So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* This year's Heineken Jazzaldia Festival is using a stylized image of bassist Jahmal Nichols (pictured) in promotional materials for the fest, which happens this weekend in San Sebastian, Spain.
 
* In observance of the 50th anniversary of the event, the website Jazz Desk took a look back at "Miles Davis in the eye of the storm – Newport Jazz Festival 1969."

* In other Miles Davis news, Rolling Stone premiered "Paradise," a track from Davis' "lost" 1980s album Rubberband, which finally will be released in September.

* Tonina Saputo's new album St. Lost was reviewed by CollegeMediaNetwork.com.

* The Riverfront Times' Daniel Hill has written an article about at recent personnel controversies and ongoing financial issues at community radio station KDHX.

* Pianist and former Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap was the subject of a feature story about his new job as head of the Broward Cultural Division in Broward County, FL.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis has announced the winners of its 2020 St. Louis Arts Awards, and among the honorees will be pianist Adam Maness (pictured), who will receive the Arts Collaborator award at a banquet and ceremony to be held on January 27, 2020 at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel.

* The Miles Davis Jazz Festival, held last Saturday at the Jacoby Arts Center in Alton, was the subject of a feature story in the Edwardsville Intelligencer.

* Stanley Nelson Jr., the director of the new Miles Davis documentary Birth of the Cool, was interviewed about the film by Jazz Times.

* Meanwhile, combination listening sessions and panel discussions on the new reissue of Davis' Complete Birth of the Cool, which was released last Friday, were presented in New York City and Los Angeles.

* Lastly, after putting out excerpts on a four-song EP for this year's Record Store Day, the Miles Davis estate and Rhino/Warner Records will release the full version of the trumpeter's "lost" album Rubberband, recorded in the mid-80s and then shelved in favor of what would become the album Tutu. The vinyl LP includes 11 tracks, which were completed by the original producers and Davis’ nephew Vince Wilburn Jr, with new vocals added by Lalah Hathaway and Ledisi.

* Fire Shut Up In My Bones, the new opera by trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard that premieres tonight at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, was previewed by Sarah Bryan Miller of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kenya Vaughn of the St. Louis American.

* Pianist and former St. Louisan Tom McDermott wrote about the music of the late Dr. John for The Daily Beast.

* Former Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap, who left the organization last month to take a job as director of the cultural division of Broward County, FL, was profiled in the south Florida publication Art Hive.

* Snarky Puppy's performance last month at the Atomic Cowboy Pavilion was reviewed by KDHX's Joseph Ferber.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* In their ongoing series of features about the best record stores in every state, VinylMePlease.com has named Vintage Vinyl (pictured) as the "Best Record Store in Missouri."

* As part of a group of "in memoriam" articles in the March issue of Jazz Times, saxophonist Oliver Lake offered a poetic tribute to his late friend and bandmate Hamiet Bluiett. Lake performs tonight at Xavier Hall on the St. Louis University campus.

* Trumpeter Terence Blanchard, in town last weekend for a series of events promoting the premiere of his opera Fire Shut Up In My Bones later this year at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, was interviewed by Don Marsh of St. Louis Public Radio.

* Also on St. Louis Public Radio, singer Beverly Brennan was interviewed about her cabaret show "Love and Marriage," which she'll perform tonight at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

* Pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio has posted to YouTube a full-length video of last week's concert featuring guitarist Romero Lubambo, pianist Helio Alves, drummer Edu Ribeiro, and bassist Bob DeBoo.

* Voting in St. Louis magazine's annual "A-List" poll is now open, and while there are no jazz-specific categories, you can cast a ballot for your favorite music venues, festivals, and more here.

* Two former Miles Davis sidemen are getting attention for new projects paying tribute to their old boss, as saxophonist Dave Liebman was interviewed in DownBeat about his new album re-visiting Davis' music from On The Corner, while multi-instrumentalist/producer Marcus Miller was featured in Parade magazine for two Davis-related concerts this month at Jazz at Lincoln Center..

* Phil Dunlap, who has run education and community outreach programs for Jazz St. Louis for the past 12 years, is leaving the organization to take a new job as director of cultural affairs for Broward County, FL, running that county's equivalent to the Regional Arts Commission. Dunlap will depart JSL at the end of April; there's been no announcement yet about a successor.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Saxophonist, composer, independent record label owner, and St. Louis native Greg Osby (pictured) was featured on a recent episode of trumpeter Dave Douglas' podcast A Noise from the Deep.

* Jazz St. Louis' Ferring Jazz Bistro is the winner of the Commercial Restaurant Space category in the the St. Louis Architect and Designer Awards 2017. The space, which opened in October 2014 as part of Jazz St. Louis' renovated HQ in Grand Center, was designed by Jamieson Design.

* Also from Jazz St. Louis, education director Phil Dunlap's music business class at the University of Missouri-St. Louis was featured in a story on the university's website about entrepreneurial courses.

* The application period is open for the Regional Arts Commission's 2017 Artist Support Grants, which provide up to $3000 per grant to St. Louis artists in all disciplines for special creative projects, professional opportunities, or equipment needs. Two application workshops will be held in March, and are free and open to the public. To find out more, go to http://racstl.org/grant/artists-support-grants/.

* New music ensemble Alarm Will Sound's performances this weekend of Steve Reich's "The Cave" are previewed in stories by Sarah Bryan Miller in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chris King in St. Louis magazine, and St. Louis Public Radio's Kelley Moffitt.

* A recent article on Mapquest.com about "20 St. Louis stops every music fan should have on their tour schedule" recommends several local destinations of particular interest to jazz enthusiasts, including Saxquest's Saxophone Museum, the Miles Davis statue in downtown Alton, Jazz at the Bistro, the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, and BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups.

Jazz this week: A tribute to 1970s fusion, trad jazz from Red Lehr, and more

With summer winding down and the fall presenting season yet to begin, it's not a particularly busy week for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, but there still are some performances worth noting that are happening over the next few days.

Let's go to the highlights....

Thursday, August 25
Dizzy Atmosphere will play swing and Gypsy jazz as part of the "Sensational Summer Nights" series at Missouri Botanical Garden; and the Bruxism experimental music series continues at the Schlafly Tap Room, this month featuring Wiggpaw, Brett Williams, and UFO vs USA. 

Friday, August 26
An ad hoc quintet of St. Louis musicians will join forces to present "Weather Forever: The Music of Weather Report & Return to Forever," featuring music from two of the most popular jazz-fusion groups of the 1970s, for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro.

The ensemble attempting to bridge the disparate styles of these two iconic bands will include bassist Zeb Briskovich, drummer Montez Coleman (pictured, top left), keyboarist Adaron “Pops” Jackson, guitarist Eric Slaughter, and saxophonist Jason Swagler.

Also on Friday, singer Joe Mancuso brings a quartet to Nathalie's, and the Midwest Jazz-tette will play cool jazz in the West Coast style at Cigar Inn

Saturday, August 27 
Pianist Phil Dunlap's trio will play an early evening show at The Dark Room; trumpeter Danny Campbell returns with his Jazz Collective to Troy's Jazz Gallery; and Franglais will perform at Evangeline's

Sunday, August 28
The St. Louis Jazz Club presents sousaphonist Red Lehr's Powerhouse Five (pictured, lower left) playing traditional jazz and swing at the Doubletree Hotel St. Louis at Westport.

Monday, August 29
Trumpeter Jim Manley continues his Monday night residency at Momo's Greek Restaurant.

Tuesday, August 30
The Sidemen return to Evangeline's, and saxophonist Joe Bayer has a new weekly duo gig at Scarlett's Wine Bar in the Central West End, teaming up this week with bassist Glen Smith.

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.)

Jazz this week: Stefon Harris, Miles Davis Jazz Festival, Jeremy Davenport, and more

The unofficial start of summer in St. Louis this week brings with it several jazz and creative music events that local audiences have come to expect around this time of year, including the annual Miles Davis Jazz Festival in Alton; the start of the Whitaker Music Festival; benefit performances raising money for the Sheldon Concert Hall and for music scholarships awarded by Jazz St. Louis; and a gathering of ragtime musicians from all around the country. Let's go to the highlights...

Wednesday, June 1
Tonight, singer Feyza Eren will perform in a free concert kicking off the summer-long Whitaker Music Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Thursday, June 2
Minnesota-based jump-blues and swing band Davina and the Vagabonds will play at the Broadway Oyster Bar

Friday, June 3
The fried-dough enthusiasts comprising the staff of Jazz St. Louis will celebrate "National Donut Day" on Friday morning with a free, public event at the Ferring Jazz Bistro, featuring free coffee, milk and donuts from 15 local shops and bakeries, plus live music from students in JSL's education programs, kids' activities, and more.

That evening, vibraphonist Stefon Harris (pictured, top left) will join students from Jazz St. Louis' JazzU program for their annual weekend of performances as Jazz at the Bistro, with two sets on both Friday and Saturday nights.

Also on Friday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes return to Thurman Grill; the Original Knights of Swing play for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and saxophonist Austin Cebulski leads a quartet at Cigar Inn.

Saturday, June 4
On Saturday afternoon, Stefon Harris will lead a free workshop for musicians at Jazz at the Bistro, talking about the "Harmony Cloud" ear training system he's created with trombonist and software developer Clif Swiggett.

Saturday evening, the 11th annual Miles Davis Jazz Festival will take place at the Jacoby Arts Center in Alton, featuring pianist Phil Dunlap leading a nonet playing music from Davis' Birth of the Cool, plus sets from saxophonist Fred Walker, the Dilbert Caldwell Band, and the duo Me and Bob.

Elsewhere around town, South Korean saxophonist Lukas Insung Lee will play at Evangeline's; guitarist Dave Black will present a concert of his original music at Focal Point; and trumpeter Jim Manley and guitarist Randy Bahr's All-Star Band returns to Nathalie's.

Sunday, June 5
Sunday afternoon offers several noteworthy shows, starting with trumpeter, singer and U City native Jeremy Davenport (pictured, bottom left) who will be back home to headline the annual spring benefit for the Sheldon Concert Hall.

At about the same time, the Friends of Scott Joplin will present their "Ragtime Afterglow Party" at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site, featuring informal performances from various musicians involved in this weekend's Scott Joplin Festival in Sedalia, MO.

Meanwhile, Jazz St. Louis will be presenting the third annual Richard McDonnell Scholarship Concert at Jazz at the Bistro. The event, which raises money for music scholarships awarded in the name of the late founder of MAXJAZZ Records, runs from mid-afternoon through the evening, with performers including Jazz St. Louis' student All-Stars, alumni of JSL's JazzU program, pianist Carolbeth True's trio, Funky Butt Brass Band, Good 4 the Soul with singer Anita Jackson, a closing set featuring trumpeter Sean Jones and pianist Peter Martin, and more.

Monday, June 6
Trombonists Wayne Coniglio and Scott Whitfield will team up to lead a quintet at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The 20th anniversary edition of singer Denise Thimes' (pictured) Mother's Day show, which has moved this year to the Touhill Performing Arts Center, was previewed in feature stories by Kenya Vaughn of the St. Louis American and Kevin Johnson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and in an interview on St. Louis Public Radio. 

* Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap wrote about Don Cheadle's Miles Ahead and Born to Be Blue, the recently released feature film about trumpeter Chet Baker, in an essay for Washington University's Common Reader.

* Trumpeter Keyon Harrold will pay tribute to Miles Davis with three nights of shows from Friday, May 13 through Sunday, May 15 at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola in NYC's Jazz at Lincoln Center complex. The gigs, marking 90 years since Davis' birth, will feature an all-star cast including saxophonists and former Davis sidemen Gary Bartz and David Liebman; drummer Chris Dave and bassist Derrick Hodge, from Robert Glasper's band; St. Louis native Shedrick Mitchell on keyboards; and more.

* Harrold and his brother Emanuel Harrold, the drummer in singer Gregory Porter's band, also pulled off a near-simultaneous dual-sibling appearance on two national TV networks this week, as on Wednesday night Keyon performed with singer Maxwell on CBS' The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, while Emanuel was playing with Porter on PBS' The Tavis Smiley Show.

* A story published this week by St. Louis Public Radio says that radio station WSIE, doubly pressed for cash by a preexisting need for additional funding plus recent budget cuts to Illinois universities, will add blues music to its playlist in an attempt to broaden its appeal and become self-sustaining.

* Pianist Peter Martin's Open Studio Network today rolled out "Brazilian Jazz Guitar," a new premium online course taught by guitarist Romero Lubambo.

* The recently announced "arts incubator" at 3224 Locust in the Grand Center district is seeking tenants now in anticipation of its opening in January of next year.

11th annual Miles Davis Jazz Festival set for Saturday, June 4 at Jacoby Arts Center

The 11th annual Miles Davis Jazz Festival in Davis' birthplace of Alton, IL is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Saturday, June 4 at the Jacoby Arts Center, 627 E. Broadway in Alton.

A nonet led by pianist and Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap (pictured) will headline the event, playing arrangements from Miles Davis' landmark album Birth of the Cool as well as other music associated with the trumpeter.

Along with Dunlap on piano, the band will include Bob DeBoo (bass), Kaleb Kirby (drums), Danny Campbell (trumpet), Ben Reece (alto sax), Andy Ament (baritone sax), Eli Pandolfi (French horn), Jim Martin (tuba), and Jim Owens (trombone).

Also performing at the festival will be saxophonist Fred Walker, the Dilbert Caldwell Band, and the duo Me and Bob (aka singer Ellen Martinez and keyboardist Bob Werner).

General admission tickets to the Miles Davis Jazz Festival will be $20 per person at the door, with proceeds benefiting the Alton Museum Of History And Art. For more information, call 618-462-2763.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Multi-instrumentalist Dwayne Bosman of the Bosman Twins (pictured) is one of ten recipients of a Regional Arts Commission Artist Fellowship for 2015.

Each of the ten selected artists receives $20,000, which is intended to "allow for the advancement of the individual artist’s creative journey to include time and space to study, reflect, experiment, explore and create."

* The late Don Wolff was remembered and memorialized by local media outlets including St. Louis Public Radio, St. Louis magazine, KMOV-TV, and HEC-TV.

* Euclid Records was featured in a recent "In Your Neighborhood" segment on KTVI/Fox 2 News.

* Just in time for his annual Thanksgiving weekend gig at Jazz at the Bistro, here's a a fairly lengthy new interview with trumpeter and singer Jeremy Davenport, via HollywoodSoapbox.com.

* Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap was featured by the Post-Dispatch in an "#STLStreetStyle" video.

* Bassist Stanley Clarke's concert last Saturday at the Touhill Performing Arts Center was reviewed by Terry Perkins for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

* Singer/songwriter Susan Werner's show last weekend for the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was reviewed by Chuck Lavazzi of KDHX.

* Groove Jazz, a new streaming jazz radio station based in St. Louis, is now online and available to hear for free at www.theroots.fm and via free apps available in the iTunes and Google Play stores.

Described in a news release as "primarily a Contemporary Jazz station, featuring artists like Boney James, Paul Hardcastle, Cindy Bradley, George Benson and David Benoit," the station's playlist also will feature "Straight-Ahead Jazz, World Music, Fusion, Funk and other styles." Weekday hosts are Jason Church, Kristi Carson, Eddie Becton, and Darrel Eason, while the weekend voices include Kris Kelly, Bill Poole, Robin Boyce and C.J. Ellis.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* If you missed last Saturday's concert by drummer Gerald Cleaver (pictured) and his band Black Host (or just want to revisit it), you can see photo sets from the show on the KDHX website and on the Facebook page of presenters New Music Circle.

* One of last week's performances by the Robert Glasper Experience at Jazz at the Bistro was reviewed by Kenya Vaughn of the St. Louis American.

* After two years purveying smooth jazz, R&B and pop to local listeners, HD radio station Hip 96.3 finally has an official website of its own.

* Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap and student bassist Nathan Pence were interviewed about JSL's JazzU program on St. Louis Public Radio's "CityScape."

* Don Wolff talked about his work as a jazz broadcaster and his recent "Jazz Hero" award from the Jazz Journalists Association in an interview this week with KTRS' John Carney.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis native Eric Person's big band will be back in action this weekend in NYC, with a concert on Sunday, May 3 for First Presbyterian Church's ArtsWestchester series.

* Jazz radio update: On this Saturday's episode of his Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis program  “Somethin’ Else,” Calvin Wilson will highlight the compositions of Burt Bacharach as interpreted by musicians such as Wallace ROney, Nellie McKay, and Mulgrew Miller.

Immediately following on "The Jazz Collective,"  Jason Church will feature new music from Boney James, Sun Soul Orchestra, and Rhonda Thomas, along with tracks from Ronnie Laws, Joe Sample, Pieces Of A Dream, Ramsey Lewis, Clave Sol, Tim Cunningham, The Bosman Twins, and Groovethang.

"Somethin' Else" can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, followed by "The Jazz Collective" at 9:00 p.m. on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Byron Stripling set for "Happy Hour" on Monday, February 23 at Tavern of Fine Arts

Have you ever wished for a chance to chat with trumpeter Byron Stripling? You might just get the opportunity a week from next Monday, as Jazz St. Louis has announced a free "Happy Hour" program featuring Stripling at 5:30 p.m., Monday, February 23 at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Stripling (pictured) will be in town that week to do some educational programs for Jazz St. Louis and perform on Saturday, February 28 at Jazz at the Bistro.

He'll be joined for what's billed as "an hour of music and conversation" at the Tavern of Fine Arts by pianist and JSL education director Phil Dunlap. The event is free and open to the public.

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The latest episode of HEC-TV's I Love Jazz with Don Wolff premieres this Sunday, February 8, and features the jazz studies program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The show also looks in on the recording of pianist Phil Dunlap's debut CD, and includes vintage video spotlighting the late alto saxophonist and clarinetist LeRoy Harris.

I Love Jazz can be seen on Charter channel 989 and AT&T U-verse 99 at noon on Wednesdays; 8:00 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays; and 4:00 p.m. Fridays. (For other TV providers, check your program guide.) You also can watch episodes, including the latest one, online at the HEC-TV website, or download them for free from the "Beyond University" section of iTunes U.

* Pianist Peter Martin's performance with guitarist Romero Lubambo last week at South on Main in Little Rock was reviewed by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and also documented in a photo set posted to Facebook.

* Martin also will provide the music for the "Eleventh Annual Evening of Hope," a benefit for the Hope Center for Neurological Disorders at Washington University School of Medicine to be held on Thursday, April 30 at the Sheldon. The evening includes cocktails, dinner, and the musical performance by Martin's trio and guest singer Brian Owens. For tickets or sponsorship information, call Hope Happens at 314-725-3888 or email them at info at hopehappens dot org.

* Saxophonist Oliver Lake's latest album, a duet performance with bassist William Parker called To Roy, is out now on the Intakt label. The title is a dedication to the late trumpeter Roy Campbell, who died last January at age 61.

* Drummer and St. Louis native Andre "Dre Energy" Boyd has blogged about his experiences playing with Cirque du Soleil for Modern Drummer magazine.

* Videographer Chad Eivins of Chizmo.tv has posted online a video documenting last February's New Music Circle-sponsored concert by Joshua Abrams and; Natural Information Society at Joe's Cafe Gallery.

* You can get a close-up look at some of the unusual musical instruments from the Hartenberger World Music Collection recently donated to the Sheldon Art Galleries via a video posted online this week by the Riverfront Times. An exhibit featuring instruments from the collection opens tonight in conjunction with Grand Center's "First Friday" series of free gallery openings and events in the district.

* The Saxophone Museum at Saxquest has just acquired the original sample model bell for the Buescher 400 tenor saxophone, and Saxquest owner Mark Overton explains why it's "the coolest find of the year" in an article published on the shop's associated site Saxophone.org.

* Singer, actress, dancer and St. Louis native Josephine Baker (pictured) is just one of the black adventurers featured in a series of Black History Month illustrations recently created by comic artist Chris Schweizer. Baker, who spied for the resistance against the Germans in occupied France during World War II, is shown with her pet Chiquita the Cheetah.

* Jazz radio update: On this Saturday's edition of Radio Arts Foundation - St. Louis' “Somethin’ Else,” host Calvin Wilson will highlight music from composer Kurt Weill as performed by Michael Brecker, Nina Simone, Roy Hargrove, and more. The program airs at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays on 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2, and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen.

Then on Sunday morning, WSIE's "Jazz Talk" will feature hosts Dick Ulett, Michael Silverman, and Rob Silverman chatting with drummer Ron Carr. The program airs from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on 88.7 FM, and also can be streamed online from the station's website.

Jazz this week: "250 Years of St. Louis Music," Phil Dunlap Quintet, Karen Mason, and more

So what's going on this week with live jazz and creative music in St. Louis? Glad you asked, as we just happen to have some recommendations for you, including the return of a local favorite who's been away for a couple of years, a diverse salute to St. Louis music history, and more. Let's go to the highlights...

Tonight, pianist Reggie Thomas, the former St. Louisan and former faculty member at Michigan State who's back a little closer to home now that he's heading up the jazz program at Northern Illinois University, will be performing with the Mineral Area College Jazz Ensemble and MAC Kicks Band at the college's Fine Arts Theatre down in Park Hills.

Also tonight, singer Joe Mancuso and Friends - in this case, guitarist Randy Bahr, bassist Willem von Hombracht, and drummer Gerald Warren - will be at Nathalie’s; and Miss Jubilee has a double-header on tap, with a trio show for happy hour at Magpie's on Main in St. Charles, followed by an evening gig at Thaxton Speakeasy.

Then on Friday, yr. humble StLJN editor must first invoke a disclaimer, as I've been working in my "day job" in recent weeks to help promote the "250 Years of St. Louis Music" concert taking place that evening all over the Sheldon Concert Hall and Galleries.

The centerpiece of the event is an 8:00 p.m.set by the new music ensemble Alarm Will Sound featuring a new composition by Peter Martin (pictured) inspired by Miles Davis. But the festivities actually kick off at 6:30 p.m. and continue after AWS' set with music upstairs and down from jazz performers including Martin, Denise Thimes, Carolbeth True, and Willie Akins; blues from Kim Massie and Billy Peek; hip-hop from Illphonics; the St. Louis Ragtimers; folk and country from Gary Hunt and Dade Farrar; the Webster University Chamber Singers, and more. (See the "250 Years" link above for details on who's playing when and where.)

Also on Friday, pianist and Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap will lead the latest iteration of his quintet in the first of two nights of performances at Jazz at the Bistro.  Featuring Danny Campbell on trumpet, Ben Reece Aaron Giraudo on tenor sax, Montez Coleman on drums, and young phenom Nathan Pence on bass, the group will mix Dunlap's originals, no doubt including some from his forthcoming album, with hard-bop covers.

Elsewhere around town, the Gaslight Cabaret Festival resumes with singer Karen Mason performing her show "Secrets of the Ancient Divas" for the first of two evenings at the Gaslight Theater; guitarists Brian Vaccaro and Tim Fischer (the latter a recent transplant from California) will duet at Chasers Lounge in the Chase Park Plaza Hotel; the Gateway City Big Band plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; trumpeter Jim Manley returns to One 19 North Tapas & Wine Bar; and vibraphonist Tom Rickard leads a trio at Cigar Inn

On Saturday afternoon, saxophonist Jim Stevens and group will be getting funky by the riverside at the Loading Dock up in Grafton; and Saxquest will present a free concert by the Saxquest Nonet Jazz Orchestra, performing music from the "cool jazz" movement of the 1950s.

Then on Saturday evening, pianist Carolbeth True and Two Times True will play at the Ozark Theatre; the Wire Pilots return to the Tavern of Fine Arts; and the Coleman Hughes Project with singer Adrienne Felton will be at Troy's Jazz Gallery.

On Sunday, early risers and/or runners can take in some swing and jump blues from Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes as they entertain participants and observers of the annual Rock and Roll Marathon from a stage at Chippewa and S. Broadway.

Later on Sunday, Alarm Will Sound will play a free concert outdoors at the new Public Media Commons, 3653 Olive St. in Grand Center, premiering "Ten Thousand Birds," a new work from Pulitzer Prize winning composer John Luther Adams. Artist Michael Eastman will provide visuals projected on the Commons' two-story tall video screens, and St. Louis electronic musicians Eric Hall and NNN Cook each will do short opening sets, with Cook's enlisting five members of AWS to provide live instrumentation for his piece.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the Sessions Big Band will be back for their now bi-monthly gig at BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups; and on Tuesday, the weekly jam session formerly held at Robbie's House of Jazz in Webster Groves has been re-started at the Ozark Theatre (which now is being programmed by former Robbie's GM Dorothy Edwards).

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* The Miles Davis Memorial Project's benefit dinner and auction on March 22 at Lewis and Clark Community College raised more than $21,000 for the effort to put a statue of Davis in downtown Alton, IL, the trumpeter's birthplace.

According to a story about the event in the Alton Telegraph, that puts the project two-thirds of the way toward having enough money for sculptor Preston Jackson to begin working.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis expat Greg Osby is down under in Australia this week for a series of shows.

* A performance by vibraphonist Peter Schlamb at Kansas City's Take Five Coffee + Bar was reviewed by Bill Brownlee of the KC jazz blog Plastic Sax.

* Happy birthday to saxophonist and former St. Louisan Eric Person (pictured), who turns 51 today.

* Today, we also remember the late organist Richard "Groove" Holmes, who was born on this date in 1931 in Camden, NJ, but spent his last years before his death in 1991 based here in St. Louis.

* Keep On Keepin' On, a new documentary about trumpeter and St. Louis native Clark Terry, premiered last month during NYC's Tribeca Film Festival.

* Saxophonist Dave Stone's trio recently visited the studios of KDHX to record some music, and you can see and hear the sessions here.

* Pianist and Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap is a recipient of one of the new artist support grants from Regional Arts Commission, which he'll use to help produce his first album as a leader. Recording of his band, including trumpeter Danny Campbell, saxophonist Ben Reece and drummer Montez Coleman, is set to begin in July, with the release date TBD.

* New Music Circle has posted to Facebook an album of photos from Joshua Abrams and Natural Information Society's concert back in February at Joe's Cafe.

* KDHX's Chuck Lavazzi has written about several performances from the Gaslight Cabaret Festival, reviewing last Saturday's festival-closing performance by Lara Teeter for the station's website and covering earlier shows featuring Ken Page, Tim Schall and Connie Fairchild for Cabaret Scenes magazine.

* Jazz radio update: On this Saturday's episode of "Somethin' Else" on Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, host Calvin Wilson investigates the compositions of saxophonist John Coltrane, as performed his son Ravi Coltrane, saxophonist David Murray, Medeski Martin & Wood, and others.

Right after that, Jason Church's "The Jazz Collective"  will feature an assortment of cover songs as interpreted by Jeff Golub, Jumaane Smith, Jeff Lorber, Miles Davis, Pat Metheny, Ella Fitzgerald, the Classical Jazz Quartet, Kim Massie, Jim Manley, Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum, and 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. 

Jazz this week: Kevin Eubanks; Garfield, Ligertwood & Stevens; Emily Bergl; a tribute to Miles Davis; and more

While some revelers this weekend no doubt will be wearing green in anticipation of St. Patrick's Day, your StLJN staff would like to remind you that one doesn't have be Irish, or indeed of any particular national origin or ethnicity, to enjoy jazz, either.

You just have to know where to go and when, and to help you with that, we've compiled these highlights of upcoming jazz and creative music performances in the St. Louis area...

Tonight, bassist Christian McBride, who was just here last month with his trio at Jazz at the Bistro, drops into the area again for a day to do a master class and concert with pianist Peter Martin down I-55 at Jefferson College in Hillsboro.Tickets for the evening concert are only $5 for the general public, so even figuring in that it's a bit of drive from many parts of the area, that's still a bargain.

Meanwhile back in downtown St. Louis, keyboardist and St. Louis expat David Garfield, former musical director for George Benson, and singer Alex Ligertwood, who's toured and recorded with Santana, Average White Band and Brian Auger, will join forces with saxophonist Jim Stevens and his rhythm section for two sets of funk, soul and jazz at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups.

Also tonight, the Gaslight Cabaret Festival resumes with singer and actress Emily Bergl, who's best known for her work in musical theater and a recurring role on ABC's Desperate Housewives, presenting the first of three performances of her show "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" at the Gaslight Theater.

On Friday, pianist and Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap brings his new quintet to Jazz at the Bistro for the first of two evenings featuring the music of Miles Davis. Along with Dunlap, the group includes trumpeter Danny Campbell, saxophonist Ben Reece, bassist Nathan Pence, and drummer Montez Coleman.

Also on Friday, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes play at the Atomic Cowboy; singer Wendy Gordon and pianist Arthur Toney perform at the Tavern of Fine Arts; and guitarist Dave Black, violinist Asako Kuboki and saxophonist Paul DeMarinis will team up for a trio show at the house concert venue KindaBlue, 6101 1/2 Idaho in south St. Louis.

On Saturday afternoon, the revived Nu-Art Series will present drummer Charles "Bobo" Shaw, pianist David Parker and trumpeter George Sams at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site.

Then on Saturday evening, guitarist Kevin Eubanks (pictured) will play two shows at Lumiere Place Casino's Lumiere Theatre. Eubanks just got back from a series of dates in Europe and Russia with bassist Dave Holland, performing in both a trio format and with the quartet Prism. The former bandleader for Jay Leno's Tonight Show also made news recently when he dropped by Arsenio Hall's syndicated late night program for a chat and a bit of jamming.

Elsewhere around town on Saturday evening, the Pennsylvania-based contemporary chamber music group NakedEye Ensemble will make their St. Louis debut at The Chapel; trombonist Doug Burns returns to Robbie's House of Jazz; Miss Jubilee plays for dancers at the Casa Loma Ballroom; and The People's Key and Elastik Soul will present "Bold as Jimi: Love as Jazz," a jazz/funk tribute to Jimi Hendrix, at the Schlafly St. Louis Brewery and Tap Room.

On Sunday, multi-instrumentalist Sandy Weltman and pianist Carolbeth True will be the featured performers at this month's free "Inner Jazz" concert at Kirkwood United Church of Christ; and Lemp Neighborhood Arts Center continues their “Quiet Concert” series with a performance headlined by Kansas City-based electronic musician and composer Jason Zeh.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday the jazz faculty at Webster University will present their annual concert in Winifred Moore Auditorium to raise funds for the school's Shepard/Davis scholarships.

On Tuesday, the Sheldon Concert Hall is busy day and night, starting with a morning "Coffee Concert" (also repeated on Wednesday) featuring Red Lehr and the St. Louis Rivermen, and continuing with an evening performance by trumpeter and singer Dawn Weber as part of the hall's "Notes From Home" series. Also on Tuesday, the Twin Cities jump-blues and swing band Davina and The Vagabonds will be back in town for a show at The Gramophone.

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.)

Tickets on sale Monday for new shows at Jazz at the Bistro

Although there's been no announcement yet from Jazz St. Louis, Metrotix today sent out an email including on-sale dates for a number of new shows in 2014 at Jazz at the Bistro.

According to said email, The Wee Trio, with St. Louis native Dan Loomis on bass, will be coming back to town in April to celebrate the release of their album recorded earlier this year at the Bistro, and trumpeter Terell Stafford (pictured) will close out the 2013-14 season in May by serving as special guest for a weekend of perofrmances with students from Jazz St. Louis' JazzU program.

As for local players, bassist Jahmal Nichols and singer/guitarist Tommy Halloran have been booked to make their Bistro debuts as bandleaders, and several other hometown favorites will make return appearances there during the winter and spring. Here's the schedule of additional concerts as currently listed by Metrotix.

Friday, January 17 & Saturday, January 18:  Jahmal Nichols CD Release
Saturday, March 1:  Willie Akins & Dave Venn
Friday, March 14 & Saturday, March 15:  Phil Dunlap Quintet plays the music of Miles Davis
Friday, March 28 & Saturday, March 29:  Jim Stevens & Good 4 the Soul play the music of David Sanborn
Friday, April 11 & Saturday, April 12:  The Wee Trio CD Release Event celebrating Live at the Bistro
Tuesday, April 22:  SIUE Concert Jazz Band/Alumni
Friday, April 25 & Saturday, April 26:  Tommy Halloran's Guerilla Swing
Friday, May 9 & Saturday, May 10:  "Great Guitars 2014" with Shaun Robinson & Eric Slaughter
Friday, May 23 & Saturday, May 24:  JazzU with Terrell Stafford

All the performers will play sets at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., except for the SIUE Concert Jazz Band, who will play one show at 7:30 p.m. 

Ticket prices are $5 for Terell Stafford and JazzU; $15 for the SIUE Concert Jazz Band; $25 for The Wee Trio, Akins & Venn, and Jim Stevens' Sanborn tribute; and $20 for all other performances. Tickets for all shows go on sale at 10:00 a.m. next Monday, December 2 via Metrotix.

Jazz this week: Regina Carter, a trio of big bands, a benefit for Tony Simmons, and more

This week's notable jazz and creative music performances in St. Louis include the return of the premier violinist in jazz; concerts by three different local big bands; and more. Let's go to the highlights...

The violinist in question is, as you might suspect,  Regina Carter, who opens a four-night engagement this evening continuing through Saturday at Jazz at the Bistro.

Carter (pictured) was here last in 2010, touring with a band that included accordion and kora players in support of her album Reverse Thread, which featured compositions by musicians from Kenya, Mali, and Senegal. This time, she'll be accompanied by a more conventionally configured trio, including Xavier Davis on piano, Gayelynn McKinney on drums, and Jesse Murphy on bass, and presumably will be drawing on her repertoire of straight-ahead, swing and funk tunes as well. For more about Carter plus a video sample of her current band and some retrospective clips, please see this post from a couple of Saturdays ago.

Also tonight, Cabaret Project St. Louis presents their monthly Open Mic Night at the Tavern of Fine Arts.

Tomorrow night, pianist Carolbeth True and her trio will play a free concert for the Jazz at Holmes series at Washington University, and pianist/singer Jesse Gannon performs in a showcase at the Kranzberg Arts Center.

On Friday, pianist and Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap finally gets to bring his new quintet to the Saint Louis Art Museum, playing a free concert for their "Art After 5" series to make up for an outdoor show back in June that was canceled due to bad weather. In addition to Dunlap, the group features Danny Campbell (trumpet), Ben Reece (tenor sax), Jahmal Nichols (bass), and Montez Coleman (drums).

Also on Friday, singer and actress Liz Murphy will present the first of two performances of her cabaret show "The Best Is Yet To Come" at the Kranzberg Arts Center; Miss Jubilee performs at The Wine Press; bassist Darrell Mixon leads a trio at Cigar Inn; and drummer Chuck Kennedy will debut a new ensemble featuring saxophonist Jerry Greene, pianist Arthur Toney and bassist Marc Torlina, plus some special guest performers, at Robbie's House of Jazz.

On Saturday, trumpeter Randy Holmes brings his quintet to Robbie's, while a couple of blocks away, Sarah Jane and the Blue Notes will play at C.J. Muggs. Also on Saturday, singer Joe Mancuso and guitarist Dave Black will duet at Candicci’s Italian Restaurant in Ballwin, and singer Ann Dueren's trio performs at Il Bel Lago.

Then on Sunday afternoon, a number of local musicians and singers will team up to present a benefit performance for keyboardist Tony Simmons at Union Memorial United Methodist Church, 1141 Belt Ave. The show will raise money toward Simmons' medical expenses, incurred earlier this year when his legs had to be amputated due to complications from diabetes. Scheduled performers announced so far include Denise Thimes, Joe Mancuso, Anita Jackson, Tim Cunningham, Jeremiah Allen, Cheryl Brown and Joy Bryant.

On Sunday evening, the Dave Dickey Big Band plays their monthly gig at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company, with an intermission performance by the Lindbergh High School jazz band; and pianist Tony Suggs and drummer Montez Coleman will co-lead a quartet for two sets at the Bistro at Grand Center, the first of which already is sold out.

Looking beyond the weekend, on Monday Dizzy Atmosphere will play at The Shaved Duck, and saxophonist "Blind" Willie Dineen and the Broadway Collective return to BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups.

Then on Tuesday, there's a double dose of big band action, as the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra, directed by Jim Widner, performs as part of the "Notes From Home" series at the  Sheldon Concert Hall, while the Genesis Jazz Project, under the baton of Bob Waggoner, will play a concert at Midwest Music in Ballwin. 

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

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

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* Jazz St. Louis announced this week that a newly formed group to be known as the Jazz St. Louis Big Band will perform Duke Ellington’s "Nutcracker Suite" on Wednesday, December 11 at Jazz at the Bistro. The holiday favorite, based on Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker," originally was recorded by Ellington's orchestra for Columbia Records and released in 1960, and was last performed locally in November 2011 by the St. Louis Symphony.

Prominently featuring alumni of the jazz program at SIUE, the Jazz St. Louis Big Band will include JSL's education director Phil Dunlap on piano, with Eric Warren on bass and Kevin Gianino on drums, providing the rhythmic underpinning for Jason Swagler, Harvey Lockhart, Ben Reece, Kristian Baarsvik, and Aaron Lehde (saxophones); Andy Tichenor, Adam Hucke, Danny Campbell, and Matt Bittles (trumpets); and Cody Henry and Jordin Gouge (trombones).

They'll perform "Nutcracker Suite" for one set only, starting at 7:30 p.m.; tickets are $25, $10 for students, and are on sale now via Metrotix and the Jazz St. Louis box office.

* New Music Circle has posted to their Facebook page photo sets of the concert by Marty Ehrlich's Rites Quartet two weeks ago at Kranzberg Arts Center, and of Ehrlich's discussion with local jazz fans and his workshop at his alma mater, University City HS.

* A new CD by bassist Jim Widner's big band, And the Beat Goes On, was reviewed by Jack Bowers for AllAboutJazz.com. (The album, Widner's sixth for the Chase Music Group, features mostly faculty members from Widner's summer jazz camps, but at least some the musicians, including trombonist Brett Stamps and pianist Ken Kehner, will be familiar to local listeners.)

* In this week's Miles Davis news, the trumpeter's classic album Sketches of Spain is being reissued once again, this time as a "Superdisc DVD."

* Also hitting store shelves is a new book, Miles Davis: The Collected Artwork (pictured), that showcases Davis' sketches and paintings, along with analysis of his visual art, an interview with him, and more. Davis' youngest son Erin Davis and nephew Vince Wilburn, Jr. were interviewed about the book last week by Tavis Smiley for Smiley's radio program.

* WSIE (88.7 FM) has begun posting playlists online in real time, and now has a detailed program schedule on their website as well.

* DiscMakers, CDBaby and music gear retailer Sweetwater have teamed up for a promotion called the Independent Musician Sweepstakes, offering a grand prize package of products and services worth more than $20,000. The winner will get "guitar and bass amps, a bass guitar, a stage piano, an electric drum kit, a digital mixer, a pair of powered PA speakers, microphones and stands, CDs, a design and mastering package, posters, worldwide distribution," and more - "everything you need to outfit an entire band to record and sell a CD," as the promo puts it. To enter, go to www.discmakers.com/request/indie-musician-sweepstakes.asp

So What: Local News, Notes & Links

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

* "Jazz Unlimited" host Dennis Owsley will will serve as interviewer and moderator for a discussion with multi-instrumentalist and composer Marty Ehrlich at 7:00 p.m. Thursday, October 3 at the Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Blvd.

Ehrlich, who grew up in University City, will play with his Rites Quartet in a concert presented by New Music Circle the following evening, Friday, October 4, at the Kranzberg Arts Center. The Ehrlich/Owsley conversation is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served.

* Saxophonist and St. Louis expat Greg Osby (pictured) talked to London Jazz News about his upcoming appearance at the Whirlwind Festival in UK.

* Trumpeter Russell Gunn, raised in East St. Louis and now living in Atlanta, has a new album, Elektrik Funeral, out this month on the Atlanta-based indie label Hot Shoe Records. Described as "inspired by the work of the Brecker Brothers Heavy Metal Bebop and the music of the classic Black Sabbath lineup," the album features a cover version of Sabbath's "War Pigs" and guest appearances from musicians including saxophonist Branford Marsalis, pianist Robert Glasper, and trombonists Andre Hayward and Fred Wesley.

* A new short film, Trane and Miles, takes a fictionalized look at Miles Davis and John Coltrane in 1959 during the recording of Davis' landmark album Kind of Blue.

* Saxophonist Eric Person (also from St. Louis, now living in Brooklyn, NY) has posted on Facebook an album of pictures from his big band's first live gig earlier this month at NYC's Jazz Standard.

* Speaking of Facebook photo sets, here's one posted by the American Embassy in Guyana, documenting the recent trip to that country by pianist and Jazz St. Louis education director Phil Dunlap, bassist Nick Jost and drummer Marty Morrison. The trio were in Guyana from September 9 through September 14 on behalf of the U.S. State Department's Jazz Ambassadors program to perform a concert and lead workshops for local students and musicians.

* In other Jazz St. Louis-related news, there's a new promo video online for the touring edition of "Abyssinian: A Gospel Celebration," the extended work composed in 2008 by Wynton Marsalis for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and a gospel choir. JSL is presenting the St. Louis stop of the "Abyssinian" tour next month at the Touhill.

* Meanwhile, JSL executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford on Wednesday night took part in a Jazz Journalists Association online video panel, "The Future of Jazz: Where We’ll Hear Jazz," with Revive Music's Meghan Stabile and former Jazz at Lincoln Center head Adrian Ellis. You can watch a replay of their discussion here.

* Singer Michael Buble's concert last Friday at the Scottrade Center was reviewed by the Post-Dispatch's Kevin Johnson.

* The St. Louis Jazz Orchestra's tribute to Maynard Ferguson next Tuesday night at the Touhill is previewed in an online story from UMSL's news service.

* Trumpeter Roger Ingram's appearance Sunday night with the Dave Dickey Big Band at Kirkwood Station Brewing Company is previewed by St. Louis magazine intern Kim Aubuchon (who's a trumpet player herself).

* Congrats to Logic Systems Sound & Lighting, based in the St. Louis suburb of Valley Park, for being named one of the finalists for Front Of House magazine's 2013 Hometown Hero awards.

* In some less felicitous news, St. Louis blues guitarist and singer Jimmy Lee Kennett is facing a relapse of the colon cancer he's fought for several years, and friends and family have launched an online fund-raising effort to help with medical bills and other expenses.

* Jazz radio update: This week's edition of Calvin Wilson's "Somethin' Else" is devoted to the music of legendary bassist and composer Charles Mingus, as heard on recordings by Mingus himself; his former sideman, saxophonist Charles McPherson; and the Mingus Big Band, which continues to perform his compositions under the auspices of his widow Sue Mingus. The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays via 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:

* Residents of Alton will get their first look this weekend at what the proposed statue of Miles Davis may look like when it's installed downtown.

Artist Preston Jackson will give a presentation to the community tomorrow, Saturday July 20, to help kick off the Alton Block Party, showing renderings of the Davis statue (pictured) situated on its eventual site.

The event takes place in the 200 block of W. 3rd St., starting with an hour of music by trumpeter Kasimu Taylor's quartet at 4:00 p.m., followed by Jackson's presentation at 5:00 p.m..

* And speaking of Miles Davis, CBC Music takes note of the 50th anniversary of the release of Davis' album Seven Steps to Heaven with a post on the "7 Passions of Miles Davis."

* The new Yellowjackets album Rise In The Road was reviewed for Jazz Times magazine by Philip Booth. The group will be in St. Louis the last week in September to kick off the fall season at Jazz at the Bistro.

* Trumpeter Kermit Ruffins had a few words with the Post-Dispatch's Calvin Wilson for a brief story found online here. Ruffins plays at The Gramophone next Wednesday and Thursday.

* Lindy Hop St. Louis continues its series of Saturday dance workshops next week with "Pirating: Enrich Your Lindy Hop with Stolen Dance Steps" from noon to 4:00 p.m., Saturday July 27 at Studio Forte in Maplewood.

* After being washed out by rainy weather a couple of weeks ago at the St. Louis Art Museum, pianist Phil Dunlap's new quintet will make their debut as part of the "American Music Showcase", a multi-band, multi-genre event to be held from 6:00 p.m. to midnight Saturday, August in seven different locations in the Grand Center district.

* For the vinyl lovers out there, Euclid Records now is marketing their own brand of record-cleaning solution called Euclid Juice. It's $10 for a spray bottle, $5 for a refill, and available at the store.

* The independent St. Louis based jazz label MAXJAZZ has announced that their catalog now will be distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Naxos of America, the largest independent distributor of classical music in North America.

* Voting is open in Down Beat magazine's 78th annual Readers Poll. You can cast your ballot for your favorite musicians, bands and recordings online here.

* Jazz radio update: WSIE (88.7 FM) reports that they purchased and on July 18 successfully installed a new backup generator, enabling to them to stay on the air even if the power grid goes down.

Over at Radio Arts Foundation-St. Louis, this Saturday's edition of Calvin Wilson's "Somethin' Else" will feature fresh tracks from present-day artists including Gretchen Parlato, the Bad Plus and James Farm, featuring saxophonist Joshua Redman. The program can be heard at 8:00 p.m. Saturdays via 107.3 FM, 96.3 HD-2 and online at http://www.rafstl.org/listen. 

A bit farther up the dial, the subject of Dennis Owsley's "Jazz Unlimited" program at 9:00 p.m. this Sunday on KWMU (90.7 FM) is "Music from the Newport and Monterey Jazz Festivals, Part 2.” The episode will feature the sounds of Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, The Donald Byrd-Gigi Gryce Jazz Lab Quintet, Dave Brubeck, the Don Ellis Big Band, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Charles, Horace Silver, Charles Lloyd with Keith Jarrett, the Thelonious Monk nonet, Max Roach, John Handy, The Charles Mingus Octet and the Monterey 50th Anniversary All-Stars.

Illustration of Miles Davis statue via the Alton Telegraph.

(Edited after posting to add the radio update & item on Kermit Ruffins.)