So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Baylor Project, led by drummer and St. Louis native Marcus Baylor and singer Jean Baylor, has released a new single, “Sit On Down,” which is now available for download and for listening on the major streaming services.

* Trumpeter, composer and educator Prince Wells was interviewed on a recent episode of UMSL's  "University World View" podcast.

* Trombonist and St. Louis native Charlie Halloran, now residing in New Orleans, also has a new album out. Titled Shake the Rum, it offers Halloran's take on calypso music, and is available now for download or in CD format via his Bandcamp page.

* Grantstand, a two-CD set reissuing four albums by guitarist and St. Louis native Grant Green (pictured), was reviewed by Jazz Journal.

* Pianist Kara Baldus-Mehrmann is the latest Wash U faculty member featured in a "musical postcard" from the university's music department with her version of Carole King's "You've Got A Friend."

* After years of research by multi-instrumentalist and U. City native Marty Ehrlich, the papers of saxophonist, composer and Black Artists Group member Julius Hemphill now are available to researchers as part of New York University's Special Collections & Archives.

* With this year's event postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak, National Record Store Day has announced a plan to move forward later in the year, with special releases hitting participating stores on August 29, September 26 & October 24.

Jazz at Holmes series announces winter/spring 2018 concert schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series of concerts at Washington University has announced their schedule for the winter/spring semester of 2018.

Here's the entire lineup in chronological order:

Thursday, January 25: Richard Deja Quartet

Thursday, February 1: Freddie Washington/Tom Byrne Quartet
Thursday, February 8: Steve Davis Band
Thursday, February 15: Tony Viviano (pictured)
Thursday, February 22: Eileen G'Sell (poet) with Jay Oliver, William Lenihan & Steve Davis

Thursday, March 1: Kara Baldus-Mehrmann Trio
Thursday, March 8: "Women's Voices in Music" with Washington University student musicians & singers
Thursday, March 22: "52nd Street/To Be Or Not To Bop" with Randy Holmes Quintet & a pre-show lecture by Patrick Burke
Thursday, March 29: Washington University jazz studies students

Thursday, April 5: Brianna Black Band

All concerts are free and open to the public. Concerts begin at 8:00 p.m. and are presented in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall, which is located on Washington University’s campus at the west end of the Brookings Quadrangle, near the intersection of Brookings and Hoyt drives.

Jazz this week: Ptah Williams, Erika Johnson, a salute to the Nat "King" Cole Trio, and more

Summer definitely is sizzling in St. Louis this week, but if you're brave enough to venture out in the steamy weather, there are a number of  noteworthy jazz and creative music shows happening this weekend, including several free concerts.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, 
July 12
Pianist Ptah Williams (pictured, top left) will perform in a free outdoor concert for the Missouri Botanical Garden's Whitaker Music Festival.

Also on Wednesday, the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" proceeds as usual, featuring live jazz with no cover or admission charge at The Stage at KDHX's Magnolia Cafe, Kranzberg Arts Center, Curtain Call Lounge and The Dark Room.

Thursday, July 13
Pianist Kara Baldus will lead her trio in a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes "Jazz in July" series at Washington University; saxophonist Harvey Lockhart and The Collective will take the stage at The Dark Room; and vibraphonist Tom Rickard and guitarist Dave Black will perform at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, July 14
Singer Erika Johnson (pictured, center left) will return to Jazz at the Bistro for the first two nights.

Well-grounded in the tradition thanks to jazz studies at East St. Louis HS (with noted educator Ronald Carter) and at SIU Edwardsville, and an early apprenticeship with the late Willie Akins, Johnson has a repertoire that ranges from Bird to the Beatles, and is one of the better scat singers among St. Louis female vocalists.

She often works in a duo format, but she'll have a full band at the Bistro, making these dates especially attractive for fans both old and new.

Also on Friday, there will be free concerts featuring singer Erin Bode at Ferguson CityWalk; singer Joe Mancuso's organ trio at Lakeside 370 Park in St. Peters; and drummer Steve Davis' "Super Band," featuring singer Feyza Eren at the Webster Groves Concert Hall

Elsewhere around town, the Funky Butt Brass Band will be back for their monthly appearance at the Broadway Oyster Bar, and Miss Jubilee will perform for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

Saturday, July 15
The Jazz Troubadours will perform for brunch at Evangeline's, serving as the first half of a jazz double-bill there that also will feature an evening performance from the Joe Bozzi Band.

Also on Saturday night, singer Chuck Flowers (pictured, bottom left) will salute the music of the Nat 'King' Cole Trio at The Monocle; and trumpeter Jim Manley returns to One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar.

Sunday, July 16
Guitarist and singer Tommy Halloran plays for brunch at The Dark Room.

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist Nicole Johänntgen and pianist Kara Baldus will be among the presenters when Washington University hosts SOFIA (Support Of Female Improvising Artists), a "conference for Girls and Women of all ages and creative disciplines" at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 13 in the Danforth University Center's Goldberg Formal Lounge.

The event will feature a master class and a panel discussion with Johänntgen (pictured), Baldus, and other female artists, with topics to include artistic training; developing a discipline; business in the arts; production of materials; scholarly archiving and documentation; and women's issues in arts and entertainment. The conference is free and open to the public.

* Tritone Guitars' Tritone Expo, set for April 2 and 3 at the @4240 building on the Cortex Innovation Community Campus, was previewed in a news story on local Fox affiliate KTVI. The event "will present nearly 70 music-related companies, artists, and non-profits from the St. Louis area spread out over 40,000 square feet of exhibition space on two floors."

* The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis' current production of Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing, which includes saxophonist Eric Person in a key onstage role, was featured in a story by Judith Newmark of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and reviewed by Kenya Vaughn of the St. Louis American.

* Also in the Post-Dispatch, pop music writer Kevin Johnson made note of The Dark Room's second anniversary celebration this Friday.

* Jazz St. Louis has announced the local launch of WeBop, a early childhood jazz education program intended for children ages 3 to 5 that was originally developed by NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center. For info on the St. Louis WeBop program, visit http://www.jazzstl.org/education-outreach/webop/.

* JSL also has announced their first-ever "Sophisticated Singles" evening, which will take place starting at 8:00 p.m. Friday, April 1 in the first floor lounge next to the Ferring Jazz Bistro, 3536 Washington. Those looking to meet "culturally minded singles" are invited to "mingle in a crowd that shares your refined tastes" and sample drink and hors d'oeuvre specials while the SFJAZZ Collective plays across the hall. Admission is free, and no reservations are required.

* A recording by trumpeter Jim Manley is featured in a new promotional video for Stomvi USA's Flex GHM VR HG Mouthpiece.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake has posted to Facebook an album of photos from a gig by his Organ Quartet in February at the Théâtre Cinéma Paul Éluard de Choisy-le-Roi, near Paris.

* Keyboardist, singer and former St. Louisan Jack Spann (who was known as Jon Rosen when he lived here) played on some demos last year for the late David Bowie's final album Blackstar, and recently talked about the sessions for a short feature story in St. Louis magazine.

Jazz at Holmes series announces Fall 2014 schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University has announced their schedule of free concerts for the Fall 2014 semester.

The series begins this Thursday, September 11, with a reunion performance by Tracer, the jazz-fusion trio featuring keyboardist Ptah Williams (pictured), bassist Darrell Mixon, and drummer Gary Sykes.

As has been the custom in recent years, the series also includes a couple of themed programs. The first, a look back at the Gaslight Square entertainment district of the late 1950s and early '60s, will take place on Thursday, September 25 and will be preceded by a short panel discussion featuring pianist Dave Venn, trumpeter Bob Ceccarini, and saxophonist Freddie Washington, who all gigged at various establishments in Gaslight Square, and Wash U professors Pat Burke and William Lenihan.

The second, "Freedom Summer '64: A Love Supreme" will take place on Thursday, October 9, and will feature the music of John Coltrane as performed by Washington, Lenihan, Paul DeMarinis, Maurice Carnes, Steve Davis, Kara Baldus, and others.

The complete schedule for the semester is:

Thursday, September 11: Tracer
Thursday, September 18: Vince Varvel
Thursday, September 25: "Gaslight Square" with Bob Ceccarini, Scott Alberici, Wayne Coniglio, William Lenihan, Eric Stiller and Steve Davis.

Thursday, October 2: Brian Vaccaro Trio
Thursday, October 9: "Freedom Summer '64: A Love Supreme"
Thursday, October 23: Bob DeBoo plays the music of Charles Mingus
Thursday, October 30: Adam Schefkind

Thursday, November 6: Mike Buerck Orchestra
Thursday, November 20: Jeff Anderson Quartet

Thursday, December 6: Wash U Student Jazz Combo

Presented most Thursday evenings when school is in session, the Jazz at Holmes concerts are free and open to the public. Concerts begin at 8:00 p.m. in Holmes Lounge, Ridgley Hall, located on Washington University’s campus at the west end of the Brookings Quadrangle, near the intersection of Brookings and Hoyt drives.

Jazz at Holmes "Jazz in July" series begins Thursday, July 10

The first of four free summer concerts presented by the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University will take place this week when saxophonist Jay Hutson and Da Wolvez perform at 8:00 p.m., Thursday, July 10 on the Wash U campus.

Because the university is doing some construction work this summer in Ridgely Hall, the usual site for the Jazz at Holmes series, the 2014 "Jazz in July" concerts will be presented at Tisch Commons in the Danforth University Center, 6475 Forsyth Blvd (at Wallace).

After Hutson, next up are trumpeter Erik Jekabson (pictured) and his quintet on Thursday, July 17; and singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black on Thursday, July 24. A trio performance by pianist Kara Baldus, bassist Eric Stiller, and drummer Kyle Honeycutt will conclude the series on Thursday, July 31.

All of the Jazz at Holmes "Jazz in July" concerts start at 8:00 p.m., and are free and open to the public.

Jazz at Holmes announces winter/spring 2010 schedule

The Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University has announced its schedule of free concerts for the winter/spring semester.

Guitarist Matthew Von Doran, backed by bassist Bob DeBoo and drummer Steve Davis, will get things started for 2010 at 8:00 p.m. this Thursday, January 21.

In keeping with the pattern of the last several semesters, the Jazz at Holmes series this spring also will feature a visiting performer along with the lineup of St. Louis talent: singer Jan Shapiro (pictured), a former St. Louisan who now heads the vocal department at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and who will perform on Thursday, April 8.

The Jazz at Holmes series presents concerts at 8:00 p.m. most Thursdays while school is in session. This semester's schedule also includes a concert on Saturday, February 27 by pianist Jay Oliver's quartet. Here's the complete Jazz at Holmes winter/spring 2010 schedule:

Thursday, January 21: Matthew Von Doren Trio
Thursday, January 28: Ptah Williams Trio

Thursday, February 4: Jason Swagler
Thursday, February 11: Dave Stone & Randy Holmes play the music of Don Cherry & Ornette Coleman
Thursday, February 18: Curt Landes Quartet
Saturday, February 27: Jay Oliver Quartet

Thursday, March 4: Paul DeMarinis
Thursday, March 18: Bensid Thigpen
Thursday, March 25: Kara Baldus

Thursday, April 1: Vince Varvel
Thursday, April 8: Jan Shapiro
Thursday, April 15: Larry Johnson and Two Times True

All Jazz at Holmes concerts are free and open to the public. Holmes Lounge is located in Ridgley Hall, on the west side of Brookings Quadrangle near the intersection of Brookings and Hoyt drives. For further information, call Sue Taylor at 314-862-0874 or email staylor@wustl.edu.

(Edited 1/24/10 because Jazz at Holmes switched the originally announced dates for the Curt Landes and Dave Stone/Randy Hplmes concerts, and to add tags.)

Don Wolff's I Love Jazz to cablecast live from the Kemper Museum next Tuesday, October 14

As the longtime host of the "I Love Jazz" radio program, currently heard Friday nights on KFUO (99.1 FM), Don Wolff has done many a live radio broadcast in his day. Now Wolff will be doing real-time television when the video version of I Love Jazz is cablecast live next Tuesday, October 14 from the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum on the Washington University campus.

Wolff tells StLJN that the series' third episode will focus on the museum's current "Birth of the Cool" exhibit and will include a segment on Miles Davis as well as live music from William Lenihan (guitar), Randy Holmes (trumpet), Kara Baldus (piano), Ben Wheeler (bass) and Miles Vandiver (drums). Also on tap are interviews with Lenihan, who teaches at Washington University and is involved with both the Kemper Museum's jazz programming and Wash U's Jazz at Holmes series; and Patrick Burke, author of the book Come In and Hear the Truth: Jazz and Race on 52nd Street and an assistant professor of music at the University.

The event gets underway with a reception from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., followed by the live cablecast from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend, and it's free. However, because space is limited, you must make a reservation by calling Jayne at HEC-TV at 314-531-4455.

Of course, I Love Jazz also can be seen on the HEC-TV cable channel - consult your cable or satellite provider's program guide for specifics on how to find it on your TV - and presumably this episode will be rerun as previous ones have been. No word yet on whether or not the cablecast also will be streamed on HEC-TV's Web site, but someone's supposed to be getting back to me with further details, so watch this space for updates.

(Updated 8/9/08 with the names of the musicians performing on the show.)

Jazz this week: Ravi Coltrane, experimental video with live music, and more

With performances ranging from a traditional New Orleans-style combo to an experimental blend of video and avant garde sounds, this week's schedule of jazz and creative music offers several noteworthy events, starting with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane (pictured), who's playing at Jazz at the Bistro through Saturday. You can read my Riverfront Times Critic's Pick on Coltrane here, and check out the recent StLJN video post on the saxophonist here.

For those on a budget, there are couple of free concerts on the Washington University campus, as the Jazz at Holmes series presents a performance by pianist Kara Baldus and her trio on Thursday, and the new "Kemper Presents" series at the Kemper Art Museum has a show by Zimbabwe Nkenya, performing on the mbira (a.k.a. thumb piano or kalimba), on Friday.

Also on Friday, New Music Circle presents "Synaesthesia," a program of original experimental music and video, at the Saint Louis Art Museum auditorium. The event will feature music by James Hegarty, Rich O'Donnell, Tom Hamilton and the Semi-Acoustic Noise Ensemble (S.A.N.E.) set to videos created by Van McElwee, Roy Zurick and Peter Rose.

Wrapping up the weekend on Sunday, the St. Louis Jazz Club will present the traditional jazz of trumpeter Bob Ceccarini and the River City Ramblers in a performance at the Moolah Shrine Center, 12545 Fee Fee Rd. in Maryland Heights.

As always, these are just a few of the highlights happening around town, so for more jazz events this weekend and beyond, please visit the St. Louis Jazz Notes Calendar. (Note also that with a new month beginning on Saturday, there will be some updates made to the calendar as March schedules come in over the next few days.)

(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.)