organization "dedicated to promoting the best use of media of all kinds --new and old, online and off-- to tell the story of jazz and develop new jazz audiences."

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer Tony Bennett's performance last Saturday night at Lindenwood University was reviewed for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch by Dan Durchholz.

* This week's "Jazz St. Louis at 20" festivities at Jazz at the Bistro were previewed in articles in the Post-Dispatch and in Ladue News. Jazz St. Louis also has posted to Facebook some photos from Wednesday night's show featuring Christian McBride, Cyrus Chestnut, Gregory Hutchinson, Russell Malone, Terell Stafford, and Tim Warfield.

* Speaking of pictures, there's a photo set from last Saturday's Old Webster Jazz and Blues Festival now online at the KDHX website.

* Singer-guitarist John Pizzarelli talked about his just-released album of Paul McCartney songs with KMOX radio's Charlie Brennan.

* A brief article in St. Louis magazine previews the upcoming season from New Music Circle.

* Music from the STL Free Jazz Collective (pictured) is included in the latest edition of Taran's Free Jazz Hour podcast.

* The Midwest Jazz-tette has produced and uploaded to YouTube a new promotional video/electronic press kit.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake will be back in action next week with Trio 3 for three dates at the Blue Note in NYC. Lake, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille will be joined by a different guest pianist every night, with The Bad Plus' Ethan Iverson playing on Tuesday, Vijay Iyer on Wednesday, and Jason Moran on Thursday.

* A new exhibit at the Luminary Center for the Arts that includes posters, poetry chapbooks, and other materials from the Black Artists Group is the subject of a story on St. Louis Public Radio. Titled "The Marvelous is Free," the exhibit displays the BAG artifacts with "other art from The Black Arts Movement, Gay Rights Movement and the fight for Latino rights during the late 1960s and early ’70s," and will continue through November 6.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist Eric Person has released a new CD, DuoScope, which features duet performances with drummer Shinnosuke Takahashi. The album (pictured) is available now via CD Baby.

* St. Louis Public Radio has added a jazz channel to their online and HD offerings. Jazz KWMU-2 is streaming syndicated programming produced by Jazz Works, which offers a mix of mainstream modern jazz, Latin jazz, vocals, and more. You can see some sample playlists from the JazzWorks service here.

* In this week's St. Louis American, staff writer Kenya Vaughn reviews the latest album from singer Cecile McLorin Salvant.

* Saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett will celebrate his 75th birthday next week with a concert on Sunday, September 20 at the Chicago Academy of Music.

* A video excerpt showing saxophonist Willie Akins playing the blues at his own benefit concert last Friday at the Kranzberg Arts Center has been posted to YouTube.

* The band Soul Cafe won the fourth annual "Old Webster's Got Talent" contest last week, and will open the 2015 Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, September 19 on the Allen Avenue stage.

* Saxophonist, composer and onetime Webster University undergraduate John Zorn was the subject of a feature story in the Wall Street Journal.

* In what a cynic would say has the appearance of a classic holiday weekend newsdump, Grand Center announced last Friday evening that there will be no First Night celebration this year. There's no word yet as to whether venues in the district, which includes Jazz at the Bistro, the Sheldon, and the Kranzberg Arts Center, will be putting on any New Year's Eve programming of their own. Stay tuned...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli chatted with KMOX's Charlie Brennan about the concert next month paying tribute to and raising money for the family of the late St. Louis pianist Ray Kennedy.

* While in town to perform at Jazz at the Bistro, trumpeter Terence Blanchard on Thursday also visited bassist Jim Widner's jazz camp at UMSL to teach and perform for the students there.

* In Denmark, a 2-CD set issued last year featuring the late saxophonist and former St. Louisan Luther Thomas (pictured) performing with various Danish musicians, was reviewed by AllAboutJazz.com's Jakob Baekgaard.

* Multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis expat J.D. Parran recently played on a new recording with Marshall Allen and Danny Thompson of the Sun Ra Arkestra, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Sun Ra's Heliocentric Worlds, Volume 2 using same instrumentation, and even the exact same bass marimba, and recording at the same studio used at Ra's session a half-century ago.

* The Friends of Scott Joplin now have a YouTube channel, featuring clips of ragtime performances from a variety of pianists.

* The latest episode of HEC-TV's I Love Jazz features singer Feyza Eren and her quartet, plus a segment on host Don Wolff's recent "Jazz Hero" award from the Jazz Journalists Association, and more. Unfortunately, the newly redesigned HEC website makes it very difficult to find out when the show airs, so you'll have to consult your TV provider's program guide for airdates and times, or just watch online here.

* LaVerne Holliday, a former on-air personality for radio station WSIE in the 1990s and early 2000s, has died of complications from breast cancer. She was 60.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's program “Somethin’ Else” features the jazz-influenced works of composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, as interpreted by Linda Oh, Jason Moran, Paula West, and more.

Immediately following on "The Jazz Collective," host Jason Church will spin tracks from George Benson, Junior Walker and the All Stars, Simply Red, Nathan East, Soul Ballet, John Coltrane, Common Time, the Bosman Twins, Jesse Gannon, Beth Bombara, and more.

"Somethin' Else" airs at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by "The Jazz Collective" at 9:00 p.m., on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Then on Sunday, Dennis Owsley's "Jazz Unlimited" program on St. Louis Public Radio will present the second part of a special devoted to the "cool school" of West Coast jazz. Tune in from 9:00 pm to midnight Sundays on KWMU (90.7 FM) or listen online at http://www.news.stlpublicradio.org.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Bassist Nathan Pence, a senior at Bishop DuBourg High School in St. Louis, received the inaugural Rich McDonnell Scholarship in a presentation last Sunday during the concert at Jazz at the Bistro dedicated to McDonnell's memory.

Pence (pictured, with Jazz St. Louis executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford) will attend the University of Missouri-Kansas City in the fall, majoring in jazz performance.

"Rich was always extremely supportive of our JazzU students, so a scholarship in his name was a perfect fit," said Jazz St. Louis' Devin Rodino in an email to StLJN. "We haven’t finalized all of the guidelines for the scholarship, but do plan to continue to put dollars in and grow it into a sizable fund that can really make an impact each year for one or more students. We will be hashing out full details before next year’s award is given."

* In other news from Jazz St. Louis, Rodino and his pastry-loving colleagues at JSL will host a public celebration of "National Donut Day" from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. next Friday, June 5 at the organization's HQ in Grand Center. The event is free and open to all, and participants can enjoy a sampling of donuts from 15 local bakeries, plus milk and/or coffee.

Students from the Jazz U program will provide live music, and there will be various activities including a donut taste-test competition "with celebrity judges," a donut-themed photo booth, a raffle for tickets to Jazz at the Bistro, and more.

* And in today's last bit of news from Jazz St. Louis, their 2015-16 season brochure now can be viewed online at http://issuu.com/jazzstl/docs/jsl_2015-16_season.

* Grand Center has announced "Music at The Intersection,"  a free concert series that will bring live music to eight venues within the arts district on three Friday evenings this summer.  The first event on Friday, July 17 will spotlight jazz and blues performers including Marquise Knox, Mo Egeston, Dave Black, Bob DeBoo Trio, Lamar Harris, Big Mike Aguirre, Tom "Papa" Ray, Jesse Gannon, Phil Dunlap Quintet, The People's Key, and the Bottlesnakes.

Venues for the series, which will continue on August 14 and September 11 with events featuring other musical genres, include Strauss Park, The Dark Room, Vito's Sicilian Pizzeria & Ristorante, Lucha, Dooley's Beef N Brew House, Jazz at the Bistro, Kranzberg Arts Center, and The Stage at KDHX.

* As part of his effort to establish the St. Louis Black Radio Hall of Fame, veteran broadcaster and author Bernie Hayes has launched a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of raising $15,000. The money will used to finance a benefit concert in August, rent temporary space for a physical museum, and develop a "virtual" radio and media hall of fame.You can read more about the campaign and donate here.

* Jazz radio update:  This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, Calvin Willson's program “Somethin’ Else,” will focus on the music of composer Harry Warren ("Lullaby of Broadway, "At Last," "That's Amore") as performed by musicians including Sonny Rollins, Paul Motian, Diana Krall, and more. You can listen in at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.  

A few clicks to the left on your radio dial, Dennis Owsley's "Jazz Unlimited" program on St. Louis Public Radio this Sunday will present music from "jazz giants" including Bix Beiderbecke, Frank Trumbauer, Joe “King” Oliver, Fats Waller, Benny Goodman, Miles Davis, Shelly Manne, Freddie Redd, Betty Carter, Woody Herman, Eric Dolphy, Chick Corea, Bud Shank, Bill Holman, Betty Carter, and Sun Ra.  The program can be heard from 9:00 pm to midnight Sundays on KWMU (90.7 FM) and online at http://www.news.stlpublicradio.org.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake (pictured) was interviewed by the website Revive Music in advance of his big band gig this Sunday at Aljira Gallery in Newark, NJ.

* Lake's recent duo album with bassist William Parker, To Roy, was reviewed by the website Music and More.

* A new article on the Blue Note Records website looks back at saxophonist Greg Osby's 2000 album The Invisible Hand.

* Pianist and former St. Louisan Tom McDermott, now a mainstay on the New Orleans music scene, has a new duo album, City of Timbres, with clarinetist, saxophonist and singer Aurora Nealand.

* The St. Louis Stompers are on the road this weekend playing the Bunny Berigan Jazz Jubilee in Fox Lake, WI.

* The Funky Butt Brass Band has posted to Facebook an album of photos from their performance in March at the World Chess Hall of Fame

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's program “Somethin’ Else” will feature music from young vocalists including Becca Stevens, Rebecca Martin and Gretchen Parlato. The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Then, on Sunday's episode of "Jazz Unlimited" on St. Louis Public Radio, host Dennis Owsley will highlight the music of saxophonist Joe Lovano. The program can be heard from 9:00 p.m. to midnight over the air at 90.7 FM and online at http://www.stlpublicradio.org/listen.php.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* If you missed last Saturday's concert by drummer Gerald Cleaver (pictured) and his band Black Host (or just want to revisit it), you can see photo sets from the show on the KDHX website and on the Facebook page of presenters New Music Circle.

* One of last week's performances by the Robert Glasper Experience at Jazz at the Bistro was reviewed by Kenya Vaughn of the St. Louis American.

* After two years purveying smooth jazz, R&B and pop to local listeners, HD radio station Hip 96.3 finally has an official website of its own.

* Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap and student bassist Nathan Pence were interviewed about JSL's JazzU program on St. Louis Public Radio's "CityScape."

* Don Wolff talked about his work as a jazz broadcaster and his recent "Jazz Hero" award from the Jazz Journalists Association in an interview this week with KTRS' John Carney.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native Eric Person's big band will be back in action this weekend in NYC, with a concert on Sunday, May 3 for First Presbyterian Church's ArtsWestchester series.

* Jazz radio update: On this Saturday's episode of his Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis program  “Somethin’ Else,” Calvin Wilson will highlight the compositions of Burt Bacharach as interpreted by musicians such as Wallace ROney, Nellie McKay, and Mulgrew Miller.

Immediately following on "The Jazz Collective,"  Jason Church will feature new music from Boney James, Sun Soul Orchestra, and Rhonda Thomas, along with tracks from Ronnie Laws, Joe Sample, Pieces Of A Dream, Ramsey Lewis, Clave Sol, Tim Cunningham, The Bosman Twins, and Groovethang.

"Somethin' Else" can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by "The Jazz Collective" at 9:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Keep On Keepin' On, the documentary about trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry, has won the Cinema Eye Honors' 2015 Audience Choice Award. The awards were presented this past Wednesday at a ceremony in Queens, NYC.

* Speaking of awards, singer Denise Thimes will be honored with an "Excellence in the Arts" award at the annual St. Louis Arts Awards dinner and ceremony, to be held Monday, January 19 at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel.

* St. Louis magazine's dining section has named the winners of their "Thumbnail Awards" for 2014, and the newly renovated Jazz at the Bistro was cited as the "Best Place to Brag About (on several levels)."

* Drummer and St. Charles native Dave Weckl (pictured) has posted on Facebook a video about "Circle of Rhythm," a piece of artwork from his new "rhythm-on-canvas" collection.

* What keeps you from going out to hear live music? St. Louis Public Radio's Public Insight Network is surveying local listeners, and you can respond here.

* StLJN offers our condolences to multi-instrumentalist and former St. Louisan Don Cunningham on the loss of his wife, singer and pianist Alicia Cunningham, who died December 23 in Las Vegas after a battle with cancer.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,”  host , Calvin Wilson will feature the music of songwriter Hoagy Carmichael as interpreted by musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Jason Moran, Branford Marsalis, and more. The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Then Sunday on KWMU's "Jazz Unlimited,"  host Dennis Owsley will present the second part of a four-part special on the music of George Gershwin, this week featuring "show, film and some classical music.” Listen in from 9:00 pm to midnight on 90.7 FM or online at http://www.news.stlpublicradio.org.

Alarm Will Sound to perform free concert Sunday, October 19 at Public Media Commons

The acclaimed new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound* (pictured) will continue their third St. Louis season with a free concert featuring the world premiere of composer John Luther Adams' new work Ten Thousand Birds at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, October 19 at the new Public Media Commons in Grand Center.

Adams, who won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Music for his orchestral piece Become Ocean, is known for creating large-scale works that embrace public spaces. Ten Thousand Birds, composed with a grant from New Music USA, is based on the songs of birds native to Missouri and the western limit of the eastern hardwood forest, and "fully embraces the orchestral range of colors in the instrumentation of Alarm Will Sound."

St. Louis artist Michael Eastman will provide projected visuals to accompany the music, and St. Louis electronic musicians Eric Hall and NNN Cook will do brief individual sets to open the show. Cook’s piece, written especially for this performance, will include live instrumentation provided by five members of Alarm Will Sound.

The Public Media Commons, which officially opened in September, is a 9,000-square-foot space flanked by large-screen video walls—two stories high—on two sides. In addition to the video walls, the space also includes a performance stage, interactive touch screens, and a window into one of the Nine Network studios.

The performance will be Alarm Will Sound’s second of the weekend here, as the group also will be featured in the “250 Years of St. Louis Music” concert on Friday, October 17 at the Sheldon Concert Hall, playing a new work by pianist Peter Martin, inspired by the music Miles Davis, and another written specifically for the occasion by AWS cellist and University of Missouri professor Stefan Freund.

Admission to the Public Media Commons concert is free and open to the public, with no reservations required.

*As always when StLJN mentions Alarm Will Sound, we include some sort of disclaimer like this one, noting that yr. humble StLJN editor has since 2010 been paid by the PR firm Slay & Associates for tasks including helping AWS with publicity for their concerts in St. Louis and Columbia, MO. That said, given StLJN's usual focus, I'd be writing about AWS even if I had no personal connection to them, so rather than omit any mention of a concert that readers might enjoy, you get the article plus this disclosure of the conflict of interest.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Keep On Keepin' On, the documentary film about the relationship between trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry and his student, the blind 23-year-old pianist Justin Kauflin, gets an official theatrical release starting Friday, September 19 with a premiere at the Arclight Theater in Los Angeles. Before that, though, the movie, which already has been shown at several film festivals, will play on Friday, August 29 at the Vail Jazz Festival in Colorado.

The film also is the subject of a feature story this week in USA Today, and the official trailer released this week was featured on on the film site IndieWire. (You can see it in the embedded video window below.)



* Get the lowdown on the Music Record Shop, an all-vinyl store that's the latest addition to the Grove district, via the Riverfront Times' Rick Giordano.

* Here's a video excerpt from drummer Andre Boyd's recent clinic at Sound Attak in London.

* KDHX (88.1 FM) is collecting items today and tomorrow for St. Stephens Food Bank in Ferguson. In addition to food, St. Stephens also has a need for paper goods, diapers and baby wipes, and toiletries. Items can be dropped off from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Saturday at the Magnolia Café in the station's new HQ at 3524 Washington Ave in Grand Center.

* One of three men charged in the fatal shooting of Patrice Thimes, sister of singer Denise Thimes, pleaded guilty Thursday in the crime and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Patrice Thimes was killed on St. Patrick's Day in 2011 when she unknowingly drove into the middle of a gun battle in midtown. Two other defendants are awaiting retrial after jurors in May could not reach a verdict.

* Jazz radio update: On Saturday night's episode of “Somethin’ Else,” on Radio Art Foundation - St. Louis, host Calvin Wilson will be spinning the music of Brazil's Antonio Carlos Jobim as interpreted by Esperanza Spalding, Nellie McKay, Javon Jackson, and more. The program con be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen

Then Sunday on KWMU, "Jazz Unlimited" will feature the eighth part of host Dennis Owsley's 10-part documentary series on the history of St. Louis jazz. "The 1990’s-Rebuilding the Scene” covers events including the founding of the MAXJAZZ label and Just Jazz, the club in the Hotel Majestic that eventually evolved into the Jazz at the Bistro series. "Jazz Unlimited" can be heard from 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays over the air at 90.7 FM and online at http://www.stlpublicradio.org/listen.php.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Last weekend's fundraising event for the Miles Davis Memorial Project was a success, according to an article published this week in the Alton Telegraph.

The group seeking to place a statue of Davis in Alton, where he was born, also has posted to their Facebook page an album of photos from the fundraiser. The project's IndieGoGo campaign continues until September 4, and a "trivia night" fundraiser is scheduled for September 12 at the Commons on the campus of Lewis and Clark Community College.

* On a related note, Prestige Records announced this week that their 65th anniversary reissue series also will include a box set compiling Davis' work for the label.

* Meanwhile, Miles Ahead, actor/director Don Cheadle's feature film about Davis, shot some scenes last week at the former city jail in Dayton, OH, and was scheduled to complete principal photography today in Cincinnati.

* Drummer Dave Weckl and his new acoustic band, which also includes St. Louis native Tom Kennedy on bass, started their tour this week with three dates in California. After that, they'll go to Phoenix, back to Los Angeles and then on Washington DC and NYC.

* Trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry has been named chair of the honorary committee for the 2015 Billy Strayhorn Centennial.

* Drummer Andre Boyd (pictured) was interviewed by drummer/journalist Mike Dolbear.

* The Missouri Association for Jazz Education announced this week that trombonist Steve Wiest will direct the 2015 Missouri All-State Jazz Ensemble. The group will perform at the MMEA Conference in January at the Lake of the Ozarks.

* New Music Box has published the second of my four guest blog posts scheduled this month. It's about opportunities for Missouri students grades K - 12 to get involved in new music via the University of Missouri's Creating Original Music Project (C.O.M.P.) and a collaborative program offered by Alarm Will Sound and the Community Music School of Webster University. 

* Jazz radio update:  This Saturday on Radio Art Foundation- St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will be spinning sounds from underappreciated jazz pianists including Sonny Clark, Andrew Hill and Herbie Nichols.The program con be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Then Sunday on KWMU, "Jazz Unlimited" host Dennis Owsley continues his 10-art documentary series on the history of St. Louis jazz with episode number six, covering the the 1970s and '80s. "Jazz Unlimited" is broadcast from 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays on KWMU (90.7 FM) and also can be heard online at http://www.stlpublicradio.org/listen.php.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist David Sanborn celebrated a birthday this past week, turning 69 on Wednesday. (In tribute, we've dropped in a video of Sanborn playing "St. Louis Blues" at the end of this post.)

Sanborn (pictured) also has posted another supporters-only update to PledgeMusic.com with the latest on his upcoming crowd-funded album, which has reached 83% of its funding goal with just five days left to go.

* The long-defunct Gaslight Square entertainment district, site of many jazz performances in the late 1950s and early 60s, was the subject of a St. Louis Public Radio story this week featuring interviews with a dozen St. Louisans about their memories of the area.

* The Post-Dispatch's annual "Go! List" issue, which came out last Sunday, included a listing for "Best Place to Hear Jazz" among the arts and entertainment rankings. The P-D's Calvin Wilson gave the nod to New Music Circle as his Critic's Pick, while the Readers Pick went to Jazz at the Bistro.

* Drummer Kaleb Kirby took part in a brief Q&A session with writer Thomas Crone of St. Louis magazine.

* There's a new musical instrument retailer in South County. Music Go Round will sell both new and used gear in their store at 4442 S. Lindbergh (at Gravois) and online. You can check out their wares at their grand opening today and tomorrow, or via their website.

* Jazz radio update: This week on Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will strike a blow against musical necrophilia by spinning tracks from "artists who are either set to perform in St. Louis, long overdue for a local gig, or rumored to be on the way," including pianist Kenny Barron (booked next February at Jazz at the Bistro), singer Gretchen Parlato (still awaiting her St. Louis debut) and guitarist Mary Halvorson (whose band Thumbscrew will open New Music Circle's season in September).

"Somethin' Else" can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Then on Sunday night, "Jazz Unlimited" continues host Dennis Owsley's documentary look at the history of St. Louis jazz with part six of the ten-part series, covering the 1960s. "Jazz Unlimited" an be heard from 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays on KWMU (90.7 FM) and online at http://www.stlpublicradio.org/listen.php.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The free concert featuring pianist Ptah Williams (pictured) this Sunday at Ivory Perry Park was previewed by Kenya Vaughn of the St. Louis American.

* Next week's St. Louis Cabaret Festival was previewed in an article on the website of St. Louis Public Radio, which also will cover the festival during the broadcast of the "Cityscape" program at noon today. You can hear it online at http://www.stlpublicradio.org/listen.php.

* Speaking of the Cabaret Festival, the event's organizers and Metrotix are offering a $10 discount online for tickets to the festival's opening show next Wednesday, which will feature Broadway star Faith Prince performing in the Sheldon Concert Hall's upstairs ballroom. To take advantage of the discount, use this link to access the Metrotix site, and when prompted enter the promo code THEATER.

* A new episode of HEC-TV's I Love Jazz, hosted by Don Wolff, has been posted online. It includes performances and interviews from the concert paying tribute to Richard McDonnell, the late founder of the MAXJAZZ record label, that was presented in May at Jazz at the Bistro, as well as coverage of the Bistro's renovation and expansion plans. You can watch online here, or consult your TV provider's program guide for air times.

* Regarding the Bistro renovations, Ruth Ezell of KETC's Living St. Louis did a story on Monday's program on how the construction is progressing; and a seating chart posted online by Jazz St. Louis shows what the layout for the room will look like post-expansion.

* And speaking of Richard McDonnell, jazz-related artwork remaining from his personal collection after a sale last month can still be seen and purchased by appointment, according to Jeff Appel, the photography dealer who's managing the sale of collection for the McDonnell family. "We have found some great St. Louis collectors for probably around 1/4 of the collection, but hundreds of great pieces remain, from signed festival posters to a variety of framed photographs and etchings," he said. To arrange a viewing at the MAXJAZZ offices in Webster Groves, email Appel at photoaddictappel at gmail dot com, or call or text him at 314-520-1572.

* Drummer Kimberly Thompson took a bit of time from her duties with the house band on NBC's Late Night With Seth Meyers to visit the makers of Gretsch drums and record a short promotional video.

* In this week's Miles Davis news, IndieWire has photos from the set of Miles Ahead, Don Cheadle's film about Davis that's now shooting in Cincinnati.

* On a related note, a post this week on the website Open Culture looked back at the night in 1970 when Davis opened a show for the Grateful Dead at the Fillmore in San Francisco.

* And for those who'd like to delve even further into the trumpeter's history, a new website, Scaled In Miles, offers a unique interactive timeline view of Davis' recording career.

* Pianist Stephanie Trick, who's been performing this summer in England and Europe, recently met British royalty when Prince Charles and Lady Camilla attended a concert of hers in Scotland.

* The Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival once again will pick the opening act for this year's fest via a "Webster’s Got Talent" competition. The entry deadline is August 17, and applications are available for download at the festival's website.

Entrants will compete in public performances on Tuesday, August 26 and Thursday, August 28 at a location TBA, with the two winning bands from the semi-finals playing a final showdown on Thursday, September 4. The winner gets the first slot onstage at this year's OWJBF on Saturday, September 20. For more information, email webstersgottalent@gmail.com.

* Jazz radio update: On this week's edition of Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will pay tribute to the late bassist Charlie Haden, with recordings of Haden's work as a bandleader, his collaborations with Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett, and more. "Somethin' Else" can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

"Jazz Unlimited" to re-air documentary on St. Louis jazz history starting Sunday, July 6

Starting this coming Sunday, July 6, Dennis Owsley's "Jazz Unlimited" program will begin re-broadcasting Owsley's ten-part audio documentary on "The Jazz History of St. Louis."

"This ten-week documentary is the second longest music documentary in the history of radio and certainly the longest music documentary in St. Louis radio (I did the second longest in St. Louis in 1987)," wrote Owsley (pictured) in a recent email to StLJN.

Of course, since he literally wrote the book on St. Louis jazz history - Owsley's 2006 tome City of Gabriels: The Jazz History of St. Louis 1895-1974 remains the definitive volume on the subject - you'd expect something in depth.

And indeed, this series, as its creator enumerated in said email, does not disappoint on that count: "It contains 143 interview segments, 265 complete pieces of music (some very rare), 116 short biographies of musicians and radio people, with 564 musicians or institutions mentioned."

"Jazz Unlimited" is broadcast from 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays on KWMU/St. Louis Public Radio (90.7 FM), and also can be heard online at http://www.stlpublicradio.org/listen.php. "The Jazz History of St. Louis" documentary will continue weekly through Sunday, September 7.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Next Saturday, April 19 is the annual National Record Store Day, and as always, St. Louis' local music retailers will be celebrating in style. For the fourth consecutive year, yr. humble StLJN editor will be spinning tunes at Vintage Vinyl for an hour, starting at 4:00 p.m.. See the poster for the event (pictured) for the store's complete schedule of DJs and live bands.

* Want some free tickets to hear guitarist Charlie Hunter and drummer Scott Amendola this Sunday at the Old Rock House? The show's promoters are giving away three pairs in an online promotion; RSVP to the show's Facebook event for a chance to win.

* Modern dance company MADCO's production "Liquid Roads," which debuts this weekend at the Touhill and features trumpeter Brian Casserly leading an onstage band playing jazz and blues, was previewed by Calvin Wilson of the Post-Dispatch and Chris Gibson of Broadway World. 

* Trumpeter Carl Fischer, in town tonight to back singer/pianist Billy Joel at the Scottrade Center, was profiled by St. Louis magazine's Kim Aubuchon.

* Here's another review of Reeds Ramble, saxophonist and Webster U alum Chris Cheek's new disc with fellow saxophonist Seamus Blake, written for AllAboutJazz.com by Bruce Lindsay.

* Check out two recent interviews with trumpeter Russell Gunn, from the websites Capital Bop and iRockJazz.

* KWMU/St. Louis Public Radio is looking for St. Louisans who have memories of or stories about our town's yesteryear entertainment district Gaslight Square.

* KDHX's new headquarters in Grand Center was the subject of a feature story by Ruth Ezell on KETC's Living St. Louis.

* A brief reminder that Music for Lifelong Achievement is conducting a musical instrument drive this month to collect instruments for deserving but disadvantaged local music students. You can drop off a used or new musical instrument (or cash donation) at any performance this month at the Sheldon Concert Hall, or bring it to the hall during normal business hours from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

* As Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis marks a full year on the air, the Post-Dispatch's Sarah Bryan Miller assesses the station's progress.

* Jazz radio update: And speaking of Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, Calvin Wilson will celebrate the 50th installment of his program "Somethin' Else" this Saturday with encore spins of favorite tracks from Robert Glasper, Diana Krall, Joshua Redman, and more.

Right after than on "The Jazz Collective," host Jason Church will have music from Down To The Bone, Pieces of a Dream, Nathan East, John Coltrane, Excursion, Jack Furlong, Jim Manley, The Silverman Brothers, Common Time and Joe Mancuso.

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* With the wrecking ball poised to swing at the historic Castle Ballroom, site of performances by many important jazz musicians, Nicholas J. C. Pistor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that much of the recent deterioration of the building came while it was owned by groups that included some St. Louis city officials.

* Also on the historic preservation front, Steve Smith, owner of the south side tavern The Royale, has recorded a video in support of the effort to save the Palladium, aka Club Plantation, another building in the Grand Center district with a musically significant history that also is threatened with demolition. The effort to raise awareness and save the building is being led by artist and author Kevin Belford, who created the collage of musicians who played at Club Plantation used to illustrate this post.

* In this week's Miles Davis-related news, Peter Bacon of the UK blog The Jazz Breakfast wonders if the number of Davis CD box sets has reached the saturation point.

* Meanwhile, an article in Audiophile Review critiques the quality of various reissues of Davis' landmark album Kind of Blue.

* The Presenters Dolan have posted to their Facebook page an album of pictures from last weekend's Gaslight Cabaret Festival performances by singer Marissa Mulder.

* Singer Connie Fairchild, whose Gaslight Cabaret Festival performance on Saturday night is sold out, was interviewed by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Public Radio website.

* Guitarist Pat Metheny was interviewed by Calvin Wilson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for a preview story about Metheny's Unity Group concert this Sunday at The Pageant. 

* Trumpeter Roger Ingram has posted to his Facebook page a photo album from his workshops and performances at last week's Mineral Area College Jazz Festival

* The St. Louis Big Band's Ryan Sheehan was profiled by the Webster University Journal.

* Guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran was interviewed by Liz Schranck of KDHX.

* The New Orleans-style cuisine at Evangeline's, the new Central West End spot that features live music several nights a week, was reviewed by the Riverfront Times' Cheryl Baeh.

* St. Louis writers K. Curtis Lyle and Quincy Troupe spoke on the program New Day Jazz about the late author, poet and critic Amiri Baraka.

* Jazz St. Louis reports via this week's email newsletter that their 2014 fundraising gala held last Friday at the Ritz-Carlton raised more than $260,000 for the organization's education programs, making it the second most successful gala in JSL's history. You can see photos from the gala, which featured music from saxophonist Maceo Parker, on Jazz St. Louis' Facebook page.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday night on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' "Somethin' Else," host Calvin Wilson will feature jazz interpretations of the music of composer Stephen Sondheim by clarinetist Don Byron, saxophonist Grover Washington Jr., singer Sarah Vaughan, and others. Listen in at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays via 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Then, this Sunday evening on KWMU's "Jazz Unlimited," host Dennis Owsley continues his exploration of music recorded live in New York, ranging from vintage tracks featuring Art Tatum, Sarah Vaughan with Lester Young, Dizzy Gillespie, Don Byas with Thelonious Monk, and many others to more recent recordings by Chucho Valdes, the Gil Evans Orchestra, the Dave Holland Quintet, the World Saxophone Quartet, Medeski, Martin & Wood, the Anthony Braxton Quartet with Marty Ehrlich, and Hamiet Bluiett.

The program can be heard at 9:00 p.m. Sundays over the air on KWMU (90.7 FM) or online at http://www.news.stlpublicradio.org. (This is a "pledge week" for KWMU, so if you're so inclined, you can show your support for "Jazz Unlimited" by calling in during the program with a membership contribution.)

Also on Sunday nights: While Josh Weinstein presents avant-jazz, improvised music and more each week on "All Soul, No Borders", airing at 10:30 p.m. KDHX (88.1 FM), he rarely tips his playlists in advance. However, we have been remiss in not noting in this space that once the show has aired, you can see the ASNB playlists, and more importantly, access an audio stream of the previous two weeks' shows, via the KDHX website.

(Edited after posting to add the link to the Pat Metheny interview.)

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Harry Connick Jr's concert on Sunday night at the Fox Theatre was reviewed by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

* The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra (pictured) has put on YouTube two videos of their recent performance at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* Jazz St. Louis has posted on Facebook a photo set from saxophonist Donald Harrison's visit last week to Central Elementary School in St. Charles.

* The November episode of HEC-TV's I Love Jazz features trumpeter and singer Dawn Weber and will debut on the cable network at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, November 14. To find HEC on your system and see the times for subsequent showings, consult your TV provider's program guide. Episodes also are posted on the HEC website after their first airing.

* The Friends of Scott Joplin are moving their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" to a new location. Starting in November, the open-piano event will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month at the New Rosebud Cafe at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, 2658 Delmar Blvd. The Rosebud Cafe has two pianos for performers, and "accessibility will not be a problem for those who find stairs difficult." Snacks and soft drinks will be sold, and guests also can bring in their own food and drink.

* The 442s have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to record and manufacture their debut album.

* A new post on Kevin Belford's Devil at the Confluence blog looks at the career and influence of St. Louis trumpeter Charles Creath. 

* DownBeat this week announced the results of their 2013 Readers Poll. While no living St. Louis musicians will take home trophies this year, the Miles Davis Quintet's Live In Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2 was the winner in the Historical Album category.

* In more Davis-related news, Miles Davis: Legendary Concerts, recorded by the trumpeter at the 1985 North Sea Jazz Festival, was reviewed by AllAboutJazz.com's Chris May.

* There's also news this week about the proposed feature film biography of Davis that actor Don Cheadle has been developing for several years, as actors Ewan McGregor and Zoe Saldana are said to be in talks for undisclosed roles. Cheadle still plans to direct and star as Davis, and Herbie Hancock has agreed to write the score for the film, which now is titled Kill The Trumpet Player.

* Saxquest has announced that they are now an official authorized dealer for Yamaha, with the first shipment of instruments arriving this week. The store will offer a selection of Yamaha saxophones and clarinets, with full professional set-ups on all new instruments.

* Jazz radio update: On this week's edition of "Somethin' Else," host Calvin Wilson makes the case for an underrated decade of jazz, spotlighting some favorite recordings from the 1990s including tracks from saxophonist Branford Marsalis, pianist Geri Allen, guitarist Pat Metheny, and more. The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://rafstl.org/listen/.

Then on Sunday, Dennis Owsley's "Jazz Unlimited" program will survey the six-decade career of trombonist, pianist and composer/arranger Bob Brookmeyer, along with featured tracks from pianists Roger Kellaway and Hank Jones; saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Al Cohn, Richie Kamuca, Bill Perkins and Jerome Richardson; clarinetist Pee Wee Russell; bassist Milt Hinton; and drummers Jo Jones and Mel Lewis. You can listen in starting at 9:00 p.m. on KWMU (90.7 FM) or online at http://www.news.stlpublicradio.org.

On a related note, Owsley was interviewed this week on KWMU-2's Arch City Radio Hour about St. Louis jazz history and his work as a broadcaster, photographer and author. The episode also includes a segment previewing next week's Nevermore Jazz Ball.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Ethan Iverson, pianist with The Bad Plus, will be interviewed at noon today (Friday) on the "Cityscape" program on KWMU (90.7 FM).

Iverson will discuss TBP's visit next week to St. Louis, which includes a series of free public discussions and a concert featuring their interpretation of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. (If you miss the broadcast, "Cityscape" programs are archived online here.)

On the same subject, TBP bassist Reid Anderson talked with the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson for a brief preview story about the various events.

Lastly, one more free public program featuring The Bad Plus has been added to the schedule announced earlier this week. "Bridging the Divide: Where Jazz Meets Classical" will take place at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, October 1 at the 560 Music Center, and will focus on the group's "approach to integrating two musical art forms often seen as being on the opposite of the spectrum."

* Multi-instrumentalist and St. Louis expat Marty Ehrlich, who's returning his old hometown to play with his Rites Quartet n a concert presented by New Music Circle next Friday at the Kranzberg Arts Center, was interviewed about the concert by the St. Louis American's Chris King.

* Here's an interview with saxophonist and former St. Louisan Oliver Lake previewing his show next week at NYC's Roulette featuring a string quartet and pianist Vijay Iyer. (who recently was named one of the 2013 winners of a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant." )

* St. Louis Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts has announced their fall slate of educational programs for artists, starting with a workshop called "Get Down to Business: Ask the Music Lawyer" at 7:00 p.m. next Thursday, October 3 at Mangia Italiano, 3145 South Grand. The free event is co-sponsored by KDHX.

SLVAA's "Business Edge" programs this fall will include "Career Planning for Artists" (Monday, October 7), "Getting Your Project Together" (October 14), "Marketing Basics and Professional Presentation" (October 28) "Your Art, Your Brand: An Artist's Guide to Being Noticeable and Getting Noticed" (November 11).

All the "Business Edge" workshops start at 7:00 p.m. and are held at Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar. The cost is $10 in advance, $15 at the door, but there are a limited number of scholarships available for those who can't afford to pay. For more information, call SLVAA at 314-863-6930, or you can download a registration form here (.pdf file).

* The Riverfront Times' Best of St. Louis award for 2013 were announced this week, with the Bosman Twins (pictured) taking the trophy for "Best Jazz Artist" and Jazz at the Bistro winning "Best Jazz Club." Other winners of interest to local jazz fans include Josh Weinstein's "All Soul No Borders" on KDHX as "Best Radio Show (Music)" and Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center as "Best All-Ages Venue."  You can see the complete list of this year's winners here.

* Jazz radio update: In the latest from Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis, this Saturday's edition of Calvin Wilson's "Somethin' Else" will feature tracks from notable jazz duos including Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, Benny Green and Russell Malone, and Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden.

Then on Jason Church's "The Jazz Collective," the first hour is all about guitars, with music from Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny, Count Basic, Eric Clapton, Joyce Cooling and B.D. Lenz. Hour two will present tunes from St. Louis musicians including Tim Cunningham, Jesse Gannon, Jim Manley and the Bosman Twins, plus Ella Fitzgerald, Donald Byrd, the Brand New Heavies, and more.

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