* Members of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), including The Sheldon, Off Broadway, Old Rock House and more than a dozen others in St. Louis, are asking music fans to contact their Representatives and Senators in Washington DC to express support for including music venues in the next coronavirus relief bill. Their email appeal reads, in part:
"Small venues and performing arts centers were the first to close and will be the last to re-open. They arguably represent the industry hardest hit by the pandemic. They are completely shuttered small businesses in need of support in order to survive until it is safe to reopen.NIVA has set up a website specifically to promote the "Save Our Stages" effort. It includes a contact form that will automatically fill in the names of your Senators and Representative based on the zip code you enter, and can be found at https://www.saveourstages.com/.
The RESTART and Save Our Stages Acts will provide targeted relief to an industry largely left out of previous legislation, by providing Small Business Administration grants for independent venues and producers affected by COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, helping to keep them afloat financially and preserving the live performance ecosystem until the shows can return."
* Saxophonist Eric Person (pictured) was interviewed on the "All That's Jazz" podcast.
* Person also was a guest on last week's episode of the "Just Jazz Cafe" web video series.
* Drummer Lenny White talked about his time with Miles Davis and making Davis' landmark album Bitches Brew as part of an episode of Jazziz magazine's "Last Call" podcast.
* Singer Denise Thimes was the featured guest on a recent episode of the "Chicago Music Revealed" podcast.
* Drummer Dave Weckl wrote a short article for Modern Drummer magazine about his work on a new five-song EP for his wife, singer Clivia Tanisi.
