So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Funky Butt Brass Band sousaphonist Cody Henry was the featured guest on a recent episode of the Rock Paper Podcast.

* Bassist Darin Gray (pictured) this week released Soundtrack 1, an album of previously unheard recordings made in 2006 by On Fillmore, Gray's duo project with drummer Glenn Kotche.

* Singer and Webster University adjunct professor Debby Lennon will star in Max and Louie Productions' upcoming revival of "Songs for Nobodies," a one-woman play with music by Joanna Murray-Smith in which Lennon will perform songs associated with "legendary divas" Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf, and Maria Callas. The show will run Thursday, December 2 through Sunday, December 12 at the Grandel Theatre.

* Bob Koester, a former St. Louis University student who went on to found Chicago’s famed Jazz Record Mart and the Delmark record label, died Wednesday at age 88. Koester got his start in the music business selling records from his SLU dorm room, then dropped out in 1952 to open the Blue Note record shop here, which he ran until moving to Chicago in 1958.

* Saxophonist and educator Harvey Lockhart was a guest on Thursday's episode of the webcast talk program "The Own Your Now Show."

* Guitarist and former St. Louisan Carl Weingarten has a new release, Ember Days, out this month on his label Multiphase Records

* Saxophonist Julius Hemphill and The Boyé Multi-National Crusade for Harmony, the new seven-CD box set of his previously unreleased Hemphill's music, are the subject of an essay by Adam Schatz in the most recent New York Review of Books.
* Keyboardist Michael Silverman was interviewed by SmoothJazz.com.

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:

* Singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonina Saputo (pictured) gave St. Louis Post-Dispatch readers a look into her living space in a recent feature in the paper's "At Home" series

* Saxophonist Greg Osby was interviewed by JazzFuel.com.

* Drummer Rob Silverman was one of the guests on last week's Modern Drummer Magazine video podcast.

* Radio station WSIE, headquartered on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, recently reached the milestone of 50 years on the air, and trumpeter Jim Manley has written and recorded a new tune, "Blasting the Airwaves (50 Years of WSIE)," to commemorate the occasion.

* Singer Erika Johnson is hosting a new podcast, "My Black Auntie (MBA)," presenting what she calls "an educated Black woman's perspective with sass and class."

* The Black Artists’ Group of St. Louis: Creation Equals Movement, the new documentary that will get its local premiere next month at the St. Louis International Film Festival, was the subject of a feature story by the St. Louis American's Chris King.

* Pianist, singer and St. Louis native John McDaniel was home this past Sunday to do a performance and webcast from Blue Strawberry, and KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi reviewed the show.

* Miles Davis may have been known for "cooking" on the bandstand, but the trumpeter was no stranger to the kitchen either, according to the latest episode of Jazziz magazine's "Miles Monday" podcast, which features Davis' nephew, drummer and producer Vince Wilburn Jr. and "rising-star jazz musicians and culinary media personalities" Adeev and Ezra Potash.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold (pictured) was the featured guest on a recent episode of "Folded Space with Tony Minvielle" on the UK's JazzFM network.

* Keyboardist Michael Silverman and keyboardist/producer Jeff Lorber appeared last week on Jazziz magazine's "Last Call" video series to promote Silverman's latest album Human Spirit, which is out this week on his Autumn Hill label.

* Silverman and Lorber also were guests this week on BlogTalkRadio's "Hybrid Jazz" program with host Trish Hennessey.

* Willem von Hombracht, a longtime mainstay of the St. Louis music scene, has been ailing (though not with COVID-19), and earlier this week was discharged and sent home after a week and a half at St. Mary's Hospital. To raise money to help with von Hombracht's medical bills and other expenses, friends of the bassist have set up a GoFundMe page.

* New Music Circle has put together a collection of music video performances by some of the organization's board members, and after an online premiere this past Monday, has posted it to YouTube. The collection includes music from NNN Cook & Nestor, Michael Williams, Tracy Andreotti, Aaron E. Johnson, Fred Tompkins with Greg Mills, Alex Cunningham, and 18andCounting.

* Multi-instrumentalist and singer Tonina was profiled by the St. Louis American's Ashley Jones.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Previewing the Gateway Jazz Festival

This week, let's take a look at some videos of the musicians who will be performing at the Gateway Jazz Festival, which will take place next Saturday, July 21 at the Chesterfield Amphitheater. Now in its second year, the festival will present a day-long program of contemporary jazz and R&B performers.

Here's a collection of recent clips featuring those artists, starting with the headliner, saxophonist Boney James, who can be seen up above performing "Tick Tock" in November 2017 at The Wave/Honda Soundstage in Los Angeles.

After the jump, you can see R&B vocalist Will Downing in an excerpt from his set in May of this year at the ATL Soul Life festival in Atlanta.

Next up is trumpeter Cindy Bradley, performing "Lifted" in January 2018 at the restaurant and music venue South in Philadelphia.

Then it's singer/guitarist Jonathan Butler, playing "Living My Dream"  in january at the 2018 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show in Anaheim, CA.

That's followed by a clip of keyboardist Alex Bugnon, performing his version of War's 1970s hit "The World Is A Ghetto," also recorded last year at South.

Finally, there are videos of the two St. Louis musicians who will be opening the show, both recorded by the prolific St. Louis videographer James Ross (aka JRoss-TV).

Saxophonist Tim Cunningham is featured in the sixth clip, performing "That's What I Like" in a show earlier this year at the Sheldon Concert Hall, and pianist Mike Silverman is seen in the seventh and final clip, showing off the new Steinway piano acquired earlier this year by his Clayton Studios facility.

You can see the rest of today's videos after the jump...

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Singer Storm Large (pictured) was interviewed Wednesday by St. Louis Public Radio's Alex Heuer in advance of her performance next Wednesday, January 17 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

* Singer and St. Louis native Alicia Olatuja is the subject of a short feature story in the current issue of Jazz Times.

* A new article on the website Jazz in Europe looks at the impact of Miles Davis' landmark 1970 album Bitches Brew.

* Speaking of Davis, an article in On Milwaukee magazine recounts the story of the trumpeter's 1959 "legendary show that wasn't" at a club there called the Brass Rail.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn appeared Thursday on the morning news at New York City's WABC, promoting his gigs this weekend at BB King's in NYC.

* Lea DeLaria's performance last month at Jazz at the Bistro was reviewed for CabaretScenes.org by Chuck Lavazzi.

* Keyboardist Michael Silverman of Bach to the Future and Silverman Productions was interviewed by St. Louis County Arts Blog's Valerie Tichacek.

* Gene Dobbs Bradford of Jazz St. Louis was profiled on the website of the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis. Bradford will be one of seven 2018 recipients of the council's St. Louis Arts Awards, which will be presented at an event on Monday, January 22 at the Chase Park Plaza hotel.

* Guitarist Todd Mosby's performance next week in Rolla is previewed on the Three Rivers Publishing website, which compiles news from several small towns in east central Missouri.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The 50th anniversary of famed sound engineer and designer Bob Heil's company (based in Fairview Heights, IL) is the subject of an article by St. Louis freelance writer and musician Kevin Mitchell for the music trade website Front of House Online.

* Speaking of freelance writers, St. Louis' own Terry Perkins has two articles in the current (February 2016) issue of DownBeat magazine: a feature story on trumpeter Randy Brecker, and a short history of Murry's, a club in Columbia, MO that's listed in the same issue as one of "193 Great Jazz Venues" worldwide.

Also making the jazz venue list from Missouri were Jazz St. Louis' Ferring Jazz Bistro, aka Jazz at the Bistro, and the Blue Room in Kansas City. While neither of Perkins' articles currently is among the limited content offered by DownBeat for free online, the mag would, of course, be happy to sell you a copy or an annual subscription to either the print or digital version. (Or you can look for a print copy at a bookstore or newsstand, if you can find one of those.)

* And speaking of Jazz St. Louis, the organization's executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford was interviewed on video by the website OnStL.

* According to an article by Joe Holleman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and STLtoday.com, downtown's Thaxton Speakeasy (pictured), which features live vintage jazz and swing most Thursday evenings, is being sued by ASCAP for non-payment of performance rights fees.

* Free-improvising pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn was interviewed briefly for a preview, published on the KDHX website, of her New Music Circle concert tonight with drummer Frank Rosaly.

* Also on the KDHX website, the St. Louis Banjo Club is the subject of a feature article by volunteer Bill Motchan.

* Two St. Louis natives, trumpeter Keyon Harrold and keyboardist Shedrick Mitchell, were among the musicians pictured in a New York Times photo feature about the recently concluded Winter Jazzfest.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn is set to be a guest performer on the upcoming album from Chicago saxophonist Frank Catalano and ex-Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlain.

* Collinsville native Angela Sapolis' cabaret show on January 28 at the Monocle was previewed in a story in the Belleville News Democrat.

* Keyboardist and impresario Michael Silverman was featured on the blog of digital sheet music vendor Musica Neo.

Eric Marienthal to perform with Bach to the Future on Friday, March 29 at The Sheldon

Saxophonist Eric Marienthal will join forces with St. Louis' Bach to the Future for a performance at 7:00 p.m. Friday, March 29 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

Organized by Bach to the Future keyboardist Mike Silverman, the "Autumn Hill Jazz Festival," as the show is being billed, also will feature singer/trumpeter Dawn Weber's trio and pianist Ptah Williams. (Autumn Hill is the label name used by Silverman and BTTF to release their recordings.)

Marienthal (pictured) is a Berklee graduate who first gained international fame playing with Chick Corea's Elektrik Band. In addition to working as a leader, he also currently performs and records with fusion band The Rippingtons and with Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. Marienthal has been in St. Louis a couple of times in recent years, in October 2011 playing with keyboardist Jeff Lorber, and in May 2008 subbing for Bob Mintzer with Yellowjackets, both at Jazz at the Bistro. He was recruited last year by Silverman to do some recording with Bach to the Future for an upcoming project of theirs, which led to this live appearance.

Proceeds from the Autumn Hill Jazz Festival concert will go to benefit Music for Lifelong Achievement, the not-for-profit organization based at the Sheldon that collects and refurbishes used musical instruments and gives them to financially disadvantaged local music students. Tickets are $15 general admission, and are on sale now via Metrotix.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Guitarist Charlie Hunter was interviewed by Calvin Wilson of the Post-Dispatch. Hunter plays tonight and tomorrow night at Jazz at the Bistro, and also is doing a master class Saturday afternoon at City Music.

* Keyboardist Michael Silverman (pictured) of Bach to the Future was featured in an article by the Post-Dispatch's Joe Holleman. The article focused on Silverman's role as a adoptive parent, and a song he wrote to promote international adoptions.

* StLJN is sorry to report that pianist and teacher Henry Burns, who mentored many East St. Louis musicians during his 27 years as band director at George Rogers Clark Junior High School, died on June 11 in Granite City. He was 72. You can read Burns' obit, including comments from former students like pianist Reggie Thomas, here.

* The KDHX website has just profiled All Soul, No Borders host Josh Weinstein.

* Dennis Owsley's latest blog entry for St. Louis magazine focuses on the consequences of the declining number of jazz DJs on broadcast radio.

* The Funky Butt Brass Band has posted online an album of photos from their concert last week at Carondelet Park.

* A track from pianist Jim Hegarty, bassist Willem von Hombracht and drummer Shane Robles was featured on Taran Singh's Free Jazz Hour podcast.

* Looks like the proposed Miles Davis feature film starring Don Cheadle finally has a director. It's Antoine Fuqua, whose previous films include the Denzel Washington vehicle Training Day and Brooklyn's Finest.

* And speaking of Davis, here's a report from the scene of last week's first day issue ceremony for the new stamp featuring the trumpeter, as well as local reaction stories from Fox 2 News and the Belleville News-Democrat.

* Finally, in one more bit of Davis-related news, Pride Incorporated - the Alton-based civic improvement group involved in trying to bring a statue of Davis to the town where he was born - has begun talking with artists about a potential design.

(Edited after posting to add the Dennis Owsley link and some tags. Edited again 9/9/12 to fix a broken link and a typo.)

U City Jazz Festival seeks young musicians for 2012 event

As organizers gear up for a second year, the U City Jazz Festival is looking for young musicians who want to take part in its Young Lions Jazz Education initiative for 2012. Festival co-founder Mike Silverman, who's also the keyboardist for Bach to the Future, is seeking jazz groups whose members are all under the age of 21 to perform at the second UCJF, which will be held in September.

The group selected will get $500 for their performance. If you're interested, or know a young jazz musician from the St. Louis area who might be, you can contact Silverman and submit website information, sound clips and so on via email to mike @ silvermanmusic.com.

U City Jazz Festival previewed

The first-ever U City Jazz Festival will be held this Saturday, and last week I was able to talk with organizer Mike Silverman about the event for a story that's now up on the Riverfront Times' music blog.

You can read the article at:
http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/rftmusic/2011/09/the_inaugural_u_city_jazz_fest.php

Jazz this week: Tim Cunningham and Jim Stevens, Oleta Adams, Wayne Coniglio's live recording, Larry Brown Jr., and more

While St. Louis no longer has a major jazz festival in June since the demise a couple of years ago of the St. Louis Jazz and Heritage Festival, that doesn't mean the local scene is completely devoid of jazz and creative music activity this time of year. Here's what's going on around town this weekend...

Tonight, trombonist (and sometimes bassist) Wayne Coniglio will perform with his band and guest trombonist Scott Whitfield for a live CD recording session at the Sheldon Concert Hall. Whitfield is perhaps best known for his ten years as lead trombonist for NYC's Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra; the band also will include Ken Kehner (piano), Eric Warren (bass) and Kevin Gianino (drums).

On Thursday, singer Erin Bode and her band will perform a free outdoor concert in downtown Kirkwood as part of the city's annual summer concert series.

On Friday and Saturday, St. Louis gets its own local version of one of those contemporary jazz package shows, as the R&B-oriented saxophonists Tim Cunningham (pictured) and Jim Stevens will team up for the first time to perform at Jazz at the Bistro.

Also on Friday, Michael Silverman's Classical Jazz Quartet (basically the Downtown Trio plus one) will perform at the Focal Point; Chicago-based guitarist Larry Brown Jr. is playing at Robbie's House of Jazz; guitarist Dave Black's trio, with drummer Kevin Gianino and bassist Willem von Hombracht, will perform at the Cigar Inn in Belleville; and the Original Knights of Swing will play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom.

That same evening, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra will present "Vegas and the Rat Pack," with orchestral versions of songs made famous by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr featuring singer and conductor Matt Catingub and singer Anita Hall.

Also on Saturday, Swing Set will perform in the afternoon at Montelle Winery, and that evening Robbie's has drummer Brian Sullivan's trio, with Dave Becherer on keyboards and Darrell Mixon on bass.

On Sunday, the jazz-influenced singer Oleta Adams will perform at the Missouri History Museum as part of a Juneteenth commemoration.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday drummer Joe Pastor's trio will play at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups, and on Tuesday, Robbie's will present their weekly open jam session.

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

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

(Edited after posting to add details on Erin Bode, SLSO and Swing Set.)