So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Bassist Tom Kennedy (pictured) was interviewed on a recent episode of NoTreble.com's podcast "Groove."

* Generations, the new album from Marcus and Jean Baylor's Baylor project, was reviewed by Martin Johnson of Jazz Times magazine.

* Trumpeter Jim Manley was a featured guest on last Thursday's episode of KTRS radio's "St. Louis In The Know with Ray Hartmann."

* An article by the Riverfront Times' Jack Probst previews the second installment of this year's "Record Store Day," happening this Saturday at music stores here in St. Louis and across the country.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Rev. Cliff Aerie, saxophonist with the Oikos Ensemble, was profiled in an article in the Webster-Kirkwood Times.

* The Boyé Multi-National Crusade For Harmony, the new 7-CD box set of previously unheard tracks from saxophonist Julius Hemphill, was reviewed by Mark Corroto for AllAboutJazz.com.

* Pianist Peter Martin's company Open Studio this week launched another podcast, titled "Upright Citizens" and hosted by bassists Reuben Rogers and Bob DeBoo. You can check out the first episode here.

* The new Dave Weckl Band album Live In St. Louis at the Chesterfield Jazz Festival was reviewed by Jim Worsley of AllAboutJazz.com and by Jim Hynes of online magazine Glide. The album (pictured) is out today on the Autumn Hill label and can be streamed via the major digital music services.

* An article at HotCars.com offers "A Detailed Look At Miles Davis' Lamborghini Miura."

* In more Miles Davis news, a new album, Champions, featuring tracks culled from the expanded box set The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions in 2003, is set for release on Saturday, July 17 as part of this year's Record Store Day "RSD Drops."

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Although David Sanborn has wrapped the "official" first season of his online video series "Sanborn Sessions," in recent weeks the saxophonist has added a couple of postscripts in the form of short "remote sessions" with keyboardist Cory Henry and singer-songwriter Jonatha Brooke.

* Singer Mardra Thomas and her husband, pianist Reggie Thomas, both are part of the cast of "Day Dream," an online audio drama "inspired by the life of jazz artist and composer Billy Strayhorn." Reggie is handling the musical direction, while Mardra, appropriately, is playing the role of a jazz singer named Alice. Two of the eight planned episodes have been released so far, and can be heard at https://www.daydreamseries.com/.

* Multi-instrumentalist Lamar Harris (pictured) was interviewed on last Friday's episode of KTRS radio's "In The Know with Ray Hartmann."

* As reported by the Riverfront Times' Daniel Hill, The Monocle, the venue in the Grove neighborhood that sometimes featured cabaret and jazz performers as part of an eclectic entertainment policy, has closed permanently.

* In more venue news, according to a report from the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson, construction has begun on The Factory, a new concert club located at The District in Chesterfield, on the site of what was the Chesterfield Outlets mall. The facility, which will have a maximum capacity of 3,000 people, will present a variety of musical genres and is scheduled to open in May, 2021.

* Also in the Post-Dispatch, Ian Froeb reports that the Venice Cafe will close "until spring 2021."

* Tomorrow will be the third and final "RSD Drops" day of 2020, replacing the annual Record Store Day celebration in April that was canceled due to the pandemic. For a list of participating stores in Missouri offering the special RSD releases, go here.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* St. Louis magazine interviewed local "arts leaders" including Jazz St. Louis' Gene Dobbs Bradford and singer/songwriter Tonina for an article about how 2020 has changed the city's cultural institutions.

* The recently released album Miles Davis: The Lost Septet, which captures a live set by a 1970 lineup of the trumpeter's band that made no studio recordings, was reviewed in Jazz Journal.

* Another rare Davis performance - his oft-rumored but never-before-seen cameo appearance onstage with Prince - was revealed this week when the singer-songwriter's estate released to YouTube a video of the 1987 New Year's Eve gig in question.

* This Saturday, September 24 is the second of three "RSD Drops" presented in lieu of the annual National Record Store Day celebration cancelled earlier this year. Local stores including Vintage Vinyl and Euclid Records will be taking part by carrying some of the RSD releases; check with your preferred retailer for specific availability, store hours, and other details.

* Drummer Marcus Baylor (pictured) will do a Facebook Live interview at 2:00 p.m. EDT today on the Facebook page and YouTube channel of Sabian Cymbals.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn guest stars on fellow saxophone player Dave Koz's latest single "Side by Side," which can be heard here or wherever you stream or download music.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The new Miles Davis album The Lost Septet, a live recording featuring the trumpeter's 1971 band that made no studio albums, was reviewed by London Jazz News.

* In related news, a previously unheard bootleg audio recording of Davis' 1970 band, made in August of that year in Nassau, Bahamas, has surfaced on the Internet via the blog The Heat Wraps.

* Two gospel-influenced releases by the late guitarist and St. Louis native Grant Green (pictured) were briefly reviewed by Jazzwax blogger Marc Myers at AllAboutJazz.com.

* The annual Record Store Day, usually held in April, this year was one of many events postponed or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. To make up for the postponement, independent record stores including our town's Euclid Records and Vintage Vinyl are taking part in three days of "RSD Drops" spotlighting special releases originally intended for Record Store Day, the first of which will take place tomorrow (Saturday, August 29). Additional "RSD Drops" will take place at participating stores on Saturday, September 26 and Saturday, October 24.

* Saxophonist Amos Brewer, who's played with various R&B and jazz performers and bands around the St. Louis area, is ill, and friends have created a GoFundMe to raise money for his medical and personal expenses.

* Drummer Rob Silverman was the guest on the latest episode of the Hybrid Jazz podcast on BlogTalkRadio.com.

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.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist Fred Walker, a longtime veteran of the local music scene, is facing some serious health issues, having spent time earlier this year in the hospital for a collapsed lung.

Since doctors have told Walker that he no longer can perform on the saxophone, friends have set up a page on GoFundMe to help raise money for his medical and living expenses. There also will be a benefit concert for Walker featuring local blues and jazz performers from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 17 at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups.

* Steve Pick of KDHX and Euclid Records has teamed up with fellow St. Louis writer Amanda Doyle to author St. Louis Sound, a newly released "illustrated timeline" of local music history.

Publishers Reedy Press are promoting the book (pictured) with a series of five shows this month featuring local musicians grouped by genre at different venues. It gets underway Saturday, March 23 with a jazz concert at the Grandel Theatre featuring the Adam Maness Trio, trumpeter Danny Campbell, singer Anita Jackson, and singer/multi-instrumentalist Tonina, with subsequent evenings focused on rock, blues, hip-hop, and Americana.

* Speaking of Tonina, she recently was the subject of a feature story in Alive! magazine.

* Clarinetist and former St. Louisan Chloe Feoranzo was the subject of a Riverfront Times feature by Thomas Crone. Feoranzo, who's now based in New Orleans, will be back in St. Louis for a concert next Wednesday, March 13 at Focal Point.

* Saxophonist and educator Harvey Lockhart got a nice mention in the South Florida Times for bringing the Point of View Ensemble, made up of his students from Riverview Gardens High School, to the 22nd annual Melton Mustafa Jazz Festival in Miami, FL.

* Jazz St. Louis is now accepting applications from middle- and high school student musicians for the 2019-20 year of their JazzU program. The deadline to apply is Saturday, April 26.

* 50/Fifty Kitchen, the south side restaurant that also served up live jazz weekly from singer Joe Mancuso and others, has closed.

* In a week marking 60 years since Miles Davis started recording his most famous album, an article in The Independent takes a look at "Kind of Blue: The jazz album by Miles Davis that transformed music," while author and critic Ted Gioia has recorded a video asking, "How Important Really Is Miles Davis’s "Kind Of Blue"?"

* Also on the Miles Davis beat: A remastered 180-gram vinyl LP reisssue of his 1957 album 'Round About Midnight is included among the just-announced list of special releases for this year's Record Store Day on Saturday, April 20; the trumpeter's mid-1950s recordings for the Blue Note label are the subject of an article just published on UDiscoverMusic.com; and representatives of the Davis estate will be at the SXSW conference in Austin, TX later this month, promoting various projects via the Miles Davis House.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* This Saturday, April 22 is the 10th annual celebration of Record Store Day, and as in recent years, yr. StLJN editor once again will be taking part by doing a "guest DJ" stint at Vintage Vinyl, spinning tunes inside the U City store for an hour starting at 4:00 p.m. (If you look closely at the event poster (pictured), you can even see my name in small type at the lower right.)

As usual, VV and their fellow music retailers in St. Louis have a full day of activities, live music, giveaways and more planned for RSD, and you can get an overview of who's doing what via Kevin Johnson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

* Are you, or do you know, an accountant with an appreciation for jazz? If so, your dream job could be waiting, as Jazz St. Louis is looking for a Chief Financial Officer. You can find out more about the job and how to apply here. 

* The second annual Make Music Day St. Louis festival, the relatively recent local addition to a long-running, worldwide event marking the summer solstice, is scheduled for Wednesday, June 21. Musicians and venues interested in participating can find more information at www.makemusicstl.org.

* Trumpeter Sean Jones, a frequent visitor to St. Louis in recent years, is preparing to put out his first-ever  live album, which was recorded here at Jazz at the Bistro. Set to be released by Mack Avenue Records on Friday, May 26, the aptly titled Live from Jazz at the Bistro features Jones' working band of the past 12 years and is available for pre-order now.

* The group of musicians from the STL Free Jazz Collective, Vernacular String Trio, and others recording under the "Secret Sessions" banner have released another album as a pay-what-you-will download on Bandcamp.  

* Trumpeter Adam Hucke of the Funky Butt Brass Band (and various other local ensembles) is the subject of a feature story in this week's Riverfront Times. Hucke will celebrate the release of his first solo album Madam, I'm Adam with a show Sunday night at the Old Rock House.

* The date is set for the 2017 Old Webster Jazz & Blues Festival, which will take place from noon to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 16 in the area around the intersection of Lockwood and Gore in Webster Groves' "Old Webster" business district. The festival's lineup of bands will be announced at a later date.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The 10th annual Record Store Day celebration will be held this year on Saturday, April 22, and yr. StLJN editor once again will be playing a small part in the festivities at Vintage Vinyl in University City, serving as a "guest DJ" spinning tunes on the in-house sound system for an hour starting at 4:00 p.m.

In addition to this year's special RSD releases, VV's all-day event will feature live bands outside, guest DJs inside, and free Schlafly beer. Other St. Louis stores participating in RSD 2017 include Euclid Records, Planet Score Records, Music Record Shop, and Kismet Creative Center.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn talked about his friendship with the late drummer and fellow former St. Louisan Phillip Wilson for an interview published on Do The Math, the blog of The Bad Plus pianist Ethan Iverson.

* Trumpeter and vibraphonist Joe Bozzi was profiled on KSDK's Show Me St. Louis in a segment by reporter Heidi Glaus highlighting his decades of service as a music teacher for schools in the St. Louis Archdiocese.

* Drummer Kimberly Thompson, back home this week for an educational residency at Jazz St. Louis and gigs this weekend at Jazz at the Bistro, is also back online in animated form, as the second episode of her children's program "Music Time with Kimberly Thompson" has been posted to YouTube. As part of that educational residency, Thompson returned to her alma mater Pattonville High School for a clinic with the school's jazz band. 

* Bassist, Washington University faculty member, and now, author Paul Steinbeck went to Chicago last month for a concert and book signing to promote Message To Our Folks, his new history of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and DownBeat magazine was there to cover the event.

* The weekly Wednesday night jam sessions at @Nesby's are the subject of a brief feature in St. Louis County Arts, a new blog started by Valerie Tichacek and writer/photographer Bill Motchan.

* Drummer and St. Louis native Andre Boyd, now living in New Orleans after leaving Cirque du Soleil's road show Quidam last year, was profiled by the New Zealand magazine elocal..

* Pioneering bassist Jimmy Blanton, who played his first professional gigs in the late 1930s with the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra in St. Louis before going on to fame with Duke Ellington's band, is one of 10 musicians eligible this year for election to Jazz at Lincoln Center's Jazz Hall of Fame. You can see a list of all the candidates and cast your vote by April 30 here.

* The 2017 Chesterfield Jazz Festival has announced this year's date and musical lineup. The free concert will be held Saturday, June 24 at the Chesterfield Amphitheater and will feature music from the Wooten Brothers, with bassist Victor Wooten, drummer Roy "Futureman" Wooton and siblings, along with Bach to the Future with Tracy Silverman, Anita Jackson, Soul Cafe, and Kim Fuller & Maurice Carnes.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

Miles Ahead opens today in St. Louis

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

* Miles Ahead, actor/director Don Cheadle's film about Miles Davis, opens nationwide this weekend and will play in St. Louis starting today at the AMC Creve Coeur 12 and Tivoli theaters.

The film's local opening has occasioned reviews from Calvin Wilson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kenya Vaughn of the St. Louis American and a short feature story from the Alton Telegraph's Mary Cox. For complete Miles Ahead coverage, see StLJN's ongoing series of "Miles on Monday" posts.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn, who was back home in St. Louis last week to play at Jazz at the Bistro, has been announced as one of the performers for the February 2017 edition of The Contemporary Jazz Cruise, along with Pat Metheny, Gregory Porter, Terence Blanchard, and others.

* The St. Louis Black Rep is taking a dramatic look at the life of the late keyboardist, singer/songwriter and former St. Louisan Donny Hathaway with Twisted Melodies, a play written by and starring St. Louis native Kelvin Roston Jr.  The production continues through Sunday, May 1 at the Edison Theatre on the campus of Washington University.

* Drummer Kimberly Thompson was interviewed by Nylon magazine in conjunction with the official release last Saturday of her new album, Treasures Abound. Thompson also may have broken some news about her next appearance in her hometown with a recent Tweet listing upcoming concert dates, one of which was "Kim Thompson & Mike Stern at the Bistro Feb 14 - 18 2017". (Jazz St. Louis usually announces the next season's schedule in May.)

* Last Saturday's Record Store Day festivities in St. Louis were featured in stories on the local newscasts of KSDK and KTVI/Fox 2.

* Singer Wendy L Gordon announced that the Leevert & Wendy Gordon Scholarship Fund will grant another $1000 scholarship this year to a yet-to-be-selected Sumner High School senior attending Harris Stowe State University in the fall.

The scholarships are funded with proceeds from Gordon's series of "Jazz Heaven" tribute concerts, the next of which is scheduled for Sunday, September 11 at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre, and from special events like the upcoming tribute to singer Mae Wheeler by Gordon and fellow vocalist Jeanne Trevor set for Tuesday, May 17 at the Sheldon Concert Hall.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* HEC-TV has released the final episode of I Love Jazz, the program created and hosted by the late Don Wolff (pictured).

Hosted by Cordell Whitlock, the last episode pays tribute to Wolff, who died last November, and also includes stories on the jazz program at Washington University and the dedication last September of the statue honoring Miles Davis in Alton, IL. You can see the episode online here.

* Tomorrow is the annual celebration of independent music retailers known as Record Store Day, and St. Louis stores taking part in the event with special pricing and promotions, live music, and more will include Euclid Records, Music Record Shop, Planet Score Records, Record Exchange, and Vintage Vinyl. There's also a new store on Cherokee Street, Endless Planets, that will be holding its grand opening celebration that day..

As mentioned last week in this space, yr. humble StLJN editor once again will be among the local music writers doing hour-long "guest DJ" sets at Vintage Vinyl, spinning tunes on the in-house sound system from 2:30 p.m. from 3:30 p.m.

You can find guides to all the local Record Store Day activities in both the Riverfront Times and St. Louis Post-Dispatch. And if you're looking for a list of the various record labels' special jazz releases for RSD 2016, DownBeat has all that info for you here.

* The 442s appear on the latest episode of the TV program STL Up Late, which can be seen online here.

* Wack-A-Doo has posted photos from their recent "Coffee Concert" performances at The Sheldon to Flickr and Facebook.

* St. Louis Legacy Ensemble has posted to YouTube a video of "Lafayette," a new original song by percussionist and bandleader Joe Pastor.

* Guitarist Todd Mosby has posted video of a new original song, "Ode to Joe," on Facebook. Mosby will perform it and other songs from his new album in a CD release event on April 30 at Focal Point

* Trombonist Dave Dickey's performance at tomorrow's North County Jazz Festival in Park Hills, MO is previewed in an article in the Park Hills Daily Journal.

* The Belleville News Democrat reports that student jazz bands from Belleville made a good showing in the annual Illinois State Jazz Invitational last weekend, as Central Junior High took first place in the statewide competition's junior high division and the District 118 Jazz Combo won first place in the high school division.

* According to a Riverfront Times article by Thomas Crone, the proprietors of 2720 Cherokee are reorganizing both their live music offerings and their physical space, including opening a new, smaller-scale lounge called Barcade within the 2720 building.

* Saxophonist Rev. Cliff Aerie and trumpeter/pianist Tim Osiek have published Hymns of the Spirit: Pentecost and Beyond, the fourth volume of arrangements in their Worship Jazz series. The downloadable book features hymns "arranged in a variety of jazz genres: straight ahead, Latin, Dixieland, funk and more," with all 12 selections transposed for C, Bb, Eb and bass clef instrumentation.

* Lindy Hop St. Louis, organizers of the annual Nevermore Jazz Ball weekend held in the fall, have announced the dates for the 2016 River City Mess Around. The fourth annual edition of the summer swing dance weekend will be held July 1 through July 4, with venues and exact schedule of events TBA.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Record Store Day 2016 is Saturday, April 16, and once again this year, yr. humble StLJN editor has been invited to be one of several "guest DJs" selecting music to play on the in-store sound system at Vintage Vinyl.

I'll be at the controls for an hour or so starting at 2:30 p.m., following sets by DJs from KDHX and the music blogs Speakers In Code and I Went To A Show (and well after the sure-to-be-jam-packed RSD performance at VV by Americana band Mumford & Sons).

As in previous years, I'll be spinning a mix of jazz, blues, soul, and funk, with some St. Louis artists in the mix. You can see a complete list of all the special Record Store Day releases from various companies here.

* Steven Lutvak's cabaret show "A Gentleman's Guide To A Gentleman's Guide" was previewed in a story by Calvin Wilson of the Post-Dispatch. The production runs tonight and tomorrow at the Gaslight Theater.

* The Riverfront Times' Harlan McCarthy reported on last Saturday's dedication ceremony of the mural of Clark Terry in south St. Louis' Carondelet neighborhood.

* Also in the RFT, Kevin Korinek penned a short feature about St. Louis-based amplifier manufacturer Mills Custom and their participation in last weekend's Tritone Expo.

* Jazz St. Louis posted to Facebook some photos from this week's educational residencies by clarinetist Anat Cohen, drummer Matt Wilson, trumpeter Marquis Hill and bassist Linda Oh.

* The Kranzberg Arts Foundation has announced plans to turn the building in the Grand Center district that formerly housed the nightclub Plush into an "arts incubator," with a small theater and space for offices and production support.

* Always, the latest CD from pianist and St. Louis native Stephanie Trick and her husband Paolo Alderighi, was reviewed by the website Art Music Lounge.

* Drummer Dave Weckl headed out on tour this past week with guitarist Oz Noy's trio, starting in Los Angeles, then going on to NYC and more East Coast and Midwest dates before heading back West again. (Alas, there's no St. Louis show on schedule.) Weckl also recently was named also named Best Fusion Drummer for 2016 by Modern Drummer magazine.

Sunday Session: May 31, 2015

William Parker

For your Sunday reading, here are some interesting music-related items that have hit StLJN's inbox over the past week:

* Pop Music Is More About Advertising Now Than Before — And Nobody Realizes It (Mic.com)
* Artist's Profile: John Luther Adams, Composer (Classical Connections)
* The Imitation Archive Part 1: recording the sounds of the world's first computers (British Library Sound and vision blog)
* The Imitation Archive Part 2: making music from the sounds of the world's first computers (British Library Sound and vision blog)
* DrumPants 2.0 is a wearable controller that turns your body into an instrument (Fact magazine)
* The best free music production software (Fact magazine)
* Daniel Barenboim designs 'radical' new piano (BBC)
* Detroit jazz trumpet legend Marcus Belgrave dies at 78 (Detroit Free Press)
* ‘Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution’ Review (Wall Street Journal)
* Record Store Day to expand with weekly event Vinyl Tuesday (Consequence of Sound)
* Ornette Coleman Sues Over Release of “New Vocabulary” Album (Jazz Times)
* Ornette Coleman Lawsuit Against Antibalas' Jordan McLean: Both Sides Weigh In (Billboard)
* A new Near South Side park named for jazz master Fred Anderson (Chicago Tribune)
* Songwriters And Streaming Services Battle Over Decades-Old Decree (NPR)
* AUM Fidelity to Release 3-CD William Parker Box (Jazz Times)
* One industry expert offers his plan to help country radio: Fewer songs by women (Washington Post)
* For Jack DeJohnette, A Chicago Homecoming Brought A Reunion With Old Friends (NPR)
* Cline Makes Big Impression at Quebec’s Victoriaville Festival (DownBeat)

Record Store Day is Saturday, April 18

This Saturday is the ninth annual Record Store Day, the national celebration of independent music sellers, and St. Louis record stores will be doing their part, not only selling special limited-edition new releases but also offering various other promotional activities and in-store performances.

Yr. humble StLJN editor once again will taking part in some of those activities as one of the "guest DJs" spinning records in-store at Vintage Vinyl in the U City Loop. I'll be taking over the store's DJ booth for an hour starting at 4:30 p.m., playing jazz, blues, funk, soul and more, with a high probability of some recordings from St. Louis musicians being in the mix.

In addition to the lineup of visiting record-spinners, drawn from the local music scene, the festivities at VV also will include live bands performing all day outside the store, free coffee and donuts in the morning, free beer (for those of legal drinking age), and more. You can see a complete schedule of events here.

Over in Webster Groves, Euclid Records also will be doing it up big, with live bands and comedians both on Friday night and all day Saturday, plus coffee, beer, doughnuts, BBQ from Highway 61 Roadhouse, and so on. You can see their band schedule and more details here.

Down in the Grove, the all-vinyl Music Record Shop will present five bands next door at the Demo, and local vendors such as Urban Chestnut Brewery, Rise Coffee and the Gramophone will be offering food and beverages. Other area music retailers taking part in RSD event include CD Reunion, Reunion Revolution, Slackers, and V-Stock.

You can see the complete list of Record Store Day special releases here, and a searchable list of all participating stores nationwide here.

Miles on Monday: Inside the Bitches Brew sessions, box set reissue news, and more

Today for "Miles on Monday," a compilation of the latest news items involving the legendary trumpeter: 

* AllAboutJazz.com has a lengthy excerpt from the recently published book Listen to This: Miles Davis and Bitches Brew, in which author Victor Svorinich details the day-to-day progress of the tracking sessions for one of the most influential albums of Davis' electric period.

* For the vinyl enthusiasts out there, MilesDavis.com has more details on the Record Store Day exclusive Miles Davis: The Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection, Vol. 2, a facsimile reissue (pictured) box set that includes newly minted copies of Miles Davis All Star Sextet, Miles Davis Quintet, Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis All Stars Vol. 1, and Miles Davis All Stars Vol. 2. The set goes on sale for Record Store Day on Saturday, April 15.

* Proving that Miles Davis' influence still extends from coast to coast and beyond, Los Angeles NPR affiliate KCRW's program "Tom Schnabel's Rhythm Planet" recently did a special episode about "The DNA of Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain," while New York magazine inevitably included a Davis-related anecdote in their look last week at "New York After Midnight"

Miles on Monday: The Miles Davis Story, Herbie Hancock reminisces, and more

This week for "Miles on Monday," some recent news items about the iconic trumpeter:

* Concord Music Group will release their second volume of Miles Davis reissues from the Prestige catalog, titled Miles Davis—The Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection, Vol. 2, in a limited edition exclusively for Record Store Day on Saturday, April 18.

* If you've never checked out the 2001 BBC documentary The Miles Davis Story, you should know that it's probably the best, most accessible telling of Davis' life story and definitely worth a look. Though it is available on DVD (pictured), now you also can see it for free online (albeit with subtitles in Russian, and possibly for a limited time only) here.

* Pianist Herbie Hancock reminisced a bit about his time playing with Davis (and the time he almost worked with Jimi Hendrix) in a video interview with OkayPlayer here.

* Davis' appearance on the 1980s TV cop drama Miami Vice was the subject of a post last week on the website Dangerous Minds.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Jazz St. Louis has scheduled auditions for their 2015-16 JazzU program for June 1 through June 4 at the JSL HQ on Washington Ave.

High school musicians who are interested in trying out will find an application form and audition information on the the JSL website.

* Fact magazine published a feature story highlighting "20 essential records from the 1970s underground," and the list includes three albums with a St. Louis connection: Julius Hemphill's Dogon A.D., Luther Thomas Human Arts Ensemble's Funky Donkey Vol. 1, and the Black Artists Group's In Paris, Aries 1973.

* Saxophonist David Sanborn has set Tuesday, April 7 as the release date for his new album Time and the River. If you didn't buy a copy of the recording (pictured) through Sanborn's crowdfunding campaign, you can pre-order it now via Amazon and iTunes.

* Saxophonist Greg Osby answered 10 questions from the music website Textura.

* The recently opened vinyl shop Rich's Record Emporium in Collinsville was the subject of a feature story in the Belleville News-Democrat.

* And speaking of record stores, the list of special and limited edition releases for Record Store Day 2015, which falls on Saturday, April 18, was announced this week. (Though most of the special releases are various flavors of rock and pop music, there are some items of interest to jazz listeners, too.)

* Neal Richardson's show last week for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was reviewed by Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's “Somethin’ Else” program will delve into music recorded for the Columbia label during the 1980s by trumpeter Woody Shaw and saxophonist Arthur Blythe.

"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.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* There's a new entry on Clark Terry's blog, in which the legendary trumpeter and St. Louis native - who at 93 is physically frail but remains indomitable in spirit - details his recent efforts to "keep on keepin' on."

Said blog post also alerted us to a nice feature story about Terry published earlier this year in Allegro, the magazine of Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians.

* Tomorrow is the annual Record Store Day, and St. Louis music purveyors including Euclid Records, Apop Records, and Vintage Vinyl will celebrating variously with live music, in-store guest DJs, food and drink, special limited edition releases, and more. You can get a good overview of the goings-on around town via this article by the Riverfront Times' Mike Appelstein.

Also, as mentioned (or, depending upon your point of view, threatened) in this space last week, once again this year I'll be a guest DJ at Vintage Vinyl, spinning jazz, blues, funk, soul and who-know-what-else inside the store for an hour starting at 4:00 p.m.. Don't say you haven't been warned.

* Modern dance company MADCO's premiere production of "Liquid Roads," which incorporated live jazz and blues from a band led by trumpeter Brian Casserly, was reviewed by Chris Gibson of Broadway World and by UMSL's student paper The Current.

* One of singer Storm Large's sold-out performances last weekend for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was reviewed by Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX.

* The Route 66 Jazz Orchestra has posted on Facebook an album of photos from their most recent performance at First Unity Church of St. Louis.

* Also on Facebook, the Sidney Street Shakers have posted an album of photos from their performance at Schlafly's Repeal of Prohibition Festival 2014.

* Want to win free tickets to see Harry Connick Jr. on Saturday, May 3 at the Peabody Opera House? The Post-Dispatch's GO! section is doing a giveaway on Facebook; see their page for details.

* Trumpeter Steve Lilley of the St. Louis Stompers is going this weekend to Fox Lake, WI to pay tribute to legendary trumpeter Bunny Berigan as part of the annual Bunny Berigan Jazz Jubilee.

* As predicted, the controversial bill granting a Los Angeles company exclusive rights to produce music festivals in downtown St. Louis on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends was passed this week by the St. Louis board of aldermen. Get the details in stories from from Nick Pistor of the Post and Kris Wernowsky of the RFT.

* The Jazz Journalists Association has announced the winners of its 2014 award in the musician and recording categories, and although several have performed in St. Louis during the past year, the only award tied to a local musician is the Historical Record of the Year, which went to Miles Davis' Miles Davis Quintet Live in Europe 1969 on Columbia Legacy (pictured). You can see the complete list of JJA award winners here.

* The Goldenrod Showboat, which for decades hosted jazz, ragtime and theater performances on the St. Louis riverfront, has gotten one more reprieve from the scrapyard, as the not-for-profit group trying to save the boat has reached an agreement to regain ownership from the Illinois River dock owners who bought it at auction last year. Paul Schankman of Fox 2 News also covered the story here.

* Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, Calvin Wilson's program "Somethin' Else" will feature the songs of Jerome Kern, as interpreted by musicians including Keith Jarrett, Jackie McLean and Bill Frisell.

After that on "The Jazz Collective," host Jason Church promises spins of Cindy Bradley, Vincent Ingala, Bob Baldwin,Freddie Hubbard, Larry Carlton, Candy Dulfer, B.D. Lenz, as well as St. Louis' own Grant Green, Tommy Halloran, Elliott Ranney, Jim Stevens, and Dawn Weber, plus more.

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. 

Elsewhere on the HD dial, longtime local radio veteran Rick Sanborn has joined the on-air staff at Hip 96.3 HD-3. Sanborn has been heard on several different St. Louis broadcast outlets including yesteryear smooth jazz station WSSM, and for several years also lent his name to a summer series of smooth jazz concerts at the Pageant. Fans can hear him on the new gig from noon to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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:

* Multi-instrumentalist and composer Marty Ehrlich was on NPR's "Fresh Air" this week to talk about Trumpet In The Morning, his new album of orchestral music (pictured).

* Drummer Dave Weckl will take off in May to the Great White North, where he'll do a series of daylong drum clinics in Halifax, Nova Scotia; Laval, Quebec; Toronto, Ontario; Edmonton, Alberta; and Vancouver, British Columbia.

* Two local music festivals announced their schedules this week, each with what can only be described as a token presence for jazz. Pianist Peter Martin will kick off the 2014 Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden with a free concert on Wednesday, June 4. However, the rest of the schedule for the series that began years ago as "Jazz in June" is sadly bereft of the genre, unless you count Irish singer-guitarist Nigel Mooney, whose website seems to suggest that he's a blues performer with jazz influences. (With regard to the notion of bringing an Irishman to St. Louis to play the blues, you can insert your own "coals to Newcastle" reference as you see fit.)

* Meanwhile, the Bluesweek festival, subject of much recent controversy stemming from organizers' decision to leave the streets of downtown for the Chesterfield Amphitheater, will take place Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25 with Otis Clay and Ronnie Baker Brooks as headliners, plus a number of ad hoc combinations of St. Louis blues players and singers as support acts. The jazz content for 2014 will be supplied by funk/jazz quartet Good 4 The Soul, who will perform on Saturday afternoon with singer Denise Thimes and saxophonist Jim Stevens as special guests.

* The list of special releases for Record Store Day 2014 is out, and while rock continues to predominate, there will be new and reissued records this year in a variety of genres including jazz, as well as one item of particular local interest: Donny Hathaway Live At The Bitter End 1971, a live show by the singer, songwriter, keyboardist and former St. Louisan that has never been issued before on vinyl.

* Speaking of records, the Miles Davis news this week is all about the promotional push for the release of the trumpeter's latest posthumous box set, Miles Davis at the Fillmore 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3. Fans can listen to an online stream of three of the Fillmore CDs via an app on on Davis' Facebook page, and iTunes has launched a curated Miles Davis artist page, including albums mastered specially for iTunes plus videos, books and more. New articles about Davis in Esquire and SPIN also feature online streams of sample cuts from the box set.

* And speaking of Davis, the latest blog entry from The Bad Plus' Ethan Iverson gets historical to take issue with a biographer who suggests that Miles had a strained relationship with Louis Armstrong.

*Jazz radio update: This Saturday on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis' "Somethin' Else," host Calvin Wilson will spin jazz interpretations of the songs of Jimmy Van Heusen by artists including singer-trumpeter Chet Baker, saxophonist Lee Konitz, singer Rickie Lee Jones, and more.

After that, there's a new episode of The Jazz Collective, in which host Jason Church will spin music from Boney James, Nick Colionne, U-Nam, Oscar Peterson, Ramsey Lewis, John Klemmer, Bob James, Tim Cunningham, Jesse Gannon, Tommy Halloran and Dawn Weber.

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.

Last but not least, though we don't have a playlist for the whole show, singer Joe Mancuso tells StLJN that music from his debut release Cut to the Chase will air on an upcoming episode of "Jazz Unlimited," which can be heard at 9:00 p.m. Sundays on KWMU (90.7 FM) and online at http://www.stlpublicradio.org/listen.php.