So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Keyboardist and Metro East native David Garfield is set to release Stretchin' Outside The Box, the sixth and final installment in his "Outside The Box" series of albums, on Monday, September 27.

As the title suggests, the two-CD, 24-song set (pictured) features Garfield doing some extended jamming with an impressive array of guest stars, including Gerald Albright, Eric Marienthal, Chuck Loeb, Marcus Miller, Kirk Whalum, Paul Jackson Jr., Rick Braun, Randy Brecker, Nathan East, Steve Gadd, Greg Phillinganes, David Paich, and more.

* There's a new episode of David Sanborn's "Sanborn Sessions" posted online this week, with bassist and vocalist Sting as the special guest joining the saxophonist and friends in the studio. You can see this latest episode in the embedded video window at the bottom of this post, and check out previous installments via the series' YouTube channel.

* A story from St. Louis Public Radio's Evie Hemphill examines the potential effects of the opening of two new live music venues, The Factory and St. Louis Music Park, in west St. Louis County.

* Sunday, August 1 is the deadline to apply for the Kranzberg Arts Foundation's 2021-22 artist-in-residence program. You can get details and submit an application at the foundation's website.

* Also from the Kranzberg foundation this week comes word that the "Open Air" concerts outside the Grandel Theatre will continue through August (though the band lineup for the month contains more blues than jazz).

* Trumpeter Andy Tichenor, who's played in the pit orchestras at The Muny and Fox Theatre and with various local big bands, has been hospitalized with "a serious infection," and friends have started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for his medical and living expenses.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Ulysses Owens, Jr

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

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation this week announced that they'll be taking applications for their 2021-22 artist-in-residency program starting Tuesday, June 15. The program is open to all individual artists - visual arts, writers, filmmakers, etc - as well as musicians. The deadline to apply is August 1; for more information or to submit an application, go to https://www.kranzbergartsfoundation.org/residencies/.

* The Sheldon's Peter Palermo discusses the hall's immediate post-pandemic plans and next season in an interview with the St. Louis American's Danielle Brown..

* Drummer and educator Henry Ettman will be teaching a jazz course online next month via the Washington University Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. "New Sounds, New Artists, New Scenes: Jazz in the 21st Century" will explore "new and evolving artists and groups, changing jazz styles from mainstream to avant-garde, and the impact of external forces such as technology, political/cultural turbulence and the pandemic." The course will meet (online) from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Wednesdays starting July 7, continuing through July 28. To register, go to https://osher.wustl.edu/course-registration-2/ or call (314) 935-4237.

* The connections between Miles Davis' late-period electric music and "punk jazz" are elucidated in a review of the trumpeter's album Dark Magus newly published on the swesite PunkNews.org.

* Asleep at the Wheel's Ray Benson was interviewed by Daniel Durchholz for the Post-Dispatch in advance of the band's gig tonight at the Fox Theatre.

* Pianist Peter Martin's company Open Studio is introducing another weekly webcast, this one starring drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. in "a journey through all things #DRUMS with various guest drummers, musicians, artists, and music industry professionals." The program will air live at 5:00 p.m. Wednesdays on the company's Facebook page, starting next week with drummer Lewis Nash as the featured guest/interviewee.

"Music at the Intersection" festival announces lineup of performers

The "Music at the Intersection" festival first announced last year by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation and other Grand Center organizations has released the list of bands and musicians who will perform at the event, now scheduled for the weekend of Friday, September 10 through Sunday, September 12.

The roster includes 60 different acts, encompassing a variety of genres from jazz, blues, and old-school soul to Americana, hip-hop, and neo-soul.

Among the headliners who may be of particular interest to StLJN readers are vibraphonist Roy Ayers (pictured); singers Gregory Porter, Lalah Hathaway, and Bettye Lavette; New Orleans brass band the Soul Rebels with Wu-Tang Clan's GZA as special guest; keyboardists Booker T. Jones and Jon Cleary, and two jazz acts with a local connection, trumpeter Keyon Harrold and the Baylor Project, featuring St. Louis native Marcus Baylor on drums.

In addition to the national acts, the festival will program approximately four dozen local/regional bands and musicians, including something called the "Clark Terry Centennial Project," as well as Tonina, Funky Butt Brass Band, Denise Thimes, Anita Jackson, and just about all the performers currently designated at "music artists-in-residence" by the Kranzberg foundation. You can see the complete list of performers on the festival's website.

Participating venues will include the Fox Theatre, The Big Top, The Sheldon, Jazz St. Louis, the Grandel Theatre, and the Grandel's "Open Air" tent, but individual show lineups and venues still are TBA.

Tickets start at $63.50 for Friday and $80.50 for Saturday and Sunday, or a full weekend pass for $179, and will go on sale via Metrotix at 10:00 a.m. next Tuesday, May 18. VIP packages, including premium seating at the Fox, parking, and VIP bar service, also will be available for an additional charge.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Keyboardist Michael Silverman has been nominated for the Smooth Jazz Network's "Best Breakout Artist" award for 2020. Silverman (pictured) is one of 12 musicians contending for the prize. Listener/reader voting for the award continues through Monday, November 30.

* The documentary The Black Artists’ Group: Creation Equals Movement was touted as one of five "must see" films at this year's St. Louis International Film Festival in an article by the Riverfront Times' Evan Suit. SLIFF and the online screenings of the film continue through this Sunday, November 22.

* The Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson reports that the Kranzberg Arts Foundation and Jazz St. Louis will extend their "Open Air" concert series into 2021. The Grand Center presenters are expected to announce 40 additional weeks of programming for the series, with January and February's shows to be revealed early next month.

* Pianist Peter Martin's company Open Studio, which produces jazz instructional videos and educational materials, recently reached 50,000 subscribers to their YouTube channel, and to commemorate the occasion, they've compiled a video featuring the "Top 7 Highlights from 2020 with Peter Martin and Adam Maness."

* Also from the Post's Kevin Johnson, the Old Rock House, which had reopened on a limited basis this summer, will close temporarily again until some time in 2021, due to the recent resurgence in COVID-19 cases in the metropolitan area and the state.

* Singer Steve Brammeier's recent performance at Blue Strawberry was reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Keyboardist and Metro East native David Garfield (pictured) was the featured guest on a recent episode of Jazziz magazine's "Jazziz Live" podcast.

* The Red and Black Brass Band were the subjects of a story on last week's episode of Nine Network's Living St Louis program.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold was interviewed on last night's episode of the "Speakin' My Piece!" podcast from Jazz Times magazine.

* Chris Hansen of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation was interviewed about the foundation's response to COVID-19 for a story on HEC-TV.

* Jazz St. Louis' 25th anniversary celebration was the subject of a feature story from Kevin Johnson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Open Air series bringing live music back to Grand Center starting Friday, August 7

Jazz St. Louis and the Kranzberg Arts Foundation have announced a new concert series called Open Air, which will bring live music back to the Grand Center district on Friday and Saturday nights starting in August and continuing through October.

The series will take place in what's described as "a spacious, covered, outdoor area" next to the Grandel Theater building, with food and beverages available by advance orders from The Dark Room's menu.

The lineup for the first two weekends features some of the Kranzberg Foundation's music artists-in-residence, past and present, with Be.Be & The Neo-Souls inaugurating the series on Friday, August 7 and trumpeter Brady Lewis (pictured) and his quartet performing on Saturday, August 8.

Up next will be drummer Kaleb Kirby's quartet on Friday, August 14 and keyboardist Mark Harris II on Saturday, August 15, with additional bookings TBA.

There will be two seatings by reservation only per evening, at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at $10 per person, with an additional $30 food and beverage minimum per guest.

Guests can purchase tickets via Metrotix, and then will be sent an online form to pre-order food and drinks of their choice. Additional beverages will be available for purchase on the day of each event.

To ensure guest and staff safety and maintain appropriate physical distance, parties will be limited to six guests per table, and all guests will be required to follow the Kranzberg Foundation's COVID-19 mitigation policies, including wearing face masks at all times except when seated at their reserved tables.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Drummer and educator Bernard Long Jr. has been named to the Percussive Arts Society's Education Committee for 2020-21. Long is band director at Normandy High School and also teaches at Lindenwood University.

* HEAL Center for the Arts, the not-for-profit organization founded by saxophonist and educator Harvey Lockhart (pictured), now has its own office space, having moved into the the former home of EarthWays Center, now known as Hansen House, at 3617 Grandel Square in Grand Center.

* Whatever Is Not Stone Is Light, the latest album release from bassist (and recent transplant to St. Louis) Damon Smith, was reviewed by AllAboutJazz.com's Mark Corrato.

* Voting in DownBeat's annual readers poll is now open. You can see the nominees, which this year include St. Louis natives Oliver Nelson and Grant Green in the "Hall of Fame" category, and cast your ballot (or write in any favorites not listed) here.

* Edgar Wilkinson, bassist and tuba player who worked in St. Louis in the 1950s with the Dixie Stompers and other bands, died at age 87 in Highland Park, IL.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The concert by singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina that streamed live last Saturday from The Pageant now can be viewed online.

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation has published the results of their survey asking audience members about what would make them feel safe returning to live performance venues in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic..

* Upcoming outdoor concerts at The Dark Room and the National Blues Museum were previewed in a story from St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin.

* Pianist Adam Maness' arrangement of "America the Beautiful" has been recorded by singer Malena Smith and musicians from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as part of "Songs of America," a new patriotic-themed video series from SLSO. You can see the music video for the song here, and the rest of the "Songs of America" series here.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and STLtoday.com last Friday published their annual "Go List" for 2020, and in the "Music & Clubs" section, the winner for "Favorite Place to Hear Jazz" is BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups, followed by Jazz St. Louis and The Dark Room. The Dark Room also is the newspaper's staff pick this year for "Best Jazz Brunch."

In "The Arts" section, the 2020 winner for "Favorite St. Louis Cabaret Performer" is singer Erin Bode, with Ken Page finishing in second place and Ken Haller in third. The Gaslight Theater is designated "Favorite Place to See Cabaret," followed by the Boom Boom Room and Jazz St. Louis.

* A previously unheard live album by Miles Davis, The Lost Septet, is out now on CD and digital from Sleepy Night Records. Recorded for a radio broadcast in November 1971 at the Wiener Konzerthaus in Vienna, Austria, the double album features Davis on trumpet with Gary Bartz (soprano & alto sax), Keith Jarrett (electric piano, organ), Michael Henderson (electric bass), Ndugu Leon Chancler (drums), Don Alias (percussion), and James "Mtume" Foreman (percussion).

* Saxophonist Larry Johnson (pictured) was the guest on last week's episode of Shock City School of Music's "Coffee Conversations" podcast.

* The Red and Black Brass Band was the subject of a short feature story on the Nine Network program Living St. Louis.

* Singer and keyboardist Katarra Parson was featured on last week's episode of the KTRS radio program "In The Know with Ray Hartmann."

* The Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis has announced their St. Louis Arts Awards for 2021, and among the honorees will be “Such Sweet Thunder,” a joint presentation from Jazz St. Louis, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, Nine Network, and the Big Muddy Dance Company that won the annual award for "Arts Collaboration." The awards will be presented at the council's annual event on January 25, 2021 at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel.

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation once again is surveying potential audience members to find out what measures will make people comfortable returning to their venues, which include the Grandel Theater, The Dark Room, and more. You can complete the survey at https://www.kranzbergartsfoundation.org/covid-19/coronavirus-survey/.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Jazz St. Louis has received a grant of $17,500 in the latest round of funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. They're one of 1,144 not-for-profit organizations, located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and each of the five U.S. territories, that will get a total of more than $84 million in new awards.

* The St. Louis Cabaret Conference announced that they'll be holding their annual event in July online via Zoom this year. While the format and pricing have changed, the conference still will feature the same lineup of instructors previously announced, including Faith Prince, Jeff Harnar, Natalie Douglas and Christine Andreas.

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation and the St. Louis Music Initiative this week announced that the inaugural St. Louis Music Week and the three-day Music at the Intersection festival in Grand Center that had been scheduled for this September will be postponed until September 2021.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Jazz St. Louis has extended the application period for their 2020-21 JazzU program, and the new deadline for middle school and high school students to apply is Friday, May 29. Auditions that had been scheduled for early June now will be held July 20-23. For more information, visit the Jazz St. Louis website.

* The Sheldon this week debuted a new look for their website, and to commemorate the occasion, they got pianist Peter Martin (pictured) to do a special solo performance on video.

* Jazz St. Louis and The Sheldon are among the local arts institutions taking part in "Arts United STL" a virtual benefit for local working artists that will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 31.

* Music venue The Ready Room has permanently closed their space in the Grove neighborhood, but according to the report from the Riverfront Times' Daniel Hill, the club's owners are seeking a new location to reopen once live shows can resume.

* Singer and pianist Kandace Springs was the featured guest last week on an episode of the KTRS program "In the Know with Ray Hartmann."

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation, which operates The Dark Room, Kranzberg Arts Center, Grandel Theater and other local venues, has surveyed the public asking what respondents would need to feel safe returning to the Foundation's spaces following the COVID-19 pandemic. Top replies include "A vaccine," "Limited venue capacity," "being able to avoid lines," "outdoor performance opportunities" and "availability of hand sanitizer."

Jazz this week: COVID-19 outbreak leads to cancellations, postponements

With the COVID-19 crisis leading to restrictions on the size of public gatherings and the closing of local bars and restaurants for everything but delivery and takeout service, all live music in St. Louis is effectively shut down for the next eight weeks.

A number of local presenters and venues have announced specific details about closings, cancellations, postponements, refunds for tickets already purchased, and related issues. Those announcements include:

* Jazz St. Louis released a statement this week saying that they are postponing all performances at their facility until at least Wednesday, May 27, and are suspending educational programs, including Jazz U and Jazz Academy, until at least April 3.

The statement continued, "Ticketholders do not have to do anything at this time except keep their tickets. They will be honored for the rescheduled show. We already are working with the artists to reschedule this Spring’s shows. Once we have done so, we will notify you of the dates and you will have the opportunity at that time to change nights or apply the value of your tickets toward a different show."

* The Sheldon Concert Hall has canceled or postponed all scheduled events through May 1. Plans to reschedule some events are underway, and ticket buyers have been told to retain their current tickets, as they will be honored for the new date. For details on which shows have been postponed and which will not be rescheduled, see The Sheldon's website.

* The Pageant, Delmar Hall and Blueberry Hill have postponed or cancelled all shows through the end of April. Details on rescheduling, refunds and related issues can be found on a dedicated page on The Pageant's website.

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation has closed all its associated venues, including The Dark Room, Kranzberg Arts Center, .ZACK, Grandel Theatre, Sophie's Artist Lounge and High Low, through May 11. Ticket holders for events at these venues will be contacted by Metrotix to ask if they want a refund or would like to donate the money to KAF.

* A post on social media from Broadway Oyster Bar announced that "BOB's dining and music venues will be closed until further notice," while the restaurant continuing to offer carryout and delivery service.

* Blue Strawberry sent out an email stating that they will be "closing our doors for the next 16 days. Our next currently open day is Thursday, April 2." Tickets already purchased will honored for rescheduled dates, can be exchanged for another scheduled show, or can be refunded, depending on the buyer's preference.

While not every venue or presenter has made a specific announcement yet, given current conditions the default assumption at this time should be that they are closed. For specific details, check their websites (many of which are linked on the sidebar here) and/or social media, or call.

As for StLJN, since a lot of the coverage here revolves around live shows, things here will be changing for the time being, too.

This likely will be the last "Jazz This Week" post for a while, until local presenters and venues start up again. The regular round-ups of local news and recent music-related links will continue on Fridays and Sundays, respectively, and there will be Saturday video posts, though they'll be focused on topics other than previewing upcoming performances.

In addition, StLJN will continue to cover any relevant breaking news as it happens, so to make sure you don't miss out on anything, subscribe to the StLJN email digest (it's free!), and follow StLJN on Facebook and Twitter.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Terence Blanchard's shows this week at Jazz St. Louis were previewed in a story by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn.

* Pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio is sponsoring a holiday giveaway with prizes including free access to their instructional videos featuring well-known jazz players, and more. Winners will be chosen at random and announced on Monday, December 23. You can find out more and enter (with a valid email address) here.

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation's St. Louis Music Initiative was spotlighted this week by John Pertzborn of KTVI (Fox 2),who interviewed KAF's Sean Smothers and Gene Dobbs Bradford of Jazz St. Louis.

* Cabaret Project of St. Louis will hold a holiday fundraiser on Saturday, December 7, featuring musical entertainment by singer and impressionist Christine Pedi. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the CPStL website.

* The biographical documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, directed by Stanley Nelson and released earlier this year, was nominated this week for the 2020 Grammy Award for "Best Music Film."

* On a related note, the recently issued box set of Davis' complete Birth of the Cool recordings (pictured) was reviewed in DownBeat.

* Singer and keyboardist Katarra Parson's forthcoming debut recording Cocoa Voyage was the subject of a feature by the Riverfront Times' Christian Schaeffer. Parson, who is one of this year's Kranzberg Arts Foundation artists-in-residence, will promote the release with a show on Friday, November 29 at The Dark Room.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation this week announced the St. Louis Music Initiative, consisting of three related projects intended to promote the local music scene.

St. Louis Music Week, set for September 4 through September 13, 2020, will "actively market and promote music events at participating music venues...to showcase the depth and breadth of music offerings available throughout the region."

The week will conclude with Music at the Intersection, a three-day event featuring more than 60 local acts performing at various venues in Grand Center. Then in 2021, the foundation will present the Midwest Music Summit, which is "designed to build music industry infrastructure in St. Louis through panels, workshops, exhibitions and classes."

* Singer and St. Louis native Alicia Olatuja was the featured guest on last week's episode of Montana Public Radio's "Musician's Spotlight."

* Bassist, instrument inventor, and former St. Louisan Mark Deutsch (pictured) was the subject of a short Riverfront Times feature story by Thomas Crone. Deutsch will perform a solo concert on his instrument, the Bazantar, tonight at the Judson House.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold was interviewed by AustralianJazz.net. Harrold is visiting the "land down under" this week, performing at the club Bird's Basement at Melbourne.

* Dizzy Atmosphere has posted to YouTube a playlist of videos from their concert last Saturday at the Focal Point.

* Cabaret singer and former St. Louisan Katie McGrath's appearance on Saturday in the show "Immigrant Song" at .ZACK was touted in a brief item by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Joe Holleman.

* Keyboardist Jim Hegarty has posted a video of his solo piano concert last month at Principia College on YouTube and the audio from the show as a free download on Bandcamp.

* In the latest development regarding the financial troubles of community radio station KDHX, the Riverfront Times' Daniel Hill reports that the Kranzberg Arts Foundation will take over the first floor of the KDHX building, which includes a performance space, The Stage at KDHX, and a bar/cafe that has gone through several iterations and operators since opening in 2014.

* More than a year after the last-minute cancellation of the Loufest music festival, St. Louis Public Radio's Jeremy Goodwin reports that the festival's former sound and lighting contractor Logic Systems is suing LouFest promoter Listen Live Entertainment and its managing partner Mike Van Hee for defamation, malicious prosecution, and abuse of process.

Kranzberg Arts Foundation announces music artists-in-residence for 2019-20

The Kranzberg Arts Foundation has announced their new group of music artists-in-residence for 2019-20.

This year's roster includes (pictured, from left) pianist Andrew Stephen, bassist Ben Wheeler, keyboardist/vocalist Ryan Marquez, bassist and singer Janet Evra, singer and pianist Brianna "Be Be" Brown, drummer Kaleb Kirby, saxophonist Carlos Brown Jr., trumpeter Brady Lewis, pianist and singer Katarra Parson, and keyboardist Mark Harris II.

The artists-in-residence program, launched in March 2018, provides participants with performance opportunities at Kranzberg Arts Foundation venues, such as the Dark Room and the Grandel Theatre, plus co-working spaces at the foundation's .ZACK building, marketing support, networking opportunities, studio time at Clayton Studios and Gaslight Studios, and pro bono accounting and legal services.

Participants in 2018-19 also were featured on The Sound of St. Louis - Jazz Compilation Volume 1, a sampler album including one original track from each.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Today is the release date for The Sound of St. Louis - Jazz Compilation Volume 1, an album featuring original music from the nine participants in the Kranzberg Arts Foundation's music artists-in-residence program.

The album (pictured) will be available on streaming services, as a digital download, and as a CD, which will be sold locally at Vintage Vinyl, Music Record Shop, and Euclid Records, and at various KAF-affiliated venues such as Sophie’s Artist Lounge and The Dark Room.

* In more album-release news, singer Erin Bode is reissuing her 2016 album Here and Now as a vinyl LP, and will perform on Thursday, April 11 at The Sheldon to commemorate the event. 

* One of singer Marilyn Maye's performances last week with the Jazz St. Louis Big Band was reviewed by KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi.

* Singer and St. Louis native Alicia Olatuja was interviewed about her new album Intuition by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn.

* Also as reported in the American, four branches of St. Louis County Library now offer musical instruments, including guitars, keyboards and hand drums, that can be checked out by library patrons for free.

* Multi-instrumentalist and singer Tonina was profiled for a new local website, TheSTL.com, by writer Daniel Durchholz.

* NPR once again this year is holding a contest for unsigned musical acts that would like to perform in a Tiny Desk Concert, filmed at the network's HQ in Washington DC. Local affiliate St. Louis Public Radio has details on the contest and how to enter here.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Intuition: Songs From The Minds of Women, the new album (pictured) from singer and St. Louis native Alicia Olatuja that's set for release next Friday, February 22,  was reviewed by DownBeat.

* Poet K. Curtis Lyle, who will perform tomorrow night with multi-instrumentalist J.D. Parran and trumpeter George Sams at St. Louis University, was interviewed by the St. Louis American's Kenya Vaughn.

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation on Friday, March 15 will release The Sound of St. Louis - Jazz Compilation Volume 1, an album featuring original music from the nine participants in their music artists-in-residence program.

The album will include tracks from bassist Bob DeBoo; keyboardists Mo Egeston, Jesse Gannon, Owen Ragland and Ptah Williams; singer Anita Jackson, saxophonist Ben Reece; multi-instrumentalist and singer Tonina Saputo; and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor.

Recorded last year and mixed at Clayton Studios by Tazu Marshall and Mike Silverman, the compilation will be available on streaming services, as a digital download, and as a CD, which will be sold locally at Vintage Vinyl, Music Record Shop, and Euclid Records, and at various affiliated venues such as Sophie’s Artist Lounge and The Dark Room.

* In a separate announcement, the Kranzberg Arts Foundation has put out a call for applicants for their next group of music artists-in-residence. In addition to a chance to appear on next year's compilation album, selected participants will get "performance, rehearsal and recording opportunities, as well as marketing support, office space, and industry education and access to assist them with advancing and building their careers."

Sunday, March 31 is the deadline to apply; for more information or to complete an application, visit the KAF website.

* The Sheldon Concert Hall has posted to Facebook an album of photos from last Saturday's performance by singer Dianne Reeves.

* Poet and author Quincy Troupe, in town this week to discuss Miles Davis for Jazz St. Louis' "Whitaker Jazz Speaks" series, was interviewed by Don Marsh of St. Louis Public radio.

Edited 3/7/19 to correct the date of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation album release.

Grand Center venues add shows by Dave King & Chris Weller, Alex Mercado Trio

The Kranzberg Arts Foundation has announced two concerts of interest to StLJN readers that will be presented in September at their venues in Grand Center:

* Drummer Dave King and saxophonist Chris Weller will play a duo show at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, September 23 at The Dark Room.

King (pictured) is well-known to St. Louis audiences as the drummer for frequent visitors The Bad Plus, as well as Happy Apple and several other side projects, while Weller is a Berklee graduate based in Chicago who has worked with a number of ensembles in that city's busy jazz and improvised music scene.

Unlike most performances at The Dark Room, this will be a ticketed show, with admission priced at $15 for adults, $10 for artists and students via Metrotix.

* That same week, pianist Alex Mercado will perform at 10 p.m. Friday September 28 at the Kranzberg Arts Center. Mercado, who has released four albums as a leader and is considered by many to be one of Mexico's top jazz musicians, will be accompanied by Rodrigo Villanueva on drums and St. Louis' own Bob DeBoo on bass.

Tickets for the Alex Mercado Trio are $10 for adults, $8 for students in advance, also via Metrotix, or $15 and $12 at the door.

Jazz this week: Sy Smith, Shake 'Em Up Jazz Band, "Labor of Love," and more

For Labor Day weekend, the calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features plenty of traditional and vintage jazz, a showcase of a local foundation's artists-in-residence, the region's largest festival of homegrown blues talent, and more.

Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, August 29
Singer Sy Smith, whose vocal and piano work runs along the borderline between neo-soul and jazz, will perform with keyboardist Mo Egeston and friends at the .ZACK building in Grand Center.

A couple of blocks away, the weekly "Grand Center Jazz Crawl" will guitarist Tom Byrne and saxophonist Austin Cebulski at The Stage at KDHX; the weekly jam session led by bassist Bob Deboo at the Kranzberg Arts Center; and trumpeter Kasimu Taylor at The Dark Room.

Thursday, August 30
The New Orleans-based Shake 'Em Up Jazz Band (pictured, top left), including former St. Louis resident Chloe Feoranzo on clarinet, will play at the Blues City Deli in the first of three shows at different local venues this weekend.

Also on Thursday, saxophonist Ben Reece's Unity Quartet returns to The Dark Room, and guitarist Carol Eder plays at The Pat Connolly Tavern.

Friday, August 31
The Shake 'Em Up Jazz Band plays at The Stage at KDHX; trumpeter Jim Manley returns to Evangeline's; Miss Jubilee performs at Focal Point; and funk/jazz band The Service takes the stage for the late show at The Dark Room.

Though it's not jazz, it's worth noting that Friday also is the kickoff of the annual Big Muddy Blues Festival, which will feature dozens of St. Louis blues acts on outdoor stages and at indoor venues on Laclede's Landing, and continues through Sunday.

Saturday, September 1
Trombonist Charlie Halloran, back home from New Orleans for the weekend, will play two shows on Saturday, a matinee at the Blues City Deli and an evening concert at Focal Point.

Also on Saturday, the Kranzberg Arts Foundation presents its first-ever resident showcase "Labor of Love,"  with music from Anita Jackson (pictured, bottom left), Mo Egeston, Tonina, Owen Ragland and more, at the Grandel Theatre.

Also that same night, guitarists Paquito and Sandro Lorier, a father-and-son duo of swing and Gypsy jazz guitarists from Alsace, France will perform at the house-concert venue Judson House.

Sunday, September 2
The Friends of Scott Joplin present their monthly "Ragtime Rendezvous" at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, and the Shake 'Em Up Jazz Band plays their final show of the weekend at Focal Point.

Tuesday, September 4
The Tick Tock Jazz Band plays vintage jazz and swing at the Tick Tock Tavern.

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

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

Edited 8/29/18 to correct info for Grand Center Jazz Crawl.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer and bassist Tonina Saputo (pictured) is the latest musician to be featured as one of NPR's 2018 "Slingshot" artists, in what's described as "a collective effort among taste-making music stations to introduce exceptional up-and-coming artists."

* A video of guitarist Dave Black performing his original composition "Still The Same" is the latest release in the St. Louis Open Media Integration Center's "Songday Afternoon" series.

* Trumpeter Russell Gunn has released another track from the forthcoming album by his Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra, previewing “Sybil’s Blues” via a post on Revive Music.

* The LouFest music festival has announced its 2018 lineup, which includes trumpeter Keyon Harrold on the main stage, as well as a secondary stage featuring jazz musicians from the Kranzberg Arts Foundation's artists-in-residence program.

* Teenage piano phenom Royce Martin, who's headed for Berklee College of Music this fall, was profiled in a story by Art Holliday of KSDK.

* The Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis has announced seven honorees for their 2019 St. Louis Arts Awards, and the group includes actor and singer Ken Page for "Lifetime Achievement in the Arts" and Chris Hansen of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation for "Arts Innovator." The awards will be presented at a celebratory dinner next January.

* Pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio Network has added another product to their line of instructional videos, as singer Dianne Reeves' new course "Define Your Voice" went online this week.

* The recently issued box set Miles Davis & John Coltrane—The Final Tour from Columbia/Legacy Recordings’ has inspired a feature story about the record and the tour from DownBeat's James Hale.

* Singer and pianist Diana Krall's performance last week at the Peabody Opera House was reviewed for the Post-Dispatch/STLtoday by Dan Duchholz. (Link may be paywalled)